A habit is bound to develop.
When Lucy comes and lies down next to her, she makes a soft sound and then gently strokes her until she falls asleep. When I hear Anneâs urgent and sad cries from far away in the hallway, I quickly take off my well-worn jacket so as not to get any more bubbles on it and hand it to Reric. I got into that habit.
Crying and crying. When I hear a commotion outside my office, I quickly close the open ink bottle. If you hear that sound not in the Wilhelm Pavilion in the middle of the day, but at the Chermil Palace in the early morning, quickly turn to your side and lie down to avoid getting your face, uvula, or stomach stepped on. Unfortunately, by the time I open my eyes, it is already too late, so I mentally prepare myself so that I can act resolute even if I get caught up in the merciless chase and get trampled.
When you open your eyes in the morning, donât get up right away. Carefully move your hand and first check to see if the cats are lying on the blanket, stomach, or remaining pillow with their head on it. If something in the blanket is sticking out, be careful not to wake the cat when removing the blanket.
Check to see if the catâs tail is sticking out of a gap in the sofa cushion before sitting down. This is a habit I acquired after trying to sit down and seeing round eyes shining from a gap in the cushion under the armrest. Of course, I donât wonder how the cat ended up in such a place. I donât even think about how two cats can fit into the elaborate tin box that contained a new brooch and a set of cuff tie pins. Whether you wonder or think about it, you donât know anyway.
It all became a habit.
In a short period of time, it quickly became a habit.
Until I get into the habit of giving up saying I donât like it, until I get into the habit of holding my breath in front of all the flowers in the world, until I get into the habit of keeping my mouth shut rather than asking questions, until I close my eyes in front of the words I hear and the stares that come to me. It took such a long time for that to happen.
It didnât take long for me to place my palm on the spot where the crouching cat had just left and memorize the warmth the cat had left behind.
âwhy.â
âyes?â
âWhy are you looking at me?â
âNo, Vice Commander, this is the first time I am jealous of the fact that you are the crown prince.â
But I think this will probably take a long time.
This is a story about how you get into the habit of not smiling when you look at the face of a crazy blue-haired wizard. I am sure that it will take a very long time for that to happen. It was clear that it would take a long time, as I gave up speaking, held my breath, shut my mouth, and closed my eyes.
Still, there is no scent. I know itâs something Iâll have to get used to for the same or even longer period of time, but I donât like the scent.
âDo it. If you have anything to say.â
Of course, that doesnât mean itâs okay.
Because I donât like the scent, but it makes me irritated.
âAre there really no misspellings?â
âdoesnât exist.â
âAre you saying that in making this long report, there wasnât a single piece of paper that was thrown away because it was written incorrectly?â
âNo.â
âThat canât be possible. If you look at the fact that there isnât even any magical energy left, itâs not like you used a clean sheet. How can there not be a single piece of paper that was thrown away due to incorrect use?â
âWizard.â
âOr could it be⦠Surprisingly, your Majesty cared for your younger brother much more than I thought, so you couldnât even hand over a single piece of paper to your younger brotherâs friend and decided to keep it yourself.â
âYou. In moderation.â
At night, a cool breeze blows through the window. A bright smile appears on a face that looks like a still life placed under the light of a small chandelier. Only after facing that scene did Arsene, who raised both palms, nod.
I finally decided to believe what Calian said that while he was writing so many reports, not a single piece of paper was lost due to handwriting mistakes. I donât know if I decided to believe it or not. anyway.
â Drurk!
Arsene stood up, putting the documents in his hand in the wizardâs pocket that he carried separately so as not to get them wrinkled. It was to check whether the task of strengthening the security of the dungeon was being carried out well.
âAnyway, why donât you watch from the princeâs side and at least tap his arm?â
âI thought I told you to stop, wizard.â
âItâs because I feel so sorry.â
Arsene nodded slowly and looked very disappointed.
