A Feast After the Floods
A lavish dinner had been laid out in the dining hall for the first time in ages.
The repeated floods had devastated the crops, and by the Duke of Randert's orders, only the plainest of meals had graced the table for quite some time. The fare was so modest that if the nobles of the Moon Clan had seen it, they would have flown into a rage demanding to know if this was truly meant to be eaten—yet the Duke had never once complained, though he did sometimes order more brought out.
But today was the day his son had come home. A joyous occasion called for good food, and tonight, not only the father and son but every soul in the castle would feast to their hearts' content.
"...There's so much."
Bayul, accustomed to sharing simple meals with his father, felt utterly awkward at the sight of the abundant spread. Compared to the imperial palace or Chairman Rayegar's residence it was still quite modest, but given where he was, it felt like a great deal of fuss.
"Every now and then, days like these are what make life worth living."
The Duke of Randert was hardly blind to why his son was flustered, but he simply told him to eat well and began his own meal.
Only the two of them sat at the table today—save for one exception: Jasper, who refused on pain of death to be parted from Bayul. The dog had claimed his usual spot at Bayul's feet, lying flat as he gnawed away at a strip of dried meat.
"It's really been a long time since I've had dinner with you like this."
"...Yes, it has."
"Let's make sure to spend time together more often from now on."
"......!"
Today's father felt somehow very different. His expression was as blunt and unreadable as ever, yet something tender kept peeking through the cracks.
From the Duke's perspective, he was simply expressing his joy and relief at having his son back, but Bayul found himself a little bewildered by this sudden change in his father.
Could it be... that he's decided to try, just like I have?
Improving his relationship with his father had been the chief goal of this vacation for Bayul. Perhaps his father had arrived at the very same thought.
If that's the case, I couldn't be happier......
"The train ride down must have worn you out. How are you feeling?"
The Duke of Randert wet his throat with wine and studied his son closely. Bayul looked perfectly healthy on the outside, but he had been frail since childhood. When word had reached the Duke that the boy had collapsed barely a month after transferring to the Academy, the world had briefly gone white before his eyes. No matter what Bayul grew up to become, if only the boy could be healthy, the Duke was prepared to do anything.
"Father, I... this might sound strange, but......"
Instead of answering the question, Bayul blurted out something entirely off the wall, and the Duke's eyes turned wary. What on earth was his son about to say?
"Priest Wagner said that I have an affinity."
"...An affinity?"
He had already learned of it through the letter, but the Duke feigned ignorance and prompted him to go on.
"Yes. I don't know how or why, but apparently I have an affinity for the God of Despair, Desperatio."
"Here we have the God of War, Agos, and you're telling me it's the God of Despair?"
"Yes."
Strange was indeed the right word for it. Bayul had been born and raised in Hamilton, so how could he carry an affinity for a god worshipped in some far-off region? No one would find that easy to accept.
What was more, Bayul had spent his sickly childhood receiving enormous quantities of divine power from the priests of the God of War. If he'd had an affinity for the God of War rather than the God of Despair, that would have made perfect sense.
"I've only been to the Temple of Despair a couple of times, so it really is a peculiar thing, isn't it?"
"...We can hardly presume to know the will of the gods."
"The will of the gods......?"
"Everything happens for a reason, my boy. I suspect that temple may be bound to you by some deep connection."
What that connection might be, Bayul would have to discover for himself. For a boy who had done nothing but wonder why on earth is this happening to me, his father's words—that there must be a reason—struck him in an entirely new way.
"...Anyway, what I was trying to say is that my health has improved because of this affinity. Priest Wagner says the affinity itself replenishes a person's body."
"Even without being a priest, you mean?"
"Yes. So these days I don't receive any treatment at all. He still examines me from time to time, but every time, he says there's nothing wrong."
It was impossible not to welcome such news. Being able to get by without treatment meant he could live as healthy as any normal person.
When the letter from Priest Wagner had first arrived, the Duke had found the whole business unsettling and strange. Now it seemed it was something to rejoice over instead.
"Wonderful! This is wonderful! Bayul, you were right—sending you to Carrington was the best decision I ever made!"
He had been quietly worried that he'd shoved an unprepared boy out into the world, but it seemed he needn't have. Not only had his son grown through genuine friendships, he was even recovering his health—there was no happier news in all the world.
"It's all thanks to you, Father. Thank you."
Seeing his father so genuinely happy made the tip of Bayul's nose prickle without warning. The rift between them since Bayil's death had never fully closed, but to confirm that his father's heart had not turned entirely away from him filled Bayul's chest with warmth.
"Is life at the Academy giving you any other trouble? If there's anything you need, speak up—anything at all."
"Nothing in particular. The dormitory facilities are wonderful, and Rita handles the running of the Carrington residence my uncle arranged for us beautifully. Sir Ian takes very good care of me as well."
"Liam is at the imperial capital right now. He'd have been thrilled if he'd known you were coming."
"Because of His Majesty's wedding, I take it?"
"That's right. Before long, this old father will have to leave Hamilton for the wedding as well."
