Banquet, Persuasion, Meteor (2)
The words tasted bitter even as I thought them, but in the original Eternal Eclipse, Lady Karalin was nothing more than a supporting character. Because of that, the complicated family circumstances that had destroyed her were never explored in detail… and naturally, the people around her—aside from Shagalor and Abel—were barely mentioned at all.
And that included His Highness Rexas, the current Grand Duke of the North. The only thing ever said about him was that he went missing when the North fell. That was the extent of it. Aside from being called a senile old man consumed by lust and obsession, he was strangely absent from the story.
But if you turned that around, it meant he was one of the characters I had come to know through direct conversation after arriving in this world—someone the original work had never truly portrayed. Unlike Jurchen or Eclipse, he wasn’t someone I had approached while wearing the tinted glasses of game knowledge.
So the time I had spent with him was purely mine to judge through my own thoughts as Yohan Kim. And now that everything had passed, the one thing I could say with certainty was this: I didn’t particularly like His Highness Rexas.
Because the king had hurt Lady Karalin. He had cornered a man who had done nothing wrong. As always, he refused to acknowledge that man’s efforts, never listened to a single word of honest advice, and clung stubbornly to the belief that only his own thoughts were correct. In the end, all he ever did was isolate him.
So sometimes, in the depths of my heart, I cursed him.
A perverted old bastard who only knows how to indulge in his senile lust. Can’t manage a single fucking thing properly, keeps making hopeless decisions, yet somehow clings to life far longer than he deserves, the old monster.
But perhaps because I had never once shown those feelings outwardly—though even if I had, the result might have been the same—His Highness Rexas cherished me.
This is a memory from long ago.
“You’ve grown strong, Yohan.”
“…It is only thanks to Lady Karalin’s excellent guidance. However, in my opinion, the path I must walk is still far away. To become a knight worthy of standing at your side, I must strive even harder.”
“Haha, is that so… Very well. That is a fine mindset.”
When I was young and training, he would always come to the training grounds himself and watch me from afar.
“Your birthday is soon, Yohan.”
“Even if you call it a birthday, I don’t know the exact date. I simply commemorate the day Lady Karalin picked me up…”
“…Even so, it must be celebrated. Is there anything you desire?”
Whenever my birthday came around, he would always press something into my hands as if caring for his own child.
“The conduct you have shown since Karalin made you her knight has been flawless. Therefore, I, Rexas, Grand Duke of the North, shall personally bestow a title upon you today.”
“It is an honor, Your Highness.”
“I have pondered it for a long time, but there is no title more fitting for you. From this day forward, you shall be called the Lord of Steel.”
After my coming-of-age ceremony, he even granted me a title right away. How could I possibly fail to understand the feelings he held for me?
Separate from what Hilken had once told me, I already knew the reason behind it. The way he looked at me… it was a complicated gaze, as if he were looking at an adopted son.
And now, turning the clock forward once more.
When I climbed the watchtower to meet His Highness Rexas, he had allowed no one else inside. He sat alone beneath the moonlight, drinking strong liquor.
Suddenly, he spoke to me.
“You’ve come. Sit. Have you had any drink?”
“I felt it necessary to keep my wits about me tonight, so I have refrained somewhat, Your Highness.”
“I suppose so. Knowing your temperament, you probably slipped away from the chaos the moment you could, claiming you had to protect Karalin or some such, and found a quiet place to hide…”
“………How did you know?”
When I looked startled, the Grand Duke simply took another swig without changing his expression.
“How many years do you think I’ve been watching you? It started back when you were still a tiny brat crawling on the ground. So of course I know.”
With that, he held out a cup to me.
“Take it. This one’s yours. It was given to me by my father.”
I see. Upon closer inspection, it was crafted in the old Northern style—crude iron that couldn’t possibly be modern. I had assumed it was an antique, but to think it was something passed down from the previous Grand Duke…
“Was this the drinking cup of Goyal the Fifth?”
“It was. But if you trace its origins, it goes back even further. I don’t know exactly how many generations it’s been handed down. From what I was told, it’s used when teaching liquor to one’s successor…”
“…If that’s the case, how could I possibly accept this, Your Highness!”
“Kahaha—”
The Grand Duke burst into laughter, filling the room with his aged wheeze.
“I know. But after not seeing you for so long, I wanted to see that perpetually stiff, unlucky face of yours twist in discomfort.”
“…It seems Lady Karalin truly is Your Highness’s blood. You both enjoy doing the exact same things.”
“Kehe, wait a moment. I’ll pour it into a different cup for you.”
With that, he transferred the contents into a plain black transparent cup beside him, almost as if he were decanting it, and handed it to me. And unless I had misheard, he muttered to himself.
“…If only you had been my son.”
