Chapter 25
Arkin’s jaw tightened. After just a couple of meetings, I had already formed a rough idea of who Draconis was, but up close, the more I disliked this human being.
Seizing the moment, he stepped forward, bent low in front of Arkin, and whispered slyly.
“The story is that the three kingdoms—Solinar, Igninof, and… Kepet—should join forces to steer the rest of those foolish fools. What’s the point of dragging in all the meaningless, worthless things just because of excuses like peace or prosperity?”
Kepet. Arkin’s eyes narrowed. So that was why he had gone after the Kepet princess. Just to say something like this…
“So what exactly are you planning to do?”
“What I mean is not that I’m planning anything. I’m simply suggesting that we two… share a bit more… special friendship.”
Arkin stared at the hand Draconis extended. We could never side with everyone anyway. Now was the time to make his position clear.
“I refuse.”
“Hah.”
As if a fire had been lit on a greased torch, sparks flashed in Draconis’s red eyes before he laughed. He withdrew the hand he had offered and sneered at Arkin.
“The prince of the forest kingdom Solinar, right in front of me, doesn’t even hesitate to insult someone. As expected of a kingdom that acts so pretentious even though it’s so lowly.”
“I have no intention of allying with someone like you who doesn’t respect other countries.”
“Respect? Respect? You just said ‘respect.’ Respect some weakling like that?”
Draconis sneered. He pointed straight at Elio.
“That’s because you haven’t seen the Baylon bastards grovel every time they come to Igninof. Those are just pathetic parasites who are only a burden to the alliance.”
“Shut up. Igninof!”
The lid that had been wobbling flew off with a thud. Arkin, unable to contain his fury, stepped toward Draconis. His blue eyes, filled with disgust, blazed.
“Igninof, you really have no shame in spewing whatever rash words you please.”
The situation was on the brink of exploding. Draconis, unfazed, continued.
“After all that help, it’s so frustrating that you chose the path of that gloomy, useless thing. Truly, Solinar with no flexibility at all. You guys always consider yourselves morally pure, don’t you?”
Draconis, about to back away while laughing mockingly, was suddenly grabbed from behind. He twisted his head around and glared at Arkin. Arkin’s massive hand gripped his shoulder with crushing force.
“…Draconis.”
The air grew taut. Despite their similar height and build, at that moment Arkin completely overpowered Draconis.
“Let go. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Draconis gritted his teeth but couldn’t make a sound. The killing intent rising in Arkin’s wolf-like eyes was terrifyingly sharp.
“Listen up, Prince of Fire.”
Arkin pressed his shoulder down and lowered his voice.
“In Solinar we’ve learned that there is nothing in this world that arises without reason. Even the soft moss wrapping the ground, the cluster of mushrooms decomposing rotten trees, the tree leaves shielding the forest and the sunlight that arrives on time, the rabbits and deer that eat grass, excrete, and scatter seeds, the birds that sing and carry pollen, and even the beasts that prey on them to maintain balance. They all gather into a vast forest and cycle the forest ecosystem.”
“So what?”
Draconis snapped back irritably, his eyes already blazing with flames.
“If the balance of any one place breaks, the forest immediately withers, and the ecosystem balance is twisted and crushed. Nothing in this world is worthless. That’s my belief.”
The fire prince only stared silently without answering. His red eyes burned with quiet fury. Amid the harsh silence, Arkin spoke again.
“So your thoughts are unimportant. Baylon is our powerful ally, Solinar.”
Arkin pressed his shoulder harder and declared.
“You don’t seem to understand how important fog is to us. Fog slips into the forest, moistens the earth, and humbly withdraws when the sun rises. Because of the damp moisture it brings, the forest grows even thicker. But what about fire?”
Arkin’s gaze, spitting the words, was as cold as frost.
“The ancestors of Igninof who committed those acts in the past—we have not forgotten. Vast forests burned, and countless lives living in them died. You treat small kingdoms as something to be trampled underfoot as a matter of course, but we don’t. You who have lived only proclaiming the logic of power still haven’t shed that arrogance.”
He paused to catch his breath and continued.
“I will do my best to protect the World Alliance. A true alliance where all kingdoms are respected equally. Not a fake alliance like you, that divides the strong and the weak and rules by force.”
“Hah, quite the noble one.”
Draconis shook Arkin’s hand off with force and stepped back.
“Do I need to pretend to be cool and pretend to be righteous? Did you really think I was proposing a friendship with you? No way. Arkin. That’s not it. It couldn’t be.”
Draconis, clutching his shoulder where it ached from the grip, laughed nervously.
“You guys act so pure and clean, but you don’t know that you’re rotting inside too. Your royal family can do nothing without the elders’ power. Those who can’t even manage the country’s affairs just pretend to be superior.”
Arkin stayed silent. Draconis’s mocking voice shot at him like an arrow.
“Now it looks like Solinar will fall soon too. That’s why you’re so full of delusions.”
The silence grew longer. At the moment they stared each other down face to face, the bell announcing the meeting rang, shattering the quiet.
DING.
Arkin’s fist, which had been filled with tension, relaxed a little.
He slowly exhaled. It was time to head to the main building. He couldn’t ignore the priest’s order to gather in the dining hall. But Draconis, seemingly unbothered by such rules, gritted his teeth on the opposite side, confronting Arkin.
Unable to watch any longer, Elio stepped forward.
“Um, change into your training clothes and when the bell rings, it says to gather in the dining hall… it might be too late…”
Draconis, standing motionless, still radiated killing intent. Arkin, rooted in place like a tree, showed no sign of backing down either.
DING.
When the second bell rang, Arkin let out a long breath. He really didn’t want to lose to that idiot, but now he had to go.
“Damn it. I’m fed up. Let’s hurry.”
Kaichen’s clanging voice, as if he had been half-unconscious, urged them. The thunder prince, who had woken up at some point, had already stood up.
DING.
At that moment, Arkin finally unclenched his fist and raised both hands before Draconis. It meant he had no intention of fighting.
“I need to get to the main building. That’s enough.”
“Weakling.”
Draconis let out a smirk. But in truth, as if he had been waiting for Arkin to end the situation, relief settled on his face.
He glanced at Arkin and then at Elio behind him as if looking at something unpleasant and turned sharply to leave the dining hall. Kaichen, who had been sitting awkwardly, shot up and hurriedly chased after him.
“W-wait, I’m coming too!”
Hah, he’s completely a coward after I helped him out that much…
Arkin sighed, turned around, and looked for Elio. Elio stood leaning against the wall, head bowed low.
“Um, sorry, Arkin. It’s because of me that—”
“It’s fine. Let’s go.”
Arkin grabbed Elio’s shoulder, which was shrinking. The slender Baylon prince, slender and lanky, was pulled along helplessly.
“I need to get back to the main building. Remember?”
“Yeah.”
As they left the dormitory building and crossed the narrow garden, Arkin unconsciously glanced toward the women’s dorm. He didn’t know why, but thoughts of Nefetia came to mind. Now that he was free from the strange feeling that had been wrapping around the two of them, if there was a safe opportunity, he might be able to talk using Draconis as a pretext…