Chapter 2: Who are You?

"Brother Clad! Wait! That is Alex! Stop!"

Even with Frank trying to stop him, Clad did not listen.

"You, how did you know about this?"

Anger, that is the only thing that one can see when one looks into Clad’s eyes. Sorrow, there is a pain hiding behind his gaze. But even with his body moving like that in a rush, that doesn’t change the fact that he just recovered from a serious injury.

To get bitten by a Kranses is no joke. After all, in this place secluded from the main palace of the Voneveir, to get an antidote can be seen as a miracle. 

"I am asking you, why do you know about Kranses and its antidote!!"

Huffing, his breathing is now stable compared to what it was before, but his grip did not loosen. It is as if he was holding onto something that was worth his life.

"Brother Clad! Stop! You are hurting him!"

Pushing Clad away from Alex with all his might, Frank made no difference at all. He wasn’t strong enough to handle someone as big as Clad. He may look thin but his strength is surely something you would be surprised to see.

"I-I…"

Cough

Alex found it hard to breathe. Even with him pushing Clad away, as seconds passed by his strength decreased. Almost losing his breath, Clad came back to his senses as soon as he noticed what he was doing.

Cough cough cough

"Alex!!"

Frank shouted and immediately pushed Clad away. This time, he did not fight back, making it possible for Frank to help Alex.

"Are you alright?? Hey, are you good?!"

Slightly nodding, Alex held his neck as he still felt the wrist of Clad pushing his throat.

As a king in his past life, he did not feel such pain other than that time when his life ended with a sword. He indeed faced painful events like Alex but all of it is just a fragment of memories with no feelings attached. Even so, the hatred he felt when Clad did that, Alex couldn’t help but picture it similar to the gaze of resentment he got from his people when he was still Alexis.

"Brother Clad! He saved you! If not for him, who knows what would happen to you! Why did you do that?? You are not like that!"

A gaze of disappointment and confusion could be seen written all over his face. In this small simple house made up of woods, it is surely impossible to get any help when anything happens. Add the fact that he is living alone, if ever Frank did not visit him, there is a huge possibility that he would be dead by then.

"I…. I’m sorry…"

Looking away, Clad knew too well that what he did was wrong. He had no excuse. To do that to the person who saved your life is surely something that not any normal person would do. 

Cough 

The moment Alex gained back his breathing, he looked at Clad. With an uneasy face, it was his first time seeing such a sight. With Clad having similarities with Conor, Alex wondered if that is how Conor would look if he was mad. 

Again, that uneasy feeling he had rushed to his veins. 

'I am happy that this time, I did not run away and leave you dying…'

Even if he is not Conor, even if Clad is someone else, Alex is still delighted that he did something to save someone. Especially someone who looks similar to Conor, someone he treats as his own brother.

"Let’s get out of here. I don’t know what happened to Brother Clad but he is not like that. Maybe he is just confused."

Smiling awkwardly, Frank still believes in Clad. He may have done something bad but it isn’t something that cannot be forgiven.

"Please understand him, Alex. I know you are kind and will understand it, right?"

Alex’s gaze landed on Clad.

"W-"

Hesitating, he asked him.

"Why do you ask if I know about Kranses? Is it something I shouldn’t know?"

Not looking at Alex, Clad let out a deep sigh as if he was thinking about something deep. 

"Are you from Voneveir?"

The one he was asking was Alex and not Alexis. Even if he was Alexis Voneveir in his past life, at this time, he is not part of the Voneveir Kingdom and is not associated with them. Living as Alex with no surname, one can even say that he doesn’t belong to any kingdom at all.

"No, I am not from Voneveir."

"Then where are you from?"

Based on the memories he had as Alex, he could tell that his family was from the southernmost part of Floranteine. A village poor enough that most of the adults produced children in order to sell them as slaves to the merchants.

"Floranteine… the southernmost part of it. Where only dangerous plants can be seen. The place where they sell children to the merchants in exchange for goods."

Frank was surprised to hear what Alex said. It was his first time knowing it. After all, Alex did not talk about his past and just changed the topic whenever he had time.

"Alex… I didn’t know you…"

He couldn’t word out what he wanted to say and instead, he just gave Alex an embrace.

"Then how do you know about Kranses? That doesn’t make any sense. For someone who came from the southernmost part of Floranteine, it really doesn’t make sense… are you a spy or something?"

"I…"

"Brother Clad, stop it. Alex is not like what you think. He is a good person. How can he be a spy? He helped you, if he was a spy he wouldn’t do so. Spies are monsters that sell their whole existence in exchange for something. Does he look like one to you?"

Thinking about it, Clad understood what was behind Frank’s words, indeed, it was impossible to think that someone like Alex was a spy. But still, the thoughts of how Alex learned such information kept bugging him.

'No one outside the Voneveir Kingdom knows about the existence of Kranses. For they use it to dispose of people with no suspicion. Making it seem like they died of a natural cause… why on earth did this kid learn about it? He even created an antidote himself… this is suspicious… something is wrong…'

But soon, his eyes widened as he heard countless footsteps. Even though Alex and Frank didn’t hear it.

"Hurry! We have to go!"

"Huh? Why? Brother Clad, wait-"

"There is no time to explain, you two, follow me!"

Opening a secret passage that was hiding behind the table, Clad led the way, followed by Frank and Alex.

"Who-"

They all fell silent the moment a large bang was heard, joined by the countless parts of the door that were hit, smashing into pieces.

It was thanks to that loud sound, Alex closing the path wasn’t heard at all.

"Are you alright?"

Whispering, Frank held Alex’s arm. Stunned by what he saw, he couldn’t help but have a cold sweat on his forehead.

'Why are they here?'

Right where they were just a while ago, Voneveir’s soldiers were now covering the area.