Chapter Text
Long ago and far away, in a Castle high up a mountain top, something terrible was occurring.
A Dragon Lord was watching as a madman laughed shamelessly in his face, his childhood home left in ruins, and his brother stolen away.
It all started about a century earlier. Sometimes, even gentlest flap of a butterfly's wings can cause great changes far and wide. In this world, the change began... with a comet.
No one knew the comet's true origins. Some wondered if perhaps it was of divine nature. Some thought it could have come from another world. In any case, the comet caused a powerful wave of mana to pass across the land, waking up a certain red Dragon egg from over 8000 years of slumber.
The day the mysterious comet flew across the sky, Aru, son of Dragon Lord Sheritt, hatched at long last.
The Dragon Slayers were overjoyed. After keeping the Castle of Light safe and upholding a Vow of Death for so many millennia, the time has finally come! They greeted the hatchling with open arms, celebrating the birth of the next Dragon Lord and the unsealing of the previous Dragon Lord's spirit. Soon, the Castle was dyed red with Aru's magic, and the young Dragon grew among humans, learning their ways and appreciating the unlikely strength of beings who, despite their weakness, were able to stand on equal ground with the most powerful existence in the world.
And indeed, Aru was powerful. Unprecedentedly so. He could control mana before his birth. He could rival Ancient Dragons in strength within the first decade of his life. His attribute, Light, was capable of dispelling any darkness. And yet, the Dragon felt no animosity towards the creatures of the dark – on the contrary, he became good friends with a certain Necromancer, later known as the Queen of Death.
But as Aru was spending his time traveling around the world, to learn and discover all of its wonders, a certain person was born in the Dragon Slayer village. A young human named Cale, later titled Barrow as he achieved the status of the strongest Dragon Slayer and took over the leadership of the community.
Cale Barrow and Aru had only met once, before. Barrow challenged Aru to a fight, wishing to test his strength against the most powerful Dragon of all time. Naturally he lost, quite pitifully too. After wounding his pride, the young man's heart became filled with envy. He was determined to become the strongest. To stand at the top of the world, no matter the cost.
And it seemed, Cale Barrow finally found a way to achieve that goal. A wicked, twisted, miserable way.
"How does it feel," the last Dragon Slayer taunted the Dragon Lord, his eyes full of mad joy, "To lose everything precious to you? To become a mere stepping stone on my path to glory!"
"You…!" For a moment, the Dragon was speechless. The Dragon Slayer had sent a distress signal to summon him, so he came right away. He never imagined it could have been used for such an evil purpose.
Cale Barrow destroyed the inside of the Red Castle completely. Every toy Aru and his mother lovingly preserved for his future little brother. All the books, each and every last trinket and souvenir that Aru brought in to show off, once his brother broke out of his black shell. Hundreds upon thousands of memories from his childhood, stored in the place meant for his sibling to grow up in the same way he did.
It was all gone.
'...Or perhaps not all of it', thought Aru as he considered the state of the walls. He could still feel the traces of his mother tied to the Red Castle. Barrow must have done something to dispel Sheritt's manifestation, temporarily at least. She never would have let her child be stolen right under her watch, if she hadn't been tricked somehow.
That had been their mutual mistake, it seemed. They had trusted too much.
The thing was, Barrow had nothing to gain from making the Dragon Lord an eye witness to this macabre scene. There was no rational reason for Aru to immediately see the destroyed castle, to make him watch an ancient curse envelop the last Dragon Slayer, to find the village filled with corpses of the descendants of his close friends – instead of discovering it all later. Aru hadn't been a regular visitor since the previous Dragon Slayer generation, the people who raised him from birth, all passed on. Human lifespan was less than a century, after all. He could have stayed none the wiser of this tragedy for years, if not decades.
However, this man had a purpose. Crazy he might be, it was quite obvious why he summoned the Dragon Lord right for this moment.
Barrow wanted to have the last word.
"If you ever try to stand in my way," he declared viciously, welcoming a curse of eternal misfortune into his body with glee, "I'm going to kill your sibling. And it won't be merciful!"
Aru's cyan eyes, reflecting the shade of the morning sky, flashed in fury at the foolish threat.
How dare he?
How. Dare. He.
"Miserable human," the red Dragon hissed, his pupils getting narrow as the powerful aura of Dragon Fear enveloped him.
It was the first time in his life the good-natured Dragon Lord felt so angry. Dark crimson hair fluttered around his head, wavy locks affected by be mana surrounding him like a red storm.
"You think you can threaten me? ME?"
In an instant Cale Barrow, laughing so confidently a moment ago, fell to his knees like a puppet with cut strings. Even with the Dominating Aura, he was no match to this level of power.
"I always know whether my brother is alright. I can tell if he suffers." Aru stepped forward and towered above the kneeling Dragon Slayer. "If he ever does… If even a single scale on him gets damaged... I swear to you this. There will be no world for you to rule over." He spoke with utter conviction that made Barrow's pupils shake. "There will be no humans left for you to be reborn from. I will end everything as you know it."
It was no empty bluff. That was a promise. A promise of a betrayed Dragon Lord, willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of his family.
Seeing how the curse was about to fully claim the human, turning his body into ashes, Aru grabbed his chin forcefully and finished with with a whisper: "No matter where you run… I will find you. So I'll see you soon, you pathetic rat."
And with those final words, Cale Barrow's first life ended, staring in the eyes of the Dragon Lord, primal fear visible on his face before his ashes scattered to the wind.
...And for the next one thousand years, the White Star never stopped running.
One day, at the very same moment, two miraculously identical babies were born.
...And by that of course I mean that they were not identical, were not born at the same time or even year, and their likeness wasn't even much of a miracle, considering they were cousins.
Nevertheless, two baby boys were born in the world that would grow to be exceptionally similar to each other, practically like twins.
The first boy was a prince, with red hair just like his mother. King Deruth and Queen Jour were overjoyed. Prince Cale would grow up having only the finest – he was a Henituse, after all.
The second boy was named Kris, and he was born to a red-haired father and a brown-haired mother. The Thames cherished their son just as much as the King and Queen did, and while they weren't nearly as well off as the Henituse royal family, they still managed to get by.
Years passed. For a time, both families was happy. However, misfortune eventually struck both households.
When Prince Cale was eight years old, his mother suffered an accident and passed away. Even with all the resources the royal family had at their disposal, nothing could be done in a case of an instant death. King Deruth was heartbroken, for he had loved his Queen deeply and sincerely. To be able to carry on, both with his life and his duty to the people, he chose to re-marry quickly – to a common born daughter of a merchant. The nobles were outraged at such a decision, but King Deruth was firm. He named Violan his new Queen, and her son Basen became the Second Prince.
Elsewhere, when Kris Thames was ten, his parents passed away due to mysterious circumstances, leaving Kris Thames in the custody of a relative who did not care for him – only what little money his parents left for him. In the hands of a wasteful man, the money was all gone within a year, so the relative took a big loan from the Stan family. Shortly afterwards, that relative got into a drunken brawl and got himself killed by mistake – leaving Kris alone and saddled with terrible debt.
With such different lives, in different regions of the Roan Kingdom, it was not surprising Prince Cale Henituse and Kris Thames were not aware of each other's existence. But even in this world, fate tied them together – the two of them meeting was only inevitable.
