Chapter 46
At that, Raykal let out a sigh and said to Ror.
“Yeah, good job. Crying just makes it scarier.”
“Mm!”
Ror, don’t cry!
Because Ror is a brave child!
And also…
‘Since Raykal is here, it’s a little less scary.’
With newfound courage, Ror was able to smile again.
‘And the book is here too, so it’ll be okay!’
The book guarding Ror’s bedside had been fluttering nervously in the air ever since Ror opened his eyes.
Only after seeing Ror’s brightened expression did the book seem relieved. It clapped its covers together as if applauding him.
[Ror!]
The pages flipped open in front of Ror. He read aloud the letters that began to appear.
[Ror, are you hurt anywhere? Are you okay?]
“Mm-mm!”
Ror nodded vigorously, then scratched at one wrist. Even though there wasn’t even a bracelet there.
While Ror and the book exchanged words, Raykal stood beside them, trying to calm his pounding heart with deep breaths as he surveyed their surroundings.
It seemed to be a cave.
A very deep one, so much so that the entrance was nowhere to be found.
From the depths of the darkness came unsettling noises—perhaps flowing water, perhaps the movement of some creature.
‘Why on earth…’
Why did I grab this child?
Raykal bit down hard on the inside of his lip.
When he saw that mad handmaiden’s strange trick, he instinctively knew she was targeting Rorvantes.
His body had moved before his mind. He felt if he didn’t stop her immediately, something terrible would happen.
And he had been right.
The problem was that he himself had been dragged into it.
It was strange.
Not like him at all.
He knew well enough that recklessly charging in alone was useless. As the crown prince of Atelleon, he knew he could not act rashly.
So why had his hand moved first? He truly couldn’t explain it.
‘…No. Uncle entrusted that child to me!’
That was it. He had to look after his young cousin.
Yes, that was why.
Having organized his thoughts, Raykal nodded inwardly.
‘Still… what exactly is this place?’
There shouldn’t have been such a deep cave anywhere near the ducal mansion. Had they been transported far away?
Perhaps it was even an artificial place, deliberately made without light to instill fear and prevent escape.
This had likely all been premeditated.
A specifically chosen location, and that maid targeting only Ror amidst the chaos.
At first, he thought the assassin who came at him was just another attempt on his life.
But it wasn’t. The “attack on the crown prince” had merely been bait to draw attention, while the true goal was to abduct Ror.
‘The audacity…’
Who could it be?
Who would dare threaten him, the crown prince, and target Rorvantes, a duke’s daughter?
There were no shortage of suspects. Raykal’s mind spun.
But then he felt the warmth pressed against his side, and his thoughts stilled.
The cave’s chill seeped into his body.
Which made the warmth of Ror beside him feel all the more precious.
‘For now, I need only focus on getting out. I must take Rorvantes and escape safely.’
With that resolution, Raykal rose to his feet and closed his eyes.
Ssshh—
Then, within the darkness behind his eyelids, glowing lines began to appear.
Not just one line, but many, twisting and entangling.
Raykal reached out and brushed one of them. At once, information from that line rushed into him.
When it ended, he examined another, and another, repeating the process again and again.
‘Raykal, are you sleeping standing up?’
Seeing him standing still with eyes closed, Ror tilted his head and tried to speak. But the book gently stopped him.
[Ror, don’t disturb him.]
‘Why-y?’
[Because Raykal is doing something important right now.]
Looking again, Raykal’s expression wasn’t sleepy—it was grave and intent.
‘Okay, I won’t disturb him!’
Ror nodded and quietly sat down on the ground.
[Ror, you must have been really scared. If anything hurts, tell me.]
The book circled him like a doctor examining a patient. He seemed fine apart from being startled, but the book wanted to be sure.
‘Earlier, I did… sniffle a teensy little bit. But now I’m okay!’
[To stay so composed in a strange, dark place—Ror is really admirable!]
‘If I cry…’
Ror glanced at Raykal.
‘If I cry, it gets scarier… that’s what he said…’
Steeling himself again, Ror asked the book:
‘But, Book… where are we?’
The book ruffled Ror’s hair affectionately with its pages, impressed that he was already trying to assess the situation.
[As expected of brave Ror! So courageous, trying to understand first. Very admirable!]
‘Right!’
[Hehe, so clever. Well, I’ve been trying to figure it out too… though some strange interference kept delaying me.]
‘So, you mean… you don’t know where we are?’
Ror gasped, clutching his cheeks in shock. The book, who always had answers like a walking encyclopedia, didn’t know something?
In truth, the reason Ror had calmed down so quickly was precisely because the book was always with him and seemed capable of everything.
Now, the fear he had been suppressing crept back up. His little shoulders hunched, and tears welled in his green eyes—
[N-no, no, Ror! Who am I? I’m your all-powerful, smart, clever friend!]
‘All-powerful, smart… clever…?’
Lines of text appeared at great speed across the open pages.
[-Ahem. Which means I did figure out where we are!]
The handwriting settled back into its usual neat form. The book flapped its pages.
At that, Ror’s eyes sparkled.
Of course the book knew the answer!
[This is the Cave of the Revoluc.]
‘Revoluc?’
A gigantic, serpent-like monster that dwelled in deep forests.
That was the Revoluc.
Its body was covered in dark ash-gray scales mottled with a tarnished bronze pattern, making it blend into shadows despite its massive size.
It hid in thickets or shade, then spat venom at prey to poison them, swallowing them alive and slowly.
Worse, it could alter its venom into different types, making antidotes nearly impossible. For travelers, it was a nightmare creature.
‘A-a… s-snake?’
Ror shivered all over. More than the fact it was a monster, the thought that it looked like a giant snake terrified him.
Even the finger-length snakes on the mountain had been unbearably scary! If this one was huge, could it swallow him whole?
The book stroked his cheek with its spine, trying to reassure him.
[But it’s okay, Ror!]
‘B-but… you said it’s a giant snake with venom!’
The book continued, to soothe him.
[Right now, the Revoluc is hibernating—well, in its long “coiling sleep”! Unless its egg is disturbed, it will never open its eyes.]
Each year during breeding season, the creature laid one egg, coiled tightly around it, and fell into a deep sleep lasting up to three months.
So all Ror needed to do was find the cave’s exit while the monster slept.
‘Thank goodness…’
Ror raised his hand, glancing at Raykal, who still had his eyes closed. Around his wrist was the thread bracelet with an amethyst bead that Arcade had given him.
His other source of security, alongside his clever book!
‘If I break this bracelet, Daddy will come!’
If Daddy came, he’d rescue both him and Raykal. Relief brightened Ror’s face.
‘Hyaaah!’
Ror tugged the bracelet with all his strength.
But…
‘Huh? Huhhh?’
It didn’t break.
‘D-daddy said… it would snap right away…’
It was supposed to break with the slightest pull, but no matter how he tugged, it held firm. Frowning, Ror examined it.
Now he saw—the amethyst bead was terribly dull.
When Daddy had given it to him, it had shone with a brilliant violet sparkle…!
‘B-book…’
[J-just a moment!]