When will I have the chance to see Kalianâs handwriting again? Isnât this completely different from Plants, who often writes things down, whether itâs signatures or reasons for rejection on reports? It would be better to leave a fancy knife mark somewhere on Arseneâs body, which could happen anytime and quickly, but writing. So, I canât help but feel regretful that I missed the opportunity to collect âevidence that Kalyan made the mistake of an ordinary person.â
âItâs a shame. Theyâre wasting their magical power and taking out their complaints.â
It was just as Plantz said. As Arsene opened the door and entered the hallway, a silent curtain suddenly surrounded him.
Arsene, who had the Crown Prince in the same office as him, grumbled and continued.
âYes. Itâs a pity. If you had just handed me the piece of paper you obtained in that way, they would have boldly sprayed you with a sleeping scent whose effectiveness and side effects were not properly confirmed, and laid you down on the cold marble floor. Not only that, you would have taken off your robe and left the place. âI immediately gave up any thought of hearing an apology from the Crown Prince.â
âIâm sorry.â
Even before the words were finished, small wrinkles appeared on Arseneâs forehead as he heard the apology and then disappeared.
âWhy on earth did you do that?â
I was just now asking about how he followed Calian in the form of Arsene before going to the city of elves. It was inevitable that we finally had time to sit quietly together and talk.
âThereâs no need to deceive me by saying youâre going to deceive Danu. I wish you would tell me properly.â âI
didnât have time to convince you.â
âWhy donât you have time to convince me? I had a lot of time back then.â
âI would have been against it. I wouldnât have hated it.â
The Vulcan members who encountered the two in the hallway quietly bowed and passed by at a distance. The two vice-corps commanders were speechless and couldnât hear any sound, so they took care to make sure they didnât go into the silent curtain and overhear secret conversations.
Arsene stepped towards the stairs and looked at Planz. Then he trudged down and opened his mouth.
âSo. Do you plan to keep doing that if you think Iâll be against it? And if youâre not against it, what is it you donât like?â
âYou donât like it. They say it will disturb my brother again. Kirie knows how to follow quietly, but itâs obvious that you, Vice Commander, will stop him.â
âThatâs what youâre sayingâ¦â
Arsene paused for a moment and looked at Planz who was following behind him, then took a long breath.
âThe prince has come to trust you, so Knight Sir Verne trusts the prince. So whatever you do, I can just wait and see. But Iâm not like that, so Iâm not the type of person to trust and follow you, so trying to persuade you doesnât seem to make sense, and I donât think Iâll be able to persuade you. âIâm not the type of person to be pressed, so you thought I should just leave it to sleep and go?â
âSo you apologized.â
âLowering.â
âwhy.â
âThe fact that I plunged the ice spear into King Secretiaâs chest means that I did not force myself to follow him there, but that I somehow made up my own mind to trust and follow the king I had chosen to serve at that time. Even now, the prince is still that scary. âIt is said that he believed in the king at that time to the point where he courageously stood up in front of this sad man who could have done more and could not have done less.â
One step up.
Plantz, who was standing one step above Arsene and listening to him, moved his feet. I went down one step and stood facing Arsene. Then he looked up into the crazy wizardâs bright blue eyes, which were a little higher than his own, and said.
âYou think that my brother is giving up everything because of me and that he is living a life by exposing you to the wizard in front of others and not being able to punish him because of me. But what do you say and how do you persuade him?â
âWhen I was staying in the Great Desert. I disobeyed my Masterâs orders not to go there anymore and went to the Great Desert alone. When I came back, my Master had packed all of his luggage. He said he was going to leave me behind and go back to Kairisis. After seeing that, I went to the Great Desert alone. âI got angry at my teacher. I was angry because I felt wronged and disappointed that he would abandon me so easily just because I didnât listen to him.â
âso.â
âMaster explained to me that it wasnât like that. He just said he was going to go first because he was having a hard time. Thatâs how he explained it.â
ââ¦â¦ so.â
âMaster must have been disappointed too. Because I saw him as nothing more than that kind of guy. Thatâs why I was so sorry. I couldnât even apologize. I wish he would have asked me first what he thought of me and talked to him instead of arbitrarily. âYou canât even imagine how much I regretted it after I left.â
Arsene took his eyes off Planz, who was quietly looking at him, and took another step. Then he walked down the stairs one by one and continued talking.
