Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: The Weight of Solitude
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Chirrup, chirp chirp!
Was it because autumn was nearly over?
The sound of crickets coming from the bushes in the royal palace of Brussen was noticeably subdued compared to summer.
Chirp…!
Even those faint remaining cries vanished as if they had never been there the moment a massive human figure passed by.
Rustle, rustle.
Ian, who had stormed out from dinner with his squad members and wandered aimlessly lost in thought, found himself at the back of the palace garden before he knew it.
"Hah, snapping at those kids who did nothing wrong... Ian, oh Ian. How much more pathetic can you get?"
Once his anger subsided, Ian berated himself for his shameful behavior.
His squad members were blameless.
If there was any fault, it lay with Ian himself for venting his frustration on them when they worried over his unusual demeanor.
But realizing one's own mistake was one thing; calming one's heart was another entirely.
Ian couldn't settle his turbulent emotions.
It was unavoidable.
Even if one scoured the entirety of vast Agena, how many could truly empathize with—or even guess at—the reason for Ian's distress?
Ian's past life had been that of Lucas Alexei, the Hegemon who once shook the entire continent of Agena.
The leaders of the beastkin tribes, who had striven to usher in a new era following that Hegemon, were now suffering cruel hardships under that vile false hero, Siegfried Duffel.
Not content with stretching their filthy hands to destroy the Alexandr Empire,
they had stolen every glory and authority that should have belonged to Lucas Alexei and his loyal retainers beneath him—a rage so unbearable it felt like it would drive him mad. Who could understand such feelings?
He could confidently say no one dared.
The fact that he couldn't confide his inner turmoil to anyone... it inflicted a profound loneliness greater than one might imagine.
Even Ian, who had reached the pinnacle of absolute power in his past life, couldn't escape it.
No—precisely because he had tasted that absolute height, the loneliness hit him even harder now.
The position of the absolute was solitary.
No matter how casually one interacted with subordinates, they were never true friends who could see one's unfiltered heart.
Yet in his past life as Lucas, when burdens grew unbearable... at least then, he could vent some of his worries to Stion Ballanty and other retainers under the pretext of seeking their wisdom.
But now was different.
The current Ian was no absolute ruler; he was an outsider.
He alone lived in a different timeline.
This was even worse than being the absolute.
At least the absolute shared the same era; Ian walked the past alone.
Thus, no one on this continent could understand, empathize with, or offer solutions to the turmoil in Ian's heart.
They might even brand him mad if he spoke of it—anything short of that would be fortunate.
That absolute loneliness weighed heavily on Ian's shoulders.
A crushing solitude he alone had to bear.
"...It hits me like this every time I almost forget."
Ian Lichtenauer.
Second son of the Lichtenauer Martial Clan patriarch.
He was no longer the Hegemon, Lucas Alexei, who had commanded the northern continent's plains and etched his name into history.
He was merely the Lichtenauer clan's half-baked second son on the southern continent, belatedly pulling himself together and starting to shine.
That disconnect, that distance.
It made Ian unbearably frustrated.
"...Time to head back. Tomorrow, I should apologize to Ralph separately."
Regardless of the reasons, it was the eve of his return to the clan—the final banquet before departure.
Ruining it because of his foul mood was undeniably his fault.
As he resolved to treat his squad to a fine meal at his own expense on the way back tomorrow, a rustle sounded behind him as he turned toward his quarters.
Rustle!
"...Young Lord Ian?"
A small presence accompanied a familiar voice.
Ian slowly turned at the call, and there stood a face he hadn't seen in a full week.
The only youngest daughter of King Demur Aslan.
It was Isabel Asran.
"……."
"……."
After Isabel Asran's appearance, a heavy silence descended on the garden as if by prior agreement.
It couldn't be helped.
At the recent banquet, Isabel had felt slighted by Ian as if the royal family were being ignored, and she had thoroughly shunned him.
And Ian, caught off guard by her sudden change in attitude, had no choice but to forcibly keep his distance, clueless as to why.
Excluding their brief exchange when her life hung in the balance and there was no time for more... the impressions they had formed of each other at the banquet were nearly the worst possible.
Of course, it would have been stranger for them to chat amiably with warm expressions.
In the awkward atmosphere, Ian moved first.
"...My apologies, Princess. I didn't realize this was a garden where Your Highness was enjoying a stroll. I was just heading in, so please disregard me and continue your walk at leisure."
Bow!
Ian lightly bowed and turned.
He had already received more than ample reward from King Demur for saving the princess.
There was no need to linger in conversation and risk giving her any pretext.
However, Isabel's thoughts differed from Ian's.
"Wait a moment, Young Lord Ian. I heard you're returning to Titan tomorrow."
Isabel cautiously proposed to him.
"Since we've crossed paths like this on the final day, why not chat a little before you go?"
Ian had no choice but to halt at the princess's suggestion.
Refusing it outright could be seen as an offense, but conversely, it was also an opportunity.
Ian himself wanted to know why the princess had flipped her attitude toward him like the back of a hand.
"...Very well, then. Shall we speak briefly, Your Highness?"
At Ian's words, Isabel smiled faintly and sat on a bench, patting the seat beside her.
Swish!
At her gesture, Ian cautiously approached and sat on the bench beside her.
Confirming Ian seated, Isabel suddenly gazed at the sky and spoke.
