Ending Maker Chapter 99
Ending Maker Chapter 99
Chapter 34 - Cross #2
Gale Bayel and Adelia Chase.
Gale Bayel and Adelia Chase did not play especially large roles in Hero Legend 2.
'Because both Gale and Adelia die in battle.'
Whether on the Yuder route or the Cordelia route, the fates of the two did not change much.
Gale died during the Great Northern Barbarian Invasion event, while Adelia lost her life somewhat later in the incident that annihilated the capital of the Saelun Kingdom.
Such were Gale and Adelia.
'So honestly, I don't know much about them.'
There had been few opportunities to encounter either of them in the original game.
All he had known about Gale was that he was Yuder’s much older brother, good-natured and highly capable. As for Adelia, little was known beyond the fact that she was a motherly older sister who doted fiercely on Cordelia.
'Of course, I could piece together a rough impression of them from the scattered information in the game.'
Even then, there had simply been too little concrete information about either of them.
'But now it's different.'
It was not as though Outboxer009 and Yellow Storm had suddenly taken over Yuder and Cordelia’s lives one day.
They had been reborn as Yuder and Cordelia, lived those lives for seventeen years, and only then awakened the memories of their previous lives.
Therefore, Yuder knew Gale well, and Cordelia knew Adelia well.
'My brother.'
No longer just an NPC, but his real brother by blood.
'A kind, sincere, and reliable person, but one who actually has a tender side.'
There was a single reason why Gale, despite being the eldest son of a prestigious family, had still never married.
That one reason.
An incident Gale had experienced when he was around twenty years old.
Yuder cut off that train of thought and glanced to the side.
In the distance, a formidable woman strode toward them with complete confidence.
'Adelia Chase.'
A magical genius who held the record as the youngest commander in the history of the Royal Magic Corps.
Despite living seventeen years as Yuder, he knew almost nothing about her.
Before awakening his previous-life memories, Yuder had not even been particularly close to Cordelia herself.
He had effectively had no contact with Cordelia’s older sister while she lived in the royal capital.
'Still, there must be some...... reason, right?'
There had to be a reason Cordelia was this wary of her—this afraid.
"Hoo, hoo, I can do this. I can do this. I'll protect him. I'm protecting him."
Cordelia repeated the same words in a small voice, as if chanting a spell.
She seemed to be steeling her resolve in her own way.
'How cute.'
How could it not be cute when she was trying so hard to protect none other than Yuder himself?
"Okay, okay, okay."
Cordelia exhaled sharply several times, stepped slightly forward, and positioned herself as though shielding Yuder.
It was a posture Yuder often took to protect Cordelia, but this time it was the exact opposite.
Of course, there was a difference.
In the early days after awakening, Cordelia had actually been taller than Yuder, but not anymore.
In only a few months, their heights had completely reversed, and now there was a noticeable difference in their overall size.
Cordelia’s small, slender body could not completely hide Yuder, but she puffed out her chest, spread both arms as wide as possible, and took one final deep breath.
She maintained her own composure and stared straight ahead.
Yuder watched the back of Cordelia’s head with a fond smile, then suddenly flinched and looked up.
'Adelia.'
They were close enough now to make out each other’s faces.
Unlike Cordelia, who had red hair like Count Chase, Adelia had inherited her mother's golden hair.
Unlike red-haired Cordelia, who took after Count Chase, Adelia had inherited their mother’s golden hair. Her pale face, framed by brilliant hair that looked as though it had been spun from molten sunlight, was beautiful like Cordelia’s—but her eyes were terrifyingly sharp.
RUMBLE—
Was this what people called the pressure of someone’s energy?
With the imaginary sound effect rumbling in his ears, Yuder swallowed. Sweat gathered between the fingers of his unconsciously clenched fists.
Tension.
A presence that inspired fear in anyone who faced her.
Had facing the named demon Bandaisel in Endymion felt like this?
Now he could understand why Cordelia had been so tense.
"At last."
Adelia spoke.
A beautiful yet terrifying smile bloomed across her pale face like a flower.
Yuder Bayel.
The incarnation of evil who had deceived the kind, cute, adorable, lovable, innocent Cordelia with sweet words, led her into one outrageous act after another, and finally driven her to make the wrong choice!
'At last!'
She faced him.
The moment had finally come to unleash all the resentment she had bottled up.
"You!"
Adelia raised her voice and pointed at Yuder, ready to pour out everything she had prepared.
"You deceived our kind, cute, adorable, lovable, and innocent Cordelia and kidnapped......."
That was as far as she got.
