Youngest 191
by CristaeEpisode 191
A short while later.
After hearing my whole story, Father stroked his chin and muttered.
“So, the King of Kassalia is a traitor.”
“Yes. But the princess says she’s on my side. She told me because she wants to help me.”
“Hm.”
Father fell silent for a moment. I sat beside him, nabbing a chocolate chip cookie from the table and popping it into my mouth.
“What should we do? If we want to trust the princess completely, it’s best to watch her for a while, but Khalid says he’s busy.”
“Is that so? I can’t imagine what he’d be busy with… Anyway, I’ll handle this.”
“And His Imperial Majesty? Are you going to tell him?”
“I should at least give him a heads-up.”
Father took the cookie from my hand. Then he handed me a glass of vegetable juice from who knows where.
“What if… it becomes known that the King of Kassalia has really been in league with the Mage Kingdom?”
“The King will have to be held accountable. And with the Round Table coming up in the spring…”
A wry smile played at Father’s lips.
“There will be no end of things to discuss.”
“Good grief.”
Kassalia was a nation highly dependent on magic.
‘No doubt the Mage Kingdom used that as leverage to threaten them.’
Still, that doesn’t excuse their wrongdoing.
‘At any rate, the King could prove to be a lead in tracking down the Mage Kingdom, who are so well hidden.’
I didn’t bother saying that out loud.
Sipping my juice, I rubbed my eyes. Maybe it was because I’d been out all day, but I felt tired.
Would I get another nosebleed? Feeling a twinge of worry, I surreptitiously wiped under my nose and spoke again.
“So, what about the princess?”
“Hard to say…”
Father glanced at me, rubbing his chin as he replied.
“It depends on what the princess wants, but she did supply us with information, so we might take that into consideration.”
I nodded and finished my drink.
“By the way, how was the epitaph formula Kal gave you?”
Father shifted the topic lightly.
“Oh, that… But there were some parts missing. I meant to ask about that…”
I leaned forward, peering past my father’s broad frame.
Yes, that’s right.
Surprisingly, Khalid was in the room, too.
He was sitting quietly, scrutinizing the desserts on the table with the eyes of a hawk. What was he studying so intently?
He hadn’t eaten any chocolate cookies, as far as I remembered… muttering to himself. Where are they from… mutter, mutter.
He seemed to be muttering for quite some time, but I couldn’t hear well with Father blocking my view like a wall.
“Kal, the epitaph formula…”
I stretched my body uncomfortably and asked.
“Was that everything for the epitaph formula?”
“Yeah.”
As I thought.
It seemed I’d have to complete the formula myself back home, just as I’d done until now. Still—
“It does seem to be a spell for releasing something. The trouble is, the formula doesn’t say what that ‘something’ is. Kal. Are you sure there weren’t any other epitaphs around that could be a clue…?”
As I tried to speak to Khalid once more, irritation suddenly flared up.
“Hey, Father.”
“What?”
“Why have you been sitting between me and Kal this whole time? You were sitting across from me before. It’s uncomfortable. Move.”
Father, casually sipping his tea, blinked slowly.
Then, looking down at himself, he muttered,
“What is this… Lately my body just moves on its own.”
A frown creased my brow in genuine concern. Oh, my poor father.
All right. When we get home, I’m booking him the Borvel Premium Filial Piety Medical Checkup.
Just as Father started to rise and return to his seat, he seemed to remember something.
“By the way—when did you two meet for you to get back so late?”
“We met during the day!”
“During the day… but you’re getting home at night?”
“It’s not night. It’s just past dinner time.”
“What have you two been doing?”
“Um. We met in an alley, went to the garden cafe, watched a play, strolled through the festival street, shared some food… It was fun!”
Father’s body was once again rooted firmly in place.
Then, with a very benign expression, he placed his hand on Khalid’s shoulder.
“You rascal. Kal, you rascal.”
“Uhm, that kind of hurts.”
“Now that I think about it, I haven’t properly greeted you. You’ve been through so much hell, haven’t you.”
Squeeze.
