#108

The days grew hotter by the day. The sun intensified, as if intent on burning and then fading away. The further south they traveled, the higher the humidity rose, and the less time the moon was in the sky. As if sensing Cullen’s conflicted heart, wanting to hurry yet not wanting to, the journey took longer than expected.

There were a few minor accidents. Arne, who insisted on wearing her priestly robes until the end, collapsed once from heatstroke. Lasano, who claimed to be a master cook, started a fire that burned half their belongings. Ulli, while climbing a tree to pick fruit, was poisoned by the bark.

Naturally, Kiyen was the only one unaffected by the chaos. He wore his usual pure white robe and maintained a noble demeanor, untouched by the heat. He rode behind Cullen.

“……Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

The question, repeated dozens of times since yesterday, came out again. Kiyen raised an eyebrow as if amused, yet answered the repeated query.

“It’s fine.”

Currently, they only had four horses. There was a story behind that: a few days before Lasano started the fire, one of the startled horses had run off, leaving the group with exactly five horses.

Amidst this, the horse Ulli had taken to find fruit also died after eating a poisonous berry, leaving only enough horses for four people to ride. Ulli was met with a barrage of criticism.

However, she had a valid excuse. Her claim was that there were originally no poisonous fruits in the south.

“Are you asking me because you want me to hear it?”

Ulli, with her keen hearing, would retort every time Cullen asked Kiyen such questions. She seemed apologetic.

“You should reflect on yourself for killing a precious horse.”

“But Lasano-nim, you let a horse run away?”

“It didn’t die, though. On the other hand, the goddess will be saddened by the poor horse Ulli-nim killed.”

Lasano suddenly offered a prayer. Arne, who had been noticeably weakened since her bout with heatstroke, spoke up in a slightly stronger voice, siding with Ulli.

“But it’s not Ulli-nim’s fault. Animals naturally avoid eating poisonous things, so if the horse did, something must have been wrong.”

“Right. There are rumors that ever since the unfamiliar Demonic Beasts started appearing in the East, the environment in the vicinity has been changing little by little.”

Seizing the opportunity, she quickly agreed with Arne’s words.

“Besides, honestly, isn’t this beneficial for Cullen?”

At Ulli’s words, Cullen’s hands gripping the reins faltered. She had hit the nail on the head.

How could she dislike it? With Kiyen behind her, and him saying it wasn’t uncomfortable, how could she dislike it? In fact, she had to suppress the joy that kept showing on her face. The only side effect was that she felt awkward in her posture, too conscious of him behind her.

“Then, Ulli-nim and I have contributed to a good cause.”

Lasano, quickly changing his stance, spouted nonsense. Ulli joined him for once.

“You’re giving a couple some quality time together.”

“It was the goddess’s arrangement…!”

Arne, her energy seemingly returning, chimed in.

Cullen let their words drift past as he moved forward. The weather was hot and sticky, making him uncomfortable, but his mood was good. Moreover, perhaps because he was near Kiyen, he felt not hot, but even cool.

“Are you uncomfortable? Why do you keep asking?”

Just then, Kiyen’s arm suddenly reached out and took the reins. Their chests pressed together. Startled, Cullen turned his head, and the sharp bridge of Kiyen’s nose was right before him. They were so close it wouldn’t be strange if their lips touched. His eyelashes fluttered. It was dizzying.

“How could that… be possible.”

It took several seconds to utter that simple answer. His breath hitched slightly. His earlobes must have turned red. With nowhere to look but his face, his mouth grew dry. Though he saw him every day, Kiyen looked exceptionally beautiful up close.

Kiyen’s expression was also peculiar. Seeing Cullen’s reddened eyes, he too paused for a moment. A tense atmosphere briefly settled. Kiyen’s fingers slowly overlapped Cullen’s on the reins.

“I will ride.”

Before Cullen could even say he didn’t have to, Kiyen began riding, holding him close. His entire body flushed with heat, but for a different reason than before. It was hot. Terribly so.

“We should be the ones getting paid for this!”

Leaving Lasano’s exclamation behind, Cullen tried to find a topic of conversation. A massive sand wall began to appear in the distance. They would arrive in about thirty minutes if they rode at this pace. Staring blankly at it, Cullen brought up the topic of Demonic Beasts that Ulli had mentioned.

