Chapter 41: You Did Well. Truly.
Hardin, soaked in blood from head to toe, and Viscount Cobalt, who kept blinking blankly.
Under the falling rain, the gazes of the two met.
Viscount Cobalt, who had been looking down at the surroundings, hesitated and then asked.
"Hardin. Did you… defeat Viscount Ruder?"
"Yes."
"Heh…"
Only the sound of their breathing and the rain filled this space.
And around them, eyes of despair began to rise.
'The Lord… has passed away.'
'Did we… lose? Truly?'
The knights of Calpion, the retainers, and even the conscripted soldiers.
All of them stood dazed, unable to believe what had happened, and only after a beat did reality begin to set in.
"Uuuuugh…"
As their minds began to comprehend what had befallen them, their bodies slowly started to tremble.
And when Hardin, covered entirely in blood, looked straight at them…
A chill!
In an instant, shivers ran down their spines.
Thud!
"P-please spare us!"
Thud!
"We surrender! We surrender unconditionally!"
From the knights to the conscripts, every last one who had still been resisting fell to their knees and bowed their heads.
An unmistakable declaration of surrender.
Viscount Cobalt kept glancing around in utter bewilderment.
'We… actually won?'
And then he turned his gaze back to Hardin.
A boy with drooping shoulders and yellow hair, drenched in blood from head to toe. Without a doubt, this was my son, Hardin Daphne.
But this was simply…
"Young Master…!"
At that moment, Mulgybson, who had approached right behind them, spoke with ragged breaths.
"You were late."
Hardin gave a small smile, then patted his shoulder lightly as he spoke.
"See? Just as I told you it would be."
"…Yes."
Mulgybson answered, his face crumpled as he began to tremble.
Behind them, the Daphne people who had been watching this scene started to stir.
"Manton, what in the world is happening here?"
"…I’m not really sure either."
For now, there were Manton and the Daphne Knights.
"Brother Beryl! Were you unharmed?"
"Oh, yes. We did splendidly!"
Beryl and Mikkelsen’s group called across the pit to each other.
And then…
"M-move aside!"
"Ah… yes!"
The Third Young Master Malion and his retainers came running in… and when they saw the scene around them, their mouths fell wide open.
“Wh-what is this…”
“Did we… actually win?”
Calpion and Daphne.
The fates of the two houses, which had been set as victory and defeat, had been reversed. And all because of a single person.
Who could have even dared to imagine such a thing?
While everyone stood there dumbfounded, blinking in disbelief—
“L-long live Young Master Hardin!”
From the middle of the conscripted soldiers, someone raised a hand and shouted.
When Hardin turned his head in that direction, he saw a man soaked to the bone, wearing a broad smile on his face.
It was Hardin’s loyal attendant, Gadolph.
“Wahaha! Long live the Young Master! I knew you would do it splendidly!”
“…What is he going on about.”
At the sight of Gadolph yelling at the top of his lungs, Hardin let out a small scoff and said.
“L-long live!”
The other conscripted soldiers nearby, caught up in the moment, began to shout along.
Perhaps it was the joy and rapture of survival.
This cheer spread faster than any blaze.
“Thank you for sparing us!”
“Long live Young Master Hardin!”
Soon, Hardin’s name resounded across the entire battlefield.
“You have truly worked so hard!”
“Thank you!”
Some expressed their gratitude with hot tears.
Others clapped their hands, shouted hurrahs, and jumped up and down in place.
Step, step.
Hardin let out a deep sigh and began to walk toward Cobalt and the knights.
“Hoo… I’m exhausted.”
Everyone was looking at him, and everyone was smiling.
Hardin exhaled again and waved his hand dismissively as he spoke.
“Father, I have just one more favor to ask.”
“What is it, Hardin?”
“To Calpion Castle… please march straight there just as we are. I’m so tired, I think I need to get some rest.”
“To the castle?”
“Yes, since we’ve won… we ought to collect the spoils.”
“…”
Viscount Cobalt parted his lips slightly, then nodded in reply.
“All right. We will depart at once. Is there anything else you need—”
It was then.
Thud!
“Urgh!”
