“When do you intend to depart?”
“The sooner, the better. I shall leave in three or four days. May I decide the route myself?”
The Duke nodded.
“I intend to pass through House Northshine’s territory.”
“...Must you go there?”
House Northshine was a knightly house with a long tradition in the Duchy of Repen.
They had also fought alongside House Repent as comrades-in-arms since the previous generation.
Their territory lay between Repen and the Kingdom of Arian, but it was not along the most direct route.
In other words, Glen intended to make a deliberate detour.
“I mentioned that we had roughly identified the Red Hood’s base. It is believed to be near House Northshine’s territory.”
“Hmm. If it concerns the Red Hood, I could dispatch a separate unit of knights.”
“There is no need to waste valuable knights. The orcs may have been quiet recently, but they remain a threat. The escort force accompanying me will be sufficient to deal with the Red Hood.”
The Duke stared intently at his son before slowly opening his mouth.
“...You have begun having rather commendable thoughts. Very well. I shall assign several additional knights to you.”
The Duke had already been feeling the shortage of manpower within the Lion Knights.
In truth, it was more difficult to find something the North did not lack.
Glen considered refusing, but ultimately lowered his head.
“Thank you.”
“Before you leave, make certain that you visit your mother.”
“...Did Mother say something to you?”
“...You may leave now.”
Come to think of it, Father was surprisingly devoted to Mother, even in my previous life.
A quiet laugh escaped Glen.
***
“Are the two of you stupid, or are you simply incompetent?”
“...”
“...”
The two men standing with their heads lowered said nothing.
Their silence only further enraged Count Sailharn.
His greyish-white beard began trembling.
“You have mouths, so say something! You useless bastards!”
“I-I apologize.”
“Forgive me.”
They had repeated nothing but those words.
Were they deliberately trying to provoke him?
Only after spending several minutes hurling every imaginable insult at them did the Count finally calm down.
“Haa... My son and my brother. Explain what happened in your own words. Tylan, you go first.”
Tylan bit down on his lip.
He had no choice but to dredge up the humiliating memory.
“...As you instructed, Father, I provoked Glen once again. I secured a promise of a sparring match with ease, but he then pulled an unnecessary stunt. Once the match began...”
“You were soundly crushed. Is that correct?”
“...”
“That is the part I cannot understand. Have you been neglecting your training?”
“Absolutely not. I am ashamed to offer such an explanation, but I was struck by an unexpected surprise attack.”
No matter how carefully he phrased it, it remained the excuse of a defeated man.
He had lost to Glen—that good-for-nothing—and now had to hide behind such a pathetic excuse.
The fact crushed Tylan’s pride.
“An unexpected surprise attack... That is hardly a convincing excuse. From what I know, that boy’s abilities were far beneath yours.”
Grind.
“I apologize.”
“Can you defeat him next time?”
Could he defeat him?
The mere fact that he was being asked such a question enraged him.
He was suffering this humiliation entirely because of Glen, that son of a bitch.
“I will! I shall crush him without fail!”
“Good. Then that is enough. Remember this: I may tolerate failure, but I will never tolerate the sight of a dog cowering with its tail between its legs.”
Tylan nodded heavily.
It was now the next man’s turn.
“As for you, Javiko... What happened? The amount of money we invested there was hardly insignificant.”
Viscount Javiko spoke with a rigid expression.
“According to what I discovered... the Black Hand purchased narcotics. The Lion Knights used that as justification to raid them, and the entire organisation appears to have been wiped out in a single night.”
“Narcotics? Do not tell me you ordered that.”
The Count furrowed his brow.
Had this fool truly done something so idiotic?
“No. I clearly instructed them to expand only into businesses that carried little risk. I told them to spread their influence throughout the city as quickly as possible.”
“Then why did those fools involve themselves with narcotics?”
“We have not confirmed the reason, but it appears they acted independently. I should have warned them more forcefully. I apologize.”
“Damn it. Nothing is going according to plan.”
The Count rubbed his temples as a headache began to form.
He felt as though pressure were closing in on him from every direction.
The Emperor continued urging him forward without considering the local circumstances.
The Count had always known that the man was impatient and hot-tempered.
