The Count Family's Young Master
Chapter 25 - To the border (2)

Valias passed the butler when he was on the ground floor of the mansion.

"Mr Reuben."

"Young master. His majesty. Young master Adelard." Reuben bent his body low. Especially at Wistar who replied to her with a charismatic smile.

"Mr Reuben."

"Please call me Reuben, young master. You don't have to call me politely like that."

Reuben again bowed slightly to Valias. Valias nodded small. "alright. Reuben's. Please take me to the mage's place from the palace. I'll be there."

"I understand. Please follow me." Reuben swung his hand and led the way of the four of them.

"Miss Mareen."

Reuben called out the name of the female mage who was watching the Bardev knights train.

"Mr Reuben. Ah." Mareen had an expression similar to Mallory.

"Miss Mareen, right?"

"Yes, young master. Can I help you?"

Valias gave a warm smile.

"I know that your Excellency Frey didn't ask you to send me. But can you take me to the palace?"

"Ah." He's expressing nervousness. As a mage serving the royal family, he would only follow the crown prince's orders. Yesterday was an emergency. To do it again..

"Miss. I'm sure my brother will allow Valias Bardev to come to the palace whenever he wants. I'll go with him anyway. And my friend, too." Wistar grinned as he patted Dylan on the shoulder. Receiving the dislike eyes of the child.

"You can obey his request."

"Your highness.." Mareen was still doubtful. But considering how Frey looked so grateful to the redhead in front of him, and also how Prince Wistar was at the Bardev residence with the man, Mareen felt that he could do it.

"I understand."

Valias smiled sincerely. "Thank you. Do we need to go to the gate like yesterday?"

Mareen shook her head slowly. "No need, young master. I can take you from here."

"He's right, Valias. Magic moves can be done anytime and anywhere as long as the racer knows the exact coordinates of the place to go." Wistar laughs at Valias thinking he's funny.

"Your Majesty Wistar is right. I'll send you now."

Light surrounded the three teenagers and when Valias opened his eyes he was already in front of the palace building. Not the basement yesterday.

"You're confused why we were ushered in front of the palace? The mage sent me with you. Of course he'll send you to the coordinates I used to use." Wistar. Swinging his hand in front of Valias.

Valias was not curious about it at all but said nothing.

"Let's go in. You want to see my brother?"

Valias nodded.

The door is knocked and opened. Frey sits at his desk with a pile of paper that Valias used to see as Abimala at his office desk.

Frey seems too focused or does not care who enters the room.

"Sister. Valias is coming."

After Wistar said that, Frey raised his head.

"Valias?"

Frey saw Valias, dressed in clean clothes, standing upright, still with pale skin.

Frey stood up from his luxurious bench and approached Valias to look at the person up close.

"Your highness. Did they hurt you after I left?"

Frey blinked his eyes before sighing. "Worry about yourself. Do you bleed like that often? I've never seen anyone bleed out of his nose as much as you. I hardly ever even see people bleeding from their noses unless they're up for a fight. You just stand still without anyone touching you, is that normal?"

Frey grumbled without noticing the change in Wistar's expression let alone Dylan.

"You're hurt?! Why didn't anyone tell me? Wh why? Seeing you with a pool of blood on the show that time alone had become a sight I did not want to see again. Tell me!" Wistar directly grabbed both of Valias' shoulders.

Valias did not expect that.

"Yes?"

"Don't pretend not to know. God, I don't even know if you're going to die or not." Frey clucking.

"WHAT?! Valias! Don't die! You injured? You ill? Then why don't you rest and come here instead? Does your family know? Does Count Bardev know?!" Wistar looked and sounded so panicked and Valias started to really not be able to say anything.

...Die off? Me? Why would Frey say that?

Valias furrowed his forehead raising his neck to look at Frey who was covered in Wistar's body in front of him. "Dead? Who's gonna die?"

"No matter your own life, I understand. But I won't let you die so easily. I will force you to drink the best potions and medicines. Don't you dare refuse him or I'll kill myself."

Valias really-bennar did not understand.

Why would Frey kill himself?

And why did Frey think he was going to die?

