Chapter 28
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: A Life's Worth is Repaid with a Life (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Noel and Obet made no effort to hide their looks of contempt as they gazed at Yonas, who had bowed his head to the floor.
However, this was a matter of choice, so they couldn't openly condemn him for it.
The kingdom tournament was right around the corner. All ten knights who hadn't volunteered were the ones preparing for it.
Moreover, Schmaier and Stefan, unlike Viteli and Weard, were men who pursued the sword.
As such, there was an undercurrent of rivalry between the two factions, whether acknowledged or not.
The knights of the family had long sensed this subtle tension.
All the Tolome family's knights were loyal to Bartolomeo Tolome, but upon closer inspection, they were divided into the Schmaier faction and the Stefan faction.
Naturally, Yonas belonged to the Schmaier faction, and as such, he had no reason to abandon the opportunity of the upcoming kingdom tournament before his eyes and throw himself into danger for Stefan, who could be called his father's rival.
However, every choice comes with consequences.
By shirking his duty as the family's eldest grandson and choosing to chase his own opportunity, Yonas had now created an irreconcilable rift with Stefan.
Earning the wrath of Stefan's sons, Noel and Obet, was just icing on the cake.
On top of that, since Bartolomeo had witnessed the whole affair, it was obvious that his evaluation of Yonas would plummet even further.
Yet for Yonas, the top priority was to compete in the kingdom tournament and win, thereby reclaiming his position as the family's representative knight.
If he could manage that, he could restore his prestige, both within and outside the family, and redirect the public's attention from Blanc back to himself.
If he could just win, he could even reverse Bartolomeo's current disappointment.
This kingdom tournament was a pivotal turning point in Yonas's life.
Knowing how desperate his situation was, Bartolomeo couldn't bring himself to rebuke Yonas.
'Then who should I put forward as the standard-bearer?'
There were only ten knights, but including the soldiers and servants they led, it would be a search party of well over a hundred.
If a force of around a hundred armed men crossed into other lords' territories without permission, it would naturally provoke their anger.
To reach Baum territory by the shortest route, they had to pass through at least three other domains, so they needed a standard-bearer with sufficient standing to seek permission and safe passage from those three lords.
Normally, Stefan Tolome handled this role, but with him missing, someone else had to step in.
The most suitable candidates were Bartolomeo's sons like Stefan, but Schmaier, Viteli, and Weard were all tied up with critical duties and couldn't move on short notice.
Schmaier, as vice-captain of the royal knights, would need the king's special permission to handle family matters over royal ones.
Viteli couldn't spare even a moment, as he was handling a special task assigned by Bartolomeo.
Weard was away from Baltimer handling caravan business and wouldn't return for at least a week.
With all his sons unavailable to serve as standard-bearer, the next best choice was the family eldest grandson, Yonas—but he had already refused.
Forcing Yonas into the role and lowering the search party's morale wasn't feasible in this urgent crisis.
'I'll have to appoint one of Noel or Obet as standard-bearer and attach Edwin as escort.'
That was the only realistic option.
However, if the other lords learned that mere grandsons—not even sons—were being sent with just an escort knight, they would undoubtedly feel insulted.
Unlike Yonas, Noel and Obet weren't widely known knights, so the lords whose lands they had to cross wouldn't be pleased.
Honor was paramount among nobles, so while those lords wouldn't openly rebel, who knew what disadvantages this could bring the Tolome family later.
But there was no other way. Nor was there time.
As Bartolomeo was about to make his decision, Blanc stepped forward from among the knights.
"Count, grant me the honor of leading these men."
Bartolomeo blinked in surprise at Blanc's sudden intervention.
Edwin spoke up in the flustered count's stead.
"Baron Blanc, we appreciate the sentiment, but this is about selecting a standard-bearer to represent the Tolome family. You're not of the Tolome family—you're Cardmus family—and not one of Lord Bartolomeo's knights, so you can't bear the Tolome banner."
"Indeed, Baron Blanc. Besides, don't you need to prepare for the upcoming kingdom tournament? And that's not all—after that comes your coming-of-age ceremony, and then your wedding to the Neuendorf family. You're not just on your own anymore. You can't act rashly."
Bartolomeo and Edwin were right.
A family standard-bearer had to be someone who could truly represent the house.
Though Blanc was Bartolomeo's grandson, his representativeness for the Tolome was ambiguous at best. And with his firm identity as Baron Cardmus, it was even more so.
Blanc nodded thoughtfully after hearing Bartolomeo out.
"You are both correct."
"I'm glad you understand. So, Baron Blanc, focus on your training from now on and bring even greater glory to both Cardmus and Tolome in the tournament..."
Bartolomeo trailed off.
Blanc had removed the newly made Cardmus signet ring from his finger.
"The Tolome family saved my life, in effect. Count, a life's worth is repaid with a life."
Blanc set the Cardmus signet ring on the floor as he spoke.
"From this moment, I am no longer Baron Cardmus. Until I bring Sir Stefan Tolome back, I, Blanc Cardmus, shall serve the Tolome family."
If they wouldn't make him standard-bearer, it seemed he would join as a mere knight regardless.
The knights gathered in the drawing room held their breath at Blanc's bold action.
