Chapter 287: 286

Chapter 286

The Meaning of Dawn (6)

Damn Vincent! His tongue was as long as a thirsty horse’s. There had to be a way to escape this situation; and so, I searched for one.

“That’s it, uncle—it somehow happened.”

However, the words that popped from my mouth started to sound really clunky when I thought about them. It was natural that my uncle’s eyebrows raised at once.

“How did it happen?”

“Don’t ask me that. I’ll just say that there was no other option back then.”

The moment I heard Uncle Bale’s voice form into a growl, I quickly explained in detail.

“At the time, it was impossible to evacuate the troops. The troops in the fort were more than a thousand, and the main power of Leonberg was gathered in one place. Losing the champions would not be good for the kingdom’s future …”

I crafted my excuses without hesitation.

“I figured that once I had Dragon Slayer’s power, I could roughly settle the situation. I saw a faerie mock my knights in front of me. A thousand fires had flared up from within our warriors, but I feared the faerie’s whims might cause them to lose control. So…”

I now began speaking words best kept private.

“It wasn’t my fort to command from the beginning, but I still had a lot of regrets, so I wondered what to do. Anyway, even if I hadn’t been there, would his Majesty or Maximilian have been able to deal with the peril?”

These were words that would have actually remained better off unsaid. Right away, I regretted uttering them. However, my gums were still flapping, even at that very moment.

“But if I can give my own life to protect the kingdom, isn’t that a good exchange?”

My uncle’s face was distorted. Oops… Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t retract the words that had spilled from my mouth.

“I thought so, and survived.”

After a while of silence, Uncle Bale spoke to me with a voice on the point of bursting.

“Since you’ve never been king, you think it’s okay if you disappear? You thought that the remaining positions could be filled by others, so there was no problem if you died and left things as they were? I ask if you lived thinking that way?”

Emotion now appeared in my uncle’s voice, and it seemed like a sinking sorrow.

“You already know, you really know,” I stated. That was the beginning.

“I lived with such a mindset?” my uncle burst out. “How can you tread on the flowerbed while discussing independence? Is the guy who wants to be king not properly aware of his position?”

In the face of his sad anger, I became dumb, dull.

“You’re irresponsible! You’re a coward! A coward!”

Uncle Bale had by now ranted quite a lot of words. I had never heard such reprimands used by the others, and this was natural. I had only openly told my uncle I wanted to become king, and he was the one who had supported me and opened doors. It wasn’t strange that Uncle Bale was now scolding me for being an idle coward. Rather, my mind flashed. It had been an act to protect the kingdom, but it had almost destroyed it. If Ophelia had not saved me, things would have been grim. My uncle continued to scold me like a storm, and I decided that I had to endure these words. I wasn’t sure whether the sincerity contained in his words was him wishing for my safety and recovery. I merely decided to silently listen. I was set on doing so, but it became difficult. At some point, my head became blank. My uncle’s angry yells rang out through my mind, and my back tingled as I heard his endless shouts. I suddenly thought, who does Vincent look like? Who does he resemble with all his nagging?

It was like there was a war on my nerves as, even at that moment, Uncle Bale continued nagging. If words could fill my stomach, I would have already burst apart and died by then. With my mind being so vacant, my anger suddenly started to swell.

“To be honest, that’s not what you would do, uncle!”

In the end, having become confused, I decided I was done listening.

“What?”

“What did uncle do! When I asked you that we fight together! You left me, half-fainted, and remained alone among the orcs! You left me alone to deal with everything!”

“There was no other way back then. Just for the chance to save the rest of you-”

“You have been irresponsible and cowardly!”

I now accused my uncle of the exact same things he had accused me of.

“Do you know what I was feeling at that time! When I thought uncle to be buried among the orcs, a lost corpse! Do you know what my feelings were when I watched you helplessly from horseback?”

At first, I was just grumpy.

“At that time, I only had you, uncle! You don’t know how it feels to be left alone!”

