Chapter 33 Secret Conversation
A carriage bearing the seal of Eternia was crossing the borders of the Empire.
Inside the carriage, an old man with white hair tied tightly at the back was looking out of the window.
Facing him, a young attendant wearing a mask spoke up.
“Master Carios, according to the rules, you must conceal your identity until we return.”
“Hah, that old song about rules again. Who’s there to recognize me in this wilderness?”
“This is not about protecting you, Master Carios. We are on imperial territory now. If word gets to the Empire…”
“Ha, fine, fine. Despite being a citizen of the Empire, why so stiff?”
The old man picked up a mask that was resting beside him and fixed it to his face.
Shortly after, the skin around his face and the wrinkles on his neck smoothed out, and his hair turned jet black.
“It’s only a matter of time before the Empire discovers this anyway. You know that, don’t you?”
The attendant paused, then spoke.
“Do you mean to say there are spies in Eternia?”
“Of course. Eternia has never been on guard against the Empire. After all, it has never harmed Eternia before.”
“Then the reason you, Master Carios, are heading to Eternia is…”
“It’s because I need to interfere to maintain the balance.”
The pact that bound Carios to the Empire was nearing its end.
He was now planning to sever ties with the Empire completely and entrust himself to Eternia.
The news that one of the three Swordmasters firmly established at the pinnacle of the Empire was leaving would cause quite a ripple effect.
“I will follow Master Carios’s decision, but I still question whether such drastic measures are necessary.”
Carios was willing to go beyond just distancing himself from the Empire; he wouldn’t hesitate to become an enemy if necessary.
“Haven’t you seen it too? That child is no mere extraordinary case. Do you not picture what’ll happen if he forms a connection with the Empire?”
They would use all means to tether the child from Eternia to the Empire.
“… In the end, they’ll raise him as a Royal Guard.”
The Royal Guard. The direct vassals of the Empire, comprised of the strongest forces.
“I will not live to see such a fate. It is talent too precious to waste away there.”
To the knights of the Empire, the Royal Guard was a prestigious position, but in truth, it was a grave for talent.
Many geniuses who joined the Royal Guard were sacrificed in the struggles for power within the Imperial Palace.
Having raised and commanded the Royal Guard himself, he knew all too well.
“There’s also the boy’s teacher. If provoked wrongly, the Empire could be set ablaze.”
“Even she can’t hold onto her disciple all day long.”
The attendant pondered the implications of those words for a moment.
“You’ll seize the opportunity when that woman heads to the North.”
“Right. Who knows? Maybe in the future, they will use the boy as a hostage to control the teacher as well.”
“….”
“Imperial royalty has always been vile and contemptible. There are already several precedents, aren’t there?”
The attendant clenched his mouth tight, lost in thought.
“I… I just worry that all the hard work of the teacher will be in vain.”
“Heh, what’s there to regret in this old age? If I simply standby, later on, Zeldan will be the one to hold a grudge.”
***
Silveryn stretched her arms towards the sky, yawning wide.
There were still a couple of hours left in our carriage ride heading home to the manor.
We stopped the carriage on a forest path for a brief rest.
The doors of the carriage were flung wide open, allowing the sunlight and breeze to enter.
The sounds of birds were gently pleasing to the ear, and she laid down comfortably on the carriage seat, seemingly lulled into tiredness.
Silveryn’s long hair cascaded down to the floor, so I gathered it up with my hands and laid it across her body.
With her eyes half-closed, Silveryn mumbled a thanks.
“Thanks.”
The carriage wasn’t wide enough though, and her ankles protruded out of the door.
She twisted and turned to find a comfortable pose, eventually bending her knees halfway up.
In doing so, her skirt slid down her thighs, which she promptly tucked in between her thighs to secure.
One strap of her dress became loose, revealing her collarbone, and her hair was completely let down.
There’s no decorum in front of her disciple.
It seems she considers me as something akin to an underdeveloped child or perhaps an invisible man.
Catching me examining her with a face full of conflicting thoughts, she rolled her eyes at me.
“What are you looking at?”
“….”
And still, Silveryn wore no jewelry.
Though I’m not well-versed in women, I know that ladies tend to dress up as much as possible for important occasions like a social gathering.
Attending without any adornments suggested a firm resolve, like a mute protest.
I need to get home quickly to finish my preparations and then hand over…
Seemingly out of boredom, Silveryn reached for a stack of letters beside me and plucked one out.
“That’s my letter…”
“I’ll read it for you.”
“….”
She casually tore the seal and skimmed over the letter.
“From the Dalton family, the youngest of three sons and one daughter…too long. Something else.”
Tossing the letter aside, she picked another.
“Pff, this one must be young, believes in fate.”
From yet another letter, she yawned.
“Boring.”
She went through four letters, not really reading any thoroughly, and tossed them away.
“This one is a bit unique. Yeah, to catch someone’s attention, you need to be prepared like this.”
She held and shook a letter inked as black as though it had been soaked in ink.
“It’s from Amaryllis, who lives in the mist city near Meyhen. She says to come over for a visit. Where’s the mist city? You’re pretty famous, reaching this far huh?”
Silveryn’s reading was more of a cursory glance relayed to me.
I half-listened to her as I spoke.
“Shouldn’t we be heading out soon? Any longer and it seems we might be late.”
Aren’t you eager to receive your gifts?
“I don’t know, I’m sleepy. Just start the journey like this.”
Truly, she closed her eyes.
“….”
I arranged Silveryn’s sprawling limbs, closed the doors, and started the carriage.
It was early evening by the time we arrived at the manor.
Silveryn hadn’t woken even once during the entire ride, fast asleep.
