Chapter 134 - Damn Reincarnation

Preparing for the Hunt

"... They aren't going to drop me out of the sky without warning again, are they?"

"Of course not." Ciel shook her head as she turned up her uniform collar. "If you were alone, maybe, but they won't drop us out of the sky when you're coming with me."

"What difference does that make?"

"Do you have any idea how much the knights and elders at Black Lion Castle adore me?"

Ciel puffed out her chest proudly, then glanced at Mer, whose face alone was poking out through a gap in Eugene's cloak.

'That sly little familiar.'

During her week at the main estate, Ciel had been forced to feel keenly just how long she had been away. The servants and knights who had always fussed over her, calling her "young lady" at every turn, now treated Mer the way they treated Ciel.

'... It can't be helped, though.'

She had been away for so long that she supposed it was inevitable. Besides, she was an adult now. Wasn't it rather unreasonable to insist on being treated as she had been as a child?

"There's no need for you to go along, is there?"

It was Siknard who spoke from behind them. Naturally, he was addressing Mer inside Eugene's cloak.

He remembered Senya as a child, so he could not help feeling a special affection for Mer. She looked exactly like the young Senya he remembered.

But however fond he was of her, he was not someone who expressed his feelings openly. Unlike Anisilla, he could neither openly dote on Mer nor hug her.

Instead, whenever Mer was strolling through the forest, he would sometimes quietly approach her and offer her a few flowers. They were flowers Senya had loved since childhood. They did not bloom at this time of year, but in the forest blessed by the World Tree, even those flowers blossomed beautifully.

["Thank you!"]

Whenever she received them, Mer would always smile and thank him.

"... Yes. You don't really need to go along, do you? The new clothes I ordered will arrive this afternoon..."

Anisilla took up Siknard's suggestion as though she had been waiting for it, and Gerhard nodded as well.

"No. I have to go with Master Eugene," Mer answered firmly. "It's fun to stay here and wear pretty clothes with Lady Anisilla, eat delicious food with Lord Gerhard, and stroll through the forest with Sir Siknard. But I must be of help to Master Eugene."

"Oh my... What a wonderful thing to say...!"

'I think Mother is getting the wrong idea...' Ciel glanced at Anisilla uneasily. 'She only looks like a little girl. Inside, she's a familiar who's hundreds of years old.'

No. That was precisely what made her so wonderful. Anisilla genuinely believed that. Having raised the twins herself, she knew only too well that a terrifying devil could inhabit the mind of a cute, lovable child.

"The warp gate has been connected."

The passage to Black Lion Castle opened. Eugene pushed Mer's protruding head back inside his cloak.

"Stay inside. It'll be a headache if you fall out during the warp."

"Okaaay."

"Wait."

Ciel approached, caught the edge of Eugene's cloak, and tossed it back over his shoulder.

"You're hiding the crest."

Her finger poked his left breast. There, on his Lionheart uniform, was the lion crest—the symbol only members of the main family were permitted to wear on their chests.

"They'll probably be waiting to greet us at the entrance. Shouldn't you show it off proudly?"

"It's not my first visit."

"But it's been a while."

"It's only Gargis and Dezra, isn't it? Decon... Hmm, I don't even remember his face."

"There's one more."

Ciel heaved a sigh and tugged Eugene's arm.

"Our brother Eward."

"... You're just as nasty as you were as a kid. Do you want to pressure Eward by showing him this lion crest?"

"How he takes it is up to him."

Ciel stuck out her lower lip.

"Eward did something unforgivable. He dragged the Lionheart name through the mud. Eugene, I just don't understand how he has the nerve to join this hunt."

"... Lady Theonis..."

"Eward isn't a child anymore, either. However strict Lady Theonis might be, if he's still letting her push him around, then that's a problem with him too."

"It's not something you can judge so easily."

Grumbling, Eugene brushed a hand over the lion crest on his chest.

"... Is he already here?"

"Yes."

"Honestly, I feel awkward about seeing him. I'm sure you've heard, but I beat him far too badly three years ago."

"Eward is the one who should feel awkward. That's why I'm saying we should go in with our chests out. So proudly that he can't even lift his head for guilt."

Ciel shot Eugene a sharp look and stepped forward.

