Secret (10)
"Whereabouts unknown? The little Duke?"
"Yes."
"..."
Kalit's eyes shook greatly. Rahon grabbed my shoulder urgently.
"Are you talking about Ian? How could he go missing when he's the greatest swordsman in the Empire?"
"I don't know that much. All I know is that at some point he disappeared from the battlefield."
A heavy silence descended upon the table.
I turned my head towards Kallt.
"I know you are close to Ian. I also know that you consider him a dear friend and loyal subject."
"..."
"I know you don't want anything bad to happen to Ian, Kalit. So please help me. Kallit is the only person I can ask for this."
"Sorry."
"Yes?"
Kalit politely pushed my hand away. Surprised by the completely unexpected situation, I just looked at Kalit.
"...Lord Kalit?”
"I can't help you."
"Why, why? Are you saying this because you think aian will be stubborn? Then, why don't you just disallow participation in the war using your authority as the Commander-in-Chief?"
"I had no intention of disallowing it in the first place. I need a little help."
"... Even if Ian goes missing?"
How could you leave the battlefield alone, knowing that it could be Ian's life and death? How could you do that?
Kalit smiled bitterly at my shocked expression.
"Just as you worry about the safety of the little Duke, the 150,000 soldiers will have families and lovers who worry about them. The little Duke's abilities will be of great help in the war, and it will reduce the number of soldiers who die."
"..."
"Millenia, the lives of 150,000 people are on my shoulders. How can I stop the Duke from going to war?"
Kalit's answer was so disappointing, but I had no choice but to back down.
As much as I want to protect Ian, Kalit, as the commander-in-chief, has to protect 150,000 soldiers.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't give you the answer you wanted even though you came all the way here."
"No, I understand your feelings, Kalit."
"Thank you. In return, I will protect Ian with all my might. I will watch over him carefully so that he does not go missing and bring him back safely. Please trust me."
"...Yes, I will believe you."
After meeting with Kalit, I walked back through the garden. Rahon glanced behind me and whispered quietly.
"You didn't give up, did you?"
"Yes."
"Somehow, you backed off so obediently. I knew it."
How could I just leave him alone when I knew there would be a future where Ian would go missing?
Contrary to my belief in Kalit, I had no intention of giving up.
'Now I have no choice but to persuade Ian myself...'
Rahon pressed the back of my hand with his thumb.
"...I'm going to fight too."
"You are in the rear."
"Are you ignoring the rear now?"
"No, never come out and just stay in the back."
"Are you worried that I might get hurt?"
"Why do you ask such a question? Of course, I'm worried."
A smile spread across Rahon's lips that he couldn't hide.
Cough!
Suddenly, I coughed and covered my mouth with my hand.
"I told you before that I had my back treated by a kid."
"Yes, that's right."
"That kid is you."
"I know."
Rahon's purple eyes widened.
"Huh? You knew?"
"I remember. I remember following Rahon around and asking you to live with me... I also remember Rahon calling me a brat."
"What cured me?"
"That is. I remember treating a boy, but I still don't know who it was."
"Of course not. Who else would you have treated besides me?"
I glanced at Rahon's expression.
"Can you elaborate on that story?"
"It's not a very interesting story..."
Rahon turned his gaze into the empty space.
"At that time, I was spending each day listlessly."
All he does all day is check the wounds on his back, and if they show any signs of improvement, he cuts away at them with a knife.
Because he wanted to mess up the brand as much as possible before returning to Shancrecia.
"The vacation the Pope promised me was for one year. There was stilI half a year left, so there was plenty of time."
But things didn't go as Rahon had hoped.
The order to return home was given without warning.
"What did they say? The people are getting anxious because the Guardian's absence has been prolonged?"
Rahon snorted.
"It was something that even a dog wouldn't believe. When I looked into it, I found out that the heretic was being caught and interrogated by a heretic from the Vatican, and then he was half-dead. But that heretic was a man who had just been ordained a priest. That's why they called me."
While previous Vatican venereal disease cases were only circumstantial, this one was different.
In reality, those who believed in God and carried out His will were driven to heresy.
The Vatican was met with a barrage of criticism.
When public sentiment fell to a point where it was difficult to recover, the Pope summoned Rahon.
"You know what's funny? At that time, my powers were blocked."
"But how do you heal it?"
"They called me not to heal. They wanted to claim that he was a demon who tried to sneak into the Vatican while hiding his heresy. That's why the Guardian's power doesn't work!"
'oh my god.'
Rahon said he was disillusioned with himself, having earned money and growing old, still living as the Pope's dog.
"I thought of you then. I thought I had to see you one last time."
"Why?"
"Well, was it because I was the only one who healed you with my own power, not with authority? Or was it because it was the first time I felt proud? I don't know."
Anyway, Rahon, who was staying at the palace and receiving VIP treatment, headed to the Astrod mansion that night without anyone knowing.
"It was easy to sneak in. There was a big tree right in front of your bedroom. I climbed up it and there was a terrace right there."
"..."
My father wanted to cut down a tree for safety reasons, but I insisted that I absolutely could not do it.
I thought that having that tree would make it a little easier for the boy to come to my bedroom.
"It was almost midnight, and you were still awake. I was staring blankly at your face, and you said this."
Rahon imitated a blunt woman's voice.
"What are you doing? Come in quickly, the bugs are making a lot of noise."
He didn't answer at the time, because he felt that if he raised his voice, his identity would be revealed.
"What if you get revealed? I'm the only one who knows anyway."
"I didn't want anyone to see me in such a pitiful state. It would be embarrassing..."
"..."
Rahon continued speaking.
"I was planning on just seeing your face for a bit anyway. I just wanted to see you. Thinking that I quietly crawled downstairs, and then you came walking toward the terrace."
Yeah, I remember now.
At that time I would have said this.
"Why are you walking around smelling like blood? Are you proud of being hurt?"
Rahon said he was very embarrassed.
How did you know I was there? Should I run away now? He shook his head, thinking about all sorts of things, but in the end, he couldn't go back.
"You were so unsteady when you walked. There was a table right in front of you. I thought you might fall over, so I quickly went in and grabbed the hem of your clothes."
"..."
"You looked at me. And do you know what you said?"
"Take it off. I'll put some ointment on it."
Rahon grabbed his collar as if he was remembering that time.
"You immediately told me to take it off. You said you would treat me."
"So did you take it off?"
"How can I take it off? I used to button up my clothes up to my neck even in the hot summer because I didn't want to reveal my brand. I never take my clothes off in front of other people."
"In front of me too?"
"Aren't you a human?"
At that time, I wrestled with Rahon and eventually gave up on applying it myself and just threw the ointment at him.
"Don't brag about the pain and apply ointment every day. I'll be really angry the next time I smell blood. And..."
"..."
"Come to me when you've used up all the ointment."
Hoping that the boy would come often.
"You told me to come when you finished using all the ointment on me."
"..."
"Actually, I was planning to die back then. I was so sick of living. But those words made me want to live."
Rahon cupped my cheek.
"If I think about it, I guess I liked you from then on."
"..."
"Come with me. Once the Great Rift is over, we can forget about all the complicated things and live happily together in a quiet place."
“Ah...”
A sigh escaped my lips, for I could not grant his wish.
Rahon is not a benefactor.
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