Who are you?” Eugene asked.
He was visiting the headquarters of the Second Division of the Black Lion Knights to meet Genos when he came across a woman he had never met before. Eugene had visited this place several times to find Genos, but he had never seen her around.
“I’m Genia Lionheart,” she answered, flipping her braid over her shoulder. Then, she squinted and bowed to Eugene slightly, very slightly.
“Ah…you must be Sir Genos’ daughter.”
“Yes.”
She looked at him with hostility.
‘Did Genos say something to her? He wouldn’t have told her that I’m his senior brother,’ Eugene thought.
Eugene had repeatedly warned Genos to keep their relationship a secret before Eugene left the Black Lion Castle. Besides, Genos also wouldn’t want to go around and talk about this relationship, especially not to his one and only daughter.
“Are you here to meet my father?” Genia asked, staying vigilant.
“Yes, I am.”
“Can I know why?”
“I don’t have any obligation to answer that question, do I?”
She squinted in dissatisfaction at Eugene’s answer. After scowling at him for a moment, she nodded and took a step back.
“Sir Eugene,” she spoke when Eugene walked past her. “I will never lose to you.”
Pardon?”
“Never.”
With these words, Genia walked away. As she got further away, Eugene could see her tightly-clenched fists trembling in the white gloves.
“What the hell is she suddenly talking about?” Eugene grumbled and went on his way.
Genos’ door was closed when he arrived. Eugene would’ve just gone in, but that was rude by any standard and there were too many eyes watching him, anyway. Eugene had no plan to flaunt his seniority in public.
Knock. Knock.
“Enter.” Genos didn’t bother to ask who the visitor was. Clearly, he had already sensed who the visitor was.
“Long time no see.”
Seeing Eugene, Genos rose up from his seat. Eugene stopped him and closed the door first.
“What’s wrong?”
“Give me a moment,” Eugene answered and lifted his cloak.
Mer stuck her head out, as if she had been waiting for him. Surprised, Genos stepped backward, causing his chair to flip.
“W—Who is that child?”
“Go back inside.” Eugene pushed Mer’s head back. Then, he raffled through the cloak and pulled out Akasha.
“Ah…So this magic staff is…!”
Without paying much attention to Genos, Eugene grabbed Akasha. He took a look around the room, eyes wide open.
‘There are only simple security spells. An intruder alarm…conserving the wall’s durability, and maintaining cleanness…. There are no surveillance spells,’ Eugene analyzed.
Akasha made its owner understand magic. Even if the magic was invisible to the naked eye, Akasha’s owner could see through it as long as a magic formula had been employed. Even if Eugene was unaware of the existence of a spell, he could still see through it while he was holding Akasha.
“Seems like you’ve been well.” Lowering his guard, Eugene started the conversation.
“I expect my days have been better than yours, Senior Brother,” Genos answered with a smile.
Eugene was seven years younger than Genia, Genos’ daughter. Still, what did age matter? Although Eugene was so young that he could be called Genos’ son, he was nevertheless Genos’ savior, who had corrected the Hamel Style which had deviated from its origin over the course of hundreds of years. Eugene had found Hamel’s grave and inherited the techniques of Genos’ family. As the head of the family that inherited the Hamel Style, Genos had genuine respect for Hamel.
“I met your daughter on the way over here, Junior Brother.”
“She was with me just now.”
“She seems to be very…hostile to me. You didn’t talk about me to your daughter, right?”
His junior brother’s daughter—the title sounded very awkward to Eugene, but it seemed wrong for Eugene to refer to her casually. From the start, this brotherly relationship was only between them. There was no reason for Genos’ daughter, Genia, to get entangled in this relationship.
“I would never do such a thing.” Genos shook his head, appalled. “You were the one who told me that we have to keep our relationship secret. I haven’t even told Master Cyan, although you told me that he has learned the same Hamel Style as you.”
“So…you are still using the Hamel Style for the name.”
“Of course, I have never told Genia either. I don’t even want to tell her, for that matter. If my daughter is looking at you with hostility, then she must be just jealous of you, Senior Brother.”
“Jealous?”
