Chapter: 738
Seems like the heavens are helping me out; luckily, I was able to get a grip on Jizz’s mouth before it could start flapping.
“Please tell Jizz not to say a word about what just happened! Absolutely! Definitely!”
– Sure! He’s a bit of a blabbermouth, but he tends to listen to my earnest pleas.
I know he’s a lightheaded and careless younger sibling, but still a good one who listens to his older sister.
– By the way, you said you got a shard of death this time, right? Could you hand that over?
“Can I pass that along to Jizz?”
– Yup.
“I’ll get on it right away.”
In exchange for reining in my uncontrollable sibling, I’d receive that pesky shard of Jangsaeng, which I found tricky to deal with.
It was like solving two problems at once, so I let out a sigh of relief. Honestly, I was grappling with how to dispose of this creepy orb, so if a helpful god was offering to handle it, I was more than okay with that. I felt guilty asking the Holy Kingdom for help over this one.
Using teleportation, I swiftly moved to Jizz’s nest.
– Huh? You’re already here—
“Did you pay attention to what your sister said?”
– Yes? Oh, yes.
“If this news gets out to the continent, I’ll be dead, and you’ll end up with four wings. So, behave yourself.”
Jizz tilted his head for a moment at my warning, but when he looked at his wings, he nodded urgently.
The idea of his wings splitting into four was basically a warning that I was about to tear him in half.
– Don’t worry! They used to call me the Trustworthy Jizz back in my days as a god!
“Right. Let’s keep it that way.”
No matter how I thought about it, “trust” and “Jizz” didn’t seem like words that could coexist. Plus, if he was known as the Trustworthy Jizz back when he was a god, that probably meant he wasn’t now.
Still, with a direct warning from me and the ever-watchful Blue Sky Goddess, he should keep in check. Even if Jizz lacks perception, he’s not completely clueless.
– Uh, but…
“What is it?”
A spike of anxiety shot through me at Jizz’s sudden hesitation.
Why is he starting with “but”? What does he want to tell me?
– I… I can really keep my mouth shut for reals, you know?
“I believe it. You’ll keep quiet.”
– But I already told the others—
“Oh, no! Don’t pull out the sword just yet!”
Caught off guard by Jizz’s panicked voice, I snapped back to reality.
This was getting dangerous. I almost instinctively smacked the sky.
“Who did you tell?”
I steadied my hand, which had been ready to strike down like a black dragon, and managed to ask.
Who did he run his flapping beak with in such a short time?
– U-Um, Leviathan and Behemoth.
“Those two?”
– Yes! Just those two!
Well, that was a somewhat comforting piece of news, so I exhaled softly.
If it’s just those two, it’s not so bad. Leviathan, floating in the ocean, and Behemoth, peacefully tending to livestock back in the old Trika Empire capital. They don’t have a fondness for chit-chat and aren’t known for their loose lips. The info that Jizz babbled wouldn’t raise eyebrows.
Still, just in case, I should ask those two to keep it a secret too. I wouldn’t want to regret it if things blew up in my face.
“Are you sure it’s just the two? If you tell the truth now, we can handle it. If it gets late, there’s nothing we can do, so spill it all.”
– I swear! Who else could I even talk to?
Fair point; I couldn’t help but nod.
How many beings could strike up a conversation with an eagle the size of a battleship soaring through the skies? After sleeping for two thousand years, aside from Leviathan and Behemoth, Jizz has no friends to speak of.
Thinking it over, maybe Jizz’s chatter stemmed from his lack of conversation partners. He’s just drowning me in all he has to say to the few he does have.
gulp.
Suddenly, I felt a pang of sympathy. I’d lectured a lonely friend with no companions.
“Yeah, I suppose when the King of the Skies speaks, everyone’s trembling in their boots.”
In a way, that’s a sad consolation for a mopey, hurt Jizz. The reason he has no one to talk to isn’t merely because he has no friends; it’s that people are intimidated by the mighty King of the Skies.
– Hehe, true that.
At my words, Jizz flapped his wings, shrugging what I assumed was his shoulder.
Lucky for him he had that pure and innocent personality.
I was hit with a betrayal from the trusted Behemoth.
– I’m sorry. I happened to bring up the Four Kings while discussing with Constantina.
“What?!”
Behemoth had already mentioned the Four Kings to a mutual friend, Constantina.
– The spirit kings know too. They can’t cross the World Tree but are always eager to hear any tidbit about the continent.
“……”
Constantina spilled the beans to the spirit kings.
“Apparently, the Four Kings are still alive,” they likely said.
If that news made its way to Grandma… what would come after?
“Carl.”
“Yeah…?”
“Could we have a quick chat?”
It seems my other wives, including Trixie, would be weighing in.
What was once a miraculous secret shared only with Mar exploded into an whole scandal spread among everyone.
