The splashing waterfall sheds a veil-like mist.
The clear water on the rock was shallow over the instep.
The white deer and the boy are standing in the water.
The white deer lowered its head gently, and the boy raised his hand to hold its head.
It rubbed the boy's cheek affectionately and tenderly again, then turned around, and leaped lightly onto the high rock flowing with the waterfall.
The white deer standing above the waterfall looked back, its eyes were like black pearls immersed in water, clearly reflecting the boy's figure.
After taking one last look at Garlan, it quickly ran towards the jungle not far away.
Its running posture is so light and graceful.
Then, the white figure disappeared into the depths of the emerald green jungle, before everyone's eyes.
When the white deer appeared, time seemed to stop at that moment.
That indescribably beautiful elf-like figure seemed to make everything stand still.
Until the white deer disappeared into the depths of the jungle, everyone came back to their senses like waking up from a big dream.
"Is that... a deer?"
"No, that's right, a white deer!"
"What a beautiful deer..."
"I don't seem to have seen it before?"
"Yeah, although there are a lot of deer in this mountain, it's the first time I've seen a white deer."
"I've never seen such a beautiful deer before—"
"Yeah, yeah, I don't know why I didn't dare to take a breath when I saw it."
There was a lot of discussion, and they kept talking with a kind of inexplicable but excited mood.
"Speaking of... the white holy beast... I always feel like I've heard it somewhere."
"Ah, so do I. It seems that there was such a line in my grandfather's poem to coax me when I was a child."
Only some old people still remember the old song of Twerul Mountain, and young people know very little, and almost all of the people who went up the mountain to dig ditches this time were young and strong guys, so naturally they couldn't remember it for a while.
Later, when those who had seen the white deer in person returned home and shared what they had seen with their friends and relatives, they soon learned of this ancient poem from the elderly at home.
For a time, the ancient ballads that had been almost forgotten were once again sung in Twilour City.
It wasn't until a long time later that they knew that the boy White Deer gave to the laurel branch was their prince.
Still later, a bard wrote a poem based on this, and the moving poem was sung, which described the young prince of Aaron Landis, guided by the white holy beast, to save the special from the flood. The story of Willow City.
This poem, along with the old Twerul Hill legend ballad, has been passed down from generation to generation in Twilur City.
Thousands of years later, archaeologists of later generations found these two songs with blurred handwriting on the broken stone tablet excavated from this ancient city...
…
…
Under the urging of the soldiers, the people who were still excitedly talking about the beautiful white deer began to descend one after another, and they couldn't wait to return to their safe home to be reunited with their relatives.
Soon, there were only a few people on the edge of the waterfall on the top of the mountain where the crowd was crowded not long ago.
On one side are Garlan and Shulos, and on the other are the city lord Canillele and his staff, as well as dozens of confidant guards.
For the safety of Prince Gallan, the city owner did not intend to reveal Gallan's identity.
He walked to Garland's side, and his eyes first fell on Garland's hands.
The laurel branch in the hands of the young prince was so green that it looked like it was carved from jade.
The old city lord frowned deeply at the laurel branch.
In Aaron Landis, the laurel tree has a special meaning.
According to legend, the sun god Shamash was born under the laurel tree, so Shamash usually only wears a crown made of laurel leaves.
Only the king of Aaron Landis could wear a crown or ornament carved in the shape of a laurel leaf.
Others can only wear crowns or ornaments in the shape of olive leaves that are similar to laurel leaves.
However, the mysterious white deer that suddenly appeared from the mountain, why did he hand over this laurel branch to... Prince Gallan
What does this portend
Or does the legend in the poem about the earth god Maghe really exist
That white holy beast...
"Lord Canieri."
The whispered reminder from the staff around him made the contemplative City Lord Carnille come back to his senses.
He looked down, and the teenager in front of him also looked up at him.
Those golden pupils, when looked closely at close range, even the edge of the iris is a pure golden circle.
Just as he was staring at Garlan's eyes, suddenly, Shulos, who was standing beside him, stepped forward and raised his left arm to block Garlan's body.
"I am the mastermind."
Shulos said in a low voice.
"The plan to hijack that noble was proposed by me. He was still young and a child, and he just followed my request after being coaxed by me."
"Shiros..."
"Gal, don't talk!"
Abruptly interrupting Garlan, who was about to say something, Shulos turned his head and continued to stare at the city lord, and said quickly, "Children are ignorant. If you want to ask a crime, just find me."
