Chapter 72

Settlement comes after hard work (4)

"Nothing can escape his eyes. Melchior knows roughly what I've done."

Kleio nodded bitterly. Was it possible that the crown prince appeared as an encouragement to Viscount Kision?

"Were it Aslan, I would be hanging by the neck by now, but the crown prince is pretending not to know. I don't know why he's doing it."

As always, when he talked of Melchior, Arthur let out a long sigh. However, Kleio had an idea.

'Melchior wants to hinder the progress of the manuscript. Arthur making a private army is something that wasn't in the last manuscript, so why not look at it? Hopefully, he thinks he can use it as he wishes... It's best if both of his siblings fight it out.'

"That's why I wanted to make sure you didn't know. Melchior has ways of learning things."

"Hey, I think you forget your brother's skill doesn't work on me. It didn't matter if you told me or not."

"He has about a hundred ways to achieve his will without his skill!"

"Man, you were the one who came to me. When you start, you have to see it through the end. Did you think you could only dip your feet in?"

"No, at least I was thinking of letting you know after graduation. I have no countermeasures prepared if something happens. I didn't want you to be involved in that situation where we end up under the north gate."

Kleio's eyebrows wrinkled as he frowned. How often did he consider that to talk about the torture chamber so naturally?

'Why are there so many perilous factors in this manuscript? Each step puts a thousand paths before me.'

"Then, you or the others? When it comes to a suppressor, wizards and knights are the same."

"You don't have physical stamina. I'm afraid that the torture room would kill you in a matter of minutes."

"Why are you afraid of my death?"

Speaking of which, the protagonist seemed more afraid of that than the death sentence.

'It's the same for me. If this guy dies, the world is ruined.'

Perhaps the author was sick to put them in such a dangerous situation.

"...Because you are the wizard of prophecy."

"No, if you have the wizard of prophecy, you should sue them and think about not getting caught, huh?"

Of course, he hated suffering. However, it was also unpleasant if the protagonist made the wrong choice due to his weakened will. Was he in such a secure position that he could worry over the wizard's comfort?

"But if you get injured by something like this, I have a feeling that something will be ruined. What should I do?"

"Aren't you the one with knowledge of your predictions? What would happen if I get hurt? You really betting everything on me?"

"That's right. Ah-oh! Listen, Lei. When you first learned who I was in the hallway outside the dean's office, you were using your skill, right?"

Arthur's sudden words brought Kleio to a halt.

"Why are you talking about that all of a sudden?"

"When I thought about it later, I wondered if I tried to avoid it because I knew it would be dangerous if you were stuck with me..."

He had accurately guessed the heart of the matter. Kleio carefully concealed his thoughts behind a cold response.

"So."

Arthur grumbled with his head in his hands.

"Aah. So it was wrong to implicate you completely. I can't just make a person asking for a title to bet their lives on me."

"A few months ago, you threatened to kill me. Now, you said you wanted to protect me by holding back. Which beat do you want to march to?"

"...At that time, it was right after Melchior swept away Viscount Kision. I'm sorry."

Arthur bowed his head apologetically, sorrow plain on his face. This kid must've suffered immensely. He couldn't let a fearful monster like a future level 8 wizard join his brother, fearing death more than anyone else.

'It's good he can admit his wrongs. It's a quality most leaders lack.'

But an apology was an apology, and the truth was the truth. With eyes narrowed, Kleio opened the function of Promise he had only used once before. It was the 'Appropriate Judgement' function that consumed 95% of the ether in his body, which he had used to determine the correct magic formula. Now wasn't the time to hesitate; in the early twilight of evening, Promise shone brightly.

[「Appropriate Judgment」

You can judge whether an issue is true or false and whether an element is appropriate.

*Caution: When using this function, 95% of the ether in the body is temporarily consumed.]

[―Would you like to use 「Appropriate Judgment」?]

Kleio turned to Arthur again.

"Tell me in more detail about the feeling that came over you."

Arthur nodded.

"You mean, the foreboding I had that there was a person who could be used somewhere better. I'm convinced that it is unjust for you to be persecuted, and if that happens, the order will be distorted. That's it. I wasn't trying to hide it."

[―According to Appropriate Judgment, the answer is true.]

Ether began to vanish from him, pain throbbing in his temple. In order to hide his pain, Kleio clenched his teeth.

'Hearing that, it seems like a good heart that thinks of my comfort, but in reality, I don't know what exactly the author has prepared me for.'

Arthur had noticed the author had given Kleio the right to rectify the work in the form of his' premonition.' He didn't know the specific situation, but his guess was close enough to the mark.

'Normally, I shouldn't be caught until the end.'

Kleio pretended to look out at the terrace, turning his back to the gas lamp as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"...Even on such a topic, you thought of people being dragged into the dungeon."

"I wouldn't have done it if it weren't for Aslan. I'm really sorry I placed you and the others in danger."

"Yes, is that your fault? It sounds like the blame lays with the second prince."

"As for the second verse of the prophecy, I still don't know what it is. Who will fight whom to turn the capital into a sea of fire?"

"The fight will turn the capital into a sea of fire? Did you see it in a vision?"

Without knowing it, Kleio's voice had risen.

'What? You know almost all of the major accidents. This guy, really.'

"Yes. It's a fleeting but vivid vision that I can even feel the heat from."

"I'm going to end up fighting my brother."

Arthur put his head to his knees, covering the back of his head with his hands.

"Whoo, like that. My father... I don't know why he had three children that can't stop trying to stab each other."

