Chapter 52

Chapter 11. I didn’t mean to (5)

Lennon disappeared.

After that, Alan’s work was done quickly.

– We will immediately proceed with the top acquisition through Melfir Fallon.

– Thank you, Master.

– I’ve told you to send the goods to that area right away, so if you need anything else, please let me know.

– It seems like there is still no shortage other than food. I’m planning to meet the lords soon, so if there’s anything to talk about, I’ll let you know.

– All right.

Calian, who felt lighter thanks to Alan and Melfir’s quicker response than expected, summoned Sting and the Lord of Nerika to the elf village early the next morning. It was to mediate the fight between the two territories.

After finishing his work with the lords, Calian had no need or desire to stay in the elf village any longer, so he decided to leave the village immediately after meeting the two lords. Of course, it was through the forest path that Elder Jer would open.

While waiting for the lords, Jan spoke for a moment.

“Our prince, you now have it all the way to the top.”

“It just so happened that it happened that way. It wasn’t my intention.”

“Still. It feels good.”

I really had no intention of owning a Brissen upper section.

I just got rid of the annoying Lennon, but I never thought I’d end up buying the whole top. Calian chuckled and looked down at what was in his hand.

“Anyway, what is this?”

On Calian’s hand was something that looked like a black pebble. It was an item found from the elf Luca who returned to the village.

Calian frowned, holding in his hand the black pebble that was with the items that appeared to be new items. I was thinking about the change that stone had brought about in Sia.

Calian was quite surprised when Sia, who was about to pick out the items Luca had stolen from Luca’s luggage a little while ago and give them to Calian, opened her mouth. Sia’s unique speaking habit, ‘the ability to answer first’, has disappeared.

Calian, who handed the stone to Sia, who accompanied him for a while to guide him through the forest, opened his mouth.

“Sia. Have you eaten?”

“yes, I ate.”

When Sia’s answer came out correctly, the corners of Calian’s eyes narrowed. Arsene, who was standing next to him, could be heard taking a deep breath. It was that strange.

Soon Calian was handed the pebble again.

And I spoke to Sia once more.

“Yes. It’s over there.”

“Have you seen Hina?”

Again the answer comes first.

Calian stared at what was placed in his palm. It was a small black pebble with golden letters engraved on it, and it looked nothing special. Moreover, other than Sia, no one was affected by the stone.

Arsene asked Calian, who was quietly looking at the stone that was correcting Sia’s strange speaking habits.

“Is this also a new thing?”

“The possibility is high, but a little more...”

Calian, who had been saying that, closed his mouth.

Arsene didn’t notice, but Calian clearly felt it. Yuran, who was in charge of something similar, was also frowning as he looked at what was in Kalian’s hand.

“It looks dangerous. The smell of blood is strong.”

The blood shed when a healthy person dies.

The unique energy felt from blood with strong vitality. Knights train to feel it.

That was the energy felt in that stone. I could feel the powerful energy of blood spilled as life that could still survive was forcibly extinguished. It also meant that the original owner of the pebble was murdered by someone.

“Did you steal this too when you stole the new item?”

“I do not remember.”

It’s so easy not to fly.

It wasn’t just one or two things that were stolen.

Calian let out a short sigh. It was probably true that elves couldn’t lie, so they couldn’t remember.

Rather, Luca didn’t look reflective at all.

Rather than not knowing what they did wrong, they probably show that attitude because they know that humans cannot rule elves with human laws.

Soon, Zer approached and spoke as if trying to divert Calian’s gaze.

“I have already made a request to the mother tree. We will be able to set off on the forest road right away. So don’t worry about things here anymore.”

Somehow, it’s a bit much.

“Anyway, it’s a strange thing to stay away from because it’s a stone that smells like blood.”

Calian nodded and opened his mouth as if telling him not to worry.

“I’m correcting Sia’s speaking habits, so it doesn’t seem like it’s normal.”

Yuran, recalling how he had been answering ahead of others, opened his mouth in a low voice.

“That kid seems to be a little ahead of everyone else. Otherwise, how would he answer a question he didn’t ask?”

“I said I didn’t have foresight, but that’s what I think.”

“Then is it a stone that makes those abilities disappear?”

“Well, what do you think?”

After saying this, Calian patted Raven’s saddle and thought for a moment.

“It’s time...”

A little bit ahead of time. A distortion of time.

A stone that has the effect of nullifying Sia’s abilities related to it.

– The axis of time.

I was wondering if it might be related to the axis of time. Wasn’t the axis of time also considered a novelty related to time?

“I don’t know what it is, but it seems important. So even if it smells unpleasant, I’ll have to put up with it.”

Calian smiled brightly as he said this and strengthened the hand holding the stone.

* * *

The royal palaces of Kairisis, especially the Chermil Palace.

A servant spoke in Randel’s room on the highest floor.

– A significant amount of new material was delivered to Tensil. Lennon Briesen was a huge help in that.

– But Lennon suddenly went missing. The Marquis of Briesen is said to have searched in every possible way, but could not find it.

– Marquis Briesen was the first to suspect Allan Manasil and Melfir Fallun, but confirmed that they were not related. Therefore, we are investigating whether it may have been the work of a group aiming for money.

This was exactly what Marquis Evan Brissen created and spread.

Randel just nodded to the servant who told him the news and told him to leave.

And after the servant left, I opened the book I was reading again.

For a long time, the bookshelf did not turn to the next page.

Suddenly, a bird flew to the window of the room where there had been no sound and started chirping. Landel quietly got up and walked to the window, and the startled bird flew away.

Randel opened the window, feeling a little disappointed.

The sky was clear.

Randel’s curly golden hair swayed in the blowing wind.

Landel, who had closed his eyes and enjoyed the wind for a while, opened them slightly.

The sound of birds in a clear sky.

He said he had trouble sleeping because the weather was bad and that he missed the sound of birds.

This is because I remembered the saying that roses will bloom soon.

‘Calian. This time it bit Lennon.’

Randel, who looked out the window for a moment and thought about his younger brother, went outside.

Immediately the attendants followed.

“In the garden.”

A short word was said and one of those following ran to get tools to take care of the plants. Landel passed the lake with unhurried steps and arrived at the garden where roses were planted. The attendant who soon followed gave him garden shears and opened an umbrella to block the sun.

Randel sat quietly, pruning twigs and pulling weeds.

There were no flowers. Since it was already fall, everything had already bloomed and faded.

In Randel’s eyes, he saw a small, weak flower branch growing under the tree. A flower branch that can’t even straighten out because it’s being pressured by other branches.

It was the same branch as Calian from long ago.

Randel, who was staring at the branch, took out a necklace from his sleeve. And closed my eyes.

Then, surprisingly, a soft light flowed from the necklace and reached the small branch. The bent branches straightened and flower buds formed.

Behind it, a small red rose bloomed.

“It still looks good. Just stay like that for a little while longer.”

Randel, who was looking down at the red rose blooming alone, returned to his room.