Cracks appear.
It looked like Calianâs white fingertip touched a round wine glass, and it looked like a crystal ball touched by Arseneâs magic hand after drinking four glasses of beer.
There was no sound.
There was just a quiet crack.
The starting point was the exact point where the sharp water magic power extending from the inside and the razor-sharp blade rushing in from the outside met. Cracks that looked like spiderwebs or long scars on the frozen Seneu River extended in all directions.
Then it stands tall. Numerous cracks that were extending straight through the golden protective shield stopped moving all at once.
Silence comes.
Whitlinâs eyes turned to Calian.
Planzâs eyes landed on Calian.
-â¦â¦ Wowâ¦â¦.
The Vulcan crew looked at Planz.
Arsene turned his head and looked at Whit Lin.
â Ugh⦠Ugh⦠Ughâ¦!
The gaze in silence becomes entangled like that.
Quietly, one two three.
A red line is drawn around Kalianâs mouth. And again one by two.
âAnyway, my brother is so amazing.â
â¦â¦ three.
â Kaaaaaaaaaa!
There is a sound.
A voice like the wind touching flower petals is buried in a sharp burst.
The defense shield that seemed unbreakable crumbled into pieces and exploded. Like the edge of a firecracker launched into the distant sky, it dispersed into a fine light and then disappeared.
â Bark.
â Woof woof. yes.
In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, Calian heard my voice, cut off the reply, and looked at Whitlin.
However, before that gaze, the fastest red blade was aimed at Whitlin.
â Slut!
Itâs one time.
I took it easy, but I know there are no second chances.
Magical ability on a similar level to that of Veronica, Arianne, or Calian, who was just learning how to use circles. No matter how smart he is, isnât this a striking point that Plantz, who has never learned magic, managed to create? The other wizards attacked there, and Calian stuck his sword into it, breaking the shield.
So hurry.
If Whitlin rebuilds it, he will have to send his magical power to surround the entire dungeon with a shield before he knows it, and Alan will have to come down and take action.
â Suddenly!
â Wow!
Still, he didnât aim for the wrist.
Didnât even cut anything.
â Patter!
A bloody smell wafts from the back of Whitlinâs hand, which was cut deeply by the red sword. Drops of dark red blood fell like a pouring rain and soaked Planzâs pure white uniform.
The subtle consideration for Plantz, who must have never forgotten what happened to Silikeâs hand that held the final understanding dagger that was created because of knowing Hina, going through Kirie, and coming to trust Siona, cut the back of Whitlinâs hand.
âWhitlin.â
Thatâs how he recklessly dropped the blade that was placed on the crown princeâs neck, where nothing could touch it.
âHow much more are you going to scratch me?â
â â¦â¦Changerang!
Whitlin, who lost his sword due to a cut tendon on the back of his hand, looked at Calian.
Calian, who was calmly looking at the face of the person who had not made even a single sound, let alone a scream, opened his mouth once again. It was not directed at Whitlin, but at Arsene, who was standing right next to him.
âLord Hertz.â
ââ¦Yes, prince.â
â20 minutes. Isnât it done yet?â
âNo. Itâs time.â
âTake it and leave it then.â
âAll right.â
Kalian, who met Norton, did not forget what he said, âPlease bring Whitlin in 20 minutes,â but Planz came first and Arsene, who had delayed for a while, sent a gesture. Then, some of the Balkan soldiers who had come down after hearing the explosion immediately ran over and captured Whitlin.
Whitlin, who chose to be captured instead of resisting them again, looked at Calian. Even though it was said to have healing properties, the wound on the back of my hand was left alone.
âPrince. Take my word.â
â Flash!
â â¦â¦Sarak!
There is a red flash.
No one, including Whitlin, saw any movement, but a wisp of silver-white hair, just like Hinaâs, was falling down.
Words colder than the cold red eyes were directed at Whitlin.
âI will only listen to you if you are alive.â
If you say one more word here, I will kill you.
Whitlin closed his mouth, as if biting his tongue. After that, he looked at Kalian for a while and nodded. And then he started walking towards the interrogation room where Calian and Norton were just moments ago.
Calian caught a glimpse of that figure and turned his eyes away.
-Tap.
â Tap, tap, tap.
While everyone who witnessed the crown princeâs near assassination remains silent, the sound of shoe heels hitting the stone floor of the dungeon breaks the silence.
One, two, three.
The footsteps of the three princes, who are in no hurry at all, echo slowly.
Calian went to the Vulcan Knight who was standing in front of the prison where Whitlin was originally located and raised his hand. He silently handed me the Sinasta he had picked up.
