The Seed Thief

Vol. 1 Chapter 3.1 - Ervandas Richard Arsipen

'How on earth did this happen?'

Ervandas couldn't believe his current situation.

Ervandas Richard Arsipen. After hearing it, Lulu briefly thought the name was too long. Most people would have been awestruck upon hearing his name.

Arsipen. A surname reserved only for royalty. And Ervandas was no mere royal but the king's only brother. He was also the youngest-ever leader of the Temple Knights in history.

***

It was uncommon for direct royal descendants to live in the temple. However, when Ervandas grew beyond childhood, he fell seriously ill. The king, the queen, and Ervandas's elder brother, Kalendas, visited the temple to pray for his recovery.

"I entrust Ervandas to your care. Please save the child."

Shortly thereafter, Ervandas recovered his health. Although he had suffered greatly from his illness, the disease was not fatal. With the constant care of royal physicians and priests, it would have been strange if he hadn't recovered.

The royal family prayed and cried so much that even the priests had to reassure them, "Please don't cry. Your child will soon be well. Calm down, please."

In any case, Ervandas recovered. But a problem arose afterward. Ervandas calmly shook his head in response to his family's urging him to return to the palace.

"I've made a promise to God, so I will stay here."

"What do you mean? You want to stay here? And what promise?"

"Didn't you promise to entrust me to God?"

The king and queen were caught off guard by his words.

"I said it because that's the prescribed form of prayer!"

"Even so, a promise is a promise. This life that God has spared, I believe it's right to dedicate it to God."

His words were not wrong, which upset the king even more. In that moment, Kalendas narrowed his eyes, glancing at Ervandas.

"Is it because the temple is quieter and cleaner than the palace? Plus, lovely maidens can't enter here to dote on you."

Ervandas flinched at Kalendas's words. Seeing his reaction, Kalendas clicked his tongue as if he knew this would happen.

Even as a child, Ervandas had been obsessed with hygiene and cleanliness, displaying a compulsive tendency for organization.

He would furrow his brows if anything was out of place in his room. He insisted on bathing twice a day and washed every worn garment, no matter what. For him, who had few possessions, the impeccably clean temple seemed like a cozy refuge rather than an ascetic abode.

Furthermore, Ervandas wanted to remain in the temple because it was where noble ladies who frequently approached him couldn't enter at will.

Originally, the king and queen were a famously beautiful couple. So it was only natural that their two sons, born from them, were handsome.

Kalendas, the firstborn, liked women from a young age. It was said he followed the prettiest maidservant around when he first started walking. As a result, noble ladies surrounded Kalendas. Of course, the king and queen had taught him firmly from a young age not to indulge recklessly, so he always kept the line.

Then, as soon as Kalendas turned 18, he got married. His marriage wasn't surprising, but his choice of spouse was. She was a lovely daughter of an earl, with whom he used to quarrel every time they met.

On the other hand, while Kalendas liked women so much, his younger brother Ervandas seemed to have given all his interest in the opposite sex to his brother. No, it was more accurate to say that Ervandas avoided the opposite sex.