Against the Dark (6)

The crown prince’s unique skill reached its limit and was urgently demanding [Reduction]. The onyx seemed like a mana stone that would help in such a case.

‘If he had ordered it, Tasserton would’ve delivered, but why did he run directly to Tristein’s estate in this mess?’

Kleio had some clues. The crown prince was strangely unstable, and this mana stone stabilized emotions.

‘Perhaps…’

The knights were somewhat confused by the tension between the prince and the wizard.

“What kind of kid is that little wizard to make the crown prince so concerned?”

One of them, a knight who looked like a younger version of Trude, mumbled loudly.

“You don’t know? He’s the youngest knight, Sir Kleio. He caught a demon in the capital and received a medal!”

“When I was in the capital, the whole social circle was overrun with his story. He even made it snow.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s real! The knights of the Defense Force told me.”

“Huh, I just thought he was a rich kid.”

“No, George, the swordsman teacher at the school, sent a letter! There are great kids in that school!”

“Who opened that letter?”

“I can’t even remember! How busy we’ve been!”

Kleio closed his eyes and reopened them with determination as the noise swept through the banquet hall. On behalf of the protagonist hidden in the darkness outside, it was his honor to fight the threats here. Melchior began to show impatience, holding onto Kleio’s elbow in an unacceptable manner. To others, it might seem a sign of familiarity, but his force wasn’t controlled at all. Even if he wasn’t as trained as Arthur or Aslan, Melchior was a level 4 swordsman. If he did all he could, Kleio would be helplessly shaken about. The crown prince drew close, speaking cold and business-like into his ear.

“Have you ever met the Duke of Tristein?”

“No, meetings weren’t allowed.”

“Then, now is a great opportunity to meet him. Let me gladly accept the preordained harmony that brought you here.”

Melchior urged Kleio on. Tasserton took the lead without needing an order. His attitude towards the crown prince was more polite than that of the eldest son of a long-established duke, fitting that of a personal servant better. Melchior calmed everyone down just by looking around with an attitude that made it impossible to ask questions. While being held by the prince’s hand, Kleio matched stride with him to make it look as natural as possible. It was obvious that Arthur would jump through the door and try to set aside this outrage if he had a little more time. Normally, Melchior would pretend to laugh generously, but he was acting differently than usual. Now, he would behave like a complete beast. Fortunately, Arthur still couldn’t get through Mietsu’s barrier.

‘That’s it.’

Kleio closed his eyes, and soon, a darker corridor was before him. Melchior’s hand was terribly cold as it refused to let go.

.

.

.

The duke’s bedroom was on the top floor of the main castle. The old-styled building had narrow windows and poor airflow. The smell that filled the room was the stench of death. Duke Theo Tristein, looking like a malnourished mummy, was in such a state that it seemed strange he was still breathing. The sleepy onyx Arthur had given Rotan was placed beside his pillow. It had no magical formulas engraved on it, so it seemed that it wasn’t helping to improve the duke’s appearance. The significance of the stone was mere of the earnest origins of the knights of the castle.

‘What sort of magic could be engraved to save a dead man?’

Healing magic wasn’t universally powerful. The 3rd level wizard, Meyer, who resided here, was struggling to keep him breathing. In the last manuscript, the predecessor of Duke Tristein had never appeared alive.

‘It is natural to bind the knights to Melchior.’

However, was this skinny old man kept alive to resist the author’s will? It was strange to think a wizard from the capital was attached to an old man who would soon die. Melchior had no reason to keep Theo alive, as he was the best connection Tasserton had.

‘This Melchior tends to tolerate all developments different from the previous manuscript, even if they hurt him. Maybe his speech wasn’t a lie…’

Rather, it seemed Tasserton was the one uninterested in the duke’s life or death. The knight looked down on his father insensitively as he picked up the onyx and handed it to Melchior. Promise once again revealed the stone’s usage.

[Sleeping Onyx

: Brings stability to the body and emotions and increases the defense of the mind.]

Melchior, leaning against a chair by the bed, pressed a hand against his sweat-covered temple. His eyes trembled in pain as his eyelashes cast tear-like shadows on his face. The crown prince gazed upon the mana stone in Tasserton’s hand, anger and impulse boiling in his eyes. Usually, he couldn’t read what was happening inside the prince’s mind, but today some clues were leaking out through his unusual behavior. Perception and Separation were still being used, giving Kleio an intuition that exceeded the level he had originally before reaching 30% involvement.

‘It’s the attitude of a control freak angered by not being able to control himself. He’s sick of feeling that he needs to rely on something outside of himself.’

This inner side of Melchior hadn’t been explained before. The fact that the inside of a character he had given up on understanding was now visible at a glance left Jungjin feeling conflicted. All of this was a story written by someone, in which those with blood and flesh suffered. This was an event that transcended the reality he knew. Kleio struggled to push those feelings away. If there was anyone wrong to be compassionate towards in this manuscript, it was Melchior.

“Sir Kleio, can you use the [Calm] magic formula?”

“…I can.”

It was a very basic formula even Fran could write.

‘But is there a reason why you want me to use it?’

Melchior was clearly worsening as time passed. His power was too much for a human to bear. Much like that beautiful golden hair, madness was also passed down the royal blood.

‘If he goes mad…’

Kleio’s body began to tremble as if he had a chill as he focused on the crown prince. At the same moment, the intensity of Separation increased, suddenly releasing him from the pressure bearing down on him. It gave him the calmness to examine the situation again.

“Now, I’ll only say it once, so do it as directed.”

Melchior urged Kleio to accept the mana stone. Having grasped it, Kleio’s attention was focused on understanding Melchior’s intent.

“Fill all four magic slots with [Reduction] and use the onyx to double fire the same formula.”

“Is the subject of the [Reduction] you?”

“Who else would it be?”

“It is not a magical formula that leaves aftereffects on the body, but trying to use magic on a royal family member makes me nervous. Of course, you look tired, but unless you’re struggling for minutes, return to the capital and give it to the royal enchanter…”

“You are a knight ordained by me, so you have a duty to fulfill your orders.”

“While applying the [Reduction] magic, you’ll be completely defenseless. Won’t you mind?”

“My loyal knight is lurking here, so stop worrying and open the circle.”

Kleio suddenly noticed the answer to the question, ‘Why the hell are you trusting me with this treatment?’ There was no one else who could do it except for Kleio. A 3rd-level wizard wouldn’t be able to use a double load. Melchior was desperate, which filled Kleio with a sense of incongruity. That descriptor didn’t match Melchior. Nevertheless, his tough order sounded like begging.

“What will be the punishment if I fail?”

“Well, not me, but this one over there can decide.”

The crown prince lowered down before continuing in a voice that added more humanity to him than necessary.

“Did you know, Sir Kleio? When the duke dies, the title is inherited by his successor at that moment. The noble duke has the right to summon judgment on all humans in the territory of the north.”

Kleio reflexively looked at Tasserton on the left. Suddenly, he pulled out his sword without a sound. There was no agitation in his face as Kleio realized he wasn’t even looking at Kleio or the duke in the first place. Melchior Riognan was the only target in those sincere eyes. Except for Melchior, humans had no meaning to him. Kleio then realized…

Tasserton Tristein was a man who could kill his father without any hesitation if necessary.