â Tap, tap, tap.
The sound of black shoes echoes again through the silence, where even the sound of eye contact can be heard.
âCrown Prince Plants⦠Your Majesty.â
At the end of the walk, an unfamiliar call comes.
Seeing him call me neither brother nor uncle, I thought that my brotherâs patience had finally run out. Planz, who had already been preparing his mind when Calian interrupted him, raised his light green eyes.
After standing silently for a while, Kalian quietly opened his mouth. He had a voice like a bright red flower blooming at the edge of a cliff.
âYou donât even know how to use magic. Are you missing your sword? What are you going to do if something big happens?â
â⦠It was a mistake.â
âYes. Congratulations. You have luckily received back the life you gave away by mistake.â
What more should I reply to these words?
Plantz quietly closed his mouth and held out his hand.
He got Sina Star back from Kalyan.
The movement smells bloody. Is it from Plantzâs neck wound, or is it from Whitlinâs blood that dyed the blade of his conquest? Planz didnât judge and Calian didnât care.
â Sigh.
Calian handed over his sword and raised his arm. And he straightened up the collar of his livery, which had been crumpled from holding him by Whitlin. Slowly and politely. But the word âexcuse meâ did not come out of his mouth.
And he opened his mouth as if to whisper.
A small voice that no one else could hear was addressed to Plantsmann.
âIt is said that even a knight who lost an arm has never let go of his sword. Would the person who should stand in front of them let go of his sword⦠become an example?â
Plantz quietly closed his eyes and opened them.
This is because I felt that Kalianâs fierce sharpness, which had given up on polishing, was increasing and then subsiding. He already knew that he was going back to himself because he couldnât find a place to go.
âokay.â
âWhat.â
âI will be more careful in the future.â
âHow about taking a walk around the parade ground and paying attention?â
Calianâs low voice continues as if telling me not to think about going beyond words.
â⦠If you were the commander of the Manasil Corps, I would recommend that. What do you think, Crown Prince Plantz?â
punish
Even in the name of his younger brother Calian and the title of the third prince âunrelatedâ to Balkan, he was handing out a punishment that could not possibly be meted out.
Planz curled one corner of his mouth.
It is not because of a twisted mind. If it had been the day before, Bern would have jumped out and said something, but instead of doing that, he was just selling Alanâs name. I noticed the change, but how can I feel bad?
âokay.â
Above all, it is true that even though I knew that Whitlin was a dangerous person, I relaxed.
âI will do that, Kalian.â
âyes.â
I nodded at the punishment given to me by my younger brother, who had stopped taking out Bern because of Planz after breaking free from covering the shield.
What on earth did I say while under the influence of alcohol to make that guy change his attitude? I put off finding the right answer for a while, as I felt like I knew for sure.
â Fight!
Plantz moved his hand.
Calian took off the dark red uniform jacket that he had neatened with his own hands and laid it down on the floor.
At the same time, the appearance of Planz began to change.
His height grew a little, his shoulders shrunk ever so slightly, and Planzâs unique green color changed. Her pale emerald hair was colored with bright gold, and instead of her light green eyes, she was filled with an unknown sea.
He took on Randelâs form again.
Wouldnât it be impossible for the Crown Prince, who stopped by for a moment to hear that an important witness had arrived, to leisurely run to the parade ground? A better rumor would be that the first prince who took care of roses was really good at running.
Plantz, who had just handed the returned Sheena Star back to Kalian, turned his head. He went to Whitlinâs prison together and looked at the knights and wizards who had been thrown out, as if picking them out, before opening his mouth.
âcome out.â
Was it just me who was wrong?
Those guys who couldnât protect their superiors and left first were also at fault.
Kalian, who laughed at the peaâs tail bite, turned his head.
âLord Hertz.â
âYes. I want to go with you.â
âWhy?â
âYes. I will definitely go with you.â
âOkay then. I will be here.â
âYes. Please give me a moment, Prince.â
Arsene, who understood the situation, quickly responded and moved. He said that he was not in a position to punish his vice commander, but that he would willingly be punished by Kalian.
Soon Arsene took off his long, white robe and carefully laid it down.
Iâm going to be sick of running now, but I canât wear a flimsy robe thatâs sure to get kicked by my feet. I donât know about the other two wizards, but isnât Arsene the vice-captain who can proudly display that level of convenience?
â Jump and jump.
Soon Planz turned around and went out.
Arsene and six other members followed behind him.
â Bang!
