Chapter 21: Date Part 3
by fnovelpia
When she was young, Hildegarde had few memories of her grandfather.
Creak, creak…
However, the memories of her grandfather became a solid milestone in her life.
One cold winter, Hildegard nestled tightly in her grandfather’s arms, warming herself by the fireplace.
Her grandfather recited poetry in time with the creaking of the rocking chair.
With a brave heart, I will wield the sword and walk the path of justice, Protect the weak and speak only the truth.
Honor is more precious than gold, and courage is stronger than a sword.
A kind heart is the greatest weapon—this is the true path of a knight.
I will not retreat before fear, and even in the dark, I will seek the light.
I will extend a hand to the weak and show respect to all.
Today, I vow once again.
I will live with the spirit of a knight.
With justice, courage, and kindness, I will be the light of the world.
Her grandfather, who had closed his eyes while reciting the poem, slowly opened them.
Young Hilde didn’t understand the poem’s content, but she was impressed.
Even without understanding, the sincerity embedded in the poem struck her heart.
“Wow.”
“What do you think, Hilde? It’s a poem your old grandpa made.”
“It’s amazing! I want to be a knight too! I want to be good at using a sword. I want to kill demons too!”
“Hilde, that’s not a knight—that’s a swordsman.”
“Is it different?”
Little Hildegarde still didn’t understand the meaning of the poem.
She just thought that being skilled with a sword made someone a knight.
Hildegarde remembers.
Her grandfather’s kind smile, with deep wrinkles around his eyes—a smile that was more sincere and righteous than anything else in the world.
Hildegard played with her grandfather’s beard, tugging and touching it.
Her grandfather just laughed softly and patted her head.
Sring.
“Can you read this?”
A pure white sword appeared.
Words were engraved on the blade, gleaming in the fireplace light.
A sword for justice, courage, and truth.
Naturally, Hilde couldn’t read it.
But her grandfather, as if it didn’t matter, stroked the engraved letters and spoke.
“No matter what anyone says, don’t pay them any mind. Do what you want to do. Hilde, what did you say you wanted to do?”
“Punish the bad guys!”
“That’s right. Punish those who bully good people. Encourage those who are afraid and shout the truth to those who lie.”
“Is that what a knight is?”
Her grandfather nodded.
“Yes, that’s a knight.”
‘Was it around that time?’
Torches began to gather outside the window.
Looking at the torches, her grandfather stroked Hilde’s small, white forehead.
“Hilde, you know Grandpa loves you, right?”
“Yes!”
“From now on, Grandpa will go far away.”
“Where is that faraway place?”
“To the sky. I’ll always watch over you from there. So, even if we can’t meet, don’t be sad. Understand?”
Her grandfather patted Hildegard’s shoulder and gave her the sword.
Hildegarde held her grandfather’s longsword tightly.
After that, her grandfather went somewhere with the people.
And he was burned at the stake.
A heavy, sinful silence flowed.
The guests, who had been glancing sideways, gradually fixed their gazes on Hildegarde.
Amidst the mixture of fear and contempt, Hildegarde’s broad shoulders shrank cautiously.
But her lips remained firmly closed.
“Sir Maximilian… was not a mass murderer.”
She spoke clearly, articulating each syllable.
“He was a knight who defeated demons and saved the weak.
He was not a murderer.”
“Hah, try saying that in front of the victims.”
Someone shot back.
“I can say it as many times as needed.”
Her voice trembled, but her resolve remained unbroken.
“Something is wrong. Grandfather protected justice and peace, and he never knelt before the truth. He never turned his back on the weak.”
This place was no longer just a restaurant.
It felt like a courtroom, interrogating a criminal.
As her soft-spoken words spread, a chilling air settled on the faces of the people.
“Are you still going to see her?”
Drewver nudged Leo’s shoulder with his elbow and whispered.
Hildegarde cautiously looked at Leo.
She feared he might despise her, but she still held onto hope.
His expression was calm.
Neither contempt nor fear.
That ambiguous look made Hildegarde even more anxious.
Leo turned to Drewver and asked.
“Knowing all this, why did you meet Hilde?”
“Are you seriously asking?”
Drewver picked up Leo’s fork and pointed at Hildegarde’s body.
Face, chest, hips, thighs—the fork moved down in order.
Leo couldn’t possibly misunderstand the implication.
“Too good to give to someone else.”
Screech—
Leo quietly rose from his seat.
“Hilde, let’s go.”
He took hold of Hildegard’s wrist, who hung her head like a guilty person.
