Editor 52
by CristaeGray Flames of Revolution (2)
“A royal lapdog, yet all you’ve got is unnecessary perceptiveness.”
Fran, who had abruptly stood up and slapped the magazine shut, barked as if he hadn’t just eaten two pieces of tart.
“Yeah, yeah, lapdog or whatever. So what didn’t you like about the article that made you rewrite it?”
“The editor called my argument ‘eclectic’ and changed it as he pleased. Without my consent… Anyway, why do you even care about that?”
Clearly aggrieved by the unauthorized edits to his piece, Fran spilled his thoughts the moment Cleio poked at him.
This hot-blooded boy had passion, but it seemed he would never make a shrewd activist.
Perhaps embarrassed to have revealed his feelings to someone he didn’t like, Fran turned his back to Cleio and cleaned his glasses with rough hands.
At that moment, a faint mark like a pale line flashed across the back of Fran’s hand.
‘What’s that? Looks like a stigmata?’
“You’re making the lenses dirtier, not cleaner, doing it like that. Give it here.”
“No, I’ll…!”
As Cleio reached to take the glasses, Fran reflexively pushed him away.
Cleio grabbed Fran’s outstretched right hand and held it tight.
Pouring all his strength into holding Fran’s hand, Cleio channeled ether.
A bright golden light burst forth between the two boys’ joined hands.
Fran shook Cleio off fiercely, but it was no use trying to cover the now-glowing stigmata with one hand.
A trumpet-shaped crimson line appeared.
The “Understanding” of [Oath] revealed the true nature of the stigmata.
[Unique Skill: ‘Propaganda’
―Grants persuasive or agitational power to the user’s words and writings.
―User can amplify the anger and courage of a mass audience.
User: Francis Gabriel Hyde-White
Simultaneous applicable audience: ∞ ]
It was a completely unheard-of unique skill.
‘I thought he was persuasive even in the previous draft… but if even his unique skill is like this, in the he must really have become someone unrelated to science.’
“What did you just do?!”
“I just checked your stigmata.”
“What for?!”
“I have a stigmata too. I was glad to see another.”
Even Cleio thought his excuse was unconvincing.
Fran, retrieving his glasses from the floor, glared at Cleio as if looking at an enemy. It was fortunate the boy, sturdier than he looked, didn’t immediately hit him.
‘But we’ve barely met, why does he hate me this much…?’
“I remember the pen name ‘Gibril Blanche.’ You wrote a nice article about me during the beast incident. It hasn’t been long—why did your attitude flip so suddenly?”
“And you have the nerve to say that, after getting your photo arm-in-arm with that monster Melchior splashed across every front page? I’m disappointed in you!”
Fran raised his voice, pointing a finger. His thin neck was visibly strained with veins.
His trembling reply contained not just hatred, but also fear. This was public outrage, not just personal dislike.
“Fran, what do you know about His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Nothing.”
“Why get so worked up if you don’t know?”
“What could I possibly know about someone like that?”
It was a rather significant answer.
‘Did he notice the Crown Prince’s unique skill too? No, if so, Melchior wouldn’t have left him loose like this. So why is he so afraid of the Crown Prince?’
“Have you ever met His Highness in person?”
“…Yes.”
Fran’s voice shrank to a whisper, as if recalling a frightening past.
‘Arthur once said he thought Fran was part of some underground organization. Plus, Melchior has a secret intelligence service—so the answer’s obvious.’
Anyone familiar with dictatorships and intelligence agencies, like a Korean, would get the picture without seeing it.
Given how Fran trembled just at the mention of the Crown Prince, either a comrade had been captured, or he himself had been summoned.
‘Even Dione worried I’d end up on the secret intelligence service’s ‘persons of interest’ list.’
It wasn’t just Cleio’s paranoia that sensed a dictator’s qualities in Melchior.
If you have both the ability to read minds and to charm people, even a saint could become a monster.
‘Anyway, Melchior, you’re really something. He’s made Fran, such a valuable talent, so frightened. Or does he know something I don’t? Sigh.’
Cleio silently unfolded a circle.
When Fran jerked back in surprise, Cleio pulled him into the circle’s range. The boy’s body trembled.
As the tightly-drawn circle lit up, the magic formulas for [Soundproofing][Shielding] stood out from the floor.
“[The secret of words shall be eternal!]”
It was a magic barrier spell Dione often used. Cleio was glad he’d tweaked and copied her incantation, as he’d thought it would come in handy.
