Knight Order (6)
“……Just how many bottles did you two empty? Are all Sword Masters complete lunatics when it comes to their livers?”
I'd felt it before, but my house in the Imperial Capital Dersia was unmistakably public property no matter how you looked at it. The Sword Emperor barging through the barrier whenever he pleased went without saying. But even if not quite to that extent, there was one other person who invaded my home without much warning.
“Mm.”
I was half-collapsed against the sofa when the woman's voice from behind made me press a hand to my forehead and haul myself upright. A light dizziness and a headache pricking at my brain like needles…… Even my transcendent 8th Hierarchy body couldn't withstand this much alcohol, it seemed.
“……Good grief, you drank a lot.”
It had been ages since I'd gotten this thoroughly plastered. My body usually didn't even register the buzz.
The floor around me was littered with the empty wine bottles Beatrice and I had drained the night before. I moved sluggishly, starting to tidy up the bottles and the dishes cluttering the table. Midway through, the Sword Emperor had thrown such a fit that I'd ended up cooking simple snacks as makeshift accompaniments, so there was quite a bit to clean.
As I circulated my aura through my body to slowly expel the alcohol and cleared my head bit by bit while straightening up the mess, someone approached from the side.
“Rebecca.”
“……I'll help. The living room's in this state partly because of Grandfather, after all.”
Rebecca Teiran—one of the few acquaintances with free rein to come and go as she pleased, alongside the Sword Emperor. Unlike me, dead to the world from drink, she appeared in her crisp uniform first thing in the morning.
Her silver hair swaying as she helped carry the dishes and sort the bottles. She was a guest, so I considered stopping her, but…… well. She wouldn't listen anyway.
“Should I do the dishes too?”
“Just soak them in water for now.”
“I'll do a little.”
I left her to it. Despite her status as the duke's lady, Rebecca pitched in diligently. She seemed practiced at it, too.
“……Hm?”
And right about then, the Sword Emperor—who'd been sprawled on the sofa like he'd passed out—cracked his eyes open, just like me. Probably roused by the clattering sounds.
He groaned, pushing himself up with a hand on the sofa.
“What is it? Morning already?”
The sunlight was pouring blindingly through the window—a profoundly obvious question. I shot him an incredulous look and chided him.
“What else would it be, the middle of the night? Get up already. Your granddaughter's pretty furious.”
“Ah.”
I'd spent the night reminiscing over old tales and knocking back drinks with him too, so I was no different. But strictly speaking, unlike a stranger like me, it wouldn't be odd for the Sword Emperor to catch hell from his own granddaughter.
Indeed, at my words, he clamped his mouth shut with a sour expression and cautiously shifted his gaze to the kitchen.
Rebecca, washing the dishes by hand, didn't even glance his way as she said coolly,
“I've told you before, Grandfather. If you have plans to go out, at least give the head butler a heads-up.”
“……Er, Rebecca. See, the thing is……”
“Every time you vanish without a word, the mansion turns upside down. Last night, since I was there, I could at least guess you'd come to Sir Kyle's place. But still.”
“Mm, er……”
“And your physician warned you, didn't he? You're robust for your age, but you can't suppress all aging with aura alone. That included a warning about your liver function.”
How much did you drink in one night? Do you even care about your health?
Rebecca laid into the Sword Emperor without mercy, and he could only squirm helplessly, offering no rebuttal. It was a sight I knew all too well. Back when I hung out with him often a few years ago, I'd seen it almost daily.
Hoping for an amicable reconciliation between grandfather and granddaughter, I slipped away under the pretext of going to wake Beatrice.
Before leaving the capital, I'd spent a day introducing Beatrice to the Sword Emperor and Rebecca. They were the closest ties I'd forged in this world, after all.
We might cross paths often in the future, and even if not, they were connections that wouldn't hurt for Beatrice to know.
I watched Beatrice and Rebecca exchange farewells a short distance away in front of the mansion and remarked,
“Glad to see those two hitting it off. Personally, I'd been worried about my daughter not having any same-age women around to look out for her.”
“……”
“Rebecca seems to have taken a liking to Beatrice too. Then again, she did say she doesn't have any young girls among her relatives to dote on.”
“Kyle.”
I'd meant it as light chatter before departing with the Sword Emperor, but he apparently had more to say.
He eyed me askance and asked,
“That region where you picked up the girl……”
“……”
“Was it Edenberg by any chance?”
I didn't answer. My expression remained impassive, as always when dealing with him.
But that silence carried the weight of affirmation, so the Sword Emperor frowned with a complicated look.
“I hoped it wasn't true…… but it really is. What in the world are you thinking, you fool? Taking in the former count's daughter as your adopted child.”
“Any issue with that?”
My demeanor didn't shift. I'd anticipated as much from the start.
Five years ago, anyone who needed to know was aware that the Count Edenberg had abandoned his daughter. And with her deep blue hair and the telltale Blood Death Disease, the Sword Emperor wouldn't have missed it.
At my utterly nonchalant attitude, he scratched his cheek awkwardly and said,
“I'm not bringing it up to make trouble. You've done plenty of inexplicable things before. Just…… worried, that's all.”
“Worried?”
“Aye. If you're keeping that girl close, you know a clash with Count Edenberg might be inevitable someday.”
“……”
I fell silent for a moment, simply taking in the sight of Beatrice and Rebecca. Rebecca chatting amiably like an older sister, Beatrice responding awkwardly. She still looked a bit uncomfortable, but the fact that she wasn't fleeing the conversation suggested she didn't mind Rebecca.
