The garrison was in the midst of a lively banquet, and naturally, there was a feast at the headquarters as well, where Bertus held overall command.
Ellen Artorius had been invited to the banquet at the headquarters, but she declined, preferring to rest at the barracks. Of course, she was actually playing with her cat at the time.
Heinrich was certainly someone who had the right to meet the Emperor, who was hosting the banquet.
Although the Temple had already fallen into obscurity, he was a classmate of the Emperor and was in charge of one of the very important forces of the Allied Army.
When Heinrich requested an audience, Bertus slipped away from the banquet hall and brought him to the barracks he used when visiting the garrison.
"Have you been drinking? Well, it is a day for celebration, after all..."
At Bertus's words, Heinrich knelt before him and nodded his head.
"Yes, Your Majesty, a little..."
"Relax, it's just the two of us here."
"...Alright."
"Sit down."
Heinrich sat down where Bertus had gestured.
It was in front of the Emperor.
No matter how close humanity was to ruin, the Emperor was still the Emperor.
Heinrich found it quite remarkable that he could summon the Emperor with a single word and sit face-to-face with him.
If anything, the days of the Temple were even more remarkable.
Bertus opened a bottle of wine, poured some into the glass in front of Heinrich, and then filled his own.
"It's a good day. So, there's really no reason we can't have a drink together, especially since you've already had one."
"...Thank you."
Heinrich took a sip of the wine the Emperor had poured, and a bitter smile crossed his face.
It was the same mediocre wine that had arrived at the Kernstadt Military Headquarters.
Was this all that even the Emperor could drink now?
Bertus also took a sip of the wine and let out a deep sigh.
"It would be nice if things could continue like this."
"Yes, it would."
Bertus's gaze, looking off into the distant mountains, didn't seem to focus on anything in particular.
If only every day were like today.
If only every battle ahead was as easy as today.
But everyone knew that was impossible.
It wasn't the conquest of a large city with a colossal warp gate. In such a case, there would have been casualties on an entirely different scale.
The ease of the first operation may cause the Allied Forces to lower their guard.
But Heinrich wasn't in a position to worry about such things.
All he had to do was fight where he was told to fight. He didn't pay much attention to other strange matters.
It was presumptuous to look beyond what one could do.
Heinrich was now quite adept at understanding his place, unlike before.
Of course, today he had done something quite presumptuous by summoning the Emperor while under the influence of alcohol.
"So, it's not just that you wanted to see my face after a long time."
"..."
"Is there something you're curious about?"
Bertus wondered if Heinrich had come for some other purpose, but Heinrich shook his head.
"There's a problem I don't understand... I thought you might know."
"A problem?"
"What would you do if you were in my situation right now?"
"Hmm?"
Bertus tilted his head at the unexpected question.
"It's such an abstract question, I'm not sure what you're asking?"
"I mean, if you were in my situation right now..."
He couldn't even mention the details of the matter, as it was too cursed to utter.
And so, he could only speak in vague terms.
Because Bertus was smart and knew about politics as much as an emperor.
He felt that by simply thinking, he could get answers he didn't know.
"What do you think is the best choice for me, if you were in my situation right now...? How should I act?"
His brothers hated him.
But his position would continue to grow, and it had nothing to do with Heinrich's intentions.
He couldn't figure out what he should do with this unintended power growing within him. He only knew that staying or leaving the Kernstadt army would be problematic.
Bertus could only answer based on the assumption that he knew Heinrich's situation and the internal affairs of the Kernstadt royal family.
"I don't know these things, and I don't know what the right answer is. It seems like whatever I do will be problematic, and no matter what choice I make, more problems will arise. That's why... the only person I can think of who would know is you."
And so, he committed this rudeness.
Heinrich added softly.
"Well..."
Bertus swirled the red liquid in his wine glass, lost in deep thought.
Bertus had already noticed what Heinrich was asking.
"Do you know what your sister's intentions were, when she transferred you to the Kernstadt army...? Louise von Schwarz, I mean."
"A little, just a little."
"Yes, she intended not to be swayed by the high command. Rather, she wanted to have something to hold and wield."
Heinrich knew that too.
"Though it's ridiculous to discuss what will happen after the war has ended... In any case, you'll undoubtedly become an important figure in the Kernstadt or Schwarz royal family. That's just the natural flow of things."
