episode_0065

Hugo’s office.

Hugo, who was working on documents that did not fit in a pile of documents, felt a presence approaching.

smart-

-I am your uncle.

The voice heard from beyond the door along with the knock was that of my nephew.

“Come in.”

Hugo said, gently squeezing his eyes, which had become dim from looking at the fine writing.

“What’s going on?”

“I came to give you a gift along with New Year’s greetings.”

“…gift?”

The unfamiliar words that came out of the boy’s mouth made Hugo tilt his head.

‘You’re probably at an age where you’re used to receiving gifts, but to see them come as gifts as well as New Year’s greetings…’

Even as he clicked his tongue at the smirk, Hugo smiled happily. Siron bowed slightly at the waist as if he was matching the rhythm to Hugo.

“Yes. This is my small sincerity to the pillar of this family.”

“Ha, hahaha.”

Hugo eventually burst out laughing.

They say a compliment is something that feels good no matter how much you hear it. Throughout my life, I’ve always received compliments, but hearing this from my nephew is a new feeling.

“What is a gift?”

“I hope you like it.”

As Hugo leaned forward, Siron took out a glass bottle from his pocket and placed it on the desk. The inside of the bottle was filled with red-brown liquid and glimmered.

“Is it alcohol?”

“Yes.”

Siron smiled slightly and answered.

From what he had observed over the past year, there were only a few gifts available to Siron that Hugo would be truly happy about.

It’s a good gift, but it’s also something you can’t find anywhere else.

Of course, the thing that could satisfy both conditions was alcohol.

A few months ago, Siron ordered Encia to visit the Dawn Castle and return. It was too wasteful to let the whiskey that had gone through an absurd maturation period, sleeping in the basement where the ice never melted, rot outside.

The glass bottle placed in front of Hugo was originally a gift to be given to the Emperor when he met him, but it was sorted out in advance because he didn’t know when the date would be.

Pong-

As Siron opened the lid with a deft hand, the unique sweet scent slowly filled the room. Hugo immediately knew what was contained in the unmarked glass bottle just by the smell.

“It’s the Americas of the Dawn Castle.”

“You recognized it right away.”

“…It’s been a really long time.”

Hugo looked at the glass bottle with faint eyes.

A precious item that was worn once during a coming-of-age ceremony.

Even when he walked to Dawn Castle to observe the succession ceremony, his mouth was itching to drink, but Hugo was not the head of the family, and he couldn’t ask Yuma to give it to him out of pride.

“I’m glad you like it.”

Siron saw the smile on Hugo’s lips and laughed along with him.

“…”

however,

At some point, Hugo stopped laughing.

When he saw Siron’s smile, he kept his mouth shut.

And for a moment.

A firm determination was engraved in Hugo’s mind, and he opened his mouth.

“Poetics.”

“Yes.”

“I cannot grant this request.”

“…Yes?”

Even though he hadn’t even asked yet, Hugo refused. Shiron’s eyes widened slightly at that decisiveness.

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“Shiron, I’m a little scared of you.”

Hugo pushed the glass bottle in front of his desk forward. It clearly looks like he is rejecting the gift.

“It was last year.”

Hugo pulled his forward body back a little and spoke slowly.

“When you made the absurd request to allow me to become a bastard, I thought I would just become a bastard who drinks and becomes a bitch.”

“…uncle.”

“I thought I could handle that much.”

Hugo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. To Siron, it seemed as if he was preparing for an upcoming shock.

“But that wasn’t it.”

Hugo looked a little sad.

Instead of being the siblings’ father, Glenn, he felt that he had a duty and responsibility to guide them on the right path.

Since you are born with Prien’s blood, you will have a fate worthy of the title ‘great’.

At least until that fate was decided, I wanted to provide a good environment for the children.

I tried to grant whatever they wanted as much as possible. What’s more, didn’t Siron awaken to the power of prophecy? As long as you know the future, it is crazy to choose something that will result in a loss.

however.

‘The power of prophecy is not omnipotent and cannot see all the future.’

Hugo recalled what his father, who had already passed away, had said.

Unless the theory can see the entire future, there are bound to be things that have not been seen in small details…

“Just a moment, just a moment.”

At that time, Siron lifted Hugo’s mind out of deep thoughts.

“I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you have, but I didn’t come here today to ask for a favor.”

“Hmm?”

“I came here today to ask for a little consultation.”

consulting?

“……Wouldn’t you have asked for something more than permission to be a bastard? I expected that to be the case since they gave me all sorts of gifts.”

“Of course, New Year’s greetings and gifts are also part of the process. Still, it’s not a request.”

Siron shook his head a few times and then stared at Hugo.

“Surely, you wouldn’t refuse consultation, right?”

Siron took out a blue envelope from his pocket.

It was an invitation and edict received from Victor the other day.

“I was wondering if you could give me some advice on the punitive system. Oh, I can’t do this because it’s a request?”

Siron smiled bitterly at Hugo.

Hugo’s expression changed, slightly embarrassed.

Then, feeling a little embarrassed, I cleared my throat a few times.

