56. Emotionally Moving but Then a Sudden Drift
The Empire's history has always been intertwined with war. No, every nation is the same.
And that war always demanded a great deal of blood. Countless souls sacrificed their lives to fulfill their duties.
From those who had once shone with fame to those whose names were unknown, all dedicated their lives to the Empire.
Karl raised his head and gazed at the quiet, solemn place that had just come into view.
The Empire's Ellington National Cemetery—the place where those who had spent long and short times together rested.
Sighing, he caught his breath and stepped inside. First, he encountered the Old Guards.
Those who guard this sacred ground, the final elegy for the heroes.
Seeing the Medal of Honor pinned to his chest, he noticed a slight flinch in their gazes.
But these were different from others. They didn't salute like the First Princess or the Crown Prince.
They simply performed their duties. Here, even Medal of Honor recipients held no meaning.
Because even greater, truer heroes were resting here.
“...”
The first thing he saw was, as expected, the graves of the nameless soldiers.
Without technologies like genetic testing, accurate identification was extremely difficult.
The military serial numbers had their limits. Therefore, the nameless soldiers' graves occupied the largest area in this Ellington National Cemetery and were managed with utmost respect.
They had given their lives for the Empire's prosperity and glory.
Rest here with the great ancestors of the Empire.
Only the gods know their names.
His comrades were, perhaps, the fortunate ones. Because there were those who remembered their names.
The headquarters that recorded their personal information had not been completely wiped out.
But those sleeping in that grave are not them. They were all who faced their final moments together.
Even that single record was burned to ashes in the fire and ultimately no one could identify who they were.
That's why they were honored with the utmost importance and respect.
Despite not leaving even their names behind, they had fulfilled their duties. They had protected the Empire.
Ssssh—
Karl's footsteps moved quietly, and various things hung and were tied to his body.
It wasn't just one or two items. It looked quite heavy. Nevertheless, he carried it all by himself.
“I’m here.”
Finally, he arrived at a place that still felt newly constructed.
There were sections where some had just been buried and others where preparations were still underway.
“I came because I heard that it had been recently buried. I’m a bit late, but please don’t say anything. I was really busy too.”
From his pocket, he pulled out something making a clinking sound.
“I’ve returned to the academy. The noble young master you all were talking about has finally returned to his rightful place. But you can’t imagine what happened after I returned. Anyway, damn gganfs.”
He filled a large cup with ice and poured cold water over it.
“I said I’d live, so I lived. Sometimes I think about that time and it drives me crazy, but still, it’s survivable. There are many who’ve gone through even worse nightmares than me, so I guess I’m not being dramatic.”
He himself was fortunate. His limbs hadn’t been blown off, and he hadn’t been captured as a prisoner and suffered.
Losing comrades was the same for everyone. In the midst of war, who could return without losing something? Even an omnipotent god couldn’t do that.
Some drank alcohol. Some coffee. Others, cheap candy that no one would eat.
Amid fading breaths and fading lives, what they spat out was not resentment towards the world, nor curses. Nor jealousy or envy towards the survivors.
If I die, just give me one thing in front of me. That’s all it takes, so forget everything and live.
“Do you see this? Do you know what this is? This is the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor. Huh? It’s two of them. Two medals! Huh?!”
With a playful smile, he shook the medals in both his hands. Reflected sunlight shattered and sparkled everywhere.
“Are you bragging? Yeah. You’re bragging. It’s true. If you don’t brag about receiving something this great, wouldn’t it be disappointing?”
Karl chuckled. He was laughing, but the laughter was extremely dry.
“His Highness the Crown Prince personally pinned it on me. Do you know what he said? He said there would also be glory for those who couldn’t stand with me. Receive it gratefully. Thanks to me, I received thanks from His Highness the Crown Prince.”
He stared blankly at his comrades who had fallen asleep in front of him. No answer came back.
For eternity, he would never hear any response from them.
“Was I really giving my all?”
He knew there would be no answer. Nevertheless, Karl continued to ask.
“Was there really nothing wrong? Do I need to apologize?”
The departed said nothing. Only the questions of the survivors scattered emptily.
The wind blew. The questions he exhaled were carried far away by the wind.
“...I live. Since I said I’d live, I’ll live. I won’t forget. However, I won’t be buried.”
He bowed to those sleeping in front of him, to all who had closed their eyes in glory.
The ice in the cup in front melted slightly, making a sound as it sank into the water.
It seemed as if it was bowing in place of greeting the one standing before him.
*
After receiving the Medal of Honor, Karl went somewhere and then returned to the Academy.
Medal of Honor. Even the nobles, who find it difficult to receive even one, find it hard to dream of receiving two.
The person who received it twice. The Empire's hero. A person worthy of being called by that name.
When Karl returned, the students and staff surrounded him, constantly offering congratulations.
Continuously, continuously. Without stopping, they said he was amazing. Congratulations. They clapped and cheered.
As for Karl, he smiled like the hero they wanted, raised his hand in response.
“...”
Selene was watching this scene from a slight distance.
At first, she wondered if she would be among those cheering.
She wanted to clap with them, say congratulations, shout that he was amazing.
Because it was a Medal of Honor. Because even those great heroes found it difficult to receive even one.
But soon, Selene gave up. Or rather, the thought disappeared.
‘Expression. The expression... is different.’
Others might not notice it well, but in this atmosphere, it might not be visible, but in her eyes, she saw it. Clearly reflected. The person laughing but not laughing.
A part of the conversation she had once had with Karl flashed through her mind.
Some say seeing this medal is proof of accomplishment, something glorious.
But for her, it felt more like receiving it in place of those who left first.
So, thinking of the people she sent, sometimes she couldn't bear the guilt.
“Karl.”
Thus, Selene quietly greeted Karl, who had just entered the lounge after receiving everyone's cheers.
“You’ve been somewhere, huh.”
“Uh, yeah. I went around bragging about the medals I received.”
His words with a smile made Selene immediately intuit where Karl had been.
Karl, who didn't particularly value the Medal of Honor, came bragging about it?
Where would he have gone to show it? Who would he have shown the medal to?
‘My comrades.’
It probably wasn't bragging. It was just a monologue of the survivors.
Although she hadn't been to the battlefield like Karl, she had vaguely seen through her brother.
She knew a little about the struggles of those who survived.
“What did they say?”
“Eh?”
“What did they say? When they heard your bragging, what did they say?”
Karl, who had been pondering for a moment at Selene's question, soon smiled faintly.
“They didn’t say anything. No answer at all.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. So, that's good. If they had answered, it would have been scary. Those guys who left.”
Karl said that and stared at Selene for a moment, as if he had something to say to her.
“Still. As you said, Selene. I could have said it. I could have asked. Was I really giving my all? Do I need to apologize? I lived, you all left. Isn't that unfair?”
Gulp—
Selene unconsciously swallowed her dry saliva from the tension.
I hope that person overcame it. Even if it's not easy, sometimes it can hurt, but I hope he can eventually let it go and live a new time in a new place.
Thinking that way, after saying it, the answer was one. Just like before, I have to live. That’s the right thing to do.
So, no need to worry. Karl patted Selene's shoulder.
“...Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to.”
“Eh? No. It's fine. What are you talking about.”
With a faint smile on her lips, Selene let out an exclamation of “Ah!”
“Right. I heard news about Schlippen, Wilhelm, Alexander, and Joachim.”
“What news. Ah, maybe the alchemy foundation...”
“The bread you told me about last time. They said they were developing new flavors, and this time they mixed mint and chocolate and said it was pretty good—”
Craaaack! Where the hell are those guys! Karl immediately couldn't hide his anger and exclaimed that.