Despite having different parents, Eugene and Cyan had lived as brothers for ten years. However, when Eugene first joined the family as an adopted child, Cyan had many grievances.
Ancilla repeatedly instructed Cyan to get along with Eugene and to treat him as a true blood brother. The clan head, their father, and uncle were delighted to welcome a talent like Eugene into the main family. His twin sister, Ciel, took a liking to Eugene from the start, albeit subtly, or rather, quite openly.
At thirteen, Cyan found it difficult to accept this sudden addition to his family, this new brother.
In particular, from a very young age, Cyan had resolved to become the clan head for the sake of his mother, a concubine. As such, he couldn't help but feel discomforted by and jealous of Eugene, who was evidently extremely gifted, to the point of being called a prodigy. While Ciel had never aspired to the position of clan head, the same didn’t hold true for Cyan. For him, Eugene was an unwelcome stone, no, a boulder disrupting his path.
However, the initial displeasure of Eugene joining the family did not last even a month. Just as it had been for Ciel, Cyan, too, had no friends of his own age.
Cyan had been raised in a strict environment, receiving education at home. He was labeled as the concubine’s son, and Ancilla had always been harsh. After being raised in such an environment, it couldn’t be helped that Eugene caught his attention. Eugene never cared about others’ opinions.
Cyan picked fights with Eugene a few times, and each time, he was soundly defeated. Ironically, these beatings gradually opened Cyan's heart….
"..." Cyan was quiet as he recalled their past.
Thirteen was a tender age. No matter how well-educated one was, it was inevitable that one would behave childishly at such a young age.
However, for Eugene….
Looking back, Eugene's maturity was remarkable, almost unbelievable. Cyan often felt a wave of embarrassment when he reminisced about his childhood, especially his teenage years. Being the same age as him, Eugene, too, should have gone through adolescence. However, Eugene had never shown even traces of him going through a rebellious or an adolescent phase.
Cyan had thought it was because Eugene was just naturally mature.
That was what he had thought….
"Ahem..." As he reminisced, a smile crept onto Cyan's lips.
Though Eugene had always been mature for his age, there had been moments when he acted like a child, especially when talking about the heroes from three hundred years ago. Most Lionhearts would say they admired the founder, the Great Vermouth.
— Not me. I admire Sir Hamel.
— I've seen people who admire Sir Molon, but someone who admires Sir Hamel is a first.
That was indeed true. Wizards typically admired the Wise Sienna, priests the Faithful Anise. And knights, most often, professed admiration for the Great Vermouth. Occasionally, there were some oddballs or those who were all about brute force who admired the Brave Molon.
However, no one said they admired the Stupid Hamel. Well, not absolutely no one, but it was still extremely rare. After all, Hamel was depicted in the fairy tale as truly foolish and lacking many admirable qualities.
Of course, even if he lacked brains, was bad-tempered, and was lucky, Hamel was said to be an excellent fighter. Moreover, he sacrificed himself for his companions in the end. With a bit of searching, one could find a few aspects of this hero worthy of admiration.
However, the charm of the Stupid Hamel was hard for a child to grasp. Admiring Hamel solely from fairy tales usually happened later in life, after growing older and rereading those tales. Some people would realize, 'Ah, Hamel was quite a decent character after all.'
— That’s not true. The Patriarch said he liked Sir Hamel.
— Stop lying.
— Why would I lie about the Patriarch? And hey, what's wrong with admiring Sir Hamel? Do you know how great he was? What do you know about Sir Hamel?
— I... I've read the fairy tale too….
— What's written in a fairy tale and actual history are different. You're too dense to have read anything but fairy tales, but I've read heroic tales of Hamel that aren't in those books.
— Then show me.
— I really want to, but sadly, I can't right now. That book is at my house back in Gidol. The title? I can't remember. It was such an old book that it might not even have a title....
Cyan recalled their conversation from many years back. Even after asking Eugene several times, he never received the book, which was supposedly at Gidol.
It wasn't just during their childhood, either. He recalled similar occurrences the first time he saw the Death Knight in Samar Rainforest, when he saw the statue of Sir Hamel in the Kingdom of Ruhr, and several other times. Whenever he had the chance, Eugene was always exalting Hamel and going off about him.
"Pfft…." Cyan couldn’t hold in his laughter.
So, all this time, he was just glorifying himself without anyone knowing? He had been earnestly singing his own praises?
The more Cyan thought about it, the harder it became to keep a straight face.
"Pfft…."
He tried to contain his laughter but couldn’t help as giggles escaped through his quivering lips.
Naturally, Eugene heard it. He held back. Now that the whole truth was out, he thought it natural for Cyan to laugh. It would be cruel to forbid laughter at such an obvious matter.
