Nina didn’t know what to say and could only blink speechlessly.
The same went for Gerhard. He unconsciously ran his hand down his much-reduced belly as he gazed at his son, who he had been reunited with after a few months of absence.
Yet, despite their reunion, Gerhard couldn’t allow himself to burst into tears of happiness. Eugene was now an adult and Gerhard was well aware that his son could no longer be treated as a child.
Gerhard hesitantly said, “...To think I would live to see the day… where you would actually take elves as your servants….”
Nina didn’t say anything, but she felt the same way as Gerhard. She had never thought that, in all her life, the day would come when she would have to train a couple of elves.
“...Do they really intend to serve as servants of the annex?” Nina asked doubtfully.
“They don’t want to work for the main house,” Eugene explained.
There were already enough servants for all of the annex’s needs.
In the first place, the only ones living here were Eugene and Gerhard. And even then, Eugene was away from the main estate most of the time, so Gerhard was in fact usually living in the annex all on his own.
While there were a lot of things that Nina could teach them, she had to wonder just when exactly they would get a chance to put those things into practice, but… it couldn’t be helped. Since Eugene had already said that he would accept them as his servants, Nina felt that she shouldn’t put up any resistance.
Eugene awkwardly began, “Um, well, I know it’s a bit tactless for me to say this right after returning from a few months away from home, but—”
“You’re planning on going somewhere else again?” Gerhard asked with an indignant snort.
“There’s a really important matter that I need to deal with,” Eugene explained. “I need to head back to Aroth for a while.”
“Still, at least this time you’re letting us know in advance.”
“Father, are you really still annoyed by that?”
“Who’s annoyed, you brat? You’re just darting around wherever you please, so what’s there for me to get annoyed about?” Gerhard responded sarcastically.
It was a pity that Eugene had left right after returning from the Black Lion Castle, without even sparing a single word for Gerhard, but to think that he had actually sneaked off to Samar, which was rumored to be very dangerous!
Eugene tried to soothe his father. “It’s not like I’m going somewhere dangerous this time, and I don’t want to lie to you either. It probably won’t take too long before I’m done and on my way back.”
“…Ahem.” Gerhard prompted him with a cough.
“And after I’ve returned, I’ll stay here quietly for a while without leaving to go somewhere else,” Eugene promised.
Gerhard eventually relented. “...There’s no need to go that far. It’s just that as your birth father, I still have to show some concern for my only son. What parent in this world would feel glad to hear of their children becoming involved in such dangerous affairs?”
“I’m sure there would be a few,” Eugene argued.
Gerhard snorted. “...Hmph… well, that might be, but I’m not that sort of person. Eugene, do you really think that your father is someone who would enjoy hearing about his child facing dangers and misfortunes?”
“Eh, of course not,” Eugene responded immediately. “As your son, I know better than anyone how much my father cares about me and wants to show me his love.”
At these words, Gerhard’s lips twitched in a suppressed smile.
Eugene continued, “Because of that, I promise that I’ll also be more careful, so that you don’t have to feel so worried or sad, father.”
“...I’m grateful for those words, but… don’t let yourself feel too restrained out of a needless consideration for me,” Gerhard said as he fully relaxed his stern expression and patted Eugene on the shoulders. “After all, you’ve already held your Coming-of-Age Ceremony at the Black Lion Castle. You’re no longer a child; instead, you’re an adult who needs to take responsibility for his own actions and decide what he wants to do.”
After this remark, a rather lengthy lecture followed. Eugene didn’t feel any need to interrupt Gerhard while he was nagging, instead answering all of his questions with full sentences while listening closely until the very end.
“I didn’t think that you would really keep listening to him patiently all the way until the end,” Kristina said afterward as she followed Eugene out, feeling quite surprised that Eugene had such a side to him.
“What did you think I would do instead of listening patiently? Do you think that I would just snap at him to shut up?” Eugene asked sarcastically.
“Although I didn’t think you’d go that far, I expected you to try and use a more polite choice of words to cut the conversation short,” Kristina replied.
“It seems like you really do think that I’m some kind of mannerless bastard,” Eugene commented.
Kristina denied this, “Not at all. It’s just that, from what I’ve seen of you so far… Sir Eugene doesn’t seem like the type of person to humbly listen to such pretentious nagging.”