Nevertheless, was it not excessive for letters demanding progress to arrive every month from the distant Empire?
He had already explained the entire plan personally.
Why could the Emperor not simply wait?
Furthermore, both men before him had failed in the tasks he assigned them.
He had not even given them anything particularly difficult.
Worse still, both of them had failed because of that damned brat.
His irritation surged.
Was he surrounded by nothing but fools?
“Haa... What do you intend to do now?”
“...Forgive me, but we should do nothing.”
The Count’s eyebrow twitched.
“What do you mean?”
“In my judgment, House Repent has already surmised that the funds given to the Black Hand originated from House Sailharn.”
After speaking that far, Javiko cautiously observed the Count’s expression.
The Count gestured with his chin for him to continue.
“They have not publicly demanded an explanation because they possess suspicions but no conclusive evidence. Therefore, we must not respond in any manner. If we attempt to recover the money we invested, we may instead give House Repent the evidence it needs to seize us by the throat.”
A long breath escaped through the Count’s nose.
The Viscount swallowed dryly as he waited for his answer.
Silence lingered for a moment.
“...Yes. I reached the same conclusion. It appears your head is not entirely empty.”
What a relief.
Viscount Javiko calmed his trembling heart.
His elder brother was a merciless man.
If Javiko continued disappointing him, there was no telling what might happen to him.
“However, I heard that Glen, that good-for-nothing, was also the one who destroyed the Black Hand.”
“That is what I heard as well... although I honestly find it difficult to believe.”
“What is so difficult to believe? Someone here was thoroughly humiliated by that good-for-nothing.”
Tylan, who had been listening, bit his lip.
“But is it not strange? Until recently, tales of his disgraceful conduct were reaching even us.”
“I am aware. I also heard that he recently recovered from an illness.”
“Do you mean Firstborn’s Disease? Surely that alone could not have changed him...”
“He nearly died. Perhaps the experience knocked a little sense into him. In any case...”
The Count slammed his hand against the armrest.
“My son may have acted foolishly, but he is still my blood. I cannot allow that damned bastard to walk away unpunished.”
“Shall I find someone to deal with him?”
“Yes. Tell them to watch for the proper opportunity. Money is no concern. However, our involvement must never be exposed.”
Targeting the heir of a sovereign state was a dangerous undertaking.
Nevertheless, there was no shortage of people willing to attempt it for enough money.
House Sailharn received Imperial support and possessed more money than it could spend.
“Understood.”
When Viscount Javiko lowered his head, the Count waved both men away.
“Both of you may leave. I am tired.”
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“Rest well, Father.”
Once the two incompetents disappeared, silence settled over the room.
“Damn it.”
A curse unconsciously escaped him at the emergence of an unexpected variable.
The fall of this damned country remained inevitable, but he disliked that the variable was that bastard child.
He hated even more that Glen was that man’s son.
Ron Grance Repent.
And Ron Glen Repent.
‘Bastards I would gladly tear apart with my teeth.’
Glen was the illegitimate son born to the new woman Ron Grance had taken after killing the Count’s sister.
Both father and son deserved to be torn limb from limb.
From the moment his beloved sister’s life ended within House Repent,
the relationship between the two houses had become irreparable.
It would remain so until one of them disappeared.
***
“Have you reflected on your actions in prison?”
“I have reflected plenty, sir.”
Brunel appeared slightly haggard behind the iron bars.
Glen raised one corner of his mouth and continued.
“It looks more as though you simply had a good rest. It has only been two days.”
“No, sir. I never want to spend another day inside a prison.”
“Good. I intend to release you, but I cannot do so without justification. You did commit crimes, after all. Therefore, I shall conscript you. You understand what that means, do you not?”
The Duchy of Repen had frequently pressed criminals into military service throughout its history.
Manpower was perpetually scarce, and conscription served as an adequate punishment.
No matter how hardened a criminal might be, he became a helpless child when faced with a living orc warrior.
Then what of the soldiers who fought those orcs?
Compared with them, common criminals were almost endearing.
“I shall be loyal to you, Young Master.”
Glen released Brunel and his six Birune subordinates.
He wanted soldiers, not gangsters, so he intended to send them directly to the training ground.
However, bringing Brunel along would make capturing the Red Hood easier.