“Fran, as long as this magic lasts, no magical tool or human eye or ear can eavesdrop on what’s said inside this circle. You don’t have to worry.”
“You…”
“I speak with sincerity. I didn’t ask to have that photo taken for the newspaper.”
Cleio met Fran’s distorted gaze through the lens, speaking as if etching it in.
“You know it well. That’s the Crown Prince’s base method.”
For the first time, the vigilance faded from Fran’s face.
‘Did that work?’
“If you don’t want to say when, where, or how you got mixed up with that guy, you don’t have to. But if you ever need help, just say so.”
“…Why are you doing this for me?”
“Well… Are you, by any chance, not interested in science?”
“Science?”
“Like metallurgy, or chemistry…?”
“Did you dig up my papers from my Academy of Sciences days or something?”
Fran’s tone, which had seemed to soften, suddenly turned icy.
‘He wrote papers? Looks like I’ve got the right person.’
“Y-yeah.”
“I wonder where you even read that.”
“I’ve been personally interested in the Tiflaum processing problem, so I’ve been searching for someone who could help.”
“Tiflaum, huh… Whatever you want, that’s all in the past. I’ve found my true purpose in life now.”
The spell’s time limit expired.
As the magic barrier disappeared, Fran clamped his lips shut and refused to say another word.
Cleio felt like tearing his hair out.
‘Why did he switch from scientist to leftist journalist?! The future is in science and engineering!’
It was a heartfelt cry from a fellow science major and (former) print media worker.
After that, several weeks passed without Cleio even running into Fran. The last school event before midterms, the field trip, was fast approaching.
Cleio felt heavy-hearted, thinking he’d have to endure another round of Behemoth’s Spartan lessons after the trip.
BEEEEEEP—
The train entered the tunnel.
“Waaaah!”
“It’s a tunnel!”
“My hat’s flying off!”
The twins in the same car as Cleio caused a commotion.
The next car over, where Arthur, Isiel, Nebo, and Fran sat, was still very quiet.
“Guys, it’s dangerous so let’s take our seats!”
Chel quickly grabbed Leticia’s hat before it flew out the window and calmed the twins.
“Okay, Chel!”
“Thanks!”
In one section of the train car, there was a row of seats facing forward, a table in between, and another row facing backward, so that they faced each other.
Rifi, who quickly rolled up the window, sat down to Cleio’s right first.
Leticia, instead of going to Chel’s side, hopped up to Cleio’s left.
“One of you should go sit with Chel…”
“No. We’re going to share snacks.”
“Rey, you don’t even take up a whole seat.”
The train they all rode was an express to the city of Dubris.
Though the first-class seats weren’t cramped at all, Cleio’s attempt to distance himself from the noisy twins on either side failed.
Thanks to that, Chel got to claim an entire row of seats across from them. Chel stretched out, back against the aisle partition, legs toward the window, resting comfortably.
“Oh, thanks, guys. Thanks to you, I get to travel in comfort.”
Today was the day of the autumn field trip.
For four days and three nights, all first-year students were going for training and a tour of the “King’s Forest” in the northern Pintos Mountains.
Professor Maria Gentile, the chaperoning teacher, had explained more, but Cleio had dozed off and missed it.
“They must be harvesting chestnuts in Dubris now.”
“We’ll get to eat Mont Blanc and marron glacé.”
“Sounds delicious.”
“Let’s go straight to the forest when we arrive!”
“I want to see the animals too.”
The twins, having apparently been to the forest before, excitedly counted off the things they wanted to do upon arrival.
“Animals? There are animals in the forest?”
“Of course! Lots!”
“You guys like animals too?”
“Obviously! Rifi likes rabbits.”
“Leticia likes pigeons, right?”
Cleio smiled gently.
‘Kids are kids. They have their cute side.’
Of course, that naïve thought was shattered immediately.
“Freshly hunted rabbit is best roasted with mustard.”
“Stuff a pigeon with fall mushrooms and roast it—nothing better.”
“If you catch a rabbit, you have to bleed it right away for the best taste.”
“Right!”
“Ah! I can’t wait to eat.”
‘Like… that’s the kind of ‘like’ they meant? Ugh.’
For modern Cleio, the talk was a little off-putting. Chel was the first to notice his discomfort.
“Haha, Rey, you look shocked! You’ve slain a beast and now you blanch at hunting?”
“No… The beast isn’t really a living creature. When it dies, it’s more like a mineral. You can’t compare that to wild animals.”
“Typical city dweller!”