"…Yeah."
"I don't know what you should do. First of all, I don't know what you want. I don't know what you should do, but I think I have a rough idea of what might happen to you."
"What will happen... to me?"
"Yes."
Bertus took a sip of his wine, quietly looking at Heinrich.
"Your siblings will probably try to kill you. Whether it's during the war or after."
At those words, Heinrich's eyes widened.
He didn't know who sent the letter, but he knew it wasn't Bertus.
However, Bertus was giving the same answer as the anonymous letter.
"Why... Why do they have to go that far? What did I do so wrong? I..."
"Heinrich, don't get angry and listen."
Bertus, having finished his wine, breathed out heavily and quietly looked at Heinrich.
"You might be a bastard child."
If Charlotte de Gardias knew something, it was natural for Bertus de Gardias to know it too.
Heinrich could only stare blankly at Bertus with wide eyes, at his words.
"That's... That's impossible... Don't lie. Stop lying."
That's why Heinrich had no choice but to deny Bertus's cruel suspicion with trembling lips.
"I said it's a possibility, not a fact."
"Yeah, so. That's not why I came to you, to hear such an absurd story..."
"You know it too."
Bertus spoke with a stern expression.
"If this is true, it would explain all the hatred you've received."
"…"
Hatred, contempt, and loathing beyond measure.
Although it was only a possibility, if it were true, he could understand and accept the environment he was in.
Heinrich could only stare blankly at his glass with a stern expression.
Heinrich stumbled out of the headquarters, trudging along.
Bastard.
A word he had never thought about in his life had become lodged in his mind, refusing to disappear.
Bertus had only mentioned it as a possibility, not stating it as a fact.
But Heinrich felt that the puzzle pieces in his mind were starting to fit together.
Why he had awakened his superpowers in a childhood he couldn't remember, under immense stress.
Why his siblings had died in the fires he had created in his childhood.
Why he had to go to the temple at the tender age of eight, instead of the Kernstadt Royal Academy.
Why even now, they looked at him with disdain, as if he were a repulsive war hero, constantly ignoring and belittling him.
Was it not an accident, but a murder he had committed unknowingly in his childhood?
Was it merely the fact that a bastard had risen to prominence in the Schwarz royal family, and that it was difficult to accept him since he had devoured two of their siblings?
If so, why?
Why not kill him when such an accident occurred?
Why did they keep him alive and banish him to the temple?
The cold gazes of his siblings and parents, memories of his childhood that he barely remembered, began to resurface, albeit faintly.
Had he not been hated after the accident, but from the very beginning?
Or had it been the hatred of his siblings that turned him into a supernatural?
Was the root of his supernatural power the abuse from his siblings, dating back to a time he couldn't even remember?
Heinrich walked through the bustling allied territory, staggering back to the Kernstadt barracks.
Before he knew it, he heard the sound of salutes and cheers of encouragement, directed at him as he approached the Kernstadt military base.
Usually, he would have waved back with a smile, but Heinrich did not have the energy for that now.
'So... what am I supposed to do?'
If it was confirmed that he was a bastard, it was highly likely that the rumors of the Schwarz siblings wanting to kill him were true.
It would undoubtedly happen after the war, and there was no guarantee that it wouldn't happen during the ongoing conflict.
'If you ask me to protect you, I can do that.'
Bertus had told Heinrich.
'But it's the matter of retrieving the recruit that Louise von Schwarz took, so she'll probably resist. I'd be overturning her explicit decision.'
'Really...?'
'She might doubt my intentions. It's a plausible situation. It's only natural for you to become a war hero, and your presence, while not quite as much as Ellen, is still significant. She could say I'm trying to use you for some ulterior motive. And even if I don't have that intention, she can still make that claim. I'd be handing over the pretext of meddling in internal affairs to them.'
The Emperor's protection was available.
But in that case, the Emperor would have to bear a considerable burden.
'And it would most likely put your life in even greater danger.'
'...I suppose so.'
'Staying in the Kernstadt army is also difficult, as you'd be constantly exposed to danger... And if you insist on staying at the temple's garrison, you'll be suspected of having ulterior motives of your own... Hmm. Complicated.'
Bastard.
If that word was true, there was no path for Heinrich but death.
His siblings were trying to kill him.
Even with the Emperor's protection, death was inevitable; staying in the Kernstadt army would also lead to death.