“Kiyen-nim, have you ever seen Demonic Beasts? I mean…”

Before being confined to the Imperial Palace.

The question he had managed to bring up made Cullen’s expression darken. The Imperial Palace was tied to nothing but terrible memories for Kiyen.

“Before being confined? Yes, I have. Not as many as you hear now. There were strangely many humans…”

However, instead of being displeased, Kiyen calmly began to tell his story.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any since coming out.”

“Yes. Things related to Akesis appeared, but they weren’t Demonic Beasts.”

“But in the end, those are also what humans call Demonic Beasts.”

“But Kwanu, unlike Demonic Beasts, had no intention of attacking humans. He’s hardly a Demonic Beast to be called…”

The horse began to pick up speed slightly, and Cullen found himself pressed tightly against Kiyen. His eyes widened slightly. Unlike Cullen, Kiyen continued the conversation, riding the horse without any change in his demeanor.

“To you, who received his intentions, that may be so. But ultimately, humans will only remember him as a Demonic Beast who destroyed their homes. Not all Demonic Beasts are beings entirely filled with malice, as you think. They simply prey on humans, just as you hunt animals.”

Kiyen spoke in a way Cullen, a human, could not comprehend.

“But… there are those who kill for fun. Just as there are humans who hunt animals for sport.”

At Cullen’s rebuttal, Kiyen looked down at him.

“…Is that so.”

Hearing Cullen’s words, Kiyen fell into thought. However, he didn’t seem angry, so Cullen remained silent. After the lukewarm wind repeatedly tangled his hair, the group finally arrived at the heart of the South.

Guards were stationed at the entrance of the city wall. Seeing people lining up and being inspected in turn gave Cullen a strange sense of returning to reality. Having seen ruined territories on their journey, this sight was a rarity.

“Are we just going in like this? Given the circumstances, this Duke seems to be involved with Zarkas, so surely he’s… plotting something?”

Ulli said with suspicious eyes. It was natural, considering he had openly disdained Cullen even in the palace. It was even more so, given that his boasts about Ruffellon’s territory had been relayed to the Young Duke.

“It appears so.”

Kiyen spoke then. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he reached out an arm.

“There’s a wanted poster.”

“A wanted poster?”

Arne asked, her voice suddenly filled with fear. Lasano approached Kiyen with interest. However, the distance was considerable, and only the presence of posters on the wall was visible to the naked eye.

“Who is it? Am I on it? Is it drawn unflatteringly?”

Ulli’s voice was strangely excited.

“Everyone is on it. Each one is uglier than their actual face.”

Ah, Kiyen added with a sound.

“Cullen’s face is quite something. They really tried to capture it.”

It was a simple remark, but it strangely embarrassed him. The back of his neck felt hot.

“Wow, how annoying.”

“I’m curious to know how bad it is to warrant such a comment.”

Lasano looked intrigued.

“Woman, your face and the cook’s are hardly alike, so you should be able to enter as you are. Your attire is also different, so it should work. You are… described as ferocious murderers.”

At the word ‘murderer,’ Arne flinched.

“M-me? I’ve only killed plants…! I’ve never even caught an animal with my own hands…”

“Can’t you do something with magic? The Sorcerer in the cave brainwashed people, can’t you do that?”

Cullen refused Ulli’s suggestion.

“Kiyen-nim’s magic has conditions. Moreover, that kind of magic… would require a significant amount of power.”

Kiyen glanced at Cullen. Cullen had told Kiyen in Exion’s territory that he wouldn’t order him to use magic for his sake. Perhaps recalling that, Kiyen’s expression changed subtly.

“It’s not difficult, but it does consume magical energy.”

“Then it would be better to enter by another method.”

“There’s supposed to be the strongest being in the world, so why do we always have to struggle?”

Ulli grumbled, but she ran her hands through her hair as if trying to think of a way. Though she said it casually, the situation was more serious than it seemed.

Even if it was a nominal title, Cullen was the Crown Prince. While what happened to Ruffellon’s Young Duke could be attributed to a malicious scheme, this was clearly an act of treason.

For a Duke, who should be serving the Crown Prince, to post wanted posters on the city wall labeling him a criminal was outrageous.

“Is my charge also listed as murderer?”

