â¦â¦ it looks like dust.
It looks like Anneâs fur that was always on that guyâs cardigan.
I am not a crow in a flock of swans, I am the only one who is black. Iâm alone. I feel alone and gloomy, and I feel like a criminal caught doing something bad, but what is this? What is the situation?
This guy, that guy, and everyone else was white, and yet, the haughty and alone Kalyan, who was completely black, lowered his hand that was covering his face. Reric, who saw this, glanced at another servant who was standing with him, and the servant who was approaching with something made a cautious voice.
âIt is conquest, Prince Calian.â
The Princeâs Conquest.
Calian looked at the black suit, similar to the black suit he was currently wearing under his robe, but properly formal, and lowered his head and smiled.
âVeryâ¦â
You were very determined.
Planz.
Calian, who was laughing while swallowing the words he couldnât say out loud in this place, accepted the conquest and laughed again. I was so shocked that I laughed for a while, and with my eyes filled with tears from laughing so hard, I opened the black leather bag attached to Ravenâs saddle and stuffed the stuff I had received into it.
Aside from the ones borrowed from Alan, the cumbersome uniform and red cloak were neatly placed in Ravenâs bag connected to Calianâs space.
âolder brother.â
Calian, who closed the bag, called out Planz, who was looking at him blankly, and then moved slowly. The quiet sound of hooves reached Rericâs ears a few times before suddenly becoming quiet.
It is the manifestation of silence.
âCould you please explain what the situation is?â
âItâs my conquest, but I think itâll suit my brother as well.â
Of course, what Calian was curious about right now was not such a trivial matter, but Plantz, who could not have been unaware of this fact, only said what he had to say. Calian, who was frustrated by that, answered briefly.
âNot that.â
âI explained why I wanted to go with you. Are there any other problems?â
âYou know itâs not something you should do, and you know why, so why are you doing this? If you want to help me that much, Iâll just take the crew with me. Thatâs enough to negotiate.â
âThe words of a guy who only took power without authority would make sense.â
Calian laughed when he heard that there was no use in taking only the crew without anyone who was actually in a position to move Vulkan.
âFrom the beginning, I planned to go with only my power. No authority, just power. I will leave behind the conquests of the wizard, the knight, and the prince, and my brother, and just go by myself. Even if I go like that, it will end well enough.â
âDoesnât that mean that itâs advantageous to end well?â
âJust because itâs disadvantageous doesnât mean itâs impossible.â
âWhy do you want to take the easy route and go alone?â
âIf I go alone, it will be resolved without any other problems.â
âDonât bark.â
A sneer appeared on Planzâs lips.
âI donât think I have any intention of using that position to catch snakes. I donât want to use what the 3rd Prince Kairis has for something related to King Secretia.â
âWhat are you saying?â
âDo you hate it? Or are you sorry?â
Only after hearing these words did Calian finally understand the situation. I found out why Plantz was blocking the road, even shouting âmy one and only brotherâ.
He was reluctant to use his authority as a âCalianâ to resolve the matter with Devlan, so he thought he ran away from the palace alone and caused this mess.
Calian shook his head and opened his mouth as if to clear up a misunderstanding.
âItâs not that I donât like it, and Iâm not sorry. Itâs completely different from who I decided to live as. Iâm not even worrying about that anymore.â
âThen what is it?â
âIâm doing this not because I feel indebted to this position, but because I feel burdened by it. If I bring in troops to a problem related to another country and things go wrong, there will be war. As you know, I am not a person who has any intention of starting a war.â
âI think itâs okay since I came here instead of the blue-haired wizard. If something goes wrong, I can just use the second prince who brought the Balkan soldiers as an escort instead of the vice commander who brought the army. Will there be a problem?â
âYou speak so easily. Do you know that this is an issue that will also affect the royal family?â
Plantz looked at Calian with an expression that seemed like it was no big deal.
