Chapter 9: Intertwined Circumstances

 

 

 

Chapter 9: Intertwined Circumstances

 

AKI stared dumbfounded at Arnold’s beautiful face—the man who just called himself prince.

…He’s the prince of this kingdom? I know this kingdom is a monarchy with a king ruling at the top, so it’s only obvious there would be a prince and princess too, but why is a part of the royal family isolated in this tower away from the castle? If he really is the prince, shouldn’t he be in line for the throne after the current king retires? Why is someone with such lineage…imprisoned in a tower? Struggling to believe him, she remained silent.

Arnold’s fair face softened into a strained smile as he joked, “I guess most people wouldn’t believe someone who suddenly told them they are a prince. I don’t blame you.”

While the feminine delicacy to his appearance gave off a gentle aura, his voice was surprisingly manly and robust. Only his elegant speech and gestures were testament to his noble upbringing. His kind demeanor eased Aki’s tension and she suddenly realized she had behaved rudely toward him. She walked over to his bed and bowed her head.

“…Please forgive me. This might sound like an excuse, but I have only just recently arrived in this world and do not have a strong understanding of the circumstances surrounding it or your country. My travel companion, Leo, is often angry at me for not being more aware of the situation I am in…”

“Leo?” Arnold perked up at that name. “By Leo, are you referring to Leo Gaines? He is an exemplary Mage, so he may very well have a good understanding of your situation. If memory serves me correctly, he should have graduated at the top of his class at the Academy. His intelligence and talents are exceptional. You have a reliable travel companion in him.”

Arnold candidly praised Leo, but Aki could only tilt her head at what he said. “What is the Academy?”

“You don’t know of it?” he blinked his deep blue eyes at her before quickly smiling as he caught onto the source of her confusion. “Oh, my apologies, I forgot you still don’t know much about this world. In that case, I shall explain things as simply as I can for you.

“In order for people of this world to undertake jobs involving magic such as Mage and Priests, they must undertake the appropriate lessons. Mages must graduate from a magic school called the Academy. Only those of a chosen bloodline are allowed to enter the Sanctuary, a seminary where young children train for years to become Priests.

“What we call magic is a frightening power that can be used to harm people if the user is so inclined. Is it easier to understand if I say you require the right qualifications in order to use it?” he explained, carefully picking his words to make it easier for Aki to understand.

She was grateful for his explanation and thought of Leo who had come up in their conversation. She couldn’t deny she believed Leo possessed inhuman power after he freely played around with summoning and flying magic with ease. If magic was as powerful as it seemed, it would be indispensable to have places to learn how to use it correctly such as the Academy and Seminary in a world where normal people had to live side by side with those who wielded magic.

Aki nodded vigorously to show she followed. Arnold smiled happily.

“Thank you. I don’t have many people to talk to, so I am overjoyed you sincerely listen to what I say. If you like, why don’t you take a seat in that chair? I shall tell you a little more about the Academy.”

She followed his gaze to the extravagant silk-covered chair sitting beside his bed and sat down on it.

Arnold restlessly hopped straight into another conversation, his long years of little interaction making him giddy at the chance to have an avid listener.

“The Academy is an educational facility established to train people as Mages, but that’s not all. The highest levels of learning in this entire world are studied there. Consequently, the entrance exam f0r admittance is leaps and bounds beyond most people, and though there are many scholars who want to get accepted into the Academy, only a small handful pass the test every year. Extensive effort and talent from a young age is required to get past the low acceptance rate and be accepted into the Academy.”

Aki’s mouth fell open as she listened. If what he said was correct, Leo was a far smarter and skilled person than she gave him credit for.

As Aki began seeing Leo in a new light, Arnold hit her with the clincher. “In addition to graduating from the Academy, I heard Leo Gaines graduated at the top of his class. In other words, in a school of only the very best our world has to offer, he graduated leaving behind a record of being the most gifted of his time. With that in mind, I believe his talents must be beyond exceptional. You could even say that’s why he was chosen to join Elias on his journey.”

The news was astounding. It was as if she was bearing witness to something unbelievable as Arnold spoke proudly of Leo like he was bragging about himself. Frankly, she couldn’t close her mouth after learning that Leo’s school records were of such prestige they even reached the ears of the kingdom’s imprisoned prince.

