Chapter 175

Chapter 175

***

Perhaps the sun that shines on the whole world also had worries of its own, the sky had been gloomy since morning.

Sitting alone in a solitary room, what was he thinking about? Was it despair of the present life, or hope for the afterlife?

Even if he briefly covered his eyes, he probably doesn't intend to not look forever. Because worrying means his heart hasn't floated away.

Ultimately, what blooms at the end of worries was deeper love. When the clouds clear, it will shine brighter. Smiling brightly.

Therefore, harboring a loving heart was......

"Wow......"

Looking down at something Marie let out a soft exclamation of admiration. What she was looking down at was none other than the phrase Rickart was writing on the letter paper.

"Why are you peeking?"

Whether embarrassed or displeased Rickart shot a slight glare at Marie, then turned his body to hide what he was writing.

"I think if you didn't pick up a sword, Honey, you really would have become a poet."

"I know too."

"How obnoxious."

Rickart curled his body and finished scribbling the writing he was writing. What he was writing right now was none other than a diary or letter written for his future son.

It was a confession about suddenly occurring thoughts, or things he wanted him to know at least this, or how much he loved and would love him.

Even though Rickart hadn't studied much, his handwriting as much was that of a master calligrapher. However, even that elegant handwriting style couldn't compare to the deep and beautiful contents of the writing.

"But wouldn't the contents be a bit difficult? To understand that level of sensibility I think he needs to be at least past 15 years old."

"Then he'll understand when he becomes 15 years old."

"But when he becomes 15 years old we'll......"

"The second child will be about 12 or 13 years old then."

At Rickart's casually spoken words without even looking back, Marie's heart pounded slightly. So being embarrassed all on her own for no reason she tapped the back of Rickart's head with the blade of her hand tap tap.

Without paying attention to his head bobbing due to an external force Rickart wrote the writing, and after barely finishing he folded it finely and put it in an envelope.

Writing the date and name, he wrote 'To Billy or Hildi', and then sealed it stamping a seal with red sealing wax.

Opening the small wooden box there were already several letters inside. Placing the one he just wrote gently on top, he closed the lid and rose from his seat.

However it wasn't everyday clothes but travel attire. Golden armor inside, a thick gambeson on top of that, and a red cloak with a hood attached.

His oldest friend Lightning was stuck closely at his waist protecting his side.

Tidying up his appearance for a moment Marie said.

"Doing great things is good too, but simple things are good too."

"What does that mean?"

"Don't go too far."

"What do you mean far. It's right next door."

The place Rickart was going to right now was Britzringen where the Viola Clan was located. It wasn't that far from Adelorn.

As King he could call his friends to come, but the reason Rickart purposefully went to the Viola Clan wasn't because he had other intentions but because that was the midway point.

People also coming from the Michela Sword Monastery and Beringen Academy, most of all while Rickart could empty his seat for a moment, the other friends couldn't empty their seats for long. Because their forces were weak.

"You don't have to come out."

"No. I want to go out."

As Rickart left the castle, Marie also followed him out. Coming out of the inner castle, knights and employees were already gathered outside.

It was exactly similar to when Rickart was young and people gathered when his father went out hunting. Only the scale was a bit different, the fact that several subordinates were mobilized when the master moved was similar.

Roy approached grabbing the reins of Crimson Comet. He exchanged light eye greetings with his sister Becca standing by Marie's side.

Getting on the horse Rickart turned one circle in place and examined the people. Bowing his waist deeply he shared a light kiss with Marie, and requested his close aides.

"I am going. I will entrust the Queen and the child to you."

Lastly making eye contact with Marie, he turned his horse's head and left the royal castle. The ones following were only Bori and Roy.

For a King's procession it was truly modest. Though the beginning may be humble, one can only hope the end will be grand.

Even though it was already spring, the outside air was still a bit on the cold side.

Britzringen was a place that received and raised disciples while living self-sufficiently under the protection of the Viola Clan.

It was an autonomous territory and a kind of private military organization, but that didn't mean they had military capability. They were about the level of regional influential people who exerted some power in the civilian sector.

Spring came to Britzringen too. However the expressions of the people living here seemed to remain in winter, they were not bright like spring. Tension and anxiety were evident.

The Clan's headquarters, Britzringen Castle, seemed to float on the lake. It was a picturesque beautiful place, but for some reason it looked bleak with no people.

In the middle of the castle's courtyard one person was standing. Standing slightly crookedly, head bowed, and even to anyone's eyes a sneer was lingering on his mouth.

Several people stood surrounding him keeping a distance and glared at him, but the one harboring the sneer didn't seem to feel any threat at all.

A moment later, someone came out leaning on a cane. It was Bolka with a limp leg.

Even if he leaned on a cane his eyes were still alive. Bolka's age was 23, counting only by age it was still his prime and he had a lot of experience too.

"I suppose you didn't even expect guest treatment in the first place. Say only your business simply and withdraw."

Thereupon the guy who was bowing his head twitched his shoulders a little and laughed snicker. He leisurely placed his hand on the hilt at his waist, raised his chin and said.

"My business is the same as before and...... Should I call it a kind of ultimatum. Make your choice now."

"If your business is the same as before, my answer is also the same. I am neutral."

It seemed to definitely be related to the war. However the thing called neutrality wasn't established just by claiming it. One had to have strength corresponding to that. Bolka didn't have a title, and therefore wasn't a Lord either.

