Episode 45. I'll Be Your Useful
"The tribesmen, finally."
Terion's expression was filled with emotion.
Among the knights led by Kassius, there were some of Yi descent.
Of course, they didn't know Kassius's true identity.
Those among the Yi descent, tired of slavery, had run away and taken up swords.
They didn't know Kassius, but he knew them.
And those who barely survived and escaped were living in the deep forest.
This was something Kassius had learned while living as a slave gladiator.
The woman who had been captured as a slave gladiator later told him this story.
"We survived. Aren't humans as tough as weeds? The survivors ran through the mountains and fields, burrowing deep into the forest. There, they lived in silence, like animals. And that's how people like me came to be. Those who thought, 'They've forgotten us by now,' with that complacent thought."
The woman disappeared after performing her duties as a slave gladiator.
Kassius couldn't tell where she went.
However, Kassius didn't forget her words and engraved them in his mind.
He had returned with such dedication and achievement, partly for their benefit.
"You have achieved your wish, Your Excellency."
Kassius nodded gravely.
"But it seems the Duchess truly knows everything. She even knows the story of the tribes. Did you investigate?"
"Perhaps, and perhaps not. But, it doesn't matter."
"Of course. The Duchess, who understands all the ways of the world, is on our side, so what is there to fear? I accept whatever the Duchess does."
Terion said with a face brimming with trust.
"The tribesmen, finally."
Terion's expression was filled with emotion.
Among the knights led by Kassius, there were some of Yi descent.
Of course, they didn't know Kassius's true identity.
Those among the Yi descent, tired of slavery, had run away and taken up swords.
They didn't know Kassius, but he knew them.
And those who barely survived and escaped were living in the deep forest.
This was something Kassius had learned while living as a slave gladiator.
The woman who had been captured as a slave gladiator later told him this story.
"We survived. Aren't humans as tough as weeds? The survivors ran through the mountains and fields, burrowing deep into the forest. There, they lived in silence, like animals. And that's how people like me came to be. Those who thought, 'They've forgotten us by now,' with that complacent thought."
The woman disappeared after performing her duties as a slave gladiator.
Kassius couldn't tell where she went.
However, Kassius didn't forget her words and engraved them in his mind.
He had returned with such dedication and achievement, partly for their benefit.
"You have achieved your wish, Your Excellency."
Kassius nodded gravely.
"But it seems the Duchess truly knows everything. She even knows the story of the tribes. Did you investigate?"
"Perhaps, and perhaps not. But, it doesn't matter."
"Of course. The Duchess, who understands all the ways of the world, is on our side, so what is there to fear? I accept whatever the Duchess does."
Terion said with a face brimming with trust.
Kassius, wanting to criticize Terion, kept his mouth shut.
"Then I will send someone right away."
"I can't go myself, can I?"
Kassius ran a hand through his hair.
He knew it too.
Regardless of his feelings, he now had responsibilities.
There were more than a few who simply watched.
Hundreds of knights had walked the long road with Kassius, and there was Renisha.
And now, there were the people of Hiloshine.
The warmth of the small black snakes that had climbed his body for fun lingered.
The children accepted Kassius with innocent faces.
Kassius felt at peace among them.
There were many others with powers like his.
There were often times when he couldn't sleep at night, feeling like he had lost himself and become a monster.
But looking at them, he knew.
That he didn't have to lose himself over such a thing.
It was a lesson he learned from the children's smiling faces.
They looked happy, without any worries.
When they were among those with the same power, their power became ordinary.
He was no longer alone.
Terion answered firmly.
"That's not good. You're finally the lord of Hiloshine. It's not good to be seen by people... And you have Lady Renisha. You want to leave her alone? It'll take at least a month. If trouble arises, only you can protect her. And it would be best to approach this matter cautiously."
"You're right. They won't even realize the good fortune that has come to them."
"They dreamed of leaving there one day, but they probably didn't believe it would come true."
Terion and Kassius laughed bitterly.
The dark clouds had hung over the Yi people for too long.
It was more than enough time to accept the current misfortune as normal.
"There must be a contact only the Yi people use. I'll track them down."
Kassius nodded gravely.
"Secretly gather the Yi people among the knights."
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
It was just as Kassius finished his serious conversation with Terion.
Knock knock.
Kassius's face hardened at the sound of a knock on the makeshift office.
Someone might have overheard.
