LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 533
EP.533 The End of Childhood (5)
“Did you ask what I’m going to do?”
Kalt pondered, stroking his chin.
“Well, I think I’ll just sit here for a while. Maybe for a month or two?”
He pointed to the mountain of paperwork piled next to him.
Looking at the tasks before him, Kalt shrugged.
“Things are chaotic in the Empire, so I’ll need to help with the traffic control for a while. Even if I call it retirement, I’m still the head of the Hound, so I have to take responsibility, right?”
“And after you finish all that?”
After that’s all done, huh?
Kalt opened his mouth.
“Then I’ll do what I want.”
“And what would that be?”
“You know. Rebuilding Kirmelt Canyon.”
Kalt smiled as he pointed to his sword hung on the wall of the office and the sword of the previous Sword Master, Kuntel.
“Believe it or not, I hold the title of Sword Master…”
“That’s the one Kyle refused to take?”
“Well, rebuilding Galatrick is my role, isn’t it? And come on, it’s not good to interrupt someone discussing their dreams, is it, Senpai?”
I chuckled at Kalt’s glare and nodded. I won’t interrupt, so keep talking.
“I have to raise Kirmelt Canyon and gather trainees. I’ll need to gather sword masters too. As for the trainees, they can be linked with the Empire’s swordsmanship academy… I mean, we definitely have enough masters.”
Kalt laughed.
“With me, the orthodox Galatrick style, Lak with his modified Galatrick style, and the sword wizard Kyle, who can split the sky—there’s no way we won’t have enough teachers. It’s perfect.”
“…Are you thinking of raising monsters too?”
“Not really, I just want to continue the meaning of the sword.”
The meaning of the sword. The legacy of Galatrick.
Kalt murmured that and sighed deeply.
“These techniques are too precious to be forgotten, right? We need to ensure they continue. So the tree named Galatrick can reach into the distant future.”
“That sounds cool.”
“Yes, it is indeed a noble undertaking. Just as the first Sword Master Galatrick did, just as my teacher Kuntel did, I want to teach someone the sword as well.”
“I’ve tried it, and teaching isn’t easy.”
“I think I’ll teach better than you at least.”
I chuckled softly.
Teaching isn’t that easy. I pictured the story Kalt was telling in a little more detail. Rebuilding the fallen Kirmelt Canyon, a new beginning emerging from the ruins of the old.
That’ll surely be a magnificent scene.
Speaking of which, I think Uncle Kuntel had such a dream too. I remembered him mumbling while drunk that if he ever defeated Ganikalt, he would rebuild Kirmelt Canyon.
“……”
I shot a glance at Kalt without saying a word.
Having inherited Uncle Kuntel’s sword, inherited his legacy, and finally inherited that dream… I overlapped Kuntel with Kalt, who was talking about the next steps.
“It’s a good dream.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Well, separate from that, I think it’ll be better to find a few more masters. If you guys are left alone, all the newcomers might end up twisted and falling over.”
“That’s a good point.”
Kalt was self-aware enough to recognize his own talent. And with Lak and Kyle involved, well… need I say more?
“Work hard.”
I took a deep breath and stood up.
“Are you leaving?”
“Don’t come see me off. You said you have a lot of work.”
“I had no intention of doing that, Senpai.”
Look at this guy.
With a smirk, I pulled out a piece of paperwork from my pocket. If he saw this, he wouldn’t dare to act like that toward me.
“Take it.”
“What is it? More work?”
“Just shut up and read it.”
Sighing dramatically, Kalt picked up the document.
I held back laughter as I watched him check it over.
“….Huh?”
Kalt’s eyes widened in disbelief as he read the document. He looked between me and the paper alternately as if he couldn’t believe it, then gasped dramatically.
“No way, what is this…?”
“I told you. It’s what we promised.”
I shrugged.
What Kalt was currently reading was a document about a multipurpose building to be constructed on prime land in the capital. Naturally, the owner of that building wouldn’t be me, but Kalt.
“It’s royal-owned land, and it’s going to be the centerpiece of the expanding capital? You know, the Retarn Square, right? The large square in the middle of the capital?”
“I know. Isn’t that the most expensive land?”
“Exactly. The place where the building you’re looking at is going to be built is going to be called the second Retarn Square in the expanded capital.”
Kalt’s eyes darted rapidly.
While he was checking the document, I continued speaking.
“As the capital expands, several more squares will be created, and that one will be the largest. You understand by now, right?”