Shu Luos suddenly stood up and took the responsibility on himself, which made everyone present startled.
Then, the aide standing aside couldn't help lowering his head, pursed his lips and smiled.
And City Lord Canille just glanced at this rude guy lightly, and then ignored Shulos.
He looked at Garland again, raised his right hand and pressed it on his chest, bent down slightly, and bowed his head to salute Garland.
He said: "First time meeting, His Royal Highness Prince Garland, I am the lord of Tverul City, Canillele."
Although he had glanced at Prince Garlan from a distance when he went to the royal city to report his work before, this was the first time he had met face-to-face.
A certain bard who was standing in front of Garlan froze for a while.
"… what?"
Shulos was stunned.
prince
... what prince
What prince
Is this City Lord too old to use his brain? What did you call His Royal Highness at them
The prince is Gallan, not Gal.
... must be too old, suddenly stimulated, and the brain has a problem.
Yes, yes, it must be so.
Just when Shulos persuaded himself like this in his heart, a hand reached out and patted the arm he was holding in front of him.
"Don't stop."
Garland said.
"it's me."
He patted Shulos' arm and pressed it down so that it wouldn't stop in front of him.
He said, "He's calling me."
He looked at the stupid bard, and repeated: "I am Prince Garland."
[Don't worry, I am the prince, and I will protect you.]
[I am.]
At this moment, the bard's mind exploded completely.
Gal.
Prince of Garland.
Do not! He must be dreaming!
And it's still a nightmare!
Think about what he's been up to these days—
When he thought the prince was a girl, he teased the prince.
Later, when he knew his gender, he kept using the young master to ridicule him.
Also from time to time to the prince's hands and feet.
I don't know how many times he rubbed the prince's noble head with his right hand... Goddess Alphamir... Your most handsome believer is about to be chopped off!
And the worst part is...
[Tsk, if you are a prince, then I will be King Camos.]
Holy shit! Why am I so rude why-
Roaring in the bottom of his heart, the bard who wished to slap himself a few times and make his mouth swollen decisively turned around.
If you don't run away now, are you waiting to be beheaded
However, Shuluos, who was eager to escape, just took a step.
The young man behind him seemed to see through his mind, reaching out from behind and clasping his shoulders.
"Where are you going?"
Garland asked with a smile.
"I... that... I'm in a hurry, find a place to solve it... "
"Oh."
Garland let go.
Shu Luos breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to run.
However, just after taking another step, the boy's voice that seemed to be talking to himself came into his ears from behind.
"I'm still going to wait until I go back to get that bow back to you..."
The second step he was about to take froze in mid-air, and Shulos couldn't move.
The bow meant a lot to him, and he had told Garlan that it was given to him before his death by the mentor who raised him and taught him to shoot.
It was something he absolutely did not want to lose.
Shulos took a deep breath and turned around.
A look of death.
"Come on, gouge your eyes first, or cut your tongue first? Or chop your hands first?"
Garland: "..."
He raised his foot and kicked Shulos lightly.
"Okay, stop pretending."
He said angrily, "You know I won't do anything to you."
"Really? Won't cure my offense?"
The bard's eyes lit up and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Anyone who doesn't know is innocent. You don't know who I am, so that's not an offense."
Garland said hilariously.
"So, don't act. If you act too much, it will look fake."
"Is there? I think it's pretty good."
"I don't think you're the kind of guy who ties his hands and feet when he hears my identity, and if you're really scared, you should kneel down and beg for mercy."
"Uh… "
The two were talking when suddenly the hoarse voice of the city lord came from the side, interrupting their conversation.
"excuse me."
City Lord Karnile looked at Garlan, frowned and said, "Your Highness, what are you doing here without staying in the royal palace? Also, why don't you even have a bodyguard? Does the king allow you to leave the royal city? Too much neglect of your own safety? Besides, there will be a very important ceremony to be held soon, if you leave without authorization, are you too willful?"
Although the city lord is in his fifties, he is strong, and he speaks in one breath without pausing in the middle.
Moreover, those words, one after another, came with a great sense of oppression, pressing step by step.
Coupled with the solemn aura unique to the elders of the old city owner, Garlan couldn't resist.
"Wait, wait a minute, I know I'm doing something wrong... But, things are complicated and I can't talk about it for a while, why don't we go back to the city first?"
"Understood, Your Highness."
