Youngest 182
by Cristae182
The next day.
After taking medicine prescribed by Borvel, the renowned physician of the North, I made a splendid recovery!
“Ha! Ha!”
I spun around the training ground, feeling energy surge through my body like it hadn’t in ages.
Dad didn’t seem too pleased about it, but thankfully, Borvel and Mom had convinced him that a little exercise was necessary.
‘I can breeze through the Grand Training Ground now!’
“Um-hahaha.”
With a refreshed face, I wiped the sweat from my brow.
Off in the distance, Grandfather and Liam were locked in a fierce battle over whose homemade energy drink was superior.
“Princess!”
At that, I whipped my head around.
That title!
From afar, Allen, sporting an eye patch over one eye, spotted me and ran over. It seemed he’d come straight to the ducal estate, not even bothering to change out of his travel clothes upon arriving in the capital.
“Uncle Allen! It’s been so long!”
Overjoyed, I raced toward him—but at that moment, Allen suddenly came to a halt.
“I’m not an uncle…”
“Pardon?”
“I’m not married. No girlfriend. Never had one, don’t plan to… Ugh.”
“Excuse me? What kind of heartbreak have you been through on your way back here?”
Allen looked like he was going to spit, but caught my gaze and swallowed it down instead.
“Try spending a month with a brat so rough, arrogant, and utterly lacking a single gram of delicacy! It turns a man to tatters—a ragdoll, I tell you!”
“Kal…”
I absently rolled that name on my tongue.
“When will Khalid arrive?!”
“Oh, probably three or four days. I got here early because I was pushed so hard.”
Allen scratched the back of his head, looking weary, and added,
“You’re aware the King and Princess of Kasalia are visiting Babylon, right? He’s probably escorting them back.”
“Ah, I see.”
I nodded slowly, understanding at last. Since their paths overlapped, Kasalia likely made the request first.
‘Wait, the Princess of Kasalia?’
The royal princess, once lost in the war and then found again?
“Seems the Kasalian royal family has really taken a shine to that guy.”
“Oh?”
“The king even sent an envoy himself… They were desperate to somehow bring him into the royal household. Makes you want to cry, honestly.”
Allen laughed quietly, folding his fingers one by one.
“A title, an estate, a reward—they’re pulling out all the stops.”
“But Kal doesn’t strike me as the type to care about that. Too much hassle.”
I laughed, crinkling my brows.
I expected Allen to agree, but instead he folded his arms and looked at me strangely.
“Hm, but you never know. Who’s to say what might happen during this return procession?”
“What do you mean?”
“The Princess of Kasalia.”
He looked straight at me and went on.
“I hear she’s about your age? And supposedly stunningly beautiful.”
“…And?”
How does that relate to anything we’re talking about?
Allen leaned closer, voice suddenly serious.
“With men, my lady, when they like someone, they can’t help wanting to look good in front of them.”
Someone you like…?
“Let’s think. What’s he lacking? Looks, height, stature, brains, skill—he’s got them all. So what does his life lack?”
“…I heard he isn’t that tall… Ah, personality?”
“You are absolutely correct.”
Allen gave me a double thumbs-up, shaking them enthusiastically.
“Though, to be fair, from an objective viewpoint, I’d say power. Status.”
“Kal… Why would he need status?”
He’s a member of the Zevert Knights.
“Come now, if the person you like is of noble birth, you’d want to be up to snuff, at least.”
Someone you like…
I blinked blankly.
“So you’re saying… Wait.”
For some reason, my throat went tight. What’s this?
Am I still not well? Why is my heart pounding so fast?
“…You’re saying Khalid might accept a Kasalian title?”
“Perhaps.”
“…And fall in love with a beautiful princess during the return procession?”
A chuckle escaped from Allen’s tightly sealed lips, too much to restrain. Of course, dazed as I was, staring at the floor, I didn’t notice at all.
“There are always countless variables in life, my lady.”
“…”
Whoosh.
A freezing winter wind swept across the training ground. Almost as if it woke me, I lifted my head abruptly.
“He…”
For reasons I couldn’t name—
“Where is he now?”
I felt as if I needed to see him right this instant!