By then, I turned to the Sword Emperor waiting for my reply and offered a faint smile.
“If a clash with the count is unavoidable, I won't shy away. For my daughter's sake, if nothing else.”
“……Is that so?”
“Yes. He won't find grounds to come at us aggressively anyway. She's the daughter he abandoned, after all.”
Count Edenberg might feel displeasure. Even if he'd cast her out himself, I was raising his blood kin as my own daughter. In other words, that was it. Displeasure was all he could muster.
I'd adopted Beatrice through fully legal channels, and with no issues in the process, the count had no room to interfere.
But if, by some folly, he tried something harmful to her……
That very day, the current Count Edenberg—Robert Edenberg—would find himself stripped of his nobility.
I'd see to it personally. Provided he dared pester Beatrice.
“……I understand your intent.”
Had he caught the chill in my eyes for that instant? The Sword Emperor nodded calmly.
“If you need aid, contact me anytime. I'd step up for your foster daughter at least once.”
“My thanks for the words alone, sir.”
“Think nothing of it. Compared to what you did for Rebecca six years ago, this is naught.”
The Sword Emperor chuckled dryly and patted my head; I slipped out from under his hand naturally and bowed to him.
“Then I'll be off. My daughter seems eager to head home.”
This trip to the capital had been solely for the Blood Flow Catalyst; with that settled, there was no reason to linger.
Our nest lay not here, but in the north—Handel.
Understanding that, the Sword Emperor glanced at Beatrice and muttered indifferently,
“You treasure her greatly, eh? It's not even been a full month since you took her in.”
“……”
“Kyle.”
As I turned to fetch Beatrice, he fixed me with a steady gaze and continued,
“Does that matter still wound you?”
“……”
I stayed silent, and he hesitated slightly before adding cautiously,
“Call it an old man's nagging, but failing to save that child was never your fault……”
“Sir.”
It wasn't a topic I cared to broach now. I cut him off with a wry smile.
“Until next time.”
“……”
At my evasive glance and curt words, the Sword Emperor couldn't hold me back. He just pursed his lips in mild annoyance a few times before grumbling reluctantly.
“……Go on, then. You insolent brat. I worry for nothing—tch.”
I bowed, gratitude for his restraint mingled with a twinge of guilt. He waved me off indifferently, avoiding my eyes.
“Beatrice.”
I approached Beatrice and Rebecca.
Now, it was time to go home.
Before heading to the rail station, there was one last loose end to tie up in the capital.
Ding-a-ling—
I left Beatrice outside for a moment and pushed open the workshop door.
The owner turned his head listlessly, then jolted upright upon seeing me.
“……Mr. Kyle.”
“You look awful, Hokma.”
I had no intention of dragging this out. It wouldn't benefit either of us.
We exchanged only curt, businesslike words.
“I heard the imperial verdict. They trust you enough to hold off on any disposition regarding Miss Beatrice.”
“You still think otherwise?”
“……No. If the higher-ups have decided, what opinion could a mere subject like me offer? No complaints here.”
It had only been a day, but Hokma looked years older somehow. Not a dramatic change in appearance—just pallid and shadowed.
I could easily read the guilt flickering in his eyes.
He glanced out the window at Beatrice, caught her eye, flinched as she quickly looked away, and murmured in profound misery,
“As for the remaining Blood Flow Catalyst…… Naturally, I'll continue preparing it to the best of my ability, as before. Or if you no longer trust me, I can introduce you to another skilled alchemist.”
“Hm.”
I stared him down steadily for a moment, then turned away indifferently.
“Why bother finding someone else? Just keep handling the commissions as usual. You wouldn't poison medicine meant for a child, surely.”
“……”
“You know full well that trying it would cost you your head too.”
Tap, tap—
I patted the sword sheath at my waist lightly as I spoke, and Hokma nodded with a hollow chuckle.
“As you command, Mr. Kyle.”
“See you next time, then.”
I left without lingering. No desire to punish him further.
I knew what drove him to rant about Beatrice's dangers.
Tormented by guilt like that—wasn't that payment enough? Half-decent people often suffer more than villains.
Taking Beatrice's hand, I headed for the rail station and glanced at her.
“How was your trip to the capital, Beatrice? Short as it was, you must've enjoyed sightseeing.”
A light opener, but……
“……Beatrice?”
“……”
She just stared at me steadily, offering no reply. Amid her sullen expression that hinted at displeasure, as I faltered—
“Why…… did you go back to my full name?”
“Er, uh?”
Beatrice puffed her cheeks peevishly and lightly scratched my hand with her nails. Not enough to draw blood or really hurt—just petulant fussing.
She whipped her head away, openly miffed, and whined,
“You called me Riche yesterday. Why back to Beatrice today?”
“……Ah, right?”
“Do it from now on. It's not weird for a dad to call his daughter by a pet name.”
I let out a hollow laugh and nodded.
“If that's what you want, Riche, I'll call you that from now on.”
“……”
Beatrice said nothing. But the faint blush on her cheeks softened her expression.
With my suddenly cheered-up daughter, I boarded the train to Handel.
'It's about time……'
As Beatrice dozed off against my shoulder barely two hours in, I began pondering my 'next plan'.
It had been nearly a month since adopting Beatrice and methodically eliminating every risk that could turn her into a disaster.
In other words, I finally had some breathing room.
Which meant……
'Monstrous Strength Chaos God.'
It was time to claim the second disaster.