Volume 3 Chapter 13 Zeere Bernard's Distress
The old Kirschtein territory and the Great Temple.
After finishing the incident involving the two witch's daughters, daily life had returned to a bit of calm.
For a while, the Holy Knights of Leonsroar were busy dealing with Francois's whims, but now they were getting back to their regular duties.
That said, the busyness hadn't changed much.
Basically, they worked in shifts and had about 7 days off a month, and they could also take additional days off if they reported it, but irregular jobs often came up for the knights.
For example, there were monster hunts that increased because of the sudden appearance of the Tears of the Rose.
Or, there were rescue missions for disasters happening in various places.
When these kinds of jobs came up, there was no time to rest.
It was truly a life without day or night.
When they went on expeditions, they might not return for about a month, and it was common to struggle even with the basics of living.
On completely free days, they would train at the knights' base inside the castle or catch up on paperwork.
The Holy Knights were different from independent adventurers who weren't tied to anyone.
Even for monster hunts, they needed to write reports.
They had to note the number of days it took, the costs,
the replenishment of new equipment, the restocking of food supplies,
the refilling of magical energy for the large floating stone transport devices,
taking care of the horses, and so on.
These tasks didn't all have to be done by Lucian, the leader of the knights, but most people who joined the knights were better at using their bodies than their brains.
Some might take a year to finish paperwork, and there were even some who couldn't read at all.
According to King Zeere's policy, they accepted anyone with motivation and skill, regardless of their background, so it couldn't be helped.
In comparison, the Saintwise, based in the Mage's Guild, had many smart people because of their nature, so Lucian felt a bit envious of their lack of such worries, even though the knights were not a school.
That said, because of this──Lucian's long-held secret might have gone unnoticed by anyone.
The last survivor of the fallen Kirschtein royal family.
For an incredibly long time, he lived with a desire for revenge──not just for his destroyed country and the people who were killed, but for himself. However, after the incident in the old Kirschtein territory ended, that feeling disappeared.
Lucian believed it was all thanks to Lydia, who tried to save him.
Not long ago, he thought of her as a child.
Now, he saw Lydia as a woman.
But that didn't mean he wanted to forcefully make her his.
He had a faint hope that one day she might feel the same way about him, but even if that didn't happen, Lucian's sword belonged to Lydia, and so did his heart.
He wanted to be by her side──but as the leader of the Holy Knights of Leonsroar, he couldn't neglect his position.
He could quit the knights, but Lydia probably wouldn't want that, and if she chose him, being unemployed wasn't ideal──this was a practical reason too.
Even if he lost his current position, Lucian was confident he could survive, but as Ciel said, it was also true that he could protect Lydia because of his current role.
There were 2 more daughters of witches.
While thinking about this, Lucian was heading deeper into the castle with Ciel.
Due to their positions, he often faced Ciel.
Until now, he had the impression of him as a man who rarely spoke and was hard to read.
Recently, he had been very close to Lydia, trusted by her, and had even set up a home near Lobelia Diner House, making him feel like a strong rival.
He surprisingly talked a lot.
Especially in front of Lydia.
Inside the castle, not much had changed.
He wouldn't speak unless necessary, and he didn't seem particularly close to anyone.
Except for the subordinates of Saintwise, that is.
Lucian's background is fully known to Ciel, who was with Lydia at that time.
Because of this, Lucian felt more comfortable around Ciel than before.
They weren't friends, but they were acquaintances.
Lucian could easily talk to anyone, but he didn't have deep relationships with anyone.
Ciel, who also didn't try to get close to anyone, seemed somewhat similar to him.
"Lucian Kilkade, I have arrived."
"I am Ciel Vermilion. Did you call for me, Your Majesty?"
After confirming their status with the guards, they stepped into the royal chamber deep within the castle.
They stopped in front of the room where Zeere was said to be resting, at the end of a hallway lined with doors.
When they greeted, the door opened from the inside.
It was Stefan, who had called them, and he urged Lucian and Ciel to come in.
Zeere was lying on a large white bed in the center of the room.
He hadn't shown himself in public for a long time since he fell ill.