“……….”
But I had no reason to respond to those words, so I simply remained rigidly silent. The Grand Duke asked again.
“…What? Why aren’t you saying anything after hearing that? Are you mocking me?”
“It is not a matter of mockery. Those words are something that cannot be, and must not be.”
“Hmph. As stiff as ever—stiffer than a rock, you are.”
“As a knight who has received his title from Your Highness and sworn his body to the North, that is precisely the kind of thought I must never entertain.”
I clinked my cup against his with a bold gesture and swallowed the strong liquor in one go, rubbing my chest afterward.
“Your Highness. Therefore, please forgive this rudeness of mine for harboring no such thoughts at all.”
“How old-fashioned.”
“It cannot be helped. A knight must understand exactly whose glory and gaze allowed him to rise to his position before he can truly fulfill his role as a man.”
The Grand Duke seemed to have many thoughts on the matter. He clicked his tongue and spoke.
“…And yet that bastard Abel will never understand something like this, even if he dies.”
“Well, that wasn’t exactly what I was hoping you’d say, but…”
“He simply thought everything was his by right from the beginning. Then the moment he actually rose to the position of ruler and bearer of responsibility, he got scared like a little girl and…”
“……….”
Well, that was probably because his own capabilities simply weren’t up to the task. But it wasn’t just that one problem, was it?
Just as I was having that impudent thought, the Grand Duke, after a long pause, spoke bluntly.
“Lord of Steel.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Stay.”
And after a long pause usually comes a bad move. Since I had absolutely no intention of accepting, I answered immediately.
“I refuse.”
The Grand Duke’s beard trembled with what seemed like regret, yet also as if he had expected exactly this response.
“Why? I don’t know if you read the letter I sent, but I have deeply regretted the absence of a general like you in this war. If you return, I intend to value you more than anyone else.”
As he spoke, he idly swirled his finger inside the cup.
“I’ve finally realized it. There is no retainer with as much loyalty as you. Everyone left in the North now is nothing but opportunists and bats.”
“……….”
The reason only those kinds of people remained was entirely because of his own capriciousness, yet he was rationalizing it?
“Moreover, there is no one with real ability. If it had been you, I could have sent you anywhere and you would have returned alive after taking someone’s head… but they all died.”
After hearing everything, I could only think to myself:
Of course they did. You sent them on impossible missions based solely on your own standards. There was no way they could survive.
But His Highness Rexas spoke as if he genuinely could not understand.
“Was obeying my orders really that difficult?”
“The situation was so dire that it couldn’t be helped, Your Highness.”
“…I don’t want to say this if I can avoid it, but the North has sunk. The only general I can trust and deploy to the front lines now is you alone.”
As he said that, he looked at me with an expression that seemed on the verge of tears—something completely unlike him.
This guy… he’s getting all sentimental now that it’s time to go…
Despite that thought, his resolve seemed firm. It was as if he had already decided on the answer.
“Therefore, this is an order from your king. You have no choice. Stay here. Stay… and become my sword.”
But if he put it that way, I had thoughts of my own.
“You already know how difficult that is, Your Highness.”
“…You son of a bitch.”
“In the capital… there are many forces targeting Lady Karalin. If I leave my position empty, she will face tremendous hardship. Just as she always has.”
“That damn ‘Lady’ this, ‘Lady’ that, ‘Lady’ everything—!”
BANG—!
Rexas crushed the iron cup in his grip and hurled the mangled metal into the corner of the room.
Holy shit.
“So the king—me—is less important to you than my daughter, that ‘Lady’ who is your master?!”
“…One must not weigh the importance of blue blood. However, what I said came from knowing my role well. My duty is, to the end, to remain the unchanging sword that guards Lady Karalin’s side…”
“Shut the fuck up, you bastard. Be honest. You want to take Karalin as your wife, don’t you?”
The moment I heard those words, my mind went blank. A question I had never once heard from his lips.
Oh, damn it. Fucking hell…
“…That is absolutely not the case. The heart I offer is one of loyalty and devotion. It is the proper duty of a knight!”
I spoke with the greatest possible decorum, feeling a pressure so intense that every sphincter in my body clenched. My heart was pounding violently, and cold sweat poured down endlessly. It was enough to give me a new realization that humans really could become like this when tense.
But then—
“I see. Very well then, Lord of Steel.”
“……….”
“If you will not stay, then I suppose I should revisit that marriage arrangement I’ve been putting off.”
“…Pardon? Whose marriage arrangement—?”
“Whose do you think? The one you’re willing to die for—your precious ‘Lady,’ Karalin von Vitagarte.”
At those short two sentences from His Highness… I unconsciously gathered every ounce of strength in my lower abdomen and shouted.