“Keuhum. I can do that much. But punitive system?”

“Yes. I received an invitation through a ‘friend’ the other day.”

When Siron insisted on emphasizing the word ‘friend’, Hugo clicked his tongue and opened the envelope Siron gave him.

*

“I’m going crazy.”

Hugo, who read the letter carefully, sighed with a slightly different meaning than before.

“It seems that the emperor is trying to give you an opportunity to show off your skills through the subjugation system.”

“I see.”

Siron nodded as if agreeing with Hugo’s opinion.

The festival held in the Arwen Plateau, in the eastern part of the empire, was a place for competition among the greatest samurai from the empire and the continent.

It is not a martial arts competition.

The subjugation system that Siron remembers was a quest to stop the waves of demonic beasts constantly surging from the Arwen Plateau, the mid-region.

“The subjugation festival is a festival where new members of each family can show off their power to the fullest by killing the incoming demonic beasts.”

Hugo said, crossing his arms as if he was embarrassed.

“However, you should not think of newbies who have just left Haiti as the new members of the family. Most of them are elites selected to enhance the reputation of each family. Most of them are probably veterans disguised as newcomers.”

“Hmm…”

‘I can’t believe you’re expected to perform well in such a place…’

Shiron felt a little upset and massaged the back of his neck.

Even though Prien’s bloodline possesses a level of power, other families are not incomparably lower in rank than Prien.

Hugo’s wife, Eldrina, is from a prestigious magical family in the empire. She was able to perform double chanting naturally based on her natural mana affinity.

There was no difference in being a warrior.

They taught their children to hold a sword from an early age, and made them take elixirs that could easily buy a house.

and,

Just looking at the cases where Prien’s wives married into other samurai families, Prien’s lineage was not unique to Prien.

Before he knew it, Siron had taken out a notebook and was writing down Hugo’s words.

“Has your uncle ever participated in a punitive system?”

“Of course.”

Hugo nodded and spoke as if reminiscing.

It was the year that the coming-of-age ceremony had just been held at Dawning Castle. A festival hosted by the emperor shortly after his coronation ceremony.

“It’s an old story from 20 years ago, but I remember it vividly. There, I crushed the faces and brushed out the teeth of children from other families.”

“Why?”

“They made fun of me and called me a northern hillbilly.”

Hugo, who received Siron’s question, lost his kind expression and said,

“In the end, since it is a place where passionate people show off their power, petty fights often arise.”

“Huh…”

Siron narrowed his eyes and sighed. Wasn’t it a hopeful event, as if everyone worked together to block the waves of demonic beasts? As expected, the word Sima Oedo was very appropriate here.

“But I don’t think Franz would expect you to be active there either.”

“I’m too young, right?”

Hugo nodded slowly.

“Yes. It would be great if you played an active part there. It’s okay if you can’t do it.”

“By the way, you are not opposed to my participation in the punitive system.”

“…I won’t stop you. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to go. However, I was rude to Franz the other day. If you refuse his favor, something a little annoying will happen.”

Hugo sighed, remembering his bad-tempered friend.

“Franz is not a fool to have vain expectations. And… it won’t result in people hating me.”

*

Several nights have passed since then.

As if he was in deep trouble, Siron stroked his chin repeatedly with his small hand.

‘I don’t want to go.’

It was like a habit from his past life, but Siron absolutely hated events where he only attended and showed his face.

Should I call it a so-called retreat-like event?

Company outings promote friendship among employees, and school trips are meant to be trips.

But isn’t a retreat just a group training camp with unknown intentions?

-Depending on your actions, this assistant can be either an angel or a devil.

Damn.

I remembered an unpleasant memory. Moreover, even though it was called a festival, it was a carnage festival where all the demon beasts were killed at random.

It would be nice if there were visible experience points, so that events like [Level Up!] could occur in real time, and you could feel a sense of accomplishment as you became stronger as you defeated the magical beast…

‘Because Reincarnation Swordsman had no such elements at all.’

I understand that the emperor intended to keep this body afloat, but there was no need for Siron to risk his life to make a name for himself. Because his only purpose is to kill the apostle.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go, either.

Franz the Iron-Blooded is an idiot. A fool who is more worried about the future of the country than about his child going somewhere and getting beaten up. Of course, there was such a thing as befitting an emperor, so Siron did not want to say anything about his inhumane side.

However, I just don’t want that idiot’s flames blocking my path.

‘Is there any way to bury it by just pretending to do it in moderation…’

In the dining room of the annex, Shiron spoke to his sister who was crunching on a piece of bread.

“Lucia.”

“…Huh?”

Siron smiled softly at his sister who tilted her head.

“Would you like to go to the festival with me?”

“Autumn Festival? Suddenly?”

Lucia’s eyes widened at the seemingly unexpected suggestion. The word festival made Lucia’s heart flutter a little.

“What festival? Snow festival? Or is it like a harvest festival?”

“Hmm… It’s similar.”

It wasn’t an unfamiliar word at all.

Siron laughed, remembering what Hugo said.