Chapter 126

Chapter 126

***

It was the most beautiful field in the world. Not simply because it was imbued with memories, but because it was the best compared to anywhere else.

Not a single winding ridge could be seen all the way to the horizon, no artificial structures, just an endlesly flat field.

Rickart had seen the spring, summer, autumn, and winter of this Beringen Plain.

In spring and summer colorful flowers bloomed worldwide, in autumn a yellow golden field unfolded, and in winter the whole world was a white snowfield.

When each season and this place combined into one, it felt as though faint old memories were beckoning him to come hither.

It was spring now. When he enrolled it was spring, and when he first went out from the academy with Bolka and Bori it was spring too. And he passed this path.

Memory wasn't merely information storage. Inside memory, the touch, smell, and sounds of that time were intermingled with emotions.

Rickart left his horse at the tavern and was walking to the academy. Since the academy was on a cliff, there was nowhere to leave it.

The cool sunlight and lukewarm wind swept across the field to welcome Rickart. Oh wind, I am glad to see you too.

"Your reputation in Adelorn is tremendous these days?"

A question breaking Rickart's sentiments was heard from beside him. It was none other than Regina.

"Mm? Uh, I guess so."

"Did you really kill all 5,000 mercenaries by yourself?"

"I didn't kill them all......"

"Then?"

"I was just lucky to kill the commander-in-chief and capture the war funds. That's all."

"That's not just all, is it?"

"Is it? Anyway, how did you end up enrolling in the academy?"

Regina's brown bobbed hair fluttered ceaselessly in the wind. She averted her gaze, looked over the Beringen Plain, and said.

"To be honest, I resented it a lot for a while. I hated it too. But Senior was right. I mean Senior Marie. A bird trapped in a cage. A destiny where one has no choice but to live as her father dictates. I hated that. So I chose to break free from the birdcage. That's all."

If she wanted to speak at length she could have, but Regina skipped a large part with a smile. Merely saying that was all, she just beamed brightly toward Rickart.

There seemed to be many types of smiles in the world. Smirks, cynical smiles, smiles of the enlightened, and like now, the relaxed smile of someone who had grown.

One regrettable thing was that a significant portion of her teeth were gold teeth. When she smiled brightly, they caught the sunlight and sparkled.

Whether Regina wasn't conscious of it, or perhaps was even proud of it, she didn't seem to mind having gold teeth implanted at a young age.

Anyway, honestly I thought she was an incorrigible immature brat, but humans are truly unpredictable.

"By the way, why is the relationship with the Viola Clan bad?"

"There's no big reason. Kind of like rivals? They copied us first. Accepting and teaching disciples. Occasionally when we bump into each other during festivals in nearby villages or cities, gang fights tend to break out. Because of that we take revenge, and get paid back, things like that."

It seemed they just clashed because they couldn't contain the overflowing hot blood typical of that age. The kind of pride fight claiming this is my turf, no, it's your turf.

"And they are, how should I say, kind of like nerds; they excessively care about social status."

"You cared about it too?"

"The me from back then and the me now are different. The academy is entered by having high status, or donating a lot, or proving one's skill. The entry conditions are all different. Even if one is of commoner origin, if their skill is sufficiently proven, they deserve respect. Don't you agree?"

"Uh...... Well, that's true I guess."

"So which side do you support, Senior? The academy, of course, right?"

It was just kids fighting anyway so it wasn't that serious, but Rickart was caught in the middle. Because he was an academy alumnus, and a person of the Viola Clan.

"......Well, I don't really know."

"Then what does that make me? I enrolled because of you Seniors. Is Senior Marie doing well?"

"......Do you really not resent it, you?"

"Hating and resenting someone ultimately just eats myself away. I did that sufficiently a lot when I was young. Then when I realized there are times even my father can't do anything about it, I finally opened my eyes. The one who opened those eyes for me was Senior Marie. So why would I resent her?"

Regina smiled brightly once again. A truly 'bright' smile. Because her gold teeth flashed brilliantly. Rickart wanted to apologize on her behalf but swallowed it inside. I'm sorry.

But anyway, she seemed to have grown up well so it was nice to see. Because it's a harsh world most people become ruined, but among them, there seemed to be people who bloom like a solitary flower.

Ultimately, perhaps how one accepts things is the key. Rickart himself might be fighting because he wanted to let people know that.

Life is inherently painful, but it doesn't need to be this much of a hell.

Rickart felt it was hard while climbing the cliff stairs with Regina. It wasn't physically hard, but closer to being hard because he was bored wondering why the hell there were so many stairs.

How did I go up and down these stairs in the past. Back then I was excited whenever I went out to the city so I didn't even know it was hard.

Finally, having climbed all the stairs, the familiar inscription carved into the gate could be seen.