“Whoa, whoa…”
Eyes wide open, huh?
That’s some prime real estate. You couldn’t buy that land even if you tried.
Kalt covered his mouth as he gasped. His eyes looked like they could spill tears at any moment. It made sense; he had a keen interest in real estate, so he must have quickly realized the land’s value.
That spot was the first development area in the newly expanded capital and served as a model for the capital’s expansion. Since it was the first large-scale national project after Cartedia became an Empire, there was no way it could fail.
“Oh my… Senpai…”
Kalt slowly lifted his gaze to meet mine.
His eyes sparkled fiercely.
“Did you really not forget our promise…?”
“How could I forget when you’re always shouting in my ear about it like I’m drowning?”
“Damn, Senpai…”
Kalt looked up at me.
The respect pouring from his gaze seemed to have shifted significantly. In any case, I fulfilled the promise.
“Well, I’m off then.”
The moment I took my first step.
Kalt jumped up and, without giving me the chance to stop him, draped the coat I had discarded over my shoulders. Then, he opened the office door with military precision and saluted me.
“Take care, Senpai!”
Didn’t you just say you weren’t going to come see me off?
“Crazy kid.”
I chuckled, giving Kalt’s shoulder a light slap.
“Work hard.”
“Yes, Senpai!”
“And what are you going to do from now on? Well, I guess…”
“What’s there to think about, Kyle? Of course, it’s the wedding.”
Sara cut in on Kyle’s words.
“It’s all over now. We need to have the wedding. It should be grand. Where should we hold the ceremony? It should obviously be in the middle of the capital, right?”
“That’s a bit… of a dilemma…”
“What’s there to ponder? The real question is where to go for the honeymoon.”
We were eating in a restaurant, discussing the matter when Kyle looked as though he couldn’t tell whether he was about to chew on meat or vegetables. It seemed Sara had been relentlessly pestering him.
I chuckled and kicked Kyle’s shin under the table. Just a little reminder to focus.
Looking at Kyle, who let out a small ugh in pain, I shrugged. Serves him right. You reap what you sow. I spoke while tearing into my meat.
“Well, since everything’s settled, we should have the wedding. For you two, isn’t this an event of national importance? After the festival, there will be yet another one.”
“That seems a bit burdensome.”
“You used to enjoy this kind of stuff, and now you’re saying this?”
“I’m not a hero anymore.”
Since losing his starlight and beginning to call himself a knight, Kyle had become a bit more frugal. After all, I could understand why such things felt burdensome to him now. But frankly, I couldn’t care less.
“So will the wedding be a joint one?”
I pointed to Kyle’s sides with my fork.
With a saint on one arm and an archery master on the other, I shot a sideways glance at the libertine hero questioning him.
“Aren’t you two planning on holding it together?”
“I… I’m not ready yet.”
Remia, sitting to Kyle’s right, shyly averted her gaze. Her ears turned bright red in embarrassment, and she mumbled in a voice barely audible.
“W-wedding… it seems a bit early for me. I’m not ready yet.”
At Remia’s reply, Sara had an expression as if she were saying ‘why is that?’ and my expression mirrored hers. After all they’d been through… now they’re saying it’s too early?
“Well, I could at least preside over the ceremony.”
“No need. Let’s keep it serious.”
“We don’t need one.”
“It’s still a long way off, but I didn’t need one either.”
Almost immediately after I spoke, Kyle, Remia, and Sara responded in unison. Seeing their outright rejection, I resolved to preside over the ceremony no matter what. With that determination, I smiled.
“So what will you be doing from now on…?”
“Getting married.”
What is this déjà vu?
My expression soured in an instant.
“First, I’m going to look for this person’s prosthetic arm, and then I’ll think about the wedding. Whether to hold it in the North or the capital… that’s something I need to ponder.”
Natida was smiling while linking arms with Lak.
“Prosthetic arm? Don’t you want to get the regeneration done?”
“I’ve tried, but it seems that the king of beasts’ sword strikes cut off the flow between my arm and soul. I can’t regenerate it, so I have to rely on a prosthetic.”
“That sounds complicated.”
“And… ”
Natida shot a glance at Lak.
Lak chuckled helplessly and spoke.
“I think I’ll keep this wound as well.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, it’s a mark of battling and winning against a warrior.”
If Lak himself says so, then who am I to say otherwise?
