Chapter 23

Camilla looked at Raul, who had succumbed to drunkenness and fallen asleep, and smirked.

“Honestly, what a fool.”

Raul, who had desperately tried to explain that the crow could actually talk, was now leaning on Camilla’s shoulder, wandering in his dreams.

“…Why does that even matter?”

He was a man who rarely obsessed over his own safety or reputation, yet strange things always seemed to happen around him.

It was oddly charming how he acted as if he had no interest in such things.

That’s why he was even more pitiful and endearing.

“If it were any other man, I wouldn’t have to do this, but he’s too clueless to even realize it.”

Raul probably thought his actions were purely driven by curiosity.

That’s why she called him a fool.

Even if she was a creature driven by curiosity, that curiosity shouldn’t last this long.

Her interest flared up like metal, but it also cooled down just as quickly.

“…..”

She looked at the sleeping Raul and downed the alcohol she had brought from the tavern.

And then she felt relieved that she was a woman and Raul was a man. If it had been the other way around, she didn’t know what she might have done.

Of course, even now, she wasn’t entirely unwilling to do such things. It’s just that she didn’t want to see him sad more than she wanted to act on her desires.

How much better would it have been if they had been born as the opposite gender?

If Camilla had been born a man, she would have easily become the family head and taken Raul, who had left his family, and locked him away where no one could see him.

“If I had been born a man, I might have been quite the scoundrel.”

To her, Raul wasn’t the best man. Anyone could be the best when it came to ability.

To her, Raul was the only man, and that’s why she acted this way. The term “only” is reserved for just one person.

Camilla shook the bottle and began searching through the treasure chest of memories for Raul’s records.

###

Years ago.

This is the story of five people, including Raul, who would later be called heroes, back when they were still pure.

It was also a time when they mistakenly believed their efforts would be properly rewarded.

On the day of a grand departure ceremony, the five, hailed as the Empire’s hope, were to give speeches in front of countless soldiers.

The event was strongly supported by nobles who wanted to boost morale with the speeches of these hopeful figures, but the speakers themselves weren’t keen on it.

However, no one was foolish enough to refuse an imperial decree, so the speeches went ahead.

“What a foolish spectacle. Just the kind of thing that dimwitted Emperor would love.”

“Raul, if they hear you, you’ll be executed for treason.”

“…What else should I call a fool if not a fool?”

Perhaps because he still had enough humanity to call someone a fool, Raul was quite blunt back then.

“After all, the one who started this foolish war was that dimwitted Emperor, wasn’t it?”

“That’s true. A horny piglet. How could he… the Demon King’s envoy who came for peace…”

The blonde woman next to Raul smirked and added her own sharp critique.

“Well, our piglet is sorry now.”

Asel, who would later become the Emperor and was also the first prince, grimaced as he insulted his own father.

“Everyone, stop. If someone sees us, they’ll think we’re being dragged into this war because of our prince’s father.”

Of course, Camilla was also among those joining in the mockery.

“Damn, I can’t even see my own side. What a colorful bunch of traitors.”

To them, even conversations that could be seen as treason were just light banter.

“We’re not fighting for the royal family, so of course.”

“Of course, except for our prince, the royal family’s piglets probably think we’re loyal to the crown.”

“…Even the training we received under the Minister of War, or rather, our master, was because of the royal family.”

“Three against one is a bit cowardly, you bunch of rebels.”

As the four of them clashed, Penelope, the future Empress, finished her speech and descended from the podium.

“No matter how much of a pathetic, lust-driven worm the prince’s father is, even worse than a dung beetle, you should still know when to stop. Even if you want to break his back for his pitiful, lust-driven behavior, there are things you should and shouldn’t say.”

“…No one was being that harsh.”

“Oh, really? By the way, Raul, it’s your turn to speak now.”

Penelope, ignoring Camilla’s serious expression, pulled Raul up.

“Speeches are free, but you can’t insult His Majesty like we do in our conversations, right? If you do, it’s immediate execution. Not that you would, of course.”

