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“My body is like a ragged doll!”

As I was drying off from the training, the trio approached and said that.

They were now full-fledged adults.

Balron was no longer chubby, Willas wasn’t scrawny anymore, and Martin’s messy acne had long disappeared.

After spending a long time as soldiers, their bodies had taken on a fine shape, and they claimed that they were popular whenever they visited the village’s tavern. Sometimes they even boasted about getting free drinks.

Balron circled around me, examining my wounds.

It had been a month since I got up. Preparations for war were in full swing.

Willas chimed in.

“More like a rag doll than a rag. Look at that recovery speed! And with a build like that, it’s a definite sign. Someone in the Allen family must’ve had a thing for ogres among their ancestors.”

“This guy has always been talking trash about my family.”

“You say that, but I’m dead and gone.”

“…”

Their faces wore a grin that suggested they had come to terms with the deaths of their families long ago.

It was evident they were using this as a topic for jokes.

As I was putting on my clothes, Martin came up and lightly tapped my ear.

“What about this ear? Half of it is gone. You’re done for when it comes to love.”

I thought of Vivian but swiftly brushed her out of my mind and replied vaguely.

“Do you think I need love in my status? Being the eldest son of the Allen family means women will line up for me. Worry about yourselves. Stop sticking to those harlots.”

“You can’t even go home, what do you know…?”

“…”

Balron, Willas, and Martin chuckled as they exchanged casual jabs.

I couldn’t help but chuckle too.

The reason I didn’t feel offended was simple.

Since I had woken up, I could feel their genuine concern for me.

While they spoke roughly, they even accompanied me to the bath to check on my scars.

Sometimes, they brought food and water to my bed without me asking.

At night, they’d sneak in to check if I covered myself properly with the blanket, and I heard that after I collapsed, they struggled the most after Vivian.

After a while of laughter, Balron dropped the playfulness and consoled me.

“Hey, Kylo. Actually, you’re fine, right? Even if you’re not loved by a woman. There’s one, isn’t there? If I’m not mistaken… it’s pretty obvious there’s something between you and Lady Vivian.”

I feigned ignorance.

It still felt like a secret. It felt like a forbidden relationship, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Even when you collapsed, she was worried sick, risking herself for the war… What else could it be if not feelings? Your sickroom was in Lady Vivian’s chamber.”

Martin shrugged.

“She’s just being courteous. It’s a political matter, isn’t it? What would have happened if you had died?”

“You seriously think that’s why she’s been so attentive? Lady Vivian doesn’t seem like someone who fears the Allen family that much.”

As they were bantering, Willas nudged me.

“Why don’t you spill it? Just say what’s between you! Wow, if things go wrong, are we going to have to serve Kylo instead?”

Martin continued to be pessimistic. He truly had no sense.

“Come on, are you serious? Don’t you remember Kylo and Lady Vivian are from enemy families?”

“To be frank, it’s just a family feud; there’s no grudge between you two.”

“If you can separate things so clearly, why did you bother with your coming-of-age ceremony?”

Balron and Willas fell silent.

Having seized the moment, Martin didn’t hold back.

“Plus, isn’t Lady Vivian establishing her political standing? Getting involved with Kylo? Even if they have feelings for each other, it can’t be. The entire supporting base would hate the Allen family. Just look at Kelsy! She hates Kylo. Finding someone in the Delum Kingdom who doesn’t dislike the Allen family is even harder. If she gets too close to Kylo, everyone will turn their backs.”

…He may have zero sense but he sure thinks a lot. My evaluation of Martin kept changing.

Immediately, Martin smirked and continued.

“Even putting politics aside, it won’t work. Hey, they don’t match in appearance.”

I nudged Martin lightly in the side with my knee, but he continued to laugh.

