Omen (1)
Eventually, Marion moved her residence to the Apart estate, following Louis Apart. While Maxim had steadily received invitations from the Bourdin family and grown familiar with its members, Marion had only visited the Apart estate once, and that single persuasion proved effective. Louis Apart, who received Maxim’s sincere gratitude, felt oddly proud. On the other hand, he was curious about what his son was plotting, but he decided to set that curiosity aside for now.
“Yes, that should do.”
“Understood, my lady.”
Marion had only one servant accompanying her. Among the frequently replaced servants, she was a maid who had served for quite some time. Marion realized she did not have much luggage to bring. In the end, nothing remained in the house or the Royal Capital. Marion never found that fact regrettable.
All the luggage was loaded onto the four-horse carriage. The maid bowed her head to Marion.
“Everything has been loaded, my lady.”
Marion gave a slight nod. Behind her, Louis Apart was watching both Marion and the maid. He spoke to Marion, who wore a bitter yet somehow joyful expression.
“Thank you for granting my son’s request, Marion. It may have been forced upon you, and I imagine it was a difficult decision...”
Marion shook her head.
“I was glad to hear that he wanted me to come. You need not concern yourself with such trivial matters.”
Louis Apart closed the carriage door and finally boarded. The carriage departed the moment he stepped inside. As it traveled along the well-paved roads of the Royal Capital, it swayed just enough to allow a comfortable rest.
“I’ll be counting on you until Maxim returns from his deployment, Marion.”
“...I’ll do my best, Father.”
Marion answered in a tense tone. Louis Apart could not shake the feeling that the gaze lurking behind her mask resembled that of a wounded animal. He did not know how Emil Bourdin had raised his child, but the emotion revealed in those eyes now seemed too much to attribute to mere innate temperament. He could vaguely sense what kind of feeling Maxim displayed whenever he spoke of her.
“Sit comfortably. As you know, it will be a long ride to our estate.”
“Yes...”
Marion nodded and adjusted her posture. Louis Apart was still a difficult person for her to approach.
“When was the last time you visited? It feels like several years ago.”
Louis Apart asked the servant beside him. The Apart family servant thought for a moment before speaking.
“It was probably three years ago. It was spring then. I remember Lady Marion having a rather different atmosphere compared to now.”
Louis Apart nodded. His hand rubbed his chin as if trying to recall the past.
“Right... It must have been the spring right after Maxim graduated from the academy...”
Louis Apart then shrugged.
“Well, regardless, Marion, do you remember that time? Both you and Maxim looked so awkward back then.”
The carriage left the center of the Royal Capital. Whether her head swayed in rhythm with the jolting carriage or she herself nodded, Marion’s long black hair fluttered with the motion.
“I remember it as a very beautiful estate with many mountains and trees.”
Louis Apart affirmed.
“Mm. Our estate does have many mountains. Not just mountains, but also many lakes. I’m not sure if Maxim took you there when you visited.”
Marion shook her head.
“He said there were many lakes, but they were too far from the mansion to take me there carelessly.”
Louis Apart let out a low chuckle.
“I see... That does sound like Maxim. It does take quite a while to get there. He’s not one to make others do difficult things.”
Louis Apart gazed out the window. Buildings were becoming sparse, and the swaying of the once well-paved road grew more intense.
“Take this opportunity to leisurely explore the estate. There are many hidden landscapes in our lands that even I don’t know well.”
The carriage continued on. The road, which had still been dotted with occasional buildings, now revealed only trees and thick undergrowth. Marion, seemingly tired, had fallen asleep. Her maid spread a thin blanket over Marion’s legs. Louis Apart watched the scene before turning his head toward his own servant.
“You’re keeping that safe, right?”
To the low-voiced question, the servant immediately nodded, tapping his chest.
“Of course, my lord. I’ll deliver it to the guild as soon as we arrive at the estate.”
Louis Apart looked at the servant with a worried gaze. Rather than worrying about the servant, he was concerned about Maxim, who had left the request behind and begun preparing to head to No Man’s Land. The second request his son had left him—he understood the intent behind it. Though the servant confidently assured him he would complete the task, he asked with a puzzled expression, as if something still bothered him.
“But... I wonder if he’ll really respond to that request.”
Louis Apart raised an eyebrow crookedly, as if to ask what there was to worry about.
“There’s nothing to worry about... Maxim probably thought it through and wrote it himself.”
“It’s been nearly eight years since he went missing... We don’t even know if he’s still with the guild. He might have transferred to the Royal Capital’s guild...”
Louis Apart waved his hand dismissively.
“Even if it’s not our estate, he’ll be active near it. That’s the kind of person he is.”
“Didn’t he say he never accepts named requests?”
At the servant’s question, Louis Apart sighed and closed his eyes.
“It’s just delivering a single letter to the guild. I won’t be asking him to search for the person, so don’t worry.”
“You know very well that’s not what I’m worried about, my lord.”
“Of course you aren’t.”
Louis Apart recalled the time Maxim had handed him the request form.
‘Father... I also have a request.’
Maxim’s expression had been quite serious. Louis Apart pretended not to notice that look and tone, and spoke lightly.
‘What is it? After seeing your father’s face after so long, instead of feeling happy, all you can think of is asking for favors? You unfilial brat, you should come down to your hometown once in a while...’
‘That’s not it...’
After venting his complaints at Maxim once, Louis Apart chuckled as if to say he would listen to what Maxim had to say, even if he looked troubled.
