Chapter 51. One Thing to Not Forget
On that day, the blue sky stretched endlessly.
"Commander, do you have any plans for retirement?" asked a voice.
"Yeah, I'm going to buy a house in the southern kingdom and do absolutely nothing," Cain Latorre, the commander, replied.
"Seriously? That sounds like the least idyllic plan I've ever heard," Kerra said.
"Kerra, I've always had this in mind, but you say too many useless things," Cain commented.
The two men exchanged words as they stood in the quiet palace garden. Cain, the commander of the Imperial Guards, was clearly annoyed at Kerra's clinginess.
"Kerra, I'm not some noble like you. I don't know a thing about 'idyllic.' Who the hell talks about things like that with a slave?" Cain replied, his tone sharp.
"Why would your background matter, Commander? You're still you," Kerra responded.
"The nobles seem to think it matters," Cain muttered.
"That's why I left my family and joined the Imperial Guards in the first place, didn't I? Those nobles are like trash. Slave or noble, we all die the same when a blade strikes us," Kerra grumbled as he watered the flowers.
Cain chuckled at Kerra. This guy was truly funny. He still had the gall to joke as the Lestons' forces marched toward the capital. In just three days, Halo Leston would arrive, leading his army toward the capital.
Cain had already ordered the Imperial Guards to leave, as there was no pride or honor left worth protecting in this palace. Most of the knights had fled. After all, there weren't a lot of knights who wanted to go down with an emperor who had sold his soul to demons.
But a few remained. Kerra, of course, was one of those strange few.
"Kerra," Cain called out.
"Yes, Commander?" Kerra answered, glancing over.
"Leave when you can. Go to Pajar Sultanate or head toward the south. At least there, you'll have a chance to survive," Cain urged him again, trying to persuade his subordinate.
It was enough for him to be the only one to die here for the Malevolent Emperor. For some reason, the insane emperor had bound only Cain to stay within the palace. The others could leave anytime they wished, although some, who had been gifted Dark Mana from the emperor, would perhaps be hunted down. But Cain believed that most of them, with their skill, could live and hide.
"What's the point in running away? I'd just spend the rest of my life on the run anyway. No thanks. I'll just stay here and die with you, Commander," Kerra answered.
"You idiot," Cain muttered.
"Commander, aren't you close with Duke Halo Leston? Why don't you strike a deal? If you decide to live and retire, I'll stick around too. We can head south and work as mercenaries. It's not as glamorous as the Imperial Guards, but I hear it pays well," Kerra suggested.
Cain sighed and wondered how he could persuade someone who was so willing to die with him.
He was about to say something, but sighed and shook his head. Then, he asked quietly, "Where are the others?"
Kerra, who had crouched down to pluck a rose, answered, "They're checking their gear in the barracks. Oh, and Ugo was ironing his uniform, believe it or not."
"Ironing? Now?" Cain asked.
"Yeah, he said he wanted to die looking neat. Says the guy who rarely even cleans his room... If that isn't madness, I don't know what is. Haha!" Kerra let out a loud, carefree laugh as he stood up and handed Cain the rose. He suggested, "You should put this rose in your hair, Commander. Who knows? Maybe Duke Halo will think you've lost your mind and go easy on you."
Cain glanced at the rose, filled with emotion. Without a word, he drew his sword and sliced the rose clean in half.
Slash.
Petals fluttered to the ground in silence.
"It seems you didn't know, but I'm stronger than Halo," Cain said.
Kerra shot back with a grin, "Seriously, you're a complete lunatic... The last few times you fought him, you lost every single match."
"I went easy on him," Cain replied.
Kerra laughed again and replied, "You're not going to give it your all this time either, are you? Your mind is filled with the thought of dying. And that face of yours? It's not the face of a man going into battle to fight, but that of a lunatic heading to his own grave."
He dusted the dirt from his hands and looked at Cain, then asked seriously, "Can't you just stay alive?"
Cain fell silent.
"You've never made a choice for yourself in your entire life," Kerra continued, his voice softer now. "It's pitiful...Truly pitiful."
Cain knew those words came from Kerra's heart, which made his smile all the more bitter. He said quietly, "This time, it is my choice."
"To die for that mad emperor?" Kerra asked, incredulous.
"You said it yourself, that I look like a man heading to his grave. I can at least get to choose where I die. That's something, isn't it?" Cain replied.
Kerra let out a long sigh, shaking his head in disbelief. "I should just stop talking... Seriously."
With a resigned sigh, he turned and began to trudge out of the garden.
Cain called out after him, "Are you running off? That's a good choice."
Without even turning around, Kerra shouted back, "I'm going to drink the stash I've been hiding in the barracks! Gotta finish it before I drop dead. And don't even think about asking for any, Commander. There's none for you!"