Sometimes, fate had a funny sense of humor.
"...Well s***."
Mage Redika cursed, gaping at the Dragon egg in his hands in raw disbelief.
One would expect a mage to be happy, having randomly found a Dragon egg. Hell, most magic users would kill for such an insanely rare opportunity. However, even if he was blood-crazy, Redika liked to stay informed – and thus, he knew exactly just what kind of dangerous bomb he was currently holding. And not the fun kind of a bomb.
Centuries ago one of the White Star's most loyal subordinates, Lich Bernard, was transporting the stolen egg when the Dragon Lord raided the Arm base he was staying at. Bernard managed to activate the emergency teleportation scroll and escape – however, not before the power of Aru's Light Attribute sank into him, burning his bones and core like poisonous fire. And so the Lich died, at the exact spot where he had landed: beneath a cliff that would soon crumple and fall due to Aru's a rampage, after yet another failure of finding and retrieving his brother. The egg stayed there ever since, lost and buried, until a mage skilled enough to detect hidden mana came along.
Redika, of course, had no way of knowing about these previous events. He only came across this spot by chance, felt something resembling a chunk of mana in the ground, and dug it out expecting to find some sort of magic stone or, at most, an artifact. The last thing he expected was a damn Dragon egg, much less the legendary stolen egg that the Dragon Lord was desperately searching for.
And it had to be the one, no doubt about it. The likelihood of two Dragons at once having the same color was so low it was pretty much impossible. From what the mage had been told, the black egg was still supposed to be in the hands of the White Star. And the fact that it wasn't…
"They'll kill me if they find me out."
Redika could feel it in his bones. No matter who caught him with this in his possession, it would not end well for him.
He couldn't just return the egg to the leader of Arm and expect not to be silenced. The White Star being in the possession of this egg – it was supposed to be his way of keeping the Dragon Lord from going all out. It was the only reason why the secret organization was still holding on, if just barely. If Aru got even the slightest hint that the egg was no longer under the White Star's control… it will mean the end for all of them.
And on the other hand, Redika couldn't betray Arm and return the egg to the Dragons either. There was nothing the Dragon Lord hated more than the White Star and his followers. Not to mention that mage's personal record wasn't exactly clean, and the Red Dragon had no compassion towards serial killers. Trying to negotiate with a vengeful Ancient Dragon was an idea fitting for idiots and suicidal people, and Redika was definitely neither.
The mage stared at the egg with frustration. Should he just – get rid of it? Throw it away? Or just smash it and end it all? But no, he couldn't, the risk of triggering the Dragon Lord's fury was too great. If the Dragon could tell somehow that he was the culprit… No, if he wanted to survive, killing the egg himself wasn't an option.
"Scapegoat… I need a scapegoat."
Redika considered his options. He needed to quickly pass off this unstable bomb to someone else – someone stupid enough to not realize the target they would be painting on their back, yet rich enough to get solid profit from. Preferably allied with Arm, so that they wouldn't tattle on him to the Dragons. With the money, he could retire from the secret organization and become an independent mercenary, while keeping all his beneficial connections intact.
The mage hummed. "...I think I know a perfect candidate."
The range of the Dragon Lord wasn't infinite – true, he had many allies. But who would catch him if he was out in the seas? The Whale Tribe did not care about human sailors, too busy dealing with the Mermaids. It was a good plan.
"I always wondered what it would be like to be a pirate captain," Redika mused.
Maybe finding the egg was a lucky turn around, after all.
History doesn't quite repeat, but luckily it often rhymes.
"What?!"
"Where is it!"
"You idiot- you let it be stolen from right under your nose?! The Marquis will have your head for this!"
Kris panted, hiding behind a corner, shouts of furious guards resounding through Harris Village. He could feel his skinny knees shaking from shock and exhaustion. The poor twelve-year-old never expected something like this to happen.
Ever since he was forced to work under Venion Stan, he kept close attention to everything going on around him. He wasn't nearly as naive as the other lackeys. The reason why Venion found him particularly useful was because Kris possessed a nearly perfect memory – a very good skill to have on hand, when you did not want things written down.
Such as illegal, underground dealings.
Kris managed to put pieces together and figured out such a deal would soon occur in Harris Village. He was not supposed to be here, of course. But Venion would be busy in Rain City for the next week due to a noble's event, which was practically next door. It was literally child's play to sneak out and hide in one of the chests when the goons headed out to conduct some sort of goods exchange.
He hoped he could learn more and perhaps send a message to the capital. If the crimes of the Stan family were severe enough and there was evidence to back it up, there was a chance the crown would get involved. That the Stan family would get into trouble. Perhaps then, Kris could regain his freedom.
However, he never would have imagined just what kind of item the Stans would be purchasing this time. He felt his sweaty fingers clutching at the smooth black shell.
'A living Dragon egg?!' Kris thought frantically, trying to calm down his breathing and think of a plan. 'They're really stupid enough to buy a damn Dragon egg?!'
For the first time in his life, Kris was cursing an unexpected bout of impulsiveness. In any other circumstance, he would never dare to steal from the Stans. Even if he starved to death instead, the likely consequences were not worth it. However, this wasn't just any treasure.
This was a child. A defenseless, unborn child.
Kris Thames knew just what kind of hell this Dragon would be facing under the Stans. It would be a fate worse than death to be their captive. Venion was a sadistic freak, a complete psychopath. That was why he was so desperately trying to figure a way out himself.
His eyes burned with resolve. He could not let this child face that kind of future. Any child deserved better, especially a Dragon.
He had been lucky so far, with one of the least attentive guards he knew left in charge for a short moment, which allowed him to snatch it undetected. But they already realized the egg was missing. He had minutes, if not seconds before he was discovered and the egg ended up back in the hands of the Stan family.
Kris gritted his teeth. This was so foolish, but he had no better options. With his heart beating so fast he could feel it thundering in his ears, he ran.
And for the first time in years, fate smiled at him, because on the second street corner he crashed right into his salvation.
"Oh! Careful there." Strong hands caught him and pulled him up. "Are you alright, child?"
For a split second, Kris' heart froze. Then he realized two facts: first, he did not recognize this person, so he could not be one of Venion's lackeys. He made sure to memorize everyone under the noble's thumb for his own safety. Not to mention, none of them would be this kind to a child who dared to bump into them.
Second, this person's hood fell from his head from the collision, revealing light hair and pointy ears. Kris gasped at the sight.
He remembered his parents teaching him about various races when he was young. He had never seen any other race in person before – not counting the egg currently in his arms, of course – but he had enough clues to recognize what kind of being was standing in front of him.
This was an Elf.
"Beautiful people they are, the Elves," the voice of his mother rang in his ears. "They do not eat meat, living in peace with all sorts of animals in secret hidden villages. They adore Dragons above all else."
Without hesitation, Kris pushed the egg into the Elf's empty hands.
"W-what the-"
"Sir, please," he quickly interrupted before the Elf could even ask a single question, "It's a Dragon egg. You need to save it. They're chasing after me. If they catch me with it, we'll both die."
He never pleaded like this before, not even when Venion had him beaten bloody for an imaginary transgression. But the desperation Kris felt now wasn't just for his own sake.
