Steady Gardener (2)
lchior’s gardening gloves were covered in dirt.
‘Wow, what am I going to do with this image?’
lchior, returning his pruning shears to the toolbox, pointed to a simple wooden chair placed by the pond.
“Sit down; now’s a good ti.”
As he sat down, he could see a rose with the leaves beginning to fall. Looking closer, the leaves had been eaten, and the vines were yellowish. A tin kettle and a rough tip cup were placed randomly on the simple outdoor table. The prince took off his gardening gloves, revealing thin cotton gloves underneath them. Kleio, who glanced at the back of lchior’s hand, felt disappointed.
‘You can’t see a stigma unless you put ether into it, but it’s unusual.’
He couldn’t understand the prince’s thought process at all.
‘Well, is there anything I can understand about him? No, I suppose not.’
Whatever Kleio was feeling, lchior remained elegant and relaxed as he poured so tea before pushing the glass in front of Kleio. Kleio, catching himself a mont later, looking around reflexively for a photographer or illustrator. He suspected that this was for so promotional picture, a picture of the prince of simple tastes caring for the garden. Wouldn’t that make for a good photo? There was no way the prince couldn’t notice Kleio’s glancing about, however.
“What are you looking for?”
“I was looking around because I thought I was in the presence of a journalist again.”
“Haha, you must’ve been quite surprised by the dal ceremony the other day, Sir Kleio.”
“It’s sothing I’m not used to.”
“Today is a holiday with no planned schedule. This is my private space, not a place for journalists.”
‘He says that, but he seems pretty close with them…’
Everything about it was uncomfortable for Kleio, but the casual way the prince referred to him was the most uncomfortable. Kleio had only signed a pledge of loyalty without [Covenant] and been granted a position as a formality, but he felt he was being treated as a subordinate each ti the title was used.
“Would you please use a title that suits my age and situation instead of referring to as a knight?”
“When others get the title, they are eager to use it. Why don’t you like it?”
“It’s because I feel like I’m wearing clothes that don’t suit .”
“Alright, let’s do that, Kleio. You’ve caught in the middle of my hobby.”
“I thought it might be a pretense. However, the cottage garden in the middle of the palace has quite the atmosphere.”
“One-third of the rose vines are rotten, and it’s too late to dig up the flower bulbs, but thank you for that. There was an early frost this year, so I don’t know how the flowers are still blooming.”
lchior, still sipping at his tea from a tin cup and dressed in simple clothes stained with soil, gazed at the declining garden. A gentle smile erged on his face. Even though Kleio knew he wasn’t a human being worthy of such an expression, in such a mont, he couldn’t take his eyes off him. How did a person who knew the world was being used again and again grow new flowers every year? Kleio couldn’t even guess at his feelings.
‘To those who knew that everything has already been decided, the blooming and death of those flowers and of humans may feel no different.’
Rather, he thought the forr might hurt him more.
“Skillful gardeners hear each and every signal from the plants and the trees, but I can’t understand it. That’s disqualification as a gardener.”
In lchior’s speech, his will mingled with a slight sense of regret. Those wordless plants were the only things that the prince could peacefully exist with. If he could read the hearts of everyone in the world, that would be hell. His unstable origin, excessive beauty, and extre power all drove him far from what made a human being happy.
‘Though it had nothing to do with . Right now, he’s the crown prince of Albion.’
“Are you often too busy with your duties to devote ti to your hobbies? Rather, I’d like to ask where you learned landscape architecture.”
“When I was young, there was a quiet gardener who took care of this place. There was no gardener who knew how to cultivate a simple cottage garden, so they brought a worker from my mother’s hotown. I followed him and learned by watching.”
“Oh, then, maybe this place…”
“Yes. It was my deceased mother’s residence. She was originally a commoner, so she couldn’t grow attached to that cold palace and longed for her hotown. His Majesty created this to resemble her hotown.
“It still has a beautiful and simple appearance.”
“You know how to flatter when you have a request.”
Kleio stiffened while holding his glass.
“…I can’t hide my heart from the prince.”
He took a sip of the tea to hide his twitching lips. He couldn’t even sll the tea.
“Haha, isn’t this the first ti you contacted first? However, Asel is an important contract partner for , so if I can provide convenience for you, I’ll listen to it. Let tell you.”
Should he be grateful that they were getting to the point fast, or should he be afraid? Of course, Kleio wouldn’t miss his chance.
“Can you get in and out of the King’s Library?”
“However much.”
“Yes?”
“Will you go now?”
“…Without asking why?”
“What do I know about magic? Most of the books in the King’s archives are indecipherable ancient docunts, miracles and wonders, and forbidden magic, but they aren’t sothing that can be realized.”
“I’ve heard that is the case.”
“It’s a good attitude to have an inquiring mind. Besides, this is really my first ti doing this, so it’s fun for .”