"I'll go first, so come in with your head held high."

What was that supposed to mean, come in with his head held high? Eugene let out a bemused laugh and shook his head.

"It's not as if I've done anything wrong."

Eward was the one who had done wrong.

'And perhaps the head of the Council of Elders, too.'

Surely that old man, who had seen it all, would not be so stricken by a guilty conscience that he couldn't meet Eugene's eyes. More likely, he would smile and ask whether Eugene had enjoyed his trip. Recalling the council head's faded golden eyes, Eugene stepped forward.

He squared his shoulders, which he had no reason to hunch, and straightened his back. Then he walked ahead.

The warp brought a floating sensation. Given the distance, it lasted quite a while.

'I'm not going to fall out of the sky like last time...'

He didn't.

His feet touched the ground. Taking several quick steps forward, Eugene steadied his swaying body.

"... Hmm."

He raised his head and looked ahead. The view of Black Lion Castle he had seen a few months earlier spread out before him once more.

Black Lion banners rose high above every wall. Beneath those dozens of banners stood several people.

"You're here?"

Cyan rose from his perch on the railing and approached with a welcoming smile. Eugene stared at his face while smoothing down his hair, which the warp had tousled.

"Why are you staring? Has it only been a few months, yet you're still that happy to see your brother again?"

"..."

"I suppose so. Before you left, we shared drinks and completed our rite of passage into adulthood. I, too, understand what you're feeling, brother."

With every remark, Cyan conspicuously twitched his upper lip.

"... You."

Eugene approached Cyan with a grimace.

"Put your hand on your heart and tell me honestly. That... mustache. Do you think it suits you?"

"..."

"I'm telling you this as your brother: it really doesn't suit you at all. I understand you're excited about being an adult, but why the hell are you growing a mustache like that?"

"... Doesn't it look cool?"

"Not in the slightest. Right now... I'm fighting the urge to rip every one of those ugly hairs off your upper lip."

Eugene raised a clenched fist before Cyan.

"Right... How could an idiot like you be to blame? If anyone's at fault, Ciel, it's you. Why did you let your stupid brother grow that fucking ridiculous mustache?"

"... I'm just as shocked as you are!"

Ciel, who had arrived slightly earlier, protested indignantly.

"He didn't have that weird mustache a week ago."

"... Then it grew in just a few days? That makes no sense. Cyan, you hardly grow any body hair."

"... I used a hair-growth treatment," Cyan muttered, looking away. "... An adult is allowed to grow some facial hair, isn't he? In some countries, growing a beard is an adult man's right..."

"It doesn't suit you."

"... He said it did..."

"What lunatic told you that mustache suited you? And where did you even get the hair-growth treat—"

THUD.

A heavy footstep. Eugene broke off and raised his head. A huge man emerged from behind a tall spire.

Why had he climbed all the way up there? Why, on this freezing mountaintop with its howling winds, was he wearing only a sleeveless shirt cut deeply around his chest and armpits?

Those were perfectly reasonable questions. But Eugene didn't bother asking them. Such common-sense questions were useless when directed at someone who had blown three hundred million sals on a giant's balls.

"It was me."

BOOM.

The enormous man dropped from the spire, then stood up. Eugene's gaze traveled upward as he rose. ... He was huge. He had been huge three years ago, too, but now he was another head taller. In sheer size, he could rival Ivata of the Zoran tribe.

"... You've gotten bigger."

"Thanks to you, Eugene."

Gargis Lionheart smiled, revealing strong, healthy teeth through a beard so luxuriant it was hard to believe he was twenty-two.

"Can you see it?"

His muscles rippled. Each time Gargis raised his arms, his pectorals flexed through the gaps in his embarrassingly revealing sleeveless shirt.

"The giant's testicles we bought together have made my body even more beautiful."

"... I wouldn't call it beautiful..."

"You haven't neglected your training, either. You're wearing a fine uniform, but I can still see it—just how diligently you've trained your body."

"... Why don't you put on one of those... fine uniforms too? Uh... And first, I'd appreciate it if you lowered your arms instead of lifting them any higher."

Eugene did not want to see Gargis's fully exposed armpits.

"... Why did you give Cyan a hair-growth treatment?"

"Because the young master looked at my beard with envy."