Khalid blinked slowly, a perplexed look on his face.
“I did my best… but why am I being punished?”
“It’s praise. Praise is supposed to hurt a bit. It should come with a little pressure.”
“I’m not sure I… really understand.”
“Me neither.”
“…?”
Tsk.
Borvel’s Premium Course.
Should I go ahead and book it right away?
Late at night.
Khalid tread carefully down the corridor.
Opening the door to the bedroom he’d been assigned, he found a guest waiting.
‘…Teleportation?’
Wasn’t he just in the drawing room?
“Do you really not have any luggage? Is your sword all you need?”
“Well…”
Khalid closed the door and answered.
“Is there anything else I should bring?”
“I don’t know if I should call that well brought up or something else…”
Leviathan chuckled and beckoned him over.
He was seated on the bed in comfortable clothes. Even after a day of dealing with kings and the minutiae of administration, there was no sign of fatigue about him.
“Bow.”
“…Sir?”
“Your head. Down.”
At the brief command, Kal clasped his hands behind his back and bowed his head. The captain is still the captain, after all.
A moment passed.
“…?”
He looked confused as Leviathan ruffled his hair.
“Is something stuck in my hair?”
“Praise, kid. I didn’t get a chance earlier because I was sulking.”
“….”
Ah.
So that’s what that was.
Like when I was a child.
‘He must still see me as a kid.’
Khalid accepted the praise quietly, feeling indifferent.
“You did well. You spent two years in that hell for Ruby’s sake.”
“I became stronger for it, so it’s fine.”
“When will you ever be less cocky?”
“I’m being polite right now.”
“Just because you’re grown, now I can’t even scold you. I hate it.”
Leviathan grumbled.
Truth be told, Khalid was a little pleased. Aside from Rubian, the one person he wanted recognition from was, of course, Leviathan.
“When you get home, get some rest. For a while.”
“I’m fi—”
“If I tell you once, just listen.”
Thwack. A large hand blade landed on his head.
“…Yes, sir.”
Leviathan interfered a bit more, then finally stood to go.
“Oh, and…”
As he reached for the door, Leviathan, unusually hesitant, spoke again.
“Yes?”
“Ruby…”
The familiar name caused Khalid’s whole body to tense.
“Talk with Ruby. Have a long conversation.”
What did he mean by that?
“She pretends otherwise, but she seems troubled lately. I think it started when Delmon died.”
A heavy sigh rode his deep voice.
“She tells me she’s fine, but…”
Before Leviathan could finish, Khalid moved without hesitation.
At the same moment, Leviathan’s large body blocked the exit.
“Where do you think you’re going.”
His violet eyes flashed with a look not unlike murderous intent.
“During the day. When the sun is up. You rascal.”
“…Ah.”
It was the dead of night.
Resigned, Khalid withdrew, resenting the darkness beyond the window.
Of course, he only withdrew in Leviathan’s eyes.
Knock, knock.
He tapped gently at the door, and someone stirred inside.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
Kal waited quietly, a squirrel perched on his shoulder.
After hearing Leviathan’s words, there was no room for hesitation.
‘I should cheer her up.’
And listen, too.
He visited Rubian’s room often enough that it was nothing to be self-conscious about.
But when she opened the door, Kal froze.
“Kal! Oh, the squirrel! It’s been so looooong!”
“…You—”
What on earth was she wearing?
A thin chemise…?
Where had her usual strawberry pajamas, thoroughly buttoned, gone?
More than that, she’d thrown something over her shoulders, but the squirrel had tugged it down, leaving her pale forearms, smooth shoulders, and the slope of her neck exposed, one after the other…
“What are you doing?”
Rubian frowned at the large jacket draped over her.
Had she just washed? Even her slightly damp hair was startling.
“Hey, I’m hot. The fireplace in here is blazing.”
“Wear it. Please…”
Khalid hoped his blushing face looked like it was just reflecting the firelight as he carefully wrapped the jacket around Rubian.
At that moment, he realized—
This midnight visit was headed entirely in the wrong direction.