“Kylo’s got a bit of a look, but just look at his body! Scars everywhere, burned, and he’s got half an ear… A monster! On the other hand, Lady Vivian? Where do I even begin? I’ve never seen anyone so perfect in my life. Her face, her body, her proportions…”

“Enough, enough! Kylo should be the one talking! You say it; don’t just sit there in silence. Who’s right?!”

Willas, possibly irritated by the complicated conversation, shouted while covering Martin’s mouth.

All eyes turned to me.

I sighed and answered.

“…What’s there? There’s nothing between her and I. Just like you said, we’re enemies.”

“See!”

Martin pulled Willas’s arm away from his mouth and shouted.

At the end of the day, I was going to leave.

What the truth was didn’t matter anymore.

Staying quietly and leaving quietly was my dream.

“…What’s that?”

As we were heading back to our quarters, we noticed a group of soldiers gathered together, murmuring.

Not just the 4th Knight Order, but all other orders were also gathered, discussing urgently.

This scene was unusual given the distinct walls between the knight orders.

Something big had clearly happened.

“What is it?”

The four of us pushed through the crowd to get closer.

At the center, Yanes looked up at me with a stunned expression.

“Kylo, did you hear?”

“…What?”

“Count Korod.”

“What about Count Korod?”

Yanes blinked before speaking up.

“He’s dead.”

****

The Order of the Eight Knights had crumbled, and Count Korod had passed away.

His arms and legs were severed, and even their heads were gone.

Without anyone needing to say it loudly, we all understood.

…Before it even began, the war had already ended.

There was no way the Korod family would continue fighting the Rondore family when they had gone mad.

Vivian and I mounted our horses and headed toward the plains of Roktana.

Behind us, soldiers who had finished preparing for war followed in a long line.

“…Is your hand still like that?”

While riding, I asked, looking at Vivian’s left hand.

Vivian nodded, staring at her left hand.

Ever since I collapsed, her left hand hadn’t moved properly.

She still had all her sensations, and the physician said there was no problem, but she couldn’t hold strength in her hand as she used to.

It would drop whatever she grasped, and even the reins were slipping from her hands right now.

I could only let out a sigh.

What on earth was going on?

I was the one who took the sword to the left hand, yet Vivian’s hand was the one that was broken.

…I felt a strange wish arise where I’d rather it have been my hand that suffered.

“…You’ll be fine.”

Vivian replied nonchalantly.

It was a strange situation where I worried more about her body than she did.

On the plains of Roktana, the Korod family awaited us.

There were no soldiers, only a few old men and a young man who looked to be in his twenties.

The young man seemed slightly older than us.

There were exactly ten in total.

It was the posture of someone who promised unequivocal surrender.

-Thud!

I dismounted first and reached out my hand to Vivian.

Without strength in her left hand, she leaned her whole body against me as she dismounted.

Afterward, I held Vivian’s hand as we walked toward them.

The old men bowed their heads first, followed by the young man, who took a step forward.

“We greet the sun of Rondore. I am Rob Korod, the head of the Korod family…”

He seemed to be the dead Count Korod’s son.

If they were to surrender properly, it should have been him coming out.

Vivian maintained her lofty posture, showing no trace of etiquette.

Looking down at Rob Korod with icy eyes, she spoke.

“…I didn’t start this fight. You should know that.”

“…I, we of the Korod family apologize for attacking the guest of the Rondore family. We express our apologies now.”

Vivian looked at me.

“So, Kylo? They’re apologizing. Will you accept it?”

I looked at Rob and replied.

“I will accept it.”

As Rob relaxed and tried to straighten his back, Vivian snapped back.

“An apology is an apology, but don’t forget this is war.”

Rob bowed his head again, speaking in a rush.

“Of course. But… we…”

He chewed on his words for a while, as if struggling to speak.

“…We have lost. If we continue the war, it will just lead to innocent victims. We will offer gifts to appease the anger of Rondore… I hope we can restore peace again.”

“I can agree. We could fight, but there’s no need to create more innocent victims. The wrongdoers were the Korod family, and you must pay for your wrongs.”

