Chapter 3 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 they look in 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 s 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 Kranses and its antidote!!”

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

“Brother Clad! Stop! You are hurting him!”

Pushing Clad away from Alex with all his might, Frank did 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 find it hard to breath. Even with him pushing Clad away, as seconds pass by his strength decreases. Almost losing his breathe, Clad came back to his senses as soon as he notice what he was doing.

Cough cough cough “Alex!!”

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

“Are you alright?? Hey, you good?!”

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

As a king in his past life, he did not feel such pain other than that time where his life ended from a sword. he indeed face painful events as 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 can’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 can 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 is dead by then.

“I…. I’m sorry…”

Looking away, Clad knew too well that what he did is wrong. He have no excuse. To do that to the person that saved your life is surely something any normal person would do.

Cough

The moment Alex gain back his breathing, he look at Clad. With an uneasy face, it was his first time seeing such sight. With Clad having the similarities with Conor, Alex wonder if that is how Conor will look like if he is mad.

Again, that uneasy feeling he had with his rush 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 was still delighted that he did something to save someone. Especially someone that 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 land towards 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 thinks about something deep.

“Are you from Voneveir?”

The one he is asking was Alex and not Alexis. Even if he is Alexis Voneveir in his past life, in this time, he is not part of the Voneveir Kingdom and 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”

“They where are you from?” Based on the memories he had as Alex, he can tell that his family if from the southernmost part of the Floranteine. A village poor enough that most of the adults produces child in order to sell them as a slave to the Merchants.

“Floranteine… the southernmost part or it. Where only dangerous plants can be seen. The place where they sell children to the merchants in exchange of 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 change the topic whenever he have time.

“Alex… I didn’t know you…”

He can’t word out what he wanted to say and instead he just give Alex an embrace.

“Then how do you know about Kranses? That doesn’t make any sense. For someone who came for the southern most 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 is a spy he wouldn’t do so. Spies are monsters that sold their whole existence in exchange of something. Does he look like one to you?”

Thinking about it, Clad understands what was behind Frank’s words, indeed, it is impossible to think that someone like Alex is a spy. But still, the thoughts of how Alex learn such informations keeps bugging him.

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

But soon, his eyes widened as he hear countless of footsteps. Even though Alex and Frank doesn’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 lead the way, following Frank and Alex.

“Who-“

They all fall silent the moment a large bang was head, joined with the countless parts of the door that was 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 hold Alex’s arm. Stunned in what he saw, he can’t help but have a cold sweat on his forehead.

‘Why are they here?’

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