PRU | Chapter 1.5

Jaehwan lowered his head. Viscount Banteil had told Jaehwan to be angry, but in the past few months he had spent here, Jaehwan had had to swallow anger, sorrow, and despair inside, and he had long since grown used to that way.

“And His Majesty… unlike Apene, is a little young. Of course Apene is young too, but His Majesty is even more so. Because he was baptized from a young age, he is mentally behind. Of course, thanks to his intelligence, he is doing well.”

The moment Jaehwan heard that, he let out an animal-like groan. Young? With that fearsome body? The meaning of those words was not what Viscount Banteil intended, but it was clear. Because he was young, either coddle and soothe him, or else accept him. Jaehwan trembled. Don’t make me laugh.

“Is there anything else I don’t know?”

“I don’t know either, Apene. Because I do not know what they told Apene.”

Viscount Banteil stroked his mustache, showed signs of hesitation, then began whispering to Jaehwan in a low voice.

“Do not trust those foolish people, Apene. If you have any questions, please tell me. I am a royalist, but I know the fear of Shin Kala. However.”

They are unbelievers. Frighteningly so. Jaehwan’s wariness toward the viscount, who was being friendly to him, had greatly diminished. Naturally, Jaehwan nodded.

“Very well.”

Viscount Banteil asked Jaehwan for permission and stood up.

“Then we will greet as you learned today and end the lesson.”

“Okay.”

The viscount and Jaehwan bowed elegantly. Viscount Banteil was inwardly pleased with Jaehwan’s greeting, reminded him that he would visit three times a week, then left the room.

After the viscount left, Jaehwan fell into thought. The viscount would be one of the “devout old nobles” Alestia had mentioned. But why was the viscount showing him favor? Jaehwan thought for a while, then soon shook his head. He was too tired to consider many things.

Anger was tiring, despair was tiring, and thinking was tiring. The viscount had urged him to be angry, but what was there for him to do by getting angry? Throw a duck-feather pillow at the king when he came to find him, risking his life?

Foolish resistance. In spite of the lessons he had just learned, Jaehwan leaned against the table and lay down. The sweet smell of the snacks brought in for tea brushed the tip of his nose. Ah, anger gnawed at his chest. He should be thinking of something else, but the king’s voice kept circling around his fingers. Keep your mouth shut.

When had he ever not kept his mouth shut? Jaehwan’s life had always been as a well-behaved student, a racehorse, a dog. It was only fitting to be called by such names. That was still true now, and it would be in the future too. Even without the king’s useless added words.

Ah, anger circled around his chest. Jaehwan closed his eyes. The urge to smash something shook Jaehwan, but such things had never once been allowed to him. As expected, the names fitting Jaehwan’s life were a tamed beast, a dog that had never once bitten its master’s foot, a cow in a slaughterhouse. Jaehwan had been allowed to be destroyed instead of destroying.

“Apene, you must not sleep in a place like that.”

Alestia called to Jaehwan in a flustered voice. Jaehwan raised his head with a dazed expression. And, to Jaehwan’s surprise as well, Alestia was not alone. He was with a young red-haired man with a striking face.

“Ah.”

“Forgive the rudeness. I apologize, Apene.”

“Ah, ah, okay.”

Jaehwan stammered. It was not a feast of scarlet and red and yellow, decked out like the sun like the king’s hair, but it was certainly red hair. Could he perhaps be of the king’s bloodline? The moment that thought occurred, the assumption alone was threat enough to Jaehwan. The man looked straight at Jaehwan with his distinctive green eyes and smiled. For some reason, Jaehwan felt tense at the sight.

Ominous fate came to Jaehwan without warning, but not everything was like that. In a world full only of things to fear and things to worry about, the one who laughed was only the author.

Even the viscount who was being friendly to him did not smile. The maids smiled, but that was confined to conversations among themselves, and when they faced him, their expressions were always mechanical. Alestia was one thing, and, disgusting as it was to even say here, the king named as his husband, Mehion Danhi Aperiti Karitupe, naturally did not smile. Always negative emotions.

“It’s truly an honor to meet you, Apene. I am Alpeon Epetuan, the Red Lion’s maternal cousin, who came to find your divine talent.”

“Likewise.”

He smiled once more. This time Jaehwan smiled a little. It was the first smile he had shown to the people here. Seeing that, Alestia tightly pressed his lips together. Ominous fate was easier to see for the one watching from the side.

Jaehwan looked at Alpeon’s green eyes, unaware of Alestia’s reaction. Alpeon smiled again. Alestia looked on again indifferently. Apene’s fate was not Alestia’s concern.

“Apene. As you heard, this gentleman is Alpeon Epetuan, His Majesty’s maternal cousin. He is the son of Isia Danhi Aperiti Karitupe, the princess and younger sister of the former Red Lion.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, I would appreciate it if you simply called me Lord Alpeon.”

“Lord Alpeon is a mage swordsman, Apene. He is the greatest talent in the Red Lion territory. Be grateful for His Majesty’s grace in appointing such a person as Apene’s teacher.”

