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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: My Grave (3)
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5.
The moment the female knight from the Imperial Guard appeared, the atmosphere inside the shop turned ice-cold.
A sharp, silent battle of nerves erupted between the unexpected guest and the three customers.
Hugo stared at the knight with a look of displeasure. It was only natural; the Imperial Guard had always been the primary rival of the Sea Wolf Knights.
A rivalry passed down since ancient times.
The two orders had always competed fiercely, but the emotional rift between them had deepened ever since Halo dethroned the Evil Emperor.
After all, it was a fact that Grand Duke Halo, the head of the Leston family, had killed Kain Rator, the former commander of the Imperial Guard.
Of course, the current Imperial Guard was not the same as the one from that era. The present-day Imperial Guard was practically a newly founded organization.
'Still, even with all that, is it possible to hate us this much?'
Karron frowned, looking at the female knight whose eyes were practically shooting fire.
It was true they didn't get along.
But it shouldn't be to the point of treating them like mortal enemies.
In fact, the Imperial Guards who had escorted them to the capital hadn't displayed nearly this level of animosity.
The aura this female knight was emitting made it seem as though they couldn't live under the same sky.
Just as the atmosphere grew frigid, Ruhon emerged from the fitting room, greeting her with a smile.
"Sir Eimi, you've arrived."
"I told you to stop being so formal with me, didn't I? Just talk to me like you used to. Besides, I haven't even been officially knighted yet! I'm still an apprentice!"
"Even so, you are a very fine knight to me. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet. I was going to eat with you, Grandpa… but I didn't realize you had guests."
The knight, called Eimi, looked over Karron's group with eyes full of caution. After a moment, she looked at Hugo and spoke.
"Sir Hugo, it's been a while."
"Miss Eimi, I believe this is the first time we've met since the last exchange match. It seems your skills have improved greatly since then."
The two exchanged brief greetings.
Hugo gave a slight nod before turning to his brothers.
"This is Miss Eimi Altura of the Imperial Guard. I don't know if you've heard the rumors, but she's a promising talent said to be responsible for the future of the Imperial Guard for the next fifty years. Say hello."
"Ah, so this is the famous Eimi Altura?"
As Leo showed his recognition, Karron quietly moved behind him and whispered.
"Who's that?"
"You don't know Eimi Altura, the sword genius who reached 4-star at seventeen? You've really been living under a rock."
"It's possible not to know. So, she's good with a sword, right?"
At Karron's words, Eimi quietly turned her gaze to him.
"…You must be Karron Leston. And next to you is Leo Leston, correct?"
"How did you know?"
"My seniors told me. That Grand Duke Halo's grandsons had arrived. If Sir Hugo is personally escorting two boys, it could only be you two."
Her ability to assess the situation seemed decent.
However, the hostility mixed into her tone was still a mystery.
Could there be a feud between our families?
As Karron watched her with a curious expression, Hugo spoke softly.
"Karron. Miss Eimi is someone who deeply respects Sir Kain Rator. I heard her goal is to one day become a great knight like him."
"Seriously? What's so great about a damn guy who sold his soul to a demon…"
The moment Karron spoke in a pathetic tone.
"You! How dare you spew such words from that mouth? Have you said all you wanted to say?"
Eimi flared up, glaring at Karron.
"Even if you are Grand Duke Halo's grandson, his is not a name for you to insult! Karron Leston! Since you have defamed Sir Kain's honor, I challenge you to a duel in his stead!"
"By what right?"
"Because I will be the one to carry on Sir Kain's will!"
This seemed to have gone beyond respect and reached the level of fanaticism.
Kain—no, Karron—struggled to hold back his laughter as he watched the female knight passionately rant before him.
'This is insane.'
A complete stranger challenging him to a duel on behalf of his past self.
This was a spectacle one could only witness by being reincarnated.
"Hey, maybe Sir Kain wouldn't want that?"
He decided to pose the question. Eimi shook her head firmly.
"Sir Kain was a hero who stood by his lord's side to the very end, even after his soul was sold. Karron Leston, I don't know how your family educates you, but that's how it is for me!"
"Maybe standing by his lord wasn't his choice?"
"…Huh?"
"His soul was sold. So maybe he couldn't get away?"