âI explained it to His Highness, received permission to recruit members from the Manasil Corps commander, and discussed it with the blue-haired wizard.â
âolder brother.â
âI got consent from the Vulcan crew, including the pink-haired wizard who likes salt, to accompany me, so itâs okay.â
âolder brother.â
âMarquis Briesen is still out of his mind, so he canât plan anything else just because the two princes are outside. Brother Randelâs heart is still tied up, so I donât think heâll think of closing the palace if his two younger brothers disappear.â
âBrother, please.â
âDo I have to feel any more pressure than this?â
âPlanz.â
ââ¦â¦ why.â
Planz glared at the person who had interrupted him.
âYou know very well that you donât have to come forward, but Iâm not the one whoâs looking for an excuse to go with you and putting it out there. Youâre stubbornâ¦â âDonât
treat me like Chase. Itâs annoying.â
So Plantz cut his words in the same way.
âI think we talked about it. I have no intention of stepping back and leaving everything to you.â
Planz looked straight at the person in the flame-filled eyes. Slow words flowed from his mouth.
âIf you saved your life and taught you, use it properly. Donât get stabbed again thinking of taking the easy route.â
â⦠You speak very well.â
âThanks to my brother for teaching me so well.â
A deep sigh flowed from Calianâs mouth as he frowned. They tell me to use what they taught me, but I wonder what more they can say. So, in the end, I have no choice but to get bitten in the foot again.
âWouldnât it be great to talk that long like that on a regular basis?â
Nevertheless, the discomfort did not subside, so Calian, who muttered to himself as if telling me to listen, opened his mouth again.
âIâm going to threaten a tree. I donât know if itâs something this serious, but⦠I understand that itâs all me who did it in the end. You can come with me as you wish.â
I donât know if it was permission or agreement, but in any case, Plantz nodded, saying that he would no longer object and would accompany him.
âBut brother.â
But Calianâs words were not over.
âWhat else?â
Calian extended one finger and pointed at Plantz.
To be precise, Calian stretched out his hand toward the immaculate uniform, rather than a planz, and continued speaking.
âYouâre so smart, so you already know this, but since I have to use a magic circle to move, my luggage is very simple, and of course I donât have a cook.â
Calian let out a voice full of anticipation, pretending not to have seen the face of Planz, who couldnât even eat undercooked steak, let alone grilled cod, and had only seen him sit on the floor three times.
âMy older brother, who grew up well⦠I guess he came prepared to sleep on the street instead of trying to stab me in the back.â
Kalianâs bright red lips drew a long line.
* * *
It was about the thickness of a book.
It was about the size of three of Alanâs palms put together.
âItâs not the time to send gifts, but I brought this separately, Marquis.â
I received it through Euria.
I sent a mission to Riverne at Calianâs request to find out where the other two wizards of the 7th Circle were and what they were doing. Since the gift arrived later, it was probably the answer to Alanâs question.
âHow can you make such grandiose claims when you can just use birds?â
Alan muttered while looking at the transparent crystal plate, then closed his eyes for a moment. After inserting various old things in the sharp eyes, he infused magic into the crystal plate.
â Ughâ¦â¦.
Light appeared on the crystal plate along with a slight vibration.
It was my first time seeing this item, but Alan wasnât so clueless that he didnât know how to use it.
How much time has passed like that?
When you can no longer feel any scent at the tip of your nose, which has become accustomed to the strong scent of coffee. A face as familiar as the scent of coffee appeared as if drawn on the correction board that had been set up.
And no words were exchanged for a while.
âYouâre still naughty.â
Then, something playful like this was said.
Alan raised his eyebrows as he looked at the bright blonde hair that wasnât brown at all and the dark pink eyes.
âAs your abilities get better and you get older, wouldnât it be okay to lose some of your habits?â
âBut I knew how to say hello.â
âI didnât think there was a need to discuss something like that.â
The face inside the crystal plate smiled brightly.
âlong time no see.â
âItâs been a long time since I saw you, King of Riverne.â
Elin asked, seeing that Alan had not changed except for his hair, which was a little longer than the last time she saw him.
âYou look a little tired?â
âItâs because I havenât been able to sleep well these days. Donât worry.â
Eline nodded slightly at those words and opened her mouth again.