She gained a newfound respect for the saying to not judge a book by its cover. It was hard to believe that about Leo, whose gruff and unfettered behavior stood out like a sore thumb. She seriously brooded over what Arnold told her, holding onto her terribly rude first impressions of Leo.

Arnold chuckled lightly, catching wind of what she was thinking. “Was it that surprising? He’s not the type to brag about his accomplishments, so he may be embarrassed if you bring it up in front of him. I find the way he doesn’t put on pompous airs to be one of his good points,” he said quietly, before his face clouded. He muttered to no one in particular, “…And even I, although it may be surprising, am more or less a real prince. When it comes down to it, I’m likely no different from a fake.”

Aki felt something discomforting from the hidden meaning behind his words, so she asked him, “What do you mean?”

“…It means I am not functioning as a prince,” he murmured, his voice barely audible as he hesitantly rolled up his nightgown sleeves to expose his spindly wrists to her.

Aki stood from her seat and gingerly peered at his arms from above. She gasped. Several ominous magic circle-like tattoos eerily carved their way from his wrist and disappeared under where he folded his sleeve on his upper arm.

“Prince Arnold, these are—”

He turned sorrowful eyes on her. “…Indeed. These abominations are the reason I don’t function as this kingdom’s prince. From the day I was born, I have been under the Dark Lord’s curse and my limbs have been impaired.”

“The Dark Lord’s…curse?”

Aki inevitably remembered the Dark Lord who whisked Nako away. Was Arnold saying the magic circles were evidence of some curse he had placed on him?

Arnold’s limp arms shook and trembled as he peeled the rest of his nightgown off. Packed neatly across his exposed gangly limbs were even more mysterious and complicated patterns drawn into his flesh. Carved marks were etched evenly across his body with almost perfect precision. They wound their way from his ankles to his shins and even farther up his inner leg and under the thin silk cloth covering his body now that his nightgown had been tossed aside.

This is awful… Aki placed her hands over her mouth as the color leeched from her face. The Dark Lord’s curse is meant to be this repulsive?

Arnold stared at his arms and legs and smiled weakly. “It’s so repulsive it’s painful to look at, isn’t it? I can’t move my arms and legs as I wish due to the effects of this curse. I can barely put any strength into them. It’s as if they aren’t even mine to begin with. Hence, since the day I was born, I’ve been unable to set foot out of this tower with my own strength.” He looked up at the speechless Aki. “Do you know of the Priest Johann Clarence who is a member of the Hero Party?”

Aki blinked at his abrupt question. “Yes, I do. Johann has taught me much about the Hero, Dark Lord, and the workings of this world…”

“He has? He’s one of the Priests who have finished the special training at the Sanctuary, making him deeply knowledgeable about magic and history. Which is why I once asked him about the truth behind this curse. Why did the Dark Lord target me with such a merciless and vicious attack?

“According to Johann, the moment the Hero Elias was born in this kingdom, the Dark Lord feared it would become his stronghold and support him. Being born and raised in a prosperous kingdom means he automatically has instant access to a powerful ally,” Arnold explained.

Aki agreed having a safe place to return to and live after spending all day fighting monsters must have been one of the greatest pillars of support Elias could have had. No matter how much superhuman strength he possessed, being in danger 24/7 would eventually drain him until he collapsed. So the Dark Lord, his archenemy, wanted to destroy the place that had become the bastion of support for him mentally and physically.

“…Thus, the Dark Lord thought of all the ways he could weaken the kingdom and decided to take the method of ruining the only prince who would someday rule and guide the kingdom. It is only natural for a country to weaken if the person governing it has no power,” Arnold said, silent rage seething in his voice.

“From what Johann said, the Dark Lord cast a wicked spell on my already feeble mother and the child inside her—to impair the use of my four limbs when she birthed me. He must have reasoned if the prince who would eventually sit on the throne was incapable of standing adequately on his own two feet, he wouldn’t be able to lead the kingdom, much less preserve its prosperity and support the Hero.”

Arnold’s garrulity exuded a tempered fury at the Dark Lord’s unreasonable methods. Aki also found his method of attacking Arnold and his mother when they had no ability to fight back to be the epitome of cowardice. But she had to wonder, was the Dark Lord she met truly a man of such cowardly and indirect attacks?

