Chapter 187 : Chapter 187

Chapter 187: Staying Behind (1)

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍three otters that climbed up my hand raised their heads and looked around.

“This ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍is the one you have to move. I think three of you should be enough.”

When ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍I pointed at the guide, the bastards climbed onto the man’s body and looked around this way and that, as if they had understood me.

“You ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍just need to take him over there to the opposite side and leave him there. As long as he’s breathing, nothing else matters.”

When ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍I patted their heads and gave the instruction, the three otters let out thin kweeek— sounds and grabbed the guide’s head and arms.

I ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍dragged the guide like that and floated him on the river.

The three otters holding onto the body, which lightly bobbed up, slowly began crossing the river.

After confirming that one human and three animals had moved a suitable distance away, I turned around.

And waiting for me were Jing and Ria, who had watched the whole process with their mouths open.

I could understand Jing, but I could not understand why Ria was surprised.

You saw me turn into an orc with your own two eyes.

“This is my ability. Communication is difficult, but I can make simple requests of animals, and though I can’t show you right now, I can also turn into animals. Ah, it seems I can turn into monsters too, but I think I’ll need to look into that a little more.”

While I explained everything I knew about my ability, Jing came back to his senses.

“This is the first time I have heard of such an ability. What on earth is this......?”

“Well, they say there were people with this kind of ability in the very distant past. It seems to have disappeared as time passed.”

Jing nodded blankly, though his face still showed confusion.

It was obvious he had assumed there were stories known only to the Imperial Family that he did not know, but I did not bother correcting him.

Jing, who had been quiet as if lost in thought, suddenly looked at me again as if something had occurred to him.

“Why are you suddenly explaining your ability after hiding it so well until now?”

“Well, there’s nowhere left for me to run, and from now on, I have to travel with you. I judged that there was no longer any meaning in deceiving you.”

After finishing my words, I met the eyes of the black-haired protagonist who had been silently glaring at me for a while, and continued speaking.

“I also decided to become a little more honest from now on.”

***

Now that even the guide had been sent to land, there was no longer any reason for us to remain here.

There was nothing that could be called luggage, so there was nothing separately to prepare before departing either.

The one fortunate thing was that, thanks to the idiot deciding to take care of the two knights, he had completely forgotten to insist on the bizarre nonsense of telling me to stay here.

“Kkwek. Come again. Kkwek. Come to play then.”

Though he did make another somewhat unrealistic suggestion this time too.

“Yes. I’ll look forward to seeing what the leader plays with us then.”

At my answer, the leader let out another sigh.

“You should try getting along well with the idiot until I come again too.”

Perhaps realizing that this was no different from saying I hoped he suffered quite a bit, the leader narrowed his eyes into triangles.

“Kkwek. I’ve watched that bastard’s stupid antics for six winters. Kkwek. Surely that idiot act won’t last longer than that.”

It absolutely had to be that way.

The leader muttered with a faint smile mixed with anxiety and expectation.

I did not know how much lifespan remained for him, but this time, at least, the bastard would spend his time without regrets.

As long as he did not forget how difficult it was to fill a finite amount of time with happy memories.

“Kkwek. Everyone, come again!”

Leaving behind the idiot, who asked us to visit again until the very end as we were about to cross the river, I turned around.

“When we come back, the lifespan of the leader we went through the trouble of saving might have been shortened.”

Ratel, who had been standing by the riverbank first, muttered.

“He’s experienced, if nothing else. He educated him to that level for six years, so it should be a little easier from now on.”

As I moved while thinking pointless thoughts, I suddenly realized something that bothered me and looked back at the leader orc.

Then I turned my body, which had been half submerged in the water, and quickly climbed back onto land.

“Kkwek. What is it?”

The flustered bastard asked when I, who had acted as if I would leave at any moment, suddenly closed the distance again.

“You said six years just now, right?”

“Kkwek. What are you suddenly talking about?”

“The year that orc was born. You said the seasons changed six times, so that means six years ago.”

Moreover, he had also said six winters had passed.

That meant the half-wit was born in winter six years ago.

Coincidentally, this time too, it was six years ago in winter.

To call it a coincidence, it was a year far too meaningful to this world, or perhaps to the protagonist of this world.

***

Every time Cellos came and went from the 7th Prince’s castle, he felt the limits of his patience stretch little by little.

“How is it that nothing works properly here? The adjutant ran away first, the remaining ones don’t even know what’s in the castle, and there aren’t even the minimum essentials a person needs to live!”

As Cellos listed them one by one, his anger only rose further, and he swept a fierce gaze across the dark room.

The place where Anna, several ladies-in-waiting, and servants had gathered was Ran Abalan’s study.

There were more books left in the study than expected, so Cellos had summoned the servants.

To borrow Anna’s words, they were the people who knew their lives were precious, or in other words, the ones with the heaviest mouths.

Seeing how every single one of them had a terrified face and asked nothing, it did not seem wrong, but......

The moment their eyes met Cellos’s, their faces went pale.

There was even the 7th Prince bastard’s court physician mixed among them.