"The moonlight is so bright tonight, isn't it?"
Ian instinctively looked up at her words.
There gleamed two moons, sparkling like sapphires.
The brilliantly shining pair illuminated Shuraton's night despite the late hour.
In contrast to Ian's complicated heart, the moons in the night sky were clear and bright.
"...Yes. Quite bright indeed."
Was it because the moonlight illuminated Ian's face, or due to the weariness in his tone?
"Is something troubling you?"
Isabel noticed the shadow on Ian's face and asked.
"It's nothing, Your Highness. Just a personal matter..."
"Hmm, I see?"
As Ian seemed reluctant to elaborate, Isabel refrained from prying further, simply staying by his side.
It was a clear sign she had no intention of making him uncomfortable.
'...Has nearly dying changed her? Her vibe is completely different.'
At the very least, it was worlds apart from the notorious spoiled princess of the Martial Clan and Magic Tower rumors.
"Young Lord Ian. Do you know?"
"……?"
As Ian revised his assessment of Isabel, she suddenly spoke up.
"I used to utterly despise your clan, the Lichtenauer Martial Clan, and the Magic Tower."
"...Isn't that already widely known?"
"Pfft! True enough."
Isabel burst into a small laugh at Ian's curt reply, as if it were the funniest thing.
"It's a bit different. The world knows me as a spoiled brat who hates the Martial Clan and Magic Tower... but I'm not that reckless."
Isabel pointed to the two moons in the night sky and continued.
"I hated those moons. It felt like that night sky was our kingdom... and those moons were the Martial Clan and Magic Tower."
She pointed to a tiny star next to them, saying, 'This little one is our royal family.'
"I fully understood how vital the Martial Clan and Magic Tower are to our kingdom. But... the family ruling this nation is ultimately our royal house. That's why I resented you all. Our family leads this country, yet in people's minds, we seemed like mere maids to the royal family and the towers. In short, inferiority complex. That's why I lashed out only at the Martial Clan and Magic Tower."
"……."
What exactly is she trying to say to me?
As Ian remained silent, unable to read her intent, Isabel continued.
"But this time, I truly realized it. Our family hasn't ruled this nation by force alone. And without the Martial Clan and Magic Tower's help, we can't stably lead it either. The same goes for them. In the end... I realized my childish whims nearly upset the balance of this well-structured kingdom."
Swish!
Isabel rose from the bench and bowed politely toward Ian.
"Thank you, Young Lord Ian. Thanks to you, I now know what I must do."
"What Your Highness must do...?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Isabel smiled at Ian's question.
"Venting worries and confusion through childish rebellion isn't the answer. As a member of the Aslan royal family, working for this nation's stability—that's the best I can do as a princess."
"Instead of venting worries and confusion, do what must be done..."
Ian mulled over Isabel's words repeatedly.
"I don't know your worries, Young Lord. But sometimes... simply realizing what must be done resolves much. My father taught me that, but I survived to grasp it because of you. I wanted to tell you that."
Not advice to fully resolve Ian's turmoil, but her words carried genuine consideration.
Feeling that sincerity, Ian slowly bowed to Isabel.
"Thank you, Your Highness. Your words have helped sort out some of my tangled thoughts."
Smile!
"Hehe! It's nothing grand. I hope it serves as a small recompense for saving my life."
Isabel extended her hand to Ian, still smiling.
"For my foolish inferiority leading to rudeness toward you, I apologize once more. Here's hoping we meet smiling next time."
Ian gently took her hand in response.
"With pleasure."
The conversation with the princess had dragged on quite long; the moons overhead had tilted noticeably.
The sky had darkened further, but in contrast, Ian's expression had brightened somewhat.
'Even a passing child or ordinary farmer has lessons to teach, so always keep your ears open to those around you—Stion said that. His advice never misses the mark.'
Who would have thought the notoriously spoiled princess Isabel had wisdom to impart?
'She's right. Brooding changes nothing.'
Taerang, Baekmyo, Paeung... and the many heroes who followed Lucas.
Thinking of them suffering under Siegfried Duffel still twisted Ian's guts.
But so what?
The current Ian was weak.
So weak he couldn't even properly subdue an ordinary White Wolf warrior of the wolf tribe and had let him escape.
He couldn't even depart for the northern continent's Crohoka.
Even if he could leave right now, there was nothing he could do.
Forget the imperial palace walls—he'd be effortlessly crushed just meeting a border guardian.
In the end, no matter how much he worried, Ian had only one path.
Grow stronger.
Until he could save Taerang and all of them.
Until he ascended to a position like his past self as Lucas, where countless others would entrust their dreams to his back.
...Grip!
Ian clutched his Twin-Headed Blood Serpent and gazed at the sky.
The two brilliantly shining moons still poured their light upon the land.
Those moons surely illuminated northern Crohoka as well.
Even amidst hardships, Taerang and the others undoubtedly existed somewhere in Agena.
And they steadfastly upheld their loyalty to Lucas despite Siegfried's temptations and tortures.
Yes.
Some might mock them as fools, but they too were fulfilling their 'duty' and upholding their convictions.
If he truly cared for them, rather than venting pointless anger on his squad,
Ian should focus on his own 'duty' and strive to rescue them.
"...I won't keep you waiting too long. Just a little longer. Hold on just a bit more."
Ian's eyes no longer wavered as he returned to his quarters.