Chapter 48

After the merperson returned to the sea, as soon as day broke, he sent a letter to the royal palace.

He was worried whether it could pass through the gate, but well.

He figured they wouldn't greatly hinder an urgent telegram being sent to the royal palace.

If Yurik was late, the south would be annihilated.

That responsibility would lie with the lord who had blocked the gate.

At any rate, it wasn't his fault.

Thus, they found themselves with an unexpected period of rest.

The time when Yurik would appear in the south, the deadline for the deal with the merperson, and also a rare vacant period they had obtained.

He had thought about touring along the beautiful southern coastline as originally planned, but.

"...Are you still angry?"

"I'm not angry."

"Leandros, are you still the same too?"

"......"

This one wouldn't even give him an answer.

They had borrowed Erich's cabin as they had no suitable place to stay.

After witnessing that incident, Erich seemed to have sensed the atmosphere between the three of them and fled, saying he could sleep at a relative's house.

In the end, only Arndt, Leandros, and he remained in this cabin.

"Hey, at least say something."

And the two of them were treating him like he was completely invisible.

Arndt was cleaning the house, cooking, neatly arranging the bed, and ventilating.

Leandros had procured a whetstone from somewhere and was maintaining his sword.

Meanwhile, his existence as a person was being thoroughly ignored.

One might think whether an attendant or escort knight should dare to treat a duke like this.

But he had indeed been in the wrong.

He thought while touching the eyepatch covering his right eye.

The eye he had given up in the deal with the merperson.

Though he might argue it was necessary, he was the one who had impulsively decided without saying anything to the two of them.

So he didn't have the right to be angry about being ignored.

He had brought it upon himself, it was the natural consequence, and what else?

He slipped outside after watching Arndt aggressively stirring a pot.

Outside, the wind was blowing pleasantly.

The cabin, situated on slightly elevated ground, offered a perfect view of the sea.

He untied the reins of the black horse from among the two horses tied behind the house.

"Let's go get some food."

-Neeeigh.

"Aren't you feeling restless from not running much?"

-Snort...

"Even though you ran until you were sick of it. Seems like you quite enjoyed the experience of crossing the mountain range."

The black horse pranced around, its ruby-like eyes gleaming.

They slowly walked along the path where a gentle breeze was blowing.

They hadn't gone far when patches of grassland appeared here and there.

It seemed people rarely came to this place, so he could freely let the black horse loose.

The horse, with eyes that seemed to say running was what horses were for, slowly selected and ate grass from the ground.

He sat on a rock and looked down at the sea.

"I didn't know it was possible to talk with merpeople."

-Snort.

"Is it just my feeling that I can strangely communicate with you too?"

The horse looked at him while chewing on grass.

They stared at each other for a while before looking away.

It seemed they had a mutual understanding to put such matters aside.

Yes, what did it matter if the horse was a demonic beast or not?

At least it didn't try to eat him.

Clouds lazily drifting by.

Soft sunlight shining down from the clear sky.

His right eye still throbbing.

Blue waves swallowing the shining ripples.

A peaceful moment that seemed to have nothing to do with destruction.

The calm before the storm.

His body grew languid from the warm sunlight heating his back.

Then, just as it started to feel a bit hot,

Someone dropped a light, airy cloth over his head.

"The southern sun is strong and can burn your skin."

That stiff tone resembled a certain knight.

He glanced at Arndt, who plopped down beside him.

"You don't seem to have calmed down yet."

"You went out and didn't come back for a long time."

"It hasn't been that long, has it?"

"That's beside the point!"

"...?"

He needed to avoid disturbing Arndt's mood.

When he wrapped the provided cloth tightly around himself, it felt much better as the sunlight was blocked.

They admired the sea for a long time.

Arndt was the first to speak.

"You had a plan, didn't you?"

"Huh?"

"About that eye. And what you discussed with the merperson."