“I should be able to find a prosthetic from Cardi. There’s no one as skilled a craftsman as him. I’ll let him know ahead of time.”
“Thank you, dear master.”
Natida called me ‘master’ since I brought her out of the church order. While she used to call me ‘Hero’ when she served as my assistant, now that everything’s settled, she was back to calling me ‘master’.
‘Thinking back, Natida has changed a lot.’
Suddenly, I remembered Natida the first time I met her.
A saint drenched in drugs, harming her own body, cursing the world with vacant eyes. However, the Natida now smiled brightly like any girl her age would.
“Congratulations on the upcoming wedding. Natida, Lak.”
It was a good thing. Truly.
“Belnoa, try this.”
“I have arms too!”
“Shut up and eat.”
“I said I have arms!”
You guys.
“Ah, Senpai. Just a moment… Belnoa, open your mouth.”
“Chloe, I also have arms…”
Hey, I’m talking here.
“Actually, I asked what you two are going to do now.”
Only then did Chloe seem to realize her oversight, putting down the cake she was trying to shove into Belnoa’s mouth. Wiping the cream off her face, Belnoa spoke.
“Well, I think I’ll inherit the Black Tower. That guy, Yetual, has apparently prepared everything.”
“The Black Tower?”
“Yes, I’m going to add a sorcery branch to the Black Tower and construct a sub-tower for it, basically giving me oversight. Once its scale is sufficient, I think he’ll probably call me back to take over as Master of the Tower… I need to work hard.”
It seemed Belnoa was being groomed as Yetual’s successor to the Black Tower. She didn’t seem displeased with this prospect, and her relationship with Yetual looked good.
‘I remember they were super apprehensive of each other back then.’
At some point, Yetual seemed to become Belnoa’s guardian and almost akin to a father figure. Honestly, that guy seemed shady on the outside, but he was a pretty good-natured person once you got close.
“I think the same might apply to me.”
Chloe nodded her head.
“While Belnoa manages the sub-tower, I think I’ll learn how to oversee the main tower under Uncle Yetual. He mentioned that the two of you will become the next Masters of the Tower.”
I don’t think we’ve ever had two Masters of the Tower before.
Well, as long as they seem to get along, it shouldn’t matter.
“That said…”
I shot a pointed look at the two.
I heard they started dating right after the Braver subjugation, but given how slow they were to catch fire, there seemed to be a shower of sweetness between them now. It was nice to see, but the level of it was a little overboard, and it kind of made my side hurt.
“Just tone it down in public.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Yes…”
From the looks of things, they seemed to be getting hitched soon too.
How many weddings are going to take place? As I spread my palm to count, I let out a long sigh.
“I’m planning to focus on managing the Tower for now.”
At the top floor of the Ashen Tower.
Resti sipped her drink and began to speak. Perhaps feeling the effects of the alcohol, Resti started her grumbling.
“I’ve been away long enough, so I really need to make a mark. Nowadays, everyone’s getting slack during the festival, but aren’t mages supposed to be working even harder now that Cartedia has become the Empire?”
“That’s true.”
“Every national project underway needs our names, and when we should be pushing to enhance our careers, it breaks my heart to see mages wandering about enjoying themselves.”
Looks like you’ve got some understanding.
“Especially the mages who are out partying for romance. What is love supposed to be? It’s a waste of time. I’m serious. Even dedicating a lifetime to researching the Tower isn’t enough… and yet, they pledge to dedicate half their lives to each other? It’s just absurd.”
“Right? A mage’s partner should be magic. Spending a lifetime on magic isn’t enough… so what? Your better half? Marriage?”
I clicked my tongue.
“Sounds like someone’s gotten a bit too comfortable.”
“Exactly. The youth these days…”
“That’s why we aren’t producing talent. The kids are fundamentally too coddled. In my time…”
As we poured our drinks, we exchanged stories.
“That’s why you’re my senior.”
“That’s why you’re my junior. You’ve learned well.”
You’re the only one, Resti.
This used to be my office, but now no one here thinks of me. The Master of the Ashen Tower is no longer Raniel van Trias but Resti Elenoa.
“It’s nice to talk with you after such a long time.”
Resti smiled as she set down her drink.
Casually, and lightly.
The mage who feared her own talent and shrank away from the gazes of others was no longer there. Looking at the newly confident Master of the Ashen Tower, Resti Elenoa, I smiled.
“You’ve grown well.”
“I’m sure the Elder thinks so too.”
“He surely does.”