Just Grow Up Right
After the Subjugation Festival ended, back at the Hasgard manor.
During the meal, Daywin suddenly spoke up.
"Father, I believe I should be heading back now."
"Heading back? Daywin, you've already returned, haven't you?"
"I mean returning to the Academy."
At the mention of the Academy, the family glanced back and forth between him and Ester.
Ester, invited to the table for her achievements at the Subjugation Festival, froze mid-bite with a slice of dessert cake halfway to her mouth. Having been eating with such enjoyment, she now seemed to feel the weight of so many eyes fixed on her at once.
"That matter… it isn't finished yet?"
"No. If anything, it's only just beginning."
To be precise, it's interference with the romance routes under the guise of sponsorship.
"I intend to stay by their side and work hard until all the students have grown. Compared to Ester, the rest haven't developed at all."
He gave Ester a subtle glance, and her face flushed as red as the cherry perched atop her cake.
Clatter—
At the same moment, the eldest Hasgard dropped the fork he had been holding.
"Daywin… are you truly leaving like this? So… soon?"
"Yes. I plan to set out at first light tomorrow."
"One day!"
"Pardon?"
"One day… can't you stay just one more day? I prepared the chessboard for your return! I never got the chance to bring it out because of all the Subjugation Festival preparations. I even sought out a master craftsman and had the pieces made from high-grade jade, and yet…"
"Brother, I've long since lost interest in such things."
"How can that be…!"
"Little brother, I too wish you would stay a little longer."
The middle Hasgard chimed in next.
These bastards are at it again.
"Eldest Brother may have prepared fancy toy horses, but I brought you a real horse from abroad. If you must leave first thing tomorrow morning, why not go hunting together on the new mount even now?"
"We're… in the middle of dinner, aren't we?"
"In that case, nocturnal game would be perfect. Foxes. Yes, foxes would do nicely."
"I'm sorry. I'm a bit tired…"
"How can that be…"
The middle Hasgard's head drooped heavily.
First the eldest, now the second—both had been sunk in turn.
"Above all else."
Daywin steadied his voice and looked to his father.
"I must uncover the mastermind behind the one who tried to kill Brother Romons. I believe the two of you are already taking steps, of course."
His parents' expressions changed in an instant. The warm, smiling faces vanished without a trace, replaced by something sharp and hard.
My words must have hit the mark.
"Those assassins appear to have been from an organization operating in the Marquis's territory where the Academy is located. I'll go and investigate."
"Daywin, that is far too dangerous. Better to leave the matter to the family."
"Eldest Brother is right, little one. If it's because I was hurt, don't concern yourself so much. Times like these call for caution…"
"No."
Their father cut the brothers short.
"Daywin. I'll leave it to you."
The father who would ordinarily have fretted just as much as the brothers spoke now in a voice that was uncharacteristically firm.
"As you say, we intend to track them down by any means necessary."
He spoke with a hatred utterly unlike his usual self.
"I'll leave that side of things to you, Daywin."
After Daywin returned to the Marquis's territory.
At the Marquis's manor.
"Lord Fred, a guest has arrived. He claims to be the third son of Count Hasgard."
As always, Marquis Fred was on his knees before the statue of the Goddess, offering his morning prayers. He had just given thanks for another day of life and prayed for peace when he slowly opened his eyes.
"He says he wishes to discuss the entertainment district…"
"Predictable."
Fred cut the servant off before the man could finish.
"Never heard of the family. Some young master from who-knows-where went and played around in the entertainment district, got completely fleeced by those scoundrels, and now he's come to whine. Isn't that obvious?"
Such incidents happened often enough. Provincial nobles who knew nothing of the world would visit the entertainment district and squander everything they had.
The Marquis's territory, home to both the Academy and the diocese, projected a bright image overall—yet in its shadows lay the entertainment district and the slums.
Where there is light, there is also shadow.
"Damn it. That place again…"
If only the entertainment district would disappear, the Marquis's territory could make a name for itself as a city of learning. He wanted to use the Academy to transform his lands into a place of education and enlightenment.
Ironically, the more the territory developed, the more people were left behind.
Especially District 6 of the Marquis's territory.
The so-called entertainment district was a constant headache. Liquor, gambling, women, drugs—even contract killings. A trash heap he wanted to clear out as quickly as possible.
Yet the entertainment district had quietly amassed power of its own. Among the garbage lay rusted blades. Try to sweep it away carelessly, and blood would be spilled.