âI know why you think that way about me. When you first received the title of Vice Commander, my prince was putting down everything he was holding because of you. I clearly remember saying that.â
âokay.â
âSo have you ever asked me if I still think that way?â
âdoesnât exist.â
âYou put me to sleep for no reason. You thought that I would follow suit even if you just put down a bunch of paper with things to do next written down without any reason as to why you did that. Why didnât you think of explaining it first? â
Jump and jump. All I could hear was footsteps following me.
Arsene opened his mouth again. However, Plantzâs voice was heard first.
âIâm afraid youâll say no.â
âIs it because you donât want to hear me say no to your face?â
âokay.â
âPeopleâs thoughts change.â
âThere were more times when things didnât change.â
âIt was a lot, but not a lot. You saw those Plants of Briesen living in Chermil Palace who came to Balkan thinking that and picking up conch shells.â
ââ¦â¦ okay.â
Jump and jump.
âThe prince is still dissatisfied with living without the intention of having anything, and he has not forgotten that it was I who started things going wrong, but he may not blindly rebel and reject everything he says. He is short-spoken and personable. Even if itâs short and thereâs nothing you like about it, you can come to the point where you know that your thoughts arenât short either.â
Jump and jump.
The Vulcan Vice Commanderâs pure white robe brushes the stairs and goes down. Plantzâs white shoe moves down to the side so as not to step on it.
Arseneâs words continued to be heard by Plantz, who was imagining for a moment a time when Plantz, who would have been standing in the opposite direction, would have stood in front and Arsene would have followed behind.
âThe king in the past, whom I decided to follow, at least would not have been afraid of rejection or did not want to see people rejected, so he would not have the disposition to put people to sleep and drag them away. Since I explained it properly and persuaded them properly, I followed him there and committed the crime. âWouldnât he have sent an ice spear down on the chest of the king who didnât exist? The king who was said to be so crazy has reached that level, so wouldnât you have been able to give up the habit of taking a step back for fear of being rejected?â
âOkay. Iâll try.â
âYou thought about it well. Thatâs whyâ¦â
Jump, jump, jump.
âIs it really true that there is no paper that the prince wrote incorrectly?â
âdoesnât exist.â
âHow can people? âAre you sure there isnât one?â
âNo.â
It may take a long time to shake off old habits and adopt new ones, or it may not take as long as you think. Itâs impossible to know. But no matter how long it takes, the scent will disappear in the meantime
. There was no way we would be together. I knew that for sure.
âI have no intention of teasing the prince about that. I also know that my life is a waste. So, Iâm just going to keep it safe. If you ask me to burn it down, I will keep it a secret. Is it really not there?â
âWizard. âA bit in moderation.â
A bit.
A bit.
* * *
Most of the structures of the lordâs castles are similar.
The materials used to build the buildings in Kairis and Secretia are somewhat different, and as a result, the styles are slightly different and the interior decorations are also different, but the structures are similar. â Letâs do it.
Where
are the weapon warehouses? Where are the servants staying? Where are the kitchen, dining room, drawing room, study, and banquet hall? Where are the food warehouses, indoor training grounds, and shelters? Where are the prisons and knightsâ quarters? Where would the stables be? Where would the lordâs office, study, and bedroom be?
Where would the best VIP room be?
â
I knew it deep down.
Even if I stopped by the lordâs castle, I would only stop by the drawing room, restaurant, banquet hall, and VIP room. Like any other royal family, you would only stop by the reception room, restaurant, banquet hall, and VIP room. The structure of the lordâs castle in my head was different from the others.
In order to attack without any time to prepare information about the lordâs castle and not leave a single survivor, I had to know where and how to search the lordâs castle. âThings like this.
â Iâve seen it a lot, Hina. Even if you donât want to see it again, you have to hold on just a little longer.â
â Jabak Jabak.
As the two walk, a faint voice comes out in a place where only the sound of one personâs footsteps comes out. There was no reply to that voice.
