CH 43

[Liel’s POV]

Contrary to Lucy’s fears, Liel adapted quickly to the harsh conditions.

He slept on the dirt floor and didn’t freak out when a bug landed on his face, and he ate his food without complaint, even when it contained rocks.

Some knights marveled at his behavior, saying that he was indeed the son of the Duke of Marsen.

Others bemoaned the fact that they could bet on when he would start crying.

Of course, Liel didn’t really care what anyone said.

During the allotted break, the knights gathered around and chatted loudly.

“This time, we’re going to flatten the noses of the paladins.”

One knight said, clenching his fist. Liel, who had been staring at the ground at the mention of paladins, turned his gaze in the direction of the sound.

The man who shaved his head until his scalp was visible was a knight who had been at the academy for three years. Here, he was the youngest after Liel.

“How can we beat them when our natural abilities are different?”

Hemil looked at the knight, who had once been his student, with a pitying gaze.

Hemil was right, there was a huge gap between ordinary knights and holy knights in terms of divine power.

Usually, attacks imbued with holy power could turn demons and fiends black and maximize their damage.

Ordinary knights without divine power, on the other hand, had to rely solely on their own strength to slash at the demons.

“It’s not impossible, after all, the Duke of Marsen’s knights have been awarded imperial commendations for beating the Knights of Pilia on several occasions.”

The Knights of Pilia were an order of holy knights, directly under the Temple.

“Yeah, just think about it. It’s good to dream big.”

Hemil gulped down the lukewarm water. He would have preferred cold water, but given the circumstances, he had no choice.

“Come on. Liel, what kind of training has Duke Marsen been doing to make you so strong? Give us a sneak peek.”

Another knight asked, putting an arm around Liel’s shoulders.

The heavy weight on his shoulder made Liel lean forward.

Liel racked his brain for something to keep the good cheer going, but nothing came to mind about the Duke of Marsen.

“I don’t usually get to see the Duke train, so……….”

In the end, rather than make something up, Liel decided to just be honest.

The knight looked at him in surprise when he answered.

“You sound unusually high-minded for your age, calling your father a duke.”

Not knowing how to respond to his point, Liel simply smiled.

***

The dawn air was just beginning to penetrate his skin.

Kka–- Kkkaa–-.

“It’s a monster!”

The scout’s shout echoed through the barracks, accompanied by the cawing of crows.

In an instant, the snoring of the knights ceased, and one by one, they leaped out of the barracks. Liel stepped out of his barracks, too, and looked up at the sky.

A black bird hovered above the knights’ heads.

The bird was majestic in size, and the feathers that fell from it were as sharp as swords.

The bird’s legs, tucked beneath its hard-looking beak and large wings, belonged to a land animal.

The bird flapped its wings wildly, and feathers fell in a shower. The knights swung their swords at the falling feathers.

Liel, who had been watching, unconsciously caught one of the feathers as it fell beside him.

Meanwhile, as if the flapping of the demon’s wings was a signal, small birds appeared from all directions and began to surround the knights.

The knights’ panicked movements slowed to a crawl as they realized they were being attacked by what appeared to be minions.

The birdlike creatures were a rare species that had never been seen before, except when they invaded beyond the Empire’s outer walls decades ago.

It was no wonder the knights were less flexible than usual.

“Liel, come here!”

Hemil was pushing his way through the birds and feathers that were rushing toward him, as if he felt he had to protect Liel even if he was about to die.

Then, as if on cue, Liel, who had been studying the feathers expressionlessly, straightened up and grabbed them.

He did not break and scramble to catch the distant bird.

He simply waited for the moment when the beast was within range of his sword.

A moment later, the birds surrounded him in unison, and without a moment’s hesitation, he slashed at them with a single blow.

In an instant, the birds crashed to the ground, dead or with their wings clipped.

Hemil, stunned by his skillful handling, hesitated for a moment, but soon realized that Liel’s attack had disrupted the formation, leaving a gap.

“N, now!”

The sharp-eyed Hemil shouted, and the knights who had turned their heads quickly realized what was happening.

Moments later, they dug into the vulnerable gap and began to split the birds in two on cue.

It wasn’t long before most of the birds were dead, and one of them, with an injured wing, plummeted to the ground at their feet.

As it struggled to its feet, Liel crushed it with his foot. He looked up at the sky again with numb eyes.