Gargis stroked his luxuriant beard.

"Every man dreams of a beard like this. Of course, it suits me because of my magnificent physique."

"Cyan, I'm warning you now. If you take any of that muscle-growth stuff from this bastard, I'll kill you myself."

"... Why? I think Gargis's body looks pretty cool..."

"What's cool about it? It's just gross."

Ciel looked as though she were staring at some monstrosity.

"You've been like this since we were kids. You get carried away by the strangest ideas far too easily. If you bulk up and grow a beard like that pig, I won't consider you my brother anymore."

"Young lady, I am not a pig."

Perhaps because of his childhood memories, Gargis was exceedingly respectful toward Cyan and Ciel. Eugene ignored him as he sidled closer to show off his muscles and looked ahead.

"Is that Dezra?"

He pointed at a tall woman leaning at an angle against the wall. Her skin had a healthy tan, and her arms and legs were long. The features he remembered from seven years ago were still there.

"Mm."

Gargis nodded and stroked his beard.

"I wonder what she's so shy about, standing there instead of coming over."

"I'm not standing here because I'm shy, idiot!" Dezra shouted when she heard his muttering. "I'm keeping my guard up!"

"Can you call that keeping your guard up when you're announcing it yourself?"

"She's been an idiot pretending not to be one since we were kids. And she's thoroughly devious..."

Cyan had not forgotten his humiliation at the Bloodline Succession Ceremony. Dezra had approached him pretending to be a ghost and tried to ambush him. Thanks to her, he had let out an embarrassing scream in front of his younger sister.

"... Are you still laboring under that misunderstanding, young master?"

"Misunderstanding...! You did try to ambush me back then!"

"That... is true, but..."

"It's true?! You said it wasn't back then! How dare you lie to me!"

Cyan shouted, his mustache quivering. Eugene paid no attention to the idiotic argument.

Instead, he looked ahead.

Someone stood on the wall opposite them. It was an unfamiliar face, with a patchy beard, unkempt shaggy hair, and relaxed-looking eyes.

Yet despite that easygoing appearance, his body was firm. His presence was unwavering, straight and sharp as a finely honed blade.

"... So that's Hector."

"How did you know?"

Cyan stopped harassing Dezra and turned to Eugene in surprise.

"Have you met him before?"

"No. I've only heard his name. This is my first time seeing him."

Someone that skilled was impossible to miss. Eugene stood still and met Hector's gaze. When their eyes met, Hector smiled and waved at him.

"... He's famous among the collateral branches," Cyan muttered reluctantly. "He's been training in Ruhar for more than ten years. You know Ruhar's White Fangs, one of the finest knightly orders on the continent? Hector became an honorary knight of the Fangs even though he isn't a citizen of Ruhar."

"That's an impressive relative."

"... Must be nice to be so carefree."

"Why are you acting so timid? Haven't you grown bold enough to walk around with that ridiculous fucking mustache?"

Eugene laughed and slapped Cyan's back.

"What is it? Are you feeling pressured to stand out more than Hector during this hunt?"

"... Not really."

"What do you mean, not really? It's written all over your face."

"Why would Hector make you feel pressured?" Gargis asked, looking baffled. "Young master, you seem to be mistaken about something. Hector is a fellow Lionheart. Besides, this hunt isn't a competition between the collateral branches and the main family like the Bloodline Succession Ceremony, is it?"

"Must be nice having muscles for brains."

Cyan clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"This hunt is, in a sense, a test for me as the next family head. The Lionheart collateral branches participating... There aren't many, but those who volunteered can be considered the leading figures of their branches' next generation."

"I see..."

"As the next family head, I have to earn the collateral branches' respect. Imagine if I performed worse than Hector during the hunt. Would young branch members like you and Dezra respect me more, or Hector?"

"I will respect both Hector and you, young master," Gargis answered, flexing his chest muscles.

Cyan stared blankly at the bulging muscles as they moved, then nodded with an uneasy expression.

"Right... Thanks..."

"Cyan."

Eugene looked around as he spoke.

"Where's Eward? I heard he'd already arrived."

The moment Eward's name was mentioned, Cyan's face twisted further.

"... He arrived three days ago. The Council of Elders summoned him on the first day, and he's been shut up in his room ever since."