He intended to bring the tribesmen, but it was Kassius's decision how to announce it.
"Who is it?"
The low voice caused a slight disturbance in the outside atmosphere.
"It's Isabella."
The small voice let Kassius down his guard.
Terion opened the door with a relieved expression.
And Terion had to face a huddle of small heads in front of the door.
It wasn't just Isabella.
The children who had ridden Kassius yesterday were gathered together.
"Miss Isabella?"
"Oh. They had fun playing with my uncle yesterday! They wanted to play with you, so I brought them here."
Isabella smiled brightly.
Isabella was a little different from the average noble child. Perhaps it was because she had survived a near-death experience, or perhaps it was because she had spent so much time hanging out with knights.
She was not one to be discriminated against or treated with formality based on social status.
Kassius poked his head out upon hearing Isabella's voice.
"Are you looking for me?"
"Uncle!"
Isabella hugged Kassius.
Kassius was surprised by her friendliness, which was even more intimate than usual.
But before he could express his feelings, he covered Isabella's back with his hand.
“The kids said they had fun playing with theor uncle yesterday, so I brought them here. They want to play with you again! I asked them where you were, and Isabella said she knew.”
Isabella’s large eyes sparkled.
The nanny, who was looking after Isabella behind the children, smiled awkwardly.
“Jealousy, jealousy.”
The nanny’s mouth fell open.
“Ah.”
Kassius nodded, as if understanding what she meant.
Isabella was upset that Kassius had played with the children without her yesterday.
Isabella had been separated from her parents due to an unfair incident and was living with Kassius and Renisha.
They were the only people she could rely on.
In that situation, she might have harbored anxiety that Kassius might be taken away from her.
No matter how mature Isabella was, she still felt young.
“I see, Isabella.”
“Yes! Even though Isabella said her uncle was busy, the kids kept pestering her.”
“Let’s play like yesterday!”
Shouted one of the children, stamping their feet behind them.
“I’ve never seen a snake as big as yours!”
I’m human.
Kassius swallowed the words that were about to burst out.
Faced with the children’s innocence, he couldn’t possibly argue with the facts.
“You was really big. I thought my dad was the biggest in the world, but he wasn’t.”
“So. I thought my dad was the biggest?”
“Me too, me too.”
The children murmured.
Kassius’s enormous size seemed to have shocked them.
Kassius laughed awkwardly.
“Thank you all for seeing me as big...”
He didn’t know what to say.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
The size of his dad seemed to be a significant issue for the children.
The children began to argue with serious faces.
“No! My dad is the biggest.”
“Lies.”
“My dad has two snakes!”
Two snakes?
What does that mean?
Kassius, Terion, and Gray exchanged glances, but no answer came.
“My dad has snakes attached to him!”
“Huh? My dad too!!”
Kassius, who had been listening intently to the children’s chatter, turned pale.
The same was true for Terion and Gray, who were not yet married.
Kassius quietly pulled Isabella close and covered her ears.
“Why?”
Kassius shook his head slightly.
He realized once again that you shouldn’t even drink cold water in front of children.
While Kassius was completely absorbed in Isabella and the children, Renisha was spending time with Solein, who led the Hiloshine people.
“It will take several months until the exterior construction is finished. However, we cannot sit idly by during that time.”
“ ...”
“Repairing the castle and establishing Hiloshine’s status are important, but Hiloshine’s value lies not only in that.”
Solein remained silent, and Renisha smiled calmly in front of him.
"To craft the weapons and armor worn by knights, you need high-quality metal. And here in Hiloshine, there's something even better: the scales of the Black Serpent."
The people of Hiloshine inherited the power of the Black Serpent.
Their power has been preserved to this day thanks to the "Black Serpent's corpse" buried in the ground.
When the world opened, three snake gods emerged.
There was the red serpent god who ruled the land, the white serpent god who ruled the sea, and finally the black serpent who ruled the darkness.
As time passed, the three gods vanished, leaving behind the power of the red serpent as a gigantic flame.
To seize that power, one had to overcome death.
Many challengers lost their lives, and Kassius became its master.
Second, the white serpent's power dissolved into the sea.
Following the endless circulation of the ocean waters, the white serpent's power gently embraced the entire continent.
Finally, the black serpent's corpse was buried in the land of Hiloshine. The black serpent's power was passed down through the Hiloshine people.
