Switch Mode
You can get fewer ads when you log in and remove all ads by subscribing.

Chapter 92

Chapter 92. Everyone Makes Mistakes (4)

Leganon raised his head.

His eyes were covered by his hands.

“Sir Gant, please leave with the members. I can no longer show such a disgraceful appearance.”

“But, Elder…”

“If you trust me, please leave.”

“…I obey.”

Gant, saluting with his hand on his chest, led the members out.

Leganon lowered his hands. His eyes were dry.

“Hoo, thank you for giving me a chance.”

Leganon’s tone, which had been passionate just moments ago, had returned to its usual calmness.

Keter clicked his tongue at the swift change in attitude, as quick as flipping a palm.

“There was a snake pretending to be human in Sephira.”

“There is no lie in what I said earlier. Especially in my will to save Sephira. Of course, if you intend to kill me, I have no intention of dying obediently.”

Leganon suddenly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his chest. His emaciated body was exposed.

Keter frowned. It wasn’t a look of discomfort, but one of being outmaneuvered.

There was a tattoo on Leganon’s solar plexus.

A tattoo made of runes.

“You are indeed capable. I can see in your eyes that you can guess what kind of rune this is.”

“It’s a rune that explodes when your heart stops. Have you heard that once engraved, it cannot be removed?”

“I have. But I felt this much was necessary to deal with you. Fortunately, it didn’t come to that.”

Keter’s spine tingled. His bored expression brightened again. The opponent he thought was merely passive had actually set a meticulous trap.

“Sitting in front of me on purpose. Drawing the knights to a suitable position. There was a reason.”

If he were just a deceitful person trying to evoke sympathy to get through the current situation, there would be no reason to show respect.

But Leganon had staked his life. A life-threatening bluff. Keter had been momentarily fooled. There was a reason to show respect again.

“You wouldn’t have thought highly of me, who lost the Birang Tribe with open eyes and exposed the link with Baydant due to complacency. Strictly speaking, three wins and three losses. To you, I must have seemed nothing more than a greedy loser who made the wrong choices.”

“It wasn’t that you did nothing, but that you pretended to do nothing.”

It was all a setup.

A perfect trap that even Keter couldn’t detect.

A blade is most threatening when it’s not shown, rather than being held in front of you.

Keter, who had thought of Leganon only as a competent manager, crossed out his previous evaluation and revised it entirely.

From a sly and competent manager to a competent manager with a sharp blade hidden.

“It’s true that I did nothing. Sir Gant is the one. I was busy. I had to study you. Where is this? The Archive. Everything that happened in Sephira is recorded here without omission. Probably, the person who knows you best in this world is me.”

“Huh. So, in your eyes, what kind of person am I?”

Instead of answering immediately, Leganon took a deep breath.

The more he dug into Keter, the more he felt like he was staring into an abyss.

Actions that seemed to harm Sephira on the surface, when pondered, all led to positive outcomes. Thus, it became something logically nonsensical.

‘Keter knows that our Sephira is in trouble. Conscious of external views, he disguised himself as causing trouble while actually helping us.’

Leganon shuddered upon realizing this.

How could this be?

Keter had spent his entire life in the Lawless City. How could he know about Sephira’s crisis and help while deceiving the world?

It wasn’t something that could be dismissed simply by saying ‘because he’s smart.’

He was eighteen years old.

An age considered adult, but excessive.

It wasn’t a feeling of being strong or smart. If you break it down, there are plenty of geniuses in the Lilian Kingdom who surpass Keter.

But there are things even a genius can’t handle. Things only time can solve.

‘Experience.’

Keter had an experience that other young geniuses couldn’t have.

‘It’s as impossible as seeing the sun and moon at the same time. Experience comes from learning through failures and successes. No matter how much Keter suffered hardships from a young age, those were hardships in the Lawless City. Here, the experience from the Lawless City should act as a poison.’

Leganon held his forehead. Just like back then, no matter how much he thought about it now, he couldn’t understand.

“…I don’t know. What kind of person you are. No, I don’t even know if you’re human.”

“Are you treating me as a monster?”

“Suddenly, I feel regret. I think I’ve learned too much about you.”

“You speak so calmly in front of the person concerned.”