"Please, take it and run! I'll try to distract them!"
The Elf seemed too shocked to respond, but Kris knew there was no time to explain anything more. He turned around and hurried back where he came from, desperately hoping the Elf would listen to him.
"I saw someone!" He bellowed at the guards, putting his hands around his mouth to make sure he would be heard. "There was someone running away! They went that way!" He pointed at the exact opposite direction of where he met the Elf.
One of the lackeys must have recognized him, because they listened without question, heading in the direction Kris pointed them at.
Meanwhile, Elf Guardian Knight Jeet ran just as the red-haired child begged him to, holding the fragile, priceless treasure against his chest.
'Dragon! Dragon egg!! How?!' He couldn't even begin to process how he got to be in this position. Where did this egg come from? Why did that child have it? Who was after it?
He had no idea! But Jeet could not stop.
'What if this egg is…?'
He had a suspicion, but no time to confirm it. He had been scouting the area on the orders of the glorious Dragon Lord, so he sent his Elemental ahead of him a short while ago. Which was quite unlucky, because now he could really use his friend's help.
Unfortunately, dashing through a small town crawling with human guards wasn't subtle. It wasn't long before he had been spotted.
"There he is!"
The Elf felt an arrow hit his shoulder.
"Argh!" the Guardian Knight couldn't help but let out a loud exclamation of pain.
"I got him!"
The pain was excruciating. It took Jeet less than three seconds to realize the arrow must have been poisoned.
"It's a Dragon egg. You need to save it. If they catch me with it, we'll both die."
He couldn't let them catch him. He couldn't let them have the egg, no matter the cost. His mind made up, Jeet headed towards the Forest of Darkness, knowing one thing for certain:
'If they follow me there, they will have to fight their way through monsters before they can get to me. Maybe I'll have just enough time to hide the egg before they can take it.'
He could hear static in his ears, his shoulder burning and getting numb at the same time. Soon, he was forced to switch to just one arm to hold the egg, the other one falling limp to his side. A certain smell hit his nose, and he realized:
'...Dead mana. There's dead mana in the poison.'
It would explain why it was taking effect so quickly. While dead mana alone was certainly deadly, it did not act so fast. Poison could be faster, but most poisons could be cured with the correct antidote, especially if used on creatures much sturdier than humans. So obviously, the right mixture of dead mana and poison could be both fatal and fast-acting, especially against an Elf. This was exactly the sort of trick the Mermaids used against the Whales, even if they rarely managed to get past their thick skin.
'Why would a random guard in a small village have arrows poisoned with dead mana…?!'
The answer seemed obvious, now that Jeet thought about it.
'...Arm. They're Arm! The egg- it must be it! The Dragon Lord's lost sibling!'
In any other circumstances, Jeet would feel elated to have the honor of holding this miracle in his very own hands. However, he knew very well he would soon pay for this honor with his life. Jeet did not mind dying for Dragon Lord Aru. Especially for the sake his unborn sibling. However, he had to save the egg first, or his sacrifice would turn out to be in vain.
For a short moment, the Guardian Knight let himself mourn his death on the behalf of his Elemental, who would likely never know for sure what happened to him. Not when Jeet specifically ordered to avoid the Forest of Darkness for his friend's own safety.
Putting all the strength he had left in his dying body, the Elf sprinted through the woods, dodging monsters on his way, hearing human voices yelling in the distance as they came across them in their chase. He wasn't sure just how long he kept running for. It definitely felt like hours.
Finally, his legs gave out. Jeet collapsed on the ground, struggling to lower the egg onto the grass as gently as possible.
His one good arm shaking, he grabbed his sword and started digging.
'I wish I could do more for you, young Dragon-nim!' Jeet despaired at the indignity he was about to put the great and mighty creature through; buried in the dirt like a piece of trash. But, desperate times called for desperate measures. 'I hope this keeps you safe until you hatch, at least.'
Of course, the Elf had no idea the egg had just spent the past several centuries buried in the ground anyway.
He barely had time to get started before before he heard the sound of footsteps.
"S***!" Jeet hissed, frustrated. He had been so close! But the hole was still too small to hide the egg. No other choice, the Elf placed himself between the Dragon egg and the newcomer, his sword ready to strike.
If he had to fight to the death, so be it. He could tell he was almost dead, anyway.
Before long, a human appeared before Jeet. However, he did not look like he expected. Instead of an adult guard, there was a dirty, haggard, wild-looking teenager with hair and eyes black as night, staring in him in shock. He carried an old, terribly rusted sword hanging from a makeshift belt.
"A… person?" A hoarse voice spoke haltingly, as if he hadn't spoken to another creature in a long time. "A real person?"
"Who are you?" Jeet asked, trying to state the words clearly but he could tell his tongue was getting slurry. 'Dammit. I'm almost out of time.' "...Are you with Arm?"
"What?" The teenager did not seem to comprehend his meaning. He kept staring at him as if he was the most unexpected thing he had ever seen in his life.
'...He doesn't seem to be with them.'
Jeet staggered, the teenager jumping to his side and catching him from falling in a single moment.
'So fast. Must be a swordsman...'
"What's wrong?" The dark haired boy quickly checked him over, gasping in horror when he found the arrow in his shoulder. "Are you alright?!"
Jeet shook his head, panting. He really wasn't, there was no hiding it.
'This kid is not with the others. He seems to be strong.' The Elf reached out and carefully pulled the egg closer to him. 'Maybe… he can save it in my stead.'
"Should I pull it out...?" The teenager was starting to get frantic.
"It's no use," Jeet told him weakly. "Poison. Too late."
The boy's pupils shook. The Elf felt bad for this child, making him witness his death. However, there were more important things to worry about right now.
"Listen. You must... take it." Somehow, Jeet managed to lift the egg and place it gently into the teenager's hands. "Please. I beg of you... stranger. Protect it."
The dark haired boy blinked, surprised, apparently only now registering the existence that Jeet was ready to fight to the death for moments earlier. "What… What is it?"
"A Dragon," Jeet told him, placing his hand on the egg for the last time to say farewell. "A red-haired child… gave this to me. Asked me to- *cough!* -save it." It was getting harder to breathe. The world around the Elf was getting dark. "Don't let… Arm… find it… Find… Dragon... Lo-"
But before he could finish the sentence, the Elf Guardian Knight fell unconscious, for the last time.
Choi Han struggled to process everything, as he watched the first person he saw in tens of years fall still in his arms, his eyes going empty – just like the monsters he killed. Only moments in another person's company, cut short by a poisoned arrow. Leaving him alone once more, with so many questions.
...Almost alone, that is. In his arms, there was the black egg.
"I beg of you... stranger. Protect it."
No matter how little humanity he had left in him, Choi Han could not deny a dying man's last wish.
He would later bury the body, to avoid it getting devoured by starving predators. Aside from the egg, he would only take a knife from it – uncomfortable stealing from a corpse but determined to try and find out his identity with it later on. He would then follow the man's trail and find other dead bodies of armed people, their injuries making it evident they were killed by monsters. He would discover one of the bodies carrying the exact same poisoned arrows that were used to kill the pointy-eared stranger. Afterwards, he would finally reach the edge of the seemingly endless forest, and with it, a village full of people.
