“…Your Grace!”
At the bewildered voice, I raised an eyebrow crookedly.
“Why. Can’t you do it?”
It made sense. Not only was he young, but the other party was the Emperor’s half-brother, so they couldn’t help but be cautious.
“Fine. Then I’ll do it myself.”
“Ack!”
I simply hugged Lenox around the waist and lifted him up.
The flustered Lenox squirmed, but there was no way a kid with a smaller build than his peers could overcome me, who had gradually begun training.
“P-put me down!”
“If I put you down, you’ll just barge in. Isn’t that right?”
“Well, that’s…”
“See.”
If we’re being fair, I was somewhat at fault in this situation too. Because Achille and Lenox in the original work weren’t particularly close brothers, I had naively thought it could be resolved with just a good scolding.
But now I knew well that wouldn’t be enough, so I had no choice but to throw him out myself.
“I don’t want to! I won’t go back! I’m going to live here! I want to!”
“Kid. Maybe you don’t know because you’re young, but the world isn’t some place that grants your wishes.”
Tsk, I clicked my tongue and added.
“When you can’t even shake off someone like me, how on earth would you survive in a place like this?”
“……”
“I’m someone who’s utterly sick of watching people die. So don’t think about bothering a busy person and go to a warm place. That’s perfect for you.”
Once you grow old enough to understand what kind of place this is, you’ll surely be very grateful for my choice today.
Screeeech. Then a sharp sound rang out from somewhere. It was similar to the tinnitus I often heard when my headaches worsened.
I deliberately ignored the increasingly dark expressions of the people around me and moved forward. Then I set Lenox down outside the castle gates with a thump.
“Go.”
Lenox was still trembling. His blue eyes were filled with tears.
It would be a lie to say I didn’t feel sorry for him. Seeing him tremble so pitifully made my hands itch to take off the cloak I was wearing and wrap it around him right away. My lips kept twitching, wanting to shout at anyone to bring something warm, anything at all.
Staying in this castle would be fine. Even if this was a land with long winters and harsh living conditions, it seemed we could handle one more mouth to feed. Given your sincerity in coming all this way, it seemed it would be better not to make you any sadder.
‘No. That’s not right. Get a grip. Are you crazy?’
I had to face reality.
The world isn’t some place that grants my wishes. Misfortune is common and unhappiness is tenacious in my life—if you got involved in such a life and caught it too, how could I bear that regret?
“Close the gates.”
“…Your Grace.”
The Chaos Meter that had briefly dropped rose again. It was 100 percent without even a nail’s worth of space left. My mouth tasted bitter, as if it were proving the fact that I was really acting like trash.
“Do I have to close the gates myself too?”
The hesitating soldiers finally began to move. Though they were both imperial majesties and nobles, in the end, I was the master who remained on this land, so they had no choice but to follow orders.
Screeeeeech.
The sharp sound rang out long as the heavy gate closed. I frowned deeply at the grating noise, like scraping an iron plate with something sharp.
“…I’ll have to send a letter to the Imperial Capital.”
Even the gates were worn out, so I’d have to threaten them or something to send enough money to at least oil the hinges.
Right now, I felt fortunate to have a mountain of piled-up work. After reading documents until my head spun and moving my body until I was drenched in sweat, maybe that pitiful face would come to mind a little less.
Terrified that I might hear crying from beyond the gate, I began moving toward the castle.
I could feel Albert and the Billy brothers following me with quick steps, gauging the situation and trying to speak to me somehow.
“Your Grace.”
“Even without Sir Wieg, swordsmanship training will proceed as scheduled. If there’s anything urgent, either bring it directly to the training grounds or leave it in my office to match the dinner hour.”
“That’s not it, Your Grace, outside…”
“Outside what. Why that kid. I’m the lord of this land and the Grand Duke. Can’t I even throw out one uninvited guest?”
“…That’s not it!”
At the sharply breaking voice, my feet, which had been moving almost at a run, stopped abruptly.
When I turned my head to look back, I saw Billy’s face, pale white with dismay.
“…Your Grace.”
‘A great fate is approaching you.’
Why did that being’s words come to mind then?
“It’s a wyvern attack. You shouldn’t go to the training grounds, but should evacuate to the underground shelter. I’ll guide you.”
At those words, I raised my head to look up at the sky.
Screeeeeeeech.
The place where the sharp sound was coming from was none other than the sky. I could see a single worn brick-colored magical beast slowly circling above my head.
‘The wheel has begun to turn, Your Grace.’
At the sight that made every hair on my body stand on end, I gritted my teeth and dredged up memories from last night.
Did the wheel you spoke of, nameless one, mean that monster? Was that thing circling unstably above our heads like it was targeting prey because I changed Achille’s fate for the reason of wanting to survive?
My heart pounded noisily.
‘No.’
I didn’t want anything like this. This is a change that will harm me. I wouldn’t accept this problem—I’d try to overcome it or solve it.
‘You will accept it. Even if it’s painful, willingly.’
Then what was the fate I would willingly accept? What on earth had started rolling? The answer to that question came surprisingly simply.
“…What about that kid?”
“……”
“Lenox.”
The kid I threw out would still be outside the castle gates. Trembling all over from that cold fact that I rejected him again, from that disappointment worse than the cold of the north.
He would still be there.
“Where is Lenox supposed to evacuate to, then?”
Billy answered in a trembling voice.
“If the gate won’t open, he’ll have to run to a nearby private house and hide. At Your Grace’s walking pace it would be quite far, but…”
“……”
“Northern Wyverns react to human magical power. Since His Little Imperial Majesty is not a mage, if he doesn’t cause a big commotion, he might be able to evacuate without drawing attention.”
“No.”
I felt terrible.
“He’s not a mage, but…”
“…Your Grace?”
But he would soon become one.
That power would at first seem like a tremendous healing ability, then later manifest as the power to reverse death by contracting with non-human beings.
Could that starving magical beast fail to recognize that enormous seed? Impossible. It wouldn’t. That intuition struck strongly in my mind.
“Bring people from the castle. Those who are fastest on their feet and most battle-hardened.”
Before Billy could answer those words, I already knew what he would say.
“…Damn it. I sent them out as the reconnaissance team.”
My anxious gaze wandered the sky again. The wyvern’s shape came into my view a little more clearly.
It wasn’t my imagination. The creature was gradually flying lower. The center point of its circling was also gradually moving away from me. More precisely, it was heading toward a single point outside the castle gates.
Could Lenox hold out until Billy ran into the castle right now and brought people back? A ten-year-old who was stubborn and sulky, who couldn’t even shake off an adult wrapping themselves around him, let alone being armed?
Drawing the sword at my waist, I commanded.
“Open the gates. I’m going out.”
“Your Grace!”
“No time for useless arguments. Go call for reinforcements!”
I ran back toward the gates I’d just moved away from. The gate opening slowly, unable to overcome its own weight, was so frustrating that I eventually pushed it open by ramming it with my shoulder.
‘Open quickly.’
Open. I said open. You have to open.
Because beyond there is—
“Lenox.”
A ten-year-old with his eye sockets and cheeks covered in tears was looking up at me.
“…Hyungnim?”
Screeeeeeeech!
The sharp cry grew closer. It was pouring down toward us, gliding from top to bottom.
I pulled out the pin on my shoulder with urgent hands. I threw the cloak I’d torn off over the crying kid’s head.
“Stay still just like that. Don’t even think about poking your head out. If you don’t listen to even this…”
Gripping my sword with both hands, I gritted my teeth and said.
“Then I really won’t forgive you.”
