The Poisoned Chalice
She had to maintain her position as heir. At first, she had been confident there was nothing she couldn't handle. But Shagalor had succeeded in making Abel, that child, the successor to the North. As time passed, Karalin's thoughts gradually changed.
Everything is ruined. Everyone will die. The world that made me this way is wrong.
Was that truly how she felt?
'I'm lacking… far too lacking. That's why Father despises me, why he gave the heir's seat to Abel, why all the retainers abandoned me.'
No. Instead, she prioritized self-reproach. When things went wrong and injustice arose, it would have been natural to blame others. But she never did. It was all my fault. I was insufficient. That was all she repeated.
It was a way of thinking that could seem frustrating at a glance. Yet one could not simply condemn that heart. Father’s mind had been ruined by lust, but Karalin still respected and looked up to him. What exactly had such a man taught her? The nobility of blue blood. And the steadfast mindset of a warrior. Therefore, she could not simply attribute failure to others or to the times.
No matter how painful or sorrowful, she had to endure. That was… the duty of nobility, the heart of those who had learned and possessed much.
It was then.
“My lady, come to your senses. This place will soon become a sea of fire. We must break through at once!”
“…Damn it!!”
She had been uncharacteristically dazed. But the moment she heard Yohan’s urging voice beside her, her focus returned. Without realizing it, Karalin spurred her horse and accelerated out of the position. As expected, a barrage of wyvern flames rained down overhead the instant she left.
Even low-ranking dragons possessed flames that burned hot enough to boil. Chae-aeng—!!!
Yet just before being engulfed, Yohan and she deployed frost magic in time to survive.
This was a killing field. Even if not immediately, anyone who remained here for days, months, or years would inevitably die. If Karalin herself had been in command, she would have abandoned such a front as quickly as possible and used mobility to attempt intercepting the wyverns. But Father did not wish for that.
'Karalin, I will give you the cavalry. Attempt a frontal breakthrough.'
'B-but Father…'
'I raised you to be capable of such a thing. Do you truly intend to speak of impossibility?'
'…No. This Karalin will fulfill her assigned duty.'
Receiving such impossible orders and being driven into a death trap had been going on for quite some time. It must have begun when Abel had barely outgrown infancy and was newly designated as the heir to Vitagarte. Back then she had still been young, so she had only issued commands from a position overseeing the battlefield with a baton. But wyverns were creatures of the sky. Charging straight at such beings was no different from suicide, so it was inevitable that Karalin’s abilities would be doubted and her reputation damaged.
Yet that was the least of her concerns. The most painful thing was the expressions of the soldiers who received her orders to march to their deaths. Seeing those faces twisted something inside her heart.
That was why things were somewhat better these days. Now that her body had matured and she shone as a capable warrior, Karalin could go die alongside the very soldiers she had sent to their deaths. So at least her heart… was at ease. Yes, at least her heart…
“My lady, are you all right now?”
Once again, Yohan spoke from beside her. Before she knew it, the wyverns were no longer in sight. They must have gone to burn the village in their stead. Another retreat.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t focus. I… haven’t been able to sleep at all…”
“It is fine. It was a forced march and assault lasting forty-five hours. It is only natural to be exhausted.”
“…It’s my fault. Another defeat by an incompetent commander.”
“……Would you like to ride with me and rest? It will not be comfortable, but I will escort you safely to the castle.”
“Yes…”
But she had Yohan. Yohan was the only one. Once again, he alone had survived somehow and remained with her. Even as everything else burned, was pierced through, and perished, he always survived like this and protected her…
Thud.
Karalin climbed onto Yohan’s horse and quietly leaned against his broad back, closing her eyes.
“Steel Knight.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Thank you. For surviving.”
She found the very existence of her Steel Knight, Yohan, miraculous. Their bond had begun long ago when she saved him after finding him buried in snow while crossing the snowy mountains, on the verge of death. At first, she had simply done what she could for a dying young man without much thought, but perhaps he had wanted to repay that kindness. From that day on, the massive youth had stayed at her castle and remained by her side.
There had also been the time her horse had reared violently. Yohan had unhesitatingly saved her as she was about to fall. Even now, just thinking about it made her heart pound. But more than that… Yohan had displayed extraordinary ability from then on. Even though it put him in danger, he showed the rare resolve to risk his life for her, and even displayed that strange power that could shatter anything made of steel…
When she made him her attendant and had him accompany her, he followed her all the way to the end of the hell she had fallen into, just as he had declared. Even though there was no need for him to go so far.