The 1st Prince and my crazy Takari and the Balkan crew.
Calian, who was looking at the backs of those exercising with a combination that was difficult to understand, turned back. Afterwards, we moved into the interrogation room where Norton and Whitlin were now sitting together.
Holding a fairly heavy Sinastar tightly in one hand.
* * *
Rashid Brissen is not stupid.
He is more prejudiced than Randel, less patient than Plantz, and as confident as Calian, but he is not an idiot.
He may sound disparaging, pretending to be generous in his evaluation of Rashid Briesen, but he is anything but.
He sees Plantz, whom he had always hated and despised by Randel, who looked down on him so lowly, growing up under his younger brotherâs shadow, and finds out that Calian, whom he had never even paid attention to, is an unexpectedly crazy bastard, so he makes unavoidable mistakes.
â Knock knock knock.
weird.
It seems like the more he explains about this guy, the more he keeps criticizing him.
In the end, Kalyan gave up verbally explaining his generous assessment of Rashid. In any case, the important thing is to think that Rashid Brissen is not an idiot.
â Talk.
â Knock⦠Knock.
Kalyan gave up thinking about Rashid Brisen and opened his eyes. He looked at Whitlin, who had been sitting there for a moment without saying a word.
Norton Ramirez, who had finished saying everything he had to say, was sent away. First, she planned to go back to the prison and see Nortonâs wife, and if nothing was wrong, she would get her out of prison.
âI will bury the accident that happened today. I will do it my way.â
What if I lose my sword even though Iâm not using magic?
This is Balkan, where all doubts about Plants would have already been put to rest with just one word from Kalyan. Everyone who saw the scene, whether it was those who were running outside or those who had just started watching inside the prison, all knew that it was Vulcan who was saying, âAnyway, I donât know who sent it, but thanks to that water magic, I got over a big problem.â
Since they are like that, it is no use asking about todayâs accident.
âHe will run away.â
Whitlin, the criminal who attempted to assassinate the crown prince, whose wrists were not even tied, let alone shackled, answered lowly.
Sigh.
The tip of Calianâs hand on the table drew a long curve.
âWhat a talent.â
Calian asked.
A white finger moves away from the table and points out the window. Whitlin, who had already noticed this but had not reacted, looked there again.
âYou canât see it outside the window.â
âI saw it.â
Red.
Outside the window it looked red. The bars were red, as if they had been covered with red glass.
âThe sun doesnât rise and it doesnât set. It doesnât look like that because thereâs a fire.â
âYes. I know it is the power of Alan Manasil.â
Allen hasnât put up his shield yet.
Those who did not receive the Archmageâs permission did not exchange a single word with Calian, who had a strong shield that no one could enter.
âEven if Adelia comes, she canât break through that. Even if she somehow manages to break through, you canât get out. If you take one step, Iâll kill you.â
A word that is a mixture of âyouâ and âyouâ.
These words are a mixture of the foolishness of someone who has been appalled by their past actions but cannot ignore the warmth that the Bern siblings share and the kindness that Siona remembers.
He pretended not to hear those words.
Whitlin gave the answer.
âIâm not saying Iâm going to avoid what I did in this territory. Didnât I tell you? Iâm only going to kill Gray Brisen.â
âYou turned a blind eye to your children and said you wouldnât avoid them. Itâs hard to say things like that, Whitlin.â
â⦠This is an unrelated story.â
âI have it. Anytime and forever. Always.â
âThere is no time, prince. We must prepare immediatelyâ¦â
âWhat preparations? Are you ready to twist Gray Brisenâs lifeline first?â
âThatâs right.â
âThey said that there were more soldiers in the Barony of Dayrn than those who attacked Whitlin, and that if it were empty, the only place for the remaining soldiers to go was the capital.â
âYes, thatâs right.â
âBecause the only one who can move Zeon in the Barony of Dayrn without you is Rashid Brissen. He would have taken the rest of Zeonâs group to the capital. Thatâs what I thought, Whitlin.â
âThatâs right.â
âno.â
Calian answered sharply and looked at Whitlin.
âNo, just be quiet.â
âHow can you be sure? Donât you know the relationship between Rashid Brissen and Gray Brissen? Rashid Brissen is already backed into a corner. The Mother Tree has refused to help, and all the preparations here have been in vain by Gray Brissen. Gray âBecause of Brisenâs betrayal, I have been branded a traitor, so I can no longer move carelessly.â
Whitlin, who spoke at a rapid pace, took a moment to breathe. And he continued speaking as if driving a wedge.