They were born in Hiloshine and returned to the land.
The buried corpse was transformed into a metal harder than diamond.
Moreover, the Hiloshine people who possessed the power of the black serpent possessed physical abilities far superior to those of ordinary people.
A single Hiloshine knight could face dozens of ordinary knights.
Such was the power of Hiloshine.
Renisha had obtained Hiloshine.
With it, she could now control the world's most powerful knights.
"Hiloshine had been living in hiding, holding her breath. But now, the Knight of the Red Snake has appeared. Kassius has become the Duke of Lottera and has gained recognition from the world. Hiloshine has no reason to remain hidden."
"Then I will send someone right away."
"I can't go myself, can I?"
Kassius ran a hand through his hair.
He knew it too.
Regardless of his feelings, he now had responsibilities.
There were more than a few who simply watched.
Hundreds of knights had walked the long road with Kassius, and there was Renisha.
And now, there were the people of Hiloshine.
The warmth of the small black snakes that had climbed his body for fun lingered.
The children accepted Kassius with innocent faces.
Kassius felt at peace among them.
There were many others with powers like his.
There were often times when he couldn't sleep at night, feeling like he had lost himself and become a monster.
But looking at them, he knew.
That he didn't have to lose himself over such a thing.
It was a lesson he learned from the children's smiling faces.
They looked happy, without any worries.
When they were among those with the same power, their power became ordinary.
He was no longer alone.
Terion answered firmly.
"That's not good. You're finally the lord of Hiloshine. It's not good to be seen by people... And you have Lady Renisha. You want to leave her alone? It'll take at least a month. If trouble arises, only you can protect her. And it would be best to approach this matter cautiously."
"You're right. They won't even realize the good fortune that has come to them."
"They dreamed of leaving there one day, but they probably didn't believe it would come true."
Terion and Kassius laughed bitterly.
The dark clouds had hung over the Yi people for too long.
It was more than enough time to accept the current misfortune as normal.
"There must be a contact only the Yi people use. I'll track them down."
Kassius nodded gravely.
"Secretly gather the Yi people among the knights."
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
It was just as Kassius finished his serious conversation with Terion.
Knock knock.
Kassius's face hardened at the sound of a knock on the makeshift office.
Someone might have overheard.
He intended to bring the tribesmen, but it was Kassius's decision how to announce it.
"Who is it?"
The low voice caused a slight disturbance in the outside atmosphere.
"It's Isabella."
The small voice let Kassius down his guard.
Terion opened the door with a relieved expression.
And Terion had to face a huddle of small heads in front of the door.
It wasn't just Isabella.
The children who had ridden Kassius yesterday were gathered together.
"Miss Isabella?"
"Oh. They had fun playing with my uncle yesterday! They wanted to play with you, so I brought them here."
Isabella smiled brightly.
Isabella was a little different from the average noble child. Perhaps it was because she had survived a near-death experience, or perhaps it was because she had spent so much time hanging out with knights.
She was not one to be discriminated against or treated with formality based on social status.
Kassius poked his head out upon hearing Isabella's voice.
"Are you looking for me?"
"Uncle!"
Isabella hugged Kassius.
Kassius was surprised by her friendliness, which was even more intimate than usual.
But before he could express his feelings, he covered Isabella's back with his hand.
“The kids said they had fun playing with theor uncle yesterday, so I brought them here. They want to play with you again! I asked them where you were, and Isabella said she knew.”
Isabella’s large eyes sparkled.
The nanny, who was looking after Isabella behind the children, smiled awkwardly.
“Jealousy, jealousy.”
The nanny’s mouth fell open.
“Ah.”
Kassius nodded, as if understanding what she meant.
Isabella was upset that Kassius had played with the children without her yesterday.
Isabella had been separated from her parents due to an unfair incident and was living with Kassius and Renisha.
They were the only people she could rely on.
In that situation, she might have harbored anxiety that Kassius might be taken away from her.
No matter how mature Isabella was, she still felt young.
“I see, Isabella.”
“Yes! Even though Isabella said her uncle was busy, the kids kept pestering her.”
“Let’s play like yesterday!”
Shouted one of the children, stamping their feet behind them.
“I’ve never seen a snake as big as yours!”
I’m human.
Kassius swallowed the words that were about to burst out.
Faced with the children’s innocence, he couldn’t possibly argue with the facts.
