Episode 123 — A Nighttime Talk Between Princes

A room on the second floor of Zect’s house had been opened to them as a guest suite. It was filled with a peculiar silence and a sense of ease that surpassed even the most luxurious bedrooms in the royal palace.

Léonard, who had finished his bath first, was dressed in the navy blue sleepwear Zect had handed him—garments made of thick cotton with a startling amount of elasticity. He sat on the bed, repeatedly stroking the fabric of his sleeves.

"...What is this material? It’s smoother than silk, yet as warm as animal fur. Brother, did he really claim these garments were 'nothing special'?"

Gustav returned a moment later, dressed in a similar set of deep gray sleepwear. He met Léonard’s question with a weary, knowing smile—a look that spoke of someone who had already given up on trying to understand.

"Yes. To him, this is merely the 'standard.' But even so, that bath was a revelation. No fire, no magic... simply touch a panel on the wall, and water at the perfect temperature overflows. The bathing preparations that require a small army of attendants at the palace are entirely automated there."

"...It’s frightening. The true nature of what he calls 'systems.' One by one, they seem to be stripping away our common sense."

Léonard sank deep into the mattress and hugged a soft pillow.

"You know, my brother... we really should invite Zect to the capital. With him alone, the Kingdom’s power would double or triple within months. If we offered him the title of Duke and promised to build a vast, private palace right next to the royal residence, surely he would accept?"

Gustav looked out the window at the silent forest and slowly shook his head.

"Léonard, I once thought the same. But secular authority means nothing to that man. There is no manor in this world more wonderful than this house to him... And more importantly, there is a physical problem."

"A physical problem? You mean the distance? We could line up ten of the fastest carriages—"

"No. Since the day he appeared in this manor, he has never once stepped foot outside its grounds."

Léonard stopped moving. It was as if his brain was refusing to process the logic of what he’d just heard.

"...He hasn't left? Not once?"

"Not a single step. He dismisses leaving the house as a 'waste of cost.' Sourcing food, business negotiations, directing the management of the territory—he completes every task from within these walls. He is a sage who desires the ultimate 'stasis,' loathing even the act of moving his own body."

"What? How is that even possible? To possess such wisdom and yet refuse to take a single step into the world... That’s almost like—"

"A self-imposed prison, or perhaps a perfected sanctuary where movement is unnecessary. Either way, to bring him to the capital, you would have to cut the very ground from beneath this house and move the entire estate. And if you tried, those fangs he calls 'weaponry' would likely be bared."

Léonard stared blankly at the lighting fixture on the ceiling.

The heroes and sages he knew were always those who traveled the world, flaunting their power. But Zect seemed to mock that entire concept, using "stasis" as his own impenetrable fortress.

"...Haha. He really is hopelessly lazy, isn't he? And yet, we’re the ones being toyed with by a man like that. Say, my brother..."

Léonard’s expression softened, and he looked at Gustav with the eyes of a young child.

"Talking like this... it reminds me of the old days. Do you remember? When we were still small, the night we stayed at our uncle’s house in the north. We stayed up late talking just like this in a house that wasn't our own."

A spark of nostalgia lit up Gustav’s eyes. It was a distant winter memory of a time when they could laugh as brothers, away from the political strife of the capital.

"Yes. It was a chilly night, just like tonight. Our uncle’s house was old and full of strange, odd contraptions. It wasn't quite as inexplicable as this manor, but... strangely enough, I feel the same sense of peace I felt back then."

"I agree. My brother... I’m going back to the capital tomorrow. I’ll give up on trying to force him to come with me. But I want you to promise me one thing."

Léonard looked at his brother with a serious gaze.

"Complete this 'logic' with your own hands. Create a new world—one that will make the people in the capital fall out of their chairs when they realize their own foolishness. I’ll be watching from over there, and I’m looking forward to it."

"I will. Leave it to me, Léonard. Felsen will continue to evolve."

With a sense of deep relief, the two brothers fell into a peaceful sleep under the same roof, provided by the sage from another world.

In the manor wrapped in silence, the gentle, climate-controlled warmth of modern technology enveloped them like a soft embrace.

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