Family (4)
The interior of the mansion was decorated with understatedly elegant wallpaper with dark coloured frames and furniture, creating a heavy atmosphere for its owner.
Also, the mansion has a very complex structure to prevent any assassins. From the moment they entered the mansion, they had to turn many corners and enter many doors.
But, in the end, they’ve finally reached their destination.
Before long, the Count was standing in front of the parlour as he led them inside.
“This way,”
The parlour room in Estarrot mansion was rather large and gave off the impression of being an unmanned room.
In the middle of the room was a tapestry with two crossed swords embroidered on. Below that was exhibits with various models of swords that were said to have been used by swords masters.
Altair was watching with sparkling eyes and Rowan was arrogantly crossing his legs on the sofa when the door opened once again.
“They said they don’t have to work on the night shift these days. What are you going to do?”
Altair was slowly interpreting the conversation of Duke of Chernobog and Count Estarrot. One problem was that she had read too much into their lines.
‘There hasn’t been an invasion of the Empire in a while, but that doesn’t make Count Estarrot a free man. Is he not going to do anything to further ensure the people’s safety? I wonder if he’s at least taking note of enemy numbers.’
Count Estarrot, who heard Duke Chernobog’s question, responded calmly.
“I was about to ask for your thoughts and recommendations…”
‘It is because they are busy protecting you. So that you can protect the Empire peacefully. I too want to be able to protect the Empire, that’s why I want to learn swordsmanship from you.’
“Ah… well I’ve been trying to educate my child these days. Right, how’s your son doing? It’s such a shame I can only see him once in a long while.”
If his father continues driving Ahin to a corner, he will turn to evil things. It’ll be too late once things start to go out of hand.
Altair, who stopped translating what they were saying, finally felt that it was her time to intervene before this crisis gets any worse.
Before answering his question, the Count calmly took a sip of his tea before replying.
“He’s doing well enough to not cause any unnecessary worries”
“Hah, so that’s how it’s been like. Well, I’ve too been able to sleep peacefully. Except last night, my daughter-”
“-Please train as a swordsman!”
For a moment, the two aristocrats were at a lost for words as they turned back due to Altair’s sudden intervention.
Count Estarrot’s hand, which was stirring his cup of tea indifferently, froze.
The face of Duke Chernobog, well-known for having never fallen apart, was clearly cracked.
Before long, Rowan scolded her in a somewhat subdued voice.
“Altair… can’t you just sit still and stay quiet for a little while?”
But Altair wasn’t one who backs down easily either.
Should this attempt fail, she would no longer be able to enter and leave the Estarrot residence as she pleases without breaking the law.
The relationship between both the families was just that terrible.
“Father, I’m willing to accept any punishment after this, but can’t you just listen to my one request regarding this?”
“This is a problem between both our families. It will not result in just one individual being punished.”
“Please trust me, Father. This singular request will never bring any trouble to the family.”
“Altair!”
There was heavy silence in the parlour as the Duke’s roaring filled the entire room.
Count Estarrot, who was quietly listening in on the father and daughter’s conversation, slowly opened his mouth.
“May I ask you for an explanation…”
The lack of a subject to that request implied that anyone in the Chernobog family was allowed to reply, so she called out an answer.
Noticing this, she clenched her small fists and looked up at Rowan with a desperate expression. He looked incredibly perplexed, as if he had been cornered.
“Haa…”
Soon, Rowan closed his eyes and sighed deeply, as if he had already given up.
“Fine. Do as you please.”
“Thank you, Father. Then I shall continue.”
Altair stood up quickly, as if she had been waiting for this chance for a long time, and pulled out her sword from the scabbard at her waist.
She drew out the sword carefully, raised it with both her hands around her chest, and leaned back at an angle of 15 degrees, facing the Count.
An example of an experienced swordsman, something that is not suitable for a 12-year-old girl.
The Count, who was watching the scene unfold as if it were the most interesting thing to happen all day, soon rose from his seat with a smile.
“It’s a sudden request, especially one without much explanation, but I especially like the fact that this is unlike the Chernobog that I am used to.”
When he made a slight gesture, an aide brought forward a long shiny sword.
The Count, who gently received the sword, took up a stance and faced Altair.
“I’m unable to face-off properly using swords in a place like this. We shall move this someplace else first.”
When he had finished speaking, he turned around and walked out of the parlour room with Altair following close behind.
Then, Rowan was left alone in the parlour. Rubbing his temples, he ordered a knight that was waiting behind him.
Clank-
An intense shockwave erupted around them as bright blue auras collided with the lustrous golden auras.
The drill hall was in ruins as a knight clad in black and a young girl with platinum hair faced off.
A sword master who was merciless against an esteemed aristocrat’s daughter who was learning the sword for the first time. A couple of knights had paused to observe the Count going up against her, curious to see the outcome as they repeatedly murmured.
“Crazy…”
This bizarre fight was fay beyond what they, as trained knights, saw as a battle.
As Altair, who was pushed far back from their collision quickly regained her composure and corrected her posture, Arsene raised the corners of his mouth as if that was funny before commenting.
