The melancholic air that seemed to hold a story, the shadow of years of experience, and even the scar remaining beside his eye. It felt like Cesare would look exactly like this when he grew older.
I had never thought about older men, but seeing Lampel up close rang alarm bells in my complacent thinking that I’d only ever liked young men.
As I was appreciating him as if entranced, his right pupil suddenly moved jaggedly in an eerie way and turned toward me.
‘One of his eyes is a prosthetic eye?’
I was startled but grinned broadly, worried he might be displeased if I showed it.
“What are you looking at?”
I felt like I would melt at Lampel’s cold voice overflowing with intimidation. Mitche, who had reappeared beside my hand, stomped his feet as if telling me to snap out of it, so I barely managed to answer.
“…Because Your Grace is so handsome.”
“……”
As soon as I left that honest answer, Lampel’s face crumpled severely. Cesare, who heard my words, also poked my thigh hard, giving me a hint.
“Can’t you read the situation?”
No! It doesn’t fit the situation, but I didn’t declare war saying “I will kill you” or anything—I just gave one compliment.
“Put your lips in.”
That Cesare bastard must have eyes that rotate 360 degrees. We’re all facing forward, yet how does he know I’m pouting my lips?
“Smooth out your furrowed brow too.”
So how do you even know my brow is furrowed!
As I was grumbling internally like that, people with the stiff principality accent looked at me and said.
“So this is the boy?”
“We want to know if it’s true that the Mad Crows saw this boy, got scared, and retreated.”
As expected, it seemed Jayden had told them everything he saw. With a big sigh, I quickly racked my brain for what excuse to make, but no good plan came to mind. That’s when Lampel answered.
“What will you do knowing that?”
‘Ueok.’
At his tone that seemed to cut off their insolence with a shortcut, not just me but everyone looked at Lampel with shocked faces. Only Cesare had a calm expression.
“I-if it’s true, as we said earlier, we’re planning to send him to where the Mad Crow flock has nested to verify the facts. If they get scared and run away, we can chase them without even fighting, right?”
‘What? They’re sending me to the Mad Crow nest?’
I was suddenly frightened by the sound that was more terrifying than Lampel’s rudeness. The black waves of the Mad Crow I met during the day came to mind and my breath caught. I was barely regulating my breath that was about to become rough when someone under the table firmly grabbed my hand. It was Cesare.
“……!”
When I looked at him with rabbit eyes, Cesare just silently looked only at the people and muttered quietly.
“I’ll never let you go, so don’t tremble like a puppy. It’s distracting.”
It might be something he said out of courtesy, but his hand that held on firmly was truly warm.
‘Cesare held my hand….’
Feeling a bit reassured, I tightly grasped back the hand that was holding mine and took a deep breath. Mitche let out a cute laugh seeing our clasped hands, but the situation at the table was flowing in a bad direction.
“Crown Prince Cedric, Your Highness. If we don’t eliminate the magical beasts quickly, rumors that the beasts are invading civilian areas will spread rapidly.”
“Duke Yanox. You also came secretly to solve this discreetly because you want to prevent unnecessary chaos, didn’t you? We also want to solve this quickly and covertly.”
Despite the pouring voices of criticism, Lampel maintained his high-handed attitude and said.
“The mission originally assigned to me by the Imperial Family is only to guard the Balkan Mountains. Do you think it’s right for you lords to nitpick at someone who is kindly helping even outside their jurisdiction? Shouldn’t you first doubt the principality’s national defense capability that failed to prevent this in advance? Aha! It was because of inadequate national defense that I was dispatched in the first place. I forgot. Look at my memory. My apologies.”
To think he could say ‘Mind your own business and do well yourselves, damn it’ so elegantly.
As someone called the mouth of hell, I wanted to take notes and learn that eloquence. As the principality’s people murmured with dissatisfaction, Cedric finally stepped forward.
“Calm down, Duke Yanox. The Duke’s words have merit, but now is not the time to determine someone’s fault. Annihilating the Mad Crow’s nest is a natural task, and shouldn’t we find a way to suffer only minimal damage?”
With Cedric’s words, the gazes of everyone in the tent all fixed on me. Cedric also looked at me and opened his mouth again.
“I heard the Grand Shrine recommended you join the priesthood. Mellans, I don’t know what power you have, but if it helps good people, I think it should be actively utilized.”
Not knowing what to say in response, I just bit my lips, and Cesare answered in my place.
“Without knowing what power it is? You just said you don’t know what kind of power it is, yet you’re planning to push everything onto Lionel?”
“If the magical beasts ran away because of the power Mellans has, it’s worth testing.”