"Yes, I did. I didn't just recklessly give it away."

One wouldn't just give away an eye if they had a hundred eyes.

But Arndt buried his face in his raised knees.

"No, you were reckless."

"But."

"That's how I felt. Even if Your Grace says otherwise, that's how I felt. It's because I didn't know your thoughts."

At those words, he had no choice but to look at Arndt.

But Arndt still wasn't looking at him.

"Can't you tell me?"

"I..."

"I don't know what discussions you had with Sir Leandros, but couldn't you tell me too? I'm not asking you to tell me everything."

"Arndt."

"I endured it when we went to the capital, and when we went to Baron Arnold's house. Your Grace doesn't speak, and I don't have the right to ask. Because I'm just an attendant, not a head butler. I thought that couldn't be helped. So I didn't ask."

He couldn't find a gap to interject.

Arndt continued to pour out his feelings.

"I was glad you came to the east. I thought Your Grace considered me important. But when we met Baron Arnold at Hartmann, you accepted the Crown Prince's deal because of me, but you didn't reproach me at all."

"That's because you weren't at fault."

"Still, still, you could have at least not decided alone. When we heard about it, everything was already finished."

He was at a loss for words.

Of course, Yurik wasn't someone who could be handled even if Arndt or Leandros rushed in.

So he thought it would be advantageous for the person in the most favorable position to make the decision.

That was naturally him, the possessor.

But it seemed to have approached Arndt as a completely different issue.

"I know I'm stupid. I certainly can't compare to Sir Leandros or Your Grace."

"It's not like that, Arndt."

"But still, can't you tell me even a little? Not knowing what you're thinking, I don't think I can just keep following Your Grace like this. I feel like I'm just being a burden, constantly being a useless person."

Arndt's words gradually subsided.

Due to his face being buried in his knees, it was impossible to tell what expression he was making.

But Arndt had continued to express his feelings.

That he felt like a useless person.

That he didn't know his role.

But even amid all this, Arndt had always done his best.

Running away, acting, expecting, informing him, earnestly facing everything with effort.

Guilt weighed on him again.

Arndt was right.

Because Leandros was the protagonist, because his assistance was most urgent.

For these reasons, he had shared more than one or two things with Leandros alone.

If he had decided to regard the two as living people,

From the moment he admitted that fact, he shouldn't have kept secrets from Arndt.

After all, they were a community of fate bound by the name Hartmann.

What should he tell him?

What should he say first?

After thinking for a long time, the first words that came out were just one phrase.

"I'm sorry."

"......"

"It might sound like an excuse, but I think I became impatient, constantly thinking about what I had to do."

"......"

"Besides, there were many serious matters intertwined. I kept postponing it, thinking you might be burdened if you knew. In truth, I did it for my own comfort."

"I was wrong. I'm sorry."

Time to reflect, Yu Yesung.

Time to acknowledge that he was human trash.

After speaking with as much sincerity as possible, Arndt remained silent for a moment before raising his head.

In that time, the corners of his eyes had turned bright red.

"You don't have to tell me things you don't want to, but I'd like to hear what I need to know. I may not be smart, but I have a good memory."

"You're not stupid. Who else would be responsible for the finances if not for you?"

That was something neither Leandros nor he could do.

Leandros simply had less financial sense, and he couldn't gauge the value of gold, silver, and copper coins.

At those words, Arndt finally smiled.

He patted Arndt's back.

"From now on, I'll tell you everything without hiding anything. I might forget sometimes, but I promise I won't discriminate between you and Leandros."

"How many stories have you told only to Sir... No, never mind."

"...I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. People would laugh if they saw Your Grace apologizing to an attendant."

"Let them laugh, then."

Arndt carefully secured the cloth that was slipping down.

"So are you ready to talk now? You must have a good reason. What deal did you make with the merperson?"

"Starting from there, I see."

Let's see, where to begin?

What had he said to Leandros when he woke up after dying?