The reason the Clan was bleak was none other than because it seemed a fight was imminent so there were many people who got scared and ran away. They normally chattered about brotherhood and loyalty, but ultimately a person's true worth was revealed when a crisis strikes.

The person who boldly came alone to deliver an ultimatum to the Viola Clan was a person belonging to a Clan called 'One-Eyed' that followed the 2nd Prince.

As a person named 'Belly-Slitting' Metzger, he was someone who worked as an adventurer in the past. True to his nickname, he had a habit of always slitting the belly when killing a person. Why he did so no one knew, and it was a strange taste no one wanted to know either.

As cruel as he was his skills were outstanding too, the problem was that the 'One-Eyed' Clan had many people around this Metzger's level.

Unlike the Viola Clan that raised greenhorns who knew nothing from the bottom and accepted them as Clan members, the One-Eyed Clan was composed of people who could be immediately put in as combat power from the start.

Because of that all sorts of criminals and bad-quality humans were all gathered. Because it was the 2nd Prince waging the war, without considering this and that he just gathered them first and had them clean up the surroundings.

Calling it cleaning up the surroundings was just a word, the reality was indiscriminate murder, looting, arson, and massacre of the 5th Prince and the villages or cities of the Lords who followed him.

In other words, under the approval of the 2nd Prince terrible crimes were openly being committed. That was war. A situation where crimes stop being crimes.

Unlike riff-raff bandits, people from adventurer backgrounds were professionally good at this kind of thing.

"Are you waiting for the next battle?"

Metzger asked. Because depending on the victory or defeat of the battle the atmosphere itself changed. Recently it was a situation where the 5th Prince was defeated.

"Neutral, I said."

"Yeah, well, since the situation has become like this I will speak openly. I don't like you Beringen guys. You act like you're something great. Aren't you Bolka also ultimately in that position because you lined up well? Having good friends is also purely luck. It makes my stomach churn that you settled down in such a good position without even having the capability."

Even though he ended up limping a leg, even though many had left now, Bolka glared at Metzger without wavering and said.

"We have overcome hardships and adversity you couldn't even imagine. Luck? Right, there would be some degree. However the fact that I am standing here alive now, and not even batting an eye at a bastard like you is not simply because of luck alone. Because we did not lose friendship, loyalty, and trust in any difficulty, we are standing like this. That is the Viola Clan. A thug like you wouldn't understand even if you die."

"How tearful. Is this all the people left with that great friendship and loyalty? Anyway, fine. But there is something you too will not understand even if you die. Namely the point that you will see a terrible sight you couldn't even imagine. The things you experienced are nothing. Hardships? Adversity? Bullshit. Ptui."

Spitting on the ground tap, Metzger turned around and tried to go. But Kaspar, who was one of Bori's direct disciples, blocked his path.

The sword at his waist wasn't drawn yet, but his gaze seemed to have already drawn it and then some. Not getting angry like fire, he said coldly.

"If it's an ultimatum, doesn't it mean we can kill you now? Right?"

"What kind of beggar's footwrap bastard is acting up. The one going easy on you is not you but me."

Was he that confident? Strictly speaking it was enemy territory. Indeed besides Kaspar there were a few who stepped forward. His close friend Yulia and Rickart's senior adventurer Blaetter, and now Sandy was here too. Les who acted badly in the past and got Roy kicked out was here too.

With just one word, if just one word from Bolka dropped it was a situation where swords would clash immediately. It was a custom whether noble or not not to kill envoys, but that was also a matter that could be ignored depending on the situation.

However Bolka shook his head.

"Stop. Just let him go."

Whether it wasn't the instruction they expected the sound of someone grinding their teeth gnash was heard. Still, following the order, they backed away.

Sneering once again, Metzger deliberately walked with a leisurely gait and left Britzringen Castle.

"Why did you just let him go?"

Kaspar asked.

"It might be different if we hadn't decided, but haven't we already decided on neutrality. But if we kill him now it's an unsightly matter on top of neutrality becoming a mere name. Whether neutrality works or not, even if we die, once we make a decision we have to keep it to the end and die."

"How about rushing Sir Rickart?"

"No matter how much he's my friend he's King. You can't tell a King to come quickly or not to come. Besides I heard Adelorn's civil war just ended now. It's hard to raise an army again."

"Still......"

"Fighting to the death is good. But what about the residents outside?"

Blaetter asked.

"We have to call them into the castle."

Because the personnel was small they couldn't go out and fight. They had no choice but to hole up inside the castle and hold out.

But right then. The castle Gates opened again, and someone riding a horse leaped into the courtyard in one breath.

The large horse flashed in exactly as if flying and the Clan people gathered in the courtyard ended up jumping back in surprise. Bolka almost fell over and Delphi who was next to him caught him.

Because they were so distracted they didn't even know what was what, the person riding on the large horse said turning his back to the sun.

"Some bug-like bastard picked a fight right out front so I killed him, I wonder if it will be okay."

Something dropped thud in front of the people. It was a head. It was Metzger who was alive until just before. The sight of him opening his eyes wide and stupidly opening his mouth meant he couldn't sneer anymore after dying.

Slowly raising their heads and looking up at the person riding the horse, he was making a smile completely opposite to a sneer.

"Did I come first? Daring to be late when the King came? I should beat some discipline into you after a long time."

One thing was clear. Rickart's smile was exactly a smile that made worries disappear. Like the spring sunlight that appears when the clouds clear.