Chapter 132 - Damn Reincarnation

Preparing for the Hunt

Carmen and Ciel were not the only ones to return unexpectedly to the main estate. The entire Third Division of the Black Lion Knights, which Carmen commanded, had arrived.

'Though that's only ten people.'

The Black Lion Knights accepted only those of Lionheart blood. As a result, their numbers were inevitably far smaller than those of the continent's other distinguished knightly orders.

But Eugene knew perfectly well that an order's strength was not determined by mindlessly swelling its ranks. The Hero's party that had killed no fewer than three Demon Kings had consisted of only five people, including Hamel.

"Whenever people discuss which knightly order is the greatest on the continent, six names always come up," Carmen began.

"Yuras's Blood Cross Knights. Shimuin's Raging Wave Knights. Kiel's White Dragon Knights. Ruhar's White Fangs. Nahama's Sand Scorpions."

What those orders had in common was that they all served directly under their royal families.

"And our Black Lion Knights."

The Lionheart family's Black Lion Knights were the sole exception. Unable to understand why Carmen had suddenly brought this up, Eugene gazed steadily at her face.

"Ignorant idiots claim the Black Lion Knights fall short of those orders serving the royal families. I disagree. They may outnumber us, but in terms of ability, the Black Lion Knights are the strongest."

"... Yes... well..."

"Would you care to join that strongest of orders?"

"No."

Eugene answered with a weary expression. Despite his repeated refusals, Carmen apparently still hadn't given up.

"I don't understand you."

"I don't understand you either, Lady Carmen. How many times must I say no before you give up?"

"And how many times must I ask before you accept? I'm setting aside a considerable amount of pride to make you this offer."

"I understand how much you love Lionheart and how proud you are of the Black Lion Knights. But I have no intention of dedicating my life to them."

"You stubborn brat."

Carmen narrowed her eyes and lifted her cup. At a glance, it looked like bitter black coffee, but it contained several spoonfuls of sugar.

"I'm interested in your Lightning Flash."

"Ghk."

Eugene nearly spat out the coffee he was drinking.

"I hear your Lightning Flash is quite impressive. Lightning crackles every time you use it..."

"Where did you hear that?"

"I asked the elves in the forest about you, and they were happy to tell me."

Eugene's fists trembled with embarrassment. In truth, he didn't think Lightning Flash was an embarrassing name. Compared with names like Asura's Frenzied Slaughter or Divine Aura of Destruction, how simple was Lightning Flash?

But after Melkith's teasing, the name embarrassed him. He should have left it unnamed. Even as he regretted his choice, he couldn't bring himself to change it now. That would feel like giving in to Melkith's mockery.

In the end, it came down to pride.

"I have a technique similar to your Lightning Flash... It's called Lightning Flash."

"..."

"So we both use lightning flashes. Why don't we see whose is superior?"

"... No, thank you."

Eugene had heard about Carmen's Lightning Flash from Genos before.

["Lady Carmen's ultimate secret art is Destiny Breaker."]

["Her combination begins with Iron Fist Chain, then proceeds through Eclipse, Overlord's Kick, and Lightning Flash before finishing with Destiny Breaker. Even among the Black Lion Knights, it's renowned for being brutal and powerful."]

Eugene didn't know what kind of technique Lightning Flash was. Nor did he have the slightest idea what forms Iron Fist Chain, Eclipse, Overlord's Kick, or Destiny Breaker took.

... He was curious, but he didn't want to test himself against them now.

"Surely you didn't come just to talk about that."

The Third Division's visit had been sudden. Apparently, they had sent word to activate the main estate's warp gate barely an hour earlier, then come straight through.

"That was one of my reasons, but I have two main purposes here."

"Two?"

"The first is to protect the main estate."

Carmen sipped her sweet black coffee.

"The elders at Black Lion Castle have no intention of blaming you for bringing elves here on your own initiative. I only learned of it afterward, but apparently you personally sought the head of the Council of Elders' permission to travel to Samar with Auxiliary Bishop Kristina."

The head of the Council of Elders.

At those words, Eugene composed his expression.

"Lionheart's founder is Vermouth the Great. Whether three hundred years pass—or even three thousand—this family remains a sworn ally of Senya the Wise. If Senya the Wise has asked us to protect the elves, then that is what we ought to do."

A sworn ally. Eugene kept the corners of his mouth from twisting. Vermouth was the one who had punched a great gaping hole through Senya's chest. Besides, the elves had already been persecuted for hundreds of years.

... He knew he couldn't blame him for that. The elves were an entire race, and three hundred years was a long time.

"Personally, I thought relocating them to Mount Uklas might be better than keeping them in the main estate's forest. But when I asked the elves directly, they said they wanted to stay here."

"They seem to like this forest."

"You made it a forest they would like, I imagine. I lived at the main estate long ago myself, but the forest I knew and the forest here now are completely different."