“She is jealous because she has heard rumors about me favoring you, Sir Eugene.”
Eugene tilted his head in confusion, failing to understand his words. Genos continued.
“When you visited the Black Lion Castle a couple of months ago, we met several times and even sparred. Every knight in the Black Lion Castle knows about this.”
“Of course, they would know.” Eugene reluctantly nodded.
“On top of that, you and I used the same Hamel Style when we sparred.”
The term ‘Hamel Style’ always made Eugene cringe. He thought that he would never get used to the word even if he heard it dozens or hundreds of times.
“The Hamel Style is only known to my family. You might be a member of the main family, but you aren’t part of our family. In spite of that, you have used the Hamel Style, which made my daughter feel jealous.”
“She must have thought I became your disciple, huh?”
“I said no and I explained to her that I taught you a couple of Hamel Style techniques because you have a great gift for it
“If her temper is the way I just saw it, I think your daughter’s fuse will snap if you say it like that,” Eugene calmly answered.
Genos nodded as he was in a tight spot.
—I will never lose to you, Sir Eugene.
“Your daughter surely has one hell of a competitive spirit.”
“I’m not bragging, but my daughter’s strength was even recognized in Shimuin, a place that is known to uphold chivalry. Since she isn’t a citizen of Shimuin, she couldn’t join the Twelve Finest, but Genos excitedly spoke.
Although he said that he wasn’t bragging, that sounded like bragging about his daughter in anyone’s ears. Eugene cleared his throat and sat on an empty chair.
“Anyway, I have something important to tell you.”
“Is it about the things you experienced in Samar?” Genos cautiously asked.
Eugene nodded. He trusted Genos, but not enough to tell him the truth about the elven sanctuary and Sienna. He only believed in Genos as the senior brother who bonded with Genos over Hamel.
That was why Eugene observed Genos carefully as he continued his story.
So the Council Head tried to…kill you, Sir Eugene?”
Eugene focused on the emotions visible on Genos’ face.
“I don’t have proof. However, there were not many people who knew about me and Auxiliary Bishop Kristina going to Samar. Only three people—the Patriarch, you, and the Council Head—knew about it among the Lionheart clan.”
“There is a chance that the information leaked from the Holy Empire side. However, I can’t figure out if that’s the case. That’s why I sent Auxiliary Bishop Kristina to see how things are there.”
“You are not doubting me?” Genos asked with a solemn face.
“What would you gain by selling me out, Junior Brother?”
“What would the Chief Elder gain?”
Eugene had to be careful when answering Genos’ questions. Genos didn’t know that Great Vermouth’s grave was empty, nor that Eugene had gotten approved by the Holy Sword.
“I don’t know.”
There was no reason for Eugene to rack his brain right now.
“That’s why I can only give you circumstantial evidence. I really don’t know.” Eugene shrugged.
Genos didn’t say anything. He just stared at Eugene.
“Since I doubt everyone, I can’t trust anyone, can I? I can certainly trust the Patriarch, but he is at the palace right now. Therefore, I can only trust you, my junior brother. That’s my conclusion. I don’t know what you think about this, but I believe my tie to my junior brother is stronger than my tie to the Chief, since Sir Hamel was the one who brought me to you.”
The Black Lion Knights followed the orders of the Council of Elders. Among them, the Council Head was the Immortal White Lion, an old monster who had been alive for over a hundred years. He had reigned in the Black Lion Castle even before Genos was born. As the eldest of the Lionheart family, he deserved respect, even without taking his martial prowess into account.
“I don’t want to believe your suspicion is correct, Senior Brother.”
The Chief Genos knew was a living legend of the Lionhearts.
“But your suspicion is reasonable,” Genos answered with difficulty. “Since you said you don’t doubt me, I…will keep an eye on the Chief’s behavior in this hunt, Senior Brother. I don’t really want to consider this possibility, but if the Chief tries to assassinate you
Genos gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, unable to control his fury.
“As a descendant of the first Black Lion, the one that prosecuted people who didn’t live up to the name of the Great Vermouth, I will bring the Chief to justice myself.”
Genos respected Hamel because Genos was proud of his blood—the blood of the first Black Lion.