However, too wary to approach it, Choi Han would stay at the edge of the forest, observing the villagers from a safe distance. He would skillfully avoid the armed men that seemed to be still searching for the dead man and the egg, and remain hidden. No matter how much he wished to speak with fellow human beings again, he would not. Could not. He was bound to a promise, after all.
"Protect it."
Weeks later, in the middle of the night, a slender crack would appear on the egg's surface. Followed by another. And another. Until the smooth surface broke, and something small and scaly crawled out, with big, dark blue eyes full of innocence.
And from that point on, Choi Han would never be alone again.
Generally, Dragons preferred to be alone. And yet.
'What a crowd.'
Eruhaben was idly observing a room filled to the brim with the most prideful, powerful beings in existence, all sitting at one table while polymorphed into their humanoid forms.
'This is the first time.'
As far as he could tell, this was the first time in history when all the Dragons were called in together like this.
Usually, Dragon Lord Aru would simply contact them through a communication orb. Everyone here had met him at least once in person. Aru made a point to know every Dragon and keep track of them for a very important reason.
And that reason was...
'Something must have happened with the White Star.'
Cale Barrow, the self-styled second White Star, was the last Dragon Slayer. He was a reincarnator who could not be permanently killed, making him functionally immortal. And he was obsessed with the goal of taking over the world.
Of course, that man had a very difficult obstacle on his way to achieve it: in the form of the extremely pissed off and powerful Dragon Lord.
What the Red Dragon was concerned about was that the reincarnator would hunt them, once they forgot about him and lowered their guard. No, it was only the matter of time before the man would try, anyway. For someone with potentially infinite time to realize his plans, the Dragons were the only thing standing in his way to world domination. Their isolated lifestyle and arrogance could be their downfall if they were not careful.
That was why the Dragon Lord kept contact with all of them, whether they liked it or not. Dragons might not care for each other, not like a tribe or a family, despite there being so few in numbers when compared to other races. However, Aru refused to give the White Star any edge. Even one Dragon dead at his hands would make the Dragon Slayer's side stronger.
And Aru had spent the entire millennium chasing after him. Unfortunately, the cowardly rat kept slipping away, committing suicide as soon as he got as much of a whiff of the Dragon Lord being on his tail.
'So the question is – what changed?'
The Dragons sat around the round table silently, hiding their anxious looks by pretending to be occupied with their tea cups or admiring the architecture of the Red Castle.
Usually, the Dragons would probably complain over getting summoned, or try to pick a fight with each other. However...
Next to the exit door, a half-transparent illusion of the previous Dragon Lord, Sheritt, stood with a benevolent smile. Her form was covered in silver cracks, similarly to shattered pottery that later got glued together, or how dead mana scars looked on Necromancers – the evidence of what the White Star had put her through.
It was, naturally, an extremely scary sight. Everybody here knew that the wider her smile, the bigger the threat.
She as well might have been saying: 'You lot better behave until my son arrives, or I'll make sure you never leave this place in one piece.'
There was a reason why Dragon Lords were so feared. Out of everyone here, Eruhaben was the closest to Aru, so he understood it most.
'What makes them so scary is that there is no limit to how far they are willing to go for their own.'
Protection might seem like such a harmless attribute. But anyone who had seen it in action could only shudder at the memory.
'Both of them are willing to destroy the world for the sake of their family.'
That was what made them so terrifying. They weren't simply capable of it. They absolutely would, if they believed that the situation called for it.
With minutes passing, the tension was rising so high it felt like it would snap at any moment. And at its most potent, finally, the door opened. The current Dragon Lord entered, emanating pure power, his purple mantle fluttering behind him, making all the Dragons gathered hold their breath.
The Golden Dragon scrutinized his friend's expression, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not read the emotion behind it. Naturally, any Ancient Dragon had long mastered the royal gait.
"Rise," the Dragon Lord commanded, his hand reached out to them in a greeting. There was not a single creature in the world who was able resist his command. The Dragons all stood up, their backs straight and faces paying attention.
However, privately, Eruhaben thought this kind of attitude looked pretty funny on his friend. When the Dragon Lord was in a good mood, there was no more easy-going or casual Dragon around. That did not make him soft, of course, far from it. When he needed to be, he could be more demanding and ruthless than anyone.
Aru did not demand respect just for the sake of his ego. It was always in order to get things done at top speed. The Dragon Lord tolerated no delays. He really was just as impatient as a young Dragon sometimes.
"I have an announcement to make," Aru declared without beating around the bush, just as Eruhaben had expected of him. "My brother has finally awakened."
This reveal should not come across as shocking as it was, but it truly stunned everyone present. After over nine thousand years… it happened?
"What's more," the Dragon Lord continued without a pause. "I confirmed a very important fact. He is no longer in the White Star's custody."
Sheritt's manifestation next to him beamed in happiness. At last, everybody could relax. So this was not the expression that foretold doom upon the world. This was the expression of a mother finally getting good news, after hundreds of years of waiting.
"Which means," the Red Dragon told them, walking up to the table "That it is time."
"...Time, Aru-nim?" Eruhaben dared to ask for clarification.
"Yes. It's time for us to destroy the Cale Barrow and his whole organization, once and for all."
It was obvious why Aru hesitated to go all out before. As long as he didn't know where his brother's egg was, there was always the risk that it could get damaged – be it at the hands of the Dragon Slayer, or by accident from a Dragon rampaging. The White Star had been using that fact to keep himself and the Dragon Lord in a stalemate of sorts.
Now, it no longer applied. His brother had hatched, and the White Star must have lost control of him at some point. Aru could finally stop holding himself back.
"And you're sure he's safe?"
Eruhaben had to confirm this. Aru had not been the only one who spent the past thousand years searching for the egg. He had been involved almost from the beginning. As one of the three oldest Dragons in the room, he was sincerely concerned about the fate of the newborn Black Dragon.
"Eruhaben," The Dragon Lord smiled for the first time since he entered the room. "I told you long ago that my brother and I share a connection. I know for a fact that he is alive, healthy, and happy. If he was not, I would be able to tell instantly."
"It is true, then," the Golden Dragon said, rubbing his chin. "The White Star really cannot be in charge of him any longer. Not if he feels happy."
Aru nodded.
"Of course, I expect everyone to keep their eyes open. Sooner or later, he will encounter one of us by chance, and then he'll make it home." The implied order was clear.
"How long ago has he hatched?" asked Mila, the Beige Dragon. She would be interested in the topic, having become a mother herself quite recently.
"Three days ago, at midnight." The Red Dragon put a hand over his heart, as if focusing on the connection. "And he is not alone. I don't know who is tending to him, but my brother is not feeling lonely. He must be in good company."
Eruhaben wondered just who was this person, currently taking care of the Dragon Lord's sibling. Whoever they were, they definitely just scored a life-long debt on the behalf of the most powerful person in the world. What a lucky individual, indeed.
(Far away in the Forest of Darkness, Choi Han suddenly sneezed. The little Black Dragon blinked at him in confusion, then imitated:
"A-choo?"
"Bless you," Choi Han told the baby softly, amused by the adorable display.)