Kleio's thoughts were a little different on that subject.

Rather, because he killed his own brother, he might see his children as opponents. Madness is an inheritance for royals as well.'

"But Lei, didn't you keep something from me too?"

He had kept a few things to Arthur, so he wasn't sure what he meant.

"What?"

"You, in the remembered space, you were able to recognize the beasts' weaknesses as clearly as I did. It seems like you not only have the ability to predict but also observe. Am I wrong?"

It seemed he had noticed Perception too, but that was one of the smaller things in the laundry list of secrets. Kleio let a shallow sigh of relief, glad the room was dark.

"Yes. I was originally born with the ability to detect the ether."

According to the manuscript, while it was rare, some people were born with the innate [Ether Detection] ordinary skill.

'Originally, it was said that only swordsmen of level 3 or higher could feel the flow of energy and measure the skills of other swordsmen they encountered.'

Understanding of Promise only displayed messages when the opponent began using their ether. It seemed that ordinary etheric detectors could be aware of their level even outside of that. His, however, wasn't a universal skill that could detect whether the other could use ether if they weren't actively using it.

"Wow, that's awesome. Observation is half the fight. If you could learn how to use a sword, the first wizard swordsman in history..."

"Are you kidding me? I can barely lift one."

"It's just an idea."

"You have strong swordsmen among your colleagues; let my hand remain empty."

"Hey! Lei!"

"What?"

"Didn't you say you were my colleague?!"

[—Users' narrative involvement has increased dramatically.]

Kleio flinched at Promise's response.

'I'm starting to grow concerned about my own person....'

"Then I'm on your side, what about it? Hm, how long has passed since I showed you my father's letter?"

Arthur smiled bright enough to light up the darkroom. It almost hurt to look at such a hopeful expression.

"I heard it from you, who isn't usually motivated, so I really felt it. It's a completely different matter for me to think of you that way and for you to think of yourself that way!"

"I still have no motivation."

"...Do you have any regrets? All of this will be a burden to you..."

"Aren't you too far already to say that? Don't forget our agreement."

"Oh, really! If I have authority someday, that'll be my first priority!"

"I'm looking forward to it."

***

After that, until the day of his appointment with Dione, he laid down with Behemoth, having all forgotten about the alcohol he brought. Behemoth, too lazy to inspect his territory due to the cold, melted in the bed with him. Kleio barely moved except to eat, but he worked quite hard on using his ether as he remained motionless.

'It's to be able to use ether even while I lay down.'

In honesty, he had never been a diligent human. In his original world, Kleio happily spent two days without leaving his futon on weekends when he had no extra work.

'I did work hard to stay off the streets, though.'

But even if the world collapsed tomorrow, he now had real estate. No matter how lazy he grew, he would never starve. Once he was tired of cycling his ether or eating, he read the regulations and laws of the Defense Force.

As such, time flew by, and soon, Saturday afternoon had arrived. Zebedee personally arrived at his dorm to check on him and cleared him to leave with a sorrowful expression. Then, Sunday at noon, he met with Dione in the Orails district. She was wearing a tight hat for some reason, and he noticed her eyes seemed swollen under the wide-brim.

"What happened, Lady Dione?"

Dione, her parasol tilted down, replied with a hoarse voice.

"Ugh. Could you not say it? I cried all night, and my head is still ringing."

"Was there an accident in the house...?"

"My uncle wouldn't die even if someone tried to murder him. No, the extra edition of -The Lord of the Highlands- was released yesterday. I was so sad after finishing the novel... Oh my."

"I've never heard of it, but it sounds quite touching..."

Kleio's thoughts wandered as he avoided looking at Dione.

'To think this competent wizard and asset manager had such deep virtues inside her...'

Well, thinking about it, she had been rather excited to visit the bookstore with Kleio during summer vacation. No doubt, the 19th century had its own share of super fans who had trouble distinguishing reality.

'The publishing industry would be at a peak now, so it's becoming pretty lucrative. The number of readers is increasing; novels are being sold worldwide...'

Dione continued to tremble in front of Kleio.

"No, do you not know -The Lord of the Highlands-? Look, it's a popular enough piece that even bookstores in the Orails district have it on display in the window."

The place Dione pointed to a bookstore on the corner, which indeed had a yellow hardcover that read -The Lord of the Highlands: A Short Summer Day of Memories-.

"It's a series that has become the hottest topic in Albion of late. Have you ever heard of it? The opera is also opening next week. Ugh! Don't just look into magic; read some books!"

"Yes..."

It felt weird to hear, after being told he had read too many useless books in his life. An awkward laugh came out of him as he considered it.

"By the way, that bookstore looks new. The signboard and glass are completely new."

"Clean shops are a good indicator that Orails has completely changed. Oh, I'll buy a copy for you while we're here."

Driven by Dione's momentum, they went around to the new bookstore. The owner was a kind and neat young man. It was a massive change from the previous neighborhood, which had only one run-down bar and café. Outside the bookstore's window, he could see the hotel construction site. Originally, it would take at least a couple of years to clean the ground and lay out the infrastructure for such a building, but there was magic in this world. Since the royal family was working hard on the Lundane cooperation product, he heard that the government and military wizards had been mobilized. Looking out at the fountain in the center, an idea came to mind.

'If the war ends, it would be nice to place a shopping mall there. When the station opens, the population here will increase. No, would it be better to create an arcade?"

Katarina was the best in the hospitality industry, so profits could be practically ensured.

'When I can afford it after Arthur becomes king, I can focus on that.'