Chapter 24

“Who dares tell who to show manners right now? How dare you order me around?”

Furious, Kaichen strode right up to Arkin’s nose. Though unseemly thin and petite like Elio, his personality seemed the exact opposite as Kaichen bounced around furiously, barking as if to butt into Arkin, who had a much larger frame.

“You, who live hugging a mere withered tree, dare to profane and order this body born in the sacred land of lightning? A single bolt of lightning would burn all your forests to ashes—”

However, looking down blankly at the sight of him screaming at the top of his lungs, Arkin merely sneered.

“Don’t act rashly, Prince of Voltrion.”

Arkin replied, looking down at the frantically rampaging Kaichen.

“Like I said, everyone is equal here. And every statement and action a prince makes here will eventually hinder the diplomacy of their monarchs later on. If you don’t want to cause trouble for your royal father, shouldn’t you think a bit more before you act?”

However, Arkin’s remark seemed to add even more fuel to Kaichen’s fury. Careless about the kingdom’s impression, the Lightning Prince foamed at the mouth and shrieked as if having a seizure.

“Shut up! A mere human like you dares to discuss attitude with me, who received the blood of the gods? A single touch from my mother could turn you into a pig!”

He received the blood of a goddess…?

Damn it, this is a disaster. Arkin bit his lip hard. If it was a child born between a god and a human, the story was different.

Crackle! Crackle! His white hair bristled and began to swell up. The prince’s skin even flashed white, raising small sparks like shimmering heat haze.

If Kaichen’s mother was a goddess of Voltrion, troublesome things could happen. Gods are harsh, merciless, and do not forgive those who challenge their authority. If Kaichen inherited that temperament…

Fingering his fists tightly and opening them while huffing, faint sparks flickered like a dance at the fingertips of the raging Kaichen, gathering little by little like a condensed fireball. The moment the Lightning Prince lifted his arm straight up and swung it with all his might—

With a crackling sound, a blinding flash of light filled the hallway. After the blinding light subsided and Arkin blinked a few times, he confirmed Kaichen’s wrist grasped tightly within his own grip.

“Kaichen.”

Grabbing Kaichen’s wrist as if to snap it, Arkin pushed his body away and let out a dry laugh. His palm was just a little hot; compared to all the fuss he had been making, there was no particular sensation.

“I’ll say it again. Think before you act.”

He suppressed his anger and spat the words out like chewing them, but Kaichen simply blinked a few times and suddenly started swaying.

“Ah, I’m dizzy.”

His limp body slumped down and he went completely slack, like a person who had run out of all energy in their body, collapsing flat onto the tile floor just like that.

What on earth is this situation right now?

Arkin and Elio looked at each other. Had he expended his energy in a short time and passed out? Not only Kaichen’s body, but even his hair, which had been bristling upward, hung down limply and listlessly.

“Hey, snap out of it.”

Arkin helped the Lightning Prince up, seated him on one side of the hallway, and let his back rest against the wall. Rather than having completely lost consciousness, perhaps due to a temporary phenomenon, the Lightning Prince grabbed Arkin’s arm and mumbled like a drunk person.

“I don’t want to wear this… I want to go home…”

This guy isn’t even a kid. Arkin’s brow fiercely furrowed.

Arkin let out a sigh and looked down at the wobbling Kaichen. Really, there is no trouble-maker quite like this. His tunic wasn’t even properly put on so he was half-naked, and the sandal straps were a mess as if he didn’t even know how to tie them.

…I shouldn’t just leave him like this, should I?

His head throbbed, but Arkin bent down anyway. The virtue he learned while receiving heir training in the winter forest of Solinar was precisely that one must never abandon a companion. Even if they were an enemy, the people of Solinar carefully tended to all life.

It seemed he really had received the blood of a goddess, as a few stinging sparks popped from his fingertips while he forcibly pulled and dressed the swaying Kaichen in his tunic. Still, Arkin moved his hands without hesitation.

