Chapter 297 - Leaving the Thorn Palace (1/2)
”DON'T be reckless.”
”I'm being reckless?” Soleil complained at what Kalel Moonchester said about her. ”Lord Kalel, may I remind you that you're the one who asked me to burn this tower down?”
”I was just trying to scare you,” Kalel said, then he touched the ball of flame in her hand with his finger. Like expected, he was able to put out the fire with his water Mana. ”After all, I know that you have reservations in killing humans– especially the innocent ones.”
For some reason, that sounded like an insult.
”Did I offend you?” he asked. Ah, he probably noticed the little scowl that she made when she heard his remark a while ago. ”It's true though. You can't kill humans– even those that tried to kill you in the past. So even if you act tough right now, you don't convince me.”
Now she was seriously pissed.
”I guess reincarnation can change a person,” she said bitterly. ”The Lord Nystrom I know is quiet.”
”But do you hate it?” he asked, then the corner of his mouth curved into a smirk. ”You don't hate hearing me talk, do you?”
She couldn't believe what she just heard. The Nystrom that she knew wasn't this arrogant. Having said, she still found it amusing that he could talk this way now. But of course, she wouldn't simply accept his snide remarks towards her. ”If it's your intention to hurt my feelings to shoo me away, I'm sorry but it's not working. How can I take you seriously when you allow a lowlife to lock you up like this?”
He looked at her with amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes. ”It seems like I'm not the only one who changed here. I think this is the first time I heard you insult a human you just met. You're usually patient and kind to them.”
Well, she knew the answer but she wouldn't admit it in front of him.
She could never let Kalel know that when it comes to him, she was willing to break her personal rules. Even she didn't know why she could go to such lengths just for him.
”I don't want to be kind to people like the fake king.”
”'Fake king?'”
”You know what I'm talking about,” she said. ”Kale Kingdom is supposed to be yours, Kalel Moonchester. The Moon God obviously named you after the kingdom that he entrusted to Aleo Moonchester. If you just add 'L' to the kingdom's name, it will be Kalel.”
He looked shocked by what she said. ”How did you know all of that?”
”The new Moon Priestess came to see me a while ago,” she explained to him. ”She told me about your rebirth.”
”But I haven't met the new Moon Priestess yet.”
”Well, a Moon Priestess is someone who can hear the voice of gods,” she said. ”She told me that Lord Kyro, your father, personally watched over your rebirth. He chose the previous Moon Priestess to carry you in her w.o.m.b.”
It didn't mean that Kyro got the previous Moon Priestess pregnant.
Rebirths of gods didn't work that way.
Kalel retained his physical appearance from his past life as Nystrom (except for the color of his eyes) because his soul and ”vessel” (aka human body) were ”molded” after his appearance in his god form.
I just don't understand why Lord Kalel's eye color changed…
”Then, he chose Aleo Moonchester to be your father and helped him build this kingdom. But he did that with the condition that Aleo will marry the previous Moon Priestess and make you his heir. Aleo Moonchester kept his promise at first,” she continued. ”But when you were born, that fake king got afraid when he realized what you are. He killed the Moon Priestess who gave birth to you, then married a new wife. That was how your younger brother, the second prince, was born. Did I get the story correct?”
”You forgot one thing,” he said. ”Auro has a younger sister locked up in this tower as well. That's why no matter how short-tempered you are, don't think about burning this down.”
”You can just go save your sister while I burn the tower down, you know?”
He let out a deep sigh. ”I'm still not going with you.”
”Give me a valid reason for turning me down, Lord Kalel.”
”The king is trying to get rid of Auro,” he said. ”He sent my brother into a war because he's hoping that Auro would die in the battlefield. If I leave the tower, he will order my brother's death.”
”Don't you trust your brother?” she asked curiously. ”I heard that the first prince is a strong Mana-user. I don't think a person like that could be easily killed by assassins hired by the fake king.”
”It's not like that,” he denied. ”Auro and I made a promise to each other. If he senses that his life is in danger, he would send me a message. Then, I'll kill the king. And until he returns, I'll protect the throne in his place. That's the reason why I can't leave the tower.”
She nodded while humming, her brain already working on finding a loophole to the promise that Kalel made with Auro Moonchester.
Of course, she hasn't given up yet.
This was shameful to admit but she was born from love and grew up with love. That meant she was used to getting what she wanted. And that was probably the reason why she was this stubborn when it comes to Kalel.
”Lord Kalel, how old is Prince Auro now?”
”Sixteen.”
”Oh,” she said, a little surprised. She didn't know that because she didn't care about the first prince. ”We're the same age.”
She didn't know why but for some reason, she felt an ominous feeling from that fact.
But she set that aside for now.
”And where was your brother sent to?”
”I forgot the exact name but apparently, it's called the blue sea kingdom.”
”Perfect!” she said with a bright smile. ”The Azure Kingdom, also known as the blue sea kingdom, isn't that far from the Redsun Dessert.”
He suddenly turned serious. ”That's your destination? It's the lair of ancient Crades, Soleil Rosenberg.”
”It's very dangerous, isn't it?” she asked with excitement in her voice. ”Although I'm strong, I'm not on your level. After all, the ancient Crades are said to be as powerful as the gods.”
”Does your clan want you to die?”
”It's not like that,” she said, defending her clan. ”I just have to do it because I was chosen to be the Beast Priestess. And now that my brother is gone, it's my duty to protect them.”
”Are you still going to head to the Redsun Dessert even if I refuse to come with you?”