Novel

Perhaps because of how unusual it was to hold it at the Black Lion Castle, the Lionheart Coming-of-Age Ceremony this year was particularly majestic.

However, apart from that, it wasn’t particularly special and it didn’t take all that long either. Although the blessings delivered by elders were all worded slightly differently, their contents were practically the same. Don’t shame the Lionheart clan, and take responsibility for your own actions….

Of the three siblings, Cyan had been appointed as the representative. This was because Eward wasn’t able to attend, and also because Cyan was the closest in line to inheriting the position of Patriarch.

Without hiding his heightened emotions, Cyan placed his hand on his chest and swore an oath. Eugene and Ciel stood a step behind Cyan and repeated the words of Cyan’s oath along with him.

And just like that, the Coming-of-Age Ceremony was over.

“Although there are a few months left until we’re legally adults, since we’ve already had our Coming-of-Age Ceremony, you could pretty much say that we’re all grown up,” Cyan claimed with a confident nod as they were on their way back to the castle keep. Placing his hand on Eugene’s shoulder, Cyan made an offer. “In that case, should we go grab a drink together, brother?”

“You really are a pretentious prick,” Eugene snorted and brushed off Cyan’s hand.

Cyan’s expression twisted into a pout, as if to deny that he had ever been anything like pretentious, and he pressed on. “So, how about it? Won’t this be our first time grabbing a drink?”

“I’ve gone drinking before,” Eugene informed him.

Cyan faltered. “What… did you say? When?!”

“While I was in Aroth,” Eugene explained.

Cyan’s eyes trembled in shock at this casual reply.

There had once been a time, when Cyan was going through puberty, that Cyan, like many other boys, had started to think that some unhealthy habits were really cool. The fifteen-year-old Cyan had come to admire the wandering knight-errants that appeared in many sagas. The drifters who were kind to the weak, and merciless to their enemies. Badasses who wore sloppy old cloaks, enjoyed alcohol and cigarettes, and brooded in their solitude even as they received the love of many women….

However, the only women to be found in the main estate were the servants; for Cyan, these servants were viewed first as the dependents of his family, and only then as women. This meant that they couldn’t be treated as objects of his affection. As such, Cyan had given up on the love of women, and instead had tasked his servants with getting him some cigarettes and alcohol.

It was obvious that if he tried to smoke and drink in his room, he would be caught by that terrifying mother of his and really be in for a scolding. Since the knights and the family servants sometimes went to smoke in the back of the storerooms, Cyan felt there would be little risk of getting caught if he hid in the gymnasium’s storeroom.

In the midst of the dusty room, he had leaned his back against an old wall, and sucked on a cigarette… then, instead of pouring the incredibly harsh whiskey into a glass, he tried to take a big gulp straight from the bottle.

But just before he could do so, Eugene had kicked open the door of the storeroom and stomped in. Eguene proceeded to beat Cyan up until the cigarette that he had just lit finally burned out. But that damned bastard didn’t just stop at beating him, Eugene even grabbed Cyan by the ear and dragged him over to Ancilla. Then, Cyan proceeded to get scolded by his mother as well.

“You… you really dare to look me in the eye… even though you scolded me for trying to drink before I became an adult… when you actually drank alcohol in Aroth?!” Cyan growled in rage.

Eugene shrugged. “It’s not like I went drinking because I wanted to.”

“You son of bitch!” Cyan cursed, his shoulders heaving as he struggled to contain his anger.

“About that Auxiliary Bishop Kristina…” Ciel interrupted them. “There’s something suspicious about her.”

Eugene turned to face her, “What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Like when you and Lord Genos had your match yesterday, and today at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony as well, she was looking at you with a strange gaze,” Ciel accused.

“Instead of Eugene, she might have been staring at me.” Cyan, who had just been in a fit of rage, started to smile brightly as soon as the talk turned to Kristina. “After all, I was the protagonist of today’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony. As for you two… well… you were just supporting characters meant to prop me up. Don’t you agree? I was the one who recited the oath after all, and I was also the one standing up at the front.”

“Brother, can you just shut up for a bit?” Ciel’s brow furrowed as she had to avoid looking at him, but Cyan’s smile remained unmoved.