The truth of history, flowing from the mouth of the man himself.
But Eimi adamantly shook her head, denying that truth.
"Even if that were true, Sir Kain would have protected the Evil Emperor. He was a man of great pride!"
"…Pride, my ass."
"What?"
"Fine. I get that you're angry."
Karron quietly placed his hand on the hilt of Guillotine.
"Hearing you say it, it does sound a bit off. The way you put it, it's like my grandfather is the villain who killed a hero, isn't it? When the villain was Sir Kain. You think you'll become a fine knight by revealing your hostility so easily?"
Azure Mana began to flow from Karron's body.
In an instant, the Azure Mana spread throughout the shop.
"A duel? Fine by me. I was looking to stretch my legs anyway."
"Let's go outside right now and…"
"Why bother?"
Karron's eyes locked onto Eimi.
Staring at the thick killing intent emanating from Karron, Eimi bit her lip.
She was afraid.
The boy before her exuded a presence so terrifying it was hard to even describe.
Without realizing it, Eimi gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.
She felt if she didn't, her legs would give out.
Karron watched her and gave a slight smile.
He had only meant to tease her a little, but she was handling the situation with unexpected composure.
He could see her will to overcome her fear and fight back.
'Not bad.'
Perhaps she was a decent person.
Those with such will usually were.
Thus, Karron withdrew his mana. He then asked her in a gentle voice.
"You said you haven't eaten yet, right?"
"…What does that have to do with anything…"
"Let's eat first. We can fight when we fight, but we should do it on a full stomach. I'll give you your duel after we've eaten."
He wanted to show her some kindness.
He was impressed.
He had thought he'd left nothing behind, but now it seemed that wasn't entirely true.
He wanted to hear her story.
The commander of the knights whose soul was stolen by a demon.
No matter how history was re-evaluated, it was a past the newly formed Imperial Guard would have wanted to forget.
And yet, a knight who clearly had a bright future ahead of her claimed to admire him.
Karron proposed to Eimi in a relaxed voice.
"How about some pork? Or beef is good, too. Lamb is also an option."
"…Suddenly?"
"Decide now. Beef?"
"Beef sounds good… Wait, that's not what's important right now! Are you mocking me?"
"Mocking you? My father used to say you should always eat before a fight. So, let's just eat everything. Hugo. Are there any good restaurants around here?"
At Karron's question, Hugo nodded.
"There are. But are you really taking Miss Eimi with you?"
"Even a brief encounter is a kind of fate, isn't it? The least we can do is fill her stomach."
"Karron, you really are… Never mind. Fine, let's go eat. But I'm still a bit full from breakfast."
"Let's just consider it a substitute for a protein supplement."
"Hmm, that's a good idea."
As the cousins conversed, Eimi frowned and spoke up.
"Karron Leston. Just what are you…"
Just then, Ruhon, who had been watching the situation with a smile, interjected gently.
"Miss Eimi, aren't you using your entire salary to pay off your family's debt? As Master Karron said, this is fate, so please go have a meal with them."
"Grandpa!"
"Ho ho. You'll burst my eardrums."
After a bit more back and forth.
"…Fine. Let's fill our stomachs first, then we'll duel, Karron Leston."
In the end, she had no choice but to surrender to poverty.
6.
This was a restaurant near the boutique street, recommended by Hugo.
"Wow, she really knows how to eat. Leo, you need to eat that aggressively if you want to build muscle."
"…Miss Eimi is quite different from what I imagined."
Karron's group watched Eimi eat, letting out sounds of admiration.
Every time the waiters set down a plate of meat, it vanished at an incredible speed.
"*Cough, cough*."
She was eating so hastily that she even started choking.
"Drink some water."
Karron pushed a glass of water toward her. Eimi immediately gulped it down.
"Thank you."
Her voice was unfailingly polite.
The furious female knight from before was nowhere to be seen; only a glutton remained.
"Don't misunderstand, I'm eating for the duel. I'm just trying to maintain my best condition beforehand."
Eimi looked at Karron while holding a beef rib.
At her excuse-like words, Karron chuckled and replied.
"Right, no misunderstanding. But your tone has become more polite than before."
