Chapter 56 – I Am Cursed

“You’re planning to leave, aren’t you?”

There wasn’t much to pack. Grabbing his horse would be enough. As if he had already predicted this, Ludhi stood in front of the stable, waiting. As Cariel stepped into the entrance, Ludhi spoke.

“…….”

“If that’s what you want, we’ll only remember you as Luelde. If the central authorities ask, that’s how we’ll answer.”

There had been a reason why this topic wasn’t brought up during the carriage ride. Perhaps, in its own way, it was a consideration.

“Thank you.”

“It’s dark at night. You should rest until sunrise.”

“…I’m more used to moving at this hour.”

His night vision wasn’t particularly sharp, but he had spent countless nights awake. However, unlike back then, he no longer had to fear the sunrise for no reason.

“Aren’t you going to ask?”

“…You must have your reasons. If it were something we could help with by listening, it might be different.”

“…….”

“I’m grateful. Thanks to you, things seem to have wrapped up well.”

“You don’t need to mention it.”

Just like with Baron Roia, Cariel had asked both him and Luke to drop the formalities when speaking. That was only yesterday, yet Ludhi had only now begun speaking casually.

As if sensing its owner’s presence, a gray horse stuck its head out. Cariel stroked its mane for a while.

“If someone comes looking for it, please tell them to take it. If not, then I’d like you to give it to Lady Alesia as a gift. It would be better cared for there than with me.”

“You’re leaving empty-handed?”

“I have to cross the mountains.”

He could ride the horse, but that would limit his route. Fewer options meant an increased risk of being tracked. Just because he was safe so far didn’t mean he always would be. It was time to start erasing his trail.

“Are you not going to say goodbye to the Saint?”

“…….”

He hesitated. Perhaps… it was best to leave just like this.

“If my presence ever puts you in a difficult position, you don’t have to defend me.”

“That’s not an option.”

“It puts my mind at ease. Please don’t concern yourself with me.”

Cariel spoke in an indifferent tone.

“Then, I’ll be going now.”

“Alright. Luke will probably feel a bit hurt… but he only has himself to blame for being slow to notice.”

“Please pass on my regards to the Baron as well.”

“He already knows everything, so don’t worry about it.”

Ludhi extended his hand. Cariel hesitated for a moment before letting out a small sigh and grasping it.

[If you’re lacking as a knight, then at least bury yourself in books!]
[Look at Luke! Hasn’t he already grown this much?! And yet you, why are you still like this?!]
[Trading with demons?! Do you even know who your father fought for with his life?! It was them! The demons!]

As if being pulled into a vortex, a flood of memories rushed into his mind in an instant.

The Baron raged, his fury thundering down.

And then,

[But Father! The world has changed! Do you think I’m doing this just for myself?!]
[Luke… I can’t do what you do. I was never meant for it in the first place.]
[Father never had any expectations of me. If that’s the case, why was I even born?]

……

Ludhi’s self-reproach echoed.

And as if comforting him, Luke spoke.

[Brother, try believing in yourself a little more. You’re quick with calculations and sharp-witted, aren’t you?]
[Oh, but I’m leaving anyway, and you’re staying here, right? So what’s the point of giving up? Huh? Come on! The lord’s seat is annoying, so you take it. I’ll be roaming all over the continent, so you just stay put here.]
[Every time Father scolded me, you were always the one who took the blame instead, weren’t you? I haven’t forgotten those times. Do you think I’d betray you over something as trivial as status or wealth? That wouldn’t be knightly at all.]

Time passed.

The young man clashed with his father as he carried out his plans.
Those years… for him, every single day was filled with despair.

But eventually, a lavender field bloomed beyond the estate.
He supported the imperial policy of absorbing foreign slaves as citizens.
He reshaped the villages, paved and expanded roads, and negotiated taxes with merchants.

[You were right after all.]

The once-small estate had grown into what could now be called a town.

He could have expanded it even further, but even at the heart of the empire, the poorest of the poor still existed. The Baronenes territory was no different.
Instead of excessive ambition, he chose to focus on taking care of the people he had accepted.
He strengthened his foundations.

During a war, this might have been a dangerous decision.
However, with no city walls, expanding the town was much easier.

[The age of knights hasn’t ended… But still, I never quite figured out what to do in peaceful times.]

Baron Roia acknowledged that fact.

Then, taking a piece of meat from his servant’s plate, he personally placed it on his eldest son’s.

[Eat up.]

The words exchanged were brief.

At first glance, they might have seemed indifferent.

[…Yes.]

But Ludhi, struggling to hold back his emotions, clenched his jaw.
Slowly, he chewed and swallowed his food—carefully, deliberately.

Because otherwise… he felt like his tears, his sobs, would spill over uncontrollably.

……

“??”

Had he spaced out during their handshake?

Seeing Ludhi’s slight confusion, Cariel met his gaze and, as if brushing away the awkwardness, spoke first.
“If the opportunity arises, I will see you again.”

“Come by anytime. As long as Baronenes stands, we will always welcome you. These are my father’s words, but of course, I feel the same.”