Hina said she left her pearl beads, and now Hina Thatâs because he was walking with his head behind him. Thanks to that, I couldnât tell what face he was looking at around him or what he was thinking. Instead of his own footsteps, which had disappeared as a habit, he was only listening with all his attention to the sound of Hinaâs small steps that were continuing. .
â â¦â¦ Srung.
â Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssing of knives!
The sound of smaller blades can be heard amidst the sound of small footsteps.
As soon as I can hear it, a dagger of red light splits the air.
â Kwassik!
I pull out my sword without even being able to hide my deadly intent. The sound of one of Zeonâs swordsmen, who was listening, is heard as he lays down his life.
â Slap⦠Slap.
The sound of Hinaâs feet paused for a moment and then continued.
Instead of asking if she was okay, she started walking. Across the garden of the lordâs castle and toward the entrance. I went in. Instead of going up the big stairs in the center, I headed towards the small stairs to the west.
â Whirring!
Calianâs wind blows toward the inconspicuous warehouse built under the stairs.
â Clump, rattle⦠Clump!
â Crumble ! While searching for Randelâs whereabouts, he suddenly discovers the three princes who came to the lordâs castle. The head of the knight, whose eyes were shining in the staircase warehouse where he had hurriedly hid himself, suddenly falls to his feet. The long ladder needed for cleaning is blocking the way .
It rolls and rolls until it stops.
â Ugh⦠whee!
The wind hovering over the shield surrounding Hina made a loud sound for just a moment. It was a much better sound than the sound of a personâs neck rolling on the floor. Created and then disappeared.
â Jabak, jabak.
A prince and a count climb the stairs. They walk down the hallway. A wind containing blades blows toward those hiding in the secret space created between rooms. Hiding in the empty space of the ceiling
. A long, whip-like aura stretched out towards those who had jumped in front of Calian. The other end of the red energy wrapped around their necks touched the ceiling, as if telling them to go back to where they were hiding. Their feet move away from the floor.
The sound of her struggling for air to breathe would not reach Hina.
âI gave you garden shears as a gift to Brother Randel.â
Still, you never know.
The words that slowly flowed out were directed at Hina.
âTo ease your burden, I found some extremely expensive golden mithril and made it for you. I also crafted a rose out of a huge ruby and attached it to the box. Iâm sure even Brother Randel has never received a gift like that.â
-Ssam!
A sword flies into an unlit fireplace. The wind blows down beneath the beautifully laid out luxurious carpet.
âBut it turned out that I was using mithril here. I didnât even know that. I bought brother Randelâs mithril for a high amount of money, turned it into scissors, and then gave it to brother Randel. I didnât even know that.â
-â¦â¦Suddenly!
â Kwasik!
âThatâs me, Hina. Iâm not very attentive. I have to tell you everything to know. Otherwise, I donât know.â
â Quad deuk!
â â¦â¦ Boom. Coo!
I canât make him walk with his eyes closed. I canât carry it on my back. In the end, Hina spoke quietly as she slowly walked ahead along the dark path that Hina would have to walk together with.
âSo, Hina. I really want you to talk to me. If it gets too much to see Whitlin, itâs still okay if you donât mind. Thereâs something I want you to do. I want you to talk to me. I donât want to miss out on your work. â
â Ja-bak, jap-a-bak.
âIt is true that keeping Whitlin alive was an unreasonable request. It is true that I accepted your request because I could not refuse it. But the reason I granted that request was not because your abilities were special, but because you were precious. Because I needed your power. âNo, itâs because you are a precious person to me. So, if you were thinking that way, please tell me that too.â
â Ja-bak, jap-a-bak.
âIn situations like this, donât try to force yourself to treat other people, but tell me whenever you feel that way. Then Iâll tell you so you donât misunderstand. Iâll tell you no.â
â Slap⦠Slap.
A young prince who had never even been outside the palace learned how to gamble. I knew how much the siblings would need to have for a few days while they were eating, sleeping, and resting. His brother had no idea how much his subordinateâs bottle of leftover perfume would cost, but the prince, who was born a few months later, knew the value of the money in his pocket. He knew how to fall asleep by a campfire and how to close and open peopleâs mouths.