Patting the front of his well-tailored suit, Cyan continued speaking, “Although I had already noticed this when we first met, Auxiliary Bishop Kristina truly is quite beautiful…. It might be because she’s a Saint candidate, but though it’s difficult to describe, there’s an air of sacredness that seems to flow off of her….”

Kristina had not revealed that she had become a full saint to anyone else. Likewise, she also hadn’t revealed the fact that Eugene had been selected as the hero, nor that he and Kristina would be leaving for the Samar Rainforest.

Gilead and Doynes also hadn’t made any of these facts public. As it was, this matter was too important to treat lightly, so the fewer people knew about it, the better.

“Didn’t you feel it too? That Auxiliary Bishop Kristina, she’s paying so much attention to you that it just feels strange.” As she asked this, Ciel glanced down at Eugene’s fist.

Kristina wasn’t the only one acting strange. Just two days ago, his fist had been bleeding profusely, though currently not a single wound remained. Ciel could still clearly recall the overbearing atmosphere that Eugene had been exuding at that time.

“I guess she just likes me,” Eugene replied, his expression showing how little he cared about it.

Cyan laughed at these words as if he found them ridiculous, but Ciel couldn’t be as cheerfully oblivious as Cyan.

She tilted her head to the side and stared at Eugene. “I guess you had fun during your secret rendezvous with her?”

“Do your jokes really need to sound so sarcastic?” Eugene riposted.

“So, I heard that you will be returning to the main estate tomorrow? Is there any reason why you want to return so quickly? Cyan has said that he’ll be staying in the castle until next year, so why don’t you stay here as well and get in some of that crazy training of yours?” Ciel suggested.

Cyan had admirably decided to stay at the Black Lion Castle for some training. He had made this decision because of the battle between Eugene and Genos. Although the knights of the main family were excellent, it was true that they would be found lacking when compared to the Captains of the Knights of the Black Lion.

As such, Cyan had decided to stay at the Black Lion Castle for the next few months and receive tutelage from the Captains. Gilead fully supported his son’s decision, the Captains of the Knights of the Black Lion had of course agreed already, and even the Elders of the Council were willing to lend their guidance to Cyan, the most likely candidate to be the next Patriarch.

In Ciel’s opinion, under such circumstances, there was no reason for Eugene to not remain at the castle.

Wasn’t this the guy who had been obsessed with training ever since they had first met at the main estate? It just so happened that the Knights of the Black Lion also counted many high-ranking wizards among its members, and there were even Captains who were good at using various weapons and techniques.

But even with all that, Eugene had decided not to stay at the castle. Only her brother, who had been with her ever since they were born, would be staying in the castle with her. Ciel was deeply disappointed by this fact.

“On top of that, they say that Auxiliary Bishop Kristina will also be leaving on the same day that you leave.” Ciel sharply brought up another issue.

“We just so happen to be leaving at the same time. If we leave separately, that just means we have to warm up the warp gate twice.”

“Since when did you care about something like that?” Ciel asked.

Eugene returned with a question of his own. “Why are you being so suspicious? It’s not like there's even any grounds for your suspicions.”

“...I heard that you will be going on a trip after you’ve returned to the main estate? Where are you going?” Ciel changed the subject.

“I haven’t really decided on a destination, I just want to go out and see the world,” Eugene claimed.

“Together with the Auxiliary Bishop Kristina?” Ciel had been quick-witted ever since she was young and had already noticed something was going on. While staring intently at Eugene, she continued, "After you all returned from the tomb, father and the Council Head have been showing unpleasant expressions. And that goes… for you as well.”

“I can’t see how that could possibly be connected with me supposedly going on a trip with Auxiliary Bishop Kristina,” Eugene responded evasively.

“That’s right. Lady Kristina isn’t such a free person, so why would she ever travel with him?” Cyan immediately agreed with Eugene’s words and eyed Ciel doubtfully. “Little sister. You should just be honest. You really want Eugene and I to stay in the castle with you, right?”

“Brother, please, just shut up for a moment,” Ciel pleaded exasperatedly.

Cyan turned to Eugene. “Since she’s already said so much… can’t you just stay with us? You can still go on your trip later.”

In the end, the point was that Cyan also wanted Eugene to stay at the castle with them. Although he had eagerly read and memorized the book that he had received from Eugene, he still hadn't completely understood the gist of it.