“I don’t use swords or bows. Of course I wouldn’t go hunting for fun.”
Leticia immediately scolded Cleio.
“Why use a sword or bow for hunting? We’ve got guns. Right, Rifi?”
“Yep. I’m good at gun cleaning too!”
“The Angelium baron’s love of hunting is well known. They’re famous sharpshooters in the southwest.”
“Last time I bagged fourteen in one go.”
“I got twelve, but I won’t lose this time!”
Rifi and Leticia bragged to each other about their records.
That’s the reality of gun-toting pretty girls.
Cleio was once again reminded that he was the weakest member of the group.
“You guys must have been to the King’s Forest a lot?”
“Yeah! Every year. For the student fencing tournament!”
“We met Chel there too!”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Was it three years ago? They were even cuter then. When Rifi and Leticia were ten, it was like dolls walking around!”
“Haha, thanks, Chel.”
“Chel, you were handsome then and still are.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Running a hand through his wind-tousled navy hair, Chel winked at Rifi with his silver eyes. The mole on his right cheek stood out charmingly.
Apparently, Cleio was the only one in the carriage who felt awkward at Chel’s always earnest flirting.
‘Student fencing tournament…’
The event was mentioned in the previous draft.
Arthur, at age 11, had shown off his newly achieved level 3 skill, and that was why he was never allowed to participate again.
Since any child under 16 training in swordsmanship in Albion could enter, it wouldn’t be strange for Arthur’s ‘bodyguards,’ whose ages were adjusted to match his in the , to have all met there.
‘Let’s check.’
“So Chel, did you know Arthur and Isiel even before they joined the school?”
“I did. Isiel was already famous. She won the tournament every year from age nine to fifteen.”
Chel, feet now on the floor, leaned his upper body a little toward Cleio.
Thanks to the train’s noise, Chel’s husky voice wouldn’t be heard in the hallway.
“But what I really can’t forget is Arthur. He only entered the tournament once at age eleven, then withdrew. His swordsmanship was truly shocking. Anyone who saw it… would have thought of the legend of Leonid I.”
‘So that’s the same as the previous draft. It was upon learning Arthur was alive and well that Aslan tried to send an assassin.’
“Leonid I, huh… Is it okay to throw around such grand comparisons?”
“Why not? Afraid of blasphemy charges? Arthur is also a prince of the House of Liognan.”
Cleio narrowed his eyes.
Chel’s voice was lower than usual. It felt as if she was probing or not saying all she thought.
He checked her face, but her usual smiling expression gave nothing away.
“After that, I didn’t see them much. It was both nice and surprising to meet at school.”
“Because he turned into a troublemaker?”
Chel paused for a moment, as if weighing what or how much to say. At last, she settled on a lighter tone.
“Well, for various reasons. But lately he’s stopped hiding his strength. About time, I guess.”
“Maybe because it’s useless to hide anymore.”
“It suits him better that way. And our year is especially outstanding, so even if Arthur does something flashy, he blends in.”
“Outstanding?”
“Look, the Angelium twins are already level 3. Isiel and I are level 4, and Arthur is already level 5. Our class of ‘977 is called the Golden Year. Didn’t you know?”
“I snuck in at the last minute, how would I know that?”
“Haha, stop being silly. The ace of our class is you! Future level 8 mage, Sir Cleio!”
Chel poked the Capital Defense Medal on Cleio’s collar.
“You too?”
“Does Sir Cleio not like praise?”
“Hey!”
“Haha, cool off. It’ll be fun. They say we’ll get to tour the Tiflaum mine and the temporary research lab, which is the hottest topic these days.”
“Really?”
“You must have been asleep when Professor Maria explained it.”
“I’m not very strong, you know.”
“Ugh, build up your stamina. Anyway, getting a tour of a mine that’s never been open to the public before is a privilege. I heard Crown Prince Melchior gave special permission. Even the Winter Palace annex is being provided for our lodging.”
“The Crown Prince…?”
Cleio felt a sense of foreboding.
An autumn excursion like this wasn’t even mentioned in the original.
But then, neither was the birthday celebration.
It didn’t feel like things would pass quietly without incident.
“Crown Prince Melchior is in Dubris now for an inspection. Coincidentally, our field trip is at the same time? He even said he’ll host a banquet ‘for the students of the Capital Defense School, the nation’s future.’”
‘Ughhh. Him again!’
Coincidence, my foot.
When has anything Melchior did ever been a coincidence?
The express train sped relentlessly toward a city with the one person Cleio least wanted to see in the world.