The Novel's Protagonist (2)
The Holy Kingdom was a small religious nation, but no country dared treat them lightly. Their god actually existed.
The priests of that living god healed people, and the holy knights annihilated demons. Such miracles were more than enough to make the Holy Kingdom a small yet powerfully influential country.
Furthermore, the Holy Kingdom had long been an ally of the Nathaniel Empire. Since the primary enemy of their faith was the demons, they could not help but stand close to the Empire that held the demons at bay.
In Arsens’ memories, the priests and crusaders of the Holy Kingdom had also fought in the Great War. Even that hero had been present.
I looked at the hero once more.
He had grown considerably over the past few years. The young boy from Arsens’ memories was nowhere to be found.
Only his eyes remained the same—straight, unwavering, and far too honest. Those eyes were fixed on me.
“Marshal Berhardt. It has been a long time.”
“Hero. Indeed it has.”
I answered briefly.
Once the hero had taken his seat, the Crown Prince spoke.
“I will explain the reason the Holy Kingdom’s hero is attending today’s meeting. Recently, the Saintess received an oracle indicating that anomalies related to demons have appeared in the Empire’s north. At the same time, the current situation in the north is chaotic.”
An oracle. That setting had existed as well.
“Therefore, His Holiness the Pope wishes to rebuild the alliance in order to aid the Empire, which now faces these two misfortunes. As the first step, the hero Robento Delhart has come to the Empire.”
The pretext was plausible. Refusing would amount to the Empire rejecting the alliance outright.
I turned to the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness. I have no intention of opposing the alliance either.”
At my declaration, every gaze in the conference room turned toward me.
“I, too, received the Holy Kingdom’s grace during the Great War, so I support this alliance. However, I do have questions.”
“What questions?”
“Why now, of all times?”
The Crown Prince’s brow furrowed.
“After the Great War, the Holy Kingdom withdrew most of its personnel from the Empire under the pretext of internal reorganization. There have been no notable movements since. Yet now, precisely when the Empire is dealing with northern rebellion and internal instability, they suddenly request an alliance.”
One of the holy knights answered.
“It is because the more unstable the Empire’s internal affairs become, the greater the threat posed by demons. The Empire serves as the guardian that holds them back.”
I turned my eyes to the holy knight.
“Then why did you not continue dispatching priests and holy knights after the Great War? The situation remained precarious even then. For an oracle to arrive exactly at this moment…”
The holy knight cut in.
“Marshal, the Saintess’s oracle is the word of God. There is always a reason behind God’s words.”
“I know what an oracle is. But in the end, it is humans who interpret God’s language.”
The conference room fell silent at my reply.
Then the hero spoke.
“Marshal Berhardt. Are you doubting the Holy Kingdom?”
His voice was calm, yet edged with steel.
“It is not doubt. It is confirmation.”
The hero’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I am not questioning the Holy Kingdom’s faith. But the people of the Holy Kingdom are ultimately human. Everything humans do carries intention.”
The hero did not answer immediately. The silence stretched.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
“You have changed, Marshal.”
His voice was low.
“Changed enough that I wonder if you are truly the man I once knew.”
I had not expected him to invoke old memories. At the hero’s words, the others glanced at me as well. They, too, knew that the old Arsens would never have spoken up in a place like this.
I smiled faintly.
“Humans change. That is their nature.”
Even so, the hero continued to watch me.
An awkward tension filled the room until Perlin finally spoke.
“Marshal, what we need now is cooperation, not suspicion. The Holy Kingdom has extended its hand first, and the hero has personally come. Squandering this opportunity would only harm the Empire.”
The nobles looked uncomfortable, yet none dared suggest rejecting the Holy Kingdom’s offer.
Well, I had no intention of refusing either. Priests and holy knights would certainly prove useful in defending the north.
“Very well. Let us set that aside for now. There is, however, one matter that must be addressed.”
I fixed my gaze on her and continued.
“Why was this matter advanced without the knowledge of the Empire’s Marshal?”
Perlin’s face stiffened.
“No matter how close the Holy Kingdom may be to the Empire, they remain an external power. Moreover, the hero is no ordinary individual—he wields military strength comparable to an entire faction. For such a person to remain in the capital without any prior consultation…”
I turned to the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness. Is this procedure legitimate?”
The Crown Prince could not answer. Of course it was not. Perlin Claire had whispered in his ear, and he had swallowed it whole.
“If there was any procedural oversight, I offer my apologies.”
“Apologies are unnecessary. Please consult separately on all further matters concerning the Holy Kingdom.”
The hero continued to regard me with a subtle gaze. By now he must have realized the power struggle between the Crown Prince, Perlin, and myself.
After a long silence, the Crown Prince finally nodded.
“So be it. We shall conclude today’s meeting here.”
At his declaration, the nobles hurriedly rose from their seats.
When Perlin met my eyes, she offered a faint smile. I twisted the corner of my mouth in reply. I wondered how long that smile would last.