“To you, who casually uncovered the secret treaty between the hidden Birang Tribe and Baydant, what could I possibly hide?”

“Oh, you’re being a bit sarcastic.”

“I don’t care if you’re a monster. If it can save Sephira, I will accept any humiliation, let alone my pride. If my death could save Sephira, I would have thrown myself off a cliff long ago.”

“For what?”

“That is…”

For Sephira.

Leganon had repeated that to himself and had said it in front of Gant.

But no.

Neither the words Keter wanted to hear nor the words he held in his heart.

It wasn’t for Sephira.

The reason I care so much for Sephira is…

“For my daughter, Olive, who loved Sephira.”

A tear filled the deep wrinkles and rolled down his cheek. Leganon, who had revealed his true feelings for the first time, let out a long breath.

Keter interlocked his fingers and smiled.

“Living honestly, it’s not such a bad feeling, is it?”

“Since I’m being honest, let me ask you one more time. Are you really forgiving me?”

It would be a shocking statement if others heard it. What does Keter mean by forgiving the elder of a prestigious family?

But Leganon felt no shame in asking this question. Keter was a man worthy of such respect.

Gulp.

Keter, who had downed the tea Gant brought in one gulp, stood up.

“Forgiveness is something you should ask from your father, not me. What I’m giving you is a chance. A chance to make up for your mistakes.”

As Keter turned to leave, Leganon stood up and spoke.

“I’ve read all the records about you and erased them. I plan to continue doing so. I won’t tell anyone either. Not even Basil.”

Clap, clap, clap.

Keter responded with applause.

* * *

“Lord, there’s an urgent matter.”

“Sir Nabakin. Let me guess. Keter has returned, and as soon as he returned, he caused trouble. Am I right?”

“Gasp, how did you know?”

Basil had heard about Keter’s return from the butler Jacques, and for the past half year, all urgent matters were related to Keter.

So, if there was an urgent matter, it was likely because of Keter.

“Tell me. What trouble did he cause?”

Basil, who had come to trust Keter, didn’t stop his work. His heart was full of understanding, no matter what happened.

“Lord Keter called Elder Leganon a traitor who colluded with the Baydant family. But as soon as Sir Gant heard that, he attacked Lord Keter, and just as a fight was about to break out, Elder Leganon suddenly appeared. Then, he went to the Archive with Lord Keter.”

Snap!

Basil, who had been mechanically signing documents, broke the fountain pen he was holding.

“I must have been sitting in this chair for too long. I’m hearing things. Sir Nabakin, I’m sorry, but could you repeat that?”

“Lord Keter called Elder Leganon a traitor who colluded with Baydant…”

Nabakin swallowed hard and repeated, and Basil froze. He didn’t blink, didn’t breathe.

“L-Lord? Are you alright?”

“…Ahem, I’m fine. So, is Keter still in the Archive?”

“Yes. I’ve mobilized soldiers to monitor the Archive’s entrance, so I’ll report as soon as he comes out.”

“Well done. You may leave.”

As soon as Nabakin left, Basil jumped up and rubbed his temples.

“Keter and Elder Leganon didn’t get along. But I can’t figure out why.”

Keter and Leganon’s first meeting was a three-way confrontation orchestrated by Ultima. He had heard there was a bit of a power struggle there.

Then, they met again before Keter left for Hakoz Village. According to the records of Sir Gant, who had contacted Keter, Leganon had encouraged Keter, saying it was his first mission and not to make mistakes.

But Keter had responded curtly, telling him not to worry, which was all Basil knew.

“Now that I think about it, it’s strange. When Keter returned from the mission, Sir Gant’s attitude changed drastically.”

Gasilious, the Lunar Knight Commander, had also recorded the events of that day in detail, and Basil had skimmed through it.

Gant had tried to take Keter away forcefully. It wasn’t goodwill but hostility that Gasilious had recorded.

“They captured the Baydant knights who had illegally entered the territory, so why did Sir Gant show hostility towards Keter?”

At the time of the report, Basil had thought Gant might have personally disliked Keter and dismissed it lightly.

But putting all the stories together, he couldn’t understand Gant’s attitude.

It’s possible to dislike Keter, being from the Lawless City and a bastard. But there’s no need to show hostility.