“Y-Yes… of course.”

As Vivian snapped her fingers, Lady Linne stepped forward with a document in hand.

I had also seen that document.

It contained the demands of the Rondore family in exchange for peace.

The terms included a complete transfer of management rights of the Korod trading house to the Rondore family, along with a promise to transfer a portion of the vast wealth the affluent Korod family possessed to the Rondore family. Furthermore, it clearly stated that the territories between the two families, which had sparked disputes for many years, would be annexed to the Rondore family.

Rob’s hand trembled slightly as he received the conditions.

Gazing up at Vivian like he was asking for mercy, he couldn’t hold her crimson eyes for more than a few seconds before lowering his gaze.

He swallowed hard and said.

“…I will sign.”

****

For a while, the mood in Roktana was in favor of Vivian’s praises.

She had stabilized the economy and expanded the lands.

And all without shedding a drop of blood.

There were whispers that the God of Ras was looking after Vivian, rewarding her for the hardships of her childhood.

The fact that she had risen up and conquered the Korod family, which everyone thought would fall easily, felt like a fairy tale, causing people to love her even more.

When entering an inn, shouts like “To Vivian Rondore!” were common, and thanks to her policies, the citizens who finally started to fill their bellies composed songs in her honor.

Seeing them made me smile beneath my helmet.

The more stable Vivian’s position became, the more at ease I felt about her safety.

There had been many changes.

From a time when no adult was trusted to this day, receiving the support of the people of the land.

I honestly hadn’t expected such change to come.

Of course, there was still work to be done.

This wasn’t the end.

However, pride was pride.

It seemed that Vivian felt the same.

She had started to spend more time looking over Roktana from the castle wall, and she often showed a faint smile.

Her long-held dream of reviving the family was slowly coming true.

And it seemed as if she couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride watching the territory stand once more.

“…Is that so great?”

I asked, looking at her as she smiled while gazing down at the city.

Vivian didn’t deny it at all.

“Because it was my dream.”

“…”

“…Being able to preserve my family’s legacy is so…”

Vivian trailed off as it felt increasingly emotional.

I didn’t prod further.

-Clop! Clop!

At that moment, a knight on horseback rushed up to the castle wall.

It was Duran.

His mission today must have been patrolling the Roktana territory.

“Lady Vivian! Kylo! A, a guest has arrived!”

“A guest?”

I looked at Vivian.

Vivian shook her head as if she hadn’t anticipated a guest.

Shouting down to the bottom of the castle wall was hard, so I yelled instead.

“Let them come!”

“W-Well, it would be better to go out to greet them!”

“Who is it?! The royal family?”

…

The answer would soon become clear.

Arriving in a hurry, I spotted a carriage coming closer, creaking in the distance.

A small number of soldiers were escorting the carriage.

And they bore black hair and black eyes.

Next, the giant white bear emblem was engraved on the carriage.

The carriage soon came to a stop before us.

“…Bester.”

I whispered, looking up at my aged swordsmanship teacher.

The once sturdy Bester had aged, perhaps gaining sensitivity, shedding a few tears as he looked at me.

“…You have grown so much, Kylo. I have listened to rumors with great ears. Each time… my heart ached so much.”

“…”

I looked at Vivian.

She wore a dazed face, shifting her gaze between the carriage and me.

Bester continued.

“But, before me…”

-Bang!

The door of the carriage burst open.

A young lady with flowing, silken black hair leaned out.

Having grown, her adult form was entirely different from what I remembered, but her cute features had naturally blended into her growth.

“Hah.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

But she looked at me and started to tear up just like Bester.

I jumped off my horse.

She hurriedly jumped down from the carriage.

As I opened my arms after a long time, she jumped into my embrace.

“Waaah…! Brother!!”

Holding her tightly, I spun around in place a couple of times.

“Why have you grown so much?”

I asked.

It was my little sister, Keila.

 

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