"I assume," the Green Dragon, Olienne, spoke up "That our Lord has figured out a method to actually kill a reincarnator for good? Otherwise Aru-nim wouldn't call us here just yet."
Olienne was around the same age as Eruhaben, so he felt pretty confident in his assessment. And he was correct.
The Dragon Lord pulled an object out of his personal spatial dimension and placed it on the table. It seemed to be a plain piece of wood in the shape of a dagger.
"This," Aru pointed at the seemingly harmless weapon, "Is the oldest root of the World Tree. And with it, I will be able to personally kill Cale Barrow."
The Dragons stared at the dagger, intrigued.
"...Really?" One of the youngest Dragons present, Pink Dragon Dodori, said with confusion. "It's that easy?"
"Not at all," the Dragon Lord denied, putting the root away. "If the dagger misses even by an inch, it will be all in vain. There will be no second chances."
Most of the Dragons seemed to notice that Aru did not specify where the dagger must be aimed. The natural assumption would be the heart, however, the fact that it was so obviously omitted so made them suspect it wasn't the case at all. Of course, no one dared to call him out on it, but Eruhaben got a foreboding feeling for some reason.
"...Then what are we waiting for?" Rasheel, the Grey Dragon, asked plainly. He seemed ready to beat someone up. "Let's just go and kill the bastard right away!"
"While that would be the ideal course of action" Aru told them, folding his arms, "There's a problem."
"What problem? Seems pretty straightforward."
"Because the White Star and his followers are trying to summon the demonic race into our world."
Immediately the atmosphere in the room became ice cold, as if someone dunked freezing water on them.
"W-what?" Rasheel stuttered out. It was the last thing he expected to hear. "I'm sorry, WHAT!"
All the Dragons in the room burst into fierce discussion.
"How? When?!"
"How long has this been going on-!"
"Why weren't we told sooner?"
"Silence." Aru did not need to shout, one short blast Dragon Fear enough to make them all quiet once more. "I suspected that could be the case for some time, but I only managed to confirm this recently. There are followers of multiple demonic gods among Arm, and their ultimate goal seems to involve a summoning that will be aimed at the Western Continent, in Puzzle City of the Roan Kingdom."
Eruhaben realized now what the White Star must have been after. Since he wasn't able to strike against the Dragons while they were all acting united under their Lord, he had to try and weaken them first. What better way to level the playing field than summoning the demonic race, the creatures that Dragons existed specifically to guard their world against? It was the perfect attack and the perfect distraction. Cale Barrow must be planning to use it for something – most likely to target Aru himself.
There was an atmosphere of apprehension rising, the concrete place of summoning making the concept a lot more real and urgent.
"The fact that we know where he plans to hit gives us an advantage," Eruhaben noted logically.
"Of course. Especially since he has no way of knowing I uncovered this information already. I am still unsure why he wishes to target to Puzzle City specifically, but it cannot be anything good. That's why we'll make sure to take the battle as far away from that location as possible."
The Dragons finally understood why Dragon Lord Aru felt the need to personally summon all of them at once. It was officially time: time for war.
And they would win. They were Dragons, after all.
"Everyone," the Red Dragon told them, his lips forming a confident smirk as his eyes glowed with power. "We have a lot of work to do."
Four years later, Prince Cale walked a dark alley, his bright red hair hiding under an inconspicuous brown cape, his mind filled with an abundance of turbulent thoughts to work through.
One would think that he was so lucky, being a Henituse. Being a the Crown Prince. Being filthy rich. But inevitably, there were strings tied to such an identity, that slowly but surely began to tighten their grip on him over the years. Now those silk threads felt like a noose, threatening to suffocate him completely.
...They wanted him to get married. Married!
To be precise, it was the nobles of the kingdom who wanted him to get married. His father would never press the issue against his will, if the situation wasn't dire.
Unfortunately, things had been getting steadily worse over the years. The Roan Kingdom did not lack for money, but they were not a strong nation; they were average, they always had been. And while being average was a good thing in the times of peace, currently there was a storm brewing, and everybody with any political self-awareness could sense it.
Of course, Cale knew better than anyone that him marrying Princess Rosalyn would not solve the issue. However, trying to convince others of that simple fact was like trying to make a brick wall bend to your will. The nobles wanted an alliance with the Breck Kingdom, and they wanted it to be a marriage alliance, logic be damned. What was even worse, the Breck Kingdom appeared to be in a similar level of turmoil, and they seemed to anticipate some sort of complication or treachery at any moment. If the Roan Kingdom, and or rather Cale himself, refused to cooperate with the engagement, they would likely see it as a declaration of war.
The Prince had no idea how things had gotten this bad so fast. Did someone want to spark a war between their countries? He suspected foul play – possibly on one if not both sides. The question was, why? Neither nation was actually prepared to enter an armed conflict to conquer the other. So what else could be gained from it?
He had no answers. But no matter who was behind all of it and what they were truly after, it put Cale in an extremely difficult position.
Marriage! Him! The trash of the royal family! And to famously perfect Princess Rosalyn on top of it – had they all lost their minds?!
Ever since his father re-married and his stepbrother entered the picture, Cale tried everything he could think of to shake off his Crown Prince status. Throwing away his studies, his manners, his reputation… Truthfully, it wasn't purely for Basen's sake – he wasn't that selfless. For a long time now, he had been aware that he did not wish to inherit the throne. Because more than anything, Cale yearned for freedom.
Not to be tied to all those tedious obligations, meetings, bickering nobles and empty flattery, courtly manipulations and double-faced smiles – he wanted nothing to do with any of it. He wasn't really sure what he wanted to do with his life just yet, but… it was definitely not that.
Cale did not consider it fair, to be expected to have it all figured out at the age of eighteen. Why couldn't they let him just be a teenager? Were there no experienced, mature adults around who could handle the incoming international crisis? How come they expected him to fix things yet refused to listen to his input?!
He wished he could just – call the Dragon Lord and make him handle all this nonsense. No one would ignore a Dragon. But unfortunately…
"Once our deal is completed, I promise to fulfill any one wish you may have, as long as it is in my power and does not harm my own family."
…the Red Dragon's favor could only be called upon after they completed the deal they made four years ago. It was not the time yet. Not to mention, the Dragon had been completely out of contact for quite a while.
If it wasn't the Dragon Lord himself, Cale would begin to start worrying about him, probably.
...Whatever. In this kind of crappy situation, one could use some fresh air and change of scenery. And by that of course Cale meant: what else was there to do other than get plastered in some shady bar?
Dragon Lord Aru might have hired Ron Molan to bodyguard (read: babysit) him non-stop. But, even if the Molan Patriarch was a trained assassin with mastered skills, Cale had his own trick in his sleeves. Namely, Ron's one and only weakness.
His wife.
Prince Cale smirked under his cape. Making an alliance with the deviously sweet and vicious Millicent Molan was one of the best decisions he's made in his life. He could always count on her to have his back.
Once Mrs. Molan came around for a visit, Ron was bound to completely forget his assignment for a while. The assassin usually depended on chamberlain Shawn, undercover Dark Elf, to keep an eye on the Prince in Ron's stead – but it was literally a piece of cake to distract him with On and Hong's help. Ron's apprentices or not, the Cat Tribe kids were easily bribable with sweets.
