Chapter 57 - < You Can Throw It >

Lucia stared blankly down at Blood Fang in her hands. At first glance, its blood-red blade looked ominous, but on closer inspection, it was radiant and beautiful, more like a ruby than blood.

"..."

Her eyes trembled, and her breathing wavered slightly. This was not the first time someone had given her a sword. The elders who taught her had given her swords, and Katarina had presented her with one when she completed her training as a knight cadet and became an apprentice knight.

Yet this sword felt extraordinarily special. It was not because of the potentially misleading words she had heard. Lucia knew her place well enough never to misconstrue such remarks.

"Yes."

Lucia steadied her breathing before answering. With a faint smile, she cradled the Blood Fang Kyle had given her against her chest.

"With this sword you have given me, Lord Kyle, I will try to love the sword... and myself."

She still had no idea how to go about doing that, but she spoke from the heart.

"Ahem..."

Now that the atmosphere, which had nearly taken an awkward turn, had settled, Erika cleared her throat and spoke.

"Why do you think we came here?"

"Didn't you come to welcome me back after four years?"

"Technically, I'm your aunt and you're my nephew. You ought to come and greet me first."

"That's what I thought too, and I was going to visit you, but you got here first."

"Hmph. Shameless brat."

Grumbling, Erika stroked the Ice and Snow Bracelet.

"We didn't just come to say hello. We came to fetch you. Father wants us all to have a meal together."

Erika had once insisted on addressing Julius as the head of the house, but now she called him Father. Kyle couldn't help smiling.

"A meal? Is Lucia coming too?"

"Of course not."

Before Erika could answer, Lucia quickly shook her head.

"I only came to pay my respects to you, Lord Kyle. I was waiting because I couldn't enter the residential floor, but Lord Bruno helped me."

"You've gotten a lot nicer, Piggy."

"How long are you going to keep calling me that?" Bruno snapped, his brows knitting sharply.

Truthfully, Kyle wanted to bring Lucia along to the meal, but doing so would put her in an awkward position.

Kaya began nodding off atop Jorm's head. Arian carefully lifted her into her arms without waking her, and Kyle sent Jorm back into his middle energy center. Once they were ready, they all headed down to the first floor.

On the way to the elevator, Kyle glanced at Lucia's apprentice uniform and asked, "So you've become an apprentice knight. Haven't chosen an order yet?"

In Gladiheim, children became knight cadets at thirteen, then spent five years at the training academy before graduating as apprentice knights.

From then on, they belonged to the apprentice order. As they began learning advanced martial arts in earnest, they joined the training and accompanied the missions of the orders they hoped to enter. In other words, an apprentice knight was a full knight's squire.

Lucia was eighteen this year, which meant she would only just have graduated under Gladiheim's system. But Kyle knew her abilities well. Even at thirteen, her swordsmanship had surpassed that of the older cadets on the verge of knighthood. He couldn't quite understand why she was still wearing an apprentice knight's uniform.

"My elder, the head of the house, and the academy instructors did recommend that I graduate early... but I was dissatisfied with myself, so I completed the full course."

"Dissatisfied? With what?"

"With my swordsmanship."

"Don't tell me what I said before about loving your sword has been holding you back?"

Lucia gave an embarrassed smile without answering. A sigh welled up from deep within Kyle's chest.

"I told you there was no need to rush. Getting too caught up in something like that will only make your sword waver."

"Your advice wasn't the only reason I chose not to graduate early. There wasn't an order I wanted to join, either."

"Didn't you say you wanted to join the Funeral Knights?"

"I hope to someday, but I need to become far stronger first. I also need to complete many missions and prove my loyalty to House Alastor."

Lucia cast a regretful glance toward the approaching elevator and continued.

"Lady Katarina invited me to join the Aurora Knights... but I'm still considering it."

The eldest daughter, Katarina Alastor, commanded the Aurora Knights. Kyle glanced at Erika. The uniform she wore belonged to that very order.

Gladiheim had five knightly orders, each with its own role.

The Funeral Knights were the house head's personal guard.

The Black Iron Knights defended Gladiheim.

The White Night Knights guarded the north.

The Red Snow Knights defended the Vigrid domain.

The Aurora Knights carried out special missions. Given that role, they were a small order that demanded exceptional skill of its recruits.

"What are you looking at?"

"I'm impressed that you're in the Aurora Knights, Aunt Erika."

"Your aunt is much more skilled than you think."

Erika puffed out her chest proudly. Being an Alastor pureblood earned no preferential treatment when joining an order. If anything, the standards were higher for them. A pureblood whose abilities fell short of other knights would embody House Alastor's weakness.

"Piggy, why are you still wearing an apprentice knight's uniform?"

Bruno was twenty. At his age, it was about time to choose an order, yet he was still dressed as an apprentice.

"I'm thinking about which order to join."

"Weren't you going to join the Red Snow Knights?"

