Chapter 150 - Damn Reincarnation

A Sickbed Visit

Doynes’s funeral was so quiet that it hardly seemed fitting for an elder who had lived for 120 years.

Normally, for the funeral of a giant like Doynes, it would have been no surprise if every collateral branch of Lionheart, distinguished figures from abroad, and even the emperor of Kiel himself had come to pay their respects. But Doynes had left instructions that he did not want that, so only the members of Black Lion Castle attended.

Eugene had not recovered enough to attend, but lying beside the window, he could look down on the funeral procession.

A procession of black uniforms and banners. Though his death had not been glorious, the elders and every Black Lion mourned the passing of the Immortal White Lion who had reigned over this castle for decades.

The captains of the Black Lion Knights carried the black coffin on their shoulders. Doynes’s coffin would be buried in the Black Lions’ cemetery behind the castle.

Though he could not join the procession, Eugene, too, mourned Doynes. He had certainly brought some of it upon himself, but in the end, hadn’t he died because he had failed to raise his child... no, his grandson properly?

“... I guess raising children really doesn’t go the way you want it to.”

The funeral was over, but Eugene suddenly muttered those words as he gazed out the window with a glum expression.

“I don’t need any teaching.”

Mer spoke from across from him, where she was engrossed in peeling an apple. She was trying to recreate the rabbit-shaped apple slices Genos had made for her.

But it wasn’t going well. The rabbit she had painstakingly made had a mangled, lumpy body and thick, blunt ears. Mer wanted to make a sleek, smooth rabbit like Genos’s...

“That’s because I’m already so complete that I don’t need to be taught. My foundation is excellent, too. Lady Senya was an intelligent, benevolent person of outstanding character from childhood.”

“I don’t know about anything else, but you look like you could use some lessons in peeling apples.”

“Lady Senya probably wasn’t very good with daggers... paring knives, either. I know magical theory inside out, but I’m not good at miscellaneous little skills like this. But I don’t need lessons. I’m learning on my own.”

“You might not know this, but Senya was pretty good with a knife, too.”

The paring knife dropped from Mer’s hand. She stared at Eugene with her eyes wide, as though she had suffered a tremendous shock.

“Huh?”

“Being a mage doesn’t mean you only swing a staff around. Unless your job was to stay in the rear chanting spells, anyway. Battlefields back then were a fucking mess.”

Eugene continued, searching through his memories of three hundred years ago.

“... Anise was really good at smashing heads with a mace... and Senya liked using a dagger she could hide inside her clothes.”

“... She used a dagger when she had Akasha?”

“Well, you’ve seen it plenty, so you know. Akasha’s design isn’t exactly suited to being used as a weapon instead of a magic staff. What if she swung it wrong and broke the dragon heart?”

It wasn’t as though he had never made a suggestion.

[“If you’re worried about breaking the dragon heart, just put a reinforcement spell on it.”]

[“Why are you giving me shit for wanting to stab things with a dagger instead of swinging my staff?”]

[“Because you’re a fucking mage. Just stay quietly in the back and chant your spells. Why do you have to come up front and start stabbing things halfway through casting?”]

[“I pick my opponents before I stab them, so don’t wor... Hamel, are you worrying about me?”]

[“I’m not worried. I just don’t understand...”]

[“You’re worried because I’m fighting up front instead of staying somewhere safe, aren’t you?”]

[“I mean that a mage should know her place and stay in the back...”]

[“Hmph... h-hmph. Thank you for worrying, no, I don’t care, but, yes, you... someone like you worrying about me? You’re the one who needs to know his place!”]

[“I told you I wasn’t worried...”]

There were several reasons for stabbing an enemy with a dagger herself. Curses were an ancient form of magic found not only in black magic but in ordinary magic as well. Black-magic curses had simple requirements compared to their immense power, but casting an ordinary curse properly required many conditions to be met.

Blood and flesh were among the most common. Every time Senya wielded her cursed dagger on the front lines, the demonic beasts they were fighting grew weaker.