Adelia trailed off without meaning to. She could feel Gale’s gaze on her from behind.
Just a gaze.
Not a glare or anything threatening. Just a gaze.
Even so, Adelia faltered. She could no longer say exactly what she had intended.
"No, a lovers' elopement......."
Elopement.
No. That wasn't what she had originally intended to say.
But Adelia furrowed her brow and agonized for a moment, then changed her words again.
"A honeymoon trip! Anyway, to set off on a honeymoon trip!"
Her accusation had already become a complete mess.
'Ugh, why am I like this?'
Why can't I say what I originally intended to say?
Of course, Yuder and Cordelia were engaged, and House Bayel was a prestigious family on equal footing with House Chase. She could not simply spew whatever insults came to mind.
But Gale’s presence mattered even more than that.
She was too conscious of Gale beside her to say anything truly vicious.
'No, this is somehow wrong.'
While Adelia groaned in confusion, Yuder and Cordelia watched her with puzzled suspicion.
'Why is she acting like that?'
'Something’s off. She isn’t acting like my sister usually does.'
Why?
Why was she acting like that?
"Ghh! Anyway! Yuder Bayel! You know perfectly well what you’ve done, don’t you?!"
After compromising with herself again and again, Adelia’s accusation came out far weaker than she had intended.
Even the terrifying aura and force that had made her seem like a demon from Hell had vanished. Instead of roaring in fury, she almost sounded as though she were throwing a tantrum.
But to Cordelia, it seemed to look a little different.
Cordelia, who knew Adelia better than anyone, saw it differently. She flinched, spread both arms wide, and shouted,
"I-it's not Yuder's fault!"
"Cordelia?!"
"Really! It’s not like he tricked me or anything... W-we talked it over and decided together!"
What?
The honeymoon trip!
Adelia flinched at Cordelia’s shout, then stepped forward again and demanded,
"Then that letter! The one saying you liked Yuder so, so much you could die, that you loved him more than your life! Did you write all of that of your own will? Not because Yuder told you to?"
"Ugh."
If Cordelia had been thinking even a little more clearly, she would have protested that she had never actually written anything that extreme. But she had been cornered from the very beginning.
She groaned, then finally made a face that said to hell with it and shouted,
"That's right! I wrote it! I wrote all of it! I'm the one who wrote it!"
Although originally, Yuder had indeed told her to.
Although Yuder had even dictated every single line!
Cordelia's face turned bright red, and then her neck and ears grew hot as well.
Her face, neck, and ears burned red from a mixture of embarrassment, shame, and several other emotions. Through Adelia’s heavily biased eyes, however, it looked like nothing more than a shy blush.
"Co-Cordelia!"
But it wasn't over yet.
She was already in too deep.
To defend Yuder completely, Cordelia decided to deliver the finishing blow herself.
"I-I can't live without Yuder! I'm Yuder's, and Yuder is mine!"
The lines that had been written in the script she had thrown away last time.
Cordelia’s eyes even reddened slightly from sheer embarrassment, but to Adelia it looked like a tearful plea.
"Co-Cordelia......."
Utterly aghast.
She staggered for a moment, but she was still one of the seven commanders of the Royal Guard Magic Corps.
Somehow righting her posture, she took a deep breath and spoke.
"No, no, seriously, that scrawny little thing whose only good point is his face......."
That was as far as she got.
Adelia had been about to voice everything she normally thought about Yuder, but the words died in her throat.
This time it wasn't because of Gale.
It was simply because of the reality before her eyes.
'Wh-what.'
Yuder Bayel.
A child born with the Nine Yin Meridian Blockage.
A sickly pretty boy who had been too frail to learn proper swordsmanship and had spent most of his time shut away in his room.
But that wasn't the case.
The Yuder before her eyes was certainly a pretty boy, but he was by no means scrawny.
'When did he get built like that?'
Adelia had heard the story that he had obtained Solari's necklace and was treating his Nine Yin Meridian Blockage.
But could curing the condition really have transformed his body this much, this quickly?
First of all, he had gotten taller.
According to the information Adelia had gathered, Yuder had once been about the same height as Cordelia or slightly shorter. Now he towered over her by what looked like at least 10 cm.
And he was well built.
He was not bulky with swollen muscles, but his shoulders were broad and his muscles firm.
Yuder was bundled in several layers because they were surrounded by snow, but Adelia had seen countless knights in the royal capital through her work.
Even through his clothes, she could roughly judge the shape and thickness of his muscles from the way they fit.
'Solid.'
Not inflated show muscles, but solid muscle honed through training.