Ah, right.

"First of all, my goal is to eliminate Yurik, to erase him from this world."

"......"

"Arndt? What's wrong? Arndt?"

Silence followed.

Arndt's hands trembled.

Seeing Arndt's eyes shaking uncontrollably, he realized he had been keeping far too great a secret.

"...Such."

"Huh?"

Arndt screamed.

"How can you only tell me such a thing now!"

* * *

"What on earth did you two discuss outside?"

"Not much, really."

The dinner table was completely like thin ice.

Arndt shot angry glances at Leandros as well.

Thanks to that, Leandros was at the point of speaking to him.

They whispered to each other while watching Arndt's mood.

Arndt's every movement was filled with anger, to the extent that it was unclear whether he was trying to eat soup or break the bowl.

Even Leandros, who normally wouldn't have cared, occasionally looked at Arndt.

-Clack.

The rough wooden spoon hit the table.

Leandros and he froze, only rolling their eyes to glance at Arndt.

"...Stop looking at me like that!"

"Well, but you're angry, so..."

"Do I look like I'm not angry? I don't understand how Your Grace could hide such a major goal until now."

"S-sorry."

An angry Arndt was three times scarier than an angry Leandros.

Arndt looked at him sitting modestly and politely, then let out a long sigh.

"So what do you intend to do?"

"Ah, yes. So."

"Yes?"

"No, no. So."

Speaking formally out of nervousness.

He moved the cup placed on the table and said.

"It's important that Yurik comes to hear about the trench. The first three things to consider are."

"Three things?"

"First, finding out about the Hartmann family's book that Yurik took. Second, finding out how far Yurik's 'business' extends. And lastly."

Three cups gathered together.

When he lightly tapped a cup with a spoon, ripples formed in the water inside.

"Surviving."

"Surviving..."

"As I explained earlier, it's reasonable to consider the Crown Prince as the cause of the anomalies occurring in the east and south."

"It's hard to believe that a Crown Prince would do such things."

"Yurik's position as Crown Prince isn't what's important to him. There must be something he values more."

He must have his own will too.

Leandros opened his mouth after silently emptying his bowl.

"What was the deal with the merperson?"

"To awaken what's sleeping at the bottom of the sea. The merpeople have even sacrificed their own kind, but it seems something is lacking."

"Is that why you gave your eye?"

"I don't know why, but that's what they wanted. If I can get the book back from Yurik and kill him, it's rather beneficial for me."

"What exactly is written in that book?"

"I'd rather not say right now."

Leandros seemed troubled by his words.

Arndt cautiously asked.

"The sleeping... thing? What happens when it wakes up?"

"Something more terrible than what happened in the east will occur. That's why we need a method."

What if black mud spread in the south just like in the east?

The east at least had the wasteland as a space. But if mud covered the southern coast, it would be swept away immediately.

He couldn't simply proceed with something that would obviously cause severe casualties.

Amid the various frustrations, Arndt spoke.

"May I ask where this trench is located?"

"Somewhere deep in the distant sea, I suppose? Since it's managed by merpeople."

"So something that was sleeping there will rise?"

"Its awakening will be advanced."

"You may not know, Your Grace, but even just touching that mud made people change strangely. If it's possible, then perhaps."

Arndt hesitated before finishing his thought.

"I think it could be dangerous just to go right above the trench."

"...You're right."

That would be possible if the trench was far enough.

It would take quite some time to reach the land.

At least there seemed to be enough time to evacuate people.

Whoever the lord governing the southern cities was, in this situation, they would have to take action.

Even if they ignored it, that would lead to consequences that weren't necessarily bad.

It was about time to start placing territory residents in their manor, wasn't it?

"Arndt, when dinner is over, try to find Erich. I have something urgent to discuss with him."

Arndt immediately stood up with a "Yes!"

Since things had come to this, he needed to give Erich a role to play as well.