Kalian didnât show it or say anything, but Hina knew that Kalyan knew these things.
Kalian then speaks.
He knows the secrets of the castleâs servants and knows whether the people hiding inside are enemies or not, and sends a sword to strike down the sword flying towards Hina, and sends an arrow of wind that will rip the heart of the person who sent the sword to pieces. Even though I was going up the stairs in the western corner, not the central stairs, I was walking as if I already knew where to get to the VIP room in the complex, dark castle.
âBecause I canât lie. No matter when you ask me or how many times you ask me, I will always tell you no.â
-Nod.
The answer was conveyed with an invisible nod.
It was a nod that meant that he would do it, that he would not overexert himself for fear of becoming a burden, and that he would not bother to ask how he knew so much.
â Ja-bak, jap-a-bak.
You may or may not have known that.
Calian, who was unknown, put his hand behind his back. Then, he gently wrapped Hinaâs wrist again and moved his feet a little faster.
The two then entered a hallway decorated with unusually colorful decorations. After passing through a place where an unusually large number of corpses were strewn about, I stood in front of a huge door where the dead people seemed to have been standing with their backs to me.
â Sweet.
Calian, unable to find Randel, Siona, and Kyrie anywhere in the lordâs castle, held out his hand. And without hesitation, I opened the door.
â Cum, cum, cum!
â Ugh! Hehehe!
Red blades rush in.
A strong wind stirs the room.
Blood lines appear where Calianâs blade passed by, and ragged wounds appear where Calianâs wind blew. Hina watched in silence as these people changed into shapes that did not need healing, but could not be healed.
â Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu h huh huhâ¦
The wind blows again around Calian, who was looking around the room, passing the dead and dying people. The cool wind blows again.
Calianâs eyes scan the room once again. As if the wind he created had color, as if the tip of the wind blowing frantically was visible to the eye.
â Pop!
Then, at some point, the wind stopped.
Calian took a step straight away.
Randel, Shionawa, and Kirie, who could not be found anywhere inside or outside the Lordâs Castle, were inside the VIP room where they must have been staying right before the incident occurred. I moved towards the place where I could feel the wind blowing from a secret passage that was clearly provided inside.
âAre you afraid of small places, Hina?â
Doridori.
Hina shook her head at Kalian, who finally looked at her face and asked a question.
-Shoooooo!
Then, as if he had been waiting, an incomparable amount of magic burst forth from Kalianâs body.
â Quaaaaaaaa!
A loud noise rings out.
The floor shakes and a cloud of dust rises.
Instead of finding the button for the secret passageway that I didnât have time to find, I broke the wall that would have been open on the other side.
Hina, who was watching the stone dust and dust disappear as the wind blew again, pulled her wrist out of Kalianâs hand. Then he moved his hand quickly and briefly.
â Iâm not scared.
Hina finally spoke as she looked at the less attentive Kalyan, who asked her if she was afraid of small places but did not ask if she was afraid of binge drinking.
â Iâm not scared of the kind prince. I am.
Kalianâs red eyes looked down at Hinaâs pitch black eyes. A soft smile forms on the princeâs lips as he realizes a little later that saying he wasnât scared wasnât binge drinking.
ââ¦â¦ thank god.â
Calian gave a short answer and turned his head. And then I stepped into the huge hole I had just created.
As I continued to maintain the shield I had placed on Hina and continued to prepare for enemies that might appear from nowhere, I felt glad at the familiar energy that I was finally beginning to feel.
â Ugh⦠Kang! Kaga River!
blue light.
Looking into the distance, where the aura of light, more welcome than anything else in the world, illuminates the darkness at a glance.
âYes. Thank goodness.â
Kirieâs Life Kirieâs Auror. He sounded genuinely happy, as if those werenât the only things he was happy about.
Because I could already smell the thick scent of blood from my one and only sword wafting from afar.
âItâs not dead yet. Itâs a soft lettuce.â
The red and black beast with a long, long smile softly rang its neck, as if it was truly happy to see you.