Back to Ruben

The next day, Kyle once again expressed his intention to leave the castle and briefly visit Ruben.

What kind of eldest son doesn’t think of staying home and wanders around almost every day? It was a situation where his parents were bound to be dumbfounded.

No, if he were just traveling around to broaden his horizons and have fun, it would be understandable.

Even in the current situation where the perception of the Moon Order isn’t good, he said he would go to Ruben, which could be considered their base, so it wasn’t easy to allow him.

In particular, Roxanne had been feeling uneasy in many ways due to the Eyes of Dawn incident, so she wanted Kyle to be within her sight as much as possible, and asked cautiously.

“Do you really have to go? If it’s not urgent, staying in the castle for a while…”

“I’m sorry, Mother. I understand your concern, but there’s something I really want to check.”

“Huu. Dver, can’t you say something…?”

However, because Kyle’s stubbornness was so strong, Roxanne turned her gaze to Dver, who was sitting next to her, and asked for his help.

Dver, who had been listening to their conversation with his eyes closed, finally opened his mouth heavily.

“…Go and come back.”

“Dver…!”

Roxanne, unlike herself, was about to raise her voice at the very concise permission.

But Dver’s mouth opened again a little faster, cutting off her words firmly.

“Don’t worry unnecessarily. He’s not a three-year-old. He won’t be taken down by some assassins who don’t know their place, so let him go.”

“Who doesn’t know that? But as a parent, I’m worried…”

Roxanne frowned and tried to argue at Dver’s firm words.

She wasn’t doing this because she didn’t know that her son was an excellent magician.

She was just worried as a parent because there was a chance of something happening.

But Dver drew a line as if even that mindset was a luxury, in a tone that felt even cold.

“That’s what I mean by useless. In the first place, it’s absurd to worry about a kid who grew up fine on his own when neither you nor I could properly play the role of parents.”

“……”

“I understand your desire to play the role of a parent even now. But if you really want to play the role of a parent properly, you should rather push your child’s back when they try to move forward.”

“…Huu, I understand. If that’s what you say.”

Roxanne couldn’t open her mouth any further when she realized that his tone itself was cold, but at the same time, she could see consideration for his wife and a will to trust his son within it.

“Go and come back. But stay safe, and come back as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, Mother. Thank you.”

In the end, Kyle expressed his gratitude to her, who reluctantly nodded and allowed this journey.

Then, he turned his gaze to Dver, who was sitting next to her.

When his eyes met his son’s, Dver nonchalantly tilted his teacup and leaned deeply into the chair before opening his mouth in his unique low voice.

“…Kyle.”

“Yes, Father.”

“I know why you’re trying to go to Ruben without even asking. It must be related to the Eyes of Dawn.”

“……”

Kyle smiled bitterly as he watched Dver quickly grasp his purpose, even though he had only told him that he was going to Ruben and didn’t mention the purpose separately.

I guess parents are parents after all.

They are better than anyone else at seeing through their children.

Even Roxanne seemed to have foreseen this, and she just turned her head away with a bitter expression.

Perhaps the basis of her fierce opposition was the motherly heart that knew her son’s purpose and didn’t want him to be involved in dangerous things.

“Is it revenge for Hasel that you’re so obsessed with those bastards?”

“…No, it’s not.”

“Then is it for the sake of a great cause?”

“That’s not it either.”

“Then tell me the reason before you go. As a father, I need to know why my only remaining son is engaging in such dangerous things and trying to sacrifice his life.”

It was a truly pure question.

Although those bastards had a precedent of raiding the Liard family, that doesn’t mean that the next head of a family should personally take the risk to find them like lice.

No, rather, most young masters would entrust this to the state and try to enjoy their comfort in the castle.

Even that is not a wrong action.

Nevertheless, why is Kyle so obsessed with the existence of the Eyes of Dawn?

Why is he so determined to move forward as if he has to exterminate them with his own hands?

Dver had always wondered about that fundamental question.

Kyle also realized that he had never said anything about this himself, and after a moment of contemplation, he spat out an answer.

“It’s not for anyone. It’s just to face myself again in an upright manner.”

“……”

Perhaps if it were the old Kyle, he might have mentioned that it was for Sylvia at times like this.

