4. Meow, meow (1)

—

Esteffan and the cat stood there and stared at eachother for another minute, until the cat was the first one to break the stare-off as it skillfully jumped inside the broken window.

Click.

The door started to open, it creaked, and a shadowy figure stood behind the darkness.

". . .Who are you?"

It was a childish voice, about someone who was around 12 years old.

"Why are you here? How do you know me?"

Esteffan saw the door not opening wide enough and said, "I should be the one saying that."

"No one should've known my identity, I made sure of it."

"But I'm not a "no one", your highness. I am someone who came here to make a deal with you." Esteffan started.

"A deal? With me?"

The door creaked again and this time Esteffan would see a face of a child, tan and round, peeking from behind. The child looked at him with hesitance and vigilance.

"I don't wish you harm, prince Fyusa." Esteffan out a hand on his chest as he smiled, trying to give a sincere vibe. "I just want to help others."

"That. . . what do you mean?" Fyusa asked.

'Bingo.' Esteffan smiled and started to tell his act.

"I am someone who has been roaming around, helping people. I've encountered an organization that wants to take over the world and currently they are targeting anything that has power to try and take it down.

My job is to save those in power and help them. You could say. . . I am a messenger."

"A messenger. . ." Fyusa echoed.

Esteffan waited for a while and finally the door opened.

A child with noble clothing, hair dark as shadows and eyes emerald greens looked at Esteffan with trust. "Please, come inside."

"Thank you, prince."

Esteffan entered the shabby house and grabbed a stool to sit on. He watched Fyusa slump on the dirty couch and sink down.

". . . I don't know how you know me. . . but are you really going to help? How?"

"Prince Fyusa—"

"Please, don't call me that." Fyusa fiddled with his short chubby hands. "I ran away solely because I didn't want to become a prince so. . . please."

Esteffan, knowing what really happened, decided to respect Fyusa's wishes as continued.

"Fyusa, you haven't had your first growth phase yet, right?"

"You, you even know this. . .?"

Fyusa sighed helplessly and finally gave in. 'I'm still a kid, I can only do so much. . .' Fyusa pouted and looked at the man in front of him.

'This guy is a messenger so. . .'

"Yeah," Fyusa confirmed Esteffan's question. "My first growth has yet to happen, which is not normal since all Beastpeople have them when they turn five.

I'm already twelve years old and I still can't grow, so I ran away after hearing that my family will give me to the Wolf Valley and try to replace me with a relative."

"That's. . ." Esteffan gazed at Fyusa with slight shock. "Wolf Valley? Where the Wolves Beastpeople go and feast on anything that falls within their territory?"

"Yep." Fyusa dryly chuckled. "But I guess I'm over it now, I heard from some people that the cat Beastdom already pronounced me dead anyways."

"That's why you're hiding here, I see." Esteffan nodded and pulled out something from his bag. "Here, take this."

"Isn't this a high-grade mana stone?"

"Yes,"

". . .And you're giving it away for free? To me?"

"It's not like I have a use for it," Esteffan shrugged.

Mana stones were imbued with pure mana stemmed from the soil ground where the stones are found. Because Beastmen were ultimately a race born from nature because of their traits, they may not use magic but they use mana stones to enhance their strength.

And if used correctly, it could trigger certain growth phases depending on one's will.

But that's a knowledge that no one of this time has yet to know.

"Put the stone in the center and try to focus on the nature within that stone."

Fyusa debated and grabbed the stone and gently brought it closer to his abdomen. Following what Fyusa said, he closed his eyes and tried to get a feel around the mana.

After a minute, he could feel a warm and soothing energy entering his body. He stiffened. That same energy was like water stream flowing so calmly, but the next minute—

"This is. . .!"

Like a storm surging, the flow was suddenly going wild and piercing his muscles as if they wanted to break open and get out. The mana from the stone and the mana from Fyusa's inner body were clashing, fighting on who was going to be at the finish line.

"Focus." Esteffan said. "If you can feel it, try to guide it towards your muscles, the place where you need strength."

As Esteffan watched Fyusa, a twelve-year old, finally getting strong, he smiled. He could see the changes within Fyusa.

"Congratulations, Fyusa. You have entered your first growth."

***

Esteffan hurriedly sneaked on the back of the carriage when no one was watching. While waiting for wherever Helion may be, he was quietly thinking about everything that happened so far.

He and Fyusa had finally made a deal. In exchange for helping Fyusa get back on the throne, Fyusa would then help Esteffan to spy around their Beastdom if there is any threat.

Esteffan had no way of knowing for now how Fyusa would contact him, but that doesn't matter. He can wait for a sling as needed, since Sol wouldn't make a move until after the next springtime.

"Hey let's go take a look! Somebody's fighting!"

"Let's go! It seems like a noble too!"

Esteffan stiffened. "Don't tell me. . ."

Helion had still not come back after how many minutes, and when Esteffan heard that some noble was fighting someone, he rushed out of the carriage, scaring the driver that arrived earlier.

"Y-Your H-highness, Fir-first prince?!"