As such, Cyan wanted to continue learning a bit more from Eugene. While it would be a valuable experience to receive advice from the strict and experienced Elders, as well as the guidance from the Captains who had gone through hell and high water, Cyan still wanted to be guided in this training by his own brother if at all possible.

‘It hasn’t been that long since he’s returned, so why is he thinking of leaving again?’ Cyan thought to himself with some hurt feelings.

Returning after three whole years, only to leave them again. After his twin sister Ciel had also left for the Black Lion Castle, the only one who had been left at the main estate was Cyan.

Even though he should have had many siblings with him, he was the only one still living in that sprawling estate. Of course, Cyan was so busy and involved in his training during that time that he didn’t even have a moment to spare to feel lonely, but if at all possible, he still wanted to be with his siblings.

“What a cute brat.” Eugene smirked and patted Cyan on the shoulder.

Ciel was skilled in hiding her facial expressions. However, her twin, Cyan, wasn’t able to do the same.

“Fine. Let’s get a drink together as brothers,” Eugene proposed.

“I’m also going to drink with you,” Ciel insisted.

“What about your duties?” Eugene asked.

“I’m not scheduled for anything today, so it’s fine.” After saying this, Ciel pouted her lips. “...So are you really leaving?”

“Yep,” Eugene easily confirmed.

Once Eugene had made up his mind, he rarely ever changed it. That was how he had been in his previous life, and that was how he was now. Although it might be quite fun to spend a few months in the castle, there was a reason for which he needed to go to Samar. A reason why it needed to be prioritized over everything else. He needed to find the Elven Village that was hidden somewhere within that vast rainforest.

As for whether he would really be able to find Sienna there… he wasn’t certain. Perhaps, just perhaps, she might have died long ago. As such, he needed to find the village of the elves as soon as possible. If he managed to get there, he would know exactly what kind of state Sienna was in.

He didn’t know where Anise had disappeared off to, and that was also the case with Molon. Although that fool had still been sighted one hundred years ago, he had suddenly declared that he was going into retirement and had disappeared.

Molon’s descendants, the royal family of Ruhr, fully respected their former king’s retirement. Eugene might be from the Lionheart clan, but if he suddenly went looking for them and asked them to tell him where the previous king was, there was no way that the Ruhr royal family would grant his request.

From Akron, he had followed this path leading to Sienna. From Hamel’s grave to the leaves of the World Tree. Now he needed to find the Elven Village, somewhere in the Samar Rainforest.

“...It can’t be helped,” Ciel conceded, sensing that she definitely wouldn’t be able to change Eugene’s mind. She let out a long sigh and scratched her head in frustration, then she changed the subject. “...This is the first time we’ll be drinking together. Since you’re leaving tomorrow, let’s also commemorate the end of our Coming-of-Age Ceremony. So if we’re going to drink, then we should at least drink something good.”

“Something good?” Cyan repeated, his eyes widening at these words.

“Lady Carmen has an extremely expensive wine stored in her display case. According to the knights of the Third Division, not only is the wine’s price high, but it’s also extremely difficult to obtain,” Ciel explained.

“There’s no way that Lady Carmen would give us such an expensive wine,” protested Cyan.

“Don’t worry about it. Because I’m going to stealthily sneak it out,” Ciel assured him.

“Sis… is that really okay?” Cyan asked uncertainly.

“It’s fine,” Ciel insisted. “Because Lady Carmen doesn’t even drink a single drop of wine. She occasionally places it on the dining table, but she just pours some black tea that’s the same color as the alcohol into her glass.”

“It seems like she’s quite the consistent person,” Eugene muttered with an amused snort. “In that case, there shouldn’t be any problem as long as you replace the contents of the bottle with that of another wine.”

After everything was done, the three of them gathered in Eugene’s room in the middle of the night. Ciel recounted the saga of how she had broken into Carmen’s room in order to steal the wine, while Cyan admired his sister’s courage and gave off a sense of anticipation for the first drink in his life.

However, the reality of something was often worse than what you had been anticipating. The nineteen-year-old Cyan found that he actually preferred the taste of warm milk over this bitter wine.

“This really is a good wine…,” Cyan squeezed out, putting on a facade. He then looked at Ciel, who was frowning as she took a sip, and scornfully said, “What’s with that expression?”