She wasn’t trying to defend him, but when she faced him during her sister’s abduction, he seemed to be the type who, for better or worse, liked to do things fair and square. He honestly told her everything, more than he had to, which had her snickering in disbelief at first.

Could someone with such a one-track mind, and seemingly incapable of ever coming up with some sinister scheme, actually take the necessary steps to curse a completely unrelated royal family just to get at Elias?

It honestly didn’t ring true to Aki, but it had some credibility because the explanation came from Johann who was the supposed expert on the Hero, Dark Lord, and the workings of the world.

“…With this body, I can’t even properly sit on the throne. Surely, Father must hate me for being born as a good-for-nothing son.” Arnold turned his downcast expression toward the endless expanse of scenery beyond the tower’s gigantic bay window. “For what purpose was I even born?”

He caught his breath and jerked his face toward Aki. He was surprised by how open he had been with her and forced a sad smile. “Please forgive me. I’ve rarely had the chance to have someone listen to my woes. I accidentally said too much… Please forget what I said.”

Aki looked past his elusive expression into his eyes and shook her head.

He looks so frail like he’s about to disappear at any moment. He's living in despair because he can’t find a reason for his existence. I get the feeling everyone around him only pitied him for his curse and did nothing more than carefully tread around him like an infected sore. Ergo, he locked himself up all alone in this tower keeping out of sight and living a life avoiding contact with others. But…

Aki clenched her fists and brought them to her chest.

Even if he was born bearing those unfortunate circumstances, he’s still a prince. He has the obligation to take responsibility for this kingdom someday. This kingdom backs Elias as he fights to protect the world and is also the home he will return to when the battle ends.

Precisely because Aki knew Elias’ determination to fight as the Hero, she wanted Arnold to accept his fate and stand firm because of it. Elias was the Hero who would protect the world, but the hero who would protect their kingdom was the eventual King Arnold.

I’m certain this world can’t be saved if Elias is the only one trying to protect it. We need Arnold to work hard too, as the one who protects the kingdom that stands as the cornerstone of this world. I believe the world can be protected if they work together to fulfill their roles.

Someone needs to tell Arnold that. Someone has to reprove him for only ever running away. Simply pitying him all the time will only lead to him growing more pessimistic and won’t improve the situation. I get the feeling that is another one of my jobs as someone who came from another world.

Emboldened, Aki deliberately stood from her chair and grabbed both of Arnold’s curse engraved hands. His weakened life force pulsed through their linked hands. She squeezed his hands to transfer her warmth over to him.

“Prince Arnold, this may be presumptuous of me to say, but just as Elias is in a position to protect this world, I believe you are also in a position to protect this kingdom as its prince. Thus, I wish you wouldn’t call yourself a failure and turn away from your duty.”

Just like how Elias is facing his fate as Hero head-on.

Aki continued to further press Arnold whose eyes wavered. “I believe only you, Prince Arnold, the man who is to become the next king, can support the future of the people who live in this country and Elias who will return here someday. That is why I want you to stop being pessimistic about the Dark Lord’s curse. Don’t avoid life by isolating yourself in this tower. Fight alongside Elias and the others!”

Before she knew it, Aki’s voice had grown louder and she felt like she was rebuking Arnold for complaining. If no one else living in the kingdom could reprove him because of his high standing, then she needed to because she was not bound by their hierarchy.

I don’t know if this is going to have a good effect on him or if it’s going to drive him further into a corner.

She paused temporarily and strengthened her fingers around his hands. She looked straight into his shaken deep-blue eyes and brought his hands to her forehead.

“You are the only one who can protect the place Elias, Johann, and Leo can return to with a smile after they defeat the Dark Lord. Only you, Prince Arnold, can do it because you were born as a prince. For that purpose, I want you to live to your fullest without losing to some stupid curse placed on you by the Dark Lord. Please lend us your strength, Prince Arnold!” She bowed her head imploringly.

If Arnold could move on to protecting the kingdom without being daunted by the Dark Lord’s curse, his actions would be a source of great encouragement to Elias. Just knowing there was someone else out there taking on their fate would be reassuring.