As I continued to talk, I became filled with emotion.

“You said, “Surviving is the first priority!’ At least a Balahard doesn’t deserve to say that to me! The Balahard family are the ones taking their lives more than anyone else!”

“That’s… that’s the way we Balahards have always lived, and that’s how we will always live,” my uncle, still somewhat speechless, made a stern excuse.

“Then, I guess I’m a Balahard,” I stated.

“You can’t mean that.”

“Why doesn’t it make sense? About half of the blood flowing through my body belongs to Balahard.”

“You… can’t say it anyway.”

“There are all kinds of compulsions guiding us through the world.”

“Aren’t you the person who should lead this country in the future?”

“Well, your Balahard family protects, it does not lead.”

“We were chosen to protect.”

“It’s very unfortunate too—now I have to lead.”

“That sounds decent.”

“Well, it’s the common difference between us.”

I waited for my uncle’s reply.

“You’re stubborn. You don’t know that your life is precious. And I think you don’t know how to listen even if told directly!”

“Let the wizard come again!”

We bickered with each other, raising our voices until we both became out of breath.

“Well, let’s call it even, yes?”

“Yes, good.”

My uncle and I took deep breaths as we took a moment to pick our next words.

“I promise.”

“I promise.”

Then, we spoke at the same time.

“Even if I am old, I will fight.”

“No matter what bad luck comes, I will survive.”

I didn’t wait for my uncle to speak.

“I will survive any evil.”

“I will too.”

I just said what we both wanted to say.

“I promise.”

“I will watch you.”

After releasing my energy and emotion, there remained no strength in my entire body.

“I’m sleepy.”

“Let’s sleep.”

My uncle sat by me on the bed. I merely closed my eyes—and fell asleep.

“I heard your mother’s story.”

As the cock crowed, I could hear Uncle Bale’s voice.

“I’m personally going to get those bastards back a hundred thousand times,” I mumbled softly. My mind was still partially conscious.

‘Don’t even try.’

Perhaps I heard such an answer; I wasn’t sure. By then, I was already half asleep.

***

Since then, there had been many changes within the kingdom.

After the subjugation of the monsters, the elite troops that had gathered near the capital began to move off one after another, and the marshal moved his entire headquarters to a fortress.

The greatest story was that the army was to march upon the royal road.

“The story of an assault has been around for a long time.”

Because of the poor finances of the kingdom, Siorin said we were struggling to pay for maintenance of the increasingly large army, and that we had to act. For some reason, he had come to me with his own feet to tell me the news. Siorin said, “The decision was not an easy one to make, but his Majesty made it thanks to someone recently having turned the palace into a ruin.”

He looked sternly at me. I knew that if he could, he would like to give me a good chewing out.

“Hmm.”

Still, it was a sin I had committed, so I gave a moderate murmur.

“Then your sluggish preparations have been finished thanks to me?” I suddenly asked.

Siorin gave me an absurd look.

“Ho… Your Highness’s willingness to war is firmer than ever. We intend to completely occupy the area for long-term gains, even if this strategy will cost more time and money than simply hitting the Empire’s strongholds and castles.”

Then Siorin continued his story as if he hadn’t heard my words.

His explanation was that in order to respond even a little swifter in the future war against the Empire, a full transition of territory was the inevitable strategy. Siorin justified this by saying the border had already been further to the south for some time thanks to the territories I had claimed from the third princeps.

“But before the war is over, won’t you run out funds? Once you deplete your treasury, it’s not easy to maintain the army.”

Leonberg would have to pour out money and manpower, and I wondered if the kingdom could afford such an expense at present.

“At the moment, his Majesty is using royal family funds. During the war, other assets will be moved around to sustain the southern troops and the auxiliaries.

“No matter how, gettings funds is urgent.”

“We’re in a hurry. Damn, we’re in a hurry. And what could I do? His Majesty is firm in his will for punishment. I can merely follow as a servant,” Siorin said, and I saw that he had dark bags under his eyes. Looking at his face, which seemed ten years older than when I had last seen him, I figured that there was a lot of work to be done.