âThe prince, the key personnel of Alan Manasil Balkan, and even the head of the Wizards Association. Now that everyone is out of the capital, this is Rashid Briesenâs last chance.â
âI know you are Rashid Briesen.â
The red eyes gave off a bright glow.
âWhy does Rashid Brissen give up his life to get rid of Gray Brissen? Do you think that bastard is the same as you who held a knife to the crown princeâs neck just to get rid of Gray Blessen?â
âIs it different?â
âRashid Briesen already attacked the capital once and failed. A few days ago, he almost died at my hands, but barely survived my harsh hands. Not long after that, he gathered a few people from the Barony and headed to the capital. Rashid Briesen is not that stupid that he killed Gray Briesen and said he would kill me too. He is different from you. Completely.â
âthen.â
Whitlin, whose complexion did not change even in response to Calianâs criticism, opened his mouth.
âIf Rashid Briesen had not gone to the capital, where would he have gone? This is not Rashid Briesen who will quietly observe the situation. He is not given much time.â
Calian smiled brightly.
âwell.â
Pretend you donât know anything.
He pretended he hadnât thought anything.
Shrugging his shoulders slightly.
â Prince.
A sparkle appeared on Kalianâs wrist.
One of the communication bracelets glowed faintly.
â Sir Ronansite has been sent. Iâll use the movement magic circle, so Iâll arrive at Fabian in time.
Fabian.
That is how the name, which was also the answer to Whitlinâs question, was conveyed. Always with a trustworthy voice.
said Calian, who nodded his head for a moment.
â Youâre fast, Demirea.
â Communication equipment is not the exclusive property of princes.
â You got something like that?
â I received it from my mother when I came here.
â Well done. Fortunately. How much power?
â Knight Lee Baek moves together. But would just knights be enough without wizards? If it were Rashid Brisen, he would use the power of Zeon.
â Anyway, because of the magic blocking they do, the presence of wizards right now will only cause confusion. Plus, Siona, Kirie, and the people living on the 5th floor have unexpected powers. Two hundred knights is already enough.
Calian replied as if telling me not to worry, and took a short breath before adding his words.
â But itâs only knights. Who evaluates Siegfriedâs knights like that?
â I thought about it just in case. Iâm afraid you might think itâs not enough.
A small laugh was directed at Demirea.
â I donât think so. Thank you Demirea.
â yes. I guess so.
â Do I really have to change my last name to repay everything I received? By Siegfried.
There was a sound of Demirea laughing.
If Demirea marries any other person in the world, they will change their last name to Siegfried, but isnât that impossible for the royal family?
What if Randel was going to Tensil, a completely different country? Even if Planz one day becomes the head of the marquis or the grand duke, his last name cannot be changed to anything other than Kairis.
â How do I change the last name of a royal family?
â Oh. I guess so.
â And the debt I owed has long since grown to the point where I canât even afford to have a prince in my backyard.
â I was wondering if I would be able to repay the debt if I were to be sold when I grew up well. no?
â Itâs not possible. Have you not even calculated it?
â this. So, should we let the elephants become independent later? Demirea.
With Whitlin in front.
He remembered from a long time ago that Zeonâs soldiers might have headed to Fabian, where Rashid Briesen was said to be, and requested that Siegfriedâs soldiers be sent to Fabian.
In such an urgent situation, he is asking whether he will so leisurely turn Siegfriedâs Duchy into Siegfriedâs Kingdom. Even though I canât lie.
â well.
Instead of asking if she knew that she was planning to divide the land of Kairis in half and give it to her lover alone, with the kingship of Secretia in her heart, she gave a dull answer.
â Even if that happens, are you still going to say you will be my fiancé?
-Are you afraid that you wonât do it?
â Are you saying this out of regret?
â then. Am I bothered? Arenât you prettier anymore? Wasnât what you were talking about with your brother just a rumor?
â I will circulate articles. It was fun so farâ¦â¦
â no. Iâm kidding. Iâm sorry Demirea.
â Iâm not saying this because Iâm regretful, but because Iâm already worried about how much more work the prince will have to do in the future.
â If you say I look pretty around then. Then, I will continue to be your fiancé. Whether you become a duke or the king of a southern country.
â Well then, let me think about it. Go then.
â okay. OK. Then go and meet your fiancé.
â Yes, then.
Anyway, how strong is it?
This is why I like Demirea.
