Ch.66Moonlit Night’s End (1)

Consciousness sank beneath the water.

It was the backlash from drawing upon mana to its limit, the price for recklessly wielding fragments of mental imagery he had just barely grasped. Feeling as if his body was sinking below the surface, Najin closed his eyes.

How much time had passed like that?

Chirp chirp.

Najin opened his eyes on a bed bathed in sunlight, where sparrows could be heard. A servant who had been cleaning the room caught Najin’s eye, bowed hastily in surprise, and rushed out of the room.

Soon after, a knight opened the door and entered.

“You’re awake?”

It was Wolfhild, the captain of the Trebache viscounty’s knights.

2.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“About a day.”

Najin blinked a couple more times and lifted his arm. His shoulder was wrapped in bandages, and the minor wounds that had covered his body were almost completely healed. This wasn’t possible with Excalibur’s regenerative abilities alone.

“You should thank Viscount Eldelmar for his grace.”

Wolfhild briefly explained that his master had gathered priests and physicians from his territory to help Najin recover, and had bestowed his grace upon him.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, thank the viscount directly.”

“I will.”

“Good.”

Wolfhild smiled with satisfaction.

Mid-smile, he suddenly stroked his chin.

“By the way, your recovery is abnormally fast, isn’t it? The physicians and priests who examined you were quite surprised. They said your wounds were healing despite only receiving emergency treatment.”

Najin remained silent at Wolfhild’s muttering.

After all, he couldn’t exactly say it was thanks to Excalibur’s healing power.

“They said it was an injury that should have kept you bedridden for at least ten days, yet here you are, opening your eyes after just one day. It’s certainly impressive. It couldn’t have been a minor injury…”

“I’ve always had a rather sturdy body.”

“Always, you say?”

Wolfhild narrowed his eyes. But soon after, he chuckled and shrugged.

“Well, I suppose it’s just a unique constitution. Not something I need to pry into. I have my own unique traits too.”

He tapped the corner of his eye.

Just as he himself was different, there were people born with unique constitutions in this world. Therefore, Wolfhild said he would consider Najin’s abnormal recovery rate as “one of those things.”

“Anyway, I’ve made sure those who saw your condition keep quiet about it, so don’t worry.”

“That’s… very kind of you.”

“You’re the viscount’s guest, so it’s only natural. Trebache never does anything to harm its guests.”

Pointing proudly at the Trebache emblem embroidered on his uniform, Wolfhild smiled.

“When you’re able to move around, go see the viscount. The servants will guide you.”

“Ah,” Wolfhild sighed briefly.

As if he absolutely had to say this, he put his palm in front of his mouth with a playful expression and whispered:

“Your lady is in the guest room right next door, so go show your face. She must be terribly worried.”

“Pardon? Lady?”

“Oh, you’re not at that stage yet? You seemed quite close, so I thought you were, you know, together.”

What does he mean by “together”?

While Najin tilted his head in confusion, Wolfhild muttered in a small voice, “Miss Dieta will have her work cut out for her.”

“Anyway, Miss Dieta was very worried about you.”

“Was she?”

“Indeed. After you collapsed, she wept so bitterly. ‘Don’t die, don’t die,’ she kept saying as she buried her face in your chest…”

Wolfhild awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

“Given the atmosphere, it felt wrong to just say, ‘He seems to have just lost consciousness.’ We were sweating bullets too.”

“What else did Miss Dieta say?” he muttered. Just as he was about to speak, there was a knock at the door. Soon after, before permission was granted, the door creaked open.

There stood Dieta with a face flushed bright red. She looked as if she had been eavesdropping on the conversation from beyond the door.

“Sir Wolfhild.”

Her voice trembled slightly.

With her ears burning red, Dieta glared at Wolfhild with reproachful eyes.

“You promised to keep it a secret…”

“Oh my.”

Wolfhild quickly rose from his seat.

“I shouldn’t interfere with your conversation. Please talk. I’ll go ahead and wait.”

He gave Dieta a light greeting and quickly left the room. Though the girl’s gaze was sharp with embarrassment, she couldn’t keep up with the movements of a knight who had reached the level of Sword Seeker.

When they came to their senses, only Najin and Dieta remained in the room. An awkward silence hung in the air for quite some time.