âOkay. So what should I say now? Itâs too bleak to end the conversation by just telling you what you were curious about. Should I start by bragging about the new communication magic I created in Riverne? Or maybe you should nag your countryâs taciturn king like that too. Should I ask?â
âNow that I can see how amazing the newly created communication magic is, thatâs it. Iâm tired of even talking about someone who is just like a cow, so thatâs it too.â
âHmm. Then what should I talk about?â
After contemplating something to talk about for a while, Eline finally couldnât find the right words and spoke up the main point she wanted to convey as late as possible.
âThe two wizards are in the magic tower right now. Iâve been watching them, but I havenât seen anything suspicious yet.â
âAs I told you, if their power reaches the Archmage, it will be difficult to stop them. Watch carefully so that the magic bullet does not catch fire. Of course, the same goes for other High Circle mages.â
âItâs hard to imagine how dangerous it is to make an ordinary person use the sword masterâs power. Weâll look into it with that much care, so donât worry too much.â
âOkay. If you have any problems, please contact me right away.â
After saying this, Alan tapped the revision board and said.
âI will keep this by my side and keep an eye on it at all times.â
âItâs expensive. Itâs more expensive than your carriage, so donât break it by touching it like that.â
Alan smiled and nodded.
That was the last time the words stopped. It was because I had gotten to the point and had nothing more to say.
Perhaps she was a bit disappointed or had other questions, Eline did not end the conversation and just quietly looked at Alan. So in the end, Alan spoke first.
âHow is your son?â
Eline pursed her lips.
The old things that Alan swallowed appeared on Elineâs face for a moment and then disappeared.
The king, who knew that he was the one who took his son away from the archmage, but who had to prevent him from even avenging his sonâs loss, let out a long, silent breath. The regret of a person who owes a debt that cannot be repaid no matter what precious thing in the world can be gifted and who will have to repay it until the day he or she dies is fleeting.
âI put a small crown on it.â
The king, who had no right to remain silent, quietly opened his mouth.
âHeâs so meddlesome in everything. Itâs a bit of a pain in the ass, but Iâm getting along without any problems.â
âThatâs right. Itâs a good thing it doesnât seem to be going astray any more.â
âokay.â
âDonât worry about me. âIâm doing well.â
And then, Allen brought out the answer to what Eline was most curious about and shook Elineâs head. After lowering her head for a moment and
accepting Alanâs words, Eline looked at Alan again and smiled. I laughed.
âAm I a bad person if I say thank you for letting me know?â
âDoes it matter since you donât want anything to get worse?â
âOf course, thatâs true. It wonât get any worse.â
Alan said something else to Eline, who nodded slowly as she answered this.
âI have a new son.â
Eline looked at Alan in silence.
âIâm feeling sick inside . He is such a pretty guy that he makes his father suffer so much. He is a deep-hearted child who does not try to fill an empty space but creates a new one.â
The wizard, who is forgiving one by one by accepting everything that is precious in the world without rejecting it, concluded with a gentle smile.
âSo, take care when I see you next time . Wouldnât it be okay if you ask me first?â
Elineâs mouth shook for a moment and then made something similar to a smile.
ââ¦â¦ Yes. Iâll do that next time.â
It was both a thank you and an apology.
Alan, who understood everything, nodded.
* * *
I ran for a whole day.
There was no rush, but I didnât move leisurely either.
I stayed at the palace for a long time . There was a reason why it couldnât be left empty, but there was a slightly different reason than that.
âSo, the mealâ¦â
Out of concern, I ate the meal that Reric had packed for lunch. I asked the wizards for preservation magic. Since Iâm not a great person to bring my own food, I only packed one meal.
Thank you.
âRemove all the flower decorations. There is no need to go through any trouble to decorate it. Cook all the meat thoroughly and use no spices as much as possible. Donât serve seafood. It would be nice to have a lot of vegetables, but bell peppers are fine. Cook all the onions⦠no, just leave out the onions. I hope the bread isnât rye, but just white bread without anything else will do. Oh, are there any peas? It would be good to add some peas. Lots of peas. A lot.â
As soon as we arrived at Siegfriedâs city of Citren, Calian was busy.