Esteffan ignored him and rushed to where the noise was.

"Damnit Helion," Esteffan groaned after seeing the mess that happened when he arrived.

"Give it up now, apologize for the young lady!"

Helion had his training wooden sword pointed at a man who seemed drunk with a flushed face and bruises all around him. Behind Helion was a young lady that seemed noble as well, all three of them were nobles, except Helion was of much higher ranking than them.

"For assaulting and laying a hand on a woman, do you have no shame?"

'Wow, for a thirteen year old he can surely talk big about justice and manners.' Esteffan blinked his eyes. Then he remembered that wasn't the point here! Helion, even if was in a disguise, was still someone who had to keep low-key!

"Tsk! Why the hell are you even interfering, punk?! That girl and I are our own business, a mere nobody like you should just scram!"

"How dare yo—"

"Now, now. Helion."

Esteffan finally decided to come out before things could get worse for Helion.

"Brother!"

"Helion? The Fourth Prince Helion?

"Wait." The drunk man seemed to regain clarity and looked at both Esteffan and Helion, "Brother? Then. . ." His gaze towards Esteffan became horrified.

"Helion Auburgh, what has gotten into you to get riled up and messy like this?" Esteffan said his full name loudly purposely so that everyone would hear them.

"Helion Auburgh!"

"That's the fourth prince. . ."

"The first prince and the fourth prince are here. . . And to think. . ."

The young lady, seeming to finally know the situation, kneeled down and hurriedly gave her bow, "I- I greet the royal highnesses!"

"No, that's okay! You don't have too," Helion grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up. Then, he looked at Esteffan while pointing at the now sober man.

"Elder brother, that man right there, I saw him forcing Lady Sherry towards his mansion. And when Lady Sherry was uncomfortable and wanted to decline, he laid a hand on her!"

Esteffan blankly looked at Helion and the young lady named Sherry.

'Sherry. . . THE Sherry?! Helion's love interest?!"

To think that these two actually met way before, how shocking! Esteffan cleared his throat and looked at the man trembling before them. He couldn't even get a word out due to the amount of pressure Esteffan's stare was holding.

"Leave it to the knights to take this man away for judgment then, and also let them take lady Sherry home. Helion," Esteffan looked at Helion who wanted to protest.

"Let's get back."

"But—"

"Don't make me repeat myself, Helion," Esteffan shook his head.

". . . Yes, brother."

***

The ride back was too silent.

"But elder brother, you didn't tell me yet how you got to the capital as well."

Esteffan looked outside the window blankly, but internally he was already making an excuse.

"After you left, I asked father for permission to go as well after being invited by Duke Klios for a round of horse riding."

'Sorry for borrowing your name, Duke.'

"I see. . . I'm sorry for showing a disgraceful image, brother."

Esteffan finally looked at Helion, whose whole body was hunched, his face droopy and sad.

"Helion, it isn't that I'm disappointed at you for causing a ruckus despite knowing your image, it's just that the more you might resort to violence like that, the more people would see you as nothing but a person who cannot be spoken with words."

"What does that mean, brother?"

"Imagine this; A barbarian located from the north comes one day to negotiate for tradings with some merchants in exchange for protection within the northern to eastern route, what do you think would happen?"

"Barbarians?" Helion tilted his head. "Aren't they known to be powerful men who fights a lot and has brute strength? How could someone like them need others' help when they are strong?"

Esteffan smiled bitterly and remembered his life as a worker drained to the bone by a company that was soul-suckingly bad.

"Barbarians are strong, that's true, but brute strength can only get you so much. Helion, there will always be enemies stronger than you, and at that point, you have to show that you can also back down, know your limits, and seek help from others. However when those you seek help from see you as nothing more than a negative asset, then that's when you know you've made an error in your judgment."

Remembering when, even as someone who once worked within the Top 2 famous companies in Korea, Jungwon knew that intense competition the companies have with each other. However when a new threat came from the states, Jungwon's company was targeted as the starting point.

He could still remember his boss smashing his phone out the window in pure anger after hearing a mocking laugh from a fellow flourishing Korean Company on the other side when he negotiated with them.

"So Helion, if you go out there and continue to fight that trash noble, even when you're trying to do what's right, you will be seen as someone like that for the rest of your life, and that could get you seriously stuck with limited options."

"I see," Helion's eyes were shining, looking at his brother. "Then, will brother teach me?"

"Hm?"

"I want to be like big brother!" Helion clapped his hands. "You were so cool saying cool stuff, brother. Do you think I could think like that as well?"

"Ehh," Esteffan chuckled and scratched his cheek. "You don't have to necessarily be like me to know these things."

Esteffan's eyes soften as he out his hand on Helion's head. He patted it gently, "As a prince, and as someone who want to do good, teachings like this are given to all of us in any form, Helion."

"Brother, stop that, my hair is going to get messy!"

"But why? I like it, is it getting longer? I like that "

Helion pouted but let his brother ruffle his hair.

He learned a lot today, and today, he saw another side of his big brother that he has never seen before in his time with him at the palace.

His elder brother. . . he's a really good person.