Carmen chuckled and took out her cigar case.

"I don't intend to pry into the reason. I find the changes to the forest quite delightful myself. I think this assignment will be a good opportunity for my own training as well."

"Does that include protecting the estate?"

"I'd prefer nothing happened that required me to protect it."

Carmen crossed her legs and clipped the end of her cigar. Then she closed her eyes and passed it beneath her nose, savoring its aroma.

... Eugene saw her brows furrow slightly at that moment.

'It must smell musty.'

"... Have you heard of the Rakshasa Princess?"

"I heard about her in Aroth. They said she might come to negotiate with the main family."

"Then that makes this easier. It goes without saying, but Lionheart has no intention of negotiating with the likes of the Rakshasa Princess."

Carmen clenched the cigar between her teeth.

"But we can't turn her away at the door. If she comes, we'll receive her."

"Do you think the main family's forces are insufficient to receive the Rakshasa Princess?"

"Of course not. The White Lion Knights are here. They may not match the Black Lions, but they're excellent knights too."

Carmen paused briefly.

"... But at present, neither the family head nor the White Lion Knights' elite First Division is here. That's why I've come."

"I'm surprised the family head hasn't returned under these circumstances."

"The family head is at the imperial palace."

"What?"

This was the first Eugene had heard of it. At his surprised expression, Carmen continued, chewing on the cigar she wasn't even smoking.

"He's been at the imperial palace for a fortnight. Not for a party or any such event, of course, but to hold discussions with the emperor."

"For over a fortnight?"

"The Demon King of Incarceration has delivered a warning after three hundred years of silence. Even a fortnight is nowhere near enough time to discuss it."

That made sense. They hadn't simply been wasting time.

"... My second purpose is to convey the wishes of the head of the Council of Elders."

"And what are those?"

"The Black Lions' hunting season is approaching."

Hunting season? Eugene had never heard of that. When he tilted his head, Carmen continued.

"The Black Lions' hunting season takes place in the spring of the new year. Naturally, we don't hunt ordinary animals. The Black Lions hunt the demonic beasts and monsters left to roam Mount Uklas."

"..."

"The early coming-of-age ceremony you and Cyan underwent was deliberately arranged to avoid the demonic beasts' nests. Of course it was. Those nests are far too dangerous for children who aren't even adults yet."

Eugene stared silently at Carmen. From his gaze, she sensed what he wanted to say. With a low chuckle, she set down her cigar.

"... Though that wouldn't apply to you."

"Ahem, ahem..."

"Such a proud little boy."

"I'm not a little boy."

"True enough."

"I've already completed my coming-of-age ceremony. What does the Black Lions' hunting season have to do with me?"

"Lions push their cubs off cliffs."

Carmen's expression changed. Not wanting to put the bitter cigar back in her mouth, she folded her arms and regarded Eugene solemnly.

"Do you know what that means?"

"The claim that lions push their cubs off cliffs is a baseless myth. What animal would throw its own young off a cliff?"

"... What it means is... a fierce beast... hmm... puts its young through suitable hardships... to raise them into fierce beasts themselves."

Lions didn't push their cubs off cliffs? Really? Carmen had believed that story her entire life, and her eyes quivered. But to maintain her solemn demeanor, she refrained from pressing Eugene about this bewildering question.

"... The Demon King of Incarceration has delivered a warning. We are the descendants of Vermouth the Great—Lionheart, one of the continent's foremost martial families. We cannot know how the situation will develop, but we must make preparations worthy of our 'blood.'"

"Aha."

By now, Eugene understood what Carmen was getting at. He smiled and nodded.

"So you want the younger generation to participate in the hunting season to toughen them up?"

"... In the spirit of a lion pushing its cubs off a cliff."

What did it matter that the story was a baseless myth? Carmen liked it. Whatever the reality, the lions in Carmen's mind pushed their cubs off cliffs to raise them into fierce beasts. That was how it had to be.

"Is participation mandatory?"

"No one will be forced. Those who wish to become fierce beasts may voluntarily participate—"

"Then I won't go."

Eugene promptly spoke and rose from his seat. Carmen hurriedly reached out and caught his wrist.

"... No one will be forced... but you're a different matter."

"What's different about me? Honestly, I think I'm already a fine lion without falling off a cliff..."

"All the more reason! You must set an example for the other lions."

"Oh, stop beating around the bush. Isn't this what you really mean? Quite a few people from the collateral branches will be joining the hunt... You want me, as an adopted son, to bolster the main family's prestige and give the collateral branches some good motivation, right?"

Carmen didn't answer, merely glaring sullenly at Eugene.

"Here's what I want to know. Is it you who wants me to participate, Lady Carmen, or the head of the Council of Elders?"

"... I was asked to persuade you."

Just as he thought. Eugene smiled and sat back down.

