Chapter 24: Want to be a Witch? – 1

Dust swirled in the spacious hall of the Punishment Unit, where thick stone walls and wooden pillars stood densely.

The boy soldiers gathered one by one inside the hall, awkwardly donning their cheap armor as they lined up.

Though the boy soldiers were restless, the guards watching them from the front were as sharp as blades.

While the overseer of the Punishment Unit, Vergor, calmly stretched his neck from side to side, the boy soldiers found their places.

The sound of weapons being handled, armor being adjusted, coughing, and conversations echoed throughout the hall.

As a little more time passed, those sounds gradually faded.

In the now quieted space, Vergor asked,

“You’re ready, right?”

“!!!”

“!!!”

“!!!”

“!!!”

A loud response echoed through the hall.

We were in the final preparations for the march in Loctana, led by Vivian.

Some of the boy soldiers were filled with excitement, hoping to see their families for the first time in a long while.

Wallace, in particular, had been unable to sleep the night before, worried about what he would do if he couldn’t find his younger siblings.

Vergor spoke.

“As you all know, today is the scheduled day of the march. I’m hoping that no one causes any trouble today. But just in case, let me make this clear: don’t even think about running away during the march. There’s nothing easier than finding a runaway boy soldier in Loctana. And if you’re caught, well, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lord Alan over there ends up chopping off your head.”

For a moment, eyes turned to me.

Some looked at me with fear.

But if they’re mistaken about one thing…

I don’t like that idea either.

After all, I’ve been with these people long enough to know their faces.

Chopping off their heads would be an unpleasant experience.

Vergor continued speaking to the silent boy soldiers.

“Even if you’re lucky enough to escape our pursuit, you won’t be able to set foot in Loctana again. The road to the next town is long, and even if you manage to reach it, making a living there would be tough. You’d be better off staying here in the Punishment Unit.”

As if trying to lighten the slowly darkening mood, Vergor added,

“Besides, none of you have much time left before your release, right? Martin, how many years do you have left?”

Martin, standing next to me, responded loudly.

“Five years left, sir!”

“Right. Just like that, most of you have only a few years left. Stick it out and finish your sentence. You know that once you’ve completed your punishment, the Rondor family will give you new options. You could become soldiers for Rondor, and if you’re talented, you might even rise to knighthood… right?”

“!!!”

“!!!”

“!!!”

“!!!”

Burgor nodded.

“Just think of this as a chance to see your families. Coleman, open the door.”

Lieutenant Coleman nodded and opened the door to the Punishment Unit’s quarters.

A cool, refreshing breeze swept in.

Coleman shouted from outside,

“Line up and come out! Move out!”

At the same time, Vergor shouted as well.

“Kailo Alan!”

Once again, all eyes focused on me.

He spoke.

“Step out.”

I left the unit and headed in a different direction.

Honestly, I didn’t expect today to pass quietly.

Just like when I first arrived on this land, I knew I would be harassed.

Even Vivian had warned me that she’d trouble me soon.

Perhaps because of that, Vivian had skipped breakfast this morning.

Maybe today, of all days, she didn’t want to face me.

I followed Coleman to where Vivian was.

The road was long.

Perhaps because of the march, the atmosphere in the castle was different from usual.

When the knights saw me, they showed hostility and kept silent, but when they didn’t notice me, they were filled with anticipation.

The sound of metal clashing, the heavy resonance of armour and chainmail echoed throughout Rondor’s castle.

Their gleaming armour shone like living silver, and everywhere the sun of Rondor was emblazoned.

The horses stood silently in preparation, pawing the ground, waiting for the moment to move forward.

Walking among them was a strange experience.

The more I thought about how this was what Rondor looked like just before the battle with my father, the stronger the feeling grew.

Perhaps that’s why there was a mix of rejection and disgust swirling in my chest.

In the distance, I saw Baelor.

Wearing a helmet with his visor raised, he was issuing orders with a stern expression.

Around his neck hung six cords like necklaces, a mark envied by all knights.

The cords symbolized how many dragons they had slain.

Baelor had killed six dragons.

The colour of the cords also had significance.

They represented the colors of the dragons they had hunted.

Green, blue, red, and black were recognized by everyone, but the most coveted cord was the white one.

White dragons could only be found in the cold highlands of the north.

They were twice as large and far more ferocious than regular dragons, making slaying one an honour beyond words.

My father had also slain one white dragon.

He had received a large scar on his face from it.

…Anyway, it was a cord I felt I would need to have someday.

Otherwise, neither I nor Vivian would be taken seriously.

Baelor’s cords consisted of two green cords, three red ones, and a final black one.

Perhaps because of the march, or maybe because of those cords, my perception of him had changed.

He had gone from being a knight who only knew how to talk about loyalty to being a knight who had earned the right to talk.

The family’s retainers were also gathered there.

Looking closely, I saw Vivian standing among the adults.

Her small frame had been obscured by the crowd.

As I approached, people made way for me.

Vivian came closer.

Having shared meals over the past few days, there was a certain level of familiarity between us.

“Why did you skip breakfast?”

I questioned her as soon as I saw her.

