NB Chapter 6

Ah. At Magnolia's small affirmation, Gale recited the newspaper's contents.

"There's additional content from last week's article. Viscount Flieve's injuries are serious, so he's come down to the capital with Duke Aster. It seems they want treatment from the imperial mages."

The newspapers continuously writing articles about the Northwest Expedition incident would be unwelcome from Duke Aster's standpoint. It wasn't good content either.

But it was nothing other than an incident regarding the expeditions.

The relationship between the Titania Empire and Duke Aster was close. The safety of not only the Titania Empire but the continent depended on Duke Aster. Especially since the beasts' momentum had grown fierce over the past few decades.

Even those who couldn't read and didn't look at newspapers, even children ignorant of worldly affairs, knew what the northwest expeditions were. It wasn't just that it was common knowledge any Titania Empire citizen should know.

The most magnificent of the Titania Empire's national events, the Titania Festival, was held every fall after the expeditions.

"There'll be no festival this year either, damn it!"

"What the hell, huh? They call him the empire's guardian, but what's he doing holed up in his house!"

Curses and complaints burst out from behind them. Following that, gloom and secret fear swept through the restaurant.

What reminded the lethargic empire of the danger of Duke Aster's seclusion was none other than the vanishing of the Titania Festival.

The festival was held in abundant autumn, beginning with the expedition's victory ceremony and culminating in the Titania Festival on the anniversary. The expedition victory ceremony was a kind of opening act.

Especially when the northwest expedition ended successfully, the imperial family would open their coffers without reserve for that year's festival, so the commoners couldn't help but look forward to it.

The current Duke Aster was strong enough to rival the first Aster called the guardian. The current duke's victory ceremonies were splendid every year. Since the previous Duke Aster's victory ceremonies had been modest affairs, there was widespread talk of how exceptional the current Duke Aster was.

Until he suddenly declared seclusion last year.

Since the northwest region including the cursed forest's Noteur Plains and the northwest boundary were Duke Aster's territory, there was no fear that the empire would become a wasteland like in ancient times.

Perhaps because of this, the empire's people felt more gloom over the festival's disappearance than fear of being slaughtered by beasts.

Therefore, when Viscount Flieve departed on expedition this spring in place of Duke Aster, the empire's people had great expectations.

But Viscount Flieve returned barely alive with serious injuries. Sparks ignited the empire people's hazy anxiety.

"He's become a coward, the guardian."

Gale muttered sarcastically and folded the newspaper again.

"That's right. Dumping even the expedition on his pathetic brother."

The current Duke Aster had always returned from expeditions without a single wound. But Viscount Flieve, who departed on expedition for the first time, couldn't avoid hardship and ended up injured.

It meant his ability was inferior to Duke Aster's.

"Well, it's not our concern."

Looking at it objectively, it had been a great help to Magnolia. Thanks to them plunging the empire into anxiety, the academy incident was forgotten without a trace. Without that, they might still be hiding in the west.

Thinking that way, they should be quite grateful to Duke Aster and Viscount Flieve.

Magnolia shrugged and put the remaining bread piece in her mouth in one bite.

"Has there been any contact for Aslan?"

Belvius strode into the entrance while taking off his outer coat.

As the front door closed, the red sunset folded and disappeared through the door crack, and candlelight brightened his vision. When the butler who received his coat shook his head, Belvius sighed deeply enough to sink the earth and loosened his cravat with one hand.

Two days since coming to the capital. For two days, Aslan had been summoned to the imperial palace at noon and couldn't leave until sunset.

Augustus had been told that the expedition's chances of success were low, yet he arbitrarily raised expectations, and in the end it became Aslan's lot to take the beating.

"What did they say about Viscount Flieve's physical condition?"

Whether his arm flew off or not, he didn't want to care and wasn't sorry about aftereffects, but he needed to know for future measures.

"Fortunately they reattached the most serious shoulder, and though his arm will scar, there should be no problems with daily life."

"Can he hold a sword?"

"They said it would be hard to use it like before."

"I hope that deflates his spirit a bit."

Belvius entered the first floor study and collapsed into a table chair.

The day Aslan declared seclusion, he recalled Augustus's blazing eyes as he shouted about whether he was qualified to hold the ducal title.

"He should give up those unrealistic ambitions too."

"Using a sword isn't essential, so perhaps he will."

"Anyone listening would think he's good at the essential things."

Muttering with his head leaning back against the chair rest with eyes closed, Belvius couldn't endure the incoming fatigue and let out a long breath.

Then someone made thudding sounds in the hallway and stopped in front of the study. Immediately a stiff fist clenched with tension knocked on the door.