He was almost at Lord Gale’s level—no, not quite—but either way, his body was far too sturdy for anyone to call him scrawny, even as a joke.
'Something, I need to criticize something, but I can't.'
In the first place, she was already in a situation where it was hard to say anything because she was conscious of Gale.
With even Yuder giving her nothing obvious to criticize, Adelia found herself at a loss for words.
Yuder did not miss the opportunity.
He moved while Adelia was still floundering in confusion and Cordelia was panting from her own desperate effort.
Grab.
Yuder stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Cordelia’s shoulders as she stood in front of him protectively.
He pulled her close. Suddenly finding herself in Yuder’s arms, Cordelia became flustered for an entirely different reason.
'Yu-Yuder?'
Cordelia was already used to being held or carried by Yuder.
But it was strange.
Until now, she had never thought anything of being held or carried by him. This time, though, it felt different.
Thump-thump.
Her heart suddenly started pounding.
Her cheeks heated for an entirely different reason as she looked up at Yuder.
'Wh-what. This is weird.'
Without realizing it, Cordelia went quiet and lowered her head. Yuder held her securely and spoke.
"Lady Adelia."
Adelia reacted to the carefully chosen form of address.
Yuder met Adelia’s blue eyes without wavering and spoke with no hesitation.
"Cordelia and I love each other."
Twitch.
It was Cordelia.
She flinched and reflexively raised her head to look at Yuder, shouting with her eyes.
'Wh-who! You and me?'
'You and me. Just accept it for now. Adelia is watching, so act natural. You know? If you give up, it gets easier.'
'Ugh.......'
Cordelia lowered her head again. To Adelia and Gale, her reaction looked like shy confirmation.
"Running off on a honeymoon was clearly wrong. And yes, it was my fault. Cordelia did nothing wrong. She only went along with my selfish insistence that I wanted a little more time alone with her."
Yuder’s painfully earnest words made Adelia falter, while Cordelia’s head snapped up again.
The conversation had taken a very strange turn.
"N-no! It's not Yuder's fault! I was the one who said we should go! Yeah, yeah! I threw a tantrum saying I wanted time just for the two of us. And I left the letter too, didn't I?"
She had resolved to protect Yuder from Adelia, so she couldn't make it all Yuder's fault.
In truth, the atmosphere no longer required Cordelia to go nearly this far, but the succession of embarrassing developments had left her too flustered to think clearly.
Either way, Cordelia's declaration was effective.
A boy and girl each insisting they were the guilty one and begging the adults to punish them instead of the other.
To anyone watching, it looked exactly like two people lying to protect each other because they were deeply in love.
"Ugh......."
Adelia, who had been groaning, eventually let out a long sigh.
Part of Adelia still wanted to smash Yuder to pieces, but after things had gone this far, she could not bring herself to do it.
If Cordelia liked him that much, what could she do?
And in fact, Adelia knew it too.
She knew there was not much she could actually do once she met him.
"Ahem."
It was right at that moment.
Gale, who had remained silent until then, cleared his throat and drew everyone’s attention. He stepped forward and stood beside Adelia.
He did not embrace Adelia the way Yuder held Cordelia. Simply standing beside her was enough.
Adelia immediately felt as though she had gained a dependable pillar of support. Watching the two of them, Yuder and Cordelia both had the same thought: maybe.
"Yuder, and Lady Cordelia."
"Yes, brother."
"Yes, brother-in-law."
Yuder and Cordelia answered immediately.
Gale smiled slightly at the form of address "brother-in-law" and continued speaking.
"On the way here, I learned a great deal about what the two of you have been doing. And now I’ve seen with my own eyes just how much you cherish and love one another."
At Gale's words, Yuder nodded, but Cordelia shook her head vigorously, if only in her mind.
'No, that's not it, that's not it at all.'
Her reason was finally returning, but the reaction also came from a deep-rooted resistance to the idea.
Even so, she could only shake her head inside her own mind.
Gale exchanged a pleased look with Yuder, then drew a deep breath. His expression turned much sterner as he continued.
"But what the two of you did was unquestionably wrong. The disrespect shown to House Hraesvelgr was severe enough to be difficult to forgive. And you both know how deeply you hurt Lord Lucas, who considered you his friends."
At the mention of Lucas, both Yuder and Cordelia looked deeply remorseful.
And Gale was satisfied with that reaction.
"That isn’t all. Because of your actions, both House Bayel and House Chase have been dragged into ugly rumors."
Because there were those who criticized and mocked them, asking how they had raised their children.