“It seems like you’ve seen right through me. You’re right. I hate pretension and I also hate it when people nag me while trying to tell me what to do, but it also depends on who’s doing the nagging,” Eugene grumbled with a shrug. “After all, my own birth father is just saying these words to me because he’s worried about me, his only son.”
Kristina asked, “If that’s the case, then shouldn’t you have told him about going on such a dangerous journey at the very start…?”
Eugene retorted, “So what if I had told him? Once he knew my reason for going, would he be any less worried? There’s no way that’d be the case. My father… well… he’s a very empathetic person. When I was young, there were a lot of times he burst into tears—”
Knock knock.
Sienna’s playful words suddenly echoed inside of his head.
That’s right. Eugene had thought that it was strange. In his previous life as Hamel, he hadn’t shed tears for most of his life. Even when it had become painful enough that he would rather die, right before the end of his life, he had refused to cry.
‘I was wondering why this body of mine was so prone to crying.’
As expected, blood really did tell. Eugene belatedly blamed Gerhard’s genes for the fact that he had burst into tears several times since he had been reincarnated.
“...In any case, since I know that it’s all for my sake, as his son, I should at least pretend to listen to my father. I might not be able to live while following his advice, but when he gives it, I should at least say ‘yes, yes’ while pretending to listen,” Eugene concluded.
Absent-mindedly, Kristina replied, “...Is that so?”
Eugene didn’t think that he had said something unusual. According to Eugene’s own common sense, he felt that this was quite a natural tendency. In fact, where in the world would you find a son who faithfully followed all of his parents’ advice? Even so, it was only right to show some kind of positive affirmation of their parents’ care.
However, Kristina’s reaction was a little alarming. She was just staring at Eugene, her lips pressed tight, with a slightly stiff expression.
“...Did I say something strange?” Eugene tentatively asked.
“No, not at all,” Kristina replied.
“But your expression makes me feel like you might be thinking that,” Eugene argued.
“...As you may already know, I was abandoned by my birth parents when I was still an infant. After that, I grew up in a monastery until I was ten, when I was adopted by Cardinal Rogeris and raised as his foster-daughter. As a result, I have never experienced the relationship between a birth parent and their child,” Kristina revealed.
Although Eugene felt that he hadn’t said anything that absolutely needed to be experienced to truly be understood, he decided not to say this out loud. There were certain circumstances that no one really enjoyed talking about to others.
—I feel like the relationship between you and me isn’t deep enough yet for me to be willing to share such a story.
Kristina had drawn a clear line between them as she said this with a twisted smile. Eugene had no desire to intentionally cross this line.
Kristina changed the subject. “When do you plan on leaving for Aroth?”
“Right now,” Eugene answered.
“...Then why have we come back to your room?” Kristina asked, puzzled.
“Because I need to talk to you,” Eugene said as he plopped down on a sofa.
It had been a few months since he last returned to this room. Before that, he had been away from this room for several years. Even so, it didn’t feel unfamiliar to him.
“I’m going to Aroth alone,” Eugene declared.
Kristina just stared at Eugene without saying anything in reply. Eugene didn’t avoid this gaze and just pointed at the sofa across from him.
Eventually, Kristina said, “...I should have already told you this before, Sir Eugene. As the Saint of Light, I must accompany the Hero—”
“Someone leaked the information about you and me,” interrupted Eugene.
“It can’t have been the Pope or Cardinal Rogeris,” Kristina insisted. “Haven’t I already said that to you before? Those two wouldn’t want me to die for something like thi—”
Once again, Eugene spoke over her, “They could have changed their minds. Or it could have been someone else connected to them who spilled the information.”
“...That could be the case, but I can’t help but be offended that you still insist on suspecting the Holy Empire. The information might also have leaked from the Lionheart clan,” Kristina relayed her suspicions.
“That’s right,” Eugene agreed. “I’m also keeping an eye out for that. That’s why, for the time being, I need to monitor the situation. If it’s the Lionheart clan, then the Head of the Council might try to play his hand once more because he just can’t tolerate my existence; then, when his move fails, I can take action.”
“...,” Kristina silently processed this.
“The Holy Empire might really be innocent in all this, in which case I don’t want you to get involved in this,” Eugene explained.