It was then.

A large bird, steadfastly staring straight ahead, the king of the flock, craned its neck and looked down.

The bird’s red iris picked out each and every one of the ant-sized humans.

Its long, slit pupils darted about, as if searching for someone.

Finally, the bird’s eyes locked with Liel’s.

Then the bird’s beak opened.

[“Where is the king?]

Liel’s eyes widened as he understood the demon’s words. Instead of relaxation, his pupils were filled with wonder.

[You would know. Tell me where the king is].

“Damn it, we need to get him so this mess can end!”

Hemil muttered in a low voice, unable to contain his irritation. He didn’t seem to pay much attention to the demon’s words.

No one else was paying attention to him either, and it was only then that Liel realized he was the only one hearing his voice.

After staring at him for a while, the bird turned its head away. The bird then flew away and disappeared from his sight.

The other birds, who seemed to be his minions, followed the black bird in unison.

The knights in battle formation wore dumbfounded expressions as they watched the demonic horde appear and disappear without warning.

It was the same for Hemil.

“What the hell.”

The people around him raised their voices, wondering if they should be chasing these demons.

“Stay alert, there could be others around.”

Hemil instructed, blending in with the clamoring knights.

Meanwhile, Liel stared unblinkingly at the spot where the bird had passed.

For a moment, he wondered if he should tell Hemil and the others about what the monster had said to him.

But what stopped his mouth was–-.

“Even if it is a human who reaches out to you, you must not tell them of the ugly sin at your ankles.”

Arinel’s words had been ingrained in him since childhood.

“Not even the gods will forgive us our sins.”

Liel finally chose silence.

***

Idly chewing on a dried sweet potato, I scanned the list of nobles. How long their names were, unlike mine, which was only two letters.

“Lucy, you’ve been on the first chapter for an hour.”

I heard my grandmother sigh from up ahead, and I quickly shoved a dried sweet potato into my mouth, feeling like I’d inadvertently let her down.

“I’ll get it together!”

I said with a determined look on my face.

For some time now, I had decided that I would take successor lessons from my grandmother, if only for the duration of my vacation. The idea was to take over as soon as I graduated.

She had originally planned to teach me intensively after graduation, but due to her advanced age, her physical strength seemed to decrease day by day.

I was a little skeptical that I would be able to finish the course by graduation, which usually takes several years, but I had to do it for her health.

But worrying about Liel kept distracting me.

“I thought you’d be less worried about Liel if you were distracted.”

My grandmother laughed bitterly, as if she couldn’t help herself.

I thought I would, too, but it’s just not in my heart, Grandma…….

“Why do people have to make their names so long? I mean, I get it, it’s a family name, but look at it, Retimiers, Cartheon, they’re all so long.”

Do these names even mean anything?

I recited the names from top to bottom with sheepish eyes.

Of course, my parents probably gave them to me because they cared, but I couldn’t help but feel resentful that I had to memorize them all.

“If we go backwards, there are some short names like yours, so why don’t you hang in there?”

“Sure. …….”

I straightened my upper body, which had been slumped so far that it was almost touching the desk, and glared at the paper again.

I honestly couldn’t believe that this was one of the practical courses, but what the hell.

If I didn’t know someone’s name at an event or party where I was required to attend, I could be in big trouble.

Hoping to be half as good as my grandmother, I pushed my thoughts of Liel aside and stared at the list again.

The immense sense of duty to the future seemed to focus my attention.

Kaak–-.

While I was still concentrating, I heard a crow caw.

I relaxed my brow and looked out the window, and the sun was slowly setting.

I should ask my grandmother to have dinner with me first.

“…….”

I turned my head to look in front of me and saw that my grandmother was already sleeping.

She was leaning all the way back in her chair, looking very relaxed.

She didn’t used to sleep that much, but lately she’s been taking naps like this for at least an hour or two a day.

I started to feel a little sad, realizing that my grandmother’s physical strength was much lower than when I was younger.

I cautiously walked over to the couch where she was sitting and pulled the blanket over her lap.

In my heart, I wanted to take over as head of the family as soon as possible, even if it was today.

Of course, I couldn’t because of my grandmother’s stubborn objection that I would never take over until I was an adult.

I just wanted to grow up as soon as possible so that my grandmother could live out her days in peace.