The Eye of the Ocean
"My lord Duke, welcome."
Ian and Hayes bowed at the waist as Duke Randert stepped down from the train, observing every courtesy. The Duke's face was darker than they had expected. Even now he was maintaining a forced composure, but Ian and Hayes, who had served at the Duke's side for years, could not possibly have missed the subtle change in their lord. The happy news had to be delivered at once.
"My lord Duke, there is something urgent I must report. Young Master Bayul—"
"I will go and see for myself."
Their paths were bound to diverge mid-sentence, so for Ian, the surest way to be the first with the news had been to wait for the Duke at the train station itself.
Perhaps it was resentment toward a subordinate who had failed to protect his son. Duke Randert cut Ian off coldly.
The tragic news had already reached him. He had no wish to be reminded of it and have his emotions thrown into disarray.
He was in enough pain as it was. First, he would confirm his son's body with his own eyes. After that, he would investigate everything, down to the last detail, and find the one responsible. What he would do afterward, he had not yet decided.
Only one thing was certain: whoever it was would pay a terrible price.
The crime of daring to lay a hand on his son.
He intended to show them exactly what that crime meant.
"Young Master Bayul has come back to life!"
"It was all my failure. Whatever punishment you see fit, I will accept it gladly!"
Ian and Hayes dropped to their knees at the same moment.
"...What did you say? Bayul is alive?"
Duke Randert froze.
What had reached him was a short letter. It said only that Bayul had died protecting the Crown Prince from an assassin's ambush, and begged him to come to Carrington without delay.
At first, he had refused to believe it. There had to be some mistake, he had told himself.
But during the train ride here, he had calmed himself and sorted through his thoughts, dispassionately weighing the circumstances before and after. Ian had been pinned down, and Hayes had taken a mortal wound. He had trained them both himself, so no one alive understood their abilities better than he did. Which meant the enemy had been every bit as strong as that.
Bayul's death was heartbreaking, yet it was an act worthy of reward many times over. Over a hundred knights had been wiped out. That the Crown Prince had survived at all was surely thanks to Ian and Hayes alone.
But Duke Randert was the supreme commander of the empire—and he was also the father of one boy.
Having lost his wife and Bayil, the only family he had left was Bayul. And now that only son, his entire world, had departed this life as well.
That was why, even knowing full well what his subordinates must have endured, he could not help but blame them. That was why the man who would normally have asked "Are you all right?" before anything else could not even meet their eyes.
And now what was this?
Bayul was alive?
"Clear the area."
Sadad gave the order. Duke Randert was a living legend of the empire, and word of his arrival had drawn a crowd of onlookers to the train station since before dawn. He could not speak of Bayul in front of all those people.
The Full Moon Knights fanned out around Duke Randert. The sight of them in full uniform, swords at their hips, was more imposing than the crowd had ever imagined. The sheer pressure radiating from the knights sent the onlookers scattering in haste, not one of them daring to resist.
"You remember the merfolk boy called Quinn, don't you?"
At Ian's question, the Duke's brow creased with irritation. Of course he remembered. He had met the boy himself at the imperial palace.
Why bring up that child now, of all times?
The Duke said nothing, but the look in his eyes said enough.
"Quinn brought Young Master Bayul back to life. At the cost of his own."
"At the cost of his own?"
It made no sense. Ian reported on Quinn's ability and the sequence of events as concisely as he could.
"...Is that truly the truth?"
Even after hearing Ian's full explanation, Duke Randert could not easily bring himself to believe it. A gift for taking another's wounds and healing them was remarkable enough, but to take death itself as well? It was an utterly bizarre power.
"Young Master Bayul is waiting at the Academy. He could not come with us, as he is staying at Quinn's side."
"Lead the way."
There was no time to waste. The son who had died was alive. He could not rejoice completely, knowing his son lived only through his friend's sacrifice—but the joy itself was beyond all words.
Yet the story was so hard to believe that he had to confirm it with his own eyes. Duke Randert climbed into the carriage at a rapid pace.
The front gate of Carrington Academy was little different from the train station. News of Duke Randert's visit—Bayul's father—had drawn students, professors, and staff alike out in droves from the early morning, all of them hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
Carriages were normally forbidden on Academy grounds. This time, however, was an exception.
The banner of House Randert flew proudly as the carriage passed through the campus and headed straight for the temple. Students came running after it in a herd, determined not to miss the spectacle.
"Duke Randert, it has been far too long."
At the temple entrance, Priest Wagner and Chancellor Reinhardt were waiting to receive Duke Randert in person.
"We meet for the first time. I am Reinhardt, Chancellor of this Academy. It is an honor to have you here!"
Given the occasion, Priest Wagner offered only a brief bow, while Chancellor Reinhardt bent nearly double in his haste to introduce himself.
"Where is Bayul?"
He and Priest Wagner were old acquaintances. How could he fail to understand the Duke's desperate wish to confirm his son's life or death a moment sooner? Priest Wagner quickened his pace.
"This way."
They reached the sanctuary in no time. The journey from the train station had not been a long one, yet to Duke Randert it felt farther than any road he had ever traveled.
Heart pounding, he stared through the opening doors.
"...!"
Bayul was not alone inside. His friends were there, along with Crown Prince Lindemann, Professor Rothius—and Death and Rayegar as well.