"...Foolish bastard," Cain muttered.
He forced a faint smile as he watched Kerra fade into the distance. He hoped, at least, that they wouldn't die. As he was thinking such thoughts...
***
"...Hah," Caron exhaled softly as he slowly awoke from his slumber.
He had dreamt. That was a rare occurrence ever since his reincarnation. Memories from a past he'd long forgotten had resurfaced unconsciously. Perhaps it was because of where he was, the Imperial Palace, a place that could stir up those old memories that were long buried within him.
"Where... am I?" Caron muttered as he shook off the lingering bitterness from the dream, then looked around his surroundings.
He found himself in a spacious, white-walled room. The sight of various medical tools scattered around suggested that this place was some kind of hospital inside the palace. When he glanced down at his body, he noticed it was wrapped in bandages.
Beside his bed, there were two figures slumped over, with swords clutched tightly in their arms as they slept. They were Leo and Amy. The bloodstains on their clothes hinted that they had likely been the ones to bring him here.
Caron could wake them to ask what had happened, but seeing how deeply they were sleeping, he didn't want to wake them up. So instead, he reached out to Guillotine, which was leaning against the wall by his bed.
The moment he grasped it, the sword's familiar voice echoed in his mind. "Owner, you're awake?"
Where am I? Caron asked internally.
"You're in the palace hospital. Your treatment is also done. Thanks to the dew of the World Tree that the Sixth Prince gave you, there wasn't much left to treat. Just stitching up a few wounds here and there," Guillotine replied.
Caron's memory of the moments before he passed out slowly began to return. Revelio had poured the rare, priceless dew of the World Tree into his mouth. Thanks to that miraculous elixir, which was impossible to buy even with a fortune, he had recovered surprisingly well despite forcibly breaking through to 5-Star. His mana pathways seemed relatively intact too.
"I should at least pay... Wait a second. Where's that bastard Revelio?" Caron's brow furrowed as he remembered. He knew he hadn't been pushed to the brink of collapse. If that lunatic hadn't sucker-punched him from behind, he wouldn't be in this state.
Having thought that far, Caron immediately woke Leo by calling out, "Leo. Leo, wake up."
Leo rubbed his eyes as he woke from his slumber, saying, "Uh... Why, Caron... Wait! You're awake?"
Hearing his voice, Amy also woke up beside him, exclaiming, "Young Master Caron! Thank goodness you're okay!"
As soon as they woke up, the two approached the bed. Both rushed in so eagerly that it felt overwhelming.
Caron frowned as he asked, "Amy, what are you doing here?"
"Helping out a benefactor, of course. Are... Are you feeling okay?" Amy asked, concern evident in her voice.
"I'm fine. More importantly, Leo, where's that bastard Revelio? Did he run off?" Caron asked.
"Judging by that temper, you're definitely okay. The Sixth Prince was arrested by the Imperial Guards. I'm sure Grandfather's on his way to get him by now," Leo replied.
"Grandfather? What time is it right now?" Caron asked again.
"It's ten in the morning. You've been knocked out for twelve hours, you crazy bastard," Leo replied.
"...Seriously?" Caron exclaimed.
"Can't you see the sunlight coming through the window?" Leo said.
Just as Leo said, daylight was streaming into the room through the window. The aftereffects of forcibly breaking through to 5-Star had clearly taken a toll on Caron. If it had been twelve hours since the incident, a lot had to have happened already.
Caron poured himself a glass of water from the bedside table and drank, then wiped his lips with the sleeve of his patient gown before continuing. "When did Grandfather arrive?"
"About thirty minutes after you passed out. He showed up leading the Oceanwolf Knight Order," Leo answered.
"...Seems like the palace had a teleportation circle. What about the one who's behind all this? Did they catch them?" Caron asked.
Leo sighed deeply and replied, "How would I know? I've been here, looking after you."
"There weren't any additional attacks while I was out, right?" Caron asked.
"Of course not. With the Oceanwolf Knight Order guarding the place, who would dare to? They didn't even let the Imperial Guards come close," Leo explained.
Caron glanced at Amy and asked, "Isn't she part of the Imperial Guards?"
"Well... It was thanks to Amy that we got you to the hospital quickly. The palace was like a maze," Leo admitted.
That was true. The layout of the palace was notoriously complicated; even Caron had struggled to memorize the routes in his previous life.
Turning his gaze back to Amy, Caron gave her a teasing look and said, "You're quite tough, Amy."
"Pardon?" Amy replied, confused.
"Didn't you want to patch me up so you could beat me up later? Bringing me to the hospital just to get me back on my feet for a duel... Wow, you're really something," Caron said.
