C846
"You, you..."
Raon looked at Merlin with wide eyes.
"Why are you here?"
Judging by the swaying of the cabin, the Azure Wind was currently in the middle of the sea. They hadn't yet arrived at Zieghart, so Raon didn't expect to see Merlin there.
"I perfectly completed the task you entrusted to me and returned."
Merlin smiled and said she had delivered the Soul Crystal to Glenn.
"Your mother was very happy. She was especially proud of you."
She pretended to clap, saying her ears almost hurt from all the praise.
"I see."
Raon thanked Merlin and sat on the bed.
"I wonder what grandfather will say."
Receiving praise from Glenn after completing missions had become a routine, but this time Raon couldn't imagine what he would say.
"He might be resentful towards me."
Thinking they might blame him for not protecting Rimmer and Alice, Raon felt nauseous.
-Puaj...
Wrath's groan came from the ice flower bracelet. It seemed he had retreated inside because of Merlin.
"I heard what happened."
Merlin let out a brief sigh and covered her face with her mask. Her skin was so pale, as if she had never seen sunlight, that the cabin seemed to darken momentarily when she covered her face.
"Actually, I was going to borrow the body of a nearby animal to follow the ship, but when I heard what happened to Rimmer, I summoned my main body immediately."
Merlin stepped forward and dried the tears forming in Raon's eyes.
"Do you want to bring him back?"
She shook her head slightly, asking if he wanted to revive Rimmer.
"Can...?"
Raon looked at Merlin with wide eyes.
"If his soul remains, I could turn him into a mask or a helmet. But..."
Merlin shook her head with a melancholic expression.
-That's not what you want. Neither you nor he.
"You're right..."
Raon clenched his fists so tightly that his palms bled. He wanted to see Rimmer again. If he could see that relaxed smile and lazy attitude one more time, he would do anything.
But as Merlin said, Rimmer himself wouldn't want to be revived using the power of masks and helmets in someone else's body.
Especially after what happened with Sia and Edgar, Raon could never allow something like that.
"Okay?"
Merlin nodded slightly, as if she had expected this response.
"Then, now the only thing you can do is endure and cry. I had no one to cry with, but you have many. Crying is not a bad thing. It means you are honest with your emotions."
She gave a melancholic smile, as if she were an older person, as if she had gone through the same experience.
-No, she must have.
Recalling how Rokta called Merlin princess, it was clear that she too had experienced the death of her loved ones.
"Neither Rokta nor I had a good death. That's why I wanted to call Rokta and bring back others..."
Merlin shook her head with a vacant look in her eyes.
"Now I regret everything. Though I'm glad I met you for that."
She moved her finger, saying that she could tell him about her circumstances if he was curious.
"Umm..."
Although he felt curious, Merlin's expression suggested that it wasn't an easy story to hear. With his own emotions disturbed by Rimmer's death, Raon didn't feel he could concentrate on her story at that moment.
"I'll listen to you later, for sure."
—Alright. Then at least tell me your story. I'm sure it will make you feel better.
Merlin sat on the floor of the cabin as she said this.
-Mmm...
Wrath peeked out of the bracelet, looking cautious.
-I don't like that crazy woman, but her words are true. Letting it out will calm you down a bit.
Wrath waved his arms up and down, saying that Raon could trust him instead of Merlin.
-We may not be quite friends, but as your vessel, I’ll listen a little!
"Come on."
-Let's go!
Merlin and Wrath extended their arms, urging Raon to let it all out with them.
"Puaj..."
Raon shook his head with ironic laughter.
"I'll tell you when I've cleared my thoughts. Right now, I don't even know what to say."
Looking at those two made him laugh, even though he didn't want to. It seemed that now both had become comfortable figures for him.
-It's fine. Let me know when you're ready.
Merlin raised her fist, saying she would wait for that too.
-This king is always prepared!
Wrath also shouted that Raon could talk day and night, staring intently at Merlin. He seemed to feel competitive despite being scared.
"Is Alice... I mean, has the aunt woken up?"
"Aunt? How would I know?"