Standing in front of Hamel’s statue, Genos had shed tears. Although he had made up an excuse about whatever conjunctivitis, Genos' tears at the time were genuine and out of passion. And after he and Eugene were done sparring, he had shed tears once more. It wasn’t because he was humiliated by the fact that his senior brother, who was so young that he could be called Genos’ son, had a more complete form of the Hamel Style. Not in the slightest. Genos had burst into tears out of respect for Hamel’s true heir.
That was why Eugene didn’t doubt Genos.
“Senior Brother
“I know.” Eugene nodded.
He had already verified that the room wasn’t bugged with surveillance spells. He had also cast a soundproofing spell to prevent anyone from eavesdropping. In any case, since they had already finished the conversation and Eugene had received an answer, there was no use for them to continue this dangerous discussion. Hearing a person’s footsteps getting close to the room, Eugene put Akasha back inside his cloak.
Knock, knock.
“Sir Genos and Eugene. It’s me, Dominic. Are you guys in there?”
Dominic Lionheart. Captain of the First Division of Black Lion Knights and owner of the Annihilation Hammer Jigollath. He also happened to be the grandson of Doynes Lionheart, the Council Head.
“Ah, you were in here indeed.” Dominic cheerfully smiled and reached his hand out to Eugene as Eugene opened the door for him.
“I heard that you returned from Samar. Good to see you looking healthy.”
After lightly shaking each other’s hands, Dominic winked at Genos.
“Did I interrupt your conversation? If I did, I apologize, but I had no other choice. The Chief is raining hellfire upon me to bring Eugene over.”
“Right now?”
“Yes, right now. Is there any reason why you need to postpone?” Dominic asked, tilting his head.
He was asking a question, but he wasn’t exactly waiting for an answer. That was just his typical way of speaking. He was leaning against the opened door to prevent it from closing, so that Eugene could directly leave the room. He was clearly waiting for one thing: Eugene going with him that very moment.
“Let’s go,” Eugene answered, nodding.
For a moment, Genos’ eyes met Eugene’s. However, he didn’t offer to follow them. He also understood what an assassination was. Although it happened rarely, assassination was also one of the Black Lion Knights’ duties. As the name suggested, an assassination happened secretly and in the dark, ending the target without letting anyone know who had ordered it.
If Eugene died during the hunt, the one who had ordered his assassination could blame monsters or demonic beasts. However, this place was the Black Lion Castle. No monsters or demonic beasts roamed nearby. Assassinating people here was simply not possible.
“You seem to be getting along with Sir Genos.” Dominic hummed while he led the way. “But Sir Genos strongly denied it when I asked if you were his disciple.”
“He is guiding me in many ways as my senior in martial arts.”
“A senior… Guidance, huh… Haha! I don’t think you need a lesson from Sir Genos, though.” Dominic guffawed, looking back to Eugene. “Of course, Sir Genos would have won if he put his heart into that sparring session. But you had an upper hand in that fight using your techniques.”
“The sparring wasn’t fair. I thought a martial arts master like you would have noticed, Sir Dominic.” Eugene provokingly explained, but Dominic smiled as he nodded.
“Thank you for having a high opinion of me.”
“Sir Dominic, you are the Captain of the First Division of the Black Lion Knights.”
“The division number has nothing to do with the captain’s abilities. I didn’t become Captain of the First Division because I was better than Sir Genos and Lady Carmen. That said, I have to say that your fight was truly bizarre. You guys didn’t use mana, and it was clearly a friendly match. The way Sir Genos used his techniques wasn’t as fierce as it would be in an actual fight. He just performed them with sincerity and according to the theory.”
Genos simply wanted to fight using the Hamel Style.
“Even so, you used techniques that were far more complex than Sir Genos’. You also know where his techniques come from, right?”
“The techniques of Great Vermouth’s friend, the Stupid Hamel. And you are the very person who first discovered Sir Hamel’s grave.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I am talking about how Sir Hamel’s techniques have been passed down to every generation for over three hundred years. Isn’t that cool?”
“Do you think I am Sir Hamel’s heir?”