"N-No! I was just trying to help you..." Amy tried to explain.
"I know," Caron responded.
"...Huh?" Amy replied, confused.
"I'm just messing with you. Thank you. I won't forget you helped me," Caron said.
As the three of them talked, a knock echoed from the door. The door opened, and a knight entered the room.
"You're awake, Young Master Caron. I've been waiting," Commander Zerath said as he approached Caron's bed. He asked, "How are you feeling?"
"I feel fine, Sir Zerath. As if I could jump up and start swinging a sword right now," Caron said.
"The wound you sustained was from Dark Mana. The priest cleansed it, but it's still too early to be relieved," Zerath said.
"I'm telling you, I'm fine... Oh, by the way, I've reached 5-Star now, Sir Zerath," Caron added.
"Congratulations," Zerath said, his tone steady.
"So, can I leave now—" Caron began.
"Not until the head of the family gives permission," Zerath interrupted Caron.
"...Then at least a drink?" Caron asked.
"Please, say something reasonable," Zerath replied, completely unfazed by the suggestion.
Caron let out a long sigh and slumped back onto his bed, defeated by Zerath's unwavering stance. He glanced over at Zerath and asked, "When is Grandfather coming?"
"He stopped by to check on you as soon as he arrived. Since the situation should be under control by now... He'll likely be here soon," Zerath answered.
Just as Zerath predicted, a loud and powerful voice echoed from outside the room. It seemed Halo had arrived.
"He's here," Zerath remarked as he calmly walked toward the door and carefully opened it.
Soon, Halo, clad in his azure armor, stepped into the room. Upon seeing him, both Leo and Amy quickly stood up and bowed deeply.
"Greetings, Duke Halo!" they said.
Halo waved them off gently and said, "You must be tired from taking care of Caron. Take your seats."
His deep voice carried a weight that settled over the room. Both Leo and Amy sat down carefully.
Halo dragged a nearby chair over and sat beside Caron's bed. As he sat down, the azure armor he wore dissipated like smoke, leaving him in simple, clean casual clothing. He remarked, "You seem to be doing well."
Caron smiled with a nod and said, "It's all thanks to the protection from our ancestors."
"The ocean within you has grown. You have five seas now. Was this your intention?" Halo asked.
"To stop the succubus, I didn't have much of a choice. It felt as if I had to use Oceanwolf Sword Art Form 5 to minimize the damage," Caron explained.
"Form 5: High Tide... I thought you only mastered up to Form 4?" Halo asked.
"I picked it up from watching others," Caron answered.
Halo exhaled deeply as he stared at his grandson. Reports from those who had attended the banquet revealed that Caron had recklessly charged at the succubus on his own. It was far too dangerous a situation.
If that succubus had truly intended to kill Caron, the situation would have been far worse. Even if he survived, he would have been left with severe, possibly fatal injuries.
"Why did you charge in first? If you sensed the Dark Mana, you could have informed us first," Halo said.
It was a reckless decision. Even if the Dark Mana had been discovered, the right approach would have been to wait until one had enough power to engage in the fight. There was no way that a clever boy like Caron wouldn't have known that.
But with a confident look, Caron responded, "My body reacted faster than my head."
"So you're saying it was instinct?" Halo pressed.
"Well, I can't really explain it better than that. I sensed the hostility, so I severed it," Caron answered.
Halo's gaze drifted to the sword resting beside Caron's bed, Guillotine. It was the same sword that had beheaded countless demons. Perhaps it was only natural for the wielder of such a sword to desire striking down more of their kind. But still, it was too reckless.
...I almost lost Caron , he thought. If luck hadn't been on their side, Caron wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed right now; he'd be in a coffin. That reality made Halo's voice firm as he spoke again. "Caron Leston. As the head of the house, I command you."
Caron was no longer just a promising young grandson. The word "promising" no longer fit him. He had shattered the Pledge Stone and been chosen by Guillotine. And now, through this journey, Caron had proven his worth.
A 5-Star knight at the age of thirteen , Halo mused.
Caron had already surpassed the level Halo himself had achieved at that age, reaching an unimaginable condition.
So now, Halo was certain.
...The one destined to fulfill the covenant, he thought.
Caron Leston was the one who would fulfill the covenant with the masters of the North Sea. Halo's very own grandson was the future of the Leston Duchy. He would light the path forward for their family, becoming the center of a new era.
You will soon have to navigate the storms ahead, Halo thought.
That was the destiny of the one chosen to fulfill the covenant.
And so, Halo made his decision.
"After we return to Azureocean Castle, I will ban you from any external activities. For the next four years, you are to sharpen yourself."
It was a choice he was making for Caron's future.