“…Please tell him I am very grateful.”

“Alestia. I will convey the rest myself, so you should go out.”

Alpeon said firmly. At the words, Alestia briefly pressed his lips shut again, then said, “Understood,” asked Jaehwan for permission, and left in quick steps. Jaehwan could feel Alestia’s discomfort from that.

“By the way, what is a mage swordsman?”

“A mage swordsman is a combat force that uses magic and a sword together, Apene. Alestia said Apene had absolutely no talent for swords, but it would still be good to receive basic training.”

“But I cannot leave this room.”

“Oh dear.”

Alpeon frowned slightly.

“In that case, I will speak to His Majesty about that issue. In any case, as long as you are alive, some exercise would help your health. By the way, come to think of it, would you permit me to take the chair on the opposite side?”

His green eyes smiled.

“Ah, that was my mistake. I permit it.”

Jaehwan, startled upon noticing that Alpeon was still standing, said hurriedly.

“No. It is only my fault for daring to ask first.”

Jaehwan remained awkward. He was a red-haired man and the king’s cousin, but the man was kind. Today, of all days, he kept meeting only people who were good to him for one reason or another. That red-haired man even had a few freckles on the bridge of his nose. A face with mischief in it.

“Then, Apene, if I may be so bold, your hand.”

Jaehwan hesitated over whether he should give his hand. He still found a man of the same sex disgusting. Seeing Jaehwan hesitate, Alpeon simply waited. He did not act impatiently, nor did he urge Jaehwan, and just waited in silence. At that sight, Jaehwan fumbled

When he was in elementary school, there had been a notorious teacher. Once, he had accidentally not brought his homework to school, and at that time, the teacher had slapped his own cheek. Not only that, but there had also been frequent times when excessive corporal punishment left bruises on his thighs.

But the fact that, later, he had given him candy while saying sorry, that one single thing made Jaehwan forget all of those misdeeds. And later, when he overheard the classmates who had gone on to middle school with him cursing that teacher, he realized. Ah, I was a fucking idiot.

That still should not have been a reason to be happy just because a man he had met for the first time today had smiled at him for a moment.

Jaehwan forced himself to smile. Even if the ominous fate came looking for him without forgiving him.

By now, he had set aside the books about mages and was reading books such as ‘History of the Temple’ and ‘The Contracts of Sorcerers and Their Spells’. In truth, he was not reading the books all the way through. As the fourth day promised by Alpeon drew near, Jaehwan felt his heart pounding. A little anxiety and a little excitement.

Jaehwan tried to soothe himself as he acted like an unbridled colt, but as always, there was nothing Jaehwan could do. Instinct prodded him on. He read, but not a single character entered his eyes. Sometimes he walked back and forth around the room, and sometimes he looked at the god’s divinity, the blue tower visible outside, but Jaehwan’s heart did not calm down.

And when the fourth day came, Jaehwan’s emotional instability reached its peak. When the day he had been waiting for arrived, Jaehwan instead could do nothing. And what calmed him was Alestia’s one line.

“Apene.”

“Why?”

“I have no idea why, and it has nothing to do with me.”

“…….”

“Whatever it is, it is impossible with Apene’s power. Just wait.”

Jaehwan agreed. All day long, Jaehwan tried to read as usual. And Alpeon did not come.

Unlike the promise, Alpeon only came after more than a month had passed beyond the promised date. Jaehwan had given up on Alpeon. Jaehwan had returned to his powerless daily life, and the only thing that had changed from before was that the Viscount Banteil, the etiquette teacher, kept coming faithfully and piling miscellaneous gossip on Jaehwan. While spending such a boring daily life, Alpeon suddenly came. And beside him there was neither a priest nor a sorcerer.

“Apene, I am embarrassed that I was unable to visit on the promised date in such a rude manner.”

Alpeon bowed deeply at the waist and asked for forgiveness. Alpeon had several unfamiliar injuries on him now. Jaehwan had nothing to say in reply except a small, “I forgive you.” What was he going to do if he did not forgive him? To the king’s cousin? He had only blindly believed and waited for a vain promise. Besides, this excitement was not his fault. It was only Jaehwan’s foolishness.

“There are wounds.”

“That is… I had to unexpectedly leave the capital for a short while after receiving His Majesty’s special order. That is also why I was late. Please forgive this incompetent me.”

“It can’t be helped. It would be better if you stood up.”

“Thank you, Apene.”

Alpeon straightened his back and grinned. The somewhat serious atmosphere seemed to loosen. At that smile, Jaehwan could not help feeling all his anger drain away. He tried hard to think that it was because of his excuse.

If it was the king’s special order, what was he supposed to do? Jaehwan’s thoughts kept moving in a positive direction without end. He surely would have wanted to contact him too. But if he contacted him, the king’s special order might leak out and… . Thinking without knowing anything.

“So the search for sorcerers and priests was delayed. If you don’t mind, I will come again in two days.”