As long as he belonged to this alliance, and as long as Heinrich's position remained unchanged, it was clear that one day his siblings would try to kill him.
"So, what should I do?"
"Heinrich."
"Yes?"
"It's obvious, isn't it?"
Bertus shrugged his shoulders.
"To live, you have to kill."
"..."
"We're killing monsters because we want to live, right? What's the difference?"
"..."
"Of course, if all the Kernstadt royals die except for you, there will be great chaos. That's why I don't wish for that situation. Chaos in the alliance is as disastrous as your death."
If Heinrich were to kill the royals plotting against him to survive, it would cause great chaos within the alliance.
"But to survive, you have to do something, whatever it is."
Bertus said he couldn't help Heinrich himself, but he could keep his mouth shut.
This army too was gathered by the will of humanity to live.
So, if Heinrich wanted to live, he had to do something.
Was he really an illegitimate child?
As the anonymous letter stated, and as Bertus predicted.
Were his siblings really trying to kill him?
Did he have to kill his siblings to live?
He didn't want to be killed, nor did he want to kill.
He just wanted to be treated like a brother.
But the situation was such that he couldn't help it.
This shouldn't have happened for just one reason.
Heinrich arrived at the Kernstadt army headquarters, walking aimlessly.
The banquet was still in full swing, and the sounds of boisterous chatter flowed from within the banquet tent.
He didn't want to see anyone inside, no matter who it was.
Heinrich tried to go around to the back of the headquarters and return to his own tent.
He didn't know what he had to do next.
Nothing was certain yet, so he had no plans.
No, he even thought it might be better to be killed.
"Where have you been?"
But behind the headquarters, Heinrich had no choice but to turn at the sound of someone calling him.
"Brother."
The eldest son and the second heir to the Schwarz royal family.
German von Schwarz. And the second son, Alphonse von Schwarz.
Whether they were out to get some air or had some separate conversation, the two were talking outside the headquarters.
Alphonse was the type to pick a fight openly, but German von Schwarz treated him as if he was barely there.
"I went to the general headquarters."
"What for?"
It was a question from German that seemed almost like an interrogation.
Because he was an illegitimate child.
Is that why he was treated like this?
Because his bloodline was only half as good as the others, he had to endure these harsh questions.
Was it because he was considered less than others, and had to acknowledge such a person as a family member, that they always looked at him with such cold and stiff expressions?
On one side, there was disregard; on the other, contempt.
"I went to see a friend."
"Which friend are you talking about?"
"Who else but His Majesty the Emperor?"
In the general headquarters, the only one who could be called friends was only Bertus.
When the word "Emperor" was mentioned casually, Alphonse von Schwarz began to laugh maliciously.
"Wow, our youngest is amazing. Are you boasting about being friends with the Emperor now?"
Heinrich glared at the blatant mockery.
"I don't think so, but it seems that His Majesty the Emperor thinks that way."
"…Huh."
At Heinrich's seemingly mocking response, Alphonse's expression hardened.
It seemed he hadn't expected Heinrich, who always listened silently, to respond like this.
"You've become quite arrogant, little brother."
It was German von Schwarz who spoke.
"It's true that you are an important asset, but you fundamentally belong to the Schwarz royal family. Although you claim to be friends, the decision to personally visit the Emperor should be made after consulting with me or our older sister."
He was saying that every step Heinrich took should be reported to them.
As long as Heinrich belonged to the Schwarz royal family, all his actions could have political implications, so he should be cautious.
That statement in itself was correct.
But is it only at times like this that they treat him like a brother?
And, going to ask them whether they want to kill him or not, would it even be possible to consult with them?
"Don't act recklessly. Even on a good day, as a royal, you must maintain proper conduct. If you don't want to attract unnecessary misunderstandings, refrain from such behavior."
Misunderstandings.
What kind of misunderstandings?
It's them who are guarding against him without any thought.
German's cold words, and Alphonse's sneering attitude.
As if their words were finished, they both averted their gaze from Heinrich altogether.
They had drunk alcohol.
And, Heinrich wanted to know.
Heinrich stared at his brothers with a determined expression.
"Brothers."
"There's nothing more to say. Go in…"
"Am I a bastard?"
"!"
"What?"
He wanted to confirm if the possibility he had heard was true.