I knew it would be like this.
I should have brought Reric with me. It was the two lowest-ranking knights who
informed the mayor in advance of the two princesâ visit and had them prepare lodging and food. Thatâs about it. It was okay, but the problem was the appetite of that well-bred guy. You canât tell the driver that in detail and have him tell the marketâs cook. âActually,
Iâve been among the drivers, drinking and dancing, and Iâve even gotten into fist fights. I tried it a bit and we slept together a lot.â
Calian, who was sitting across from Plantz, opened his mouth as he looked at the food in front of him. Plantz, who saw his younger brother, who had suddenly manifested Silence, smiling, answered quietly. âMy brother
. âI think youâre going to bark again.â
âBut this is my first time playing the role of someoneâs servant. Thanks to you, I get to try something new again. âBrother.â
âNoisy.â
âI am gaining experience and becoming angry. Itâs really good.â
âI never ordered it.â
Yes, I didnât order it
. He said he would eat whatever he was given and live with whatever was provided.
So what would he do?
As soon as Kalyan, who was hungry just before the sun set, saw the wild chicken he had excitedly caught, he looked up with a stiff expression on his face. What should I do with the pale guy who was nodding?
Thanks to him, I let go of the chicken I had caught and just came to Siegfriedâs Territory. I forgot the memory of him laughing at me and asking if I was prepared to sleep out on the street, so I rushed over and came back.
âBrother, will you just stay here? I think it would be faster if I went alone.â
âI donât want to.â
Calian, who was smiling, nodded and opened his mouth.
âYes. Then have a meal. It may be different from the royal palace rice, but it will be better than that chicken from earlier. You wonât be able to have dinner like this for a while starting tomorrow, so eat a lot.â
Planz, who had no intention of responding, frowned as he looked at the mountain of pea salad. It wasnât that he didnât know who did it, but he was a bit tired from fighting over something like that. âPeas
. There are a lot of them.â
âStop barking.â
âI didnât bark. Just because there are a lot of peas. But I donât know why the peas were cooked so soft. Itâs so mushy.â
Itâs like someone watching a wild chicken, but this is it.
âYou.â
âYes.â
Iâm annoyed, but if I get annoyed, itâs obvious that the pea understands what Iâm saying, so I canât speak, but Iâm annoyed that I stay still.
â â¦â¦ Just stop.â
I never thought I would miss Lucy and Anne this
much. I furrowed my brows as the feeling that I had come here for no reason, which I didnât even notice when I saw the wild chickens,
clicked.
The door to the restaurant where the princes continued their meal opened at will. .
Calian, who had been sitting in his seat and laughing heartily just a moment ago, looked towards the door. And Planz looked at the shield that had formed in front of him. âI canât believe you came
so suddenly again. Did you two come together this time?â
With these words, a large man entered. He was a man who could come to the princesâ place without asking for permission. Hearing the familiar voice,
Calian stood up with a happy face.
âSiegfried . Ball.â
The shield made in front of Plants disappeared.
Instead, Calianâs back was seen.
âItâs been a while, but itâs nice to meet you. Were you nearby?â
âYes, my prince. âI had some business to do so I was nearby for a while.â
âIs that so? But why is the ball like thisâ¦â
Calian, who paused for a moment without erasing the happy smile on his face, opened his mouth again.
âIs the smell of blood strong?â
Callie asked while blocking Plantzâs path. Slayman, who looked inside, realized what a misunderstanding he had caused and burst out laughing. He then held out his empty hand and said,
âOh no. Since the guest was visiting for a short time, I didnât know if it was to meet him or send him off. Donât misunderstand.â
âYouâre a guest.â
Slayman looked towards Plants for a moment and opened his mouth.
âSiona Hill. Do you know?â
Siona Hill.
Kalianâs eyes narrowed when he heard the name of the person he was looking for.