"My parents always said, 'Anyone who buys you meat is a good person.' Oh, and just so you don't get the wrong idea again, I'll be sure to pay you back for the meat when I get my salary next month. I can't stand being in debt."
Even as she spoke, she relentlessly put more meat into her mouth.
Karron watched Eimi with a satisfied nod.
"Slow down, eat a lot. And Leo, stop staring at Eimi."
"I mean, honestly… she's beautiful. How can I not look?"
As Leo said, Eimi's beauty was indeed remarkable.
Her fair skin was flawless, without a single blemish, and her light green hair flowed with a glossy sheen.
She was beautiful enough to make anyone turn back for a second look.
But what Karron was focused on was Eimi's talent.
In contrast to her beautiful face, her hands were covered in calluses and numerous scars.
It was proof that she trained with the sword with grueling intensity.
'She seems to have a talent for mana cultivation, too.'
And her mana reserves had easily surpassed the initial stage of 4-star.
Of course, Karron was currently at the peak of 4-star, on the verge of 5-star, but that was a result of his experience combined with the overpowered nature of the Sea-Conquering Art.
On the other hand, while the Imperial Guard's cultivation methods were excellent, they couldn't compare to the Sea-Conquering Art.
For her to have achieved this much despite that…
'I want to recruit her.'
She was undoubtedly a talent worth coveting.
Furthermore, the fact that she deeply respected Kain Rator was a bonus.
"So, what's your relationship with old man Ruhon? I heard you call him grandpa earlier."
At Karron's question, Eimi smiled and answered.
"My father was a frequent customer at his shop. So I came and went often as a child and listened to his old stories. I first heard about Sir Kain from Grandpa Ruhon, too."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, for someone who just heard stories, you seem to know a lot about Sir Kain Rator."
"After I became interested in Sir Kain, I mostly read books published by the Imperial Academy. The more I read, the more I thought he was a truly amazing person."
The mention of the academy reminded him of his childhood tutor.
So, Karron slowly asked her.
"Do you happen to know a Professor Yuris?"
"Of course. He's the professor who led the re-evaluation of Sir Kain Rator, isn't he? Ah, I was planning on visiting him sometime."
"He was my childhood tutor. I was planning to visit him anyway, want to come with?"
"…Really? If you would, I would be very grateful."
Leo listened to Karron and Eimi's conversation and shook his head.
'He tells me not to chase after girls, but he's even worse.'
Wasn't this obviously him making a move?
Eimi herself didn't seem to notice, but to Leo, it was clear.
"By the way, when should we have our duel?"
"Of course. Let's fight right after we eat."
"I like how straightforward you are."
"To be honest, I've been wanting to properly witness the Sea Wolf Sword Style. The exchange match felt a bit lacking…"
"You sure about that? A proper duel with me could get you beaten to an inch of your life."
"The same goes for you. I don't go easy on people just because they're young."
"Oh, I like that. We seem to get along well."
"I think so too. Ah, would it be alright if I ordered one more plate of beef? As I said before, I'll pay you back on my next payday…"
"Order more. Order as much as you want."
"Thank you!"
It was a rather grim conversation to be having over a meal.
Leo, who had been quietly chewing on his meat while listening, frowned.
'…Carrot and stick?'
Giving gifts, and also giving pain.
Wasn't this the very technique Karron had used to tame him over the past three years?
Could this really be considered flirting?
As Leo was lost in confusion, Hugo, sitting beside him, felt much the same.
Hugo watched the two converse naturally and shook his head.
'Neither of them is normal.'
Especially the youngest one.
He needed to revise his assessment of that kid once again.
'He's a person of interest. I'm certain, absolutely certain, that kid won't give a damn about the family's reputation. A scoundrel… yes, that's what he is, a scoundrel.'
He would not take his eyes off him for a single moment in the capital.
But at that time, Hugo didn't know.
He had no idea what was about to happen.
Just as Karron's group, now joined by Eimi, was enjoying their meal, the restaurant door opened, and a man in flashy attire stepped inside.
A man who stood out with his golden hair and tanned, bronze skin.
He swaggered over to where Karron's group was sitting. He then slung an arm around Eimi's shoulder and grinned.
Like all disasters.
"There you are, Eimi. You should've called your big bro when you got out."
It begins with a very small coincidence.