Chapter 30

“Congratulations, Lord Ruelde!”

“Hail! And further hail to thee!”

“Ah, um… thanks. Everyone. The sun’s already set, so please don’t make such a fuss here….”

“Nay! Lord Ruelde and Lady Hermine have blessed us with an heir! How could we not raise our cups in celebration?!”

“His Majesty has even decreed a feast for tomorrow!”

…Is it really necessary to go this far?

Ruelde suppressed his reddening face as he pushed through the crowd.

Even though it was dead of night, his snow-white hair stood out starkly under the torches and lanterns, making him quite conspicuous.

As a result, exchanging various congratulations and pleasantries delayed him considerably.

“Phew!”

For a baron’s residence, it was rather modest, but within Rutania, this was extravagantly sized indeed.

Hermine initially thought it too burdensome.

“……”

A sudden tension, like a stone sinking deep into his chest, arose.

Anxiety creeps in.

The sight of the silent estate weighed heavily on his heart.

Just moments ago, he felt like he had conquered the world.

But again, the human heart is fickle—it seemed exhausting.

“But still…”

He needed to show his younger child’s face to Carriel, didn’t he?

…….

….

While Ermina was struggling,

inside the waiting room of the grand cathedral, Luedel sat restlessly until someone approached him.

“Hahahaha! Who would’ve thought! After more than a decade, kids now! You’re doing great, man! Your marital bliss must be off the charts!”

PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

A hulking man with a scarred face leaned in awkwardly and gave Ruelde hearty backslaps that reverberated like thunder.

It must feel like getting your feet massaged by a bear.

Compared to this guy, Ruelde’s build looked downright scrawny.

Ruelde, clad in the distinctive black uniform of the Golden Dragon Knights, looked bewildered as he asked:

“Bariel? When did you return?”

“Now!”

“How neat you look despite all that roughhousing?”

“I was on a long journey with my wives! But then I heard the news, so I cleaned up real quick! Hahahaha!”

“…You’re the one who has marital harmony, aren’t you?”

“I’m just lustful!”

…What a shameless confession.

“Anyway, where’s Carriel?”

“…At home.”

“Huh? Why? Come on, the mom is here, and the baby will be here soon—aren’t you going to let that kid see their sibling?”

“It’s not that….”

“I heard. You totally trashed Prince Highness, right?”

“……”

So it spread that fast already?

“But hey, man! All boys fight when they’re young! It’s no big deal. Didn’t we do the same?”

“That’s different… This time it went too far.”

“Well, wasn’t it justified? If he got that mad, how much teasing did that kid endure from the prince beforehand? Man, when’s the last time you had a proper conversation with your son?”

“It’s been… days… hasn’t it?”

“What was the topic? For how long? A few minutes?”

“That’s why….”

The most recent conversation they had was…

…….

“You brat! Drawing things out means it’s over! You can’t think of anything to say, can you?”

“Hold on! Can’t you see I’m anxious because Ermina is praying for safety?!”

“That’s exactly what you should reflect on, Mr. Clueless Knight.”

“……”

That was true.

If anything came to mind…

…it was mostly about himself talking during dinner.

[…Thank you for the meal.]

[Carriel! What kind of manners are these when your father is speaking?!]

[Ah! Darling! It’s fine! He’s just at that sensitive age; we need to understand him.]

…It was probably something like that.

Even inside the carriage today,

the kid didn’t utter a single word.

Back then, all he did was ponder what to say.

Once home, he planned to talk more carefully…

[Why me?]

[……What?]

[Did I do something wrong?]

[Are you calling this talking?!]

[What excuse did Partyna give?]

[…….]

“So, judging by your expression, you haven’t had any good conversations, huh? Thought it was just teenage rebellion or puberty? Seen his face often enough to feel close, but somehow it feels awkward to get friendly. Am I right?”

“It’s not exactly like that….”

“You’re always busy traveling across the empire, aren’t you? You barely ever properly dealt with Carriel anyway, right?”

“…….”

“Of course, people respect you. Even those who live carefree lives without duty or responsibility know you’re far superior. That’s common knowledge throughout the empire.”

If Ruelde took a day off,

somewhere, someone dies.

Some become orphans, others lose their children.

…Countless conflicts spill blood everywhere.

Property damage and crop losses can somehow be managed,

but the meaningless loss of life…

Has always been hard to bear.

The empire may seem stable outwardly, but internally, it’s still festering and rotting.