Passing the gate, unfamiliarity caught his eye first rather than familiarity. A stone statue stood erected, a sculpture so amazingly detailed it looked truly alive.

Pillars were erected around it as if to protect the statue, and a roof was covering its head.

The statue stood crookedly, its head slightly turned, looking somewhere. One hand rested on the hilt of the sword at its waist, and the other hand was placed on its hip.

It exuded a valiant yet natural and relaxed vibe. However, Rickart felt a sense of incongruity and approached frowning.

"What is this, it's me?"

Rickart said. Not just seemingly so, but actually on the pedestal the statue stood upon, it was written: .

"That's right. Seeing this, I thought I was lucky, you know? This, the Ernberg Stonemasons Guild made it. The people my father fought with in the past."

Regina proudly said in front of the person himself. However, Rickart didn't feel so good about it.

"Idolizing a person is a stupid thing to do. Especially making a statue of a living person, what kind of......"

"Pardon?"

Because Rickart had once been burned by the Inquisition's affairs, he hated people looking up to him if anything, he didn't like it much.

"Anyway, thanks for coming with me, and I'll be going now. Take care."

"You're just going to leave like this?"

"Then?"

"Aren't you giving a special lecture or something?"

"What's that?"

"If a renowned swordsman tells the students the things he felt so far or things like that, it will motivate them."

"Well, I don't really know. Shouldn't motivation be self-generated? I'm going. It was an unexpected meeting but I was glad to see you. Sincerely."

Because Rickart didn't come to play, and being originally cool about partings, he left Regina behind and walked alone.

Because it was sunset, students who finished their business could be seen wandering about, and upon entering the men's dormitory, noise filling the hallway assaulted his ears.

It was the sound of students running around energetically playing tag or chatting loudly like in some marketplace.

"Hey you sons of bitches! Will you not quiet down!?"

"Prepare for roll call! Everyone to your places!"

"Room leaders, check the personnel!"

Whether it was a professor, a dorm supervisor, or student executives, anyway a few people were walking around instilling discipline in the kids.

Whether they did or not, the students didn't care much; although they did as told, they didn't move briskly. Is it good, or bad. Yeah well, as long as they live without getting beaten up, it's fortunate.

Rickart briefly stopped his steps and watched how the students lived for a moment, then climbed the stairs. Because the upper floors would likely have the professors' offices and bedrooms.

Looking around here and there roughly, he went up to the 3rd floor, the topmost floor. Because the structure narrowed as it went up, the 3rd floor only had a few rooms.

Among them, he reached the largest room. Because he's the principal, he probably uses the best room.

Sure enough, a nameplate was attached to the door.

Rickart knocked on the door. Then a clear voice was heard from inside.

"At this hour? Come in for now."

Rickart opened the door and entered. Then he saw Karlish scribbling documents at the desk bathed in the sunset coming through the window.

Busy working his pen, he raised his head and saw Rickart. And then his eyes widened abruptly.

"Huh!?"

"Have you been well?"

"Ricky!"

Karlish sprang up from his seat. Because of that the items on the desk were somewhat messed up, but he didn't care.

He was originally older than Rickart, and not on the short side, so as time passed, an adult vibe exuded from him. That peculiar hint of madness from the past seemed to have lifted.

Karlish came out from beside the desk, seemingly ready to embrace him tightly. Rickart disliked it a bit, but being in a position to ask a favor, he smiled awkwardly and hugged him.

"Hahaha......"

"My goodness, what brings you here!? Without even contacting me? Ah, are you busy these days? I heard the news too. Saying you're the Red Prince."

"Well, it ended up like that. I just couldn't pass by."

"What? The opportunity?"

"No. Pitiful people."

"Ah...... Ricky...... You're still the same."

Karlish said while looking at Rickart with a face as if dreaming. Though not as much as the past, this expression bordering on worship made Rickart feel entirely burdened.

"W-What is?"

"You fought for the students in the past too. You are truly consistently amazing."

"......That's not, true."

"I've changed a bit, Ricky."

"Mm...... Seems like it."

"Aren't you curious about how I changed?"

Honestly, he wasn't really curious. They weren't that close either. He just kept him around for a while, that was all.

"Hahaha...... A little bit?"

"Have a seat for now. Want a drink? Do you have anything you like? For your information, I don't drink just anything. I'm sure you'll definitely like it too, Ricky."

Karlish excitedly opened the office cupboard and brought out this and that, various liquors.

All were earnestly brewed by herbalists, pharmacists, or renowned monasteries, things on a different level from liquors made at home by country folks.

Rickart neither liked nor disliked liquor. If a gathering was set up, he would just tilt a glass or two.

However, right now he came to ask a favor so there was a feeling he inevitably had to socialize.

Karlish tilted a liquor bottle looking like a medicine bottle and poured it into a porcelain cup. Its color was like autumn leaves, but its flavor was similar to the smell of burning firewood. Is it good liquor? The taste is indeed good.

