Vacation (2)
It was 1 a.m. The time when everyone in the territory, from the family members to the common folk, had fallen asleep. Yet the lights still burned in Decal Arden's office.
Even at this late hour, he sat at his desk, handling paperwork. The scratch of the pen nib against paper filled the quiet room.
A short while later, having finished all the urgent tasks, Decal set down his pen. That took care of everything needing prompt attention. He leaned back in his chair and pressed his temples firmly, stimulating them.
Processing a week's worth of administrative work in one go had brought on a pounding headache. Even for someone whose body and mind were advancing toward the Transcendent realm, the stress of desk work was unavoidable.
Hurrrk. When that didn't help, he downed the now-cold coffee. The recently invented never-melting ice kept it chilled without ruining the flavor.
After about ten minutes of rest, Decal moved to tackle the remaining work. His gaze fell on the thick stack of papers piled in one corner of the desk.
"At least this pile is smaller."
As the head of the Arden family—with authority second only to the emperor—hundreds of letters poured in daily. These were the ones that didn't require immediate review or seemed unimportant. And among them was a letter from his son.
[Kyle Arden]
Decal stared blankly at the envelope with his son's name as the sender. It had been sent five days ago—not too long.
"Hm..." His expression didn't change. The complete opposite of his reaction to letters from his second son, Veil. And for good reason: Kyle's letters had always been nothing but demands.
He'd been quiet lately after the last warning... but apparently, something had happened contrary to Elraim's reports.
He broke the seal and unfolded the letter, reading it slowly.
Father,
A lot of time has passed since that incident. I've spent it reflecting on myself and come to understand just how terrible my actions were at the academy. I've done a lot of soul-searching, and as you said, I've been keeping a low profile. Elraim must have reported as much.
I've also focused on my studies and achieved decent grades. I've enclosed my report card as proof.
Decal pulled out another sheet from behind the letter. The design was quite different from the old ones, but it was unmistakably a Tianis Academy report card. According to it, Kyle had claimed the top seat this semester.
In Tianis Academy, where even middling talent struggled to crack the top hundred, anyone would rejoice at such news. But not Decal Arden. He simply turned back to the letter.
However, while devoting myself to studies these past days, I've encountered some discomfort. It prevents me from having personal time, makes me feel like I'm locked in a prison, and keeps me from focusing on lectures.
So, I ask that you withdraw Elraim. Please give it deep thought and, for the sake of your son who wishes for a smooth academy life, make the decision accordingly. I believe I've shown results.
Finishing the last line, Decal set the letter down. His impression was blunt.
"He's using his head this time."
He was using his head. That was Decal Arden's assessment.
No flowery rhetoric, no pointless drivel. It was as if he knew Decal despised unnecessary words—just the essentials. Had he written it in his usual style, Decal would have read only the end, crumpled it, and tossed it in the trash.
That alone showed how much brainpower he'd wracked.
"Hmmm..." Decal Arden stared at the letter and report card for a long while. Just gazing endlessly. His face betrayed no emotion, leaving his thoughts inscrutable.
Just as he finished pondering and moved to set the letter aside—
Knock knock. Someone rapped at the door. A voice followed.
"Family head."
"Come in."
Knowing who it was, Decal permitted entry immediately. In strode a knight covered in blood-soaked hair and armor, fresh from battle. The room filled with the thick scent of blood and the dark aura unique to the slain foes.
Decal paid it no mind and questioned the man.
"All handled?"
"Not a single one left alive. Cleanup is underway."
"Root base located?"
"The demons were too thorough. Unfortunately, no. It'll take more time."
Two months prior, residents had begun vanishing from the outskirts of Arden territory. The culprits: black mages and the demons they'd contracted.
To resolve it, Decal had dispatched two knight orders. But the black mages were insidious, the demons cunning. As expected, uprooting them in one go wasn't easy.
Even with the immediate threats eliminated, he had no intention of withdrawing the knights. The enemy was tenaciously persistent. They were lurking now, but they'd strike again.
