Crunch, crunch, crunch—the sounds of two sets of footsteps echoed in the dark of night. The scent of moist soil and grass filled the air amid the distant chirping of insects and the rustling of animals in the brush. In the darkness, the forest wasn’t at all welcoming of human visitors.
Oz had been entrusted with the all-important lantern, its dim light flickering in the shadowed woods.
“Kira, are you okay with this sort of thing?” he asked his companion.
Kira, who didn’t particularly believe in ghosts, assumed the prince was asking about the darkness. “I can see well in the dark, so I’m not scared. What about you, Oz?”
Oz touched his finely pointed chin. “Well, I don’t mind the darkness either. Or spirits, for that matter,” he said casually, but then he furrowed his brow. “Although, terrifying rumors of human hauntings abound in the palace. Like headless enemy generals still wandering the castle grounds, or a room where you can hear the lamentations of a falsely accused concubine who was forced to drink poison. There’s a story about a blood-soaked knight...”
“That sounds scary.”
“Right?” Oz said, smiling unabashedly.
The pair was so calm it hardly befitted a test of courage. Though neither of them was particularly scared, each felt reassured by the other’s presence. This team was bound to reach the shrine without so much as a scream.
But Oz’s thoughts about the composed Kira went beyond simple reassurance.
I can sense a spark of talent in him...
Kira was quick thinking, attentive, and had a sharp intuition. He’d easily seen through Europa’s lottery trick earlier. The boy had excellent insight.
I really want him as my adjutant.
Oz couldn’t voice that thought, however. He rarely had opportunities to talk with Kira alone, but still, he couldn’t come across as too eager. Besides, it would be bad form to speak of future employment in the middle of merrymaking like this. Lastly, Kira was still young—there was no need to rush anything.
“Hey. Oz, look.”
“Hmm?”
Kira was pointing toward the bushes. Oz held up the lantern in that direction and spotted something like a pale fireball floating through the air.
“Oh. That startled me.”
“Yeah.”
It hadn’t, at all.
“Really, you two are no fun to scare,” Europa grumbled as she emerged from the bushes, swinging a toy meant to look like a fireball. She pursed her lips in annoyance.
“Well, Kira?! Are you enjoying the test of courage?!” asked Jackson with entirely too much cheer in his tone. He came running out with a fake axe stuck in his head, laughing jovially.
“I guess, yeah.”
“Splendid, splendid! Goodness me, when Theodore told me you and Lady Evelyn had vanished, I was shocked! But in the course of your adventures, you’ve made so many new friends. I’m happy for you, my boy!”
Kira tilted his head. The participants in the test of courage were acquaintances of Evelyn, the boy thought, not exactly friends of his own.
But...it was true that he’d caused trouble for Jackson and Theodore. Recalling that he had yet to apologize, Kira bowed his head. “Sorry for worrying you, Jackson.”
“Ah, it’s no trouble. I fully believe that if you’d been in any real danger, you’d have told us, Kira,” Jackson said, clapping Kira’s shoulder. “But in the future, I’d appreciate it if you told me before heading out. That way I’ll be more at ease.”
“All right. I’ll be mindful.”
“Pardon the interruption,” Europa said, “but you two do know this is supposed to be a test of courage, right?”
Thus, with Jackson and Kira’s father-and-son relationship reaffirmed, the first pair arrived at the shrine, bringing their test of courage to a smooth conclusion.
✦ ✦ ✦
To the strange cawing of birds (or something) in the background, Theodore advanced through the forest without hesitation, lantern in hand.
“Wh-What?! Oh, it’s just the shadow of a tree. Don’t scare me like— Eeeeeek!!! Oh, it’s a mouse! Dammit! I’m the crown prince, you know! I won’t tolerate this disrespect!”
Alex, who was walking behind Theodore, was flinching at every little thing. But if he dawdled, Theodore would mercilessly leave him behind, so he had no choice but to desperately dog the footsteps of the young count.
Wanting to fill the silence between them, Alex decided to start talking. “Th-The forest at night is really intense, huh?!”
“Yes,” Theodore replied flatly.
“Um, have you ever done a test of courage before?”
“Eh...”
Well, that topic had gone nowhere, so Alex decided to boldly traipse straight onto a land mine.
“S-So, how are things going with you and Evelyn?”
“That’s none of Your Highness’s concern.”
Alex grimaced at the curt rejection.
What is he made of, ice?! The crown prince goes out of his way to make conversation, and this is how he reacts?! Alex fumed. But wait. Why am I trying to find things to talk about, anyway?
It struck the prince then that this approach was fundamentally flawed.
“Well, I think, you know, instead of making small talk, we should just hurry and get to the shrine!” Alex said.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to do, yes,” Theodore retorted.
Alex didn’t respond, but his eyes filled with tears.
Theodore sighed. “You’re scared, aren’t you, Your Highness?”
Alex’s face reddened as he realized how transparent his own feelings must have been. He hadn’t been trying to fill the silence because he felt awkward—he didn’t want to stay silent because the chill tingling in his spine might just turn into a blizzard and freeze him in place.
He just hadn’t expected Theodore to notice.
“I-I’m not scared!” he protested.
“No need to act tough. I won’t tell anyone. Wouldn’t it be easier for us to just go and get that stone so we can move on to the role of scarers?”
Alex’s eyes widened. Theodore, whom he’d thought despised him, had actually been considerate of him all along. Was it because of...?
In an unusual display of honesty, Alex confessed, “I, um, I think I’d be pretty scared even as the one supposed to do the scaring.”
Theodore’s lips curled into a small smile. Despite his dislike of Alex, his tone was calm. “True. Waiting in the woods in silence might be much scarier.”
Alex slowly exhaled as he gazed upon Theodore’s handsome profile. Evelyn found herself a good guy...
He, meanwhile, had to have been the worst fiancé.
Alex didn’t excel at anything—academics, martial arts, nothing. He felt conflicted about his lack of talent compared to his brothers, Oz and Igna. Yet he was the one who’d been made to get engaged to Evelyn, who was respected throughout the country. His inferiority complex had only grown, and as a result, he’d cheated on her with Mary, hurt her, and driven her out of the Grand Basilica.
And that same Evelyn, who had never so much as smiled at him, was radiant by Theodore’s side.
He was in no position to say anything about it, but he thought this was a good thing. Still, every word out of his mouth was spiteful, and he’d never admitted such feelings to anyone.
As the pair kept walking, what appeared to be a shrine came into view. Theodore, still walking ahead, looked around.
“You know, nobody ever showed up to scare us,” the count said.
“Knowing Igna, he probably figured it wasn’t worth the hassle.”
“Ah.”
Igna would’ve been motivated had Europa been involved, but he really couldn’t be expected to play nice and follow the instructions to scare Theodore and Alex.
Alex was about to say something when, to his astonishment, he saw a handsome face staring up at him from a puddle on the ground!
“Aaaugh! No, wait...that’s me.”
“Stop joking around, Your Highness. Let’s go.”
“F-Fine! Hey! Don’t leave me behind!”
Alex hurriedly followed Theodore, who still wasn’t stopping.