City Lord Canile replied, and did not continue to persecute.
"It is an honor for you to come to my city, and I will immediately report to King Camos that you are here."
He paused and looked at Garland.
"Your Highness, do you have any opinion?"
"… "
Garland paused, then shook his head slightly.
He said, "No."
The serious old city lord nodded with satisfaction.
Then, a group of people waited and prepared to go down the mountain.
City Lord Canillet left a few guards and asked them to temporarily stay beside the waterfall. He decided to let the soldiers go up the mountain in rotation during this month and guard the place for a period of time to prevent accidents from happening again.
While walking down the mountain, Garlan and Shulos continued to talk.
"You actually lied to me for so long, waiting to see my joke, did I say that your conscience won't hurt, His Royal Highness?"
"I told you I'm a prince."
"Who would believe what you said—"
"I usually believe it, right? After all, no one dares to say that he is a prince... ah, but there is one who dares to say that he is Kamo..."
"Stop stop stop stop! I was wrong, I admit it, everything is my fault, please don't tell me!"
The two were talking when, suddenly, Garlan paused and stopped abruptly.
Shulos didn't react, and continued to take a step forward before stopping.
He saw Garlan's face next to him. Garlan, who was standing still, looked incredulous at the moment. Those golden eyes were wide open, looking forward in astonishment, and even opened his mouth, as if thinking about it. She wanted to make a sound, but she held back for some reason.
Shulos subconsciously followed Garlan's line of sight.
Seeing this, he was also startled.
A young man stood under a big tree not far away.
A stranger he had never met.
It was an extremely striking black-haired youth.
No one can ignore his presence.
Beneath the black hair like the night, is an extremely handsome face that is unforgettable at a glance, even a bard who has always been narcissistic is embarrassed to say that he can compare.
But at first glance, the first thing people notice is not the handsome face, but the eyes of the young man.
Golden red eyes, full of vigor, with an invisible edge, just one look at it, you can press everyone under it.
"He..."
City Lord Canillele made a sound and swallowed it back.
He did not reveal the identity of Heimos, but his face was so stern, it could be seen that he was very unhappy now.
What's the matter with these two who didn't stay in the palace well and ran around everywhere
Not long ago, I felt that this His Royal Highness was more stable and reliable, and he was more suitable to be a crown prince than Prince Gallan.
Now, the old city owner decided to take back this sentence.
Heimos stepped towards Garlan.
His eyes were always on Garlan, as if he completely ignored the existence of others.
For some reason, Garlan, who had recovered from the shock, watched Heimos approaching him, feeling a little nervous and a little guilty.
He swallowed softly.
He could imagine that when he left without saying goodbye, Heimos must have been very angry.
At this moment, watching Heimos walking towards him and staring at him without blinking, Garlan had the urge to run away.
However, not to mention that the only way down the mountain was blocked by Heimos, even if there were other ways, if he really escaped in front of Heimos... I always felt... His end would be miserable.
Therefore, he could only stand there obediently.
Walking in front of Garlan, Heimos lowered his head and glanced over the boy's face little by little.
It was as if a thirsty pedestrian in the desert saw the nectar, and did not miss a single bit.
His eyes were so deep that he couldn't see the end.
He looked at Garlan deeply, as if he couldn't see anything else in his eyes.
Heimos stretched out his left hand, which he had been holding, and spread it out in front of Garlan.
A verdant malachite earring lay quietly in the palm of his brown palm.
Shulos, who was next to him, was taken aback when he saw it.
"This is the earring that was stolen at that time, why are you here?"
Garlan also didn't understand, but he didn't ask any further, just reached out to get it. However, before he touched the earring, the big brown hand stretched out in front of him and avoided it.
His fingertips fluttered.
He looked up and looked at Heimos suspiciously.
Heimos glanced at Garlan, raised his right hand to pick up the blond hair on Garlan's cheek, and gently moved it behind his ear.
Then, he put the malachite earring in his hand again on Garlan's earlobe.
A little emerald green embellished on the white earlobe.
White gold tassels from the emeralds hang down on brown fingers.
Heimos lowered his head and stared at the golden eyes that were also staring at him.
Garland is here, in front of him.
He can see and touch.
"Where do you want to go?"
he asks.
His eyes were originally sharp, but the moment they landed on Garlan's face, the sharp blades turned into softness around his fingers.
Even that deep voice was full of softness.
He said, "Wherever you are, I will accompany you."