Chapter 209

Chapter 209

***

The fog settled in once again. In the morning, it was so thick that it was difficult to see even an inch ahead.

While it was the sunlight that cleared the fog, the sun would not reach out its touch until the appointed time, remaining cold and indifferent.

Because of this, Vilter and Rudy stuck close together. Perhaps on a path of life where one cannot know what lies even an inch ahead, such a friend was necessary. Perhaps the fog existed to make them realize that.

Vilter sat by a stream and washed his face with a splash. His face tingled from the cold water, but he didn't seem to care much.

Despite being the Crown Prince, Vilter was not particularly conscious of his hardships. He wasn't picky about what he ate, and he had no hesitation when dealing with people.

All of this seemed to be thanks to his upbringing, or perhaps he had been strongly influenced by someone. Although he occasionally inherited his mother’s blood and could not control his temper, it was not a flaw in the virtues of a future monarch.

"Come here," said Rudy, who had no idea that his friend was the Crown Prince.

When Vilter offered his face, Rudy wiped it with his own shirtfront and neatly arranged his friend’s wet bangs.

"My mom said that even if you can't eat, you should at least go around looking handsome."

Even though Rudy's touch didn't change much, Vilter's natural features were so handsome that his face seemed to shine just from a rough tidying.

Added to that, the atmosphere stemming from his innate temperament and a personality somewhat distant from the ordinary created a sense of mystery.

Still, all such things were bound to become familiar and eventually become nothing special when one was beside him. To Rudy, it was so.

Having roughly prepared to leave, Rudy glanced at Vilter and spoke tentatively. "We’ll just be turned away."

"Perhaps."

"Don't be too discouraged. It was impossible for us in the first place. Too many terrifying things happened as well."

"I'm not discouraged. Because I met you. Even if we fail, it's no big deal."

Vilter spoke in passing, as if it were nothing, but those casual words were a small touch of emotion for Rudy.

"Let's go."

"Yeah."

Vilter and Rudy walked upstream along the creek. As they crunched across the gravel, a massive outer wall appeared just as the fog began to thin.

It was part of the base that supported Kelbron Castle. Kelbron Castle was built across a valley.

Vilter and Rudy climbed along that outer wall, and following the castle walls, they reached the gate. By this time, the sunlight had appeared and was gradually pushing back the fog.

A man was standing in front of the gate. He was tall with a thick neck, blonde hair, and broad shoulders. He carried a sword at his waist and had a weapon covered in cloth slung over one shoulder.

Vilter’s eyes went wide when he saw him. "Roy?"

The man, who had been waiting as if he had expected them, turned to look at Vilter. Compared to his large frame, he had a somewhat cute face. He wore a smile that was like the sunlight just now pushing through the fog.

"Did you enjoy your little diversion?"

"It wasn't a diversion. I just... didn't want to go to Beringen. My mother decided that for me anyway."

"Then you should have told me. If it had been me, I would have just let you go wherever you wanted."

"I suppose. But... I don't know. Maybe I really wanted to make a friend. All the friends my mother provides don't speak their true minds. Sincere lies, thin walls—it's not that those things are bad, but pretending to be friends by force was a bit painful for me."

"So, did you make a friend? This kid next to you?" Roy asked, looking at Rudy, who was standing there blankly, not knowing what was going on.

"Yes."

"If he's Billy's friend, he's my friend too. Nice to meet you. I'm Roy. Roy von Hartlinger. And you?"

"Uh... I-I'm Emilrud..." Rudy introduced himself awkwardly. At the same time, he recalled what Vilter had said about having a friend who was his bodyguard—the one who would crush someone's skull with his bare hands if he got angry.

"But what are you doing here so suddenly? Did you already know where I was?"

"No. The monks told me. I didn't particularly go looking for you. Like the Master, I'm against overprotecting you. It's not like you have the skill to go around getting beaten up. Though it would be troublesome if you caused an accident."

Strangely enough, the bodyguard didn't seem to worry much about the safety of his charge.

Rather, the Council of Six or the Inner Circle were more thorough, but since they were a bit excessive, Rickart and Roy tended to let Vilter go free.

"I don't cause accidents."

"It looks like you're right on the verge of causing one, though."

"What?"

"It's best not to touch the Kelbron family."

"Because my mother was born here?"

"Well, that too, but it's not just that."

"Now I'm even more curious."

"Where do you want to go besides Beringen?"

"Don't change the subject."

At the words not to change the subject, Roy scratched his head. "...It's getting harder and harder to win against you with words every day."