‘Well, go ahead and tell me. Depending on the request, I might grant it or I might not.’
Maxim sighed. The moment he had spoken with such gravity, the tension suddenly deflated.
‘Really, how nice it would be if you didn’t make that face like you’re about to kill someone.’
‘It’s... just a simple request.’
Maxim said this and took out a letter envelope from his pocket, handing it to Louis Apart. Receiving the envelope Maxim offered, Louis Apart raised his eyebrows, wrinkles forming on his forehead as if surprised.
‘Surely this isn’t a letter addressed to me.’
‘Unfortunately, it’s not.’
‘I wasn’t expecting it to be, son.’
Louis Apart flicked the letter with his finger.
‘So, who is this letter for?’
‘It’s closer to a named request than a letter.’
Upon hearing the word “request,” Louis Apart’s expression twisted.
‘A request? Are you trying to hire an adventurer? The largest guild is right in the Royal Capital, so why...’
Louis Apart stopped mid-sentence.
‘I want to send a message to my master.’
‘Your master? Surely you don’t mean the master I know?’
Louis Apart knew that throughout his life, there was only one person Maxim called “master.” Maxim nodded.
‘To someone who’s been missing for nearly eight years...’
Maxim bit his lip and spoke.
‘It’s fine. I’m uneasy, but if we deliver this letter to the guild in our estate, it will probably reach him.’
Louis Apart examined the envelope with a doubtful look.
‘...If you say so, then so be it.’
Louis Apart asked no further questions and tucked Maxim’s letter into his pocket.
‘The guild in our estate... Why not the one in the Royal Capital?’
‘Master will likely be active far from the Royal Capital... And we don’t know who might be watching.’
To protect everyone more surely.
‘We have to try everything we can.’
The atmosphere in the Raven Knight Order was more rigid than usual. The knights believed they had only just shed the awkwardness typical of a newly formed order, yet the mood was stiffer and more awkward than when it had first been officially established. That inexplicable tension filled the knights with curiosity, but none of them could bring themselves to speak about its cause.
“It’s strangely quiet today. Both you and this Raven Knight Order.”
Paola was crossing swords with Maxim. Contact from No Man’s Land was later than expected.
“I never wanted to be noisy.”
Maxim sighed. Christine had not shown her face since coming to work today. Theodora had not come to the training grounds, citing her focus on recovering from her injuries. Of course, if Theodora had continued to appear at the training grounds, Maxim would have been quite troubled as well. As a result, the busiest person was Paola, the most senior knight. Paola was leading the independent training in place of the absent commander and vice-commander.
Paola lowered her sword and frowned.
“Roberto hasn’t been showing his face lately either, saying he’s busy. An old man like me might as well die of sorrow.”
Maxim swung his sword through the air. Though his body was being ruined by the curse, he could endure it.
“Come to think of it, Roberto isn’t here now either.”
Maxim looked around.
“He asked for my understanding, saying he had something to do, and left for a while. He’ll be back soon.”
Paola spoke in a voice that was unusually tinged with irritation.
“So, Maxim, you’ll have to be my training partner instead. Pick up your sword already.”
At Paola’s urging, Maxim took his stance. The two knights aimed at each other for a moment, exchanged several blows in an instant, and then retreated. The sound of steel cutting through the air rang out in time with their clash. Though Paola had accumulated much experience and sparred with countless knights, crossing swords with Maxim always seemed to broaden his perspective on battle. Paola raised her sword and asked Maxim curiously.
“By the way, every time I face you, I think this...”
Maxim tilted his head.
“Your sword is truly fascinating. Setting aside the swordsmanship itself, even though you’re still young and don’t have much experience as a knight, you’re remarkably seasoned.”
At Paola’s praise, Maxim gave a wry smile.
“Is it because I resemble my master’s style? No... The experience ingrained in the sword cannot be filled by style alone.”
Maxim shrugged.
“I think it’s because of my master’s training methods.”
“What kind of master’s training could produce such a sword?”
Paola sheathed her sword in admiration. Maxim felt awkward. One of his adventurer master’s training methods had been to drop him into dangerous terrain and push him to the brink of death.
“...Someday, I’d like to meet your master as well.”
“If I ever get in contact, I’ll introduce you.”
When Maxim spoke lightly, Paola let out a dry laugh.
“You don’t even keep in touch with your master.”
“He always called me a damn disciple. He was a nasty-tempered man who didn’t care about status at all.”
It was then, while Maxim and Paola were exchanging trivial stories about Maxim’s master, that the sound of someone rushing urgently into the Raven Knight Order’s training grounds could be heard. Paola frowned. A knight covered in sweat panted as he ran slowly, then spotted Paola’s face and quickened his pace toward him. He was a knight who had been stationed in No Man’s Land. Like all knights from No Man’s Land, his armor was in terrible condition, but now it looked especially severe.
“Pa... Paola, sir.”
The knight called out to Paola while exhaling hot breaths. Paola lowered his voice.
“You look urgent.”
The knight nodded.
“Where is the commander... Where is the commander now?”
“I’ll guide you. What exactly happened?”
The knight swallowed once, steadied his breathing, and spoke in a trembling voice.
“In No Man’s Land, the cliff at the end is gradually collapsing. And beyond it, the monsters... It’s as if they’re bringing every creature that has never appeared before, and they’re crossing over...”
The knight gritted his teeth and finished.
“Thousands of monsters are pounding on the walls.”