A twisting pain filled Hardin’s lower abdomen, and his vision began to blur.
Hardin frowned faintly and pressed a hand to his belly.
“Cough! Cough!”
As I coughed, a mouthful of blood spilled out.
‘Damn it… it’s here.’
I sensed it right away.
The side effects of Maelstrom had begun.
For some time, my mana core won’t function properly… and my body wouldn’t obey me either.
It was a technique so dangerous that an ordinary human could die just from using it.
Since I’d used it, I’d probably be bedridden for at least a few months.
‘I’m going to suffer for a while.’
Though I’d gone through this many times, somehow… it still hurt like hell.
“H-Hardin?! What’s happening to you!”
“Young Master? Are you all right?”
People rushed to gather around me.
I waved my hand dismissively and spoke.
“Ah, it’s nothing, don’t worry about it. Just make sure you clean up properly.”
“B-but—”
Step. Step.
I kept walking forward.
I could see the Daphne people all staring at me.
‘These little brats… how happy you all look.’
What’s with all this fuss over something so trivial?
I should rest for a moment.
I’d overdone it a bit.
Plop!
I sank down on the spot and slowly caught my breath.
“Young Master!”
“Hardin! Hardiiiin!”
At that, the voices of the household grew louder.
‘So noisy…’
I slowly lifted my head.
Before I knew it, the dark clouds had drifted away over there, and behind them the yellow sun was pouring down its light.
As that light washed over my face, I squinted and raised my hand to shade my eyes.
“Damn, it cleared up fast.”
…Still, it didn’t feel so bad.
The warm energy touched my skin, and my expression relaxed.
As I let my body sink into that warmth and released my tension—
Sluuump.
My eyes began to close, and my body lost strength, going limp like seaweed.
Then—
“Mulgybson, hurry and fetch a physician! Quickly!”
“Yes!”
From the Lord to the knights, everyone’s eyes went wide as they all began to panic.
“Medicine! Bring any leftover medicine! Are there no potions?”
“We’re s-searching now!”
“Hardin, Hardin! Wake up, Hardin!”
Viscount Cobalt held Hardin in his arms and lightly slapped his cheek.
Truly, I was so damn tired.
‘Just let me rest a little.’
As I slowly closed my eyes, I smiled faintly.
---
Whoosh—
The sound of waves echoed in my ears.
‘….’
A familiar scent brushed past my nose.
The sea’s aroma, an unruly mixture of salt, fish, and a faint whiff of sand.
Even though my eyes couldn’t see, I could tell.
Right now, my body was floating atop the ocean.
The warm sunlight falling from above, the sensation of every muscle in my body relaxing and going slack.
It was the same feeling I’d known back when I was Varlach—when, from time to time, I’d leap into the sea and drift.
‘…So comfortable.’
I used to do this often.
Like that, I simply… did nothing and enjoyed this feeling for a long while.
What was I doing, again?
I had been… desperately working so hard at something?
Just then, a voice reached me from the far side of consciousness.
[Varlach.]
‘Hmm…?’
[You did well. Truly…]
Flash!
“…”
Hardin opened his eyes.
In an instant, the scenery around him changed.
Instead of the old ceiling covered in mold and cobwebs, he saw a neat room.
“What the…?”
Hardin scratched his forehead and slowly sat up.
It wasn’t the room he usually used. It was clean and well-tended.
When he looked down at himself, he saw bandages and medicinal poultices applied all over his body.
After a few seconds more, the answer came to him easily.
‘The infirmary.’
There had been a territorial war, and I had crushed Calpion.
After that, I collapsed from Maelstrom’s aftereffects… and someone must have carried me here to rest.
Slowly, I turned my head to look out the window.
White brick buildings contrasted with blue roofs.
‘Must be the Calpion estate.’
Hardin scratched his head for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“Anyone out there?”
Thump, thump, thump!
Within barely a few seconds, there was the sound of hurried footsteps in the hall—
Bang!
The door flew open roughly.
“Y-young Master! You’re awake!”
“Ah… Gadolph.”
Gadolph’s eyes shimmered with tears as he stared for a long while, then he grabbed Hardin’s chin, turning his head back and forth as he all but yelled.
