Episode 63

The Serene Domain bordered the empire.

If there was a gorge in Gibraltar, in Serene there was a ‘Great River’.

A wide river flowed down from the Elf Forest.

At its downstream point, it widened as much as the Gibraltar Gorge, to the extent that the geography of the river’s lower course resembled a sea.

Many believed that a dragon had once fired its breath from the Elf Forest, creating a waterway that reached the southern part of the continent.

The empire had tried several times to cross the river, but the terrain could be simply described as ‘miserable.’

“If they come up from the empire’s side, it’s not a river they have to climb but a cliff.”

In ancient times, it seemed as though someone had intentionally raised the land for the kingdom’s defense, so high was the altitude of Serene.

Furthermore, for the past hundreds of years, the Serene Earldom had established defensive formations in such terrain, turning it into another Wall of Lamentation for the empire.

How were the gates of Serene opened?

“I’m going to die—! I’m telling you, I’ll die!!”

Right after arriving in the Serene Earldom by carriage, I witnessed a woman staging a protest on top of the Serene walls.

“Ah, Miss! Please calm down!”

“Calm down? Aaaahh!!”

A blonde woman with disheveled hair stood atop the wall’s railing, screaming.

Her eye makeup was smeared, and she was dressed entirely in black as if in mourning.

“Sigh.”

Count Hex looked up at the wall and sighed.

“We’ve shown them an embarrassing sight right upon arriving at the earldom.”

“Is that Lady Serene?”

“Yes. Ariana Serene. The unfortunate woman who fell in love with a general of the empire.”

Why was she called unfortunate?

Obviously, because her lover had died.

“General Haireddin was assassinated, and she thinks it’s her fault. On top of that, the king is throwing a festival.”

“I heard they barely managed to set up a memorial space.”

“They said His Majesty overturned it all, probably.”

Count Hex shook his head as he exited the carriage.

“Throwing a tantrum won’t change anything… Tsk.”

“Count Hex.”

“What? Do you think I’m wrong?”

“You’re quick to judge, aren’t you?”

As I stepped out of the carriage, I pointed to the top of the wall.

“Most people who cause a commotion like this are desperately trying to express their need to be understood.”

“Is that so? But?”

“But when a person is crazed with love, it’s different.”

I made a slicing motion across my throat with my hand.

“They drag out time like that, wanting to gather as many people as possible to witness their message.”

“…A message?”

“Yes. A message of anger and hatred towards someone.”

For example—

“Like towards her father.”

“Ariana──!”

An elderly nobleman hurried up to the wall.

“That’s the Earl of Serene. He’s a border earl, but not quite.”

The Serene domain technically lay on the border.

It wouldn’t have been strange for it to be granted the title of border earl, but since Gibraltar already held that title, it remained simply an earl.

A casualty of the balance of power with Gibraltar.

Unable to elevate Gibraltar to a duke’s title and too embarrassed to leave it as a mere earl, the Nostrum system awkwardly inserted the title of Margrave between duke and earl, causing the head of the Earl’s family much distress.

“Did he come up as a father concerned for his daughter, or did he come up because he was embarrassed by this commotion in the presence of someone from the royal family?”

“The earl loves his daughter, but I’ve heard he’s had many headaches because of the problem with Haireddin.”

Count Hex, looking exhausted, was about to head toward the castle gate when—

“Wait. Don’t tell me the person Lady Serene is waiting for is—”

“You need to run.”

“…Damn it!”

Count Hex immediately broke into a sprint.

“You’re here, Father.”

“My daughter! Come down from there! What are you doing!”

“The person who saved me, the person I loved, is dead, and you’re having a festival instead of a funeral?”

“My daughter…! Please! There’s nothing I can do about that—”

“Let’s see if they can hold a festival when I’m dead. I’ll watch from the afterlife.”

Thud.

Lady Serene threw herself off the castle wall.

It was a height of tens of meters.

Moreover, there were no trees or flower beds below.

“Ariana──!!”

The Earl of Serene hurriedly called his daughter’s name but could only grasp the railing of the wall, unable to jump after her.

The expressions that flitted across his face were despair, fear, and anger.

Was it anger at his daughter’s attempt to take her own life?

Or was it outrage at how he would have to report this to the king and queen inside the castle, an act that would tarnish his reputation?

‘It seems like the latter.’

Knowing what kind of person the Earl of Serene was, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Still.