Varkas, the second son, commanded the Red Snow Knights, so Kyle had naturally assumed Bruno would join them. Hearing that he was still considering his future left Kyle puzzled.

"If I join the Red Snow Knights, I feel like I'll just be following a path my father paved for me."

"Uncle Varkas isn't that soft on his son."

"True, but the other knights might treat me differently even if Father doesn't."

"Aren't you overthinking it? They're not some backwater order."

"The young knights will end up watching their step around me. Father is strict with the order, too."

Bruno shook his head with a grumble.

"You probably don't know this, but the exchange gathering in Gladiheim is also an open recruitment event for knights. The head of the house intends to bring in a large number of outsiders and establish a new order. You saw Uncle Roel and Uncle Seros earlier, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"They returned to the Sword Tower after eleven years, and neither belongs to an order yet."

"Aha. So he's establishing a new order for them? Mainly with young knights recruited from outside?"

"Uncle Roel will be commander, and Uncle Seros will be vice commander. If I have a choice, I think I'd rather join them than the Red Snow Knights."

Those who had made names for themselves elsewhere and earned knighthood in Gladiheim by proving their abilities at this gathering wouldn't tiptoe around him just because he was Varkas's son. If anything, they would burn with competitive spirit, eager to see just how impressive a pureblood really was.

'He's changed a lot.'

Kyle regarded Bruno with satisfaction. Just four years ago, he hadn't dared defy his father and had swung his sword exactly as he was told. Now he wanted to stand on his own and prove his swordsmanship for himself.

"Looks like I won't need to cut ties with you."

They reached the elevator as they talked.

"Then I'll see you another time, Lord Kyle. Will you be coming to watch the public sparring matches tomorrow as well?"

"Probably."

"Then I'll enter tomorrow."

They parted with a faintly smiling Lucia and headed for the dining hall on the first floor. Kaya was still asleep in Arian's arms, and Erika kept stealing glances at her as though she could hardly bear how adorable she was.

"If you like children so much, why don't you get married too, Aunt Erika?"

"Listen to my nephew! Hey, I'm only twenty-three!"

"Mom was married at your age."

"That's... She married a little early. Honestly, I think she could have done better."

The gaze that had been melting over Kaya turned sharp as it shifted to Aslan. With plenty on his conscience, Aslan could only shrink back. Although he had somehow repaired his relationships with his wife and children, it seemed he had yet to mend things with his in-laws.

In the grand banquet hall on the first floor, all of House Alastor's purebloods had gathered for the first time in eleven years: Julius, the head of the house, his nine children, his daughters-in-law and sons-in-law, and his grandchildren. Julius's longtime friend Isaac Schulhov was there as well. As a result, the hall was more crowded than Kyle had ever seen it.

"I'm sorry we're late."

As they opened the doors and entered, dozens of gazes turned toward them at once. Arian, the most senior family member in their group, bowed her head slightly with Kaya still in her arms.

"You seemed to be sparring with Aslan."

Julius spoke from the seat of honor. His golden eyes were fixed not on his daughter Arian, but on Kyle.

"Yes."

Kyle didn't ask how he knew. A superhuman of Julius's caliber would be able to sense even a spar inside a cultivation room on the residential floor.

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Much more than when we sparred four years ago. Unlike back then, we could have a proper conversation this time."

His nonchalant answer sent a small murmur around the table. Isaac, seated beside Julius, stared at Kyle with wide eyes, while Roel and Seros, who had met Kyle for the first time that day, looked incredulous.

'He's good enough to cross swords with my brother-in-law...?'

Roel was particularly shocked. He had envied Arian since childhood, but he acknowledged the swordsmanship of her husband, Aslan Antares. Though he lacked Alastor's great blood, Aslan had roamed the world with nothing but a sword, earned the name Sword Maniac, and boldly challenged the head of House Alastor.

"I need to play with you too, Grandfather. Or am I the only one who wants to?"

"When have you ever considered my feelings before coming to play?"

"So you're saying I can keep visiting the Hall of Sword Pinnacles?"

"You intend to come even though Fenris is no longer there?"

"When did I ever go there to see Fenris? I went to see you, Grandfather."

Kyle answered with a chuckle. His manner was so casual and easy that it was hard to believe he was addressing the head of the house. Roel and Seros were appalled, but they were the only ones. The other relatives looked thoroughly accustomed to such exchanges.

'Even Varkas and Katarina?'

Varkas looked sullen, but he wasn't seething with anger. Katarina didn't even look displeased; her expression was serene. By now, Roel was beginning to wonder whether he was dreaming. Since childhood, those two had taken the lead in enforcing discipline among the siblings in their eldest brother's stead. He couldn't believe they were behaving this way.

While Roel reeled, the latecomers found their seats. Kyle's family sat directly opposite Julius.

"There's no need to wake her."

As Arian gently tried to rouse Kaya, Julius immediately raised a hand to stop her.

