“……”
Jake couldn’t answer right away. The word ‘no’ didn’t come out easily.
His father’s people were everywhere, and there wasn’t a day they didn’t monitor him.
From birth until now, not a single day.
Of course there were exceptions, but that was only when he was locked up in places like underground dungeons where he couldn’t do anything.
Every word he said, every action he took was reported. Jake had lived his entire life without forgetting that fact. For Jake, a life where his actions weren’t reported to the Duke was more awkward.
So even while he was with Klad, he couldn’t let go of the thought ‘what if.’
What if Father is watching me even at this very moment?
What if Father knows all the information?
And right now, there was only one person who could serve as his father’s eyes and ears.
In his heart, he accepted that he wasn’t the Duke’s person and relied on him, but his head couldn’t accept it.
This incident was the same.
Everything seemed to be proceeding more smoothly than he’d imagined, then it collapsed while he’d let his guard down.
Deliberately planting hope in the opponent then crushing it all at once to give them despair beyond that was a method Father enjoyed.
Hadn’t this incident also been planned under Father’s instructions?
So that he’d be filled with hope that he could protect the territory residents from the demon race with his own power, then be consumed by despair that because of that, they’d fallen into an even greater nightmare.
Come to think of it, Jake had come to this city at Klad’s suggestion.
It was Jake’s opinion to go find the lord, but what made him think of that opinion was Klad’s words mentioning ‘sneaking into the lord’s castle’ first. It planted the option of ‘going to the lord’s castle’ in Jake, who had only planned to find the lord but didn’t know specifically what to do or how.
It was also Klad who told him that Baron Nolson didn’t know he’d escaped from the underground dungeon and fled.
Believing those words, he acted out giving orders to the Baron, and the Baron trembled strangely and believed Jake’s words as they were.
But what if that was actually an act staged between Klad and the Baron?
What if the Baron was acting, and Klad’s role was to plant the impression in Jake that the Baron was being deceived?
Jake had stayed by Klad’s side while constantly thinking such thoughts.
He trusted Klad, but that trust was closer to ‘what if this person might be Father’s person?’
He trusted and relied on Klad without forgetting that possibility for even a single moment.
That thought was truly shattered when he climbed over the lord’s castle wall with Klad’s help.
‘I’m here. I can solve that much.’
Klad had definitely said that. When Jake heard those words, he was making eye contact with Klad.
That’s when he realized.
This person is not Father’s person. He will never become Father’s person in the future either.
Klad was helping him with only the purpose of ‘helping Jake’ without any other reason.
‘Why?’
When he knew the other party was Father’s person, there was no need to worry.
Because he had the belief that the person would definitely report every situation to Father and betray him. Because he was certain the reason he approached him was to curry favor with Duke West.
But no matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t understand Klad’s heart.
‘Why is he helping me?’
Klad, who would only help while complaining when Jake insisted he needed help, was now trying to step forward and offer help first even without saying anything.
Why?
When he didn’t think helping the Hero was an honor, and wasn’t trying not to go against the heir’s words out of fear of the House of Duke West’s prestige?
“I get that you have no talent for conversation, but I’m willing to listen if you explain, so go ahead and try making excuses.”
Even now, Klad was making an expression that said he was frustrated and annoyed, yet was offering him a chance.
Jake couldn’t say anything.
“Ha.”
Klad felt like he was going to go crazy from frustration.
What was even more annoying was that while the other side was saying things like he didn’t trust him, he himself was trusting Jake beyond imagination.
Pathetically.
“I’m grateful for your help in getting us this far.”
Jake finally opened his mouth just before Klad’s patience ran out.
“Thanks to you, I learned that there are various options in proceeding with work, and I got to experience things I could never have accomplished alone.”
“But.”
“I didn’t want to get used to that comfort and convenience.”
“……”
“If I get used to receiving help, I’ll be in trouble later when you’re not by my side. I don’t want to feel the powerlessness when the varied possibilities narrow back down to one.”
Jake deliberately organized and laid bare the emotions he felt. After spitting them out, his thoughts became organized.
Jake had been afraid of getting used to the comfort of having ‘someone on my side’ with him. The time with Klad was so enjoyable and comfortable that he didn’t have confidence he could endure the helplessness after he left.