That it was to bring peace to her.

That it was to protect her.

But why didn’t he do that?

Kyle himself couldn’t easily come to that answer.

It’s just that he felt like he had to say that.

Kyle himself couldn’t yet say for sure what kind of change would come from facing himself.

However, a belief that a future for Sylvia would truly unfold only by doing that was blooming small somewhere in his heart.

That’s why he answered that way.

“…Is that so? That’s a very pleasing answer. That’s how it should be. In the end, people live for themselves. Sometimes the most selfish thing can be the most altruistic action. You can’t take care of those around you without taking care of yourself.”

And that answer seemed to be quite satisfactory, enough to make a faint smile appear on Dver’s lips for some reason.

Dver nodded, tilting the teacup that he rarely put to his lips, as if he was embarrassed to hide the corners of his mouth that were drawing an arc.

It was because he liked the sight of his son, who had been quite spaced out until recently, gradually being reborn as a true man.

Perhaps the time for a generational change might be coming soon.

Such a thought inadvertently crossed his mind.

“Good. Go and come back. I won’t tell you not to get hurt. But at least, try not to make your mother shed tears again.”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind. Father.”

With that, Kyle carefully got up from his seat with Dver’s farewell, and then turned around and left the room.

This life of receiving encouragement and advice from his father, who had always been despised, is gradually becoming quite familiar.

He didn’t think it was a bad feeling at least, and he spurred on his steps and left the castle.

Outside, a carriage that had been waiting early and three companions riding inside were waiting for him.

“Kyle! Did you get permission?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

“But what were you going to do if you didn’t get permission? You even prepared the carriage and luggage?”

“If I didn’t get permission, I would have had to run away.”

“I feel like Kyle is becoming reckless these days.”

“What’s new?”

Seeing his recklessness, Sylvia sighed for some reason, and Kyle shrugged his shoulders and started the carriage.

＊＊＊

“Apostle-nim.”

Inside a dark room.

A low voice seeped into the ear of a woman who was sitting on a chair and closing her eyes for a while.

Perhaps she wasn’t deeply asleep, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at the man kneeling in front of her with her usual cold eyes.

Today, the torch was only shining with a precarious brightness, barely illuminating her lower body dimly.

The statue erected behind her was the same, so she could only know that its shape was huge. She couldn’t specifically know what it looked like.

“What’s the matter? Cardinal.”

“Persis Drake’s movements are said to be strange. I wonder if those bastards, not knowing the Apostle-nim’s grace, are daring to revolt…”

“Leave them alone. Watching those puppets struggle is a rare amusement. However, if they cross the line, deal with them immediately.”

“If Apostle-nim says so… I understand.”

The man kneeling in front of her, the Cardinal, nodded sullenly.

He had felt it before, but she seemed to enjoy it at the same time as she was colder than anyone else in her reaction to traitors.

While perfectly executing the extermination of them, it also felt like she was enjoying their struggles as a kind of eye candy.

Like a child who is curious about what kind of reaction an ant will show when breaking its leg.

Could it be that such news is a kind of entertainment for her, who is always stuck here?

Perhaps it was because of the confidence that she could destroy such beings at any time if she didn’t like them.

“By the way, it’s a pity. If we could have gotten even that son, it would have been a pretty useful card. I wonder why you suddenly changed your mind.”

“There is a saying that Persis prevented Vermillion from engraving the mark.”

“Indeed. Is that how you’re going to come out?”

This is quite an open rebellion.

I was wondering if I should watch it for fun, but is it time to grab the reins little by little?

No, it’s not about grabbing the reins, but rather, it wouldn’t be bad to throw them away on this occasion.

Either way, the choice was hers.

Hwareuk!

The torch that was dimly illuminating the surroundings suddenly blazed fiercely as if a wind had blown, and thanks to that, the surrounding scenery was clearly illuminated for a moment.

A faint smile hanging on the lips of the woman sitting on the throne.

And the huge statue erected behind her reveals its complete form.

A statue modeled after a goddess smiling while holding a round object that looks like the sun or the moon.

But if you look closely inside, there is another small sphere inside the round object.

As if representing the sun swallowing the moon, the woman’s smile grew even thicker as she glanced at it.