After eating in the Punishment Unit for the first time in a while, I found the food didn’t suit my taste.

Ignoring my question, Vivian spoke.

“Kailo Alan, today I’m giving you an opportunity for repentance.”

“…I haven’t done anything wrong, so what is there to repent?”

She shook her head slightly.

“Can you still say that after seeing the territory? Have you really looked closely? How the people who lost their fathers or husbands are living?”

“…I’ve seen enough.”

“This is your chance to get a closer look. I’ll make sure you can atone.”

“Isn’t how you’re treating me right now enough?”

I spread my arms, showing my ragged, hole-ridden clothes.

Vivian glanced at my filthy attire and briefly closed her mouth.

Her expression was ambiguous, almost as if she was starting to feel sorry for me.

“…Regardless. You have one task today.”

“…?”

“You’re going to pull my carriage like a stable hand. Throughout the entire march.”

At her words, I was silent for a moment.

Vivian also couldn’t meet my gaze.

I had expected to get hit by a rock or something, but it seemed she was going to humiliate me much more thoroughly than I had anticipated.

For me, the eldest son of the Alan family, to serve as a servant and pull the head of the Rondor family’s carriage through the march.

Vivian intended to make her status clear and expose my position to everyone.

I understood, but…

“…Did this idea come from your head?”

I asked Vivian.

She hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and glared at me sharply.

She spoke coldly.

“What if it did?”

I took a step closer to her.

“Then I’d find it a bit annoying.”

Vivian didn’t back down either.

“That’s the point.”

I felt a faint surge of anger, but at the same time, a strange sense of relief.

In a way, I preferred seeing her come at me this strongly.

Since the poisoning incident, she had definitely gained more resolve.

It was a good change.

Vivian gave a signal to Pippin, the head butler.

Pippin disappeared somewhere and soon returned with a helmet.

It was a red helmet shaped like a bear’s head.

The bear was the symbol of our family, and red was the colour of Rondor.

“Put this on. It’s my little gesture of mercy. So you don’t get hit by rocks.”

“…Is this really mercy? Wearing something like this feels even more humiliating.”

“Wear it. From now on, this will be your only helmet. Even when you go on monster hunts, you’ll have to wear this.”

“You’re not mistaking a few meals together for some kind of bond between us, are you?”

I stared at Vivian.

When I thought about it, this was the nature of our relationship.

Just because I had decided on my own to protect her didn’t mean she would develop any affection for me.

I was the strange one; she was the normal one.

So there was no point in wasting my emotions here.

“No mistake.”

I answered.

Some of the retainers scoffed at the treatment I was receiving.

At the same time, I could feel a slight rise in Vivian’s prestige.

Should I see this as a positive thing?

Anyway, I clicked my tongue.

Then, as Vivian wanted, I donned the helmet.

For a brief moment, it seemed like her expression twisted slightly as I put it on.

It didn’t matter.

After putting on the helmet, I leaned toward her.

I whispered, only loud enough for her to hear.

“Try to torment me more. You’re not doing much.”

***

The march proceeded in grand fashion.

At the very front, Baelor forged the path and led the procession, followed by Vivian and Rondor’s retainers.

Behind them were the Punishment Unit and the remaining knights.

The First Knight Division carried another spectacle.

The head of a red dragon.

It was a gift sent by Robert Rondor, Vivian’s uncle, for use in the march.

“That’s a Dragon!!”

“I heard Robert Rondor took it down!”

“As expected of Lord Robert!”

People were thrilled and cheered as they gawked at the enormous head of the dead dragon, its tongue lolling out.

But Vivian didn’t seem that pleased.

After all, it was her uncle who had sent the gift, and it was her uncle who was receiving the cheers, even though he wasn’t here.

Many people shouted Robert’s name as much as they did Vivian’s.

Of course, we had expected this to happen.

Ever since that heavy gift had been sent for the march, we knew it would play out this way.

But even so, they couldn’t just hide the dragon’s head away in a warehouse.

That would’ve been a grave insult to Robert Rondor’s goodwill.

And so, at the very front of the march, cheers for Robert and awe over the red dragon’s head filled the air.

In the middle of the procession, applause for Vivian Rondor, along with resentment, criticism, and sneers toward Kailo Alan, rang out.

At the rear, the Punishment Unit’s boy soldiers were causing a commotion as they prepared to reunite with their families.

Vivian exhaled deeply, suppressing her tension.

As the crowd’s attention fell on her, she felt as if the weight on her shoulders was growing heavier.

She was now coming face to face with the people and their situations—those whom she was responsible for.

She was still a young girl.

She had never imagined that she would sit in the seat of the family head.

But the war with the Alan family had taken everything, and she was forced to lead much more than she ever expected.

As she walked through the territory, she saw many things.

Kailo Alan probably saw the same things.

Amidst the cheering people, there were things that stood out.

Children reduced to skin and bones.

Ragged youths spitting on the ground, glaring defiantly at this side.

Old women weeping, ruined homes…

“…You’re seeing this, right?”

Vivian asked Kailo Alan.

“This is our responsibility. I am responsible for these people, and you bear responsibility for the fact that things have turned out this way.”