“If you want to deny it, I won’t pry any further. But is there a reason for you to deny it? Inheriting Hamel’s technique is not something to be embarrassed about. Didn’t Sir Genos also recognize you?” Dominic said as he turned to Eugene again. “Eugene, you are trying to have too many secrets.”
“Secrets?”
“I don’t know what happened to you in Samar, but I have a general idea. You went to find Lady Sienna, right? I really don’t understand why you decided to handle such an important and dangerous matter only with Auxiliary Bishop Kristina. If you had asked for it, the Council Head would have ordered the elite Black Lions to escort you.”
“I believe a person should have a secret or two,” Eugene calmly answered.
“Why?”
“It’s more fun that way.”
Unable to answer straight away, Dominic stared at Eugene, blinking.
“Hahaha!”
He burst into laughter. “You’re right. There’s a subtle pleasure in keeping secrets, isn’t it?”
Dominic stopped in front of the door to the round table room.
“But… do not try to keep secrets in front of the Chief.”
Without a single trace of a smile, Dominic turned back to Eugene.
“The Chief thinks of secrets as treacherous threats, even if those secrets are just a boy’s mischievous joke. You may already have felt this, but the Chief has been on guard against you ever since he found out of your existence.”
I understand.” Eugene quietly nodded.
“All the more reason not to keep secrets from the Chief.” Dominic warned Eugene once more as he opened the door.
“I will bear that in mind.”
It was not a warning to be ignored. Bowing slightly, Eugene walked through the door.
~
Only the Council Head, Doynes Lionheart, was sitting at the round table,
Seeing Eugene, he closed the book he was reading and put down the glasses on his nose.
“Long time no see.” Doynes greeted Eugene, looking at him with a gentle smile. “Did you have a good trip?”
“It was quite fun.”
Don’t play with secrets in front of the Chief.
He kept the warning in mind, but that didn’t mean he was going to follow it.
“The trip was quite unique. If you are bored with your life in the Black Lion Castle, try going to Samar. You will never have a dull moment.”
“Haha… It’s a great suggestion, but I’m too old to wander around in such backwoods.” Doynes chuckled, tapping on the table. “Did you get what you wanted?”
“Like what?”
“This place is located in the middle of the mountain in the South of the Kiehl Empire, but I have no problem getting the wind of rumors in the world. I know that you brought the elves to the Lionhearts…and I know what you went through in Aroth.”
He was talking about Akasha.
“Why didn’t you come with Lady Sienna?”
“She wished to stay,” Eugene answered, smiling. “She said she will come and find me when it is time.”
“So the elven sanctuary was real.” Doynes stood up. “I have lived for a long time, but I must be a child compared to the elves. The sanctuary is a paradise for those elves, and there is even the World Tree in its forest.… Haha, I wish to see that place with my own eyes if possible.”
“I’ll guide you someday if you want me to.” Eugene offered.
“I’ll decline. Just like I said, I’m too old now. I’m okay with staying in this castle and forest, since they are like my home…but I’m afraid to leave my sweet home, as old people do. My joints also ache.”
Doynes approached Eugene. He was the Immortal White Lion, an old man who had lived for over a hundred years. Although he said he was old, his gait was light. He stood in front of Eugene, looking so healthy that no one would believe his age.
“Did you encounter any danger on that fun, unique trip?”
“No, I didn’t.” Eugene answered without a flinch.“I fought with the natives several times, but that wasn’t exactly dangerous.”
“That’s a relief to hear.” Doynes grinned, patting Eugene’s shoulder. “Great work. I’m glad to see you’re back safely.”
“Thank you.”
“Sorry to summon you like this. I had no other choice, because I wanted to hear your story no matter what. If the Patriarch was present, we would have been able to speak more amicably. Haha…Talking to a much younger man than me is too much for me.” After tapping Eugene’s shoulder a couple of times, Doynes stepped back.
“You are good to go. The hunt will begin in two days, so rest up.”
“Are you also participating in the hunt, Chief?”
“This is my home,” Doynes answered with a gentle smile. “As an elder, I have to guide the young ones so they don’t go astray or fall into danger.”