‘If Lady Serene dies, the empire will try to use that, so she can’t be allowed to die.’

Whether Ariana Serene had jumped with the intention of ‘letting everyone who is alive try to become something’ or not.

‘Since there’s someone capable of saving her.’

Once she caught my eye, I couldn’t let her die in a way that would benefit the empire.

‘It’s not a benefit for me, but I can’t let her die in a way that benefits the enemy.’

So, I urged Count Hex on.

So that he could react immediately.

Boom!

Dust rose.

At the same time, there was a loud crash against the wall, and I lightly waved away the dust that flew towards me.

“Aaaahhh───!!!”

A belated scream.

The bystanders who were watching might have screamed, anticipating what they thought would happen—

“Ugh…”

“…….”

Unfortunately for someone, that didn’t happen.

“Are you okay, my lady?”

“Ah…”

Count Hex lay on the ground.

He was holding Lady Ariana, slightly dusty on her back, in his arms.

“Nice catch.”

Catching someone falling from the sky with a ‘princess carry’ and landing gently?

That’s something only a master like a father could do.

Unfortunately, Count Hex wasn’t quite at that level.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re hurt. That’s fortunate. Sigh.”

“Count Hex, are you…?”

“I understand your feelings, but trying to die, ugh, is not the answer.”

Count Hex patted Lady Serene’s back gently.

“Dying and following him won’t make him happy, you know.”

“Uh, huk, huuuaaah───!!”

Lady Serene sobbed in Count Hex’s arms.

She cried so sorrowfully that everyone around looked at her with pity, but—

“Huh? What’s this.”

Atop the castle wall.

“I thought I was in for a good show, but ugh.”

A blonde man with red eyes, standing in a different spot from where the earl stood, licked his lips with a flushed face, holding a bottle of alcohol.

“Such a pity. Tsk.”

No one might have heard, but I kept my ears pricked toward that man.

Lady Serene’s intended protest through death was probably not only aimed at her father but primarily at this man.

‘Saint Gio Nostrum.’

The one who turned the memorial and funeral into a festival, a masquerade ball.

He was our king of Nostrum.

After Count Hex took Lady Serene to the infirmary,

I found myself walking through the castle gate alone, but—

“Are you Lord Grey Gibraltar?”

“The Black Rose Knight Order, you say?”

“Yes. My name is Carlos. I’m supposed to serve Count Hex, but…”

“I understand. If your order is to bring Count Hex’s companion, please direct them to him.”

“…Please follow me.”

Guided by a knight who recognized the insignia on the carriage I had arrived in, I soon entered the castle.

‘Lucky to recognize the name.’

Carlos.

Not a particularly important name, but I remembered him working at the Nostrum Governor’s Office.

If there was a reason to remember him—

‘Is he someone safe to follow, or not.’

It might sound paranoid, but my response would change depending on whether he was a shadow or not.

Living this way might be exhausting, but the threat of assassination doesn’t choose time or place.

Fortunately, this man was not a shadow.

Even if he was a dog of the Governor’s Office, lured by the high salary and White Silver from the empire, he wasn’t someone trying to kill me right then.

“This way, please.”

As expected, he led me to a luxurious hotel in the Earldom of Serene.

“The Tears of Serene.”

It was quite a unique name for a hotel.

It sounded familiar.

“You will find them waiting on the top floor.”

“Thank you for the guidance.”

I immediately ascended the stairs from the main entrance.

The condition of the hotel was top-notch.

Everything was of the highest quality, and even the paintings on the walls were exclusively those of nobles famous in the capital.

‘It’s a border, but also a tourist spot, often visited by wealthy nobles.’

Not only the view of the sea, but also the advantage of looking down on the empire.

There, on the top floor, she was waiting.

Knock knock knock.

“Come in.”

As soon as I knocked, a familiar woman’s voice came from inside.

“I’m here to see Queen Carmen.”

As soon as I entered the suite and greeted her, I felt a chill run down my spine at the presence of another person in the room.

“Uh.”

A white-haired old man was sitting opposite Queen Carmen.

He was wearing luxurious formal attire, but until I opened the door, he had been suppressing his presence as much as possible.

“Seems like you have been training your physique.”

“Father.”

“I’m sorry, Queen. I never heard that this son of that guy trained properly or anything…”

The old man, stroking his long white beard that reached down to his neck, was—

“Well, well, it seems you have been training in secret. Approved.”