“You was really big. I thought my dad was the biggest in the world, but he wasn’t.”
“So. I thought my dad was the biggest?”
“Me too, me too.”
The children murmured.
Kassius’s enormous size seemed to have shocked them.
Kassius laughed awkwardly.
“Thank you all for seeing me as big...”
He didn’t know what to say.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
The size of his dad seemed to be a significant issue for the children.
The children began to argue with serious faces.
“No! My dad is the biggest.”
“Lies.”
“My dad has two snakes!”
Two snakes?
What does that mean?
Kassius, Terion, and Gray exchanged glances, but no answer came.
“My dad has snakes attached to him!”
“Huh? My dad too!!”
Kassius, who had been listening intently to the children’s chatter, turned pale.
The same was true for Terion and Gray, who were not yet married.
Kassius quietly pulled Isabella close and covered her ears.
“Why?”
Kassius shook his head slightly.
He realized once again that you shouldn’t even drink cold water in front of children.
***
While Kassius was completely absorbed in Isabella and the children, Renisha was spending time with Solein, who led the Hiloshine people.
“It will take several months until the exterior construction is finished. However, we cannot sit idly by during that time.”
“ ...”
“Repairing the castle and establishing Hiloshine’s status are important, but Hiloshine’s value lies not only in that.”
Solein remained silent, and Renisha smiled calmly in front of him.
"To craft the weapons and armor worn by knights, you need high-quality metal. And here in Hiloshine, there's something even better: the scales of the Black Serpent."
The people of Hiloshine inherited the power of the Black Serpent.
Their power has been preserved to this day thanks to the "Black Serpent's corpse" buried in the ground.
When the world opened, three snake gods emerged.
There was the red serpent god who ruled the land, the white serpent god who ruled the sea, and finally the black serpent who ruled the darkness.
As time passed, the three gods vanished, leaving behind the power of the red serpent as a gigantic flame.
To seize that power, one had to overcome death.
Many challengers lost their lives, and Kassius became its master.
Second, the white serpent's power dissolved into the sea.
Following the endless circulation of the ocean waters, the white serpent's power gently embraced the entire continent.
Finally, the black serpent's corpse was buried in the land of Hiloshine. The black serpent's power was passed down through the Hiloshine people.
They were born in Hiloshine and returned to the land.
The buried corpse was transformed into a metal harder than diamond.
Moreover, the Hiloshine people who possessed the power of the black serpent possessed physical abilities far superior to those of ordinary people.
A single Hiloshine knight could face dozens of ordinary knights.
Such was the power of Hiloshine.
Renisha had obtained Hiloshine.
With it, she could now control the world's most powerful knights.
"Hiloshine had been living in hiding, holding her breath. But now, the Knight of the Red Snake has appeared. Kassius has become the Duke of Lottera and has gained recognition from the world. Hiloshine has no reason to remain hidden."
"...Lady Renisha is trying to use Hiloshine,"
Solein said in an aged voice.
His calm face was like a calm lake.
"Is that a bad thing?"
Renisha stared at Solein with cold, clear eyes.
He was an old man, over a hundred years old.
Solein had seen and felt far more than Renisha.
Hiloshine respected and loved Lottera, but they prioritized Solein's words.
Solein's role was crucial.
“...Hiloshine doesn’t grow a single blade of grass easily due to the power of the Black Serpent. The only things that grow here are tough, almost inedible. What was it like when you lost Lottera? The Hiloshines had to scatter.”
Solein said in an aged voice.
His calm face was like a calm lake.
"Is that a bad thing?"
Renisha stared at Solein with cold, clear eyes.
He was an old man, over a hundred years old.
Solein had seen and felt far more than Renisha.
Hiloshine respected and loved Lottera, but they prioritized Solein's words.
Solein's role was crucial.
“...Hiloshine doesn’t grow a single blade of grass easily due to the power of the Black Serpent. The only things that grow here are tough, almost inedible. What was it like when you lost Lottera? The Hiloshines had to scatter.”
“...”
“I will use Hiloshine. I will make Laxus pay with Hiloshine’s power. In return,”
Renisha finished.
“I will be used to.”
There was a firmness mixed in that she absolutely could not refuse.
“I will use Hiloshine. I will make Laxus pay with Hiloshine’s power. In return,”
Renisha finished.
“I will be used to.”
There was a firmness mixed in that she absolutely could not refuse.
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