The red bear-head helmet briefly glanced at her before snorting and looking straight ahead again.

-Swish!

-Thud!

Somewhere, a rotten fruit flew through the air and struck Kailo Alan.

But he moved forward as if he didn’t care.

Feeling guilty for no reason, Vivian spoke to him.

“Don’t feel wronged. You deserve to be resented. I completely understand the sentiment of the people. If I had something to throw, I would’ve thrown it at you too.”

Kailo shook his head with a sigh.

He spoke.

“You know… get a grip.”

“What?”

“Revenge against me is fine, but without seizing power, you won’t accomplish anything.”

He pointed ahead as he spoke.

“Why did you bring the dragon’s head? With Robert Rondor or whoever, you’re completely overshadowed.”

“Wasn’t this your parade? Now that I think about it, it seems like the main characters are Robert Rondor and me.”

Vivian frowned as she spoke.

“…It’s because disregarding my uncle’s goodwill could completely ruin our relationship. I can’t give even the slightest excuse for conflict.”

• Thud!

Kailo, who was hit by another piece of fruit, spoke indifferently.

“Pathetic. Look at you.”

Vivian responded, exasperated.

“And are you any better?”

• Halt.

Kailo Alan froze in place at those words.

Naturally, the entire parade stopped as well.

Kailo Alan turned to look back.

Through the eyes of her bear-shaped helmet, Vivian met Kailo’s black gaze.

“Yeah, looks like you and I are the most pathetic ones here.”

Kailo spoke as he resumed walking.

There was something in his self-deprecating tone that oddly struck a chord in Vivian’s heart.

• Thud! Thud!

Rotting fruit continued to fly at Kailo Alan’s body.

Even as he was hit, he showed no reaction, and she found it impossible to tear her gaze away from him.

Realizing that she had been staring at him for too long, Vivian raised her head.

After circling the territory for a while, Kailo’s clothes were covered in stains.

Vivian spoke.

“How does it feel to tour the territory?”

“Nothing special.”

“…You seem to be missing the point. I’m asking how it feels to see the people suffering because of your family.”

Kailo Alan didn’t respond.

But Vivian could tell that he was feeling something deep down.

His gaze kept hesitating between the emaciated children and the old women shedding tears.

Vivian shared the same frustration.

Every time she realized that these were the people she had to take care of, the overwhelming reality caused her to lash out at Kailo.

But even so, she couldn’t stand Kailo Alan acting as though nothing was wrong, pretending indifference.

She wanted to provoke a reaction from him, no matter what.

But he remained indifferent, making it impossible to gauge just how difficult things were for him.

If only he felt the same way she did, it would bring her some comfort.

“Kailo Alan, don’t you want to go home?”

So she asked him.

Only then did Kailo Alan turn his head to look at her.

“I’m not thinking of letting you go… but actually, it would only be fair if I told you how to atone for your sins.”

“Tell me.”

“You’ve been watching all day, haven’t you? You’re still watching. The situation in Loctana.”

Vivian swept her gaze over the people and provocatively spoke.

“If you can be forgiven by every citizen of Loctana… I’ll let you go. I’ll let you go then.”

In other words, there was no other way she would release him.

Because it was impossible.

“…Really?”

But Kailo Alan asked again, as if he had found hope in that impossibility.

This left Vivian at a loss for words.

Kailo’s voice was surprisingly serious.

It carried a hope that he could accomplish that impossible task.

It was hard to tell if it was bravado or belief.

Vivian had only intended to mock him, but his earnest reaction caught her off guard.

“Do you really think that’s possible?”

-IH!

Even as she spoke, another piece of rotten food struck Kailo’s body.

There was no way the anger of these people, expressed so fiercely, would change over time.

Feeling like she had planted false hope, Vivian spoke.

“Get a grip. Don’t you realize that’s impossible?”

For a moment, she even felt a pang of irritation.

It seemed like she had touched a nerve.

“As long as the families they’ve lost don’t return, there’s no way for you to be forgiven.”

“…We’ll see about that.”

Kailo replied.

“I told you, watch how strong I am. If I can’t overcome even this obstacle, what can I hope to achieve?”

Kailo Alan responded with finality, as if sealing a deal.

“Just keep your promise. You said it. If I’m forgiven by all these people, you’ll let me go.”

“You’re not planning on changing your words later, right?”

There was always a strange power in Kailo Alan’s words.

He spoke in a way that made you feel like what he said would become reality.

Maybe it was because he had always kept his promises, making that belief even stronger.

But not this time.

There was no need to show consideration to a fool who couldn’t understand, even when given a hint.

“I won’t go back on my word. I’ll let you go.”

So Vivian told Kailo Alan.

At least, in this matter, there was no chance of it coming true.

Vivian was certain.

Even if the day came when everyone watching this parade grew to love him, one person would never forgive him.

That person was Vivian herself.

The day she would forgive Kailo Alan, or the Alan family, would never come.

The harder her life became, the stronger her hatred for him would grow.

“…You swore.”

Kailo confirmed.

“I swear. If you’re forgiven by everyone, I’ll let you go.”

Vivian replied.

There wasn’t the slightest tremor or doubt in her voice as she said those words.