Belvius caught the fear and uncontrollable trembling permeating that sound.

The butler opened the door with deep wrinkles furrowed in his brow.

"What kind of propriety is this commotion?"

The servant who knocked extended trembling hands. A telegram with no seal stamped on it was held there.

At the gaze demanding explanation, the servant rambled incoherently. The butler's wrinkles deepened further, but the servant was trembling too much to properly recognize even that.

As the babbling sounds continued endlessly while trying to convey his meaning properly through repetition, Belvius sighed deeply again.

"Butler, what the hell is—"

As he opened his eyes while straightening his body leaning against the backrest, he saw the butler who had turned to look at him. The butler's pupils were dilated and rigidly frozen, and his hand gripping the handle was shaking, making an unpleasant noise.

"Butler...?"

At the ominous atmosphere, as Belvius gripped the chair armrest and half-raised his body, the butler shook his head. The butler who received the telegram from the servant and silenced him checked that no one else was in the hallway and carefully closed the door.

The click as the door closed seemed to echo throughout the entire mansion, making nerves stand on edge.

The butler who wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and took a deep breath approached the table while gently holding the telegram lest it crumple. Until then, Belvius remained in an awkward position with his body draped over the chair.

"What's going on?"

"Young master."

For a moment the butler unconsciously called Belvius by his old title. It had been well over a year since Belvius inherited the marquis title, so this wasn't a new mistake from confusion.

The butler gently placed the telegram on the table as if it were made of glass. The butler's hands placing the telegram trembled like aspen leaves.

Belvius, who had been watching the butler show a side he'd never seen before with a face half worried, half flustered, dragged the telegram toward himself with his finger.

After carefully reading the telegram's contents to himself, Belvius couldn't understand the content at once. This time Belvius muttered aloud and read the telegram once more. He couldn't believe he was understanding correctly.

Looking up blankly, he saw the butler nodding with the same expression as Belvius.

Belvius, who picked up the telegram and read it aloud carefully again, roughly pushed his chair away and bolted upright. The chair kicked by Belvius made a loud noise and toppled backward, but neither the butler nor Belvius paid attention.

"Right now to Aslan immediately...! No, no! No!"

Belvius frantically gestured in the air.

He couldn't suddenly contact his friend who was already troubled enough. He couldn't just throw such a bombshell at someone whose situation was already a mess.

"I, I... immediately, to Schmidt's Forge.... Butler, right now...."

"Yes, young master. I'll prepare immediately!"

The sound of the butler's quick steps echoed through the hallway. In time with the footsteps growing distant, the documents under Belvius's hands crumpled in a clump.

Belvius held his breath without exhaling the deep breath he had taken. He felt like something would burst out if he didn't.

"Hereise...."

They had only just managed to give up, to accept, to mourn with grief. They had only just managed to come to terms with it.

If it truly was real, there could be no greater blessing than this. It would become the sole ray of hope in a despair where no answer was visible, no path forward could be seen.

But their hearts were already too tattered to hope for hope, too cheerfully optimistic.

If it wasn't true. If it was someone's scheme.

A grinding sound seeped eerily from between Belvius's teeth. Belvius's eyes glaring beyond the door gradually became bloodshot.

Magnolia and Gale, who had eaten their fill at the inn's restaurant, immediately went up to their room on the upper floor.

Since they didn't have much money, they couldn't afford the luxury of renting two rooms and had to compromise with money for a room with two beds.

Since they were childhood friends who had been close since young and had often slept over at each other's houses, there wasn't much resistance.

Though they hadn't slept in the same room very often. Since there was also a separate bathroom, changing clothes wasn't a problem either, so it was fine.

Gale, who had washed and changed first, looked up as Magnolia came out after washing and spoke while drying her hair with a towel.

"Tomorrow when we wake up... Gale, how much money do we have left?"

"We can last several more months, so don't worry."

"Zycklint left quite a bit of money, but it should be running low by now. Where's the money coming from?"

"Mind your own body. Dry your hair completely and lie down."

Magnolia pouted and flopped down on her bed.

Seeing that her hair wasn't completely dry, Gale slightly furrowed his brow. Though it was spring, mornings and evenings were chilly, so it bothered him more. But seeing her sprawled on the bed looking drained, Gale said nothing and blew out the candle.

As the room darkened, Magnolia burrowed into the bedding.

She always did, but today especially, she missed Zycklint all the more. The time when she would spend nights sleepless with tears over that longing had passed, but her chest still throbbed with a dull ache.

Suddenly, it occurred to her anew that Gale, too, had his only family remaining in the south.