'I thought he'd approach me soon. So this is how he's doing it?'

He wasn't certain, but he suspected that the head of the Council of Elders might have been the one who hired Barang. If he really was the culprit, he would approach Eugene in some way now that Eugene had returned alive and well.

'Mount Uklas is vast. And with demonic beasts' nests there... anything could happen.'

Assassination?

"... Well... it does sound interesting. Let's hear more of the details first."

Those eligible to participate were the young lions who had attended the Bloodline Succession Ceremonies seven and seventeen years earlier.

The ceremony seventeen years ago had consisted solely of collateral-branch children, with none from the main family.

"Some of those who distinguished themselves then joined the Black Lion Knights, but honestly, there were two I particularly wanted."

"Who?"

"Sir Genos's daughter, Genia Lionheart."

Eugene had never heard the name before, but he had heard that Genos had a child. She was probably twenty-seven this year.

"Genia went to Shimuin to train, but I hear she's returning to participate in this hunt. And the other one is... Hector Lionheart."

"Ah."

Eugene knew that name too. Long ago, before his Bloodline Succession Ceremony, he'd heard it from his father several times.

"You've heard of him, I see."

"Yes."

"Of course you have. Until you appeared, Hector was considered the most outstanding member of Lionheart's collateral branches."

The Bloodline Succession Ceremony seventeen years ago.

Hector had been thirteen then, the same age Eugene was when he attended his own ceremony. Perhaps that was why Gerhard had spoken about Hector several times.

"The Bloodline Succession Ceremony is neither fair nor a comfortable tradition in many respects."

"... But you can't simply abolish it either."

"That's how traditions are. It's antiquated, but we've done it that way for three hundred years. We can't simply get rid of it."

Carmen continued, tapping the table with her fingertips.

"The Bloodline Succession Ceremony is held every ten years. Only children aged ten to fifteen can participate... so people have to time the births of their children to fit the ceremony. And unlike the main family's children, those from the collateral branches have to attend without ever having used mana or a real sword."

Restrictions imposed only on the collateral branches.

That was why the ceremony seventeen years ago had been a pure contest. Without the main family's children, who had a head start, only the collateral branches had participated and tested their abilities against one another.

"Hector's family was ordinary even among the collateral branches, and the ceremony seventeen years ago required the children to wander the forest for ten days. Genia Lionheart was the favorite to win... In fact, both of them did very 'well' during those ten days in the forest, unlike the other children who wore themselves down barely enduring it."

"They fought on the last day, didn't they?"

"Yes. Genia wanted the glory of victory and challenged Hector. But the result was an overwhelming victory for Hector."

Genos's family was special even among the Lionhearts.

The Lionheart hunting hound who had been personally taught the Hamel Style by their founder, Vermouth. The first Black Lion.

Though they were a collateral branch, their legitimacy as a martial family was no less than that of the main family. That martial prowess had also resided in Genia, who had been ten at the time. Even without being able to use mana, even without ever having held a real sword, Genia's skill had been far beyond a child's.

Yet she had lost. Hector, who likewise could not use mana and had never held a real sword, had defeated Genia overwhelmingly and won the Bloodline Succession Ceremony.

"Just as Genia trained in Shimuin, Hector has been training in Ruhar. I hear he'll be participating in this hunt too. Well? Doesn't that tempt you?"

"Not particularly."

"Don't you want to test yourself against him? Before you appeared, Hector was called the greatest genius of the collateral branches."

"Doesn't that already settle it? If I were inferior to Hector, he'd still be called the greatest genius of the collateral branches."

Eugene snorted as he answered.

"And if he were better than me, Hector would have been adopted into the main family instead of me."

"... Haha!"

Carmen blinked blankly, then burst into laughter.

"What magnificent arrogance. Yes, you're right."

"Is anyone else participating besides those two?"

"Among those from your ceremony, Gargis Lionheart and Dezra Lionheart have agreed to participate. The main family's twins as well, of course."

"Ciel too? If she's participating anyway, why bother coming to the main estate?"

"She insisted on coming along no matter what. Surely there's only one reason? She must have missed her mother's embrace after so long away."

Indeed, Ciel wasn't here with them, but was spending time with Anisilla.

Together with Mer.

"... And one more."

Carmen hesitated briefly. Eugene read the discomfort in her eyes.

"There's someone else?"

Eugene recalled the Bloodline Succession Ceremony seven years ago. Cyan, Ciel, Gargis, and Dezra. There had been a few other nobodies, but they were insignificant enough that their names weren't worth remembering.

Could one of those nobodies have improved enough over the past seven years to volunteer for the hunt at Black Lion Castle?

"Decon Lionheart."

... He thought Decon had attended the same ceremony, but he hadn't left much of an impression. Was merely saying that name enough to make her uncomfortable?

"And Eward Lionheart."

Eugene's mouth fell halfway open.