"Father will agree with me."

"That’s not it. He might not oppose it, but there is a time for everything. I’ve known the Master longer than you have."

Roy shook his head and spoke firmly. At those words, which he couldn't refute, Vilter thought for a moment and then hung his head dejectedly.

"...On the hottest summer day, when I was being born on the battlefield, you protected me, right, Roy? Then I have no choice. I'll follow what you say."

However, Roy's heart wavered at Vilter’s appearance. In particular, he wondered if it was right for the words 'I'll follow you' to come from the mouth of the Crown Prince.

Think for yourself, act for yourself. That was what Rickart had consistently taught him. If he was the Crown Prince, he should did so even more. Yet he said he would follow him?

"Ah, I don't know. If you're ten years old, you're old enough to think for yourself now."

Saying that, Roy banged loudly on the gate of Kelbron Castle. "Hey! Is anyone there!"

He shouted so loudly that Rudy, who was beside Vilter, flinched in surprise. Whether it was an illusion or not, the thin fog seemed to recede a bit.

But when Rudy turned to look at Vilter, he was wearing a meaningful smile. What? Was that dejected act just a performance?

Vilter and Rudy stuck close to Roy, and soon the gate opened with a heavy groaning sound. A young man with a sword at his waist came out.

"Who are you?"

"Roy von Hartlinger. Champion of Augustus. The Crown Prince wishes to meet the Count of Kelbron."

At that, Rudy's eyes went wide. What? What champion? Who’s the Crown Prince?

He turned to look at Vilter with eyes pleading for an explanation, but Vilter merely shrugged.

"I am me. Rudy is Rudy. Anything else is meaningless between friends."

"...Isn't that, uh, not how it works... sir?"

"Well, Roy was lying."

"Is-is that so?"

"Yes."

Vilter lied calmly, but Rudy felt that wasn't the case at all.

"Please follow me. He was already expecting you."

However, the person who had come to meet them from the castle spoke as if they had been waiting. In other words, he had accepted that Vilter was the Crown Prince. Rudy's expression twisted. What's going on with me?

In any case, as they entered the castle, unlike any other castle, the courtyard looked like a training ground. There was no grass or weeds, only well-organized sand, but there were old bloodstains here and there that hadn't been washed away.

The inner castle looked like a mansion, and there was also a place that looked like a barracks. Hardly any servants were seen walking around. There was only a large furnace and a blacksmith shop in the distance, and the heat could be felt even from afar.

And, standing alone in front of the inner castle was a man who looked to be about thirty, with his hands behind his back. He had calm eyes, but because his natural gaze was sharp, it seemed he would have a very terrifying face if he were to get upset.

He was dressed like a duelist, but it wasn't just a duelist's outfit; it was a unique piece of clothing styled like casual wear.

As Vilter approached, he bowed his head. "Welcome, Your Highness the Crown Prince. I am the Count of Kelbron, Withaim."

These words were the final blow. Rudy's expression twisted beyond recognition. Roy turned to him and asked, "You didn't know?"

"...No."

"I should have told you earlier."

"How can I tell you when I don't know?"

"That's true."

Rudy felt that both Vilter and Roy weren't normal. But in the end, it was strange people who changed the world.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Count. It’s nothing else, but I have something to ask you."

Vilter spoke naturally, as if he were used to being greeted politely by people older than himself.

"Is it regarding the Glass Bell?"

"You knew."

"It's nothing special. It's just one of those things that everyone knows but wants to forget, and that doesn't need to be widely publicized. Please, follow me."

The Count of Kelbron led Vilter into the inner castle as if he had prepared in advance. Upon entering, a classic atmosphere was palpable, and the corridors were lined with displays of swords, spears, axes, halberds, and armor.

And young boys and girls, older than or around the same age as Vilter and Rudy, were lined up in front of the room doors.

The Count of Kelbron walked past them with his hands behind his back, and as Vilter followed him, they all bowed their heads deeply.

As Vilter passed, they raised their heads again and stared straight ahead. Only a few rolled their eyes to steal a glance at the Crown Prince.

Rudy, walking beside Vilter, felt a bit better when he thought that this was not reality but a dream.

In any case, the Count of Kelbron took Vilter into a room, and it was a room filled with cradles. Mobiles hung from the ceiling, and numerous glass bells were suspended from them. They swayed slightly, making that characteristic delicate sound.