When Cullen asked, Kiyen nodded. Duke Renon had crossed the line. Regardless of his actual power, designating him, the clearest heir to the throne, in this manner was an act of treason. Cullen wasn’t emphasizing his own status. This was a matter concerning the Empire’s safety.

His mind became complicated. While Zarkas’s objective was unclear, he knew they intended to kill the goddess. That, in turn, was directly related to the Larciel Empire.

There was a high possibility of events that could overturn the country, with Duke Renon at its core. Kihelene flashed through Cullen’s mind. Duke Renon had intended to make her Emperor, but what if that was a step towards a larger plan…?

She was in danger.

“…If something were to happen to Kihelene, Kiyen-nim would have felt it, so she is still safe. Am I correct?”

“That is correct. I feel no disturbance.”

If war broke out, many people would die. Cullen had seen some of Zarkas’s power. They had Kiyen, but Cullen had no intention of slaughtering innocent people as he had before. He had never felt patriotism, but he cared about the lives that would be lost if the country was overthrown.

Countless people like himself would emerge. Souls wandering, having lost their families.

Most importantly, he didn’t want to force Kiyen to exert himself.

He had to stop Zarkas as soon as possible and return to the palace. Beyond the succession, he needed to discuss the Empire’s future with Kihelene. That, in turn, was directly linked to Kiyen’s wish. Because Kiyen, surely… wanted freedom.

Therefore, Kihelene must now devise a way to rule the Empire without Kiyen, without Dragons. A way to start everything anew.

“Kiyen-nim, could you allow me to speak directly with Kihelene?”

Kiyen gazed intently at him. Golden light gradually spread in his pupils.

“It is possible.”

“Please do.”

Kiyen responded with action. One of his hands, holding the reins, reached out and cupped Cullen’s chin.

His eyes widened. Before he could react, their foreheads touched. A coolness, compared to Cullen’s body temperature, seemed to seep in, and then he felt something mixing within his body.

With a jolt, his vision flipped. He felt as if he were wandering through a dizzying light, and then he saw an image from afar. Kihelene, with her dark purple hair, sitting alone in a garden within a vast, empty palace, gazing out beyond the walls.

‘Kihelene.’

Cullen called out to her. His lips did not move. Yet, the sound spread. At the sound of his name, Kihelene spun around. As if waiting for someone, a white smile bloomed first.

‘Silfi?’

Had she found Silfir? Kihelene, calling out an endearment, then looked at Cullen, or rather, Kiyen’s clone, and her smile faded slightly.

‘Guardian Dragon-nim.’

As she prepared to show respect, Cullen spoke.

‘It is I, Kihelene. Cullen.’

‘Your Highness?’

Color bloomed on Kihelene’s face. She approached with quick steps.

‘Have you been well? Can you speak to me directly? I missed you!’

Though their encounters had been few, she seemed genuinely delighted. Like a lonely soul drawn to warmth.

‘I am fine. Kihelene, are you still alone in the palace?’

‘Ah… technically, yes. Silfir has not yet returned, and there is no one in the palace besides myself, the council of elders, the guards, and the servants. So it is very lonely. My father is no longer here either…’

Cullen recalled the Imperial Palace’s forces. The guards were not lacking in skill, but their numbers were small for their ability. If Kiyen’s clone disappeared and troops were to enter, the palace…

‘Kihelene. Listen carefully. Treason may occur.’

Cullen spoke directly. Kihelene’s purple eyes widened.

‘What? What do you mean….’

The image began to blur. For reasons unknown, the connection seemed to be weakening.

‘Do not trust anyone. Do not rely solely on magic; trust yourself. Trust yourself as you were educated to be Emperor. And the guards, as much as possible…’

The rest of his words were not transmitted. With Kihelene’s face filled with anxiety, Cullen returned to reality.

With a sensation like being pulled from water, his heart pounded. Gasping, he lifted his head and saw Kiyen’s sharp golden eyes. His expression was strange.

“Kiyen-nim?”

“The clone’s power is almost depleted.”

Kiyen slowly lifted his forehead.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“It means the clone no longer has the strength to exchange information in this manner.”

“Then what happens to Kihelene?”

“She will no longer be able to see my clone. When my fragment moves…”

Kiyen said, gazing in the direction of the capital.

“It is when she is in mortal danger.”