But was it really necessary? Eugene had often wondered that in his previous life. Senya’s curses had helped them considerably when fighting vast armies, but wouldn’t bombarding the enemy with large-scale magic from the rear be more powerful than coming forward to swing a dagger? Even if they weren’t curses, Anise’s debuff-type divine magic was more than enough...

[“Stop coming up front!”]

[“I’ll do what I want!”]

[“If you insist, go over to Moron instead of standing next to me! Why do you keep hovering around me?”]

[“H-h-hovering? You son of a bitch!”]

[“You’re in the way, so stay the hell back!”]

[“Don’t say such shitty things, Hamel.”]

[“That was too harsh.”]

[“Why are you taking Senya’s side? She keeps hovering inside my range!”]

[“That’s... that’s her way of watching your back...”]

[“It’s so I can drive a dagger into that b-b-b-bastard’s back!”]

“... Hmm... Anyway. Unlike what you think, Senya was good with a dagger, too.”

“... I... I can stab things with a dagger perfectly well, too.”

Mer opened her eyes wide and gripped the paring knife in both hands. Then, as if to demonstrate, she began thrusting it repeatedly into empty air.

With nothing else to do, Eugene watched her stabbing with her dagger, feeling rather like he was watching a child show off.

“The blade won’t even go in if you stab like that. Adjust the angle a little more, that’s it, put your weight into it...”

Just watching made him itch to move. He had already been bedridden for three days. The pain hadn’t abated, and being unable to move left him bored out of his mind. So bored, in fact, that he missed Kristina, who was away in the Holy Empire.

‘... She might not be as good as Anise, but she was good at performing miracles. If Kristina were here, wouldn’t I have recovered ages ago?’

He was teaching Mer knife techniques with those thoughts running through his head when the door flew open without so much as a knock. There weren’t many people in this castle who could barge into Eugene’s room like that.

“You’re only acting up because I’m sick, aren’t you?”

Eugene glared at Cyan, who stood in the doorway.

“Knock before you come in, you little bastard. If I were in good shape, I’d teach you some manners all over again.”

“What’s the big deal? We’re brothers...”

Despite his grumbling, Cyan quietly stepped back and closed the door again.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

At the sound, Mer stopped stabbing and giggled.

“... Are you training your familiar to be an assassin?”

Cyan regarded Mer with an uneasy expression. A dagger clutched in those tiny hands... He cleared his throat and continued.

“Um... I suppose it’s a pretty good idea, but couldn’t you avoid doing that? Mother wouldn’t like it, either... and I don’t particularly like seeing it myself.”

“Enough nonsense. How are you feeling?”

“Perfectly fine.”

Cyan shrugged as he answered.

“... Embarrassingly enough. The injuries I suffered in the fight weren’t anything serious, either...”

“What about mentally?”

“I don’t feel like there’s anything wrong.”

Cyan walked into the room as he spoke. Eugene’s gaze naturally moved to Gargis and Dezra, who followed him inside.

“What are you two doing here?”

“We came to thank you.”

Gargis answered, thrusting out his massive chest muscles. Dezra stood awkwardly beside him, then bowed her head deeply after a moment’s hesitation.

“If it weren’t for you, we would all have died there...”

“Since when do people come empty-handed to thank someone?”

Eugene asked, tilting his head to one side. He had only meant it as a joke, but Gargis pulled a bulging pouch and a potion from inside his clothes as though he had been waiting for the question.

“My family’s secret...”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll save it for later, so just put it on the desk.”

“I... I haven’t prepared anything... but I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.”

At a loss, Dezra stammered on. Should she at least pay him money? How much was a life worth, anyway? Was there any point in giving money to the main family, who already had more than they could ever spend? Or should she repay him with some other valuable treasure?

“Ahem.”

While Dezra agonized over the matter, Cyan cleared his throat.

“If you’re finished thanking him, could you step outside? I need to have a serious talk with my brother about what happened.”

