Chapter 56
“Yes.”
“You’re going to use a magic bow in the hunting competition? Are you that lacking in confidence in your own archery skills?”
Strictly speaking, the rules did not forbid the use of magic bows.
However, that clause was meant for mages who had never learned how to shoot a bow. If someone who wasn’t a mage used one, they would usually be mocked.
Of course, if Lionel were ridiculed like that, it would give Kayen something entertaining to watch—so he wouldn’t exactly mind.
He prepared a magic bow himself? That doesn’t sound like him.
As expected—
“Ahem. Y-Your Highness, First Prince. Forgive me, but the bow in the Second Prince’s possession can hardly be considered a magic bow.”
A man in a long robe with a splendid mustache carefully addressed Kayen.
Kayen stared at him for a moment before asking, “And who are you?”
“I am Graham, a royal mage. I was assigned as an assistant mage for this hunting competition.”
Assistant mages had various roles during such events, but Graham had been called to examine the magic placed on Lionel’s bow.
After inspecting it closely, he announced his conclusion.
“The only spell placed on this bow is a security spell. There is no magic on it that would aid in hunting.”
“A security spell? …The fire from earlier?”
Kayen frowned. He had a bad feeling about this.
“What kind of security spell makes the bow burst into flames?”
“Yes, Your Highness. It ignites when touched by someone other than its owner.”
“If it bursts into flames when someone else touches it, isn’t that far too dangerous?”
“Not at all. It only looks flashy. If someone touches it, it’s just an ‘Ow, that’s hot!’ level of heat. However…”
“However?”
“It seems the young lady of Duke Rohaim, who purchased this bow, unknowingly requested an excessively high security level.”
“…The young lady of Duke Rohaim?”
Kayen’s expression stiffened.
Unaware of the change in atmosphere, Graham continued to chatter.
“Normally, security spells only react to another person’s touch. But this bow also reacts to animals and even tools.”
“Tools, you say.”
“You see, spells that react only to human touch have a flaw. One could simply have an animal fetch it or grab it with tongs and steal it. Hahaha!”
Graham laughed carelessly, only to notice too late that Kayen was staring at him coldly. He quickly shut his mouth.
“Y-Your Highness…?”
“The reason I came here,” Kayen said slowly, “is because I pitied my younger brother, who did not receive a handkerchief from his fiancée. So I granted this maid the honor of tying one onto the Second Prince’s bow.”
“Ah, I see.”
Though he was a royal mage, Graham had little interest in palace politics. He did not understand what kind of social impact it would have if a maid tied a handkerchief onto the Second Prince’s bow.
So he simply stated the truth.
“With the current security spell on this bow, that would be impossible. The handkerchief would burn the moment it was tied.”
“Didn’t you say it would only be hot enough for an ‘Ow, that’s hot’?”
“That’s only if the person pulls their hand away immediately.”
Anyone with normal reflexes would let go the moment they felt the heat. But if something remained in contact with the bow…
“The bow would judge it as theft and continue to emit flames.”
“……”
“In fact, the commotion earlier happened because I was testing the security level myself. Hahaha!”
“Hahaha!”
As if to hide his embarrassment, Graham laughed loudly. Kayen joined him with a hearty laugh of his own.
The louder their laughter became, the heavier the silence around them grew.
When Graham finally stopped awkwardly, Kayen’s laughter also ceased.
“You’re quite unfortunate, my dear brother. To have such a selfish young lady as your fiancée.”
“A selfish young lady?” Lionel asked calmly.
“If she couldn’t attend, she should at least allow another woman to tie a handkerchief to your bow. Doesn’t it mean she values her own feelings over your honor?”
Everyone present exchanged uneasy glances.
For the First Prince to say such a thing meant that, regardless of Cecilia’s true intention, this was how the story should spread.
As for the hurt a young lady—not even of age yet—might suffer from such rumors? Kayen did not care in the slightest.
His Highness can be so cold…
The Duke’s daughter is truly pitiful. How unfortunate to become the Second Prince’s fiancée.
While everyone silently pitied Cecilia, Lionel spoke as if nothing was wrong.
“She is not selfish. It is her rightful claim.”
“What?”
“It would be overstepping for someone else to tie the handkerchief meant to be tied by my fiancée.”
Lionel met Kayen’s eyes and added, “I respect my fiancée’s wishes.”
“…Ha.”
Kayen let out a short scoff and glared at him. But Lionel stood calmly, showing no sign of fear.
Soon, Kayen’s face also went expressionless.
They both looked blank. Yet at that moment, everyone who had once thought Lionel inhuman felt something even more chilling from Kayen’s face.
“Rio, my dear brother.”
A gentle smile slowly appeared on Kayen’s lips.
As the onlookers wondered if they had imagined the earlier tension, Kayen stepped closer to Lionel and whispered into his ear.
“How arrogant you’ve become. What is an engagement that hasn’t even had its ceremony yet? Do you already think she belongs to you?”
“……”
“Don’t be mistaken. Don’t be so proud. That woman…”
Kayen gripped Lionel’s shoulder tightly and whispered in a threatening tone.
“She will never become yours.”
“……”
Lionel lowered his eyes and remained silent, as if he had no intention of arguing.
Finding that obedience satisfactory, Kayen smiled faintly and patted his shoulder.
Then he noticed the earring sparkling on Lionel’s ear.
A watery blue. Anyone who knew Cecilia would naturally think of her.
“A man wearing an earring. How vulgar. Take it off.”
Lionel bowed his head slightly.
“I will keep that in mind.”
It was not an answer that suited the order. For a moment, Kayen flared with anger, but Lionel had already passed him, and the timing to stop him was gone.
“You… insolent brat!”
Kayen was about to explode in rage when his vision spun. He barely suppressed his anger.
“Your Highness!”
A royal knight quickly supported him. The touch irritated him, but he could not push it away. With sharp eyes, he glared at Lionel’s retreating figure.
Fine. Let’s see how far your arrogance takes you.
“We’re leaving!”
Once he could stand on his own, Kayen turned and headed back to his tent.
The royal knight and attendants followed. Liz, still holding the handkerchief, sighed in relief and quickly left as well.
Meanwhile, inside his tent, Lionel sat upright in a chair and carefully polished his bow. Because he was holding it himself, the cloth did not burn.
After some time passed, an attendant arrived to announce that the hunting competition was about to begin.
“His Majesty will soon begin his speech. Let us go.”
“Very well.”
The Emperor personally attended to give words of encouragement to the participants. Eager to distinguish themselves before him, the competitors were filled with determination.
Some wanted to catch the Emperor’s eye.
Some sought to bring honor to their family.
Others hoped to impress and win over their fiancée.
With different goals in their hearts, the participants enthusiastically entered the forest.
“I’ll take first place!”
“Please, just let me catch at least one deer…”
At that moment, none of them knew.
“G-giant wolves!”
At the summit of Mount Hayton, giant wolves lived in packs inside caves.
Their size rivaled that of great bears, and they always moved in groups of at least twenty. They were the absolute predators of the mountain.
They were beasts that never descended below the mountain’s midsection.
And yet, they had come down to the lakeside.
No one had expected that, instead of being hunted, the participants of the competition would become the prey.