"Have you seen him?"

"... We even exchanged greetings. I didn't particularly want to, but he came up to me first and said..."

Cyan stopped speaking. He turned his head with an openly reluctant expression. He was not the only one. Ciel turned too, as did Dezra and Gargis, their faces stiff, though less so than the twins'.

A young man in a large robe was approaching them. Ash-gray hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, and golden eyes shone beneath neatly arranged bangs.

Eward Lionheart.

"It's been a while."

He offered Eugene a faint smile.

He had changed a little.

No, a great deal. That was how Eugene felt. The Eward he had seen in Aroth three years ago had never once smiled at him like that. Back then, with so much of his vital essence drained by a succubus, he had looked like a wreck who might collapse at any moment.

The only smile Eugene remembered was the empty one Eward had worn while wandering through the succubus's dreams. After that, there had been no trace of laughter in his expression. He had wept and screamed, blood pouring from his nose.

["What could you possibly know to condemn me?"]

["You don't know. For the past four years, you've had everyone's attention, been adopted into the main family, and received the family head's generous support...!"]

["There's nothing you can do about inborn talent...!"]

["I... have no desire to become Lionheart's family head."]

["I'll become a black mage and go to Helmuth. In that land of freedom, my worth will be recognized...!"]

["I never wanted to become the family head, or to be born the main family's eldest son! I want to be free, doing what I want..."]

"Ah..."

As Eugene stared at him, Eward smiled awkwardly and rubbed his cheek.

"Was I too... familiar in approaching you? I'm sorry. You must be ashamed of me... I'm sure you are, but I wanted to make certain I greeted you..."

Eward flustered, unable to string his words together properly. As he moved his arm, his robe briefly lifted.

There was no Lionheart crest on his left breast.

"... Ciel... Yes, it's been a long time since I saw you, too. We haven't seen each other since I left for Aroth... Haha. Seven years. You've grown so much..."

"... You've changed a great deal too, Eward."

Ciel had also noticed that Eward was not wearing the main family's crest. Perhaps that was why her narrowed eyes softened a little and she went to the trouble of answering him.

"Mm... Yes. A great deal. I couldn't help changing... Seven years is a long time, after all."

Eward cleared his throat and straightened up.

"... About greeting me," Eugene began. "I should have greeted you first, Eward. I'm your younger brother, aren't I?"

"Being older or younger doesn't determine who has to greet whom first."

Eward shook his head vigorously.

"... I'm glad you seem to have been doing well."

"It's thanks to you."

He didn't seem to be sarcastic. When Eugene simply stared at him in silence, Eward hastily elaborated.

"I don't resent you for what happened in Aroth. On the contrary, Eugene, I'm grateful to you."

"... Grateful?"

"If you hadn't set me straight back then... I... might still be indulging in pleasure in Aroth. Your fists... Haha... They hurt, but they taught me a lesson I felt down to my bones."

Though his voice faltered, Eward did not hunch his shoulders.

"Thanks to you, I also... spent my time working hard. It's all thanks to you."

Three years earlier, Eward's magic had only reached the Third Circle. That was not a poor level, but considering that he had received personal instruction from the Red Tower Master and other renowned mages, and that he was the eldest son of the Lionheart main family, it was far from a satisfactory achievement.

'... It seems he hasn't just been playing around...'

Eward's magic had now reached the Fourth Circle.

'He's made progress, but he's still... No, my standards are too high.'

Eugene composed his expression and nodded.

"Thank you for saying that."

"Yes, of course. ... I wanted to be sure I told you."

Eward smiled and turned away.

"The wind... is cold. Haha... I'll go inside first. It's been so long... It's wonderful to see my siblings again."

Eward walked away.

"... He does have a conscience," Ciel muttered, watching Eward's retreating back. "If he'd come wearing the main family's crest, I would have said something cruel to him. You didn't warn him beforehand, did you, Cyan?"

"Why would I?"

Cyan grumbled as he stroked his mustache.

"... He wasn't wearing the main family's crest when he first arrived at Black Lion Castle. I suppose he has that much sense."

"Unlike you."

"What did I do?"

"Go shave that mustache."

Eugene chuckled and smacked Cyan's back.