“Why do people even like drinking something as bitter as this?” Ciel asked.Nêww 𝒄hapters will be fully updated at (n)ov(𝒆)l/bin(.)com

“But I feel like this is tastier than other refreshments…. Ciel, you’re not able to enjoy the taste of this wine because you grew up so smoothly, without any difficulties,” Cyan pretentiously declared.

Since they were born as twins and they had grown up together, Cyan’s words obviously didn’t make any sense. Ciel was annoyed by her brother’s bravado, but she didn’t show any of it and instead just filled Cyan’s cup to the brim.

“As expected, brother really is amazing.” She made sure to flatter him.

Like this, Cyan drank one cup after another until he finally fell over onto his side. Ciel, who had downed Cyan, now turned to Eugene as her next target.

However, unlike Cyan, Eugene was pretty good at drinking. Her plan to get him drunk and dig up all sorts of blackmail was a failure. Even though the wine that she had brought had finally bottomed out, Eugene was still perfectly fine.

“...Why aren’t you drunk?” Ciel finally asked.

“I do feel a little drunk,” Eugene admitted.

Ciel pounced on her chance. “Are you going somewhere with that Auxiliary Bishop Kristina?”

“I already said that we're not going anywhere together, so why do you keep asking me the same question over and over?” Eugene asked exasperatedly as he threw the sprawled-out Cyan onto a bed and escorted Ciel out of the keep.

Before she left, Ciel said, “I’ll see you off tomorrow.”

However, Ciel wasn’t able to come out to see him off. This was because Carmen, who had detected her intrusion, caught her and dragged her to do some one-on-one training starting early in the morning.

Kristina, who had arrived in front of the warp gate earlier than Eugene, looked at him with a faint smile as he approached. Gilead was talking about something with Doynes.

“Sorry to trouble you like this.” Eugene apologized for keeping everyone.

“Don’t think of it like that. As the Patriarch, I would have to be there in any case to open up the treasure vault. Also… I want to be there to see it in person when you draw the Holy Sword,” Gilead siad, his voice sincere. Following the Great Vermouth, no one had managed to gain the Holy Sword’s recognition.

While they were not directly related by blood, Gilead still considered Eugene to be his son. As such, he couldn’t help but feel complicated. This was all because of Eward. Although he didn’t really want to think about it, Gilead had to admit that the contrast between his eldest son Eward and his adopted son Eugene was far too strong.

That sore finger[1] of his was both Gilead’s soft spot and his greatest shame.

Gilead tried not to show any of the pity that he was feeling towards his eldest son in front of Eugene. After letting Eugene go off on his journey, Gilead intended to return to the Black Lion Castle.

The few months that Cyan would be staying in the Black Lion Castle would also serve as a test to see if he was worthy of his position as the clan’s next Patriarch. The Council of Elders had no intention of giving Eward, who had tarnished the family’s prestige, any such chance.

As such, Gilead decided that… during these next few months, he would persistently try to persuade the Council of Elders. He wouldn’t be asking them to do anything in regards to the Patriarchal succession, of course. Gilead was just hoping that they would allow Eward to return to the main family.

After that, Gilead wanted to go to the Bossar fief in order to meet with Eward and Tanis. Even if he failed to convince the Council of Elders, he at least wanted to meet with his wife and son in order to find a release for these suffocating feelings.

After passing through the warp gate, they arrived back at the Lionheart clan’s main estate. Thanks to having passed on the word in advance, only the minimum number of servants needed for activating the magic of the warp gate were waiting ahead of them.

“Are you really not going to tell Gerhard anything?” Gilead asked Eugene.

“If I told him that I was going to Samar, my father would grab on to me and beg me not to go while drowning me with tears and snot,” Eugene explained.

“He definitely would do that,” Gilead nodded with a bright grin. “But isn’t it only natural for a father to worry about his son.”

“Do I also make you worried, Sir Patriarch?” Eugene asked.

“...Of course… I’m also very worried about you. However, my faith in you has surpassed all my worries,” Gilead assured him.

“I’ll try my best not to get caught up in anything too risky. Because I won’t be going alone,” Eugene said as he glanced backward.

Kristina, who was following him with a faint smile, nodded slightly in response to Eugene’s gaze. “I, too, will do my best to keep Sir Eugene’s journey from becoming too dangerous.”

“I don’t really know how a miracle of turning cookies into bread would help in a dangerous situation,” Eugene noted sarcastically.

“The barbarians of Samar might just happen to like bread,” Kristina said, her smile twisting slightly.

