CH 66

Falling was always exhilarating.

“I quit.”

“What do you mean, Sir Kerner?”

Ian Kerner looked up at the powerless Emperor without answering. It was only for show, but the Emperor always attended military academy ceremonies. It had been a long tradition in the Empire for the heir to the throne to become a knight. The same duty was imposed on the Princess, the last direct lineage of the almost extinct Imperial family.

They weren’t very close, but they weren’t too distant to be awkward either. The Emperor was proud of him, treating him like a competent subject. There were times when he felt a strange pity for the Emperor, a lonely trace of a dying era. 

It was all in the past now.

“Take everything.”

“…”

“Please take my title first. It is not good for me to continue to have it in this situation.”

It was a world without knights, but the Empire still enshrined those who acted valiantly in the new world. Because there were people who wanted the old-fashioned, bare-shelled honor. Ian Kerner became ‘Sir Kerner’ after the war. But now he had to go back to just Ian.

***

It was the first time he had failed a mission. Generals took turns summoning him. He was tossed about as he was told. Some expressed disapproval, some were angry, and some pressed him on what happened.

“Do you know what kind of situation you are in right now?”

“Yes.”

“Yes? Is that all you have to say!? Is that all? Huh? If I were your immediate superior, I would have shot you! Look at what the media is talking about right now!”

Every time he gave a dog-like answer like a loyal military officer, several generals shook their heads.

“It was due to my negligence. I overlooked the prisoner due to my lack of ability. I’ll take any punishment.”

“No, that’s how I feel! I’ll shoot the war hero you’ve been pretending to be! That makes sense! We don’t have much face*!”

[E/N: ‘losing face’ means to lose reputation. This general is saying they don’t have a good reputation in the first place, and this incident will only make public opinion worse.]

“You can do that if you need to.”

“Are you being sarcastic now?”

“Not at all. I am sincere.”

“Are you crazy?”

“If you don’t plan on shooting me in the near future, I’m going to discuss a treatment plan with my doctor.”

The Army general laughed at his answer, stared at the Air Force general sitting next to him, and shouted.

“You airmen are crazy.” 

In response, the Air Force general overturned his desk.

“We’ve used our ace as much as we could, and we’ve only failed one mission.” 

A Naval general threw an ashtray at the two who were grabbing each other by the collar.

Ian Kerner stood there like a stone statue, waiting for the shouting to stop. 

Waiting patiently was one of the things he was good at.

***

His military trial was being delayed day by day. The court-martial was at a loss as to what to punish him with. The military wanted to deal with him quietly from within due to his negligence during the mission, but they failed to subdue the press. Rumors had already swept across the Empire.

“Ian Kerner is possessed by a witch. Ian Kerner loves the witch. Ian Kerner went mad fighting the war. He’s broken… ”

The Emperor stood in front of him and read the Imperial newspaper in her hand clearly. The front page was decorated with his and Rosen Walker’s names side by side. Since there were so many decent newspapers, it was hard not to peek at what would be written in the low-level papers.

“What do you think of these?”

“I don’t think much.”

“No, don’t say anything frustrating. I’m asking if this is real.”

Ian stared at the newspaper in the Emperor’s hand. He still hadn’t abandoned the habit of reading the newspaper. Because of the press that pursued him like prey, he had to confine himself to his mansion just as the war ended. All he could do was read the newspaper.

He was used to being in the spotlight, but this was the first time he was receiving attention in the gossip column, and it was a very different feeling. He also found it interesting to see Rosen’s name written next to his… He honestly found it satisfying at times.

“You might as well tell me what happened. I don’t have much power anyway. Besides, I’m your friend… Isn’t that the motive of the military academy?”

“…”

“No, how would you know that a powerless Emperor might be of help to you? All I have left is a façade, but sometimes a façade is necessary.”

“…I have nothing to say. Rosen Walker managed to break out once again, and I mistakenly overlooked it.”

“What happened?”

“Surveillance was negligent. It is purely due to my negligence.”

“The newspapers say all sorts of things about you and the escaped prisoner. Look, they’ve written almost a century of romance novels.”

The Emperor displayed the gossip column as if showing off. Ian bowed his head in understanding. The Emperor stared at him, then rested her chin on her hand and muttered.

“Maybe you should go to the island. It’s becoming a romance novel premise in that way.”

“You mean jail?”