Having no less than four undercover agents watching him constantly got quite exhausting sometimes. Cale knew the reason, and he did not resent it, but everyone had limits. Especially in a situation as stressful as this one. He only had three days before the Breck Kingdom's delegation arrival and no idea how to handle it. He needed some time alone. He needed to get drunk and forget, if only for a short while.
So, Cale knew for certain he had at least an hour or two before his 'butler' came after him to drag him back to the castle. He decided to savor this brief moment of freedom as much as he could.
"…For you're always free to begin again, and you're always free to believe~!"
Cale stopped for a moment as a street performer grabbed his attention. He did not know this song, but it sounded pretty. Without thinking, he walked closer to the small crowd listening to a brown-haired woman singing some folk song for coins.
Little did he know, a very similar cloaked figure stood at the other side of the crowd, having stopped to listen as well.
"Though you may not know where your gifts may lead
And it may not show at the start
When you live your dreams
You'll find destiny
Is written in your heart~!"
While the sentiment behind the song was lovely, Cale couldn't help but scoff. Live your dreams? Easy to say, when you're a commoner and free to do whatever you want.
The second cloaked figure watching the performance frowned at the same time, thinking how nice it would be to be free and actually have enough money to live your dreams.
Nonetheless, even if the song itself had a questionable message, Cale had to appreciate the skill of the singer. So he tossed a gold coin into the woman's cap and decided to move on.
The two hooded figures passed each other on the street without noticing.
A little later, Prince Cale exited a bar, holding a bottle of the most expensive booze they had. He took a drink from it and frowned heavily.
"...Such trash. This is the worst wine I've ever had in my life."
He made a disgusted expression at the bottle as if it had personally betrayed him. Seconds later, he downed the contents to the last drop and wiped his mouth.
"Let's see if they have any less awful bars around here."
Then, just as he was passing a crossroad, the distant sound of a commotion grabbed his attention.
"...what'cha gonna do about it, champ? Cry to your mama 'bout it?"
Several male voices laughed nastily, then the same voice continued:
"Ohhh, touchy subject eh? You an orphan, boy? What a shame. Probably don't even have a copper coin on ya. But we can still have a little fun, can't we fellas?"
The tone combined with the implications instantly made Cale's blood boil, alcohol-content or not.
Without hesitation, the Prince stepped into the dirty alley, seeing three men surround a kneeling figure. The situation was obvious. Before the thugs could notice him, Cale swung his bottle right at the head of the leader, knocking him down.
"What the fu-!"
He did not waste any time before kicking the second guy right between his legs. The victim then decided to join in, grabbing some broken piece of wood from the ground and smacking the third man in the back, his hood falling down in the process.
"You bastards, do you know who you just-?!"
Cale did not care to respond to the enraged thug and raised his bottle again in the position to strike. The men showed exactly the level of bravery he expected, and decided to flee before they could suffer any more damage at their hands.
"Filthy cowards," Cale scoffed after them, then turned to the bullied victim. "Hey, are you alri-"
His tongue froze, when he registered the face in front of him.
'...Mother!?'
For a split second, he could swear he was staring at the face of his long dead mother. One blink later he realized that no, this was a boy. Even if he did have a strikingly resemblance to the late Queen, and by extension, himself. In fact if it wasn't for the longer hair, Cale could be looking in a mirror right now.
Kris blinked at the other, equally stunned. The other's face looked very familiar… Did he get hit in the head too hard when the thug shoved him earlier? He did not think he was hallucinating.
And thus, Cale Henituse and Kris Thames met for the first time.
In another time, in another place, a wise man once said that the best way to make a good first impression was to provide delicious food.
"Sit down. I'll be paying for the whole meal."
And indeed, such strategy was effective – Kris, never one to pass an offer for a free meal, sat down obediently.
As soon as Cale got his bearings, he dragged the him to the nearest restaurant, determined to get answers. They found a nice private spot and made themselves comfortable, both anticipating it would be a long talk.
"...We look like twins," the Prince said, never once taking his eyes off of the other's face. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Kris."
"...Great, nice to meet you, my name's Cale. I repeat – who the hell are you?"
"I said," the boy spoke with a deadpan "I'm Kris."
Kris made a point to never share his surname with anyone. Not even the Stans knew his full name. Ever since the relative who took him in after his parents' death stole all of his inheritance, he knew he could not trust anyone not to use his family name against him.
Unexpectedly, the other teen laughed instead of getting angry.
"You're cheeky! I like it."
The waiter interrupted them, asking for their orders. Cale ordered everything most expensive on the menu and paid upfront. Kris' eyes got wide.
"You look like you could use a good meal," Cale explained lightly. This was practically pocket change for his standards, and he could guess that the other had no money on him. The Prince then took notice of bruises blooming near the boy's right eye and at the left corner of his lip. "Looks like those bastards left some marks on you. Do you need a potion?"
Kris shook his head. His head hurt, but the pain was minor – he could deal with it. "I'm fine."
Without a warning, Cale reached out and grabbed his right arm, dragging the sleeve up. There was another hand-shaped bruise there, and it already turning a nasty shade of purple. He tsked.
"Let's just care of this quickly," he said, taking out a small bottle and shoving it into Kris' face. "Drink it."
"But-"
"Don't be stupid. Drink." Cale ordered sternly.
Slowly, as if waiting for him to take it back at the last moment, Kris reached out and took the potion. Carefully, he pulled out the cork and sipped it tentatively. In an instant, he felt all the pain draining away, and the bruises with it. The usually stoic boy could not hide his amazement.
"Thank you… This must have been a high grade potion," he spoke, as if he couldn't understand why Cale would waste something like that on him.
"Well of course it is!" Cale rolled his eyes at the obvious statement. "Why would I ever bother to carry something that wasn't the highest quality product available on the market?"
Kris blanked out for a second, the number of zeros such a potion must have cost flashing dramatically before his eyes.
Cale watched the other boy's face with hidden wonder. Now that it got healed up, they really did look like twins. It was uncanny.
"We must be related," he concluded, making Kris jerk slightly. "Does the name Thames mean anything to you?"
Kris' gaze turned cold. "Even if it does, what of it?"
The waiter came back, carrying the first few dishes. Kris dug in with the eagerness of a starving wolf.
The Prince tilted his head, confused why Kris was being so secretive. "Well... It would be nice if we were, wouldn't it?"
Kris had to pause from shoving food into his mouth before he could respond.
"I don't know," he said as soon as he swallowed. "The last relative I met stole all my parent's money and left me buried in debt as a souvenir."
Cale felt his hands clench. "...Seriously? What an a**hole."
"He was."
"Was? So he's not around anymore?"
"No. He died five years ago."
"Pity." Cale's voice was dripping with contempt. It would have been his pleasure to put the guy behind bars. What kind of bastard did that sort of thing to their own family? Especially a child, since it occurred so long ago. Kris couldn't be older than Cale himself, so he must have been young at the time.
...Speaking of which. "How old are you, Kris?"
"Sixteen. I'll be seventeen soon."
"Hm. I'm eighteen." A pleased expression crept onto his face. "That makes me the Hyung, then."
Kris threw him a confused look. "Who said you could be my brother?"
"I did," Cale told him brightly. "Just now. So enjoy your food, Dongsaeng."