Stepping into the corridor, my adjutant Raylin immediately followed.
“Marshal. The hero has remained behind.”
He intended to follow. I did not slow my pace. Footsteps echoed a few steps behind me. When we reached a quiet stretch of corridor, I stopped.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
The hero’s voice came from behind.
“Could you spare a moment?”
“Speak.”
The hero was silent for a moment before answering.
“Your words in the meeting were impressive—particularly your suspicion regarding the timing of the Holy Kingdom’s actions.”
“Is that strange?”
“Not strange. It is simply that the previous Marshal would never have said such things.”
Only then did I turn to face him.
“He was a very quiet man, after all.”
That much was true.
“When an imperial order came, he moved accordingly. Otherwise, his only concern was slaying demons. No matter what was said in meetings, he never opened his mouth until the very end.”
The memories I possessed of Arsens matched that description. A silent tool that swung its sword without words. That had been the original Arsens.
“So. Do you dislike the current me?”
“I do not know.”
It was an honest answer.
“But one thing is certain. You have changed, Marshal.”
“Then have you changed as well, Robento?”
When I called him by name, his eyes wavered.
“I still do not know.”
“Then take your time and find out. About yourself, about me, and about Perlin Claire as well.”
At the mention of her name, the hero’s expression hardened slightly.
“Then I will ask just one thing, Marshal.”
“What?”
“Do you know why the Holy Kingdom sent me to the Empire at this time?”
I smiled faintly.
“No, I do not. But I do know one thing.”
I resumed walking as I answered.
“The Holy Kingdom would not have sent their hero merely to appease a single woman.”
“……”
“So keep your wits about you.”
The hero stood motionless, staring after me. Well, that much should have been enough for him to understand.
Perlin waited for Robento in the reception room. Two cups of tea had been prepared—one for her, the other for him.
After a short wait, a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Robento entered. He had removed his armor, yet his appearance remained immaculate. Perlin smiled at him.
“Sit comfortably.”
Robento took his seat without a word.
“It has been a long time.”
“Yes.”
“I never expected to see you again in the Empire.”
“Nor did I.”
His reply carried a noticeable distance. Perlin’s smile faltered slightly.
“Do not speak to me that way. Not between us.”
Robento offered no answer. Perlin fell silent for a moment, then slowly lifted her cup and took a sip.
“Do you remember the day you first held a sword?”
Robento’s eyes began to waver.
“Your hands were so small you could not grip it properly. I helped you hold it—with both hands.”
“……I remember.”
“We were truly young back then.”
Perlin set her cup down.
“Now you have become a hero, and I have become a candidate for Crown Princess.”
Even so, Robento’s gaze remained fixed on the teacup. He did not look at her.
Perlin felt a pang of unease at that gaze and continued more gently.
“I am sorry.”
“……”
“For leaving so suddenly. For not being able to explain properly.”
Robento’s fingers brushed the handle of his cup once.
“……It is in the past.”
The answer was short. Sensing the atmosphere remained unsatisfactory, Perlin decided to speak directly.
“Robento.”
“Yes.”
“You saw Marshal Berhardt at today’s meeting, did you not?”
Only then did Robento’s eyes lift to meet hers.
“……Yes.”
“Lately, I have been afraid of that man…”
Perlin spoke honestly.
“Not long ago, Marshal Berhardt broke His Highness the Crown Prince’s sword right in front of him—inside the Imperial Palace itself. He even destroyed an entire building on the capital’s outskirts, claiming it was a threat to us.”
Robento’s eyebrows twitched. This was the first he had heard of it.
“That man cannot be controlled. It is doubtful whether he would even obey His Majesty the Emperor’s commands, let alone the Crown Prince’s. There is simply no reasoning with him.”
Perlin drew a steadying breath before delivering the crucial words.
“If things continue this way, the Empire will fall apart.”
Robento remained silent.
“I know I have no right to ask this of you. I know how shameless it is for the person who left you to make such a request.”
Perlin lowered her head slightly.
“Still, I must ask. There is no one else who can stop Marshal Berhardt but you.”
Robento was silent for a long time. She did not press him. She had known him long enough to understand that he was not someone to be rushed.
Eventually, Robento spoke.
“What would you have me do?”
“Stop him.”
Perlin answered at once.
“Stand with the imperial family and ensure he can no longer shake the throne. You can do it. You are the hero.”
Robento fell silent once more. Perlin took his silence as agreement. The old Robento had never hesitated when refusing; hesitation meant he could not bring himself to refuse.
“Thank you.”
Perlin smiled faintly. Robento did not see it. He was staring at his cup again.
Even after Perlin left the reception room, Robento remained seated for a long while. Only then did he lift the now-cold tea to his lips and take a sip. Bitterness spread across his tongue.
Two voices overlapped in his mind.
‘The Holy Kingdom would not have sent their hero merely to appease a single woman.’
‘You can do it. Because you are the hero.’
Hero Robento set the cup down—slowly, very slowly.