Karma… if only that bastard weren't there…
If the Marquis attempted armed intervention in the entertainment district, those scum would never defeat his forces. But that snake of a man would still take an arm or a leg for the trouble.
From time to time, the man would approach with that distinctive smirk of his and hand over money. In that fashion, a balance had been maintained until now.
No one would ever know that the Marquis had used the money earned from the entertainment district to gradually raise the Academy's buildings.
"What was the name again?"
"Hasgard. Daywin Hasgard, he said."
"A frontier count's house, is it… Came all this way just to gamble."
Had the entertainment district of the Marquis's territory truly become that famous as a place of diversion? The Marquis felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
"I have no intention of helping him. Throw him out. A fellow who engages in such vulgar pastimes is transparent enough without even seeing him."
He waved his hand as if shooing away a bug.
But instead of returning to the manor gates where Daywin waited, the servant added one more thing.
"He has brought Karma's head."
"Yes, Karma's… what?"
"Karma, my lord. The one who acts as master of the entertainment district…"
"I am not asking who Karma is! How did he manage to—no. First I must confirm that head!"
The Marquis cried out in a trembling voice, and a short while later—
Clack—
When the Marquis opened the box the servant had brought, he swallowed hard.
Hair cropped short like a lawn, a face so desiccated it was little more than skin. It was unmistakably Karma.
Aside from that distinctive smiling expression—always so irritating—now frozen cold and stiff, the face was exactly as the Marquis remembered it.
"…Open the doors."
The Marquis muttered as he closed the box.
"It seems conversation with him is more than worthwhile."
With those words, the servant brought Daywin to the Marquis's chambers.
A man with near-white blond hair and jewel-like red eyes. First impressions suggested someone better suited to the royal family than a mere count's house.
"I trust the gift was to your liking?"
Daywin spoke while surveying the Marquis's room.
Goddess Church symbols everywhere. Quite the devout man. This conversation should go smoothly.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the Marquis spoke.
"How did you take Karma's head?"
"With a sword, of course."
Daywin shrugged, and the Marquis turned to stare at him as if he could not believe his ears.
"…Do you know why that man was called Karma?"
The Marquis's solemn question. Daywin could not grasp the intent behind it.
"How would I know? I'm not his mother."
"Karma is not a true name. From long ago, the master of the entertainment district has inherited the name Karma. The one whose head you took was the fourth."
The Marquis spat the words out with a sigh and handed the box containing the head to his servant, adding instructions to burn it.
Karma, is it…
Karma—karma, as in deeds.
He had thought it rather grandiose for a back-alley boss. The karma accumulated across four generations. Evil karma.
"The Marquis's house has tried time and again to clean up District 6, but Karma's power was never something that could be ignored. In the end we settled into a relationship of coexistence and deliberate blindness. Yes—shameful as it is, I must admit it. Until you brought me that head, I had given up on killing Karma."
The Marquis gestured for Daywin to sit and continued.
"I assume you already know this, but with Karma removed, the time has come to cleanse District 6."
Marquis Fred spoke as if he had made up his mind. His tone carried the will of a man facing a critical, all-or-nothing moment—determined this time to extinguish it completely.
"If we sweep the entertainment district clean now, the Marquis's territory can expand even further. Therefore… I will ask you."
Daywin listened calmly and took his seat.
"What is it that you want from me?"
Only then did the corner of Daywin's mouth curl upward in a grin.
Meanwhile, at the Hasgard manor.
A party was being held to commemorate the end of the Subjugation Festival. Noble houses that had participated in the festival were invited to the manor to enjoy wine and food.
On the surface, at least.
The Subjugation Festival was a celebration where the kingdom's nobles, adventurers, knight orders, and mercenaries gathered in one place to display their strength. Discovering talent in the process was only natural. Who possessed what power—everyone came to know it clearly.
And the one who had shown the most striking power at this year's Subjugation Festival was, without question, the youngest son of House Hasgard.
A frontier family of loners that had stood outside anyone's interest. A house that had lived modestly and harmoniously, far removed from power struggles and intrigue, now held the most threatening card of all.
And so the other houses had come to the manor to verify the rumors surrounding Daywin Hasgard.
"Diar. Romons. While you pretend to welcome the honored guests, commit every word they speak and every action they take to memory. Observe everything."
The head of House Hasgard instructed his sons.
"Yes, Father."
