DMHS 19

“Telling those preparing for war to stop is useless. They are already intoxicated with themselves. So there is only one way to stop them. Break their intoxication. In other words, take away their ‘justification.’”

“By justification, you mean…”

“What drove them into such fierce confrontation?”

“The Blood Harvest. The conflict worsened over the matter of compensation for the slain of Chronos.”

“Then that is where we begin. Clarify the rights and wrongs of that incident. Identify exactly who killed Ivan Harkin, the Fourth Tower Master, and make them pay. Only then will there be no more wronged parties.”

What Kian said was sound reasoning. It was not as though the king had never considered it.

“But it is not so simple. Even if we could find the culprit, if it were revealed to be the South Party, do you think they would admit it and step down quietly? If it were the North Party, do you think those ready to wage war would accept their guilt? I do not.”

“That is exactly what the culprit aimed for.”

“Aimed for?”

“I do not believe it was the North or South Party. I believe a third force killed Ivan Harkin.”

The king slapped the sofa’s armrest and stood up on his feet.

“That is something I never thought of! You mean there is a power in this holy kingdom unknown to us?”

“Perhaps ‘power’ is too much. It may have been the act of a single person. Evil does not always require grand justification.”

“You mean Ivan Harkin’s death might have been simple murder out of personal grudge? That sounds strange. His death was tied to too many interests. To not see it politically would be stranger.”

“I only offer one possibility. But history has often turned on the smallest of incidents. Perhaps history is shaped more by chance than inevitability.”

The king dropped back into his seat, drained.

“…Thank you for giving me a new perspective.”

“I am glad if I was of even small help to Your Majesty.”

With that, Kian left the room. Left alone, the king sank deep into the sofa. The conversation had not lasted long, yet he felt exhausted.

‘Kian Semes… what a strange man.’

It felt as though he had been bewitched by a demon. When was the last time he had grown angry, laughed, and grown serious all within such a short span?

‘Never.’

He relaxed his body and leaned his head back. Above him was the ornate ceiling painting found throughout the palace. This room bore a mural of Hero Yan using the demon Barbatos.

Barbatos was a silver-tongued speaker of many languages. After befriending him, Yan spread rumors about demons through him.

The rumors provoked quarrels among the demons, and as a result, hundreds of them fought until weary and returned to the Demon Realm.

People took this to mean that Yan, strongest of swordsmen, was also a master of psychological warfare, and they gave him that title.

But the royal family passed down another story. Afterwards, one demon criticized Yan, that he had used tricks instead of force to send demons back.

Yan’s reply was,

–What of it? I only spoke the truth.

It seemed Yan had used Barbatos without even realizing it as psychological warfare. Only then did the king understand the strange feeling he had gotten from the conversation.

‘When one thinks too much, one may miss what is simple.’

Kian’s words had been nothing but common sense. Correct what is wrongly known. Punish the guilty. Clear up misunderstandings. A matter that had seemed impossible to untangle now showed a faint thread of a beginning.

The king rose from the sofa.

As he returned to his office, a small but clear expression of conviction appeared on his face.

***

‘I’m ruined.’

After the audience, Kian shut himself in his room. He did not even hear Ibrahim’s flood of worried words as he returned with a pale face.

‘I thought today would be the last, and I’d be free…’

He had no idea where he had gone wrong.

‘Was it a mistake to bring up war at the start?’

But he had no choice if he wanted to catch the king’s attention.

That was always the way with rulers. They claimed to serve the people, to devote themselves, but what they really did first was calculate their own profit.

For the king to send troops north at that time held more loss than gain. So Kian had spoken strongly rather than waste time with empty words.

But it was too late now. The matter was decided. Until the king’s permission was given, Kian could not leave the palace.

‘It’s not like I’ll be chosen as a mate anyway. I’ll just stay quiet until the tournament ends.’

There was one good point.

Now that he was an official guest of the king, his permit level had been raised. He could now enter the library and gardens, which had been forbidden to him as a candidate.

Kian went to the library and first looked into William II. Next he read records of the first Hero and the four Heroes who followed.

‘This is more interesting than I thought.’

He read it as though it were someone else’s tale. The story of Hero Yan’s final battle with Bael in particular moved him greatly.

Kian picked out every section where Yan appeared and ended up finishing the founding chronicle.

He was so absorbed that he did not notice the palace was noisier than usual. Nor did he notice the attendants constantly speaking of “weddings” and “mates.”

He was too busy turning into a devout follower of Hero Yan.

‘Yan truly is the strongest swordsman alive. If there are ten thousand people who love Yan, I am one of them. If there are a thousand people who love Yan, I am still one of them. If there are ten who love Yan, I am still one of them…’

Peaceful days passed, and the day of the final test of the tournament arrived.

Kian was told to wait in his room. From early morning, Ibrahim dressed him and spoke his thoughts.

“It seems the final test is the same as last time.”

“An interview?”

“Something like that. Lord Lucien will personally visit each candidate’s room.”

Ibrahim was far more nervous than Kian. His hand shook as he brushed Kian’s bangs aside.

“You said the result doesn’t matter, but I still want you to become the mate. Then I could stay by your side longer.”

“……”

“Oh, it’s not only for that reason! Of all the candidates I’ve seen, you are the bravest and the wisest. For the kingdom’s sake, I think someone like you should be the mate.”

“Ibrahim.”

“I know, I spoke out of turn. I only said it because this might be the last day I spend with you. I couldn’t help myself. Just… think of it as me being reluctant to part.”

Ibrahim wrinkled his nose with a smile. Kian felt moved.

‘Ibrahim has helped me a lot.’

When everyone laughed at him, Ibrahim stood on his side. When Kian was ignored, Ibrahim became angry as if it were done to him. When Kian was happy, Ibrahim rejoiced as if it were his own fortune.

Ibrahim pinned a green brooch to Kian’s chest.

“I chose it especially today, the same color as Lord Lucien’s eyes. It’s filled with luck. Things will go well.”

After bowing politely, Ibrahim left the room. Alone, Kian sat on the chair before the table.

‘So a dragon is supposed to come here.’

He thought about what to talk about. He could not bring up family or upbringing like in arranged meetings between nobles. It would be ridiculous to speak of brothers or sisters.

He realized he had never been in such a position in his life. Love and marriage were words far from his world.

‘I’ll probably just sit awkwardly until the time is up.’

Kian even pitied the dragon who would have to endure that time with him.

‘Poor dragon…’

Knock, knock.

Before Kian could answer, the door opened. He felt a presence beyond. He rose halfway from the chair, waiting for the other to come in. But only a cold breeze blew through the open gap.

Kian spoke carefully.

“Lord Lucien?”

“……”

“You may come in.”

“……”

Still no reply.

Kian walked to the door. When he pulled it wide, he saw the source of the presence.

It was a young goat.

Kian saw the Freesia crest hanging from its neck.

“What a cute fellow. It’s been a while.”

The goat standing in the hall was the same one he had met in the grove of cypress trees.

Its white fur shined and its bright green eyes sparkled with life.

“How did you end up here?”

Baa.

“Did you get lost again?”

Baa.