Hesitantly approaching Najin, Dieta plopped down on the chair beside the bed. Though her face was hidden as she lowered her head, her ears visible through her flowing hair were bright red.

“Um, are you feeling better?”

Dieta’s voice was awkward.

Najin nodded first.

“I’m fine. I can move without any problems.”

“That’s such a relief.”

“Are you alright?”

Najin glanced at Dieta’s ankle.

Though it was wrapped in bandages, judging by her natural gait earlier, it seemed to have recovered to some extent.

“I can walk well enough. They say even the scars will be gone in about a week at most.”

“That’s good news.”

Najin smiled.

Dieta briefly looked up, but upon meeting Najin’s smile, her ears turned an even deeper shade of red. As if she couldn’t bear to make eye contact, Dieta’s gaze wandered elsewhere.

“About what you heard from Sir Wolfhild.”

Despite her embarrassment, Dieta continued speaking.

“Forget it. Just forget it. Quickly.”

“Pardon? Forget what?”

“The things I supposedly said. Forget them. Quickly. It’s embarrassing.”

Is that really something to be embarrassed about?

And why is her face so red? Though confused, Najin nodded anyway.

2.

The reception room of the mansion.

Entering the room adorned with the emblems symbolizing the Trebache viscounty, the figure waiting for Najin and Dieta was a man who appeared to be in his early thirties.

Viscount Eldelmar of Trebache.

Having lost his father at a young age and ascended to the position of lord, he was an excellent politician and power broker who had further solidified Trebache’s reputation over the past decade. He smiled at the guests who had come to see him.

“Welcome, Miss Dieta. And Ivan.”

Please sit down.

Gesturing thus, Eldelmar began to speak.

“I’ve heard the general story through my knights and Sir Wolfhild. How…”

Taking a sip of tea, Eldelmar exhaled deeply. Was he about to express anger at the duke’s forceful merger, or was he about to sigh? As Dieta was observing Eldelmar’s reaction, he said:

“What a romantic tale.”

An unexpected statement emerged.

Dieta barely managed to stop herself from reflexively asking, “What?”

“A brilliant rescue operation where a man sneaks alone into a villa to save a woman kidnapped by the duke’s family!”

The viscount exclaimed with exaggerated gestures.

“You must have offered your back to the young lady who couldn’t walk. An escape under the moonlight, undaunted by the knights’ pursuit!”

His exaggerated tone and gestures were like those of an actor introducing a play. He looked at Dieta and Najin with sparkling eyes.

“And then the final trial you faced. A duel risking life and an unwavering will. But the protagonist ultimately falls, and the lady sheds tears. It was almost a tragedy, but fortunately…”

The viscount smiled.

“This story won’t end in tragedy. I’m glad you’ve regained your strength, Ivan. And you too, Miss Dieta.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Thank… you.”

Najin spoke with proper courtesy, while Dieta spoke with a trembling voice, as if unable to contain her embarrassment. Seeing Dieta like this, Eldelmar whistled.

“Anyway.”

He clapped his hands.

“I roughly know why you’ve come to see me. I’ve confirmed that the Arbenia ducal family is trying to forcibly take over the Dieta Company, and that they tried to secure Miss Dieta’s identity in the process.”

Eldelmar had sent knights to verify the information.

“This is not right. It’s unjust. Of course, countless unjust things happen in the world due to differences in power and status…”

He narrowed his eyes.

“But it shouldn’t happen in Cambria, City of Opportunity. In the city where the great King Arthur began his journey, fairness and equality must be guaranteed. That’s why the Cambria Foundation exists.”

The three families at the center of the Cambria Foundation.

The owner of the Trebache family, which had the strongest voice among them, spoke.

“I, Eldelmar personally, and the Cambria Foundation have no intention of turning a blind eye to this. If you had built your company with the help of the ducal family, there would be justification, but I know that Miss Dieta did not do so.”

The abandoned child of the ducal family.

The stain on the ducal family left by a prostitute.

Dieta Arbenia had built her company from scratch while bearing such stigmas.

“Of course, it would not have been easy for me to intervene if you hadn’t come to my territory, but as long as you are here, the justification is on our side. I will help you reclaim your company.”

