Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Father and Daughter
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Kallias was frozen stiff.
‘Me… Father?’
His usually sharp pupils dilated slackly as he stared up at the tent ceiling.
“......Didn’t you know?”
“…Yes.”
How would he know?
Even hearing it straight from the source like this, it was hard to believe.
“Uh… Forget what I just said.”
“I’ll forget it splendidly!”
At the sarcasm, Bernard let out an awkward cough. As if even he found it absurd, he chuckled hollowly.
“I was planning to tell you at the right time… So why go and do something unnecessary.”
“What unnecessary thing?”
“Well, it wasn’t unnecessary. You pierced Emily’s sacred blood—something no one else could! How proud must she be that her own father did it! Now the girl can finally breathe easy.”
Bernard tried to gloss over his blunder, insisting it was all good, all good! in an effort to brighten the mood.
But Kallias wasn’t caught up in the atmosphere Bernard was trying to create.
“Is she definitely my child? How can she be mine if I don’t even know her.”
“…It’s already certain she’s your daughter. I’ve finished discussing everything with the Count.”
Bernard took up his pipe once more and slowly began his tale amid puffs of tobacco smoke.
“On a dawn before the sun had risen. The north was battered by a barren gale, just like today.”
“Skip the fluff and get to the point. You’d do well not to test my patience too far.”
“You wastrel bastard.”
Bernard spat the curse and answered straight without any pretense.
“Ten years ago or so, word came that someone had abandoned Emily. The Count immediately tracked down the mother who’d left the child behind and uncovered her identity.”
“Who was it.”
“An attendant of a noble lady from a baron’s house had abandoned Emily.”
Eily? A fairly common name.
“Which lady’s attendant.”
“Beryaren. A lady named Eily de Beryaren from a baron family.”
Eily de Beryaren.
“A southern noble house famed for its blueberries. How the hell did you end up with a lady like that?”
“......”
That’s exactly what I wanted to ask.
Just how old was this Kallias bastard at the time…
‘Kallias’s age right now…’
Twenty-six.
So he knocked up a noble lady around fourteen?
Truly a rogue.
Worthy of the church’s black sheep label.
But it didn’t sit well.
‘Responsibility without the pleasure. What a raw deal.’
A one-night stand with a lady he couldn’t even remember.
And from that, Emily was born.
“Eily…… Ugh.”
Suddenly, memories that weren’t mine came flooding in.
A woman’s face.
Her skin rose vividly in gooseflesh, heightening the confusion.
My head ached like it was splitting open.
So it really was true.
Damn you, Kallias.
“……Does Emily know?”
“She does. That her father’s a wastrel who tarnished the family name—a black sheep even the church calls worthless.”
“Damn…….”
Kallias covered his face with both hands. At last, all of Emily’s past reactions clicked into place.
‘No, honestly, she’s not my kid.’
She’s Kallias’s.
So I had no need to carry this guilt or sense of duty.
Definitely.
And yet.
‘Now I am Kallias.’
Hoo—
Letting out a deep sigh, he rubbed his dry face and looked down at Bernard.
“What do I do now.”
“Why ask me, you fool. Now that you know, treat Emily right. She grew up ten years without a father or mother—time to step up as her dad.”
“Where is that Eily… no, Lady Eily.”
Suck—ha.
Bernard exhaled a plume of smoke and regarded Kallias with bitter eyes.
“Dead, I suppose.”
“Sadly so.”
Then Emily had only one person left in this world to rely on.
Kallias alone.
‘That Jervan Count wouldn’t have played grandfather, that’s for sure.’
Now it made sense why Emily was close to Bernard. Why he doted on her so.
‘Because she’s my daughter…’
My head was a mess.
No clue where to even start untangling the knot.
“What’ll you do.”
“What can I do.”
“Not the ideal timing, but you know now. So you’ve got to father her somehow!”
“…A twelve-year-old girl pops up as my daughter out of nowhere. You think I can just accept that?”
Truth be told, a sliver of resentment lingered.
Emily was Kallias’s mess-up, not mine.
“Tch! How can such words come from a father’s mouth! You’re a man with the parts—take responsibility!”
“…How do I even father her? What do I do?”
“No idea.”
“You must know something.”
“Don’t have kids, so how would I?”
“Huh? Never married at your age—what’ve you been doing?”
“Devoted everything to God Valterus.”
“Damn it.”
I figured all that nagging meant he had real advice…
“Hmm… If you’re that stuck, why not share a meal. Eating good food naturally leads to chatting about this and that, no?”
“In times like these, where anything could blow up.”
“War or not, people eat. Shit and piss too. Same difference.”
And.
“In these war-torn days where anything can happen. From what I see, Emily…”
She wasn’t one to hide from battle. With her sacred blood freshly pierced, her body had to be itching to test her power.
Just a twelve-year-old girl.
Sure, once inside the castle walls, I’d put a hard stop to it—but until then, powerless.
“Never mind. Not my place to meddle. Late as it is, you’re still her only father. Make it work.”
Pat pat.
Bernard clapped his shoulder and headed out, muttering about a stroll or some hunting.
“Driving me mad….”
Lost in thought for a moment.
“Why call me again?”
Emily arrived.
“......”
“Why stare like that? Grandpa said you wanted me… or not?”
Damn old coot.
Shoving Emily at me with zero prep.
“What, why the intense stare?”
Looking properly, yeah, she took after him.