'I wish to learn the sword so that I may stand beside you, my lady.'
'I cannot leave you alone. I wish to stand on the battlefield with you.'
When the heir’s seat was taken from her, all the retainers who had followed her abandoned her. But only he remained.
'No matter what happens, I will stay until the end.'
Only he stayed and supported her. On the battlefield, he swung that immense power to shatter the enemy’s armaments completely. Not long ago, he had even received the title of Steel Knight…
'I cannot give you anything in return…'
The more she thought about it, the harder it was to believe she possessed such a capable and outstanding retainer. Why did he go so far for her? It made her feel so sorry, her heart aching. She was this lacking, yet…
“Have you finally fallen asleep…”
Snore.
Yohan quietly murmured while looking at the blue-haired girl who had fallen asleep.
“Do not worry. Now that the new year has dawned, this time of humiliation and hardship will soon end.”
But Karalin, fast asleep, did not hear those words. Even if she had, she would not have understood their meaning.
***
How many days had passed since they returned alive?
“Karalin von Vitagarte.”
The old king, Rexas, had finally summoned her to the audience chamber. Her loyal retainer, the Steel Knight, was summoned as well. But the one he wished to speak with was not the Steel Knight. Thus Rexas growled her name. His voice was like rotten tar. The vigor of his prime, the figure once called the Tiger of the North, could no longer be found in that voice. Yet the fierce gaze of that slaughter chariot filled with wrath remained as sharp as ever. Though old and shabby, he was still someone capable of making people’s skin crawl. That was the kind of man he was.
“I have decided to send you to the academy. Sigmund Academy, the place our ancestor also attended. From now on, you will receive a better education than what you obtained in the North.”
And that terror declared it.
“B-but Father. I…”
“I will not accept objections.”
Shut up and go to the academy. In a way, it could sound like a sweet offer. For nobles rooted in the capital, admission to Sigmund Academy was itself a great honor. It was undoubtedly the finest opportunity to step onto the central political social stage in a splendid manner. Moreover, their educational standards were truly the highest in the empire. If one could complete the course successfully, it would surely become a great strength for oneself.
Of course, whether that applied to the Grand Duchy of Vitagarte, the sole protector of the North, was questionable. Territorial situation? You already saw it. Central politics? Give it to the dogs. Unlike the relatively peaceful circumstances of the capital, invasions by foreign tribes and demons were growing fiercer by the day. Wyverns, which were rarely seen before, had begun their invasions eight years ago. Even a single one was a disaster, yet twenty-five had been confirmed. The North had only managed to shoot down eight so far. The remaining number alone was absurd. It would have been different if the granaries were full, but the North was in the grip of a harsh winter. Even to stop such creatures, the price of daily turnips had become as expensive as gold these days. Yet the central government offered no support. And they were saying, “Even if we’re rotten, we’re still Grand Dukes, aren’t we? You’ve got the title, so figure it out yourselves. We’re busy too,” while sitting back. What use was building connections with such detestable central figures?
Moreover, moreover… It was none other than her, who had been the heir before Abel, the excellent talent who could have received the succession at any moment. Why must she now mix with desk-bound scholars and receive “quality education” all over again?
Well, there was only one answer. Yes. This was exile. It was no different from saying, “Now get out of my territory and don’t come back.” Rexas had long since been driven mad by Shagalor’s pillow talk, but it seemed he had finally developed dementia. Simply kicking her out would look bad, so under the pretext of education, he intended never to summon her back to the territory again.
Humiliation and rage surged within her. She bit her lip hard enough not to show it and answered.
“Understood, Father…”
“Oh my, that’s wonderful, Karalin. Write letters often from the capital too. This mother will read them to Abel.”
Then Shagalor spoke in a mocking tone. That damned stepmother—was this how she was going to act now? Karalin had endured being driven into the hellish jaws of war, but since she refused to die as intended, Shagalor clearly wanted to push her out of sight. Even after losing everything, what had kept Karalin going was the hope of being acknowledged again in her beloved homeland. But Shagalor was now trying to take even that opportunity away from her.