“Eugene. You must take that medicine according to the proper instructions. Don’t get greedy and take it by yourself. Let me assist you.”

“I told you I’m taking it later...”

After Gargis and Dezra left, Cyan heaved several sighs and dropped onto the sofa near the bed.

“... Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I told you, I’m fine. Give it a few more days and I’ll be back to normal.”

Eugene answered nonchalantly, studying Cyan’s face. His proud, self-respecting brother was merely sticking out his lower lip, still unable to process the many emotions lingering inside him. Eugene had no intention of commiserating with Cyan’s confusion and anxiety, but he opened his mouth to help with at least a small part of it.

“What does it matter?”

“...”

“We’re brothers. It’ll never happen, but if I ever got captured as pathetically as you did... you’d rush in to save me without thinking twice, just like I did. Wouldn’t you?”

“... It wasn’t pathetic.”

Cyan’s shoulders trembled as he spat out the words.

“I just let my guard down. ... I got too worked up, too. My sister, Ciel, had been captured.”

“I’m sure.”

“... I didn’t know Eward had gone that mad. I... I was trying to do what the main family’s heir should do. I wanted to save Ciel and bring the corrupted, insane Eward to justice. But how could I have known Hector was working with him, too...! If Hector’s attack hadn’t caught me off guard, I could have saved Ciel without your help.”

“Really?”

The corners of Eugene’s mouth twitched into a smile. As he kept staring at Cyan with that expression, Cyan worked his lips for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.

“... No. No matter what I did, I couldn’t have saved Ciel and stopped Eward on my own. It’s true that I let my guard down and got worked up... but they’re all just excuses in the end.”

“As long as you know.”

Eugene nodded in satisfaction.

“It’s not like you’ve been crippled. You made it out alive and in one piece. That’s what matters. Admit what you need to admit, and do better so this doesn’t happen again.”

“... I know that.”

“Things are going to be hard for you from now on. With something like this happening in the main family, you need to do a good job as the next family head. You know what I mean, right? Train hard, and get strong enough that you won’t get your ass kicked wherever you go.”

Cyan listened quietly, but he couldn’t help feeling a complicated sense of bewilderment. It was reasonable advice he couldn’t argue with. ... But was that really something his twenty-year-old brother, who was the same age as him, should be saying?

“... Bastard. I know you’re right, but you sound like an old man...”

“Could it be because I’m much more mature than you? Could it be, dear brother, that your mental age is still stuck at thirteen?”

Cyan merely pouted without answering. He sat on the sofa for a while, opening and closing his hands, then discreetly raised his eyes to Eugene.

“... After what happened, maybe you should just become the family head...”

“You wanna die?”

“Ahem... All right, don’t get angry.”

Cyan immediately backed down and looked away.

“... I spoke to the elders earlier. Father will be at Black Lion Castle in two days at the latest. The Red Tower Master and White Tower Master will come from Aroth to coincide with his arrival.”

Why?

Eugene almost asked reflexively, but swallowed the question. The reason wasn’t difficult to deduce.

They needed an archmage’s help to establish the truth of the incident more accurately. Eward was dead, and the magic circles he had drawn had been swept away in the fierce battle.

But Eugene remembered exactly what those magic circles had looked like. He had only seen them briefly, but Akasha had imprinted them in his mind. Nor was he the only one who remembered them. Mer did, too.

Then there was the spirit of darkness. White Tower Master Melkith El-Hayah was the greatest spirit mage of their time. Though she had no contract with a spirit of darkness, no one knew more about spirits than Melkith.

‘Actually, calling the Black Tower Master would be the best option.’

Black Lion Castle wouldn’t want that. With this incident involving black magic, they were hardly likely to want to bring another black mage into it.

“What about the Holy Empire?”

Eugene tilted his head as he asked. The Red Tower Master and White Tower Master provided more than enough expertise in magic and spirit arts, but he thought they would also need the Holy Empire’s help to investigate the traces of black magic.

