“Hmm.” Eugene stared forward with an awkward expression. He was currently standing in the castle of Fort Lehain.
“His Majesty is waiting for you in the bath,” said a knight of Ruhr’s White Fang Knights with a bow.
Eugene nodded without any change in his expression. Ruhr’s knights, led by the Beast King, had arrived in the dead of night. Eugene was not interested in the power balance between the nations represented by those staying in the castle. However, now that he was already here, Eugene couldn’t help but notice how the different powers were positioned in the castle.
Outside the window, on the other side of the snow in the spire, was the Emperor of Kiehl, his royal guards of Kiehl, and the elite, chosen members of the White Dragon Knights. The Pope of Yuras, his escorting knights, and the archbishops were on a nearby spire. Beneath the two spires resided the kings of various nations who weren’t given their own spire and their royal guards. Finally, even though Ruhr wasn’t an empire, the tallest accommodation was given to the Beast King, given that the fort belonged to Ruhr. That’s where Eugene currently stood, and he resumed walking while clicking his tongue.
‘Why is he inviting me to a bath?’
Late at night, the Beast King had suddenly sent a messenger to the mansion where the Lionheart family was staying.
—We want to continue the conversation we were having with Eugene Lionheart in Hamelon.
Eugene had been unable to come up with an excuse to refuse a request from a king, and it wasn’t like he had a reason to refuse either. Plus, Eugene also wanted to converse with the Beast King. However, if there was one thing, it was that Eugene had been looking forward to a conversation at a fancy table, with bountiful meats and delicious drinks, not to strip naked and share a hot bath with a bulky, muscular man.
‘And I already had a bath in the daytime.’
And it had been with Gargith as well, who was essentially a ball of muscle. Eugene sighed while crossing the hall.
“This is the place.” One of the doors suddenly opened, and a female servant in a swimsuit greeted Eugene in a relaxed voice. Eugene unknowingly froze on the spot when the servant greeted him.
“What?” he asked.
“This is the bath,” said the servant with a smile.
Eugene calmed himself down before entering through the door. When he thought about it, it was quite natural. After all, wasn’t it natural that a king of a nation would have servants taking care of him when he took a bath?
“Whoa.” Even so, Eugene felt that this was a little too much. The room inside was practically filled with female servants, and they greeted him in swimsuits of different colors. Eugene knew how big the Beast King was from his previous encounter, but even so, did he really need so many servants just for himself?
“Please, let me help you,” one of the servants said.
“Help me with what?” asked Eugene.
“I will help you disrobe,” said the servant.
“No, I will be fine. It’s just my clothes, and I do just fine taking them off myself. Why would I need any help?” grumbled Eugene, taking off his cloak. He could see Mer’s eyes gleaming within the cloak. Eugene cleared his throat while waving away the approaching servants. “I take off my clothes on my own when I’m at home, take a bath alone, and also dress on my own. I would prefer not to change how I’ve been living, so please leave me alone.”
“All right.”
“But, is everyone just going to keep staring like that? I don’t really like taking my clothes off in front of others. If you have any respect for me, could you turn your head…? No, could you all just turn around?” asked Eugene.
“However, Sir Eugene, His Majesty has instructed us to serve you with all our hearts,” said one of the servants.
“Serve me? How would you serve me? This is just a bath. Where is His Majesty? He’s right up there, isn’t he? I’ll get there myself. Gown. Please, just give me a gown.”
Eugene wasn’t very familiar with such situations. It wasn’t that he had no experience with women, but he had never bathed with near-naked female servants on both sides. He had no desire for such an experience either. After almost snatching a gown that a servant was holding, Eugene waited until the servants turned around before quickly changing into the robe.
A large terrace greeted him when he walked forward. The entire structure was an open bath designed to pump up the hot spring water from the ground all the way up to the top of the tall tower to allow anyone to enjoy the sight. In fact, it felt more appropriate to call it a swimming pool rather than a bath.
“Well, aren’t you quite shy, young man!” Aman Ruhr chuckled.
He was immersed in hot water with his arms on the railing. Behind him was Lehainjar, riddled with falling snowflakes.
“It’s a little unexpected. You didn’t seem like the one to indulge in luxuries,” commented Eugene.
“It’s just a bath. What’s luxurious about it?” asked Aman.
“Aren’t there too many servants?” asked Eugene.
“Is that so? We are not too sure about that. Kiehl’s Emperor brought dozens of servants. Compared to him, don’t you find us rather modest? Or do you find it unpleasant that we would compare ourselves to the Emperor of Kiehl?” responded Aman.
