Chapter 34

“Y-Your eyes are pretty, Arkin. Uh, hey, do you know delphiniums? If you layer the petals over and over, they’re the exact same blue as your eyes…”

When Arkin narrowed his brow slightly at her rambling, Amalfi quickly waved both hands.

“No, no. Never mind.”

Her fluttering heart was squeezing the breath right out of Amalfi. They really weren’t kidding when they said handsome men were hazardous to your health…

“Um, there’s something else I was wondering… about, Arkin.”

Arkin had no spare attention to give to Amalfi, who kept lingering by his side. For a while now, his eyes had been glued to Nephitia and Zafiri sitting side by side.

“Speak.”

A wildly rugged man with tanned skin and cascading brown hair. The muscular, half-naked prince of Iivika, Zafiri, whose actions toward women were as smooth and natural as flowing water. Arkin’s gaze refused to tear itself away from him. Their conversation seemed to be flowing lively and harmoniously. Propping his chin in his hand beside her, Zafiri chimed in with a gentle, affectionate gaze the whole time and nodded vigorously.

“You know, they say the men of Solinar all make a vow of chastity for their spouse once they reach a certain age, right? For the single, lifelong spouse they’ll spend their entire lives with. Is that really true?”

That unbidden remark slipping in—the phrase “the single woman to spend a lifetime with”—suddenly captured Arkin’s attention. Arkin turned his gaze back to Princess Amalfi.

“Why are you curious about that?”

Princess Amalfi’s enormous, saucer-like eyes blinked, radiating a sudden surge of expectation. Swallowing a dry gulp, she clasped her hands together reverently and replied.

“Why, you ask? Because it’s so terribly romantic. A man who preserves his purity solely for the woman paired as his marriage partner, and lives out the rest of his days upholding that oath until the day he dies…”

“That is our rule, though.”

Arkin forced a conscious smile. As luck would have it, Serena of Lakelium, his betrothed, brushed past his side. Arkin’s lips twisted bitterly.

“I wouldn’t exactly call it romantic, though.”

Arkin waited patiently until the other trainees rose from their seats in a rush, then briskly caught up to Nephitia’s pace, striking up a conversation just as she passed by his side alone.

“Hey, Nephitia.”

He had thought that once they stripped away all the forced ties of destiny and such nonsense, he would be able to treat her with comfortable ease. Yet strangely, it was the exact opposite right now. A peculiar sensation, as if his insides were itching, crept up insidiously. Knowing that it wasn’t the overwhelming dominion or mystical feeling that had gripped him when they touched, but simply his own body’s physical reaction, he couldn’t help but feel tense.

“Hm?”

Nephitia stopped in her tracks and looked at Arkin. The moment he received her gaze, the back of his neck burned hot. He cautiously broached the topic.

“The way you put Draconis in his place earlier—it was really cool. Honestly, I wanted to land a punch on him myself.”

“Ah… Right, thanks.”

Nephitia looked at him with a soft, subtle smile. It was just as Arkin was trying to add another word.

“Let’s go together, Nephitia.”

Noticing Arkin standing nearby, Zafiri offered a greeting.

“Ah, you must be the prince from Solinar. I still have some things to talk over with Nephitia. Do you mind if we head out first?”

Arkin briefly met Nephitia’s eyes. He quickly gave a nod.

“…Oh, go ahead, of course.”

When Zafiri naturally led Nephitia away, Arkin was left behind alone. He slowed his pace to the absolute maximum until he could no longer hear Zafiri and Nephitia chatting and laughing harmoniously as they walked ahead, and later took a long, winding detour around the path.

A crisp, enchanting evening where the twilight spread and a lukewarm sea breeze tickled his hair. Credo Island stained in the sunset was breathtaking. The marble pillars caught the reddish light and turned rose-tinted, while the palm fronds swayed gently. Down below, the sun slowly submerged itself into the sea, dyeing the sky in hues of purple. Listening distantly to the cries of birds returning to their nests, Arkin tried to fill his head with other thoughts.

Yet, try as he might to savor the scenery of the beautiful island, the inside of his chest felt somehow unsettled.

…Isn’t it a bit strange to care this much about someone you met for the first time today?

It should be enough just to mind his own business; he didn’t have an ounce of leisure to spare for worrying about others. His erratic, fluctuating heart felt thoroughly pathetic and wretched. He should either firmly keep his distance or simply step right up close and get along comfortably. An attitude that was neither one nor the other felt nothing like himself.

It was a day so exhausting it felt as though his body might melt away at any second. He wanted to rest immediately. However, when he entered his room past the deserted hallway, Arkin couldn’t throw himself straight onto the bed; instead, he lingered, looking down at the cramped, narrow sleeping quarters.

People seek sleep to wash away the fatigue of a weary day, but his day was not yet over. A hellish nightmare would undoubtedly be waiting for him once again tonight.