The Count of Kelbron looked around among the empty cradles and then pointed to one. "This is it. The place where Her Majesty stayed. She cried exceptionally much, as if she were resentful of being born into the world."

Marie and the Count of Kelbron were cousins. Marie's mother, her mother's older brother, and his son was the Count of Kelbron.

"..."

"It is known that the former Emperor had about forty illegitimate children, but in truth, there are far more. That is, if you include those born as children of commoners or prostitutes. The children born to nobles still had utility value, so they did not undergo 'special' training, but the others did not."

For some reason, Vilter felt as if his ears were becoming muffled. The Count of Kelbron’s voice felt as if it were coming from a distance. In fact, it had been that way ever since he entered this room.

"...What do you mean by special training?"

"It is training to react to the sound of glass bells from a very young age. Like dogs. Not just pretending to die when told, but being able to die without hesitation, and therefore being able to become infinitely cruel. One can even erase memories if told to. The problem was that after the former Emperor passed away and Lord Helauman, who had long been responsible for the family, also died, disposing of them became an issue. It’s not just about anyone ringing a bell; it requires skilled technicians in their own right. Tire was one such person."

Vilter didn't know why his chest felt so tight, but he felt as though he wouldn't be able to breathe if he made even one mistake.

"Then that shepherd was..."

"To Her Majesty, he would be a brother. To Your Highness the Crown Prince, an uncle. Although he was born of low blood on his mother's side."

Vilter felt as if the words the shepherd had spoken when he was alive, his voice, were ringing in his ears.

*You with the blonde hair, you seem to resemble me. I can tell just by looking.*

*Right? See, I’m a good judge of character. I can tell when I see it.*

"Not all legacies of the past are necessarily good. And, since Her Majesty has become Empress in a special way, there is a need to liquidate the legacies of the past. It's not a matter of blaming anyone. Because the people who did such things, the people who brought them about, are all dead. Judgment has been carried out, so the cleanup remains. It is almost finished. There will be no more Glass Bell Skats. I apologize for causing concern."

"..."

It was a truly heavy truth. As the farmer had said yesterday, there had been no need to dig up the grave just because he was curious about the face of the dead.

A person who had become a monarch through a struggle between brothers needed to deal with the remaining brothers after becoming the monarch.

Since there weren't just one or two brothers but so many, and since many of them had been raised in a 'special' way, they had no choice but to adopt a strange method like the Glass Bell to handle them as quietly as possible without making a stir.

Of course, Marie hadn't given specific instructions on the method; it was the Count of Kelbron who received the orders and carried them out.

However, because the work was carried out in such a strange way, it had spread like a Ghost story.

"Billy. Billy."

Rudy shook the blankly standing Vilter to wake him up. When he didn't wake up after being shaken once or twice, he shook him a bit more violently, and Vilter snapped out of it.

"Oh, uh?"

"Billy is Billy. Rudy is Rudy. That's what you said."

"Uh..."

"Let the people of the past handle the things of the past. We just have to do our own work. Just like I don't need to follow my father and shout and curse."

"...Is that how it works?"

"I don't know. I have low scores in logic."

Vilter stood blankly for a moment and then chuckled. Rudy also smiled faintly and said, "I think I'm ready now."

"For what?"

"Ready to accept you as a friend."

"...What, only now? I’ve thought of you as a friend all along."

"I'm actually a bit wary by nature."

Rudy kept the words 'Because I feel more pity for you, the Crown Prince, than for myself' inside and didn't let them out. In truth, the stories of brothers, sisters, illegitimate children, uncles, and aunts dying were quite shocking to him too.

That was why he felt sorry for Vilter, who had to bear such things, and only then did his heart open. Even as a Crown Prince, he thought, he's no different, or rather he had to carry an even heavier burden.

And there was no pretense in the appearance he had shown so far. Then wasn't that enough?

"Indeed, making friends is not easy. Thank you for telling me. But are the people standing in the hallway your children?"

"No, it's not like that. How should I put it... academies are common these days, but our family was the original. Even before the Beringen Academy existed, we taught the sword to talented children. Before Lord Helauman gained his title, we were a swordsmanship guild. Even if there were wrong things in the past, I don't think we need to deny everything. Shouldn't we carry on our family business as it is?"

"Hmm... I think you're right. I'm the one who should apologize for bothering you. I’ll be going now."

"I will not go out of my way to ask you to stay. There must be no lingering regret in a swordsman's footsteps."

"I suppose that is the Kelbron family's way of saying goodbye."

"That's right."

