The Promise to Meet Again and the Black Wolf Knights
"Hey, did the top contributor of the subjugation force get his reward?"
Robin was waiting outside the office, bottle of wine already in hand, drinking straight from the neck. He must have been there for a while.
"Those boxes you're carrying—are they the special rewards given only to the top contributor?"
"They look pretty fancy."
Robin wasn't the only one waiting. Rain and Arke stood beside him, each offering a greeting of their own.
"Yeah. Got something pretty special."
Well, one of the boxes wasn't a reward for completing the request at all—it was something he'd been entrusted to deliver to the temple. But there was no need to mention that.
"More importantly, why didn't any of you tell me you were joining the subjugation force?"
"I wanted to prove I could stand on my own without anyone else's help. Though in the end, I still ended up relying on you, Elsid."
Rain scratched his head as he spoke. He'd wanted to test his own strength without depending on others, so he'd joined the subjugation force in secret. Elsid himself had only joined on a whim, so their meeting had been nothing short of coincidence.
"Well, I'm glad it worked out. At least I got to say goodbye before leaving."
"You're leaving?"
"Yeah. I've got things to do and places to go."
Elsid nodded at Rain's question. He still needed to stop by his hometown of Ragna Castle, deliver the item to the Temple of Pios in Agatram, and then head north... There were far too many destinations ahead.
"What about you three? What are your plans now?"
He already knew from Robin, but asked anyway.
"I'm planning to stay here for a while and train under Sir Jinkwang."
"I'll be learning new holy arts at a nearby temple."
It was exactly what Robin had told him.
"I'd like to travel with you if I could, but after today, I realized just how far I still have to go."
Rain clenched his fists, frustration clear on his face.
"Oh, right. What happened to that red-haired guy who was with you?"
Elsid asked as if the thought had just occurred to him. He remembered seeing a red-haired man shouting at Arke while passing by.
"He already left. Said something like, 'Why would I bother with a cheap party like this?'"
His attitude had been obvious from the moment he started yelling. What a rude guy.
"He wasn't always like that..."
Rain's expression turned sorrowful as he ran a hand through his hair. Elsid's eyes were sharp enough to catch even that brief moment.
"Ah, sorry. I got lost in thought right in front of you."
"I had a friend back home named Beth."
Elsid began telling the story of his friend, who was probably still working hard in their hometown.
"He used to be a lazy, mouthy kid with a scrawny build. When I went back after a long time, he'd become the village chief. Completely different—muscular, and actually taking responsibility for his words."
"Why are you suddenly bringing this up...?"
"I'm just saying, you never know how much someone might've changed by the time you meet them again. So don't be too hard on yourself."
He didn't have many stories or words of wisdom to offer. Beth's story was just an example—the real point came after.
"Besides, if he really didn't want to see you, he would've refused when you asked him to join the subjugation force."
"You think so...?"
"Of course."
When Rain hesitated, Arke smiled and nodded in agreement. Elsid smiled inwardly at the sight. Earnest, honest Rain and kind, considerate Arke made a good pair no matter how many times he saw them. Though with Rain's complete lack of awareness, who knew when that would actually happen.
These were people he wanted to meet again someday, even if it was in a different place.
"One more bottle over here!"
Except for the drunkard over there, still chugging away...
***
The imperial capital. At its center stood the Imperial Palace, and within it, the office of the commander of the Black Wolf Knights.
The door burst open as someone entered.
"I'm back."
The polite voice belonged to Kane, the red-haired boy who had briefly been in a party with Rain during the subjugation.
"You're back already."
The man seated at the lone desk in the office answered flatly. He appeared to be in his mid-to-late twenties, with short reddish-brown hair and crimson eyes.
"I thought you'd be enjoying the banquet after wiping out the bandits. You returned quite quickly."
"It was too boring, so I used the teleportation device at the magic tower in Nao Territory and came straight back, Commander Kerhan."
Activating a teleportation device once cost a thousand gold—enough for an ordinary citizen to earn in ten years of work. Yet Kane spoke of it so casually.
The red-haired boy who had shown such arrogance toward Rain and Arke in the cave now wore a completely different expression. He spoke to the man named Kerhan, the knight commander, with perfect courtesy.
"I've told you before—when no one else is around, you can call me 'brother.'"
"I'll get used to it eventually."
"It's already been nearly a year since I said that."
Kane frowned slightly at Kerhan's words.
"So, was there any trouble? If you hadn't refused, I would've assigned you proper knights instead of those bootlicking squires."
"It's fine. They've been protecting the weak and saving people long before I joined this order. Asking them to spend time on me personally would be disrespectful."
Better to use that time to protect and save even more people.
"If that's what you think, I won't force the matter. So, how did it feel meeting your old friends after so long?"
"Those people aren't my friends. They were nothing more than passing acquaintances from childhood."
Kane's face twisted with disgust at the question.
"I'll submit a report on what happened in Nao Territory as soon as possible."
With that, he turned to leave.
"I'll be going now."
Kane bowed his head in farewell, then opened the door and left without looking back. His posture made it clear he had no desire to stay any longer than necessary.
"Brothers, yet so stiff with each other. Can't he speak a little more warmly?"
Only seconds later, another man appeared behind Kerhan—identical reddish-brown hair and crimson eyes. The only difference was his long hair reaching his waist.
"Vice-Commander Kelt, it's been less than three days since I told you to stop sneaking into the commander's office with your throwing techniques. And..."
Kerhan didn't seem surprised by the sudden appearance. He simply addressed the man by name and title.
"He's a kid who lived as a commoner for ten years before learning he was royalty just a year ago. It'll take time for him to adjust. He only recently learned that 'you have to choose your friends carefully,' after all."
Kerhan turned to meet the man's eyes.
"Rather than you, the second in line for succession, who keeps running off to subjugate monsters whenever you feel like fighting, I'd say he's doing better..."
"Why are you pointing the arrow at me again? What about you, the crown prince, still serving as knight commander on the front lines every single day?"
Kelt shot back without missing a beat.
"What I'm saying is, it's annoying when you talk like that without knowing how much our brother secretly helped that kid to get him here."
Kane had no idea how much Kerhan had struggled to bring him into the order.
"There are plenty of people in this palace who look down on him or want to use him, yet Kane can walk around freely—all thanks to you."
"I've said it many times—this matter is absolutely..."
"I know. I won't tell the youngest."
Not that he'd believe it anyway.
"You always end up playing the hated role. Doesn't it wear you down?"
"It doesn't matter. Even if those I must protect come to hate me, I won't allow the weak to be dragged into unnecessary conflicts."
As expected, Kelt decided there was no point in arguing further. Any more conversation would be a waste of time.
"Haa... You're my brother, but you're really stubborn."
Kelt sighed and vanished just as suddenly as he'd appeared.
"Sorry for being such a stubborn brother."
Kerhan muttered to himself as he gazed at the spot where his thoughtful younger brother had stood. Family relationships were complicated no matter where you went.