Hildegarde followed Leo, still keeping her head down.
“Hey, do you think she’ll put out just because of that? No way, that girl hasn’t even kissed anyone in four years! No matter how hard you try, it’s useless.”
“I don’t care. I’m not meeting Hilde with the same filthy intentions as you.”
“…Hah, what family are you from?”
“Valentine.”
“A commoner, huh?”
Drewver stepped closer, visibly displeased.
“I don’t like being looked down on.”
Leo, being taller, naturally looked down at Drewver.
Drewver frowned and kicked Leo’s shin.
Thud.
The tip of his shoe was sharp and solid.
Even if it was a light kick, hitting the sensitive shin made a stinging pain rise.
Leo furrowed his brows.
However, it wasn’t the reaction Drewber wanted.
He had expected Leo to either collapse helplessly or get angry and throw a punch.
If it was the former, it would make clear who was superior.
If it was the latter, he could charge Leo with assault on a noble and military offenses, leading to imprisonment.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Drewber kept kicking Leo’s shin.
“Please stop.”
Hildegarde spoke.
But Drewber didn’t stop.
“What does the bloodline of a murderer have to say? Compared to what your grandfather did, this is nothing.”
Saying that, he swung his palm to slap Leo’s cheek.
Smack!
It happened at that moment.
Hildegarde grabbed Drewber’s wrist.
“Urgh!?”
“I told you to stop.”
A low, rough voice, like that of a beast, came from Hildegarde.
There was a cracking sound from Drewber’s wrist.
“Aargh! You… you crazy woman… I’m a lieutenant colonel! How dare a major like you!”
Unlike Hildegard, who rose to the rank of major purely by skill, Drewber became a lieutenant colonel through his family’s backing.
If Hildegard’s family had been normal, she would have reached the rank of colonel.
Deep down, Drewber felt an inferiority complex toward Hildegarde.
When she broke his wrist in front of everyone, his reason snapped.
He clenched his fist with all his might and swung it at Hildegarde.
Thud!
At that moment, as everyone’s gaze turned upward, Leo swiftly kicked Drewber’s shin.
“Ouch!”
Drewber, who was about to throw a punch, clutched his shin and staggered.
“You brats…!!”
“Hey, young man. How about stopping now?”
Someone spoke calmly.
An old man sitting by the window with the best view of the nightscape in the restaurant.
The old man was looking out the window.
“…What?”
The old man spoke while gazing outside.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had a meal in Lenz. I would appreciate it if you could keep it quiet.”
“Just ignore it and eat. What’s the problem?”
“Heh, your constant squawking like a chick is ruining my appetite. So kindly shut up.”
“You crazy old man.”
“Sigh.”
The old man slowly rose and turned his body.
Leo’s pupils shook.
‘Why is that old man here?’
The old man, moving at a leisurely pace like the eye of a storm, approached Drewber and stared at him.
Someone gasped.
Someone else recoiled in fear, while others were in awe.
Only then did Drewber recognize the old man.
He had to know.
The honorary professor of the Imperial Royal Academy and one of only five 9-circle wizards in the world.
“…Chevalier?”
“Ah, you know me.”
Even those who weren’t wizards knew his name.
Drewber’s face stiffened at the sight of such a formidable figure.
“Wh-why are you here?”
“That’s not important. What matters is that I came here because I heard the night view was beautiful, but ended up watching a childish brawl. You’ve ruined my meal, so I’m leaving.”
“But…”
Chevalier looked at me.
Crackle. He sent a telepathic message using mana.
[Come to Lenz Grand Park tomorrow at 10 a.m., you brat.]
Chevalier left the restaurant as suddenly as he had appeared.
Though he was gone, the impact he left remained strong.
Drewber gritted his teeth as he looked at Hildegarde, but that was all he could do—he didn’t dare act as before.
I took Hildegarde and left the restaurant.
As we walked along the dark, deserted streets, Hildegard kept her gaze lowered.
I held her wrist as we walked.
Hildegarde followed, led by my hand.
Anywhere was fine.
As long as it was a place where no one looked at Hildegarde with contempt.
We arrived at a secluded park.
A small streetlight cast a faint glow.
I sat Hildegarde on a bench and sat beside her.
“…I’m sorry.”
Hildegarde spoke with her head lowered.
Her voice was locked with guilt.
“You don’t need to say it, I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“…For my family. The Kyrhalstein family. It’s my family.”
I remained silent.
Hildegarde spoke again.