"Recall the dispatched forces for now and rotate in the waiting knight order."
"Understood."
"It'll be tough, but bear with it a bit longer."
"Not at all."
Decal nodded at the knight commander's brief salute. He then listened to the follow-up report: compensation for the deceased residents, repair costs from the extermination. The incident had piled on problems.
He'd just finished one task, yet it felt like more had appeared. Weariness crept in. Pressing his temples again yielded no relief.
Noticing, the knight commander, Raoul Teros, spoke with concern.
"Decal, you should rest too. Do you even know how many nights you've pulled in a row?"
"Hm... I haven't skipped sleep entirely. Two hours a night."
Raoul sighed deeply.
"Sigh. Even a Master would break down after weeks of that. You need at least four hours."
A Master could endure a week easily. Mana circulation kept the mind sharp. But Decal had kept it up for a full month. Even his superhuman body was still human, and mana arts had limits. Minimum four hours' sleep was essential.
"Advice: call it a night."
It might sound like an order, but this was after hours, a private moment between lifelong friends. Decal brushed it off anyway—he strictly separated work and personal matters.
"Was planning to. Work's done."
Yet leaving the office proved difficult. His eyes lingered on the letter in hand. Raoul glanced at it too. There was only one reason Decal fixated on a letter like that.
"From Veil?"
"No."
Decal's immediate reply brought the other possibility to mind. Five days ago, a letter had arrived and caused a stir. Raoul murmured lowly.
"Then it's that one."
In the Arden family, "that one" referred to just a single person.
"What trouble did he stir up this time?"
"See for yourself."
Decal handed over the letter and report card. Raoul grimaced upon reading.
"What do you think?"
"What do I think? It's obviously aimed at shaking off surveillance."
The words were politely packaged, but the intent was anything but. No hint of true remorse—just deeper you read.
"No wonder Elraim reported he'd been quiet. This was his plan all along."
There was a reason for the lack of mischief. All for this.
"And this report card. Where's proof it isn't faked?"
Raoul tossed it down. Everyone knew he'd threatened professors before. No guarantee he hadn't this time.
"Not that. I instructed Elraim separately."
Decal had preemptively ordered her to watch for cheating during exams and grading. The academy had agreed, and Elraim had faithfully overseen every test, reporting immediately after.
"Elraim's reliable, yeah."
Raoul nodded. She was the most trustworthy knight. Not one to betray for personal gain.
That didn't rule out tampering entirely—Kyle's cunning could exploit gaps. The boy was sly, if nothing else.
"Rumors lately aren't reassuring either."
Academy commendations. Tournament wins. Nonsense kept flooding in. But no one in the family bought it. Kyle saving people? Showing brilliance in a tournament? More believable if the founding emperor rose from the dead.
Utterly implausible.
"True."
Decal dismissed the daily tales too. Kyle lacked the ability.
Harshly put, he was inferior even to apprentice knights—unfit for Arden.
Thus, no verification efforts. Waste of manpower and coin.
"Tch. Should've booted him back then."
Raoul clicked his tongue. Already swamped, and wasting time on this? Precious time.
"What's your plan?"
"Intend to grant it."
Rejecting might spark new issues. Better maintain the current quiet. Plus, keeping Expert Peak Elraim tied down indefinitely wasn't feasible. He'd been considering recalling her anyway.
"If it'd been Veil or Elraim asking, maybe. I don't recommend it. But it's your call."
Raoul figured the elders or anyone else would vehemently oppose. Might even demand dragging him home. But the decision was the family head's alone—meddling further invaded his authority.
Thus ended the private chat between Decal and Raoul.
"I'll head out then."
"Rest well."
They exchanged farewells, and Raoul left the office. Alone, Decal approached the window and stared vacantly at the predawn sky. Just gazing, and gazing more. Then he murmured softly.
"Soon... time to make contact."
Decal Arden's face, shrouded in moonlight, hid his expression.