It was fortunate he understood, but that only made Kleio more uncomfortable.
‘…Does this author allow anything to further the manuscript? I doubt it’ll go over so smoothly.’
“Also, I have sothing to ask of you.”
Kleio felt an icy sword rub against his throat at those words. lchior’s request had no details, making it an item scarier than a blank check that was signed and handed over.
“Is there anything you can tell about it?”
“It’s a short-term guidance.”
“Are you planning a trip? I was born and raised in Kolpos, and I don’t even know downtown Lundane, so I don’t know where I can guide you.”
“Why, is there any place you can’t? You have a unique prediction skill.”
“It’s hard to guess where you’ll need it.”
“I, too, will enter the rembered world once. In that case, I will need a guide.”
‘Did the prince show any interest in the dungeon in the last manuscript?’
Looking through the manuscript through mory, he found a retrospective of Isiel, who had accompanied the prince into the dungeon. They were in the City of Pearl, at the safest place in the dungeon. When the door opened to the City of Pearl, the crown prince intervened with Arthur’s party with great timing. Arthur and Isiel tried to stop them, but they were defeated without a weapon by the words, ‘The rembered world is also my territory, so I cannot withdraw from the work of protecting my territory and subjects.’ Thus, the real purpose of the prince’s visit was unknown until the end. Maybe it was just a move to gain popularity.
‘So that’s probably why he needs guidance. But that’ll be dangerous.’
“Why would you want to dwell in such a dangerous place?”
“Dear Kleio, I have no obligation to explain why.”
Subtle loneliness lingered in lchior’s gaze. The tension was like the mont of calm before a tsunami hit, but Kleio barely managed to answer yes.
“I apologize.”
“So, I’ll ask you in the future.”
.
.
.
After that, he was busy following the prince. It seed like he had turned around nine corners and climbed five stairs before lchior stood before a long corridor without a single picture. The prince, who was looking closely at the wall, took off the glove from his left. Taking a close look, it appeared to be a normal, clean hand.
‘The stigma will be on the right hand.’
Placing his hand on the wall, a complex magic formula began to build up.
‘Is he removing the seal?’
It was clear looking at it through Perception. Several magic formulas like [Defense] and [Concealnt] were engraved on the inside of the wall, only to be released by contact with a person who t certain conditions. A few seconds later, a line appeared on the wall to form a square door without a knocker.
“Co in.”
The seals were incredibly powerful, but the library was only a room the size of a private study in a large mansion. Two-story bookcases were placed on both walls, with a narrow window in the style of the era of Absalom II on the wall opposite the door. A magic stone heater and a chair were beside it. lchior sat down in the single armchair beside the steam heater, placing his straw hat on the table. Upon opening the library, the prince said Kleio had to be closely monitored.
“Will you be there throughout my reading?”
“By regulation, yes.”
“The reading will take a while. Can I cause such an annoyance…?”
“Wizards avoid distracting elents. I heard it well, but what can I do? Well, had it been the days of the queen, there would’ve been anyway.”
“What is it?”
“The king’s spouse has the sa rights as the king if they make a mutual [Covenant]. Wasn’t my grandmother the queen? Her husband also had an interest in books and magic.”
Kleio wondered if he was making fun of him, but he decided to save the information away in his head.
‘So Queen Juleika has the authority to access this place…’
“Since then, it seems that there have been few visitors.”
lchior pointed at a guestbook with a page blank except for Kleio’s na. As he had said, there had been a gap of more than thirty-years between Kleio and the previous visitor.
‘No way, lchior couldn’t have noticed like Juleika. Besides, if his mother could co in, Aslan wouldn’t have tried to get permission from lchior. That’s sothing I didn’t know.’
“For such a thing, the library is cleaned without any dust.”
“Do you see the pattern on the floor?”
“Yes?”
“It’s all mana stone platinum. [Preservation] is inscribed into it. It won’t get dirty even if soone’s muddy boots walk all over it.”
‘I knew the Riognan royal family was wealthy, but to see it on display like that…’
For a while, Kleio was distracted by the floor rather than the books and had to regain his concentration.
“When I consider it, there is one more who can enter without restriction. The Archbishop has the sa powers as the chairman of the nobility.”
“I heard that she has been bedridden for a long ti.”
“In recent decades, her health has improved, and it is said she will talk to others soon.”
The bells of the cathedral intervened in their conversation. Kleio had arrived just in the afternoon, but it was already 2 PM.
“Let’s explore the secrets of magic as much as we can for the day.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Well, I must ask you that no transcriptions or mos are taken. These banned books cannot be taken out.”
“I know. Then…”
In case lchior might sense sothing in his expression, Kleio hurried back as the corners of his lips went up.
‘I’ve no need for sothing like that with mory.’
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