The horrifying visions visiting every night, the blood-soaked dreams would gnaw away at Arkin. Sighing heavily, Arkin approached the window and pushed the wooden shutters open. He closed his eyes, breathing in the rolling sea breeze. Please. May I be able to sleep safely.

The ten-day adaptation period proved far from easy.

The princes found outfitting themselves in the garments of Credo Island quite difficult. It was a common occurrence for them to suffer embarrassment when the short, thin tunics slipped down or left their crotches wide open to view.

Untied sandal straps were a given, and it happened with striking frequency that the princesses wrinkled their noses in distaste when the princes sat down carelessly with sloppy postures.

Prince Kaichen, who claimed he had never even poured a cup of water with his own hands, ran into an awkward predicament when the poorly tied undergarment came undone. The problem was that he failed to notice the long fabric trailing down between his legs. Kaichen tripped right over the fabric and pitched forward, causing his short tunic to fly up in a disaster that exposed a pair of pale, white buttocks to full view.

“The Lightning Prince’s ass is blindingly white, too.”

“Was that Stella of the Star Kingdom?”

At someone’s quiet, dry remark, laughter burst out here and there. Amidst the snickering of the other trainees, Kaichen gritted his teeth, heaved with frustration, and forced himself to his feet.

“All of you, don’t laugh! Shut your traps! Which bastard tripped me? Who the hell gave me clothes like this? Aren’t you going to come out right now?”

The prince screamed and shouted at the top of his lungs, but there were no subordinates left to scold or discipline in order to salvage his shattered pride.

Though minor mishaps occurred ceaselessly every day, time eventually forced their bodies to adapt. The ten willful princes and princesses gradually grew accustomed to a routine lifestyle, and their bearings became neater. Exactly ten days into this, Seneca finally declared that formal classes would begin.

On the first day of class, Arkin woke up early. He hadn’t slept well, but his mind still felt clear. The thought that the training tournament had truly begun made his heart flutter with anticipation.

“Morning, Arkin. Did you sleep well?”

Nephitia greeted him lightly in front of the dining hall. Her glossy, golden-yellow eyes, sweet as rich honey, stared right at him.

“Yeah, I slept well.”

Offering an awkward smile, Arkin let her go in first and followed her into the dining hall. He didn’t know her all that well yet, but they weren’t complete strangers either. Unlike Arkin, who felt awkward every time their eyes met, Nephitia always greeted him comfortably—as if they were special acquaintances who had known each other for a very long time.

The trainees sat sparsely in a thoroughly bleak atmosphere, silently chewing on barley bread and chickpeas.

Draconis was tearing savagely at a piece of bread in a corner seat, shoving it roughly into his mouth, while Petra and Elio—though seated at the same table—kept as much diagonal distance between them as possible, refusing to even look at each other.

“Ah! This is agonizing. It’s already boring!”

Kaichen’s complaints occasionally slipped in with an intentionally loud, irritated sigh. At least he wasn’t screaming out loud like he had on the first day.

Princess Amalfi of Floria rested her chin in one hand and listlessly stirred her grain porridge, while the prophet princess of Astralia had pushed her turtle shell aside and lay face down, fast asleep.

“Good morning!”

Only the two of them belonged to a completely different world. Spotting Nephitia, Zafiri brightly raised both hands in welcome. Unfazed by the gloomy atmosphere around them, Nephitia and Zafiri chatted cozily, sharing occasional laughs.

Watching Zafiri’s affectionate gaze, Arkin forced his eyes back down to his plate. He repeated to himself the words he had told himself at least a hundred times since waking up. Stop looking at them and just mind your own business. Whoever Nephitia is close to is none of your concern.

“Today, you will tour this island where you will live for the next six months.”

The trainees formed small, loose groups and followed behind Seneca. The first place they arrived at was the ‘Silent Forest.’ Massive, ancient trees filled the fathomless forest, creating a magnificent spectacle.

It was a while after they had ventured deep into the forest, treading on soft moss. Passing a line of faded flags on flagpoles—which had been there for God knew how long—an exceptionally large and ancient tree filled their field of vision.

“Look closely. This very spot is where the World Alliance began. It is the historic site where King Chefkin the First of Solinar summoned representatives from each nation to hold the first peace conference.”

Arkin looked up at the time-worn ancient tree. Even a single branch was as thick as the trunk of a decent-sized tree.

The protagonist who mediated the intercontinental war that allegedly lasted over a hundred years, founded the World Alliance, and proposed holding a training tournament for royalty on Credo Island. He was Arkin’s great-grandfather, revered not only in Solinar but across the entire continent as a great sage.

Could I ever become a leader like that?

A great king who mediated peace and founded the World Alliance. Arkin had grown up hearing legendary tales of his great-grandfather since childhood. He had vaguely dreamed that if he were ever to lead Solinar one day, he wanted to be someone like that.