Why should I blame?
I felt the urge to cry. Is it Jizz’s fault for blabbing without discretion, or my own for not clamping down sooner?
My head screams it’s the latter, but my heart struggles to acknowledge it. It’s a dreadful and sad dilemma.
*
Lately, my brother has been spotted frequently at the lake.
While I haven’t seen it myself, members of the noble council reported that they often saw him fishing during airings at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, suggesting he was practically living there.
Talk about overdoing it.
I couldn’t help but chuckle softly. My brother’s got a mansion, six wives, and eight children. What on earth does he lack that would make him hang around the lake?
Moreover, he isn’t even particularly fond of fishing. There’s strong perception that nobles like to be active, but from what I know, my brother prefers staying indoors. If he had the choice, he’d rather play with his kids than fish.
…
Let’s not go there.
I nearly started deducing the reason for his lake-sitting habit, but I refrained for his sake. There are truths one should know and truths one shouldn’t, after all.
What matters to me isn’t his temporary digs.
“Are you alright? Need me to bring more water?”
“I-I’m okay. I just need to sit a bit longer.”
“I think lying down might do you good…”
Sera, trembling at the approach of our wedding, was being comforted by Via.
Before worrying about my possibly reckless brother, I had to look after these two. Thinking of the woman who would soon be my wife and the one carrying my child was my priority.
“Sera. Can you lend me your hand for a sec?”
“Oh, sure.”
As I reached out to the trembling Sera, she handed me her hand, now even paler than usual.
Poor girl. Sera had always been frail, and with the looming stress of the marriage ahead, she was getting consumed by anxiety. Just her tension could make her feel worse.
Of course, it was just nervousness, not disgust, but I worried she might faint during the ceremony.
“Your hands are really cold. It’s warm today, though.”
So, I rubbed her hand gently to help ease her nerves.
When someone is tense all over, warmth from a gentle touch and soothing words can work wonders. Better to start from the extremities and gradually alleviate that tension.
“For the wedding, how about we keep it simple?”
“Oh, no! Let’s stick to the plan!”
Although it was a casual suggestion, Sera shook her head vigorously in refusal.
It’s only natural. No matter how anxious she may be, no one wants to tone down a noble union and a moment when they officially become spouses.
Nevertheless, I made that suggestion to gauge her peace of mind. If Sera’s nerves escalated to a peak, simplifying the wedding could be a way out. In the end, it’s a ceremony meant for the couple, so it wouldn’t do if the bride were feeling overwhelmed.
“If you change your mind, just say so—”
“That won’t happen.”
“Got it. I won’t bring it up again.”
Sera’s resolute reply brought a slight smile to my lips.
“Sera.”
“Yeah?”
“I heard Jizz is coming too. He’s prepared all the flowers to shower us during the ceremony.”
Upon hearing this, Sera’s eyes widened, and she broke into a beaming smile. Unlike my earlier sigh at the thought of Jizz’s extravagant appearance, Via and Sera seemed genuinely happy about it.
At first, Sera might have been taken aback by the excessiveness. But when a massive eagle shows up to bless the wedding and showers colorful flower petals on us from the sky? You couldn’t think of a more spectacular performance. It truly captured Sera’s heart as a guest at the wedding.
Thanks to that, Jizz is set to make another grand entrance. Even if Sera hesitates, my brother would likely insist on the notion: “You can’t differentiate between weddings!”
That cursed differentiation.
Thinking of the problems spawned from that ridiculous mindset makes my teeth grind, but I’ll try to understand. My brother is the kind of man who seriously considered marrying six wives at once. It’s only normal for his clearer-minded brother to attempt to make sense of such folly.
“Your Grace.”
“Hm?”
While I pondered whether my brother was a genuinely good, bad, or strangely bizarre character, the butler approached me.
“What is it?”
“Your patriarch has arrived.”
“…My brother?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
I flinched slightly at the news of my brother’s visit.
As soon as I thought of him as the crazy bro, he decides to come knock on my door. Does he have the power to read minds from afar or something?
“Invite him in.”
But it wouldn’t do to turn my brother away, so I readily allowed him in.
That’s how desperate it must be.
Moreover, for my brother, who has been living by the lake, to find his way to my home means he’s reached the breaking point of his disconnect— no, his fishing lifestyle.
No matter how eccentric or outrageous he is, he is my only brother. I wouldn’t mind providing him a floor to lay upon, even for a moment.
“Thanks for letting me in…”
“Thank you…”
What in the world?
Then a chuckle slipped from my mouth as I saw him holding a doll.
What kind of person who once took part in the hunt for the Four Kings even picks something like that up? Did he pick it up from one of the Kings themselves or what?
That can’t be right.
It’s an absurd assumption even for me, making it worthwhile to chuckle.
No matter how crazy my brother gets, he’s not that far gone.
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