Her eyes trembled. Her chest was so full of resentment that tears or screams threatened to burst forth at any moment. However, it was then that the black-haired knight who had been quietly watching the situation from a distance opened his mouth. He spoke to Rexas.
“Your Highness, if I may.”
“What is it, Steel Knight.”
“Sigmund Academy is quite far from the North. It will be a long journey, and we do not know what threats may arise.”
There was no hesitation in his words. As if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
“Therefore, if Her Highness the Grand Duchess is to attend, as her retainer, I also request permission to accompany her as an escort.”
'Yohan…!'
In an instant, color returned to Karalin’s previously gloomy face. At least in this territory, he was her only ally.
“Hah, I knew it. You’re the type to say that.”
Yet Rexas only sneered at that loyalty. Shagalor openly showed her displeasure and egged Rexas on.
“Your Highness, will the territory’s finances be all right?”
“No, even empty words won’t allow me to say they’re fine.”
“Then I don’t have any good thoughts regarding him…”
“Well, if the Steel Knight insists that much, he’ll have to find his own way to survive in the capital, won’t he? I’ll manage somehow for my daughter, but…”
To those words, Yohan immediately replied.
“I will manage without shortage.”
“If you understand, then leave.”
That was a warning that while they were free to go, there would be not a single coin of territorial support. In a sense, this was clearly a petty revenge against the Steel Knight who still refused to follow the successor Shagalor had chosen. Thus, only Karalin’s heart grew heavier. Only anxiety and impatience that she must do something for this loyal man assailed her.
But… if anyone knew that joy was currently bursting forth from within Yohan, to the point he was barely holding back explosive laughter, who would believe it?
***
I, Kim Yohan, thought.
'Finally, finally!'
At last, I could escape from this damned couple!
A lot of time had passed since becoming the lady’s attendant. And there had been many opportunities to give the lady a title. For her sake, I could have closed my eyes and cut off Shagalor or Abel’s heads… or gathered the retainers to rebel, dethrone Rexas, and put the lady on the throne…
But after thinking through all of that, the conclusion was always the same: the future could not be seen. No matter how I looked at it, the right thing to do now was to quietly ride the current and… send her to the academy according to the original history. Why? Because several months after the 65th class of Sigmund Academy, the current students, enroll, the Demon King’s army would begin large-scale activities. And the first places to be struck as preparation for that activity were already decided. One of the representative locations was right here—the Vitagarte Grand Duchy.
It would be around three chapters after the lady left for Sigmund Academy. In terms of time here, that would be three months. The territory would suffer a surprise attack by a full three hundred wyverns. And Vitagarte would be reduced to ashes. Three hundred. Just dealing with twenty-five had nearly killed us several times, yet if three hundred of those things descended, the territory would be automatically destroyed no matter what was done. The palace of Vitagarte, including the audience chamber we had just been standing in? Naturally, only traces would remain before it burned away. The capital would be relocated. The corpses of the people would form mountains and their blood would fill rivers.
That was the content of the third chapter of the game I played, Eternal Eclipse - Sigmund Academy. An episode about going to save the collapsing Vitagarte in such an unprecedented disaster situation. But if one remained as heir in a territory fated for that, what could possibly be done? One could refuse to go to the academy. But what remained was relocating the capital after it had been reduced to ashes, winning over the people’s hearts, putting on a pathetic show of requesting aid from the central government or neighboring territories, dealing with troublesome political battles with vassals eyeing opportunities, and endless supply paperwork. While doing all that, one would also have to prevent Vitagarte’s collapse. Do all that? 'Hell no, you bastard.'
The answer was escape. The reason I had silently endured Shagalor’s mismanagement and Rexas’s incompetence until now was precisely for this moment. After all, Shagalor, Abel, and the old king Rexas—who had desperately tried to seize the heir’s seat—would take care of everything. They ate it up, so what could be done? They had to do what needed to be done. Then what would we do? We would leisurely build our strength at the academy, then return to the territory when the opportunity arose in its dying state. And all we had to do was deliver the finishing blow. Then the throne would automatically return. The lady’s honor would be restored as well.
I had said it once before. None of this had any meaning. This was nothing more than a league only they enjoyed. And that taste would probably be quite spicy.
Step. Step.
Just as we were about to return to our respective private rooms, grab—the lady seized my sleeve from behind and spoke.
“Yohan.”
As if she had something to ask.