He does not want to die and will not die.

Unless he suddenly returns to his body as Abimala. Before that he would not let himself die. "....I don't understand, but I will accept whatever your majesty gives me. Now, we have something to talk about."

"What's? You need to rest! I'll have people prepare treatment for you!"

Wistar instantly let go of Valias shoulder and ran out.

"....."

Valias was completely speechless.

"Your highness. About Kei-" He started talking. But cut by Frey.

"Stop. At least talk while sitting down. I don't want you to fall suddenly."

"......."

Valias really doesn't understand what the situation is going on but he still follows Frey's will. And sitting on the sofa in the room where the nosebleed also fainted yesterday.

"Your highness. You said you'd make them stay in the palace?"

Valias saw Frey silently looking at him with a flat expression for a few seconds before sighing like that.

"No. I asked them after you left if they wanted to stay in the palace or return to their residence. And they all went out without saying anything. One of them pointed their sword at me and told me Kei would come back to see me if he wanted to."

Frey breathed again. "Why? You want to meet them?"

Valias. He had expected Kei to just leave. His attitude matched that described in the book.

"We don't know where they live"

"Oh? I think you know everything. God hasn't given you any more messages? For Hayden's sake, how could God bless you and message you like that? You're not even a pater– or maybe you're actually a father? But why don't you stay in the temple? A father will be given luxury according to Hayden– rules Oh maybe it's because you are a child of the Bardev family and feel no need for luxury? Sure oes. You will also be troubled if you have to serve the community as a father. Of course you chose to live an ordinary life in your father's residence. Especially with your dying body. But not even a father who claims to receive messages from a god like you. You're the real father. The people in the temple were just being arrogant and thought they were people worthy of worship. Too bad Hayden has to take care of people like them. You want me to announce to people that you're the recipient of the god's message? You want people to worship you?"

"......." "........"

Frey spoke at length and Valias heard the whole sentence.

Dylan who was standing behind Valias heard everything. He had just heard the story and statement of Wistar an hour ago, then about Valias bleeding from his nose, and now the ramblings of the future king Hayden. Dylan recalled everything and began compiling his own puzzle.

Valias, who was in the middle of the conversation, found himself speechless.

Even he still had his silent expression listening to Frey's words. He was starting to regret making that shit up.

But what kept Valias busy with his thoughts the most was,

Whahuh? Dying up? Frey's been saying weird things ever since. He really thinks I'm the one with the disease who's gonna die any minute?

Valias himself as the owner of the body is not the real and is said to only possess the body thinking that the body is very weak and abnormal so he suspects that his body stores the disease suffered by Valias Bardev who original.

But to hear it directly from someone else..

Valias doesn't know what else to think.

"Your Majesty–"

"I know. You're sick and you won't have enough energy and time to be the center of such a cult. I'll keep your secret. I'm sure Wistar and Dylan would do the same. After all, why is your existence as the son of Count Bardev hidden and just dismantled now? Your family's afraid your secret might be exposed? Especially with your condition.." Frey breathed.

"You told me it was the first time you got a message from God. You think you can lie to me? You'll be Hayden's source of glory, and I'll keep you alive until my wish is achieved."

"........Thanks.I guess.."

Valias begins to feel himself regaining control. Frey can make any assumptions and Valias won't try to set anything straight again. "Your highness. We can start taking action."

"..The act? What measures?" Frey frowned.

"Elt. We're gonna meet them."

""?!!!!""

Dylan and Frey were again taken aback by Valias' words.

"The elf? Elf it.."

Even Dylan who had been silent since earlier could not help but mutter.

"...The elf? You believe they really exist? You're not just a father, you're a fantasy person?" kernit Frey's.

Valias. Ignoring how Frey called him father.

"You. Don't say.."

Frey attached his eyes to Valias. Refusing to believe his own assumptions.

Valias doesn't care if Frey doesn't believe me. "I'll meet them. Please introduce me to the mage you trust."

"...You you? You're going to meet them yourself? No. gabe. More importantly, did the creature that was only mentioned in the book really exist?"