“I always intended to tell you. I never planned to hide it forever. I wanted to tell you about my grandfather.”
“But… I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I was afraid you would hate me or look at me with contempt. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for deceiving you. It was unworthy of a knight.”
Hildegarde stood up weakly.
She bowed her head and started to walk away.
I grabbed her hand.
She stopped, looking down at me with a mix of guilt and confusion.
“What do you think?”
“…About what?”
“Your grandfather. Maximilian von Kyrhalstein. What do you think of him?”
“…Sir Maximilian was not a murderer.”
“Why do you think that?”
I asked as calmly as possible.
Hildegarde answered.
“He was the first to take up his sword to protect the weak. He wielded his blade to kill demons and fight for justice. He would never wield it to slaughter innocent people.”
Although Hildegarde said it firmly, her voice was trembling with doubt.
Despite her claim, there was overwhelming evidence pointing to the massacre.
Thirty thousand of the fifty thousand perished.
The twenty thousand survivors all condemned her grandfather as a butcher.
A photo taken during the massacre showed her grandfather clearly cutting down a citizen.
Hildegarde remembered it vividly.
Her grandfather turned to ashes on the execution stage at Lenz Square.
The knights forced the Kyrhalstein family members to watch the execution.
Eggs and stones thrown by the citizens struck their bodies.
The stench and pain were unbearable, but what hurt more was seeing her grandfather’s calm face as he burned.
The body of the old sword master, capable of handling aura, didn’t burn easily.
Four days and nights passed before his body was consumed.
People laughed and chatted, celebrating the death of the greatest mass murderer in history.
Her grandfather burned for a long time.
On the day the sun set for the fifth time, Grandpa crumbled to dust.
He disappeared from the world.
“That day, people cheered, and the plaza was filled with shouts… but to me, it felt like the end of the world.”
“Until the moment he died, he never admitted that he did it. I still believe his words. No, I want to believe them.”
Drip, drip.
Tears fell.
Hildegarde sniffled and hurriedly wiped her tears.
When wiping them didn’t work because of her stiff gloves, she quickly took them off.
For the first time, I saw her hands.
Her fingers were covered in calluses.
The skin between her index finger and thumb bore a faint scar from hitting the guard of her sword, and her knuckles were marked with scratches and signs of injuries from sparring.
Despite those wounds, her long, white hands looked as elegant as a well-forged blade.
They weren’t hands made to look beautiful for someone—they were hands forged for honor and conviction.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I showed you my unsightly hands.”
She hastily tried to put her gloves back on.
I took off my right glove.
Showing my scarred hand, I smiled.
“Your hands are prettier than mine.”
“…!”
Her sharp eyes widened in surprise.
Objectively, my hands looked much rougher than hers.
They were not only covered with sword marks but also bore burn scars.
I continued speaking.
“So, you took up the sword because of your grandfather.”
“…Yes. The grandfather I remember was a great knight. I wanted to be like him.”
“But because of what happened to your grandfather, your father was against you becoming a knight.”
“At that time, our family faced the threat of annihilation, but the king showed mercy. The Kyrhalstein family has protected the royal family for generations. Perhaps he remembered that loyalty.”
King Siegfried has ruled the kingdom for fifty years.
People praised him as the greatest king in Eichenwald’s history, calling him ‘The Wise King’ and ‘The Kind King.’
***
“So you became a soldier?”
“Yes. It’s an honor for our family, but more than that, I must be loyal to the king who showed mercy to our family.”
“I see.”
“…What will you do now?”
“If you keep meeting with me, people will give you strange looks.”
“So, are you saying we should break up?”
“If that’s what’s best for you.”
“What do you want to do?”
She looked at me, surprised by my question.
“Me?”
“Yeah, do you want to break up with me?”
Hildegarde looked at me with trembling eyes.
“No… I don’t want to break up.”
“Then that’s settled.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Oh right, I almost forgot.”
I pulled out a small case from my pocket and handed it to her.
She looked at me questioningly, and I gestured for her to open it.
Click.
“A… necklace?”
“Does this answer your question?”
It was a necklace with a golden amber gemstone.
Hildegarde hesitated, clearly not expecting a birthday present.
“I heard it’s your birthday today, so… I got it. You don’t like it?”
“No.”
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
“Then why are you crying?”
“It’s just… it’s been so long since I got a birthday present.”
Hildegarde wiped away her tears while smiling.
“Um, can I… hug you?”
“Sure.”
Hildegard leaned into me.
Her black hair carried a sweet scent.
I gently patted her back.
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