His heart wished to spend the entire vacation with Bayul, but for the Duke of Randert to skip the Emperor's wedding was simply unthinkable.
"Will Professor Rothius be attending too?"
"...Did you hear that from Jane?"
"No, Crown Prince Lindemann told me first."
"I see. I thought it better you not know, since nothing would change either way. That man has always been a free spirit, you understand."
"I heard he followed you around a great deal. To the point of being a nuisance......"
"Hah, that he did. No talent whatsoever for the sword, yet endlessly curious about everything. I even lost my temper with him once."
Bayul had almost never seen his father speak of anyone with such familiarity. Perhaps that was why it felt strangely unfamiliar. But it must mean his bond with the Professor was truly exceptional—and that was why he'd trusted the man enough to send his son to Carrington.
Come to think of it, he had even assigned Ian, a Carrington native, as his escort knight. Looking back now, it was no exaggeration to say Bayul had been living wrapped in his father's overprotectiveness all along.
And I'm only realizing all of this now......
Bayul could only sigh at his own obliviousness.
"By the way—you didn't bring that dog, Black, this time?"
The Duke still remembered the amusing anecdote he'd heard at the palace a while back. He had assumed the animal would come along, and honestly found himself a little disappointed by its absence.
"Ah, Black strangely disappeared at some point and I haven't seen him since."
"Disappeared? What do you mean?"
"He's always come and gone as he pleased. He's got a big appetite, so he used to follow me home every weekend and tear through the kitchen. I suppose he found some other good spot somewhere."
"That is a shame. I was curious what the creature actually looked like......"
"Arf! Arfarfarf!"
Did Jasper take offense at hearing about another dog? The hound, who had been quietly guarding the space under Bayul's feet, suddenly rose to all fours and began barking.
"Arfarf!"
His manner made it seem for all the world as if he were taking both father and son to task.
"Jasper, that's enough. Quiet now. I told you—no fussing at the dinner table, remember?"
"Arf!"
"Shh. Listen."
At Bayul's stern voice, Jasper let out a whimper and obediently settled back down. It was a night-and-day difference from how he treated the Duke of Randert.
So the creature obeyed his son's every word, yet for the Duke he demanded dried meat as tribute before so much as lifting an ear. He couldn't decide whether to call it shrewd, or the blind stupidity of a dog who knew only one master.
"Good boy, Jasper."
Bayul praised him and stroked his head, and Jasper's tail whipped back and forth furiously.
"Jasper—shall I give you a piece of meat?"
The Duke of Randert offered generously. Whenever Bayul was away at mealtimes, he would occasionally grant the dog just such a special favor in his son's stead.
"...Jasper?"
But oddly, Jasper stayed put. The same dog who would have come bounding over and snatched the meat on the spot wouldn't move an inch.
"Don't tell me—you need Bayul's permission?"
"Arf!"
Jasper barked once, as good as a yes.
"You incorrigible beast."
All the effort the Duke had put into building their bond had been rendered completely worthless the moment his son walked through the door. The sense of betrayal was beyond words.
"Jasper, do you want the meat?"
"Arf!"
"Then go get it. It's fine—Father's giving it to you."
Jasper had been trained as a guard dog since puppyhood, and without Bayul's explicit approval, he would never touch a single thing. To Bayul, the dog was at once his dearest friend and the bodyguard who stood closest of all in his defense.
"Nom nom!"
The instant Bayul's permission fell, Jasper darted over to the Duke, took the meat in his jaws, then trotted back to Bayul's side and chewed it with more relish than any jerky he'd ever tasted.
"It seems you and Jasper grew quite close while I was away."
"You'd probably be shocked to hear what lengths your old father went to."
"Thank you, Father."
There had been a time when Jasper was everything to Bayul. It was because of the dog that he'd been able to endure the empty space Bayil had left behind. His father had been busy enough already, and yet he had cared for Jasper too on Bayul's behalf—knowing that made Bayul's heart all the warmer.
Perhaps that was why.
Bayul felt a strange surge of courage. Maybe now, his father would finally give him answers about his mother.
"F-Father, there's something I'd like to ask you."
Bayul squeezed his eyes shut once, opened them, and took the plunge.
"Go ahead. Ask me anything."
As if to say no door was closed to him, the Duke gazed at his son with a smile.
That warm smile of his father's—so long unseen.
Is it really all right to ask about Mother? What if I ruin this wonderful mood?
Meeting his father's eyes, a sudden fear seized him. He was terrified of seeing that cold expression return once more.
"I-it's, um......"
The words wouldn't come. He didn't want to wreck a lovely dinner like this.
That's right—there's still plenty of time......
There was nothing to gain from rattling his father's temper on his very first day home. It wouldn't be too late to ask after they'd built a little more closeness.
"Bayul?"
"...Chess!"
"Chess......?"
"Oh, never mind what I was going to say."
The Duke of Randert swallowed a low chuckle and answered readily.
"Very well, let's play. I must see with my own eyes the skill that beat that rascal Jared!"