Karlish also took a sip of liquor and said.

"In the past, I thought a lot listening to what you said, Ricky. What is salvation, what do I want, things like that. At first, I simply incited the kids and did that because the sense of belonging was so good, but there was no need to do that."

"What is there no need for?"

"You know the kids, they are far stronger than we think. Not missing a single one, all the kids are strong. I am certain. If there's a student who isn't, I think it's merely because I failed to recognize them and guide their path. That's why I'm trying harder. In the end, they grow on their own."

"......Is that so?"

"What I do is merely set the rules, enforce them, and act as a fence. Not just swordsmanship and unarmed combat, but also maintaining equipment, horseback riding, sewing, writing and reading, simple arithmetic, I only teach this much and have promotion exams twice a year. If they graduate like that, they set out to find their paths for their own dreams, helping each other. I like watching that. Even if they fall and get hurt, the sight of them standing up and going their own way. You wanted this too, Ricky, right?"

It wasn't to that extent. He merely felt the world was too harsh. Harboring such thoughts, he merely put them into action.

But Karlish was somewhat more concrete, unlike Rickart who thought and acted vaguely.

Rickart was a bit impressed here. Kids make mistakes, but they definitely grow, and after growing up they can do more meaningful things.

The perfect example of that was Karlish, and Regina whom he saw on his way.

Rickart didn't know the reason, but he felt a sense of gratitude towards them. He really didn't know why. He was just grateful. For growing up well.

"Ah, right. By the way, why is the relationship with the Viola Clan bad?"

"Ah, that? When wandering around during free time, they can't help but clash. I'm talking it out well with Mr. Bolka. Kids' fights shouldn't escalate into adults' fights, right?"

He was more mature than expected. He was solid yet relaxed, and competent. And he was firm about what he wanted to do and what he had to do.

Was he this kind of kid? No. He grew up like this.

"By the way, what brings you here, Ricky? Coming all the way to find me."

"Ah...... The thing is, you know I'm fighting a war in Adelorn these days, right? But um, there's a famous villain called 'Invincible' Grantz, and he has a lot of troops. I'm a bit lacking. So, um, I wondered if there's any place I could get an army. It'd be great if I could borrow some money too."

For the first time in his life, Rickart asked someone for a favor. He was feeling so awkward he felt he would go crazy. He was always confident, and though he gave to others, he didn't live owing debts.

All of this was entirely to end the civil war in Adelorn and bring peace to the people. If it was for that, shouldn't he even sell his pride.

However, unexpectedly, Karlish spoke without any hesitation.

"Ricky, for you, I can even sell the academy. So don't feel so intimidated. Rather, I feel sad because it feels like you don't trust me."

What is he talking about? Selling the academy? Is he speaking sincerely?

"If you sell the academy, what about the students?"

"They'll grow on their own. But, I won't actually sell it. I have a method."

"Really? What method?"

"Have you heard the term value of a name? When a person becomes famous, that itself becomes money. Sometimes it holds greater value than money. And the mercenaries who have maintained their lineage and made their names known to the world from a long time ago until now cannot be hired with just money. Because their pride is strong. Nordic mercenaries, the Flame Knights, the Silver Shield Veterans, the Crown Mercenary Company, the Torveil Mountain Troops, and so on. When the Empire was founded the warriors of the Nibelung Tribe were said to be the strongest, but that's an old story, right? As you know, the Imperial Family has lost its mind these days. Anyway, the mercenaries who still make their names known can only be hired if the commander has equivalent martial renown. They can't be hired just because anyone gives them money. But wouldn't it be possible for someone at your level, Ricky?"

As expected, because Karlish's knowledge of the world was exceptional, he quickly proposed a solution. He was exceptionally smart and had good resourcefulness.

But one word caught Rickart's ear.

"The Flame Knights? They aren't mercenaries, are they?"

"The Emperor is gone, the Imperial Family is on the verge of brothers fighting each other, and the border isn't always at war, so calling it combat support, they do work close to being mercenaries in reality. Won't they have to eat and live too?"

"Is that so......?"

"It is. But the Flame Knights are scary people because they all remain celibate for life and solely engage in combat. Scarier than zealots. So let's exclude them for now."

Rickart pondered deeply before shaking his head.

"No."

"Huh?"

"I know someone there."

"Who?"

Rickart didn't answer. Leaving his family and building many memories in the outside world, a deeper memory he had forgotten came to mind.

It was something that broke his heart, to simply call it a memory.

Rickart downed the strong liquor all at once. Hot breath spewed fiercely from his nose. As the intoxication rose, a young boy flickered before his eyes.

A boy, suddenly leaving home and constantly looking back with a bewildered and terrified expression.

"My older brother."