Watching the scrawny doctor, who looked as if it would not be strange for him to die at any moment, turn book pages with trembling hands made a sigh leave Cellos on its own.

Compared to the doll-like servants in his own castle who performed their assigned tasks without needing to be told every time, every single one of them looked unbearably incompetent.

Vowing that he would never set foot in a place like this again once his business was finished, Cellos picked up a small book rolling on the floor.

[Eastern Countries and Funeral Rites]

It was an ominous title for some reason, but there was a word that caught Cellos’s attention.

Eastern.

The place he had once heard from the 7th Prince bastard’s mouth, and the birthplace of his mother, which everyone knew of but no one bothered to take interest in.

As if bewitched, Cellos opened the book to its middle.

Cellos read down the first line of the page that opened naturally, perhaps because it was the most frequently opened place.

[Their method of mourning death is simple, but the inferior history and culture unique to them, hidden within that brevity, makes the entire process special. When their king dies, they......]

What stopped Cellos, who had been slowly reading down the text, was the candlelight in the room suddenly going out.

At the same time the flames died down, Cellos’s patience for the day also hit bottom.

“Are you playing with me right now? I can’t read the book because it’s dark! You should have replaced the candles before the flames went out! Do I have to explain things like this one by one?”

Cellos scolded the lazy servants, who did not even think to light the room.

But even in his anger, no one moved.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and move.”

“Ah, that is...... 8th Prince, the truth is...... there are no candles left now.”

For a reason he could never have imagined even in his dreams, Cellos widened his eyes.

What did I just hear?

“You damned...... Now you’re telling me that, of all things, you don’t even have candles?”

When he asked back, wondering if he had perhaps misheard, Anna stepped forward with a troubled face.

“Th-that is...... After Lord Sein left, we no longer knew where to request daily necessities...... The doctor did bring in items at his own expense, but now even those have run out......”

At the excuse that sounded more pathetic the more he listened, Cellos pressed a hand to his forehead.

Truly, nothing was proper in the 7th Prince’s residence, which was embarrassing to even call a castle.

He had finally found what seemed like a proper clue, only for it to be cut off so pointlessly. He was so furious he could not bear it.

“You damned thing!”

After cursing under his breath, Cellos stretched his hand toward the pile of useless books gathered beside him.

Then, for the first time in truly a long while, he let his Manis flow out.

The small, pathetic power flowing from his hand lit a tiny flame on the book.

Normally, Cellos was reluctant to use his pathetic power, but right now, he could not hold back his curiosity.

Nor did he want to wander around looking for a place with fire while carrying this book.

I finally found something useful!

The small Manis that left Cellos’s hand became a tiny ember and floated through the air.

The pathetic ember flew slowly because there was not enough power, and it raised Cellos’s temper yet again.

Dust-like power and dust-like light.

At the helplessness he felt every time he used his power, and the aimless anger that came with it, Cellos ground his teeth.

Damn it. If only my power were a little stronger......

“Wow......!”

What pulled up his sinking mood was the exclamation that burst out around him.

Only then did Cellos realize that the attention of everyone gathered in the room had been focused on his small, pathetic ember.

Cellos had avoided using his power in front of others as much as possible until now.

Even if he did use his power, most of the time it was when he was shut inside his own castle, and the servants of the castle were all thoroughly trained.

They were trained to pretend not to see what they had seen, pretend not to hear what they had heard, and show doll-like reactions.

Because of that, there was no way Cellos would be used to a situation where everyone in the room admired the movement of his terribly slow Manis.

Thanks to that, Cellos missed the timing to get angry.

As a result, Cellos was trapped among the insolent servants surrounding him like a prison.

“Wow! I’ve never seen someone from the Imperial Family use their power this close before!”

“Me neither! Things always disappear in an instant or appear in an instant, so I never even knew what passed by.”

“All I did was watch the hunting festival from far away! I thought it was amazing then too, but still, this is......”

“It’s pretty!”

“That’s right. It’s pretty!”

The servants came back to their senses only after all their simple, honest, and unfiltered impressions had already ended.

It was unfortunate.

Because if they had discovered Cellos’s ominous expression before coming to their senses, they might have been a little less afraid.

Once their excitement cooled, only awkward silence remained.

The servants, belatedly realizing what absurd rudeness they had committed, each took one step back.

Together with the small light, Cellos’s ominous gaze swept over the people in the room.

“W-we apologize, 8th Prince.”

Everyone bowed their heads at once, afraid of the thunderous scolding that would immediately fall.

That his anger would end there was the hope and greed everyone wished for.

Because it would be enough to be grateful if they could leave the room with their limbs intact.

Everyone waited for Cellos’s sentence.

People lined up in a row and flinched according to the direction Cellos moved.

Cellos Abalan, who had moved his feet, glared with murderous eyes at Anna, who stood before him with her head bowed.

“You, follow me out. Carry all the books piled over there.”

When he singled out Anna, the poor child hurriedly swallowed her breath.

People looked at the pale-faced Anna with pitying eyes.

But a look of mourning was the greatest sympathy they could send.