Predestination and Harmony (2)

“I guess you like the garden. You can’t seem to take your eyes off it.”

As Kleio faced the prince, he realized the emotion lingering inside him was no longer fear. It was something between anger and understanding. After a few moments, Kleio decided to reply as if he were really enjoying the garden.

“I was admiring the design of this sophisticated garden. The more I look at it, the more subtle and delicate it seems.”

“Plants grew well this year. In this field where a fierce battle took place just a year ago, what else could be the reason for the flowers to bloom this well?”

If someone else said that human bodies were used as fertilizers for a garden, it would’ve sounded like a bad joke, but coming from this man…

‘It doesn’t sound like a joke at all!’

Melchior smiled as he noticed Kleio’s changed expression.

“It’s a farming joke. Surprisingly, you still have a naive side.”

The crown prince looked rather happy with himself.

“Even the faithful Director Driscoll couldn’t find out who was behind the amazing extra that was released in Lundane the other day, and the body of the warlord noble is also supposed to be somewhere in that gray area. Don’t be sorry as it’s one exchange.”

He said it like he had no idea the person behind the extra was right in front of him.

“It was pretty fun for me.”

How on earth could he respond to that? Kleio felt choked. Even though the shade was cool, the inside of his stiff collar was slick with cold sweat.

Melchior emptied his teacup and placed his white-gloved hands on the table.

“Okay, let’s get to the point. We’re not in a position to spend time leisurely. You, a knight of the kingdom, have a job to do.”

Kleio’s shoulders drooped slightly.

‘The purpose of today’s meeting wasn’t to interrogate about the extra, but to resolve the side effects of his skill.’

He didn’t know if he should say that was a good thing. The wizard produced his wand and placed it on the table.

“It’s disrespectful to ask, but the effects will be weak without a mana stone. Have you secured an onyx?”

“I have.”

“Then, please.”

Melchior tilted his head gently and spoke softly.

“Prepare the onyx.”

Kleio was momentarily confused as to whom the prince was speaking to. He thought they were alone in the garden. However, a moment later, Tasserton revealed himself from the shadow of the pillars behind the crown prince.

‘Is he a ninja…?’

He moved like he had been there from the beginning. Even with Kleio’s perception, he didn’t notice anything until now. Indeed, Tasserton was a level 8 swordmaster.

Kleio didn’t usually sweat as he didn’t move around much, but now, it seemed that he was sweating enough for the entire year.

Without looking back, the prince beckoned him forward lightly. The swordmaster was treated as insignificant by the prince, but Tasserton naturally lowered his posture and placed a small bag on the table.

‘No, you’re using a swordmaster as a courier?’

Kleio was shocked for a while, but he understood why after a few minutes. There was no safer storage for a precious mana stone than the pocket of a loyal swordmaster.

Tasserton didn’t even look at Kleio. In the swordmaster’s eyes, it seemed that there was no human in the garden other than Melchior. With a bored tone, Melchior ordered Tasserton.

“Open it and let Sir Kleio see what’s inside.”

Tasserton glanced at the wizard with a watchful gaze. The eye contact happened in just an instant, so Kleio thought he might just have imagined it.

“Since the sleeping onyx comes in several sizes, choose the one that is appropriate by your judgment. My condition isn’t very bad right now.”

“…Alright. It seems that the onyx was all we got from the Tristein estate at that time.”

He wanted to pretend to be surprised, so Kleio chose his words carefully. Three adult Pytons had appeared, and one of them had been used, so there should be two onyxes remaining.

‘Even if he already knows, I should be consistent until the end.’

“A few more mana stones fell into my lap by coincidence. Sometime in the distant past, before the world had magic, a group of young Pytons had flown over the lower ridges of the Pintos mountains. I had forgotten the story myself until recently.”

While Kleio stiffened at Melchior’s sudden disclosure of information, Tasserton unsealed the magic tool pouch. It was a magic tool pouch that required ether to open. Under the silver ether of the swordmaster, the pocket revealed its contents simultaneously, and a title floated in the air.

[8th level swordmaster

Title: Knight of the Lake | Reincarnation of gods]

Kleio’s eyes widened. Perhaps because his narrative intervention had risen, the title was now fully revealed to him.

‘Reincarnation of gods…!’

In an instant, he remembered the play in the Amphitheater. The goddess that resembled Melchior and the slayer that resembled Tasserton. The content of -Erato- was as the record of history.

With his chin cupped in his palm, Melchior spoke.

“…But now I know the old past, I’ve been helped so much. A handful of sleeping onyx was buried under the wall of Absalom.”

At the crown prince’s words and the title of Tasserton assailing him from both sides, Kleio began to feel disorganized. However, he kept all of that carefully hidden from his expression as he pretended to look at the onyx in the pocket, holding onto the table lightly.

[Sleeping Onyx]

They appeared to be over twenty genuine mana stones. The two biggest came from the Tristein manor, but other than that, they ranged from a nail’s size to about two fingers large.

‘In the last manuscript, Pytons only appeared in Tristein’s estate. There were no rumors of it appearing elsewhere.’

And the crown prince had died in his early thirties, as well.

‘Even repeating your life eight times, it’s not a period that could be classified as a very long time.’

But that didn’t quite fit with Melchior’s words.

‘Does that mean he remembers a life before he was born as Melchior?’

If so, contradictions arose in his actions. While he was once a god, he vehemently proclaimed that he was a human?

Kleio’s head felt complicated, but he couldn’t take as much time as he wanted, so Kleio snatched an onyx out of the back.

“It’s a real blessing to have saved so many onyxes.”

“I believe in your choice. Back off, Tasserton.”

Kleio flinched mentally. Melchior called the noble 32nd Duke in such a casual manner, but he used the title for Kleio, who was only an honorary knight.

However, it seemed that Kleio was the only one paying attention to that fact. The knight seemed to have no complaints about his lord’s action. He closed the pouch and sealed it once more before retreating from the pavilion, once more hiding in the shade without a sign that he had appeared in the first place. Even during his movement, he had his hand on his sword, making it clear what he would do if Kleio didn’t do what he was supposed to.

He would prefer to refrain from ever being threatened by Tasserton again. Kleio quickly unfolded a magic formula, overlapping five [Reduction] formulas, narrowed down to work only on the prince. Holding his wand and onyx in hand, Kleio tuned his ether and prepared his mantra.

Shaaaaa-

The onyx shattered as the explosive amount of light made it seem like a second sun had risen from the garden. Even after the double load was resolved, the magical formula continued to shine for a while after. The prince looked down at his hands, wrapped in their gloves, as if satisfied. His pain seemed to have faded away.

“How do you feel?”

“Very good.”

“That’s fortunate.”

He was serious about it as if something went wrong; someone was hiding in the shade that would slay Kleio in a second. Kleio looked behind Melchior with a knowing glance.

“Huh. Are you interested in someone with that long of a name?”

“There are many rumors that you’ve shown great ignorance, so if you don’t care, why not make a lie?”

“I’ve said it many times, but you’re not good at lying. Don’t try to pretend you didn’t see it.”

“What are you saying…?”

The crown prince laughed, making the glare of the ether fade. And his cold words betrayed the warmth of his smile.

“Your eyes never match the mouth. Isn’t the title revealed there? In divine letters? Your unique skill works that way.”

“!!!”

It was clear that Melchior’s skill had a reading form. Otherwise, how else could those golden letters be explained?

“Since you’ve relieved my pain, I can answer some questions. Our God is by no means kind, so I have to know a lot to go against him, right?”

The prince’s beautiful voice resonated through the silent garden.

“The loyalty of the duke came from a betrayal.”