"She's sleeping so peacefully."

"But Kaya asked me to make sure I wake her whenever she meets her grandfather."

"Why would she say that?"

"Why do you think? You always drop by for a quick look at her when she's asleep, Father."

Chuckling, Arian stroked Kaya's cheek with a finger. Before long, Kaya's eyelashes fluttered.

"Mmm..."

Her lips worked as she opened her eyes. After blinking a few times, she looked all around. Then she spotted Julius, squealed, and waved both arms.

"Gwandpa!"

"I told you not to wake her."

Despite his words and his almost unchanged expression, everyone in the banquet hall noticed the faint upturn of his lips. Arian chuckled as she passed Kaya into his arms.

"Gwandpa!"

"Shh. You're being too loud. This is not a solemn occasion, but that doesn't mean you may behave frivolously. You, too, are an Alastor, so you must maintain your dignity..."

"Gwandpa!"

Giggling, Kaya grabbed Julius's red beard. He let his head follow her tug and gave a short sigh.

"Now you're trying to strip me of my dignity as well. What a naughty child."

Julius carefully tried to loosen Kaya's fingers, but when he saw her cheeks puff out in a pout, he had no choice but to give up. Watching him, Isaac let out a hearty laugh.

"Do you find your granddaughter that adorable, big brother? I know she's your youngest, but you're making quite a fool of yourself."

"I visited the other children when they were little, too," Julius said dispassionately.

"Though none of them seem to remember."

Bruno, who had been pulling out his chair to sit down, staggered. The other grandchildren, who found this gathering oppressive, intimidating, and uncomfortable, all reacted differently.

"I remember. When I was very little, you gave me a toy sword, my lord."

The eldest grandson, Cassius, spoke up. Twenty-three this year, he wore the uniform of the White Night Knights, the order commanded by his father, Cartan.

"I still keep it in my room."

"I didn't give you that sword as a decoration."

Cassius smiled ruefully at Julius's indifferent reply.

"I was so young back then... and I found you terribly intimidating. If I came to you with that sword now, would you play with me too?"

"You're too grown to wield a toy sword now. You have a real sword of your own. If you wish to play with me, come bearing that instead. I'll play with you as much as you like."

"... Understood."

Cassius answered, composing his expression. Those were daunting, weighty words. None other than Gladiheim's strongest man, the head of House Alastor, had told him to come with a sword. Unless someone had nerves that were far from normal, they would be cowed by that invitation, not actually turn up with a real blade.

"Let's go together sometime, Cassius."

At the laughter in that voice, the corner of Cassius's mouth twitched. He slowly turned toward the grinning Kyle. They had run into each other several times in the Sword Tower and exchanged casual greetings... but Cassius had never once thought of that young cousin as a little brother.

"Yes. Let's go together sometime."

Just as he forced his twitching lips into a smile and answered, Julius's third son, Gerard, spoke.

"The boy is fifteen now. He's past the age of shutting himself up in the Sword Tower and devoting himself to play."

Behind his monocle, Gerard's narrow eyes turned toward Kyle.

"His abilities are exceptional for his age as well. Why not start assigning him work outside?"

"Work outside, you say."

Julius stroked his chin as he replied.

"You have a point. What sort of work would you have him do?"

"With Kyle's skill, he has no need to become a knight cadet. In fact, he's more than capable of becoming a full knight immediately, but he has neither experience carrying out missions nor any achievements to his name..."

A thin smile entered Gerard's eyes.

"Why not assign him to one of Gladiheim's regular orders and have him begin as a squire? The White Night Knights would suit him well."

"Must I?"

Kyle spoke as he cut his meat with his knife. Gerard stared at him for a moment.

"Must you? I'm not sure what you mean by that."

"I'm not saying I don't want to work outside. I don't know exactly what the work entails, but if I'm given a job, I'll do it."

"Then you don't want to become a squire?"

"Honestly, no. I know Gladiheim has knightly orders, but I don't really know what they do or who belongs to them. There's no particular order I want to join, either."

"Then you can learn. Once you know more, you'll find an order you wish to join."

Kyle gazed steadily at Gerard with a smile. Gladiheim's knightly system made no exceptions for purebloods. They entered the academy at thirteen and graduated at eighteen, then joined the apprentice order and took part in the work of the other orders.

Gerard was the one who had first suggested an exception. Rather than place Kyle in the apprentice order, he proposed assigning him directly to a regular order as a squire. The White Night Knights, no less, where the eldest son, Cartan, was commander and the fourth son, Dante, was vice commander.

'Looks like he wants to put a leash on me first.'

He had only just gotten out after four years. He would rather die than be leashed.

"Couldn't I just establish an order of my own instead?"

Smiling as though it were nothing, Kyle threw a large stone into the waters.

He could throw it.

House Alastor was exceedingly generous to those who were worthy.

All he had to do was prove his worth and earn their recognition.

And that worth, of course, lay in his sword.