"But…"
"Ah ah!" Cale wagged a finger in his face. "You're supposed to say: 'yes, Hyung-nim'. Now be a good little brother and I'll buy you dessert after dinner."
Well, that settled it then. Free food was free food, after all.
"Yes, Hyung-nim," Kris replied politely.
"Back to my question. Was either of your parents named Thames? They must have had red hair at least, judging by how similar the two of us look."
Kris sighed in defeat. It was pointless to deny it, when he put it like that. "Yeah. My father."
"I knew it." The Prince folded his arms, thinking. "I think my mother mentioned having a brother once. But I always assumed he was dead, for some reason."
"...He is."
"I… sorry." Cale rubbed the back his head. "My mother, she – she's gone too. So I know how that feels."
The two sat in silence for a short while, avoiding each other's eyes.
"Your mother," Kris spoke softly. "When did she…?"
"Ten years ago."
"My parents both passed six years ago."
"You've been on your own since then?"
"...Mostly."
"Right, the a**hole relative. You didn't have any other…?"
"No."
"Sorry."
"It's fine." Kris resumed eating, determined to leave the awkward atmosphere behind.
Cale's fingers tapped on the surface of the table as he considered the situation. He couldn't help but feel bad. While he had been living in luxury as a Prince, his own cousin seemed to have had it really rough. His clothes were of poor quality and baggy, ill-fitting for his body, clearly worn out despite being kept meticulously clean. He seemed a bit thin around his cheekbones, too. He was reluctant to even share his own name. And he was acting skittish and distrustful on top of it, despite Cale helping him out earlier.
He might now have had any personal experience with abuse, but even Cale could tell what it looked like on a person. Kris fit the bill perfectly.
It made the Prince angry.
"So," he started, aiming for a casual tone of voice. "You don't seem to be from here. What brings you to the capital? Let me guess… sightseeing?"
Kris rolled his eyes. As if he had time or money for such frivolous things. "Business. In a sense."
"What kind of business? Are you a merchant or something?" That seemed very unlikely. "You mentioned a debt. Are you working to pay it of?"
"What choice do I have?" Kris stabbed his piece of meat with annoyance as if he was projecting it to be someone's face. "Are you familiar with Marquis Stan?"
"Am I familiar with him?" Cale repeated, distaste written all over him. "Who isn't? Don't tell me you work for the Stans of all people."
"In that case, I won't say anything."
Cale huffed. "Which one of them are you subordinate to, then? Taylor?" From the whole crazy lot, he was the only one who seemed even remotely sane.
"I wish." Kris sighed. "It's Venion."
"Venion." Cale put his hand to his forehead, feeling a headache coming in. "You really landed yourself the worst one of the bunch, if rumors are to be believed."
"In this case? I think they're severely understated."
"Ha. You unlucky bastard."
"Tell me about it."
"...How much do you owe to-?"
"Your highness."
"-GAH!" Cale jerked in his seat when a towering figure suddenly appeared behind him. "Geez, Ron. Do you have to do that?"
Kris also jumped up a bit then shrunk in his spot, his shoulders hunching at the sight of the older man. He had not seen or felt him coming at all. He felt sweat appear on the back of his neck and thought:
'This guy… is he a-? No, wait a minute. What did he just say?!'
"...Your highness?" Kris repeated the word with trepidation.
"Oh, right. I forgot to fully introduce myself." Cale looked amused. He put his right hand to his chest. "Cale Henituse, pleasure to meet you."
While Kris was suffering a brief meltdown over finding out that this whole time he had mooching off the Crown Prince, Ron Molan scrutinized him curiously. The resemblance was extraordinary. If he didn't know any better, he would assume Prince Cale just found his own long-lost twin.
"I apologize for interrupting," Ron spoke, and made a professional curtsy. "Royal butler Ron, at your service. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, young master…?"
"I, I'm Kris." The stuttering stray puppy leaned away from him as if sensing danger. How adorable, thought Ron. "I'm no young master... sir."
"Wrong," Cale disagreed. "You are a Thames. By birth, you are a noble from a Baron's family."
"A fallen noble family. So what?" Kris sounded frustrated. "What good does that do to me? Noble titles mean nothing without money to back it up. I don't own any property, I don't have connections – I'm basically a pauper."
"It matters, Dongsaeng," the Prince told him sternly. "Because you are my cousin. My mother might be gone, but she was your aunt and the Queen of the Roan Kingdom, and I'm still considered the Crown Prince. You are directly related to the royal family."
Kris seemed stunned at such a bold declaration. Ron was a bit surprised, as well.
"Your highness," the older man softened his voice the slightest bit. "I understand this is… important. But Princess Rosalyn is arriving in three days, which is more urgent. Before you go and introduce your newfound cousin to the rest of the family, we should first do our best to handle the delicate situation we have on our hands."
Prince Cale groaned, banging his head against the surface of the table. "...And I almost managed to forget about that. Thanks a lot, Ron."
"You're welcome, your highness," the butler responded with a subtle smirk.
"Princess Rosalyn? From the Breck Kingdom?" Kris said, surprised. "She's coming to the capital?"
"Yes, unfortunately," Cale replied, propping his head on his elbows. He was slightly regretting the fact that accidentally discovering his long lost family cost him the opportunity to get drunk. "For engagement negotiations."
"Uh, congratulations…?"
"NO!" Cale furiously smacked his palm down. "No congratulations! This f***ing sucks! This entire situation is utter nonsense!" He spread his arms open as if present his entire self. "What part of useless trash Prince screams husband material to you?! I'm the last person person anyone should be willing to marry!!"
"Well you are rich, and apparently a royal." Kris replied dryly. "That already makes you a catch for most people." Judging from Cale's attitude, however, it did not seem like he enjoyed being a prince. Kris wondered why. Perhaps it was the responsibility? He could relate a bit. Responsibility was a heavy burden to bear – in the hands of those who cared, that is.
"For the famous, talented, perfect Crown Princess Rosalyn?!" Cale laughed hysterically. "She should want nothing to do with me at all!"
"Then why is she…?"
"I don't know!" Cale moaned in despair, covering up his face. "How the hell do I scare her away without starting a war in the process?!"
Kris frowned, his mind running. "...Is the situation that bad?"
"The international relations are quite… tense, at the moment," Ron confirmed as politely as possible.
"...And you're absolutely certain you won't change your mind about the marriage."
"Not in a million years." Cale turned to his butler and told him: "Ron, I know you're going to scold me, but please, can't it until later? Just," he paused and grabbed the bridge of his nose. "Go and bring me the best alcohol they have in the bar across the street. I won't run off this time, I swear. But I seriously can't keep talking about this sober."
"...Very well, your highness."
Ron left the restaurant, leaving Kris and Cale alone once more.
"Is this about arranged marriages, or… marriage in general?" Kris asked without thinking, then immediately regretted it. He shouldn't be digging into this topic at all. It was none of his business.
...Even if the Prince was apparently his own cousin by blood. What a crazy day.
Cale called himself 'a useless trash Prince'. No one who was actual trash would call themselves that – Kris knew from experience. This did not seem like a tantrum over not having the freedom of choice for a romantic partner, it seemed more complex than that.