Information about the organisation was difficult to obtain through ordinary means.
“I would like you to accompany me.”
“Of course, sir. May I bring my men as well?”
“Yes. That would be more comfortable for you. However, you will be responsible for keeping them under control.”
“I shall remember that.”
Glen liked the man’s prompt response.
Brunel probably understood his position perfectly.
He was no fool.
“You will most likely accompany me only as far as House Northshine’s territory. How you are treated afterward will depend upon how much you contribute there. You understand?”
“I shall stake my life on it!”
He clearly understood that a new lifeline had been lowered before him.
Glen nodded in satisfaction at his answer.
Three days later, Glen led a group beyond the city walls.
They travelled southwest, toward Sharn Castle, which stood within the lands ruled by House Northshine.
***
It hardly needed to be said, but snow was common in the North.
There were more snowy days than clear ones in any given year, so that was only natural.
Surprisingly, however, days of heavy, feathery snowfall were rare.
Such days were also relatively mild.
Yes.
Mild.
In a land where flesh-piercing cold was ordinary, that was the correct word.
“Is that it?”
“If that is the castle visible from here, it should be Sharn Castle.”
“Look closely. It seems someone has come out to meet us.”
At Glen’s words, Nedain narrowed his eyes.
Sure enough, figures could be seen in the distance.
“It appears the messenger sent by His Grace arrived safely.”
“So it would seem. Hmm. I shall ride ahead. Follow at your own pace.”
“Pardon?”
“I am reuniting with an old friend.”
Nedain stared at Glen’s back as he urged his horse ahead, overcome with confusion.
Had the Young Master ever visited this place before?
***
Meanwhile, Glen was experiencing a strange feeling for the first time in a very long while.
It was a wistful mixture of longing and anticipation, similar to what he had felt upon seeing his family again.
Had he always been this emotional?
...No.
It must have been because he had not seen such heavy snowfall in so long.
“...”
Beyond his field of vision stood snow-covered walls.
And a dearly missed face.
How long had it been?
Ten years?
No, perhaps twenty.
Had snow this mild fallen on that day as well?
No.
Even if it had, neither of them would have noticed.
They had both been too busy trying to survive.
Once Glen drew sufficiently close, he dismounted.
He then began walking forward slowly.
The person opposite him also climbed down from her horse.
Even from this distance, he could see the confusion on her face.
Her lips protruded slightly.
She appeared rather uncomfortable with the situation.
She was still the same.
Every emotion she felt appeared openly on her face.
Just as it had back then.
Across the untouched white snow, his longing advanced, leaving footprints in its wake.
“Greetings.”
“...Do you know me?”
Long blond hair befitting the name of House Northshine.
Sapphire eyes and snow-white skin.
She was a beautiful woman, though her oddly stiff, almost masculine manner of speech contrasted with her appearance.
When their eyes met, Glen unexpectedly found himself unable to speak.
...Ha.
It had been a very long time since he last felt this way.
A wistful sense of longing spread through his mind.
Glen felt as though he might laugh, but barely managed to restrain himself to a smile.
“Ah, are you not Sir Erdin, the eldest daughter of House Northshine?”
“That is correct... but who are you?”
She examined him with a puzzled gaze.
Had she not yet developed the habit of drawing her sword without warning?
The fact that he had even missed this side of her meant he was being unusually sentimental.
It must have been because of the heavy snow he had not seen in so long.
“Ra Ella Sha Din Rune Psharian.”
After all this time, we meet again, my old friend.
Glen quietly recited the Elven words he had learned by chance in his previous life.
“...Pardon?”
“Pay it no mind. I was simply pleased to see you. I am Ron Glen Repent. I look forward to becoming acquainted.”
“...Ah. You must be the eldest Young Master we were told would visit. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Glen unconsciously extended his hand.
Erdin tilted her head, but accepted it nonetheless.
Did she know what emotions clung to the tips of their joined fingers?
‘It has been a long time, Erdin. I never imagined I would see you again like this.’
Erdin Northshine.
In his previous life, she had been Glen’s comrade-in-arms and his friend.
She had also been his first love.
“...It truly is good to see you.”
The falling snow soon covered the footprints he had left behind.