“Don’t you need a little sleep?”

“Thank you very much for asking your Highness, but that’s one of the things that it’s now impossible for me to ask for—even I do sorely lack in sleep.”

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I changed the subject, not sympathizing with his attitude.

“How’s the situation in the south? Whenever I ask about the war, everyone avoids me, but you should be able to tell me.”

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Siorin stood up instead of answering.

“Oh,” he suddenly said before leaving the room, “my daughter Arwen…”

“Uh, what about Arwen?”

“Oh, nothing.”

I frowned as I heard Arwen’s name come out of nowhere. So I asked Siorin why, but his words became evasive and spoken in an exaggerated tone. He left.

“You know, in cases like this… If you want to speak to someone, then end your words! Siorin! Count Kirgayen! Minister!”

Siorin didn’t return, despite my anxious shouts.

Since then, he sent several messengers to me but never returned personally to talk about Arwen. So, I asked her directly.

“Actually…” Arwen hesitated, then continued on to explain the situation with clarity.

“No! Absolutely not!”

I jumped as I shouted, and Arwen sighed as if she was in trouble.

“I have to go. It’s too late now.”

“How can you want to this!” I shouted at Arwen again and again, turning my head away from her.

“Your Highness.”

I didn’t answer.

“Your Highness, look at me.”

I continued to pretend not to hear her.

“Please, let me go to the front line in peace.”

But, in the end, I had to turn toward Arwen. Her black eyes were staring at me, and my heart felt constricted while facing that gaze. I knew it all too well—Arwen was a champion of the kingdom before she was my knight. She wasn’t just a champion, but a talented commander with no shortcomings who led her troops through excellence. Besides, didn’t she have a lot of practical experience?

After she had excelled in the war with the orcs, she had fought firmly on through the entire war against the Empire. Arwen had taken on the protection of a wide front and proved that she would not allow her forces to be pushed back by a single inch. It was only my greed that wanted me to keep Arwen by my side. I knew this, I really did, but the vision of her becoming a terrible corpse had not been erased from my mind. I was anxious to keep her near me, and not just her—the same was true of Vincent, Carls, and Eli. If Eli hadn’t slipped away, I would have used an appropriate pretext to have kept him with me too. I was frowning then, my heart frustrated, when-

‘Shh!’

Arwen suddenly knelt in front of me.

“The eldest daughter of Kirgayen, Arwen, pledges her allegiance to his Highness Adrian Leonberger, and dedicates her sword to his Highness for the rest of her life,” she pledged in a solemn tone.

“You remember?”

She surely did, because that was word to word the pledge that my first knight had once given me.

“The things I vowed to give your Highness at that time weren’t these things.”

Arwen raised her head and looked at me.

“What I want to offer now isn’t just obedience to watch and follow your Highness’s back.”

Her eyes shimmered as stars and heat raged within her soul.

“The Knight Arwen Kirgayen gives you her sword and her life.”

Her voice was warm with more emotion than ever before.

“I’m going to the south. I’ll fight there. So-”

Arwen drew the sword at her waist and offered it to me.

“As Knight Arwen Kirgayen, I will dedicate all I accomplish to you.”

I watched Arwen quietly. When I noted her unshakable demeanor, it seemed that she would no longer be forced off her own path.

“I didn’t really send him to the south,” I suddenly blurted out.

Thoughtful Arwen must have been wondering why I had just watched when Eli headed south. She must have been considering things silently. And then, after repeated consideration, and seeing the return of Uncle Bale, Arwen must have made up her mind. Rather than stagnate like this, even if the fighting broke her, she would head to the battlefield. Because the Arwen Kirgayen I knew was such a woman.

“Huh.”

I turned my head around, looking at the room.

“Your Highness?” Arwen called to me.

“Leave.”

“Highness?”

“Go.”