But after hearing him chuckle repeatedly, Eugene couldn’t help but think it would be fine to become a little cruel.
Eugene acted on his impulse. He turned and approached Cyan. Cyan panicked as he attempted to change his expression and flee, but escaping from Eugene was an impossible task, even if he tried his best. In the end, Cyan didn’t get far before Eugene caught him and gave him a swift kick on the shin.
"Why are you laughing? Huh? Why?" inquired Eugene.
"I was just… just reminded of old times..." Cyan stuttered.
"Old times? What old memories? Why don’t you tell me, so I can laugh too? Huh? Let’s laugh together,” pressed Eugene.
Cyan clamped his mouth shut. If he answered truthfully to Eugene and admitted to laughing because of how Eugene used to talk about Hamel, it was entirely possible that the bad-tempered brat might even kill his brother.
The conversation at the round table had concluded. Everyone was confused, but nonetheless, they had to focus on sorting out the chaos in the castle.
"....." Ancilla didn't immediately understand why Sienna was trailing behind her and why Ciel was closely following Sienna.
But she was a woman of iron and ambition. She had entered the Lionheart family as a concubine and surpassed the legitimate wife in stature through her efforts. Even before giving birth to the twins, she had established her place in the family through her perceptiveness and awareness. Right now, Ancilla could sense a strong feeling of expectation in the eyes of Sienna and Ciel.
'Surely not...' Ancilla thought.
Sienna had feelings for her student, Eugene. Sienna had visited the mansion before. Although they only had tea, Sienna had started rambling as if she had been drinking alcohol. Ancilla could never forget that moment, even if she wanted to. However, she was afraid to recall it.
Anyway, Sienna had feelings for Eugene and had even sought Ancilla's permission. She had asked in advance because she was more conscious of others' opinions than one might expect.
If Eugene had revealed his identity not just to a few within the Lionheart family but to the whole world, then Sienna would no longer need to worry about what others thought.
‘With Eugene being Hamel’s reincarnation, there’s no issue in their relationship. At least, that’s how my husband and I see it.’ Ancilla organized her thoughts.
Indeed, she had never thought of it as a problem before. Despite centuries of age difference, the 'Wise Sienna' joining the Lionheart family was an honor that outweighed the blockade of a mere few centuries of age difference.
'But now, that’s no longer something to worry about…. So, does she want a more definite answer?'
Ancilla forced herself to try and understand.
It was an action that couldn't be deemed wise by any means, but from what she had seen, Sienna had certain aspects that seemed too innocent for someone who had lived for three hundred years.
In truth, Ancilla wanted to live to see her grandchildren. Thinking of Eugene as a… son was difficult, but she still regarded him as a close relative. She often imagined Eugene or Cyan having children. The prospect of looking after her grandchildren brought a happy smile to her face.
Ancilla tightened her grip on the left hand that was holding Mer’s hand.
"Hehe..."
Mer was also happy to see Ancilla after so long. Ancilla was also a maternal figure, but the affection she gave was more mature than Sienna’s or the Saints’. Raimira felt similarly as she held onto Ancilla’s other hand.
'She's like a grandmother.' Raimira didn't say it out loud. She had been reprimanded by Mer before.
— Lady Ancilla might get angry if you call her grandmother. So, just call her Lady Ancilla.
It was indeed the right approach. She wanted to see her grandchildren, but she wasn't ready to be called grandmother just yet... Ancilla stood at a complex crossroads in her life.
'Ciel... What about Ciel...?' Ancilla wondered next.
She knew her daughter harbored special feelings for Eugene. She had thought of respecting and supporting those feelings.
She had envisioned a future where Ciel would be united with Eugene from the very beginning when Eugene was first adopted. The problem was that Eugene had no such intentions towards Ciel. What could she do if the other party was unwilling?
'They’re not siblings anymore…. Yes. Eugene is Sir Hamel's reincarnation. Knowing this, Ciel, you might have more to argue. Even though you were never siblings related by blood, knowing Eugene is a reincarnated being might give you a stronger ground to assert your feelings.'
So then, why were the two following her so amiably now? Eugene respected Ancilla. If Ancilla arranged for something, he would participate, even if reluctantly.
Could it be that the two of them were hoping for that? Did they expect her to arrange an engagement? Surely not. She didn’t know about Sienna, but would Ciel really partake in such naïve antics? No, she wouldn’t.
...But could she be sure? In the past, Ancilla herself had felt a burning love for her husband. It was true that she desired the Lionheart name, but that wasn’t the whole story. She had joined the household as a concubine during the stages of her prime, in her youth, against everyone’s opposition. It had been a foolish act born of passionate love.
It didn’t matter whether they were a man or a woman. People truly turned foolish when they were engulfed in intense love.