The frown did not disappear from Frey's face. Not that it's gone, it's getting worse. "What makes you think they exist? The authors of the book always say that all they write is their guess. The books that are still in the palace library and the various places out there are nothing more than the entertainment reading of the people of— and I in my spare time—to laugh at the contents of those books—but now, now, I am, you're telling me that you believe in the things written there? You you? Valias Bardev who gave me information about my half-brother through the message of the gods? But, no. Don't you think the god told you that the elves really exist?"

Frey remained silent. Busy with his own mind. If it was the gods who told Valias that, then there is nothing to doubt.

Frey is too busy interrogating Valias to realize that she has just uncovered her own family secrets in front of Dylan. The one who has nothing to do with that complicated thing at all.

Dylan was quite surprised by the royal family's secret but it wasn't enough to make him stop thinking about what Valias had just said.

Elf, saying?

The god-blessed man, the one who made writing on paper with letter symbols that Dylan did not understand. The same journal did not make sense to the thing Valias had just said. Dylan believes the journal was not written by Valias. Maybe Valias is just a fan or reader of strange books like everyone else. But to really believe—and confidently say that he will meet that elf...

Dylan recalled Frey's earlier remark on how Valias had a dying body and his lifespan was not long.

Perhaps Valias began to fantasize and dream to see the elven-like creatures mentioned in the books and journals in his room.

Because he knew he was going to die soon.

About how Valias received messages from the gods alone is hard to believe. But his Excellency Frey really believes that.

That Wistar Dylan wouldn't find it strange. The teenage prince loved to play and annoyed him even with annoying things.

But Frey Nardeen was the crown prince and future king of Hayden whom Dylan already knew as a figure of leadership dedicated to guarding Hayden and achieving royal welfare.

But for a Venerable Frey to believe what Valias Bardev said...

Valias. Still had no intention of making Frey believe. "You don't have to think too much, Frey Nardeen. Your Majesty just needs to introduce me to a mage like I asked. I'll take care of the rest."

Valias grins. He slowly tightened his grip on the journal he had been carrying since.

Frey no longer even cared about how embarrassed Valias was towards him. It was enough that he was rendered speechless by the red-haired man. "....I don't care anymore. I'll give you what you want. There's no shame in not finding the elf you said it was."

Frey approached his desk. Swiping a glass ball. Shortly after, a servant entered his room.

"There's something I can help you with, Your Honor."

"Call Miss Vetra here."

"I understand." The waiter left after bowing.

"You know Miss Vetra, Dylan?"

Dylan did not expect his name to be called but was not surprised.

"The one who escaped from the tower?"

"How, Valias? You know him too?"

Frey grinned.

Valias.

"Don't pretend. There's no point in playing me."

Valias.

"Why should I pretend?"

"....You really don't know?" Frey dumbfounded. "So in the end there's something you don't know either?"

".....I'm not a T-God. Of course I don't know everything."

Valias really doesn't know. He's only been Valias for two weeks. And that story doesn't talk about this. Who exactly is this Miss Vetra?

And about me receiving the god's message it's just kosog talk. Moreover, I don't even believe in your gods.Inner Valias.

"Huh." Inexplicably, happiness arises in Frey knowing Valias has something he does not know. He nodded with a smile on his face. Dylan saw Frey's behavior and was astonished by the change in his impression of the future king Hayden. "alright. One year ago a mage was found trying to infiltrate the border. Hayden's knight took him to the palace for questioning and it turned out that he escaped from the tower. He didn't tell us why he ran away and we suspected him of being a spy. But then he showed his talent as a mage and my father, His Majesty King Chalis made him serve the palace. She's Hayden's best mage, you know? You don't want to thank me?"

Frey grinned so wide. Valias nodded slowly. "Thank you for lending me your best mage, Your Grace. I'm honored."

Frey had already gotten the thanks he wanted but he was not satisfied at all. Precisely condemning himself for being so sad by expecting a statement of gratitude from someone who has made him avoid death and have a dying body.

"E- Echem. It's nothing."

After the silence, the sound of a knocking door was heard.

"Your highness. Miss Vetra has arrived."