Shame and guilt joined the remorse on Yuder and Cordelia’s faces, and Gale’s expression grew even sterner.
"I still need to hear the full circumstances, but regardless of those details, your actions caused a great deal of trouble. The responsibility for all of it belongs to the two of you."
Gale did not get angry.
He did not raise his voice.
But Gale's words carried weight.
"When we return, you’ll take responsibility. No running away and no avoiding it. You’ll face what you did and put things right. Understood?"
"Yes, brother."
"Yes, brother-in-law."
When Yuder and Cordelia answered obediently, a smile spread across Gale's stern face again.
His usual good-natured expression returned. He looked affectionately at Yuder and Cordelia standing together and said,
"Still, I’m relieved. Both of you are safe. I was very worried."
The carrot after the whip.
No. It was not some calculated reward after a reprimand.
It was simply Gale’s genuine concern, and that moved both Yuder and Cordelia—Cordelia especially.
And one more person.
'He really is wonderful. A genuinely decent man.'
A smile spread across Adelia’s face as she watched Gale in profile.
A fully relaxed smile, just like when she looked at Cordelia.
"Lady Adelia."
"Yes?"
"Um...... Lady Adelia?"
"Yes? Ah, yes!"
Adelia, who had flinched in surprise and straightened her posture, blinked, and Gale smiled gently before speaking to Yuder and Cordelia again.
"Lady Adelia was also extremely worried about the safety of the two of you. Enough that her emotions became intense. So how about properly thanking her?"
After all, Adelia and the two had taken opposing stances the moment they met.
At Gale's words, Cordelia spoke first.
"Sis. Thank you. And I'm sorry."
"I apologize, and thank you."
When Yuder expressed his gratitude following Cordelia, Adelia felt awkward, but at the same time, she was also pleased.
Because if Adelia had come alone, she would never have heard such words.
"She really was very worried."
When Gale smiled and said this quietly, Adelia pursed her lips and nodded slightly.
And at that sight, at the change in the color of her cheeks that, though faint, had definitely occurred, Yuder and Cordelia reacted.
'Wait, could this be, no way, maybe?'
'Oh-ho, maybe?'
Yuder and Cordelia's eyes narrowed, and this time too, Cordelia spoke first.
"Sis."
Just that one word.
But like the saying that a thief's own feet go numb, Adelia flinched and spoke in a fluster.
"I-it’s nothing! Lord Gale and I are nothing to each other! R-right, Lord Gale?"
An action that, far from dispelling suspicion, deepened it further, while also proving that Adelia, like Cordelia, carried the blood of the Count Chase Household.
And at this moment, Gale also proved that he was a man of the Count Bayel Household, sharing the same blood as Yuder.
"Are we...... nothing to each other?"
At the sudden remark, Adelia flinched.
No, what's with this man all of a sudden.
It's not that I dislike it, well, it's definitely not that I dislike it.
"N-no, well, that's......."
Adelia, whose heart was pounding wildly and couldn't speak properly, stammered with a reddened face, and Yuder and Cordelia's gazes grew cold.
'Indeed, so that's how it is.'
'Hmm-hmm.'
They had both grown cold, but their reactions were slightly different.
Yuder had a feeling of "indeed, that's my brother," while Cordelia was more "hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm."
"Anyway, rather than standing here talking, let us go inside and talk. There will be many stories to exchange with each other."
Gale didn't just keep pushing. He subtly stepped back and smoothly settled the situation.
"Let us go, Lady Adelia."
"Yes, Lord Gale."
Adelia, who had answered twice as demurely as usual, cleared her throat and walked with Gale, and Yuder, who had been quietly watching that sight, suppressed his laughter with effort and took a step. No, he tried to take a step.
'Yuder.'
'Hm?'
'It's all over now, so can't you let go?'
'No, not yet. Adelia is watching.'
Of course, she was watching, but she was floundering in a crucible of awkwardness, embarrassment, and various other things to the point where it was questionable whether she could actually see properly.
'Hmm-hmm.'
'Anyway, let's go. You'll get used to it.'
Yuder walked with his arm around Cordelia's shoulders, and Cordelia moved along for now.
And so, the spot where the two pairs of men and women had departed.
Despite having been together from beginning to end, the person who had somehow ended up like a sack of barley dumped in the corner stood up from his spot and dusted off his backside.
"If it was going to be like this, why did you even call me? Huh?"
Rough Avalanche.
Voicing his complaints to no one in particular, he turned to look in the direction Yuder and Cordelia had gone.
He shrugged his shoulders once, then walked off with toddling steps.