“……”

“Don’t say it again.”

“I’m not much of a talker, but… I’ll give it my best shot.”

Raul trudged weakly up to the podium.

It felt awkward to be giving a morale-boosting speech to the soldiers with the same mouth that had just been insulting the Emperor.

Raul silently looked at the soldiers for about 30 seconds.

“I am Raul Berze.”

He introduced himself, sounding a bit awkward.

Among those present, there were some who didn’t know Raul, but no one who didn’t know the name Berze.

If there was someone who didn’t know such a prominent family, they must have been a complete idiot.

“The subject is Raul. From now on, the meaning of titles will be irrelevant. Whether it’s the title of Berze, the royal family, a duke, a peasant, a stonemason, or a blacksmith. None of it will matter anymore.”

He was realizing that he wasn’t talented at giving speeches.

The soldiers were just staring at him, speechless.

“You just die when you die. The enemy’s swords don’t fear the power of the royal family or noble houses. Likewise, their swords won’t pity the poor.”

Raul felt like he was making a fool of himself, but he thought he should still say what needed to be said.

“The previous speakers made many promises. Sadly, as a common man, I can’t promise anything grand.”

The prince promised glory.

The blonde woman promised future peace.

Camilla promised victory.

The future Empress promised honor.

Since the others had made such impressive promises, Raul, being last, had nothing left to promise.

So, he promised the most trivial thing.

“I promise to return home.”

But those words captured the soldiers’ attention more than any other.

“My goal isn’t the Demon King’s head, but my home just a few steps away.”

“We’re not hunting falcons following orders; we’re a flock of migratory birds. We march now to survive, but we will surely return here someday.”

“A flock of migratory birds forms the shape of a giant bird, and when that giant bird takes flight, no falcon can compare.”

“Therefore.”

He raised his hand like his friends and declared to the soldiers.

His voice, low but clear, wasn’t loud, but it rang clearly in the soldiers’ ears.

“I will lead the way.”

Though he couldn’t realize it, his speech played a significant role in boosting the army’s low morale.

Of course, there was the unfortunate incident of his friends mockingly imitating his speech and a fistfight breaking out, but even such scuffles were just trivial jokes to them back then.

###

“…It was really fun.”

A lot had happened since then, but it was true that it had been fun.

Even though tragedy had reduced their number from five to four, they were rewarded with scrutiny instead of glory, and Raul had lost even the faintest traces of emotion.

But even Raul couldn’t deny the brilliance of those days.

“If she had been there, she would have grabbed your family by the collar first. I may like a fight, but I’m not that much of a lunatic.”

But Raul, reaching out with bloodied hands in his dreams toward an unreachable being, couldn’t give any answer.

“…There really is no one as clueless and frustrating as you, you fool.”

Camilla laid Raul down on the bed and turned her head toward the crow trapped in its cage.

“You’re not going to, are you, you vile beast?”

“…How did you know?”

“Your unnatural cries and various little clues?”

“…”

Camilla was a person driven by curiosity and temper, but she wasn’t ignorant.

In fact, she was quicker-witted than most nobles and belonged to the cunning side.

“I don’t know who you are, but it really bothers me that you’ve approached us while hiding your identity. A talking crow isn’t normal, is it?”

“So, are you going to kill me here? Raul would be angry.”

“Our relationship isn’t the kind that would end over killing a bird.”

For a moment, Camilla’s fingertips glowed blue, but the crow calmly stared at the light.

“…But not today.”

“That’s surprising. The lunatic of the battlefield showing patience.”

Camilla withdrew the lightning she was about to unleash and calmly replied.

“This fool wouldn’t show it to me, but he’d definitely be sad. That annoys me more. If you want to cry, cry. If you want to get angry, get angry.”

“…”

“But that’s only if you don’t make this fool sad. If you make him cry even once…”

As Camilla gestured, a spear stuck at the village entrance flew through the window and returned to her hand.

“…You’ll be the main course that day.”