16. Ragna Rosenhardt
Ragna Rosenhardt. Ragna Rosenhardt. My second brother, eight years my senior. If my memories were right, he was supposed to be serving in the Golden Swan Legion right now. So what the hell was this situation? Why was he here, and why was he dressed as a priest?
The other knights had stiffened up the moment they recognized him, holding perfect attention stances. "Salute to His Highness the Prince!" "For the Rosenhardts!"
Ragna waved a hand at the knights. "I'm here as just one of the priests, so no need for that."
Even after his words, the knights couldn't relax, staying rigid. Easy for him to say. I was assigned to this battalion, so I could adapt somehow, but for them, with no direct affiliation, it was impossible.
The battalion commander was the one who eased the tension. "Knights and priests share a relationship of mutual respect. It won't be as stiff as you fear. Prince Rag—er, Priest Ragna."
"I see. Ah! I almost kept you all standing here because of me. Let's head inside first."
"Yes, sir."
The halted procession started moving again. The knights followed the priests into the camp. I moved to do the same, but the battalion commander called me aside.
"Sorry I couldn't warn you ahead of time. His Highness wanted to surprise his little sister. To be honest, the unit only got notified two days ago. The Second Prince wasn't originally planning to join..."
He rambled like he was making excuses. If Ragna had insisted, a battalion commander couldn't do much.
"It's fine."
"Phew... Thanks for saying that. If I may impose one more favor—shameless as it is?"
"Go ahead."
"If His Highness wants to tour the camp... could you stick with him and keep an eye on things?"
"Ah. Got it."
The commander nodded, as if handing the responsibility to me, and followed the procession.
"The goddess Arkael teaches us that frail humans must lean on one another and advance together..."
A service was underway in the military chapel. A place I'd normally never bother with—but with my brother there, I couldn't ignore it.
Ragna blended in seamlessly with the other priests, singing hymns and reciting scriptures. The sight felt utterly alien to me.
He'd been like me—no real interest in religion. As far as I knew, he'd never set foot in a church on his own, and even dodged mandatory imperial events until Kaisel had to drag him back.
What on earth had happened to turn that guy into a priest?
The religious ceremony ended. Soldiers filed out, greeting me as they passed. A few sharp ones glanced back and forth between my brother amid the priests and me.
Ragna chatted briefly with the priests, then headed straight for me.
"Didn't get a proper greeting earlier."
"Yeah."
"You've grown a lot since I last saw you."
"Nah, my height's the same as before the academy."
"Is it? Well, the uniform makes you look more mature."
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
Chatting with him confirmed it—this was my brother, full of mischief and always looking out for me.
"So."
"Huh?"
"Why'd you suddenly become a priest?"
"..."
"You were never into religion, bro."
Ragna silently undid his collar. A diagonal scar slashed from his sternocleidomastoid down across his chest.
My stomach churned. I pictured him collapsing, blood pouring out. Even with him standing fine right in front of me.
"When you're staring death in the face, you start looking for something to cling to."
I hadn't even known he'd been wounded like this. I'd just assumed his military service was going smoothly...
Mom and Dad's faces flashed in my mind. They must have known. But they never told me. Probably the whole family had agreed to keep it from me.
Just family? Surely some ministers knew too and stayed silent.
I checked the scar again. So vivid. How much had it hurt?
"...What happened?"
My voice trembled despite trying to stay calm.
"That's why we didn't tell you back then."
His large hand came up to ruffle my hair gently, back and forth. The same warm touch from childhood.
"You're getting sad over something that's all in the past."
"But... you got hurt..."
"I'm fine. Just a scar—no issues going forward."
That calmed my churning gut a bit. He buttoned up, hiding the wound, and began his story.
"You know I enlisted in the Golden Swan Legion, right?"
"Yeah."
I'd looked it up once. A frontline unit facing ogres for nearly fifty years.
"Real combat breaks out about three times a year there. Usually ogre hordes; we focus on defense."
"You don't preemptively hunt the ogres?"
"Area's too vast. The swamps are impossible to even approach."
"Got it."
"Anyway, that day the ogres came swarming. As company commander, I led my unit out to face them..."
Something unexpected happened. Past ogres just swung clubs or threw rocks. But that day, every one charged in iron weapons and armor tailored to their bodies.
"Their one-handers were bigger than our two-handers by human standards. Swinging those caused casualties inevitably."
"That's how you got hurt?"
"Yeah."
He casually mimed a blade across his throat. Seeing him reenact his injury made my eyes twitch.
Well, at least no trauma—silver lining, I guess.
"As you can see from the scar, I really thought I was done for. Priests rushed over with holy spells, but I couldn't even speak—just begging inside: please save me, please..."
"..."
"Never knew I could beg like that. While I was clinging to life, the goddess Arkael appeared before me."
"The goddess... appeared?"
"Yeah. She traced my wound with a finger, and the pain vanished. My body felt at ease. Ended up with just this scar—no lingering effects."
Hard to believe with my past-life memories. But seeing the scar myself, survival was miraculous. If he said he saw a goddess who healed him, who was I to argue? Maybe gods actually existed here, unlike my old world.
"So I stepped down as heir and took the priest's path. She saved my life; devoting the rest to her is only right. Mom and Dad were disappointed but respected my choice."
"I see..."
If that's what he wanted, I'd support it. Joining the Arkael Church didn't sever family ties—we could still see each other like this.
"So Kaisel becomes emperor next? No competition now that you've stepped down."
"Huh? Nah."
"Why not?"
"You're an heir too. That's why you're in service, right?"
"Pfft, I'm just doing this because Dad made me."
"You never know. I hear big bro had some issues recently too."
"...What?"
"Current situation makes it tough for him to inherit the throne. That's probably why they put you in line."
This was bewildering. So me spinning my wheels in the army was because both brothers had issues?
'One of the heirs... rather... um... no, not that.' Was that what Mom had dodged?
Me, not just one of the heirs—but the only one?
No way. I'd planned to live as a rich slacker forever, and now my future was suddenly this grand?
"Wait, hold on. What do you mean Kaisel's in a tough spot? Is he hurt too?"
"No, not that, but..."
Ragna hemmed and hawed. His hesitation frustrated me.
"Come on, just spill it later from Mom, Dad, or big bro."
"What! Tell me now!"
"I don't know the details. It's not bad... well, good? Anyway, ask them yourself later."
"Argh!"
What the hell is it?!