“D-Do you need… help?”

Elio approached hesitatingly and spoke up.

“Thanks, Elio. Tie Kaichen’s sandal straps.”

“S-Sandals? I’ve never done anything like this…”

“Me neither.”

As a firm reply came back from Arkin, Elio didn’t make any more excuses and obediently picked up the sandals. However, there was no way Elio had ever tied someone else’s sandal straps before. As his fingers moved clumsily, the sandal straps were getting tangled even more.

“Ah, Elio.”

Seeing his hand movements, Arkin only then realized that Elio had also tied his own sandal straps in a bizarre fashion. He really hadn’t tried doing anything…

“Watch closely, Elio.”

Drawing a deep sigh, Arkin pulled Kaichen’s opposite foot, pushed the sandal on, and gripped the leather straps in both hands. It was when he was demonstrating by systematically crossing the leather straps step by step.

“Ha, the useless prince of Veilon has latched onto Arkin acting all friendly. Right?”

When someone’s mocking voice was heard from behind, Elio hurriedly lowered his head deep down. Knowing he could tell the person just by their voice, the lowered shoulders of Elio were trembling thinly.

Arkin furrowed his brow and turned back. The person striding over was Draconis, the prince of Igninov. Having changed into a tunic early on, he wore a ruby brooch on the shoulder of his snow-white tunic.

“I was wondering how Kaichen managed to drag a slave all the way here. How could he hide him so the priest wouldn’t notice? I figured the Lightning Prince’s head wouldn’t be smart enough for that, though.”

Spitting out words without hesitation, Draconis sneered and looked down at them. Arkin noticed that the red-haired prince was of a somewhat different sort from the clueless Elio or Kaichen.

And that he thoroughly enjoyed and relished tormenting Elio.

“Since we in Igninov are right next to Veilon, news always travels fast, you see. They say that in the crumbling Kingdom of Veilon, Elio is truly a shameful existence, don’t they?”

Arkin saw Elio gulp down a dry swallow. Elio seemed so terrified of Draconis that he couldn’t even turn his head in that direction.

“And now he’s even tying the Voltrion prince’s sandals. Just how far does he intend to lower himself? It must be embarrassing for your father to see.”

Arkin bit his lip hard. Watching his repulsive behavior was sickening. Igninov had a history of growing their power by ruthlessly trampling and consuming small nations, and seeing Draconis’s attitude toward Elio now, it seemed the past and present weren’t all that different.

Igninov was an entity that shattered peace with the logic of ruthless force and threatened the World Alliance. In the days of their ancestors, it was said that even a part of Solinar’s forest had been reduced to ashes by their invasion.

Arkin stood up and faced Draconis. Vibrant red hair resembling flame entered his field of vision. The red hair undulated like a living flame, and the crimson eyes staring intently at Arkin burned with a silent threat.

“Hey, Arkin.”

Draconis’s sharp eyes looked straight at Arkin.

“Don’t get close to that guy. You can never tell what those Veilon bastards are thinking. Every word they say is a lie and gloomy, just like thick fog blanketing the earth to paralyze a traveler’s reason and finally lead them to a dangerous cliff or swamp—those guys are the same sort.”

Draconis stepped a step closer and lowered his voice.

“If you’re going to join hands, you should join hands with us. That groveling fellow is ready to draw out your sympathy, cloud your reason, and stab you in the back at any time.”

Arkin heard the Fog Prince breathing heavily and roughly. He still couldn’t dare to turn back this time, but his gasping breath sounded just like a sobbing cry. Mocking such an Elio, Draconis twisted his lips crookedly.

“I know very well that your forest kingdom of Solinar is the spiritual pillar of the World Alliance. But can everything be solved with mental power? I don’t think so, Arkin. What’s the use of showing mercy to a country like Veilon that’s about to collapse soon? Let’s be practical.”