The Hasgards who had hosted the party had their own purpose as well. The Count believed the enemy was close at hand. He considered this the perfect opportunity to find the mastermind who had ordered Romons's assassination.
Once his two sons had dispersed, the Count returned to where his wife was seated. The couple speaking with her were the neighboring count and countess.
"We were just talking about Daywin."
When his wife said so, the Count nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
As expected, it's nothing but Daywin talk today…
When the Count greeted them with a smiling face, the other side spoke up.
"I hear he performed splendidly at the Subjugation Festival. Might we hear that story?"
"Haha… He merely prevented an unexpected accident."
"Ah, yes. I heard there were assassins… My condolences. Was anyone hurt?"
"Romons is unharmed. Having a younger brother like Daywin must be Romons's destiny."
"Come to think of it, you have three sons, don't you…"
The other man continued hastily, as if something had just occurred to him.
"Ah—shouldn't House Hasgard be deciding on a successor soon? With all three so brilliant, you must have quite the dilemma."
"Indeed. It is certainly a dilemma."
"I've heard the brothers are exceptionally close. But when it comes to succession, conflict is inevitable, is it not?"
"No, that isn't it. The problem is that none of them wants to inherit Hasgard… That's the dilemma. Three sons with not a shred of ambition for power—that is what troubles me."
The count listening wore a look of pure shock. He himself had killed his younger brothers to claim the seat of family head. Memories of his wild younger days flickered briefly, and his face twisted of its own accord.
"I-I see. So then, how did your youngest son come by the power of a Holy Knight…"
The count tried to remember the purpose of his visit to the party and brought Daywin's name up once more.
"Daywin received the Goddess's power even before the Subjugation Festival. He began to show prominence with holy power around the time his illness healed. The Goddess herself must have aided him. Haha."
"How fortunate… that is. But I understand there is a vast difference between simply possessing holy power and awakening a Halo…"
"He says he awakened the moment he resolved to protect Romons."
It was a rough explanation Daywin had improvised, but the Count believed it with absolute conviction.
"Aha… ha… Truly brothers of deep affection. In that case, do you intend to raise him as a Holy Knight?"
It was the question the count had prepared long before arriving at the party. Through that single question he needed a definitive answer about Daywin's future.
Depending on the Count's reply, he—as a lord whose territory bordered Hasgard lands—would have to decide how to receive Daywin. He might even need to pour every resource into checking him.
If Daywin became a Holy Knight, House Hasgard would lean on the Church's backing and expand its influence even further.
"For now, I'm leaving it to Daywin himself. Though I do hope he becomes a Holy Knight."
"…Of course you would. The Church would never abandon such talent…"
At the count's words, the head of House Hasgard's expression brightened dramatically.
"Ahaha! So it seems that way to you as well? As it happens, a letter arrived from the Order of Holy Knights. They said they absolutely must meet our son. And not just any Holy Knight—the Knight-Commander himself made the request, you know?"
His words began to grow longer and longer. Checking other houses was one thing, but the Count of Hasgard was not a man to miss the perfect opportunity to brag about his son.
"The Knight-Commander sent a letter…"
"My, I was surprised myself at first, but honestly, it takes someone of the Knight-Commander's rank to make me feel like writing a reply. Daywin is no ordinary boy, after all. Don't you agree?"
"Ha… ha… Y-yes, of course."
The count agreed reluctantly, but the Count of Hasgard's boasting showed no sign of stopping.
"Lately I even dream of Daywin becoming a Holy Knight. If he joins the Order already possessing a Halo, he will surely receive the Order's favor. The Church will keep a close eye on our Daywin as well!"
"In that case… will House Hasgard's spirit also… be passed down to the third son?"
"That hasn't been decided yet, but if it's Daywin, I could hand it over without a single worry."
The Countess of Hasgard shot him a look that said enough was enough, but the Count continued chattering without the slightest awareness.
"Haha! It doesn't even have to be the Order of Holy Knights. Whatever Daywin becomes, he will bring glory to the family name! Hahahaha!"
"I will become the new master of the entertainment district."
I needed to bring the assassins who would hunt the mastermind into my own hands. I needed to use them.
Not expensive chess pieces carved from jade, but disposable pawns I could spend and discard.
I needed limbs that would live if I said live, and die if I said die.
"…What?"
"You asked what I wanted, did you not?"
I slowly leaned my body toward the Marquis.
"I will become Karma."