Merlin shook her head and said she had no idea.
"Eh? Haven't you heard about the others?"
"I listened in secretly. But since I was in animal form, I summoned my main body directly here."
She smiled and said that no one else knew she was there.
-You see! That's why she's crazy! She's gotten into the habit of sneaking around when now she could talk openly!
Wrath trembled and said that was why he couldn't help but fear her.
'Mmm...'
Raon couldn't argue with that, but hearing Merlin's words reminded him of a certain person. No, a certain demon king.
"Where's Lust?"
Raon narrowed his eyes and looked around. Although she was not in her right mind, he couldn't feel Lust's presence anywhere.
"That damn woman with her poor sense of direction..."
Merlin gritted her teeth in anger. Raon called her clumsy at orienting herself and could guess the answer.
"After delivering the Soul Crystal to your grandfather, she said she now knew the way back to you and that she would continue on, then disappeared!"
"Didn't you stop her?"
"I tried! But she said she had memorized the route and flew off on her own!"
She let out a hollow laugh, saying that Lust was too confident despite her poor sense of direction.
-See! I told you!
Wrath nodded.
-That’s a stalker with no sense of direction, but she thinks she’s very clever!
He shook his head, saying that Lust had strange and overlapping traits.
-She's never any help!
"She's just a nuisance!"
Merlin and Wrath cursed Lust in unison, as if they were on the same wavelength.
"Well, with Lust's abilities, she won't get into trouble anywhere."
Since no one knew about Lust's existence, there didn't seem to be much need to worry.
"Haha..."
Raon slowly got up. When he was about to leave the cabin, he grabbed the Blade of Requiem that was on the table. He couldn't leave it behind, in case Rimmer's soul still remained in the sword.
"Are you going out?"
"I want to check on the aunt's condition."
Probably Alice would be barely alive. Generally, she seemed even stronger than Glenn, but she became weaker than anyone in front of Sif. That made Raon worry even more. Just as Raon was about to leave the cabin, firmly holding the Blade of Requiem:
[You have killed two transcendent warriors.]
[You have killed an angel for the first time in a thousand years.]
[You have achieved an impossible feat.]
[All skills...]
[New trait...]
[New title...]
This time he also didn't read the full message and brushed it aside.
- Ah! This damn system... Huh?
Wrath began to curse the system, but stopped and looked at Raon, licking his lips.
-Aren't you going to look?
"I don't want to see it right now."
-I see...
He placed a hand on Raon's shoulder as if he understood.
"I'll look at it when I can mock you for it."
- Ey!
Ignoring Wrath's shout, Raon stepped out of the cabin. Since it was night, there were only a few crew members on deck. When he was about to enter the infirmary where Alice would be, Dorian approached from the end of the deck.
"Are you awake?"
Dorian tilted his head and asked if Raon was alright.
"Has the aunt woken up yet?"
Raon immediately asked about Alice's condition.
"I just checked the infirmary, but she hasn't woken up yet."
Dorian shook his head and said that Lawaine was watching over Alice's room.
"I see..."
Raon nodded. To be honest, it would be better if Alice didn't wake up just yet. He still didn't know what to say or how to face her when she regained consciousness.
"And what about the others?"
“Given the situation, we were all exhausted and fell asleep.”
Dorian smiled awkwardly and said that the Azure Wind crew was keeping watch.
"I see you're still thinking about it."
Raon leaned his arms on the railing, contemplating the gently swirling night sea.
—No, I can't help but think about it. I keep thinking about the Master too.
If he didn't look away, the image of Rimmer smiling even with his chest pierced by the Cursed Black Sword kept appearing. It was maddening. If Raon felt this way, Dorian, who had witnessed everything from the beginning, would never be able to forget it.
"Yes..."
Dorian nodded.
"That scene keeps appearing in my dreams too. I wonder what would have happened if I had sacrificed my life in his place..."
"It doesn't make sense."
Raon shook his head firmly.
"Not even a great master could intervene in that fight. You did the best you could."
- No! I don't deserve those words...