"The second one," Cale responded sullenly. "I have no interest of that sort towards anyone. Ever."
"...Huh." Kris blinked at him in understanding. "It's kind of the same for me, actually."
Cale brightened up a bit. "Really?"
Kris shrugged. "Yeah, well… romance just seems like such a hassle, you know?"
"You get it! You're just like me!" The Prince cheered at the first person to ever understand him in this regard. Everybody always said things like, 'Don't worry, you'll change your mind eventually!' or 'You just haven't found the right person yet!' – as if Cale didn't know his own mind.
"You know…" Kris rubbed his chin. "I doubt the Princess wants this marriage any more than you do. It's not like you know each other, right?"
"Nope. Never met her."
"How about you two try and resolve this situation together?"
"Yes, it's… the only option, really." Cale sighed. "But what if she wants to go along with it for the sake of peace or something? What if she thinks we have to get married?"
"You won't know until you try, right?"
"...Right." Someone put a wine bottle in Cale's hands. "Thanks, Ron."
Kris jumped up, once more failing to see the man coming at all.
'How scary.'
Much to his further apprehension, the Prince opened and downed most of the drink in one go without even looking at the brand. The butler merely sighed.
"Your highness, once you finish your meal we really have to get going. We can make sure there are other opportunities for the two of you to spend time together."
Cale paused and wiped his mouth, his cheeks already flushing from the alcohol. "Right. Preventing impending disaster first, family reunions later. Got it." He turned to Kris. "How long are you staying in the capital?"
"No more than two weeks, I imagine." The younger teen scratched his cheek, his eyes calculating. "Do you think… Can I ask you for a favor?"
"...Sure? Why not. What can your Hyung do for you?" Cale resumed drinking. He wondered if Kris was going to ask for money. As long as it was within reason, he wouldn't mind. He could afford a villa or two without making too much of a dent in his allowance.
Yet, the request he got instead surprised him.
"Would it be possible to help me speak with the King in private?"
The Prince choked slightly, and cleared his throat. "You want a private audience with my father? Why?"
"Well… What if there were things going on." Kris' eyes looked shifty. "Among some nobles. That the Crown should know about, probably. But. What if getting evidence was difficult. Without help, I mean."
"You got dirt on the Stans?" Cale grinned widely, his red cheeks and mussed hair completing his drunk look. "Why didn't you just say so!"
"So it's possible…?"
"Of course! We've got to introduce you to the family right away. It will be the perfect occasion. I hope you have something real good – no no, don't tell me yet! I want to hear about it in detail later." Cale clapped his hands. "You know, you'd be doing great service to the kingdom, knocking Venion Stan down a peg! Is there a reward you would like in exchange? Any specific wish or a dream?"
Kris' eyes sparkled all of a sudden. "I do have a dream, actually."
"You do? Well let's hear it."
Cale drank.
"I want to be a slacker."
Cale choked yet again.
"...Excuse me?"
"I want to be a slacker," Kris repeated proudly. "A rich slacker, if possible. If not, just a regular slacker would do."
The Prince blinked at him in disbelief. "That's it? Nothing else?"
"Why would I need anything else?" Kris sounded honestly confused. "Being free, comfortable, and with enough food to not have to work – wouldn't that be the perfect life?"
Cale started for a moment, stunned at the simple logic. Then he laughed. Loudly and without restraint.
It was the most sincere laughter Ron heard from him in years.
"You know what? You're right! You're absolutely right, Dongsaeng!" Cale wiped away a tear of amusement. "What a wonderful dream, I approve! We'll make sure you get to be a slacker."
"Really? You promise?" There were stars in Kris' eyes.
Cale toasted at him. "Sure!"
The previously stoic, distrustful boy transformed, a child-like smile brightening up his whole face. "Thank you, Hyung-nim!"
'What a cute brat,' Cale thought, messing up the other's hair. Kris was so elated from the promise of his future slacker life he didn't even protest much. 'He would make a perfect Henituse.'
Even if he wasn't his cousin from his mother's side, Cale had a feeling he would have inevitable grown fond of him extremely quickly. He and Kris just, clicked. Perhaps it was the unexpectedness of it all, the lack of expectations. Whatever the reason was – Cale liked Kris, plain and simple. He would make sure his father adopted the kid into the family for sure.
They parted shortly after, with the promise to keep contact and arranging a meeting with Cale's family after the engagement situation got resolved.
Despite the difficult political situation at hand, and having no solution for preventing the marriage just yet, Prince Cale left the meeting feeling like things were looking up.
...Then later that evening, Prince Cale got kidnapped. And his red cat disappeared with him.
Ron and Shawn stared at the traces of dead mana traces left on the apparent scene of the kidnapping, furious and helpless in the face of their failure.
"Four years," Shawn said, pain audible in his voice. "I can't believe-! Four years guarding the Prince, and we slip up now of all times…!"
On meowed pitifully, tears in her eyes. Her brother got taken as well. What if something happened to him? Her father asked her to watch over him while she and Hong got field practice under the Molan Patriarch's mentorship. Not only did she fail Cale, she failed her family too.
Ron took On into his arms and petted her soothingly. Even if he refused to admit it out loud (to anyone other than his wife that is), he always had a soft spot for his ten-year-old apprentice, and the situation called for some comforting. "Don't worry, they were definitely taken alive for a reason. We'll make sure they make it home safe."
"But what about the engagement?!" Shawn pulled his hair in despair. "Dragon Lord-nim still isn't responding and neither is Eruhaben-nim…! We have only three days before Princess Rosalyn arrives! What do we do?!"
"Calm yourself," Ron ordered sternly. "Obviously, we can't have an open investigation. Despite my efforts, there are definitely still rats hiding in the palace. If we inform the king, sooner or later other nobles will get involved. The dead mana makes it obvious the culprits are trying to pin the blame on the Kingdom of Life. They probably aiming for a three-way conflict with Roan and Breck Kingdoms. This is all a distraction."
"Of course," Shawn agreed, massaging his temples. "Why didn't I think of that. Of course the White Star is trying to cause as much mayhem as possible. The Dragon-nims can't be in too many locations at once."
"...We don't know if the White Star is directly responsible for this."
"Even if he's not to blame, I'm sure Arm is involved one way or another." Shawn smelled the dead mana and grimaced. "This stuff reeks of Black Despair. It has to be them."
"But they can't know about Aru-nim's deal with his highness."
"No, if that was the case he would be dead, not missing. You are right – it's all a distraction, nothing more."
"Hm…" Ron kept petting On, his eyes getting distant. "What if… we don't let anyone in the palace know that the Prince is missing? It would help us flush out the culprits."
Shawn turned to him in bafflement. "How? We can't play it off as Prince Cale being sick. The Breck Kingdom's delegation is going to be here soon. They would see it as a ploy to stall and cause even more problems. Unless you have a way to find him in less than three days?"
They were confident they had allies capable of rescuing the Prince. The issue was the lack of time. The situation just changed from an unstable mana bomb to a volcano on the brink of eruption.
"No… But I have an idea of how we can cover up his highness' disappearance."
Ron pictured the face of Prince Cale's newfound cousin, Kris Thames. It seemed doable.
"Yes. This… It might just work."
Best scams were those that people never saw coming.