Nobles were always striving to elevate themselves even slightly.
Yet Blanc was voluntarily lowering himself to repay his debt to the Tolome family—a perfect exemplar of a knight who valued honor above all.
Noel and Obet, seeing Blanc for the first time, were already deeply captivated.
Their cousin, with whom they'd grown up, had abandoned their father for personal gain, but this cousin they'd just met was forsaking gain for honor.
Even casting aside his very roots to do so.
"Blanc Cardmus! Knight of knights!"
"The knight of Aselheit! He will become a legend!"
"He has the qualifications! The qualifications to represent us!"
The Tolome knights lost their composure amid the dramatic surge of chivalric spirit.
The sight of this young boy embodied the true knight they had always yearned for and dreamed of.
Having shed his Cardmus identity, all that remained for Blanc was his title as the sixth knight of Aselheit.
A legend among legends—the knights of Aselheit were practically the teachers of all knights. Such a figure had more than enough qualification to serve as standard-bearer not just for Tolome, but any house.
Moreover, half of Blanc's blood was Tolome. As Sir Blanc the knight, rather than Baron Cardmus, he was fully qualified to bear the Tolome banner.
"Blanc Cardmus, knight of Aselheit!"
Bartolomeo felt something boiling deep in his chest.
It was a sensation he hadn't felt since becoming head of the Tolome family. The soul of a knight, long forgotten.
The knightly soul awakened by watching Blanc's duel with Aselheit refused to die quietly and was now raising its head once more atop Bartolomeo's heart.
'Nedrian... my forget-me-not flower.'
The little forget-me-not born under moonlight harbored a dragon within.
Nedrian had sent him a dragon.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Bartolomeo shot to his feet and yanked the family banner from its stand in the center of the meeting hall.
"I entrust you with the Tolome family banner! Sir Blanc Cardmus! Go and rescue Stefan Tolome and the knights of the Tolome family!"
"I shall obey."
Blanc knelt before Bartolomeo, bowing his head deeply in response.
Everyone watched with bated breath as Blanc received the Tolome banner from Bartolomeo.
The moment Blanc took the banner, he turned to the ten knights who followed him.
"We must rescue Stefan Tolome. Assuming he's alive, we have no time to waste. Therefore..."
Blanc, now the sixth knight of Aselheit and standard-bearer for the Tolome family, commanded the knights.
"You have two hours. Arm yourselves, prepare your horses, and assemble at the main gate."
"Yes, sir!"
The knights' resounding voices echoed through the Tolome mansion.
The ten-man vanguard rescue party for Stefan took only their squires and a few nimble servants before hastily departing the Tolome mansion.
They were the advance team.
To reach the mine where Stefan had vanished as quickly as possible, they were moving with minimal personnel.
The main force following behind would be led by Edwin, Bartolomeo's guard knight.
He would depart for Baum territory with around a hundred troops after full preparations.
Blanc's role, bearing the banner, was to meet the families of the domains they passed through, offering apologies and seeking permission.
"Thank you for your help, Baron."
"My father will be grateful as well."
Noel and Obet rode side by side with Blanc, expressing their thanks.
"Please, no need for titles, brothers. Right now, I'm just a knight."
"But..."
Blanc flashed a boyish smile at the hesitant Noel.
"I'm just a baron in name anyway, with no territory to my name. I've had few places to feel at home in the Tolome family, so if my brothers here take a liking to me, that would be wonderful."
Just moments ago, Blanc had exuded the majesty of a knight, but now revealing his fourteen-year-old face, Noel and Obet found themselves drawn not just as fellow knights, but as men.
"Alright! From now on, let's live like brothers born from the same womb!"
"We know how much that bastard Yonas put you through."
"...Yonas definitely didn't take a liking to me."
"We figured as much when we heard Izrelin was poisoned. It's that bastard's favorite trick. We've been hit with it too."
"How tough it must have been for that kid. The last time we saw him, he was eight. We wanted to storm in right away when we heard, but we were on mission and too far away."
At the mention of Yonas, they vented their rage. Yonas was loathsome enough that even Blanc, who'd only known him a year, recoiled—let alone Noel and Obet, who'd endured him through childhood.
Bound by their shared enemy and interests, they quickly grew as close as brothers who'd spent a decade together.
'Yonas, looks like you can be useful sometimes after all.'
Blanc couldn't guarantee rescuing Stefan Tolome, but he had already achieved his primary goal.
Because his main targets were Noel Tolome and Obet Tolome, riding and chatting beside him right now.
When Stefan Tolome died and Viteli absorbed the knight order, Viteli could openly challenge Schmaier because the knights gave him their full support.
More precisely, because the core of the order—Noel and Obet—gave Viteli their full backing.
These two would become the senior knights leading the Tolome order in the future.
If Blanc could win their hearts, borrowing the Tolome family's military might to reclaim Norinton would be a breeze.
A life's worth is repaid with a life.
Blanc had cast aside even his roots to save Stefan Tolome's life, so Noel and Obet would have to pay an equivalent price.
'If I can save Stefan Tolome too, that would be perfect.'
In the dim dawn where moon and sun hung together in the sky...
The vanguard had arrived at the first domain they needed to cross.