Sometimes, drastic measures are needed—cutting away the diseased parts.

“All we want is happiness and prosperity, so why do you and Ermina stress so much about saving everyone else?”

“We….”

Because it’s our duty.

If we don’t, it can’t be done.

If we slack off even a little…

Somewhere, tragedy strikes naturally.

Just being late by mere seconds or minutes leads to horrifying tragedies witnessed firsthand.

That moment feels utterly maddening.

When you see parents clutching the dismembered body of their child, drenched in blood while wailing bitterly…

Or when you watch young children shaking lifeless parents, unaware of the situation, begging them to wake up…

“That’s why you can’t save everyone, you know.”

“…….”

“And I’m not asking you to take it easy, but seriously, man. You don’t drink, you don’t know how to relax. Stress relief for you is just swinging your sword around. Because of you, Carriel keeps hearing how he’s not working hard enough compared to his dad. Do you think the whole world is made of superhumans like you? Besides, moderation in abstinence is key. Ever since he was young, every time Carriel messed up, you’d make him confess sins, punish him with fasting prayers, sometimes even keep him awake for days. Isn’t that too harsh for a growing kid who also has daily responsibilities? Haven’t you thought about that?”

“What? No, I didn’t know he… did that much…”

“Huh? Really? Didn’t you know? Ermina’s particularly sensitive to sin and goes ballistic about it. She does the same to us, so imagine what she did to Carriel. Was she the type to make exceptions? She’s kind to others but strict with herself, you, and me, isn’t she?”

“…….”

“Remember what I said before. Ermina lacks finesse. If you don’t support her, she’ll just bottle up her wounds and suffer silently.”

So much for a happily married couple.

“For now, why don’t you put work aside and spend some time with your family? No, this isn’t optional. Just do it!”

At that moment.

From afar, the cry of a baby reached their ears.

But both men’s acute hearing caught it effortlessly.

With a hurried rush.

The sound of someone nearly stumbling while running toward them also echoed.

Together with it.

“Sir Ruelde! Congratulations! It’s a boy! A boy!”

Bariel clapped his hands with an “Oh!” and then turned to Ruelde with an authoritative tone.

“First, take a look at the kid’s face, then quickly fetch Carriel. If he misses this emotional scene, he’ll regret it forever.”

“Uh, okay… got it.”

His Majesty the Emperor arrives!

After checking on Ermina’s condition and holding the newborn,

receiving congratulations and responding to each one individually,

he was completely preoccupied.

However.

The moment he cradled his second child,

memories of embracing his firstborn, Carriel, surfaced unbidden.

Back then, the previous pope, dying from illness, personally came to Rutania from his sickbed.

And proclaimed, amidst his final mission, that this child was anointed with oil as a blessing and revelation from the world itself.

Didn’t he praise him thus?

And yet… there were other things too…

Why was it then?

“Where’s Carriel? No, it’s not too late even now, so send someone immediately….”

“No, no. I’ll go myself.”

Shaking his head at the emperor’s suggestion, Ruelde declared his intent.

“If you’re in a hurry, shall I come along?”

When Empress Melinos signaled she was ready to cast a transfer spell with a glance,

“No, I’ll walk. I want to clear my thoughts while I go.”

“Bring him quickly. Both the baby and Ermina look quite exhausted.”

Bariel, cradling the bundled second child, urged him on.

“I’ll be right back.”

…….

….

The interior of the residence was cloaked in silence.

Most of the staff had gone home by this hour.

One might stay overnight for duty, but aside from those guarding externally,

the inside was eerily quiet, as if a rat had died.

Ruelde was seized by an odd sense of unease.

Spreading his mana instantly, he scanned for any signs of presence.

“Silphia?”

“Oh, my lord Ruelde.”

In the maid’s duty room, Silphia, just discovered by Ruelde, looked surprised.

“What are you still doing up?”

“That….”

“Besides, isn’t it your day off today? Even if there are guards outside, how could you leave a young child alone inside?”

“…Lord Ruelde.”

“Hmm? What is it? Something to say?”

Pulling out a letter tucked in her waist pouch, Silphia teared up, her eyes brimming with moisture, as if about to burst into tears.

“Young Master sent this… asking you to deliver it.”

“…….”

For some reason,

a chill ran down his spine.

Hadn’t he experienced something similar before?

What happened back then?

Caught momentarily in déjà vu.

Trembling slightly, Ruelde forced himself to accept it…

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