“Say something that makes sense. We’ve got a reputation to maintain. How can we put you in a prison uniform? I will send you to a small island away from the mainland under the pretext that you have a slight health problem and need a vacation. It’s not bad since you have been on the battlefield for ten years. For two or three years, resting in a place with good air… ”

“…”

“Okay, I won’t sugar coat it. It’s actually an exile. I think it’s too much. A great disgrace to a hero. Even if it’s for a few years, you don’t know how the political landscape will change in the meantime, so there’s a high possibility that you’ll be blocked from reentering the service.”

“That’s fine.”

“Old people seem to be worried, but I think differently. It’s something that’ll be forgotten. No one thinks that your contribution will be buried like this. It’s going to be noisy for a while, but there’s no need to quell this gossip. If something more interesting happens, people will forget…”

The Emperor trailed off, narrowing her eyes when she saw his expression.

“What are you thinking?”

“Can I be honest with you?”

“Tell me.”

“I was thinking that two or three years is too short. Maybe ten years or so.”

“…”

“I want to quit. In a few years, as Your Majesty said, I will be forgotten. Around that time, I plan to apply for early retirement.”

“…Are you thinking of not flying again?”

He glanced at the model airplane on the Emperor’s desk and answered.

“I’m thinking of flying a small plane on the island.”

“Do you know that you are talking like an old man who has lived his life? It’s a waste of talent.”

“Everyone has a different rate at which they burn the fuel they have… I used it up earlier than others. That’s all.”

“What? I thought you looked happier than you used to. Your expression has improved a lot.”

Ian flinched. It was because that was not the first time he had heard it. Henry Reville, Alex Reville, Layla, and even Joshua Gregory, though sarcastically, had said the same.

Seeing him harden, the Emperor laughed. She then retrieved Imperial Charts from a drawer and spread them on her desk.

“Now, as I said, even a façade of an Emperor can help her old friend in small matters. Take a peek. Choose an island where you can enjoy your exiled life. I personally recommend Isante Island. It’s southern, so it’s warm even in winter, and the sea is pure blue. It’s a total resort.”

Ian Kerner let the names of the islands the Emperor listed in one ear and out the other. As soon as she finished speaking, he pointed to a corner of the map.

“You act like you’re thinking, what’s wrong?”

“I like this area.”

“Primrose Island? It’s inconvenient to live there. It’s sparsely populated and so far from the mainland that transport comes only once a month. Unless you like torturing yourself with boredom… ”

“…I like it there.”

Even the Emperor knew from experience that once he started, no one could stop him. Ian Kerner had always been a stalwart soldier, but in his personal affairs, there were times when he made choices that surprised those around him. The Emperor sighed deeply.

“You want to leave a warm resort and go to an island in the middle of the black sea infested with marine beasts?”

“…”

“Why do you want to go to an island in the sea where there is a rumor that Walpurgis Island is nearby… just because of your unique taste? Is that right?”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed. Ian lowered his head again. The Emperor opened the Imperial Newspaper and gestured for him to leave.

“Okay, don’t fly over the sea on a small plane and defect to Talas. Then it’ll be really troublesome.”

“You don’t have to worry.”

Ian saluted. But he had to stop before exiting the office because the Emperor asked a sensitive question.

“Did anything happen with her?”

Ian replied calmly.

“Nothing happened.”

The Emperor smiled again and read the front-page headline of the Imperial newspaper.

[The Fall Of A Hero.]

“Fall… this isn’t a very good headline. I’m looking at your expression right now. Their choice of words is poor.”

Ian didn’t understand the Emperor’s intentions, so he just listened quietly.

“I don’t think it’s a crash. It’s more of a landing.”

“…”

“Oh, and one more thing. I’ve always thought you really can’t lie.”

“…”

“Just be aware.”

The Emperor let him go without asking any further questions.

“Go ahead, Ian Kerner.”

He left the office and walked down the hall, coming upon a fountain. Compared to the old days, when the walls were made of gold and each chandelier was embedded with rubies and emeralds, the palace was still splendid.

It was once a place where the Emperor personally met the people of the Empire and granted their requests. 

There was a legend that if you threw a coin into the fountain in this hall, your wish would come true. 

In the water, as if showing the passing of time, the currency of various eras and countries could be identified.

Ian Kerner stared out the window at the blue sky, then took a gold coin from his chest pocket and threw it into the fountain.

He had only one wish now.