“That cannot happen—! Your Highness—!!”
“So now your true temper shows, Lord of Steel.”
Only then did I realize I had acted far too rashly and managed to regain my composure. I spoke to him calmly once more.
“…That cannot happen.”
“Looks like my opinion is really pissing you off. You look like you might punch me at any moment.”
“……….”
“Fine, you bear-like bastard. It seems we want different things. Let’s settle this once and for all tonight. If you dislike me that much, then in the Northern way, we’ll decide it with our fists.”
Honestly, if it were up to me, I would love to beat the shit out of the king right here and get what I wanted. After all, hadn’t I done exactly that to Babalk?
But the opponent was the King and Grand Duke. There was no way I could handle someone of his stature with such crude violence.
“That cannot be, Your Highness… You are the one who bestowed my title upon me. Raising my hand against you would be treason—outright rebellion…!”
“Then good. I shall marry Karalin off.”
Therefore, there was only one answer I could choose.
“Yes, I understand Your Highness’s will. If it must be that way, then so be it.”
“…Huh? So easily?”
He looked at me with genuine surprise, as if he hadn’t expected me to accept so obediently.
“However, the moment you make the announcement, I will hang myself from the rafters of the royal palace and die.”
At my shocking declaration that followed…
“…You son of a bitch!”
“I’m serious! You know I never say anything I don’t mean—!!”
Rexas could only glare at me, apparently never having expected me to go this far. Yet at the same time, as if he had gotten the confirmation he wanted, he let out a hollow laugh and continued.
“…Hah. Listen here, Lord of Steel.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Don’t you find your own words strange after saying them yourself?”
“…What do you mean?”
“If you truly serve your lord with loyalty and devotion, then when she marries a good partner, you should gladly congratulate her and vow to serve faithfully by her side for life. What kind of knight in this world says he’ll hang himself and die?”
“………Ah.”
And then I realized it.
Ah… Aaaah… It was a trap.
You dirty, despicable old monster.
When I stood there not knowing what to do, the old man bared all his wrinkles and grinned strangely.
“…This bastard. Really.”
A hearty laugh.
“You knew I couldn’t do it, so you threatened me with it?”
“……….”
Then, for some reason I couldn’t understand, he suddenly lifted the entire bottle of strong liquor and drank straight from it.
Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp—
“Ugh, I’m getting drunk…”
“Your Highness? Your Highness?!”
And Rexas turned his body away from me and lay down. At this point he no longer seemed like a king or grand duke. He was just an old man.
Still lying there, he spoke to me.
“…I understand your will. Now get out of my sight. Tonight, no one is to come looking for me.”
“Your Majesty…?”
“I’m sleepy… and tired… So I’m just going to die like this…”
“……….”
“…I misjudged you. A bastard like you who refuses to follow me—”
Silence.
“—is also unnecessary. Consider it my final mercy that I do not pick up a sword and kill you where you stand.”
“…Understood. Then the Lord of Steel shall take his leave.”
“Yes. Disappear forever. After this visit, do not return to the North again. From now on, I will handle things myself.”
“Those words…”
“……….”
But now the Grand Duke no longer felt the need to answer me. He remained motionless and silent in his lying position. How I should interpret this was no longer my concern.
So I quietly gave one final deep bow, and with a creak— I closed the door to the watchtower where he lay and returned to the crowd.
“I will see you again someday, Your Highness.”
“……Farewell.”
My mood was horribly unsettled.
Being cursed out by a superior I didn’t even like that much wasn’t so bad, since I had refused to give him what he wanted first. But the way he had shown me a side of his inner thoughts at the very end—spewing those cryptic, ambiguous remarks—left me truly unsure how to interpret it.
Sigh… Did I really come to the North for this…?
Had the Grand Duke given me permission to love Lady Karalin? Or had he told me never to set foot in the North again if I wanted to do so? It was a wall I had to overcome someday, but now that it was right in front of me, I couldn’t help but feel complicated.
And completely contrary to my inner turmoil, the streets were still wrapped in the atmosphere of the banquet. All the citizens were united in laughter. That only made my heart feel even more tangled. It seemed I was the only one here with such worries.
“Lord of Steel, Your Excellency!”
“Greetings.”
Of course, some people recognized me along the way. But unlike in the capital, their greetings weren’t unpleasant. My resolve to return here someday had not changed at all… though if I did, I would probably never see His Highness Rexas again.
“It can’t be helped…”
…It’s fine. I never liked him that much anyway.
So I decided that tonight I would slip away to a quiet place and only meet the others tomorrow. But the moment I thought that—
“…Lord of Steel, Your Excellency!”
“Ugh—?!”
A sensation like a potato sack covering my face swallowed my vision in darkness.
Who the hell are these bastards?