But in that moment, the only thing Duke Randert saw was Bayul. At the sight of his son, whole and unharmed, the Duke's voice rang out and filled the entire temple.
"Bayul!"
"Father!"
Bayul bolted forward. His father had finally come. An unbearable relief unlike anything he had ever known washed over him as he threw himself into the Duke's arms.
"Hhic... Father!"
The sobs he had been holding back burst out at last. He had thought he would never see his father again.
In the moment the blade had pierced his heart, Bayul's mind had been filled with nothing but thoughts of his father. If he died too, his father would be left all alone. Even with his eyes closing, he had been unable to find peace thinking of the father who would be left behind.
Now that he lived again, the guilt and sorrow over Quinn were enough to overwhelm him—but he was sincerely, deeply grateful to be able to see his father once more.
"There, now. It's all right. Thank you, son."
Duke Randert pulled Bayul into a fierce embrace, eyes shut tight. Only now could he breathe. He had been only half convinced even after hearing Ian's words, but holding his son against his chest finally made it real.
He had spent the last two days in hell. That his most precious thing in the world—his son, his other half—was alive made Duke Randert thank the gods with all his heart.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come to meet you. I wanted to, but I couldn't leave Quinn's side."
"I understand. Ian told me on the way."
The Duke nodded, stroking his weeping son's hair and face. Only then did his gaze drift to Quinn, lying on the bed behind them.
"So this child saved you."
How could he ever repay such a debt? Quinn surely had parents and siblings of his own. What could he possibly say to comfort them? The Duke could not bring himself to speak.
That was when it happened.
"Father, we have to save Quinn!"
"...?"
"The ring Mother used to wear—you still have it, don't you? With that ring, we can bring Quinn back!"
Duke Randert looked down at his son, who was wiping his tears and spouting nonsense out of nowhere, and furrowed his brow. He began to worry that the shock of dying and coming back had done something to the boy's mind.
"Bayul, calm yourself. How could a mere ring bring a dead life back?"
"It's one of the Primordial Relics—the Eye of the Ocean. With it, Quinn can be revived the same way I was!"
"...Primordial Relic?"
"Yes! That's why everyone's been waiting for you to arrive. You do have the ring, right?"
Bayul had assumed it was hidden away somewhere in the estate, but according to Amon's prophecy, his father was certain to be carrying it on his person. It was his mother's keepsake—but if it was the only way to save Quinn, Bayul trusted his father would understand.
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."
Bewildered, Duke Randert took a step back and studied his son. And then, little by little, the scene inside the sanctuary finally registered in his vision.
In all the commotion, he had failed to even greet the Crown Prince. When the Duke belatedly offered his courtesy, the Crown Prince shook his head as if to say it was nothing.
"My lord Duke, allow me to explain about the ring."
Hoping to help the Duke understand, Ian swiftly laid out the truth of the Eye of the Ocean.
"...You mean to tell me there are two more rings identical to my wife's?"
As the Duke asked back in astonishment at news he had never heard, Bayul answered.
"Yes, Father. Quinn has one, you have one, and the Chairman has the last. It was the Chairman who told us the Eye of the Ocean could save Quinn."
The Chairman?
Duke Randert's gaze followed his son's and came to rest on Rayegar, standing apart from the others.
"...?"
Meeting the man for the first time, the Duke's head tilted slightly. Something was wrong. Everyone else gathered here wore grave, solemn expressions.
Then what in the world was that smile? Why was the man looking at him with those eyes in a moment like this?
And the strangeness did not end there.
A colossal power was slowly emanating from him.
As if curious how the Duke would react, the man was deliberately letting his energy seep out, slow and unhurried.
The hair on Duke Randert's neck stood on end, and tension flooded his entire body.
The reflexive response reserved for moments of mortal danger manifested on its own.
He hastily pulled Bayul behind him and unleashed mana from every inch of his body.
"Full Moon Knights—protect His Highness the Crown Prince at once!"
Duke Randert stepped to the fore and gave the command. It was a sudden order, but the Full Moon Knights moved with swift precision, quickly surrounding the Crown Prince and the rest of the party.
"Father, the truth is, the Chairman is—"
Bayul tried to explain, but it was too late. In the blink of an eye, Duke Randert and Rayegar stood locked in a standoff, Quinn's body between them.
"Hey, son! Shouldn't you be coming over to this side?"
Even amid all this, Rayegar's voice carried a playful lilt. The only difference from before was that Eli, who would normally have shouted at him to quit the jokes, didn't respond at all—just averted his eyes.
Bayul and his friends had no idea what conversation had taken place in the cabin a few days prior. They were curious about plenty, but for now, they were waiting for the boy to tell them himself.
"Who are you?"
Duke Randert drew his sword. Spreading a protective barrier behind him as a precaution, he demanded an answer from Rayegar.
"As expected, you're different. For a mere human to possess such power—you're far more impressive than I anticipated."
"...A mere human?"
He had suspected as much. So the man was not human after all.
"Don't tell me—"
As far as Duke Randert knew, there was exactly one being in all the world capable of carrying such a monstrous aura. Pressed wave after wave by his opponent's crushing presence, as if being tested, Duke Randert felt fear for the first time in his life.