“I am grateful for your kindness.”

“No need to thank me.”

The viscount responded plainly to Dieta’s expression of gratitude.

“This is my duty. Fulfilling one’s duty is only natural. If one receives thanks for doing what is natural, wouldn’t the world be too harsh?”

Above all, he said.

He took a breath.

“Though I enjoy watching plays, I never quite developed a taste for tragedies. I hope that characters who overcome hardships, adversities, and trials can smile at the end.”

The viscount enjoys watching plays.

And he had described Najin and Dieta’s escape as a “play.” The viscount spoke with a smile.

“I hope you both can smile when all this is over. After all, I’ve heard a good story after a long time.”

After finishing his words, Eldelmar took a moment to catch his breath. His gaze shifted from Dieta to Najin.

“Miss Dieta, would you mind leaving us for a moment? There’s something I’d like to discuss with Ivan alone.”

“Of course.”

After Dieta left, Eldelmar looked directly at Najin. There were no exaggerated gestures or tones like in a play. With calm, settled eyes and voice, the viscount spoke.

“Gilbert, a knight of Trebache.”

The knight Najin had encountered during the Fallen Knight subjugation.

“I heard you were with him at the end—my knight and my conversational companion. I heard you fulfilled Gilbert’s last wish.”

Najin nodded silently.

After hearing Gilbert’s last words, he had pursued the Fallen Knight, and ultimately, Najin had cut down the Fallen Knight.

“But I want to ask one thing.”

“Please speak.”

“Was Gilbert a knight until the end?”

Was he a knight until the end?

That was the sentence that concluded the treatise on knighthood left by the Knight King.

“A knight, being human after all, cannot be noble at every moment, nor can he always act according to honor and pride. A knight must make choices at every moment.”

“That is why I ask.”

“At the final moment, what will you choose?”

An ordinary human swayed by desire and instinct?

Or a knight who moves according to pride and honor?

What will you remain at the end?

So.

“At the very last moment.”

“I will ask you all.”

“Were you a knight until the end?”

Recalling that passage, Najin remembered Gilbert, who, even as he was dying, pointed with his fingertips to where the Fallen Knight had fled. Remembering that image, Najin said:

“Yes.”

Najin nodded firmly.

“Until the end, Sir Gilbert was a knight.”

“I see.”

Viscount Eldelmar smiled wistfully.

“Then he must have been able to smile in his final moment.”

The viscount exhaled deeply and said:

“I am grateful. I’m thankful that it was someone like you, who understands honor and pride, who was with Gilbert at the end.”

“…With all due respect.”

Najin said somewhat awkwardly.

“I don’t yet understand honor. Because I haven’t possessed it.”

“But you imply you have pride.”

“I’m striving to have it.”

Viscount Eldelmar laughed out loud.

“The honor and pride you speak of seem much heavier than what others casually mention. Yes. Originally, they should have been heavy things not to be spoken of lightly.”

Things that have become lightweight in this era.

However, before him stands someone who wishes to regard them heavily. The viscount smiled pleasantly at the sight of this young man who possessed a rare knightly quality in this age.

“Helping a lady in distress. Keeping promises. Doing what one believes is right. Respecting the last wishes of an honorable person, wielding a sword against evil… and keeping oaths at the risk of one’s life.”

The stories he had heard about the young man called Ivan.

Reflecting on this information, the viscount clapped his hands. Not in mockery, but in respect.

“You are already an excellent knight.”

Though you haven’t yet been formally appointed, you are already an excellent knight.

That’s what Viscount Eldelmar said.

“I hope that someday you will meet a master to whom you can pledge your loyalty and become an excellent knight. Or that you will become a free knight who upholds the discipline of knighthood. I mean it sincerely.”

The viscount rose from his seat.

Najin also stood up. As he bowed his head and was about to bend his knee to the approaching viscount, Eldelmar stopped him.

He extended his hand to Najin.

A hand offered normally, not according to noble etiquette. It was a gesture of friendship. Although Eldelmar valued formality, he judged the young man before him to be worthy enough to set aside such importance.

As Najin carefully took that hand, Eldelmar shook it vigorously up and down and smiled.

“Rest comfortably during your stay in my territory.”