I decided to respect her will as much as possible, but it wasn’t easy thus far.

“At least if you go, make sure you gain victory by defeating a few enemy field commanders.”

Then, without being able to stop it, I slumped a bit as I laughed.

“I’ll try my best,” Arwen declared.

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I slowly shifted onto my bed. Arwen, still kneeling, straightened her waist as she rose. Then she strode over and hugged my torso.

“When I see you again, I hope you will be as strong as before.”

“Don’t get hurt… Don’t overdo it, because you don’t have to suffer for a single victory. Choose the easy targets and fight them.”

“A little while ago, you said, ‘Victory against trivial enemies is worthless.’”

Now Arwen laughed and hugged me tighter.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember,” I mumbled as she put her chin on my shoulder.

“So don’t get hurt,” I urged her again.

“Don’t forget that even if my body is away, my heart is always with your Highness.”

Listening to Arwen’s voice made it easier for me to let her go. I repeatedly told her, “Let’s meet again.”

***

Shortly after Arwen’s visit, Vincent came and told me he was also heading for the front line.

“Yes. Go, go. Very good, just go away.”

Having already been through a similar situation once, I was able to better maintain some composure.

“Aren’t you stopping me? Didn’t you get mad because you couldn’t send me back?”

Vincent tilted his head as if finding my behavior strange.

“You’ll go even if I try to grab you.”

“You still have to pretend to stop me, right?”

“Then don’t go.”

“I have to go.”

“Then go.”

Vincent smiled as if thinking about something. I would have ignored it, but he started whispering to himself. So I asked him if he thought war was a joke.

“Who said that? I’m just thinking about something.”

That was it, and Vincent quickly said to me with a serious face, “Don’t worry about the front lines, just focus on recovering your body. You just keep resting, and I’ll give you a victory.”

Vincent’s nagging continued for a while, with him saying that I should eat well and cool my head instead of swinging my sword. I just sighed, faced with his constant attitude, with him fretting over me even when he was leaving.

“I’ll sever the head of their tallest guy and send it to you, so please wait.”

“It’s okay, so keep your head sharp and stay on your guard, Vincent. Don’t make me roll around at night with worry.”

“That sounds like a bad view.”

“It’s because of my mood.”

For a while, we spoke some polite words.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you….”

After we spoke for some time, Vincent suddenly remembered something.

“I am the commander.”

Somehow, the tone of his voice was very strong. Even though he knew that I couldn’t head to the battlefield until I had balanced my mana and body, his attitude was like this. I couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Just go!” I shouted.

***

A week passed, and Arwen and Vincent were leaving the royal capital. I climbed the wall to watch the ceremony. Two legions of Leonberg and the Templar Knights were arranged in orderly formations.

“Fight! Win! Come back, sons and daughters of the kingdom!”

The king, astride a white horse, prayed for a fortunate future for the soldiers and knights who would soon head for the front.

“Long live the Leonberg kingdom!”

“Duke of the North! I wish you luck in the future!”

Citizens who came to the city gate cheered enthusiastically. The atmosphere was quite different from the past when we had to rush into war after the sudden imperial declaration.

‘Bwak!’

Soldiers and knights stamped their feet together as they responded to the crowds.

‘Chuck!’

Vincent raised his hand, and the cheers and shouts subsided until there was complete silence.

‘Shh!’

Vincent lifted his head, looking at me where I stood on the wall. Others also raised their heads one by one until everyone looked at me.

“Say something,” Vincent continued.

Instead of answering, I then drew my sword from my waist.

Twilight—it had been the twilight of its creator’s life, but the sword had become dawn when it came to me. There was nothing more suitable than this sword to see off those who march forth for Leonberg’s brilliant dawn.

‘Hwaak!’

I gathered light at the edge of my sword and spread it into the dark world. Inside my mind, I mused a little, ‘Only those who have endured the brutal night can meet the new day, so may the light be with you all wherever the power of dawn advances.’

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