“I’m not that loyal to His Majesty the Emperor,” answered Eugene with an aloof expression. He didn’t even think it had been a witty answer, but Aman burst into hearty laughter while clapping his hands.
“Uhahahaha! We see, We see. But Eugene, how long do you plan to stand there?”
“I’ve not had a chance to tell you, but I already had a bath in the hot springs earlier in the day,” said Eugene.
“What’s the harm in taking another one? Please don’t embarrass us. We are already soaking in here without any clothes,” said Aman.
“Phew.” Eugene took off his gown with a sigh, then wadded into the hot spring. He had to admit… the scenery was quite nice.
“Is there anything you need? Food or alcohol? Feel free to let us know whenever. That’s why we have servants here,” said Aman.
“I should be fine,” responded Eugene.
“Do you know why we called you here?” asked Aman.
“Wasn’t it so we could finish our conversation from Hamelon?” responded Eugene.
Eugene did not immediately ask about Molon. Although it had been Aman who recommended Eugene go to the Grand Hammer Canyon, Eugene wasn’t sure if Aman knew of Molon’s presence there.
“That would be a fun conversation to continue, but besides that. What do you think about this?” asked Aman.
“What?”
“The Knight March,” said Aman.
What kind of answer was he seeking? Eugene narrowed his eyes and stared at Aman. Noticing Eugene’s cautionary approach, Aman chuckled before shaking his head.
“It’s just a simple question,” he said.
“I’m not sure I understand why you are asking me this question,” said Eugene.
“Because we judged that you are the leading figure in the Lionheart clan. Don’t deny it. We also have eyes and ears. Although you are not in line to become the next head of the family, the next generation of the Lionhearts is bound to revolve around you. That is why we came to the judgment that you are the leading figure,” said Aman.
“The family head is still healthy and strong. The same is true of Lady Carmen and the elder,” responded Eugene.
“Of course they are. But we don’t think that really matters, Eugene Lionheart. You’re a key figure in the Lionheart family because you are overwhelmingly younger than them, yet you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the elders of your family. And that’s not all either. You have quite the connections as well,” said Aman. He chuckled while jumping up from the bath.
Eugene stared in shock as Aman strode across the bath towards him. It would be quite intimidating if someone as large and muscular as Aman approached with their clothes on, and when Eugene saw him approaching with nothing on, he felt a physiological need to retreat.
“You are continuing Sir Hamel’s legacy and are also the successor of Lady Sienna. You are a disciple of the head of Aroth’s Red Tower of Magic and an object of interest and favor of Aroth’s crown prince. Moreover, Alchester Dragonic, the Commander of the White Dragon Knights, is deeply favorable of you. His son received your teachings for a little while as well,” said Aman.
“…..”
“The only Saint Candidate of the Holy Empire also shares a close relationship with you. We judged it was something rather intimate, but we won’t say any more since it would be unbefitting of us to ramble on about the things between men and women,” continued Aman.
“But you’ve already said everything,” responded Eugene.
“Uhahaha. We guess so. Then shall we talk about something else? Although the Kingdom of Ruhr is located at the northern end, as is with us, it doesn’t mean we are blind and deaf to the situation on the continent. You are the guardian of the elves, and you have a relationship with the next chief of the Zoran Tribe,” said Aman.
“What kind of answer would you like to hear from me?” asked Eugene.
“Your honest opinion of the Knight March. Although nothing has begun yet, we are sure you’ve already heard about the current situation with the Knight March, right?” asked Aman.
“I heard that they are asking that we summon monsters and frolic with them instead,” answered Eugene.
“That’s right!”
Splash!
Aman took a seat right next to Eugene, causing large waves of hot spring water to ripple. “As you probably know already, the Knight March isn’t held for us to do something. It’s the gathering of the greatest knights and mercenaries of the continent. This is the first time since three hundred years ago that such a force has gathered, so the gathering itself has meaning. However! Wouldn’t it be comical if we don’t do anything when we have such a large gathering of power?”
“Yes, well,” answered Eugene.
Aman continued, “We want a battle. Power, honor, chivalry, faith! A battle with everything on the line. Of course, battles aren’t gentle, and many will die or get injured. But so what? What’s the big deal? If they win, they will achieve great honor. If you worry about getting hurt and dying because you are weaker than your opponent, can you really call yourself a warrior?”
Aman’s voice grew in intensity. “Of course! We have also tried to understand the thoughts of the emperor and the other kings. If there is an enemy on the continent, it’s Helmuth and the Demon Kings. It would be ludicrous for us to bleed on our own before we deal with them. However, we think we need to bleed if it's necessary.”
“…Well, I understand the purpose of the Knight March, but excessive bleeding in training….” said Eugene.