“Elder Leganon is the same. He’s not a person swayed by personal emotions.”

Could it be.

A word flashed through Basil’s mind.

‘Did Elder Leganon really betray us?’

Basil was dumbfounded.

If that were true, Sephira would be nothing more than a ragtag group. The elders, who should assist the lord in leading the family, all have different intentions.

Elder Ricotta, who disappeared without a word and hasn’t been in contact.

Elder Panir, who negotiated with other nobles behind the lord’s back.

Elder Leganon, who contacted the family’s sworn enemy, Baydant.

‘Now I fully understand why the chief steward wanted to strip the elders of their power on my behalf.’

Basil felt ashamed of his past self, who thought they were doing enough by maintaining a peaceful appearance.

“Elder Leganon’s betrayal hasn’t been confirmed yet.”

He said it with his mouth, but his heart felt differently. Because it was Keter who said it.

“Keter wouldn’t have called Elder Leganon a traitor without any evidence… Ah!”

Basil finally remembered the conversation he had with Keter.

“Now tell me. Why were the Baydant knights in Hakoz Village, and why did you fight them?”

“It’s not much different from what Luke said. But it’s also true that there are parts I can’t talk about.”

“Even to me, the head of the family and your father?”

“It’s because of a prior agreement. With Elder Leganon.”

Basil slumped onto the sofa.

“Keter had been suspicious of Elder Leganon since then. No, maybe since their first meeting.”

Why it came to this, he couldn’t even guess. It was a realm he would never know without hearing from the person involved.

“Keter. What are you seeing, and how far are you seeing?”

He was worried. Doubts arose. He wanted to call Keter and force him to confess everything.

But that would be foolish. Instead of forcing, he should praise. Say he’s proud, thankful, and that he trusts him.

Even if Keter’s actions were purposeful hypocrisy, the fact that he was acting for Sephira remained unchanged.

“You asked me to trust you no matter the situation. I said I would. So I’ll trust you to the end, my son.”

However, as a father, he could at least give a hint, and Basil decided to subtly mention it when he met Keter.

Just as he was about to sit back down at his desk to continue his work, he heard running footsteps from far down the hallway, and the door burst open. It was Nabakin.

“Lord, there’s an urgent matter!”

“You always seem to say that.”

“Lord Keter has come out of the Archive.”

“That’s not an urgent matter, is it?”

“Elder Leganon has also come out and is on his way here to see you.”

Basil, who had just sat down, stood up again and adjusted his clothes.

“That is an urgent matter. Are Keter and Elder Leganon coming together?”

“No. Only Elder Leganon and Sir Gant.”

A meeting with Elder Leganon, who had avoided him for decades. He hadn’t expected it to happen like this, but he had no intention of avoiding it.

“Where did Keter go without coming here?”

“Well, Lord Keter didn’t say where he was going… Oh, but he did ask me a question.”

“What question?”

“He asked who was participating in the Southern Sword Tournament, and since I knew, I told him.”

There were four participants in the Southern Sword Tournament.

Third Prince Anis.

Fourth Prince Taragon.

Holy Knight Order Vice Commander Brooks.

Lunar Knight Order Second Division Commander Darkin.

A servant came to each of them as they were going about their day.

“A message from Lord Keter.”

At the servant’s words that they had come on Keter’s errand, their reactions were varied.

Anis thought it was finally the start of a duel-

Taragon was nervous because he didn’t know the reason.

Brooks and Darkin, who had no significant connection, were puzzled.

The servant, seeing they were ready to listen, delivered Keter’s message.

“…’Assemble at the Second Training Ground. First two to arrive.’ That’s what he said.”


Tired of ads? Subscribe for just $2 to unlock all locked chapters and remove all ads. Login or Signup to subscribe.
You can get fewer ads when logging in and remove all ads by subscribing for just $2 per month.
I’m the Madman of This Family

I’m the Madman of This Family

Status: Completed
Keter, the Fixer and Madman of the Lawless City, finds himself transported back to his younger days as an illegitimate child of a once-great archery family doomed to annihilation. “If I’ve been given a second chance and can’t even save my family, I might as well drown myself in a bowl of water.” For my family? No, for my freedom!

Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Options

not work with dark mode
Reset