Cedric struck back with a somewhat frightening face. But Cesare also stepped forward with an equally hardened face.
“That’s nonsense. Are you saying you’re sending Lionel alone to a horde of magical beasts just to verify that one possibility?”
“Not alone. If we put Mellans at the front and when the magical beasts are confused seeing Mellans, the Duke and the principality’s army waiting behind come forward and annihilate them, it’s over.”
“No. I can’t send him alone based on just that kind of possibility.”
“Yanox, your opinion doesn’t matter. The person in question matters. Mellans. What about you?”
My head spun at Cedric suddenly asking me. I was scared of even three, and now they want me to go at the front?
But it was a clear fact that the magical beasts feared Mitche. If I had an effective way to chase away magical beasts, it was logically right that I should help people.
However, my mouth wouldn’t open easily. Recalling the Mad Crow again with its hideous teeth, sharp claws, and house-sized wings, my legs were about to lose strength again. Moreover, I definitely couldn’t bring up Mitche’s story.
“I, I….”
“Yes, Mellans. Speak.”
It was Cedric’s usual soft and gentle voice. But far from relaxing, I felt even more anxious. I barely grasped my trembling breath and tried hard to organize my state.
“If there’s a way I can help, I naturally should, but I’m not sure why the magical beasts ran away when they saw me. No, I’m not even certain they ran away because they saw me….”
“But if by any chance it’s proven that you have divine power that chases magical beasts, you can efficiently help the people. Right?”
“U-uh… mm. I sup…pose?”
I wavered at Cedric’s coaxing words and showed an ambiguous smile. The moment Cedric’s round eyes were about to sharply change like a hawk spotting prey toward me like that.
“Lionel!”
—Bang!
Cesare stood up, slamming his fist on the table. Everyone including me and Cedric froze and stared only at us. Cesare glared at those people and said viciously.
“Those who try to put Lionel in danger, I won’t forgive!”
At the murderous intent emanating from Cesare, the surrounding people didn’t dare open their mouths and only rolled their eyes.
“Is something wrong with all your heads! Does it make sense to send one child to a Mad Crow flock? The words coming out of your open mouths! Ha!”
Cesare shouted as if losing his reason, which was rare to see. In the chilled atmosphere, I quickly grabbed his arm and tried to calm him down.
“Cesare. I, I’m okay. You don’t have to get so angry….”
“You’re not okay! If you shut your mouth and stay still, do you want to be dragged to the magical beast horde as those bastards tell you? Stop acting kind, you idiot! Don’t you know how ferocious magical beasts are? My heart almost sank just a while ago! How many times do I have to be shocked because of you? You don’t even listen to me, yet why do you go ‘yes, yes’ to what those bastards say…!”
“Ugh. It hurts!”
The force with which he gripped my wrist while fuming was too strong. Just a moment ago it was so warm and reliable, but now my wrist hurt as if it would crumble.
When I stepped back slightly while in pain, Cesare immediately stopped shouting. But the hand gripping my wrist firmly remained as is, and he was still breathing roughly. Mitche was also so shocked that he clung to my collar, sniffling.
“It hurts. Cesare….”
When I muttered weakly again, Cesare’s face distorted strangely. It was a strange face as if resenting me. It’s unfair that he’s making that face first. Isn’t it me who should be making that face here, being suddenly branded an idiot?
Then Lampel stood up and mediated.
“Handling the magical beasts is originally my jurisdiction, so I’ll take care of everything myself. Also, our goal isn’t to chase them away but the annihilation of the magical beasts, so leave that boy alone.”
“But it was the Duke who let those magical beasts escape from the Balkan Mountains.”
It was Cedric’s rare sneering tone. Lampel walked forward to the table without caring.
“I’ve reported to the Imperial Family and the shrine several times that the divine barrier has been weakening recently and there are creatures crossing the barrier, yet if Crown Prince Your Highness speaks as if hearing this for the first time, what am I supposed to do?”
While people were dumbfounded with surprise at Lampel’s attitude of saying everything even to the Crown Prince, Lampel, who had stepped forward briskly, gave concise instructions in front of the temporarily set up map.
“The Mad Crows are estimated at a maximum of 15. The principality’s army will be stationed here and here as bases. It’s unlikely, but block the escape routes of any fleeing creatures as much as possible. I’ll target them from the rear on this side. Since I plan to annihilate them in one stroke, I need bait to gather them in one place. Cesare, you handle that.”
Wait. Cesare is going? As bait to draw the attention of 15 magical beasts?
“……!”
I could feel Cesare flinch from here too. Reading his hesitation, Lampel immediately pressed him.
“If you can’t do it, say you can’t do it right now. Don’t be a hindrance.”