“It would be overwhelmingly less than the bloodshed in wars between nations,” Aman continued.
“What?”
“This is what we think. The knights here don’t represent the full power of their countries, but they could be called the symbols of their nations. If they battle against each other — couldn’t you call that, say, a little war?” said Aman.
Could it be?
“We think that what we need the most to confront our adversary, Helmuth, is — unity. The continent is wide, and there are many countries. There are many kings as well! That’s why not everyone can see eye to eye, and everyone’s only focused on their own profits. What do you think?” Aman asked.
“Um…. Why do you keep asking for my opinion?” said Eugene.
“Because we think your opinion is important, young man,” answered Aman.
“You spoke about unity, Your Majesty. Are you… uh… wanting to unite the continent?” asked Eugene.
“Uhahaha! It would be impossible to unify the continent with a real war. And it’s not like we and Ruhr have the power to unify the continent either,” responded Aman Ruhr with a laugh while slapping Eugene on the shoulder. “However, if the knights participating in the Knight March clash properly, and we gain the upper hand, great honor will follow. We could humble the other knightly orders, and if we get a little rougher and more radical, it should be possible to threaten the kings who are here.”
What Aman was saying didn’t seem appropriate to be said while soaking in a hot bath. Eugene stared in bewilderment, and he finally understood why Aman Ruhr was known as the Beast King.
“Ah, we hope you don’t misunderstand. We are only saying that this could be possible. We don’t actually intend to do something like that. However… well, we are only thinking, shouldn’t it be possible to achieve unification through coercion? At least, if we do achieve unification through that method, wouldn’t we move more hand-in-hand against our enemy?” continued Aman.
“Huh….” Eugene shook his head with a baffled laugh. “Your Majesty’s words are so sudden and extreme that I do not know how to react. However, Your Majesty, you called Helmuth the enemy… but didn’t you open entry into Ruhr and allow the demons of Helmuth to enter your kingdom?” asked Eugene.
“Ruhr was the only place on the continent with closed doors to Helmuth. We thought of Helmuth as the enemy, but at the same time, we acknowledged that the civilization they built was great. So we opened the doors of Ruhr for an exchange,” answered Aman. He grinned and stared at Eugene’s face. “You didn’t think we opened the doors of Ruhr because we were instigated by them, did you?”
“I only considered it a possibility. After all, Your Majesty refused to join the Anti-Demon Alliance all this while,” said Eugene.
“Anti-Demon Alliance! Uhahaha! Are you referring to the bunch of rabbits? And what do we have to gain from joining their group? What are we lacking? They will proudly boast of becoming my allies, but we have nothing to gain but shame at being allied with those petty rabbits! How can we, a descendant of the Bold King, hold hands with Helmuth and act as the captain of a bunch of rabbits?” Aman laughed boisterously before patting Eugene on the shoulder once more.
After a while, his laughter died down. “You are prudent.” Aman slowly turned and looked beyond the drifting snow at Lehainjar. “We think you have something else you want to ask us about, but you are not saying a word about it,” he said.
“I’m not sure what you are talking about, Your Majesty,” answered Eugene.
“Did you meet His Majesty the Bold King?” It was a sudden question. A calm light appeared in his eyes, and Aman continued. “We have heard reports that you went to the Great Hammer Canyon of Lehainjar. Eugene Lionheart, did you see His Majesty, the Bold King, there?”
“Why do you think so?” asked Eugene.
“Well, because we wanted you to meet him,” responded Aman.
“…..”
“Don’t hesitate to answer.”
“Why did you want that?” asked Eugene.
“You are called the second coming of the Great Vermouth, but you don’t have the face of the Great Hero,” said Aman, looking back at Eugene with a laugh. “However, we thought His Majesty would recognize the talent of a young Lionheart. And by your side was Kristina Rogeris, the only Saint Candidate, who is the spitting image of Anise the Faithful. We wondered if His Majesty would show some curiosity if the two of you went to the Great Hammer Canyon. We were hopeful.”
“…The decision to hold the Knight March here, in Lehain. I may be making a hasty judgment, but I believe the Knight March itself is a method to summon His Majesty out of seclusion,” said Eugene.
“That’s not all, but it’s one of the reasons,” admitted Aman.
“What on earth is His Majesty the Bold King doing in the Great Hammer Canyon?” asked Eugene.
“As the world says,” answered Aman.
“That canyon was not a suitable place for a peaceful seclusion,” said Eugene.
“You must have seen something else besides His Majesty,” asked Aman.
“Yes.”