“... They requested a visit from Auxiliary Bishop Kristina, but apparently she turned it down because she’s busy. I hear an inquisitor will be coming instead.”

“Hmm.”

An inquisitor. Eugene recalled the inquisitors of three hundred years ago. Hunters who eradicated black magic. Fanatics whose blind faith in God surpassed that of anyone else in the Holy Empire. People who hunted black mages with greater cruelty than the black mages themselves.

“... An expert, all right.”

They might not be able to perform miracles as powerful as Kristina’s, but they would be more capable than her when it came to tracking black magic.

“By the way, why didn’t Ciel come with you?”

Eugene belatedly noticed Ciel’s absence and asked. He had seen her in the funeral procession earlier, and with even Gargis and Dezra coming to visit him, it was puzzling that Ciel hadn’t.

“I did ask her to come with us.”

Cyan smacked his lips.

“She said she’d come alone later.”

“Why?”

“How should I know?”

* * *

Ciel glared at her reflection in the mirror. A black uniform, top and bottom. It was the Black Lions’ uniform, but with every button of the shirt underneath fastened, it looked stifling.

The funeral was over. It was all right to change her clothes. But she couldn’t do it just yet.

She needed resolve.

This was her first sickbed visit. That absurdly strong bastard was lying in bed, unable to so much as move a finger.

‘... This could be my first and last chance to visit him like this.’

Most of Ciel’s wardrobe consisted of uniforms and training clothes, but she also had several outfits she had never worn. Most were birthday presents. She had intended to wear them to parties, but wouldn’t it be all right to try one on to commemorate what might be her first and last sickbed visit?

[“Have you lost your mind?”]

Of course, that obnoxious bastard would snap at her the moment he saw her. She didn’t care. Ciel wanted to fluster Eugene like that, lighten this gloomy mood, and trade a few jokes with him.

“... All right.”

Ciel steeled herself. Then she boldly undid the buttons of her uniform. She cast off her clothes and strode over to the wardrobe.

And spent a long time choosing an outfit. Something that wasn’t too much. What was this dress, with its neckline and back cut so low?

‘... If I wore this...’

Ciel giggled as she imagined Eugene’s face crumpling as though he had bitten into shit. That would be an entertaining expression to see, but she didn’t want to wear this crazy dress just for that.

“You’re for later.”

Ciel made a mental note of the dress and rummaged through her wardrobe again. In the end, she chose a simple, neat formal outfit that wasn’t too much. Patting the pleats of her skirt into place, she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

It had been a long time since she had worn a skirt. After gazing at herself for a moment, her eyes moved to the bare area around her collarbones.

‘He always wears that strange necklace.’

A worn-out necklace. It looked like there was a story behind it, so she had asked him about it ever since they were children, but he had never answered.

[“What’s with that necklace?”]

[“Pretty, isn’t it?”]

[“... Yeah, it suits you.”]

[“Want me to give you one, too? One just like mine.”]

Imagining their exchange, Ciel rummaged through her jewelry box. She had received plenty of necklaces as gifts. From among them, she chose one that wasn’t too much, one similar to Eugene’s... a necklace with a small gem, and fastened it around her neck.

“... Earrings and a bracelet would be too much, right? It’s not like I’m going to a party.”

The funeral was over, but she still couldn’t wear something too colorful or flamboyant. Even the outfit she had chosen after so much deliberation was a black dress.

“All right.”

She adjusted her hair several times. Should she let it down at the back? Or keep it tied up? Sweep it forward? Natural would be best. She had put on a subtle perfume, too, and her preparations were complete. Looking pleased, Ciel left her room and headed for the annex where Eugene was staying.

“Ciel. What are you...”

“Say another word and I’ll kill you.”

Cyan, whom she ran into along the way, questioned her with a horrified expression, but Ciel ignored him and went up the stairs.

“...”

Ciel stopped halfway down the corridor.

In front of Eugene’s door, Genia stood clutching an enormous bouquet and heaving sigh after sigh.