Whiiiiiiish. Watching Ruby’s retreating figure fade into the distance, Allen finally let out the laughter he’d been holding.
“I didn’t say anything definite, my lady.”
Subject or predicate.
‘You little brat~ your dearly beloved master is on her way~’
Humming contentedly, Allen was startled by a chilly gaze and turned his head.
“…”
Ah, so they’re here.
At one side of the training ground, the old Lord Zevert and Young Master Liam were glaring daggers at him.
“Um, I’ll just… come back another ti—”
“Seize him, eldest booger.”
“Yes, sir.”
After that day,
No one saw Allen again.
Late at night, a simple outpost.
Khalid frowned.
“What could she possibly be doing…”
All this for a nosebleed.
He was examining the carrier pigeon message he’d received—from Allen, who had already gone ahead to the capital.
‘Seems she’s overworking herself.’
What to do.
He wished he could just drop everything and go.
But that wasn’t possible.
“The Kingdom of Kasalia has requested that you escort them to the Babylon Empire. Since it’s your return route anyway, we just need to reorganize the procession a bit.”
They’d only just finished the subjugation when a Kasalian envoy arrived with that request.
He had every intention of ignoring it—but the insignia on his knight’s uniform nagged at him.
The Zevert Knights’ sigil.
So long as he wore that emblem, he couldn’t act as freely as some child would.
No doubt the Duke would have told him, “Who told you to worry about things like that?” and flicked his forehead, but—
Because of that, all the more so.
‘If only I could at least hear her voice.’
By habit, he almost extended his mana, but stopped himself.
Rubian was in the capital. He didn’t want to provoke her into using magic unnecessarily. All the more so, since she wasn’t feeling well.
And besides, now that his mana had grown beyond all comparison to its former self, Khalid became more cautious about tying his mana to Rubian’s.
He felt as if he might devour her by accident.
“…”
Khalid clenched the note, exhaling deeply.
Once, their mana had been intertwined like tree roots, but now it felt as though his vast, overwhelming mana enveloped Rubian’s fine, slender magic completely.
‘Just like that damn thing.’
He clicked his tongue as he glanced at the Mage Kingdom’s crest etched on the map hung on the wall.
The World Tree, and the dragon spiraling up beside it.
The World Tree symbolized wisdom; the dragon, magic and power.
The more he thought about it, the fouler his mood became—just then, a brief sound rang out before his tent.
Before he could even invite them in, the tent flap rustled and opened.
“Sir Khalid? Are you resting?”
A woman’s voice, clear and pleasant.
Khalid regarded the approaching woman with an impassive face: Princess Sevellena of Kasalia, with her lightly tanned skin and cascading reddish-brown hair.
“Would you like to play cards? Do you know how?”
Her clothes rattled with every step, adorned with a wealth of ornaments befitting royalty.
Garbed in full royal regalia, she flopped easily into the seat across from Khalid, then pulled out a deck—just the kind of cards commoners might play with in a tavern—and waved them.
“Could it be—Sir Knight, raised in comfort and luxury, can’t play a humble game like this?”
“Even if I could, I wouldn’t play with Your Highness.”
“Oh, your tongue has finally loosened. Why not?”
Khalid merely smiled faintly and lowered his eyes. Slowly, methodically, he folded the note once, twice, three times.
After tucking it away carefully in his inner pocket, Khalid at last slowly raised his gaze to meet Sevellena’s.
“Do I have any obligation to answer Your Highness’ questions?”
Rather arrogant, faced with royalty.
If not for that handsome face, she’d have ordered him to his knees already.
Sevellena laughed inwardly.
“Then how about this?”
“…”
“The youngest lady of House Zevert.”
In an instant, the atmosphere shifted.
Not missing the sudden, razor-sharp chill in the air, Sevellena continued calmly.
“The Mage King’s ‘Seventh.’”
His hand tightened on his sword. Blue mana flared to life.
The Zevert Knights’ insignia mattered to him, yes—but nothing compared to Rubian.
“The Mage Kingdom is on the move. Do you mean to lose her again?”
Her emerald eyes, wild as a jungle, flashed brightly.