Calian, who smiled deep inside as if taking a moment to catch his breath, raised his head. And she held up my bracelet and said:
âWe can stop it enough even if you donât come forward.â
â⦠Prince, if what you think is wrong. If what I say is right, what will you do? If Rashid Brissen really goes up to the capital and kills Gray Brissen. What will you do then?â
Calian answered as if it was no big deal.
âI canât do that because I have a lot to gain from Gray Brissen. The more I find out, the more interesting stories there are with that bastard, so I decided to keep him alive for now. So no matter who attacks, they canât kill Gray Brissen.â
âAre you not aware that all major power sources are located here?â
âIâm not a Vulcan who would let the guy he was watching lose everything just because the leadership was missing. Iâve never let him get away with something like that.â
No matter where Allan is, whether Kalyan is out, whether Flanz and Arsene are away or not. Those who are watching Gray Brisen inside the Kairis Palace will always be Vulcan.
This is not a Balkan country that cannot protect the palace just because a few of its superiors are missing.
âIâm not the one who gave my life to those bastards.â
I am not a Kalyan who would entrust my life to those guys.
Not even Bern, who lost his life to those guys.
âHave you forgotten that I got the blood of the crown prince who was with Balkan, who you say so great, on my hands?â
âItâs not that Vulcan isnât great, itâs that I was trying to trust the healer and my knightâs mother at all costs, Whitlin. The others still want to trust you. Just like me.â
Calian laughed.
As if they were going to kill him right away or if they were going to keep him alive forever.
âKirie and Hina. Except for those two.â
I am not criticizing the role of a mother who did not take care of herself.
I have met a father who ignores his children, a father who fights for power with his children, and a father who wields his children like swords. There was even a mother who chose her childâs neck as the most fragrant flower to decorate her crown. What would you expect from someone? There are things that are more important than children. I guess you donât know that.
But I shouldnât have pretended to be dead in front of that little lump of blood. I should have mourned the sacrifice of my mother, wandered around places worse than the abyss, and never spoken of revenge. I shouldnât have said that I wouldnât be criticized even by the two who grew up like that.
Just like it always was, this time too.
Whitlin opened his mouth to Calian, who repeated the same words as if they were engraved in his bones.
ââ¦â¦ that.â
âClose. Iâm just saying what I have to say and I have no intention of listening to you about it.â
Knock knock.
Calian knocked on the table and stared into Whitlinâs dark eyes.
âDonât do something like today again. No matter how many times you do it, I will bury it all. I will keep everything a secret so that you canât do anything anymore and that no big rumors are spread about you. So stop trying in vain and close your mouth. Donât even make a sound as if you donât exist.â
Grumble!
Calian stood up.
Those cool red eyes were still staring at Whitlin.
âSilently and helplessly. Go on Renicita. Whitlin.â
A sincere request is made.
* * *
slowly.
The deep abyss moved.
I wonder if lifting his heel indoors is a habit of a brief servant or a knight. The deep blue eyes that had been trying to see through the person in front of him, as if it were a habit, went into an abyss.
Instead of making unnecessary efforts to find a reason for his actions, I just waited for what the silent knight would say.
âYou can leave now.â
A low word came from that knight, Kirie.
Wasnât it Kyrie who sent Fabianâs lordâs agent, Varzian away, and tried to have him investigate separately? However, Randel, who unexpectedly stayed with Kirie for a while, nodded her head and opened her mouth.
âThey said the second childâs whim was over.â
âYes. They say he changed his form again in Whitlin.â
âokay.â
I was stranded for a while thanks to Plantz, who returned to his original form to meet Orte. She spent about two hours locking herself in her room with her curtains down, as if she was in a hurry to leave.
Randel, who was not afraid of taking on the form of Plants for that short period of time, returned to his original form and used the power of the bracelet. And as she looked at her Kyrie with her eyes gradually turning light green, she said.
âDid you hear any other voices?â
âThere wasnât one.â
Kirie interrupted her for a moment and rummaged through her arms.
She then put something down.
Randel saw that and narrowed her eyes.
âIâm not sure, but I think we need to prepare.â
âSo. Are you asking me to carry this?â
âThatâs right.â
âWho comes and how much?â
âThere are four hundred soldiers of Zeon.â
Randel calmly nodded his head.
And she placed the dagger that Kirie had given her in her hand.
Kirie let out a short sigh as her face showed no signs of agitation and then opened her mouth. It seemed like she had completely misunderstood.
âThis is not for you in case you get caught.â
âIt wasnât like that.â
âI ask you not to get caught.â
Randel, who was too aware of the price of his own life and had momentarily misunderstood the purpose of the sword, let out a small smile.
âDonât do that.â
And he answered briefly.