It was as Ancilla thought. Sienna was hoping that Ancilla would mention a possibility of an engagement. Ciel wasn’t necessarily expecting the same, but she wanted to keep Sienna in check. And, if possible, she hoped her mother would side with her own daughter. They had both become fools indeed.
"Lady Sienna, may I request your assistance in restoring the forest that was ravaged in battle?" Ancilla suddenly inquired.
"Uh, yes?"
"I was just there, and the forest is hardly recognizable. The trees were shattered, and the land upheaved,” continued Ancilla.
Sienna's eyes quivered. Probably half of that destruction was due to her magic.
"It may be difficult to immediately return it to a forest, but leaving it as is might lead to further damage like landslides or more trees falling. But with the magic of the Wise Sienna, it can surely be restored quickly,” suggested Ancilla.
"Uh, yeah, alright..." Sienna reluctantly answered.
"Ciel, go with Lady Sienna and help out,” said Ancilla.
"Yes, mother,” Ciel answered while quickly composing her expression.
Her mother's voice was cold.
'Indulging personal desires in the midst of this chaos…’ Ancilla shook her head while clicking her tongue. Raimira and Mer looked up at Ancilla with a confused expression, all the while holding her hands.
"Let's go to the dining hall. There will be many things you'll enjoy there,” said Ancilla.
The wounded had been treated, and the morning was drawing near. But with the recent calamity, no one would be resting easily, even if their wounds were treated. The knights would be in the dining hall, soothing their stomachs with a meal.
"Sir Eugene,” Kristina called out.
She approached Eugene as he was bullying Cyan. She gestured towards the priests of Yuras in the distance and whispered.
"The papacy has contacted us again. They're inquiring about the preparations for the crusade. How should I respond?" she asked.
The Holy Empire had declared Eugene as the Incarnate of Light and Hero. They had expressed their absolute support for Eugene. News of Black Lion Castle being attacked had reached the papacy, and it seemed the zealots were discussing a crusade.
"No need to muster the holy army. Just have the Blood Cross Knights and the Luminous Covenant on standby,” responded Eugene.
"Understood." Kristina nodded slightly.
The Blood Cross Knights were the elite of the paladins, and the Luminous Covenant were the elites of the combat priest. Both groups were armed with nearly fanatical faith and spirit. They called for martyrdom, and they did not fear death. Moreover, if the Pope declared a crusade invoking the divine, most believers of Yuras would join the holy army, even if they only had farming tools in hand.
However, Kristina and Anise had no desire to go that far. They did not want to mobilize the holy army unless the world was on the brink of absolute destruction.
They were unsure why the Death Knight attacked Black Lion Castle. It had not been due to a command from Amelia. It was a decision made by the fake himself.
'It's a damned situation, but this attack... he was being considerate of me. He’s trying to draw me out.'
That was what Eugene believed. He pondered what the Death Knight had been aiming for in carrying out this act and also what kind of personality was governing his actions.
The fake held Hamel's memories. Even if he realized he was a fake, his personality was still derived from Hamel's memories.
In other words, the impostor thought like Hamel and came to a conclusion based on his chain of thoughts. Eugene didn't want to think this way, but he had no choice but to consider it.
'What would be the reason? Why would I attack the castle for my sake?’
If the impostor was truly close to being Hamel, it would know what Eugene wanted through his actions so far. In truth, coming to such a conclusion didn’t necessarily need one to think like Hamel.
Eugene had been quite explicit in his desires. He had asked Melkith to attack the black wizards in Nahama. He tried to draw out Amelia from her hiding. He made demons cross into Nahama.
'He gave me a justification,' Eugene realized.
What Eugene intended was to force Amelia into a corner to make her prepare for war.
But now, there was no need for that. With the impostor attacking Black Lion Castle, he now had a pretext to raise an army and invade Nahama. Instead of using Melkith to subtly provoke Nahama, the allied forces could gather their full strength and crush them head-on.
"Damn bastard," Eugene muttered.
The imposter had not only provided a justification. He had triggered Eugene’s emotions.
Humiliation. Rage.
Eugene turned his head and looked down at the castle walls. Below, he saw the warriors of Zoran gathering. He could see Ivatar in the distance. He could see Ivatar’s back and his shoulders trembling. Even if other allied nations hesitated, Ivatar would mobilize all the warriors of Samar to join Eugene in the attack on Nahama.
"I should go and calm them down,” Eugene murmured while stepping onto the balustrade.
"Eugene!"
But before Eugene could jump, a loud voice echoed from the tower. He could see Gilead leaning out of the window. Gilead had gone to report the situation to Kiehl, but he had lost his composure and was calling out.
Eugene looked up with surprise, then leaped high as his expression hardened.
There was no need to ask what had happened.
It was clearly some terrible news.