“A-are you feeling all right?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you in any discomfort?”
“No, none at all.”
Grab!
This time, he seized my shoulders and started checking me all over.
“…”
“If anything hurts, you must tell me! The physician said you must remain completely at rest!”
“Uh…”
“I’m asking you seriously! The Lord said to give you anything you want!”
Hardin let out a long sigh, then opened his palm—
Whack!
“Ow!”
—and smacked Gadolph on the head.
“Take it down a notch. Just a notch.”
“B-but… the physician said I had to watch over you carefully…”
Gadolph rubbed the bump swelling on his head as he replied.
“All right, enough. How long have I been asleep?”
“That… you slept for about three days.”
“Three days? I sure passed out for a while.”
I’d thought it had only been a day or two…
“Ow, ow.”
I lifted myself up and grabbed some bread from the tray beside me, chewing it noisily.
At that, Gadolph’s eyes went wide as he spoke.
“Huh? Why are you getting up?”
“I want to go see Father.”
“B-but the physician said you must remain in complete rest! And the Lord must be busy too, so you should take your time going out—”
“It’s fine. I’m telling you, I’m perfectly well.”
“Please, lie down again, quickly.”
“I said I’m fine.”
When Gadolph tried to help me up, I lightly swatted his hands away and began walking forward.
Throb! Throb!
With every step, pain shot up through my abdomen, and my brow twitched faintly.
‘…It does hurt.’
I closed my eyes for a moment, focusing on how my body felt.
I could sense my muscles depleted and the core’s light faint.
No doubt this was Maelstrom’s aftereffect.
If I just did nothing and waited to recover, it would easily take several months.
In the first place… I’d done something others would have had to risk their lives to attempt.
Honestly, I felt like hiding away in a villa by the sea for a month and loafing around.
But there was no way I could do that.
‘The territorial war is over, so there’ll be a mountain of things to do.’
Calpion had been a house even larger than ours.
Having swallowed them whole at once, there was no way things were running smoothly.
That was why I wanted to grasp the situation as quickly as possible, even if only a little.
“So, where’s Father?”
“He should be in the Calpion estate, but… do you really have to go? You should still rest…”
For some reason, Gadolph avoided my gaze as he replied.
‘What’s with that look?’
I raised an eyebrow and asked.
“Is something going on?”
“N-no! Nothing at all.”
“You look like there is.”
“It’s not that there’s nothing, it’s just… nothing important, so please don’t worry about it, Young Master.”
“Enough, I’ll see for myself.”
“Pardon?”
Bang!
I threw open the door, brushed past Gadolph, and stepped outside.
Then—
“Young Master!”
“Y-you’re awake!”
The two sentries standing watch snapped their eyes wide open and bowed deeply.
“Sentries? What are you doing here?”
“We were ordered by the Lord… to guard you!”
They answered with perfect discipline.
‘How excessive.’
I let out a sigh and gave a faint laugh, then patted them on the shoulders.
“All right, all right. Good work.”
“…Where are you going, sir?”
“To Father.”
“Then allow us to escort you to the manor!”
“No need.”
“But…”
“I said I’m fine.”
When I waved my hand dismissively, the two finally nodded and stepped aside.
“Come on. Let’s go, Gadolph.”
“Ah… yes!”
Just as I started walking forward—
“Young Master!”
“What now.”
I turned my head for a moment at the sentries’ shout behind me.
“Well… um…”
The two of them glanced at each other, fidgeting and working their lips for a long moment.
“If you’re not going to say it, I’m leaving.”
As I began to take another step, the two bowed low at the same time and shouted.
“Thank you so very much!”
“M-me too—thank you!”
“…All of a sudden?”
At my bewildered response, the sentries lifted their heads and spoke.
“All of us… we survived thanks to you, Young Master! We didn’t know if we’d get another chance to say it, so here and now…”
“The way you fought on the battlefield… it was truly inspiring.”
I stood there for a moment, looking at them, then raised my hand a little and answered calmly.
“All right. Understood.”
Then I turned my back and walked on again.
‘It’s not like I did something so impressive…’
But a warm smile slowly spread across my lips.