Cariel nodded, shouldering his increased load as he left the stable. Even after reducing his belongings and only taking the bare essentials, his steps still felt heavy.

Leaping between the trees, he moved swiftly, intending to leave the area.

Neigh!

In the distance, the sound of a horse’s cry was followed by the heavy rumbling of a carriage’s wheels grinding against the dirt road.

“Wait! Hold on! Stop right there!”

Even in the darkness, that pale face was unmistakable. His red eyes glowed like those of a nocturnal beast, making him easy to recognize.

“A second later and I would’ve missed you!”

Cariel considered ignoring him but decided to stop—acknowledging his effort in chasing him down.

“Get in.”
“…….”

“You have questions, don’t you? You mentioned something before but then stayed silent. I figured you’d ask later. Oh, and wasn’t it the Saint who brought it up?”

…Come to think of it.

He recalled following Alesia and Luke under that pretext.

“You’re heading out to retrieve the ‘Crown Breaker,’ aren’t you?”

“…’Crown Breaker’?”

“You don’t know? It’s Grandeus’s beloved sword. Ah, right, its actual name was Elbart, wasn’t it?”

Cariel had heard of Elbart from the Demon King, but ‘Crown Breaker’ was a name unfamiliar to him.

“Why is it called ‘Crown Breaker’?”

“Apparently, Grandeus shattered the hopes of many Demon King candidates, earning it that title. The sword was said to split crowns in half—meaning, it destroyed the very possibility of them becoming rulers.”

In other words, it crushed the potential of those who might have become Demon Kings.
Thus, ‘Crown Breaker.’

“How about it? There are plenty of other interesting stories, too. Plus, I’d like your cooperation in utilizing certain references. Using names without permission could be a problem, after all. And besides, I have my own questions about Saint Cariel….”

“…….”

Cariel sighed before stepping into the carriage through its open door. Shortly after, he felt the faint vibration of the wheels rolling forward.

“I had assumed his successor—if one existed at all—would either be in the Demon Realm or within the Relief Knights here in the Middle Realm. This is unexpected.”

“I feel the same.”

After all, he had only ever heard of such a figure in passing. To him, it had been nothing more than an occasional talking point, something he quickly dismissed from his mind.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you come to inherit Grandeus’s legacy?”

“…….”

What kind of reaction would he make if he told him the Demon King had taught him?

“I learned in a dream.”

“A dream? Oh, then that must mean some kind of magical intervention… there must have been an inciting event or some kind of catalyst, right?”

Surprisingly, he was taking it seriously. Watching him ponder, Cariel asked:

“So, you’re heading to see Lady Alesia?”

“Oh… you caught that too?”

“Just a hunch.”

It didn’t matter.
Leaving without saying goodbye, or saying goodbye before leaving…
…What difference did it make?

“By the way, aside from the report on Saint Cariel, I was thinking of writing a novel inspired by it. How about I pitch you the plot?”

“…….”

Cariel nodded.

To summarize:

Philbar had drawn inspiration from his alias. The protagonist’s name would change, but the story would follow someone embarking on a pilgrimage after Saint Cariel’s passing. Unbeknownst to him, he would turn out to be a distant descendant of the saint. Upon encountering a relic, he would experience memories of the past, eventually finding Saint Cariel’s grave and inheriting his path.

It was a tale of how he became a hero.

“That’s fine, but… what about this?”

Cariel gave a brief, lightly altered retelling of his own experiences.

A wandering knight aspirant, lost on his pilgrimage, arrives at the birthplace and sacred site of a saint with a name similar to his own. While following the traces left behind by the ancient saint, he comes into contact with his spirit and relives his life. Then, as the final trial, he grasps the sword the saint once wielded.

“Oh! I like that!”

A mere ordinary blade transforms into a sacred relic or holy sword.

And in the end, the aspirant knight turns out to be the saint’s distant descendant.
Overcoming countless trials and hardships through sheer will, he eventually becomes a great knight—a hero who saves the world from evil.

“……It’s more suited for a fairy tale.”

“That depends on how it’s written. But now that you mention it, this version does feel far more poetic. The protagonist’s emptiness—being the heir to an ancient saint yet believing himself to be nothing—it’s a strong hook for reader immersion. It would be classified as a knightly or hero’s tale, but… that should be fine. And if the big twist at the end reveals his true lineage… wouldn’t that make it even more emotional?”

“…I can’t say, but if that’s how you see it, go ahead and write it.”

Saint Cariel had no children.
But those who carried his name…
They were as numerous as the stars in the sky.

“Now that I think about it, using Luelde as an alias was quite unexpected. It made me recall that Sir Luelde… Ah, my apologies.”

“…….”

Could his father have had a connection to the boy Saint Cariel once cared for?
What were the odds of that?

Cariel gave a wry smile.

“If that were true… then it must have been quite the fated encounter.”

How long had they been chatting?

Eventually, the carriage came to a stop.

“…….”

“If you step out now, she’ll probably be waiting. She has sharp instincts. No need to rush—take your time talking. I’ll be here, summarizing our conversation so far. Since our next destination is likely the same, let’s travel together until then.”

Cariel gave a slight nod and pushed open the carriage door.