Eugene shrugged at these words and looked forward once more.

Eventually, they arrived in front of the treasure vault. It had been six years since Eugene had last come here. Eugene rubbed the necklace that he had been wearing around his neck all this time as he looked at the door of the treasure vault.

“...But anyways, is it okay for Lady Kristina to go in there with us?” Eugene belatedly checked.

Gilead hesitated, “In principle, it’s forbidden, but….”

“Wouldn’t it be strange if a Saint was not present at the site where the Holy Sword is drawn?” Kristina argued, having no intention of backing down. While placing emphasis on the name of the sword, she continued, “No one has been able to receive the Holy Sword’s recognition for the past three hundred years. However, if Sir Eugene succeeds in doing so today… that would mean that the God of Light has given his blessings for Eugene’s journey, and he may even deliver another revelation about your journey.”

“I’m asking because I’m really curious, but is it really okay for a priest to so easily sell out their god as an excuse to get what they want?” Eugene inquired.

“Sir Eugene. Just what exactly do you mean by that? I swear on my word that I have never once taken God’s name in vain,” Kristina vowed.

In the end, it was decided that Kristina would also accompany them into the treasure vault. Just as he had done six years ago, Gilead stroked the doorknob with his bloodstained fingers.

Creeeak!

The engravings carved into the door began to writhe.

The treasure vault opened.

The first thing that Eugene saw through the open door looked exactly the same as it had six years ago: the radiant golden sword that was embedded in the center of the room. Separate from the lighting that illuminated the interior of the treasure vault, the sword emitted its own light.

This was the Holy Sword.

“Aaah… that’s… that’s really the Holy Sword of Light, Altair….” Kristina released a sigh of admiration as she clasped her hands together.

It had been a long time since Eugene had last heard the true name of the Holy Sword.

Kristina called out to him. “Now then, Sir Eugene—”

“I’ll get to that later,” Eugene said as he turned to Gilead.

He might have already asked for permission in advance, but wouldn’t it be rude of him to just wander around the treasure vault as he willed?

“You don’t need to pay any attention to me,” Gilead said with a wry smile.

It was only then that Eugene grinned and started strolling around the treasure vault. He saw the Dragon Spear Kharbos, the Thunderbolt Pernoa, and the Devouring Sword Azphel. These three weapons were in the very same places that they had been six years ago.

‘As long as you’re good at wielding them, any one of these weapons could be used to conquer a country.’ Eugene marveled at the sight.

This wasn’t an exaggeration. Vermouth had been able to release a storm with a swing of Wynnyd, a mountain disappeared whenever he fired Kharbos[2] , and when he shot something with Pernoa, the ground itself collapsed. Even though Azphel couldn’t create as huge a spectacle as these other weapons, it had shown off its true power when it had sliced apart the demonfolks’ mega-class spells.

‘Vermouth, I always thought you were a greedy bastard to monopolize weapons like these all on his own,’ Eugene mused.

Except for the Holy Sword, most of these weapons had been found during their journey. At that time, Hamel had been overwhelmingly lacking in mana, especially when compared to the rest of the party, so he hadn’t been able to handle any of these weapons that consumed a load of mana.

That was still the case even now. The Dragon Spear and the Thunderbolt both consumed too much mana.

‘Well, my mana will keep increasing from now on in any case. And since I’ve learned magic on top of that, I shouldn’t have any problems using Azphel.[3]’

With a grin, Eugene stored the weapons inside his cloak.

Then, he walked over to stand in front of the Holy Sword. It was just six years ago when he had first tried to pull it out and had failed….

Before reaching out to grab it, Eugene turned to Kristina and asked, “What happens if I can’t draw it out?”

“There is no way that will be the case. Now that God has sent down his revelation authorizing this, Sir Eugene will be able to draw the Holy Sword,” Kristina insisted faithfully.

Eugene sincerely hoped that he wouldn’t be able to draw this sword. He still couldn’t fully trust the divine revelation, and he didn’t want to become the chosen Hero either.

However, the moment Eugene held the sword in his hand—

‘Ah, fuck.’

Even though he hadn’t put any strength into his grip in order to pull it out, Eugene instinctively knew the truth.

Six years ago, the Holy Sword hadn’t seemed to budge no matter how much strength he put into moving it.

However, now it seemed like it would be all too easy to pull out.