Kristina silently stared at Eugene. She then rubbed her stiff cheeks with her hands and took a few deep breaths.
With her usual smile back on her face, Kristina spoke up, “Sir Eugene.”
“What?” Eugene asked.
Kristina accused, “Could it be that you’re suspicious of me?”
“I’m not,” Eugene gave his honest response. “Barang wanted to kill both of us, you and me alike. Though, well, he might have just been saying that and perhaps he only wanted to kill me.”
“...,” Kristina stayed silent as Eugene continued.
“However, is there any need for me to suspect you? What reason would you have for fucking with me like this? Well, you might have your reasons, but would you really use such a cumbersome method to do so?” Eugene pointed out. “You accompanied me to the elven domain, and you also saw Lady Sienna while we were there. Before that, you were traveling with me all that time. And when I was bedridden for a few days, you even nursed me.”
“...So that’s why you’re not suspicious of me?” Kristina eventually asked.
“What, do you want me to suspect you? Do you really not trust me when I say that I trust you?” Eugene asked sarcastically.
“...Not at all,” Kristina said with a smile as she shook her head. “It’s just… it surprises me.”
“You really do get surprised by the strangest things,” Eugene scoffed. “In any case, I’m going to Aroth alone. Even if you stubbornly insist on following me, I won’t let you come with me.”
“...Then what should I do? Is it really alright for me to just stay here and wait for you to return, Sir Eugene?” Kristina asked reluctantly.
“Nope,” Eugene said as he leaned forward to peer closely at Kristina. “I’m not familiar with the circumstances of the Holy Empire. It’s also difficult for me to dig into such matters. However, you should find it easier than I would.”
“...Haha,” Kristina let out a small laugh as she shook her head. “Indeed, it seems like Sir Eugene really does trust me.”
Kristina wasn’t foolish enough to take what she heard for granted. She understood that Eugene was drawing a line in the sand. Without her crossing that line to meet him, it would be impossible for them to gain complete trust in each other.
In the end, he was asking her to choose carefully. Would she remain a Saint whose loyalty belonged to the Holy Empire? Or would she follow her God’s revelation and truly accompany the Hero?
“It might be difficult for me to achieve a result that matches Sir Eugene’s expectations,” Kristina warned.
“I don’t expect much,” Eugene reassured her.
“If that’s the case, then I’ll do my best to meet your low expectations,” Kristina said, then she pulled over a pen and some paper that had been set aside on a nearby table.
Once she was done writing, Eugene read the paper he was handed and asked, “...Rohanna Celles? Who’s this?”
“She’s a friend that I made while I was still living in the monastery,” Kristina explained.
Eugene double-checked the name that was written on the paper and the address given below it.
Kristina continued, “In the end, I was carried off by Cardinal Rogeris while Rohanna remained in the monastery. Even after that, we continued to exchange letters, and we’ve also met up a few times since then to spend some time together.”
“So you’re saying that we can trust her?” Eugene confirmed.
“Yes. I’ll contact you through her, and I will try to send you a letter at least once a month.”
“What if a letter doesn’t reach me within a month?”
“That will never happen,” Kristina replied with a smirk
* * *
Back in Aroth, the scenery of this magic kingdom felt more familiar and welcoming to Eugene than Gidol, the town where he had been born and raised.
‘Well, it makes sense. Ever since I was adopted into the main family, I’ve never once returned to Gidol.’
Within the grand frame of the Kiehl Empire, Eugene’s birthplace, Gidol, was pretty much as deep in the countryside as one could go. It had fields, mountains, rice paddies, and not much else. There was a town there, but frankly speaking, it was a backward town that could barely be compared to the shabby trade cities found in Samar.
Just like when Eugene had first come to Pentagon three years ago, one of the guides came up to him.
“Are you a tourist? Welcome to Pentagon, the capital of Aro….” As he was speaking, the guide suddenly trailed off, his eyes widening into circles.
He recognized Eugene by his gray hair and the furry cloak that was wrapped around his body. There was no reason why he wouldn’t be able to recognize him, either. Eugene had only left Aroth a few months back.
The guide gaped as he thought, ‘It’s Eugene Lionheart.’
If you wanted to work as a guide in Aroth, you needed to know all the stories going around the city; especially whimsical stories that were sure to delight the ears of the tourists.