"It's not my place to say anything... but I want to say thank you on behalf of my mother. Thank you."

Vilter bowed politely to the Count of Kelbron and then left the room without looking back. In fact, his aftertaste was more than just bitter; his chest felt tight, but he didn't show it outwardly. Even if he were to be concerned, there was nothing he could did.

There had been many joyful events since the beginning of the year, and people praised it as an era of great peace, but where the light was bright, the shadows were also deep.

He didn't know if there was a need to look into the grim truth, but he felt he had come a bit closer to his father Rickart’s words, 'If you cannot understand the devil, you cannot understand humans either.'

In the end, one way or another, true learning came only after going out into the world, and Vilter headed straight for the Kalitz Academy with Rudy and Roy.

Actually, he was in a difficult position because he couldn't afford the tuition, but he intended to look for work near the Academy.

However, there was no need for that, because an unexpected guest was waiting for them on the outskirts of Kalitz.

In a field where red and white flowers bloomed, a man wearing a red cloak was sitting on a rock, looking at the early spring. His hair was bright blonde, like Vilter’s.

Beside him were two long-time friends, one with tawny hair and the other with silver hair.

They too were looking at the fields of Kalitz, which were similar to yet different from the fields of Beringen.

A breeze blew. Just as the flowers swayed, their hair also swayed. The sight of the three of them together was like a painting. Their eyes were calm and resembled each other as they looked at the same place.

To people these days, the world might seem very lacking, but compared to the time when the three of them attended the Academy, it was a level of earth-shattering change.

Back then, violence was at the level of everyday conversation, and no one even gave a thought to those who were dying—whether they died from being beaten, from starvation, or from their own hand.

They didn't have an ambition to create a new world, but that was the result. There were difficult, dangerous, and dirty costs involved, but the three of them made no excuses in paying those costs. All of that was contained in their calm eyes.

"Father!"

Vilter ran to the person he liked most. The person who made him like winter best, because he could hardly be seen unless it was winter.

At his son’s shout, Rickart stood up and turned to look at him. From the hero in his thirties, a somewhat softened, ordinary energy could be felt.

Vilter threw himself into his father's arms with all his might, and his father accepted it all.

"So, did you make any friends?"

"Yes!"

"Hmm... he looks a bit stupid, doesn't he?" Rickart said, looking at Rudy, who was approaching hesitantly.

"It's rude to say someone looks stupid at the first meeting."

"Anyway, I'm glad to meet Billy's friend. I should say thank you. He's not easy to handle."

"Ah, hello. I'm Emilrud..."

"Is he any worse than you, Ricky?" said Bori, who was beside him.

Rickart thought for a moment about what those words meant and then asked, "Me? I was hard to handle?"

"It's surprising that you didn't know that," Ice said, smiling as if it were absurd.

Rickart thought while rolling his eyes and then half-conceded. "Was I? I suppose so. But Billy, you said you were going to earn tuition—did that get resolved?"

"...No. If you say it's resolved, it's resolved, but I didn't get any money."

Vilter didn't bother to mention the heavy story he had heard. Rickart also knew, but didn't ask further.

"Is that so? Then it can't be helped. Shall I abuse my power a bit?"

"How?"

"It’s not that hard to write a letter of recommendation and become a sponsor. I’ll write one for your friend too."

"Good. That's fine."

"I didn't need your permission."

"Still. It's better if I agree too, isn't it?"

"Well, not really."

"But what about mother?"

"You have no idea how much effort I’ve put into trying to smooth things over. Think about your mom too. It hasn't been long since she gave birth to your younger sibling. She’s already tired and busy, so think about how much trouble it would be if she had to worry about you too."

"I know. I'll repay her someday. But it'll be in my own way."

"Unbelievable. Anyway, don't go around beating kids for no reason, don't just act on your whims, and don't be discouraged either. I hope you have a good Academy life."

"I can still see Bolka getting beaten up as if it were yesterday," Bori said.

"I didn't beat him for no reason. I just accepted his challenge."

"That's true."

"And Roy, why didn't you even pretend to look for him?"

"The Master told me to just leave him alone."

"Doesn't it feel like this guy's backtalk is increasing these days?"

"It's not just these days; it's been quite a while. Ricky is a bit insensitive to these things."

"Is that so?"

Rickart tilted his head. Then, as if it didn't matter, he stroked his son's head and headed for the Academy, taking Rudy and Roy with him.

Toward a new cradle for new people.

Chapter 42 – Era of Great Peace. The End.