“…I am honored to meet you, Your Excellency the Prime Minister.”

The Prime Minister of this country.

The Chief of the 12 Gods.

One of the masters, like my father.

“His Excellency Duke Winchester Morgania.”

Duke Winchester, Carmen’s biological father.

“Um…”

“How about it, Father?”

“……I don’t like his face, too much like his mother or father, but his actions are different, which I like.”

I didn’t expect to hear bad things about my parents right upon meeting him.

“Grey Gibraltar. Do you know why I hate your parents?”

“Crimson Gibraltar unilaterally broke off the engagement with Carmen Morgania, and Charlotte Rembur Gunter stole the position of fiancée. And…”

“And?”

“In order to maintain the power of the Morgania Ducal family, they had to make their only daughter the wife of Saint Gio Nostrum.”

“…….”

The Duke continued to fiddle with his beard, then pointed at me and turned to Queen Carmen.

“Daughter. This child isn’t the one you secretly had with that Crimson guy, is he?”

“I wish he were. Unfortunately, this child is Charlotte’s son. By bloodline.”

“……He looks just like you did when you were young?”

“The misfortune of geniuses who had to grow up too fast. It’s embarrassing to act like a child when your mind has matured.”

Queen Carmen said with a chuckle.

“Son. Let me introduce you. This is your political grandfather.”

“Allow me to introduce myself once more. I am Grey Gibraltar, serving Queen Carmen with her as my political mother.”

“……Tch.”

The Duke openly clicked his tongue at my greeting.

“Youngsters these days are all no fun. You should be more affectionate toward your grandfather. Both granddaughter and grandson, I don’t understand how they all turned out this way.”

“Perhaps if they were born into a normal family, but not with such titles and status, right?”

“Ha. You don’t back down with a single word, just like her. It feels even more intense than when I was raising my daughter.”

A distant look appeared in the Duke’s eyes.

But his wish is something I cannot fulfill.

Not only was I not the type to be overly affectionate, neither was Queen Carmen.

‘He might want a child like Astasia, but his daughter is Carmen and his granddaughter is Naria.’

And now, Grey Gibraltar was added to the mix.

“I heard there was a major incident on the way here. Weren’t you shocked?”

“I was surprised. I never thought Lady Serene would cause such a commotion over a suicide.”

“Fortunately, Hex rushed to save her. The timing was just right, almost like a miracle. If she had fallen…”

“There were no knights nearby who could have saved her.”

I could say that with confidence.

“The soldiers guarding the wall never thought to leap, and the same was true for those above the wall. And it’s not as if the senior knights can always be near the wall.”

Had we arrived even a moment later, I might have been attending Lady Serene’s funeral first.

“I fully grasp why you two sent Count Hex to Gibraltar and brought me here.”

It’s to avert such tragedies.

“The role of translating the imperial language is the ostensible reason, but in truth, there’s a deeper motive.”

Looking at the fundamental issue.

“You wish to leverage the bloodline of Gibraltar. Specifically, Charlotte’s bloodline, correct?”

“…….”

“Just my presence here ensures that news from this location will reach Gibraltar.”

As a sort of ‘deterrent’ to curb the folly of a man who organizes a festival in front of a woman grieving for her loved one.

“Saint Gio Nostrum. His Majesty would temper his rash actions just knowing that Charlotte’s son is here.”

Yet.

“Even though he might be loathed by Crimson Gibraltar enough to be killed.”

It’s highly disagreeable, but.

“Charlotte Gibraltar, he hasn’t relinquished his pursuit of her yet.”

The inept king is still infatuated with my mother.

“Therefore, I possess an effective strategy to restrain Saint Gio Nostrum. A strategy to deter him from wreaking havoc.”

“You dare to speak so confidently, not even being Carmen’s son. Well, what is it?”

“Employ a letter.”

I lifted my hand.

“A letter from my mother.”

Over the past three years.

“Covertly disseminate the letters my mother wrote to me. Intersperse them with a tone of concern for the king.”

“…I doubt Crimson would write something like that, even if it were a fabrication.”

“Correct. Even if the Margrave consents, immediate action would require at least three days. Given the distance…”

“I can write it.”

The expressions of both the Queen and the Prime Minister hardened.

“Prepare just one person for me. Like a messenger who has arrived from Gibraltar. The letter to be entrusted to him…”

I clenched the hand I was holding up.

“I can prepare it within an hour.”

As if gripping a feather pen.