Chapter 121 - 2-3
"Are you curious?"
"Yes, of course."
I nodded despite my confusion. Prince Isaac's smile deepened. "I thought as much. In that case, I shall tell the Lady Saint a particularly interesting story."
"...One moment, please."
Louis-sama, who had been watching Prince Isaac intently, stopped him with a polite smile. He glanced around and whispered, "This conversation seems ill-suited for this setting." He immediately signaled to Cyril, who was waiting in the distance. Cyril responded instantly, and Louis-sama gave him instructions. Judging by how Cyril nodded as they leaned in close, he was likely arranging a room.
Once he finished, Louis-sama turned back with a pleasant smile. "My apologies for the wait. This way, please."
We followed Cyril out of the hall and down a quiet corridor to a room. It was a grand reception room that looked as if it had been prepared in advance. Once Louis-sama and I sat across from Prince Isaac and Count Baraja, a waiting maid immediately served tea.
"I will ring the bell if we need anything. You may all leave. Also, Cyril."
"Yes. I will handle the ball, so please let me know if there is any urgent business."
"I'm counting on you."
After speaking to the maid, Louis-sama looked at Cyril. Understanding the unspoken command, Cyril turned on his heel and left the room politely. Prince Isaac took a sip of his tea and looked up as he noticed my gaze. He returned the cup to the table with elegant, silent movements and smiled.
"Now, where shall we begin? I have had several opportunities to see Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but this is the first time we have spoken like this."
"Personally, I have been wishing for a chance to speak with you at length, Prince Isaac."
"Haha, my apologies. I usually leave everything to my brother. Since I'm in the knights' order, stiff atmospheres don't really suit my nature."
Both men were smiling and speaking amicably, yet they seemed to be testing each other. It was Louis-sama who changed the atmosphere.
"Then please, do not stand on ceremony. Make yourself comfortable. It will be easier for us to talk that way."
With those words, Louis-sama narrowed his eyes, intentionally shifting his smile to exude a more relaxed air. I could feel the atmosphere in the room soften just from his gentle smile. Prince Isaac's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before his shoulders shook with a quiet chuckle.
"Impressive. I'll take you up on that, then."
Prince Isaac leaned back in his chair, his gaze turning sharper as he looked at me. "I'm not fond of talking in circles, so let's get straight to the point. You have questions, don't you? Shall I answer them first?"
"Um... regarding what we were discussing earlier..."
"Whether I knew about the spirits of darkness?"
"Yes."
I looked at Louis-sama first. He gave a slow nod. Relieved, I turned back to Prince Isaac. He seemed to have anticipated my question and narrowed his eyes.
"Yes, I know of them. In the Kingdom of Orta, spirits of darkness are rare, but they are more precious than anything else."
"The spirits of darkness are?! But... how..."
"You wouldn't know, I suppose. We have intentionally kept the truth about them hidden in our country."
The spirits of darkness, whose very existence was unknown in the Kingdom of Dutoit, were recognized in the neighboring country? Even though they were originally the same nation, how could that be? I was left speechless by his casual revelation. Beside me, I heard Louis-sama let out a soft breath. He was watching Prince Isaac and Count Baraja with heightened caution, despite his relaxed expression.
"You kept it a strict secret to ensure nothing leaked abroad. Why reveal its existence now?"
"Your Royal Highness is quite impatient."
"If I miss this chance, it wouldn't be surprising if I didn't see you again for years, Prince Isaac. While I don't personally mind talking in circles, I believe you prefer a more direct approach."
Prince Isaac shrugged at Louis-sama's words. However, when Count Baraja agreed, saying, "He is quite right," the Prince let out a hearty, amused laugh.
"Let's just say the history of the spirits of darkness is intertwined with the founding of our country."
"...If that's the case, then it must involve Dutoit as well."
"No matter how much you search in this country, you won't see the other side of the coin. Well... I can't exactly explain more than that here."
Prince Isaac gave a suspicious, knowing grin. "By the way, since you've received the blessing of the Dark Spirit King, you can use the power of darkness, can't you?"
"...Yes, well."
"Manipulating time is quite difficult without a good teacher, isn't it?"
For a moment, I forgot to maintain my composure. Seeing my wide eyes, Prince Isaac merely muttered, "...I see."
Both Prince Isaac and Count Baraja even know about the power of darkness... even though in this country, even the power of light is kept secret from everyone except the royalty.
Ignoring my confusion, Prince Isaac stood up and walked over to a display cabinet. He pointed to a dagger kept there and looked back at us.
"Since I'm not carrying a sword right now, would you mind lending me this dagger?"
"...A dagger?"
"If you don't mind it getting a bit dirty."
Louis-sama furrowed his brow, but Prince Isaac shrugged. "Don't be so suspicious. I'll clean it and return it immediately. I'm just going to show you something you'll want to know. I won't leave this spot, and I have no intention of hurting anyone."
Prince Isaac's gaze was steady and honest. After a moment of thought, Louis-sama gave his permission. Satisfied, Prince Isaac drew the dagger and, without hesitation, pressed the blade against his own arm.
"Prince Isaac!"
"Someone, get a bandage!"
A straight cut appeared on his arm, and blood began to seep out. Despite my cry of alarm, Prince Isaac remained calm. "It's not deep. This is just a scratch."
"But the blood..."
To see foreign royalty bleed before my eyes... If something goes wrong, this could become a diplomatic incident. Louis-sama was also staring with wide eyes, but Count Baraja remained calm, watching in silence.
"Lady Saint, watch closely. This is dark magic."
Setting the dagger aside, Prince Isaac covered the wound on his left arm with his right hand. He chanted a short incantation, and a faint, shimmering light enveloped his arm. I didn't understand what was happening; I had never heard such an incantation before. As I watched in a daze, the light faded, and he pulled his hand away. A shocking sight awaited me.
"The wound... is gone?"
"How can this be?"
The cut that had been there moments ago had vanished completely.
"Just as the royalty of Dutoit has a strong affinity for light, some of us in the Orta royal family can use dark magic."
I stood frozen, my hand over my mouth, desperately trying to process the situation. But Prince Isaac's next words brought a shock so great I felt as though I might faint.
"We, the royalty of Orta, are descendants of the Dark Saint."
Thank you for the bookmarks, ratings, comments, and typo reports. I suspect many of you are still not used to Rachel calling him "Louis-sama" instead of "Your Highness." To be honest, I'm not used to it yet either, but it shows how much closer they've become. The next chapter will likely be from Isaac's perspective. Finally, I'd like to announce that the second volume of the light novel is scheduled for release on October 10th. Details are in the activity report. Please check it out!