A giant wooden crate was stacked up high in front of the manor entrance.
Servants bustled out, busily transferring the crate to a handcart.
Everyone was busy preparing for the journey to Eternia.
Silveryn emerged from the carriage, rubbing her eyes.
“Teacher, do we have to take that much stuff for Eternia?”
“Um…”
She still seemed half-asleep.
Just the two of us were going, was there really a need to pack this much? To an onlooker, it looked as though we were selling the house to move.
“This is almost like fleeing to a refuge in the midst of war.”
She yawned and said.
“You think my manor is the only one I have.”
“…?”
Wait a minute. Does she also have a grand manor in Eternia?
Looking closer, it wasn’t just our belongings.
“Are other people going too?”
“Half will stay, and the others will come with us.”
Between the servants, Liria too was drenched in sweat, hauling the belongings onto the cart.
“Liria too?”
“Why, would you like her to accompany us?”
“Well, it’s her first time heading to a strange place; won’t it be hard for her to adapt?”
“That little squirt volunteered to go. Perhaps she wants to experience the greater world since she got a taste of learning something substantial.”
“….”
Liria was a girl with a strong desire to thrive, given her young age; it’s possible that she developed some ambition too.
Even if I were to live as a maid in Eternia, there would likely be more to see and hear than in Weisel.
“More importantly, are you all prepared?”
I too need to start moving quickly.
“No, I still have urgent matters to attend.”
I rushed past Silveryn and up the entrance stairs.
“Why the rush?”
“There’s something I need to do!”
I quickly crossed the mansion’s hallway and entered my room, firmly closing the door behind me.
On the desk lay a box wrapped in paper.
It was certainly the item I had requested from the butler.
Unwrapping the package revealed a necklace chain made of silver and a ruby crafted to the size I had wanted.
The size of the gem wasn’t entirely satisfactory, but it was the best I could afford.
A necklace indeed requires more effort than a ring, whether Silveryn would acknowledge it was uncertain.
I pulled out an unfinished piece from the drawer.
It was a piece of jewelry that I had started working on in meteoric iron to set the gem. However, the gem turned out smaller than I had anticipated, and there was much to adjust.
‘It will be past midnight by the time I finish this.’
***
Silveryn was awake, even in the late night.
Seated in a chair, she was engrossed in reading a letter by candlelight.
She tapped her lower lip with the tip of her finger, her eyes fixed on the page.
Though the content was nothing special, Silveryn sometimes chuckled, a pleased expression crossing her face.
She had already read the letter three times over.
It was partly because she had slept long during the day and partly because the letter, which had arrived in a rush today, gave her much to ponder, making sleep elusive.
In the midst of this, there were quiet footsteps outside her door.
Then came a knock.
Knock-knock.
Visits at this hour to her room were rare.
“Come in.”
The door creaked open cautiously.
It was Damian.
“Teacher.”
“What brings you here?”
“I didn’t realize you’d be awake.”
“Did you have another significant dream?”
Damian coughed awkwardly, for reasons unknown.
“No.”
He approached Silveryn with his hands behind his back.
“Whatever it is, just leave it on the table.”
“…Yes.”
Damian placed a small box on the table and glanced at the letter in Silveryn’s hand.
It bore the seal of the Knight Order.
“Is it a letter related to sponsorship?”
“No.”
Damian’s expression hardened.
“It’s an apology from the leader of the Knight Order.”
“…”
“He says he sincerely apologizes for the disrespectful language contrary to chivalry. Did you know about this?”
“…Yes.”
“Apparently, they’re going to send a delegation soon to apologize formally. What will you do?”
Silveryn finally lowered the letter and raised her eyes to meet Damian’s.
“Me?”
Damian swallowed nervously.
“Yes.”
“I’ve told them it’s already settled. Besides, we’re soon leaving for Eternia…”
She trailed off, only to continue moments later.
“Also, it’s not really infuriating as someone has already given them a scolding.”
Damian froze for a moment before abruptly offering his regards.
“…Then, I’ll take my leave.”
Silveryn stopped him from leaving.
“Why run away so soon? We’re not done talking. I told you I’m not angry.”
As Damian averted his gaze, Silveryn let out a small laugh.
Watching his reactions was one of her little pleasures.
“What is this?”
Silveryn picked up the small box Damian had brought.
He responded clumsily.
“I just happened to make one and thought it would suit you, Teacher. You don’t wear much jewelry, so…”
She opened the box to find a necklace with a floral metal decoration.
A ruby was set in the center of the flower. For something made on a whim, the craftsmanship was remarkably intricate and elegant.
“A necklace?”
“Yes.”
Her lips curled into a slightly dissatisfied pout.
“Is that it?”
“Yes…?”
“Are you done just by dropping it off all of a sudden? Isn’t there anything else?”
Damian replied stiffly.
“I don’t really know…”
Silveryn sighed deeply.
“I’ll show you.”
She then pulled Damian by the wrist.
She immediately took the necklace and placed it on the palm of Damian’s hand.
“Pick it up.”
“……!”
Silveryn twisted herself to sit at the edge of the chair, half of her body laying across it. Showing her back to Damian, she swept her hair up to her crown in a swift motion.
Her pale nape was then exposed.
Damian held his breath for a moment at the sight.
“Hurry up, my arm is getting sore.”
He finally realized what Silveryn wanted.
After a moment’s hesitation, Damian moved behind her and clasped the necklace around her neck.
His hands lightly trembled as they brushed against Silveryn’s collarbone.
The corners of her mouth rose in satisfaction.
“Seems like I’m finally reaping the rewards for dutifully raising my disciple.”
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