“Did you think I’d be bought off by the Duke someday?”
It was a slightly different concept from that, but Jake couldn’t explain this time either.
How could he explain it?
Because he couldn’t handle losing the numerous options you gave me, so stay by my side for the rest of my remaining life until I retrieve the Hero’s Sword, find the ducal house’s descendants, and defeat the Demon King. Until I achieve all my goals?
Such a request would be one Klad wouldn’t want to grant even if he were Father’s subordinate.
So Jake chose to remain silent until the end. Even if Klad interpreted his attitude arbitrarily.
“I understand you’re different from other Wests, and I know well you harbor no ill will.”
“……”
“But since our intentions differ, it’s better to part ways here.”
Klad turned around without hesitation. He’d already given him chances several times. It was Jake who kicked away those chances.
Even after being suspected that he’d go over to the Duke someday, his pride wouldn’t allow him to cling to Jake as if hanging himself.
“I’ll solve this matter, so you leave this city before getting caught up in the demon race or bombs and dying.”
Klad sent his final warning.
This isn’t clinging. It’s just… taking responsibility for what he started and bringing it to a close.
He was worried Jake might set off all the bombs installed in the plaza by insisting on finding the bombs himself. He was worried about that, not about Jake.
“This is as far as I help.”
With those words as the end, Klad left.
Jake couldn’t say anything and just stood there quietly watching his departing back.
Until that figure was completely out of sight, continuously.
***
Jake, who had been standing for a long time in the place Klad left, drew the sword hanging at his waist.
He needed time to organize his thoughts.
When he swung his sword, useless anxiety disappeared and he could concentrate on what he wanted.
Swoosh.
Jake stood in the empty backyard of the lord’s castle and swung his sword. It was the sword he’d bought along with clothes when he first arrived in this city, saying he’d act as the Hero.
It wasn’t a very good sword, but this level of sword was just right for Jake.
Because Jake’s skills weren’t very good either.
Swoosh, swoosh.
Each time Jake swung his sword, the sound of cutting through the air rang out.
Even if it wasn’t the sharp sound when a skilled swordsman swung a sword, Jake liked this inadequate sound.
Listening to the swooshing sound helped him concentrate well.
This time too, Jake emptied his mind while listening to the sound of his sword cutting through the air. And he filled the emptied space with new thoughts.
Swoosh, swoosh.
Honestly, that conversation earlier was nonsense from start to finish.
It was a clumsy excuse that didn’t even serve as an excuse.
Was it sensible behavior to send him away because he’d gotten too used to having Klad by his side and couldn’t handle it when he was gone?
If that were the case, he should have sent him away before getting used to it.
Because he sent him away only after already getting used to him, in the end only the unmanageable situation he’d expected came.
Like the foolish Baron Nolson who ultimately chose to give up everything in order not to lose what he had.
‘I still need Klad’s help.’
To do that, he had to trust him.
He still didn’t know the reason Klad was helping him. But couldn’t he just ask?
Klad had always answered questions sincerely. If he asked what effort he needed to make to be with him, he would answer that too.
‘Will he help me again?’
If he pushed him away for an absurd reason then came back in less than an hour, would he accept him?
That was something he wouldn’t know without trying.
Maybe he’d refuse. Maybe he’d already left the city. But if he refused, he’d challenge again, and if he left, he’d go find him.
Jake was used to confronting and challenging things he thought wouldn’t be accomplished thousands, tens of thousands of times.
Like when he first met Klad by digging and digging again through ground he expected to be endless.
‘Good. Let’s go find Klad. I need to have another conversation with him.’
Swoosh.
At the same time as the last sword he swung drew a pretty curve, the thought organizing that had continued for over an hour came to an end.
Come to think of it, this was Baron Nolson’s lord’s castle. Two soldiers stood guarding the only entrance and exit.
How could he get out safely without any commotion……
Shwiiik—
At that moment, something rushed toward Jake as he turned around, cutting through the air.
It was a sword much heavier and larger than Jake’s.
Before he could even notice what it was, the sharp blade cut through Jake’s body diagonally.
Chwaak—