Dorian buried his head in the railing and began to shed tears. The crybaby had been holding himself back, blaming only himself, and now finally broke the dam of his emotions.
"Hi..."
"Alright. I don't blame anyone."
Raon patted Dorian's head, recalling Rimmer's smiling face until the end, just as his master had done with him. A fresh and clear breeze, different from the sea air, briefly halted at the bow of the Azure Wind before departing, as if to console them both.
* * *
When the Azure Wind reached the northernmost port, closest to Zieghart:
"We'll accompany you as well."
Lawaine bowed his head after loading Alice and Rimmer, still unconscious, into two separate wagons.
"It seems we won't be able to keep pirating anymore."
He asked Raon for permission, saying that most of the Azure Wind's crew were originally Zieghart swordsmen, and the remaining members had participated in wars, so there shouldn't be any problem returning together.
"That's fine."
Raon nodded and set off towards Zieghart on horseback. Unlike when they returned to the Azure Wind from the dungeon, there were no cheerful talks or laughter. Neither the Light Wind division nor Lawaine and the Azure Wind crew said a word as they walked towards Zieghart, preparing for the farewell in their hearts.
At the end of the not-so-long journey, the snow-covered walls of Zieghart came into view.
"..."
Raon bit his lip as he contemplated the walls of Zieghart. The gray walls that had always felt welcoming now seemed overwhelmingly tall and heavy. It felt as if those walls were crushing his soul. The news of Rimmer's death would have already spread, but not knowing how those inside would react made his hands tremble with fear.
Looking back, he saw that the other swordsmen were also staring at the walls with eyes filled with fear and concern. Although he was the most worried and scared, they couldn't just stand there staring at the walls. He wanted to let Rimmer rest as soon as possible.
"Let's go."
Raon let out a small sigh and headed towards the main gate of Zieghart. Normally, they would check identities before opening the door, but today the doors of Zieghart opened as soon as they saw his face, and the external commander Illiune came out with the swordsmen.
The swordsmen, dressed in black uniforms, performed the Zieghart sword salute, holding their swords upside down in front of their chests.
"..."
Raon clenched his jaw and drove the carriage down the main road leading to the main building. On the left and right sides of the main road, Zieghart swordsmen stood in line, offering a solemn yet heavy sword salute. It was the unique salute of swordsmen for those who died fighting for Zieghart.
"Hi..."
"Vice Leader..."
"Why did it have to be...?!"
He could hear the Light Wind division swordsmen sobbing behind him, but he was the Division Leader. Suppressing his emotions, he walked towards the main building. The swordsmen from the Warring Steel Division, the Void Sword Division, and the Vanguard Sword Squadron, as well as those from the Martial Palace, Wise Martial Palace, and True Martial Palace, all came out to offer sword salutes to Rimmer.
Seeing even those who usually grumbled and fought among themselves showing respect without a single wrinkle made his heart ache even more.
When the two carriages transporting Rimmer and Alice stopped in front of the main building, he saw Sylvia, Edgar, Gambling Monster, and Federick. Even Glenn and Roenn, who always waited inside the audience chamber, were waiting in front of the Lord's Mansion. Sadness and pessimism were evident in everyone's faces.
Seeing his father, mother, and grandfather made his chest burn with pain, and his nose tingled as if tears were about to fall at any moment.
Raon dismounted from the horse with trembling legs. He was afraid. He didn't want to go. He was afraid, not that they would hold him responsible for Rimmer's death, but of realizing Rimmer's true death by standing in front of them. Raon took a deep breath and moved his heavy legs.
"Head of House."
Endure until the end. Resist even if it bothered him. He stood before Glenn with his whole body tense.
"I'm sorry. It's all because I made a wrong decision..."
When Raon was about to kneel before Glenn and bow his head, Glenn grabbed him and hugged him.
"You've been through a lot. And..."
Glenn tightened his arms around Raon and spoke in a voice that sounded as if he were grinding his teeth.
"I'm sorry."
Raon clutched Glenn's robe with both hands and let the tears he had been holding back fall.
-
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