To Arnold, who continued to live believing it’d be best if he had never been born, Aki’s need of him brought immense joy. She was the first person to ever unabashedly reprove him to his face. Everyone had treated him kindly, but there was a cold formality to their kindness, which had the contrary effect of causing him unbearable pain and bitterness.

He wanted people to interact with him normally, with no pity attached. For the first time, he realized maybe that was why he closed himself off from the world in the detached tower—to escape from the people around him. He resigned himself to be content with his misfortune.

The instant he realized his foolishness, he was ashamed of his pathetic actions and squeezed Aki’s hands back the best he could with his limited strength.

“Thank you, Aki. You are truly amazing. Every word you speak to me brings happiness and gives me the hope of life. Until now, I took advantage of circumstances caused by the curse to run away from my position, didn’t I? …I think a part of me understood that too. Perhaps I sulked in hopes someone would notice me. See me. Hear me. I am deeply ashamed of my childish and selfish behavior,” Arnold said, then looked at Aki with a bashful smile. It was the first expression he showed to have any life behind it.

He let go of her hands and turned his eyes toward the imperial castle seen through another bay window.

“There should be many things I can do for this kingdom as prince, even with my limbs impaired. The future of this kingdom rests on my shoulders after all.” Arnold faltered with his words as if he were trying to convince himself. “I have to fulfill my responsibilities as one born to the royal family. This is something only I am capable of. The reason for my birth lies there.”

Vitality returned to his deep blue eyes as he smiled courageously. He had only given off an ephemeral and gentle impression until that point, but his true personality was one with an unyielding spirit.

Elated by his change, Aki peered at his face and smiled brightly. “Thank you very much, Prince Arnold! With this, Elias has gained yet another promising ally!”

“I see. Elias, is it? You truly care for him, don’t you?”

“Huh?”

His unexpected question took her by surprise.

“Pardon me. I was just thinking you are a very lovely lady who changed my outlook on life with a few simple words and that if you were okay with someone like me, I would announce myself as a possible partner for you. But I don’t think there is any space for me to butt in,” he laughed teasingly.

“P-Partner?” Aki’s face reddened once she realized what he meant.

The moment was shattered by the clamoring of feet racing up the tower stairs.

Aki and Arnold exchanged curious looks just before the door flung open and Elias dashed inside with his golden hair and white cloak fluttering behind him.

“Aki! Is this where you were all this time?! I was shocked to find you had disappeared without me! Why did you leave my side without telling me?!”

A red-faced Elias barged into the room and pulled Aki from her seat into his arms. She stumbled and huffily puffed out her cheeks upon receiving a scolding she didn’t deserve.

“You can yell all you like, but I came here alone because I thought it would be impolite to disrupt your fun with the castle maids flocking around you. I had a bit of business to attend to, so yeah…” She explained in a roundabout manner because she hadn’t told him about the Goddess’ notebook yet.

But Elias didn’t seem to think much about what her business might be. Rather he was more confused by her attitude. “Aki, are you angry about something? Did I possibly do something to offend you?”

“If I may offer my humble opinion, I would say the problem is you are too dense to notice things. You need to think of Aki’s feelings too, especially when she is with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Prince Arnold! Please refrain from saying weird stuff!” Aki lightly glowered at Arnold with a red face before he could say more unnecessary things and then proceeded to look from his to Elias’ face.

They interacted with each other without diffidence, leading her to wonder if the Hero and prince were on friendly terms. She asked them about it to learn Elias occasionally visited Arnold in the tower to chat and that they were friends. Telling Arnold about his adventures outside the castle, especially in the Field, had become a daily routine for them.

Arnold coughed to clear his throat and looked up at Elias from his bed with a formal expression. “Elias, I have something to report to you. After speaking with her, I have decided to repent for my pathetic behavior until now.”

“…Meaning?” Elias asked, puzzled.

Arnold flashed a sinister smile. “I promised to fight alongside you in order to protect this world. Protecting this kingdom is my mission as royalty after all.”

Elias couldn’t hide his surprise at Arnold’s sudden change of heart.

Arnold placed his hand over his heart in a traditional form of pledging in their kingdom and said, “Let us fight together. I shall protect the place you will return to.”