He used to have a strong and impressive presence as a king, but now, lying in bed, Zeere looked much smaller and older.
"Lucian, Ciel, you've come."
Zeere sat up in bed, supported by Stefan.
Lucian thought they looked alike, as they were father and son.
Zeere had 3 children: Stefan and 2 younger sisters.
The queen died after giving birth to the third sister, and since then, Zeere had not married anyone or taken a concubine.
Lucian and Ciel knelt before Zeere and bowed deeply.
"This is not an official occasion. There's no need to be so formal. I'm sorry for calling you here."
"King Zeere, are you feeling alright?"
"Your Majesty, if it's difficult, you can stay lying down."
When Lucian asked, Ciel also expressed his concern.
"No, it's fine now. I wasn't really sick. The doctor said it might be something mental."
"Mental...?"
"Is it like the White Moon disease, where you stop eating for no reason, Your Majesty?"
"It's similar, but it's different. I heard from Stefan that I was cursed by the witch's daughter. It amplifies desires and wishes. I──I've longed for death. I kept thinking about living peacefully with my deceased wife under the white moon."
Hearing Zeere's words, Stefan looked down sadly.
Lucian thought it was cruel to hear his own father say he wanted to die.
Stefan had just woken up from a long dream.
He had oppressed Lydia, punished those in the castle he didn't like, and distanced himself from nobles who spoke out.
It would take even longer to undo the foolish actions he had taken for so long.
Many would not accept that it was all due to the witch's daughter's curse.
While Lydia had easily forgiven him, most people likely did not feel the same way.
It was a stroke of luck that Francois transformed into a monster at the celebration of his engagement to Stefan.
Many nobles were present at that event.
Those who witnessed it should be able to believe Stefan's words.
"Lucian."
"Yes?"
"You are a survivor of Kirschtein, aren't you? I realized that the moment I saw your face."
"...Your Majesty."
Lucian's eyes widened in disbelief.
Zeere had never shown any sign of knowing.
If he had known──did that mean he had kept someone who might want to take his life close by?.
"I have regretted suppressing Kirschtein for a long time. I killed that boy's mother right in front of him. Although it was requested, I always thought there must have been another way. I couldn't save you, trembling after your mother was killed."
Lucian couldn't say anything and clenched his teeth.
It was known.
He was pitied.
This fact hurt Lucian's heart, but it wasn't a fatal wound.
For him, everything was already in the past.
"When you appeared before me, I thought you had come to kill me. I was okay with that. I killed your mother in front of a child. There is nothing more sinful than that... But you didn't kill me."
"...I have already discarded my old name. Now, I am Lucian, the leader of the Holy Knights of Leonsroar. Thanks to the one who gave me the path to live this way."
"I see."
Zeere took a deep breath, looked away from Lucian, and directed his gaze at Ciel.
"Ciel... you too. I knew what you suffered in the Margrave Wisteria family, but I couldn't do anything."
"That is all in the past now."
"However, I couldn't protect you, who should have been in the position of Margrave, and you were looked down upon as a gem person. I can do nothing. All living beings are equal. I speak of such ideals──but I am just powerless to act on them."
"Your Majesty... so, you want to give up on living?"
"I passed the holy sword to Stefan──and then, my desire for death grew even stronger. It might be because of the witch's daughter's curse, but it was originally a wish I held inside."
"Your Majesty, it's all over now. Everything. So, there's no need to worry."
"...It's not over for me. I'm sorry, both of you. I know that my confession is just for my own satisfaction, but I wanted to apologize to you."
Lucian nodded, and Ciel looked down.
They accepted the apology, but like Lucian, Ciel had probably settled some things within themselves.
That was──because Lydia was there.
"I will pass the throne to Stefan... You may hate me, but please, lend your strength to Stefan."
"...I have shown nothing but my uselessness. It must be hard to trust me. But I need both of your help."
After Zeere's words, Stefan bowed his head at two of them.
Lucian and Ciel exchanged glances and said, "Of course," as they showed their loyalty.
Even without a formal apology, they had intended to support him from the start.
Protecting this country was connected to protecting Lydia.
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