Kallias had a striking face second to none, so Emily sported quite the beauty too.
Eyes brimming with vitality, thick black hair.
And those ashen eyes proclaimed her direct bloodline.
Young now, but full of promise—a resilient bloom that would weather the north’s fierce winds.
“How’s your body.”
“Body? Good. Way lighter and better than before. Could take orcs now without poison.”
Not what I’d asked.
No idea what to say.
She already knew, she said.
But calling her “daughter” out of the blue felt off.
“Then… glad to hear it.”
“Won’t drag you down, so relax.”
“Not that.”
“Huh? Then what?”
Kallias scratched his nape, flustered in a rare show.
“Uh… Eaten yet.”
“…No.”
“Then let’s eat.”
“Suddenly? You usually say ‘don’t bother me, scram.’ Thought you liked solo meals.”
Come to think of it, true.
Only real pleasure in this world was fine cuisine.
‘Shit.’
Wanted to bolt back to the past right then, but no dice.
Never dreamed she’d be my daughter.
“Giving you a special chance to join me.”
“Weird….”
Emily seemed to pick up on the odd vibe, brow furrowed in thought.
But she toyed with her hair, then gave a curt nod.
“Wait here.”
Kallias stepped out and urgently sought Brans.
“Brans!”
“Y-yes! What is it, sir?”
“Where’s the double pack.”
“Right here. But what for…”
“Need to eat. Anything decent inside?”
“Uh… Yessir. Some deer and boar from your last hunt.”
“That’ll do.”
“Want help?”
“No, handle your work.”
Brans was tanning the unicorn hide Emily had snagged.
Huge thing, so a few idle knights pitched in—and Brans was needed there.
‘I’ll handle it.’
Situation being what it was, nothing fancy.
But first father-daughter meal.
Father prepping himself was right.
“Not tough.”
He’d roamed Carpe’s battlefields, cooking solo no issue.
Piece of cake.
Kallias kindled a fire at once.
Hoisted the whole hunk of meat over the bonfire and secured it.
Fine meat quality.
Flavor key now.
Spices.
Aroma drove taste. And top-shelf spices from Trista filled Kallias’s hands.
Rare salt, pepper, and more to tantalize tongue and nose.
“Perfect.”
Just wait now.
This’d win Emily’s palate.
No—would win it.
“Oh, Sir Kallias. Fixing a meal?”
“Smell’s to die for. Looks tasty! Spare any?”
Allen and Aaron.
Bold as brass, figuring they were buddies.
Wrong day.
Kallias fixed them with icy eyes.
“Scram.”
“Ah, yessir.”
Allen wheeled about. Aaron tripped in haste and sprawled.
“Ow.”
Aaron’s bulk churned dust in the dry gusts.
“Useless lot. Out.”
“Yessir! Sorry!”
Dust billowed, but Kallias—forewarned—had the smoked pork clear already.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“Doesn’t look like nothing.”
“…Eat.”
Kallias carved elegant slices with his knife and passed to Emily.
“Th-thanks.”
“Eat.”
Side by side on a felled log, they ate.
No words.
Dry winds carried only fork-scrapes and knife-clinks, desolate.
‘What to say.’
Emily stayed quiet too, oddly.
Eyes down, plate-focused. No glances traded.
‘She knows I’m her father… What’s on her mind.’
Deeper I pondered, murkier it got.
Easier to face an orc great warrior.
Should’ve asked her maid what she liked.
“Where’s your maid. Haven’t seen her awhile.”
“Dead. Hid out, caught a stray orc blade I guess.”
“…Got it.”
Hadn’t noticed. Wasn’t invested.
“Not close then.”
“Raised together since I was little. Nia from when I was five, Wendy from seven.”
Gone now.
“…Right.”
And she hadn’t let it show.
Only just learned.
That tiny frame had witnessed a dear one’s death—and endured.
Yet swung her sword on, forging herself without surrender.
‘Strong one.’
Tough kid.
Taking the world’s brutal storms, a loved one’s loss—bearing it raw and steady. How was she so poised?
Wouldn’t call her father “father.” Feared rejection. Yet proved herself with the blade.
My daughter, like that.
‘Without the old man, wouldn’t have known even sharing a lifetime.’
Who’d peg such a fine child as a wastrel’s spawn.
Never.
“Fine though. Won’t waste my people anymore.”
Poke.
Emily speared the last morsel, popped it in, swallowed.
The girl from bandit dens had matured in a blink.
Kids hit hard by life adapt fast, or so they say.
Yet Kallias’s chest twinged faintly, inexplicably.
“Good eats. Tasty. Hit me up if you feel like it again.”
“Yeah.”
“Mm.”
She handed off her plate, gripped her sword, rose.
“What now.”
“Training!”
Another twelve-year-old chirping “training” with that sunny grin?
“Then I’ll…”
That was when.
Knights stirred uproar.
“What’s going on.”
“Not sure. But Bernard’s signal dropped…”
“The old man?”
Eyes met Emily’s. Kallias snatched his sword, bolted out.
Aura spread—Bernard’s presence pinged. Plains yawned wide, expectant.
There stood Bernard.
Slowly drawing steel.
“What’s hap…”
Bwooo—!!
Not Bernard’s lips, but a war horn’s blast from the field cut Kallias short.
“It’s begun.”
Green tide stomped white snowfields, marching to assail the gray fortress.
War.
Had only just begun.