“You’ve already mastered it. Who was the one who taught you this? It can’t possibly have been your father.”
“It’s self-taught.”
“Did you pick up the sword by yourself?”
“Yes.”
She answered shortly, but that tiny delay in response led to her sword being positioned badly as she brought it up too late.
The Count drew up a huge aura that seemed to swallow and block her blow.
Clank-
Another massive clash.
The magically coated floor was damaged. Likewise, the magic-enhanced hard columns shook like a reed. Powder of shattered and damaged metal weapons too fluttered in the room.
“…”
The knights were silent as they turned to face the Duke of Chernobog.
He was staring at her daughter with hand over his mouth as she flew off the walls with aura and leaped towards Arsene.
He trembled slightly whenever Altair was pushed back by the Count’s relentless attacks.
This was completely out of place for the Duke of Chernobog, after all he is well-known among aristocrats for being the symbol of calmness and coolness.
Everyone thought, at that moment.
It’s an understandable reaction.
A few times, roars can be heard from Altair as she was smashed against a wall before she repeatedly rushed into battle again.
Dozens or hundreds of knights came and went as the fierce battle continued, seemingly neverending.
At the moment when two people’s auras were intertwined in a bright light.
Clink clank-
With a metallic sound, the two people’s movements stopped at the exact same time.
When the dust finally lifted, the figures of two people could be seen holding a sword at each other’s neck.
Arsene moved aside his sword that was narrowly aimed at Altair’s neck before saying in a short and cold voice.
“Princess. You’d be better off using a proper sword.”
“Um…”
Giving a blank look at the children’s rapier she had been using this whole time, she gave a short sigh.
He looked incredibly disappointed.
Arsene grumbled whilst clicking his tongue,
“It’s because of the little head of the rapier, it has a lot of load. You’re trying to fight with an ornament sword added on to the fact that your body lacks the muscular strength to perform those intricate movements and attacks.”
“I’m sorry! I’ll bring another sword so please fight me once again…!”
“That’s all for today.”
“…!!”
Altair’s face hardened with a blank expression. Then, she suddenly brightened up and asked with a quivering voice.
“Are you accepting the proposal…?”
“That’s for your father to decide.”
The Count gestured towards Rowan before striding out of the drill hall.
Soon after, even when Estarrot’s knights have followed suit and left, only the Chernobogs are left in the ruined room.
Altair quietly walked towards her father and stood before him. Rowan groaned and said,
“Altair, I… Suddenly it’s as if you’re a whole different person and I don’t know you well at all. Yesterday when you received the sword, you looked at it like it was a strange-looking toy. Yet, somehow overnight…”
Altair, while fiddling with her broken rapier, hesitated. She was at a loss for words, not knowing how to explain this whole absurd situation to him.
‘You wouldn’t trust me if I were to tell you about my past…’
Of course, if she were to repeatedly correctly predict future events that she remembers, then maybe she could somehow manage to convince him.
But she also had a problem leaving it as it is.
After all, her father would be the first to try to eliminate Ahin. It was the Chernobog motto of being thorough and making sure to not leave any regrets behind.
Altair shook her head at the thought.
Although she was killed by his hand, revenge was not what she wanted.
‘It’s not the time to explain everything to him yet.’
When Altair finally made up her mind and raised her head, she saw a pair of beautiful purple eyes that were filled with worries looking at her.
Yeah, let’s tell a lie. Just a lie.
“Not in the middle of the night…”
The young girl’s voice rang out in the empty hall.
“I want to please you, my father. That’s why I’ve been training in secret for a very long time.
In the future, we will continue to work harder, so that even the Count would be inferior, and the knights of the White Lion of Chernobog will be raised to match its prowess.
In my place, I intend to make Chernobog a family that doesn’t fall behind Estarrot in terms of force and skill.”
In her last life, she used to think like this when she went through a hard time on the battlefield and missed her thin father back when she was still a child.
Wouldn’t her father be very proud if he saw how she was using her brilliant talent for the sake of the Empire?
Now that Estarrot has nothing to show off in front of Chernobog.
However, with a feeling that might have been joy or sorrow, Rowan pulled her little body into his arms.
With a rather tired voice, he choked out,
“I didn’t know you’ve been feeling that way. Let’s go back home and talk. There are some things that you are not allowed to say in places like this.”
***
Heavy silence filled the carriage as they made their way back home.
Rowan closed his eyes and folded his arms. Altair, who was sitting in front of him, was looking out of the window.
On the streets, amidst the approaching dusk, merchants and children were scruffling as they begged for leftover food from passersby.
In front of a fountain, a girl with neatly tied up hair was selling flowers in a basket.
Beside her was an old lady who hesitated before stopping to throw a small coin into the fountain.
After passing through a few buildings in the square, she could suddenly see the sky painted in a dark scarlet from a wide open view free from any buildings.
Their carriage was passing on an arched bridge across the Orte River.
Peace.
If we were able to shape words into a landscape, it would look like this.
Altair became sentimental.
Rowan, who had been staring at her face which was dyed in the sunset, suddenly opened his mouth.
“From now on, the things I’m going to talk to you about are things that I’ve never in a million years ever wanted to tell you.”