Aman did not respond immediately after hearing Eugene’s answer. Instead, he crossed his arms, then fell into contemplation for a while. After a while, Aman splashed the hot water over his face before speaking. “Bayar calls the monster — Nur.”
“What is it exactly?” asked Eugene.
“We do not know. We do not know what the Nur is. His Majesty, the Bold King, is the only one who knows exactly what that is,” said Aman.
“Your Majesty said that the Great Hammer Canyon is where the legend of the royal family is handed down,” said Eugene.
“And we told you that it was a place where descendants of the royal family were reborn as warriors. Isn’t it all true? The Great Hammer Canyon is the hermitage of His Majesty, the Bold King. It’s true that the legend of the royal family is handed down there since the founder of Ruhr is there. And the bit about the descendants being reborn as warriors. Uhahaha! That is true as well. To succeed the throne, one must climb up the damn mountain naked, then meet His Majesty, the Bold King,” Aman continued while stirring old memories.
“It’s… a place that houses extremely ominous beings, a place that couldn’t be considered the hiding place of a hero. You would have felt it when you saw the Nur, but the ominous feeling it emanates…. It stimulates a fundamental fear that is difficult for humans to overcome. But to become the King of Ruhr, you have to face that fear straight on and move on. You have to climb the cliff and meet His Majesty, the Bold King. We also encountered His Majesty twenty years ago, and one day, our son will go see His Majesty as well.”
Aman clearly remembered the events from twenty years ago. As a young man, he had no doubt that he was the bravest warrior of Ruhr. He received a command from his father to climb Lehainjar to reach the Great Hammer Canyon to prove himself as a warrior. Aman had not been allowed any preparation, not even a weapon. He had to climb the harsh mountain with just his bare body.
But Aman had no fear. He knew that all kinds of monsters lurked in Lehainjar, but he was young and powerful, strong enough to beat monsters to death with nothing but his bare hands.
He climbed the snow mountain, feeding on the raw flesh of monsters he killed and eating the falling snow. During the ordeal, all nearby rangers withdrew as well. There was no one to show Aman the way up to the Great Hammer Canyon.
After wandering through the snow for a long time, he felt an irresistible fear for the first time in his life. Even without actually seeing the Nur, Aman had been scared stiff. But running away because of his fear and descending the mountain would have resulted in his failure. If he gave into his fear, he couldn’t become the King of Ruhr, and he could not claim himself a warrior. So Aman endured his fear on the spot for a few days, then resumed climbing. At last, he reached the Great Hammer Canyon and saw… the Nur.
“What did the Nur look like to your eyes?” asked Aman.
“It was a giant monkey with horns,” answered Eugene.
“The Nur we saw looked to be a giant snake. Although what we saw looked different on the surface, it should have been the same in nature. And we collapsed on the spot in fear before we even saw the giant snake in person. For three or four days, we were engulfed by fear, shame, and anger,” said Aman.
“…..”
“Now that we think about it, the first Nur responsible for instilling that fear in us… wouldn’t have been the snake. No, it would have been killed way earlier by His Majesty, the Bold King. We were frozen terrified by a dead Nur, a monster that wasn’t even in front of me. But we guess you didn’t falter on your way,” said Aman.
“…Yes.”
“We think we made the right choice in directing you to the Great Hammer Canyon. You are much braver than we were in my youth. Perhaps even braver than we are now…. Did His Majesty say anything else to you?” he asked.
“He told me to go down,” answered Eugene.
“Is that so…?” Aman nodded with a bitter smile. He once again reached out and patted Eugene’s shoulder, but the hand didn’t contain too much power like before. “So, how was it? How was His Majesty, the Bold King, when you saw him in person? Wasn’t he exactly, as the stories described, a brave, great warrior?”
“I think so,” said Eugene.
“Hahaha! What an ambiguous thing to say. But we will forgive you. Even if His Majesty told you to back down, he would have made an appearance because he acknowledged you,” said Aman before raising himself. “This was a pleasant conversation.”
“What are you going to do about the Knight March?” asked Eugene.
“Didn’t we say it before? We were only entertaining the idea. We have no intention of actually running wild. Take what we talked about here as one of my bad jokes,” answered Aman.
“Are you sure?” asked Eugene.
“Of course.”
Aman walked out of the hot spring while shaking off the water from his beard.
“We will take our leave first. Enjoy this bath as you please,” said Aman.
“I will go out as well,” said Eugene.
“We haven’t had the chance to say this, but you have a very good body. Although they’re a bit older, we do have a female warrior relative who is not married yet. What do you think…?” asked Aman.
“I’ll pretend I heard nothing,” Eugene replied in a firm voice immediately.