The stories spread about Eugene were of such weight that it seemed like they would never fall into the trivial category.
Eugene was the descendant of a great hero. His adoption into the main family was an unprecedented event for the prestigious Lionheart clan. Even though he wasn’t a direct heir, his skills were such that no one could question his right to compete for the seat of the next Patriarch. From the age of thirteen, Eugene had managed to outshine the children of the direct line with his talent for martial arts; even worse, it wasn’t just martial arts, he was a ‘genius’ born with the talent for magic as well.
Eugene was reputed to be a Child of Destiny, someone who had become the youngest wizard ever to obtain an entry pass into the Royal Library, Akron. He had even become the disciple of the Red Tower Master, Lovellian Sophis. According to the rumors, by the time Eugene was nineteen years old, he had already reached the Fifth Circle.
All this alone was enough of a story to get the tourists hooked. By sprinkling a little seasoning on top and telling them about the riots on Bolero Street as well, the tourists would be happy to open their wallets and give the guides a tip.
“Sir Eugene! P-please allow me the honor of escorting you!”
The shocked guides all ran over. Of course, they didn’t want just the honor of escorting the famous Eugene. The guides there were hoping that, after being hired by Eugene, they would get a unique story for themselves that they could use to entertain the tourists.
‘After all, hasn’t the guide who stuck to Eugene Lionheart when he first arrived at Pentagon recently bought a building in the capital?’
His success story had managed to fire up the hopes of all the guides.
‘What’s with these bastards?’ Eugene thought to himself.
He had been hoping that they would know their place and keep their distance. The fact that they were instead running at him with their eyes rolling crazily was just a headache. Startled, Eugene leapt up off the ground and flew into the air.
“Sir Eugene! P-please take my carriage!”
“I’ll make sure to escort you to your destination in comfort!”
Even the coachmen of the aerial carriages were squawking their pitches at him.
One of the station attendants called out to him, “Sir Eugene…! It’s forbidden to use flying magic in the skies above Pentagon without permission! You must make use of the aerial carriages and the floating stations!”
Eugene was already well aware of this fact.
Since there were far too many wizards in this magic kingdom, if all of these wizards used such magic to satisfy their own convenience, the city’s order would soon become a mess. Therefore, flying magic and personal spatial transportation spells, such as Blink, were forbidden in Pentagon. Only the highest rank of wizards in Aroth, including the Tower Masters, were allowed to use such conveniences.
“Well, I guess I’ll just pay the fine,” Eugene muttered to himself.
Eugene didn’t really think much of the penalty. Even if he was forced to pay a huge fine, Eugene had a lot of money to spare. But it wasn’t likely that he would be even charged a fine. Eugene’s current master was the Red Tower Master Lovellain; apart from that, he was also on close terms with several of Aroth’s high-ranking wizards.
‘Or if I don’t want to pay any penalties, I could just ask the Crown Prince Honein for a favor. …No, on second thought, it would be a bit disgraceful to make such a request of the Crown Prince. What if I use the name of the Commander of the Court Wizards as an excuse instead?’
In fact, it was actually rather funny to be caught up on such trivial thoughts. Because the task that Eugene was currently heading over to do would be such a huge event, that flying over the capital city couldn’t even be compared to it.
Eugene hadn’t even contacted Lovellian in advance to tell him that he was returning to Aroth. He felt a bit guilty for not doing so. However, it couldn’t be helped.
For Eugene, he couldn’t help but wonder if Lovellian would really give him permission and support him in what he intended to do; or if perhaps, as the Red Tower Master who was bound to ‘Aroth,’ Lovellian might instead decide to prevent Eugene’s actions.
‘...Although I feel like he probably would give his permission,’ Eugene thought hopefully.
Lovellian was sincere in treating Sienna as his grandmaster.
‘But if I needlessly ask him for permission, I might get Lovellian in trouble later on,’ Eugene persuaded himself. Thus, he decided to just try and make his attempt first.
Eugene came to a stop in midair and looked down below. In the distance, he could see Aroth’s royal castle, Abram, floating on the lake. Right below the castle was the Royal Library, Akron. Eugene grinned and flew down.
One of Aroth’s treasures, a certain magic staff, was kept in Akron,
Created using a whole Dragonheart, this magic staff had been used by Sienna herself.
Eugene was here for Akasha.
