Meanwhile, Andrew's father, Basto, was drinking heavily last night and woke up in a bar.
‘I wasn’t going to drink yesterday...’
It wasn't easy not to drink.
When he looked at Hillen lying in her sickbed, he thought of his dead wife, Tirena.
Tirena, a hunter, was a very strong woman.
To the point where, if she encountered a bear in the mountains without a weapon, she would not hesitate to run at it with her bare body.
However, Tirena, who unexpectedly became pregnant before marriage and had a child, rapidly lost her vitality after marrying Basto.
She felt suffocated at home. She would often complain that she wanted to go out into the mountains and hunt like before.
However, while caring for young Andrew, she became pregnant with Hillen again, and Basto discouraged Tirena from going on dangerous hunting trips.
'Should I have just let Tirena do whatever she wanted back then?'
In fact, at that time, Basto did not pay much attention to his family.
Believing that with the strong Tirena at home, the family would somehow manage, he devoted himself to rigorous training so that he could stand against the Arrental army that was eyeing Ronheim at any moment.
He still regrets his past actions so much that it was hard for him to hold on with his mind clear.
‘If I hadn’t done that back then... would things have been different?’
Even though Basto knew that the past was now unchangeable, he was still lost in his thoughts of the past, thinking, "If only I had done this," "If only I had done that."
So, even if he wants to calm down, he keeps going back to the bar.
Basto dragged his feet back home.
A disgusting house.
He doesn't want to go; he'd rather leave Ronheim, but he can't.
'Hillen...'
Anyway, he has a sick child at home.
When Basto arrived home, he found people buzzing around his house.
"What?"
A drunken Basto staggered forward, pushing his way through the crowd.
He stepped through the open front door and was startled to see the knights of Callius.
“What, what is it!”
It felt like the alcohol had suddenly worn off.
He sat down, shaking violently.
Has Callius finally learned the whole truth?
Did he find out that he had betrayed Ronheim and helped Kavala murder the Saint?
“Yes, I was wrong... Okay, I was wrong...”
His body was shaking so much that he almost bit his tongue.
But the knights who saw him crawling on the floor, pale and pale, were startled and ran over to help him up.
“Sir Basto, why are you doing this! Come to your senses, senior!”
“We’re looking for Sir Andrew. Have you seen him?”
Basto stared blankly at the knights.
'You didn't come to me, you came to Andrew?'
The knights reported gloomily.
“We don’t want to do this either, but the lord tells us to bring Andrew.”
The knights who arrived at Andrew's house at the time Sernia was giving her statement in the audience room did not yet know the details.
Callius simply told him to bring Andrew back, and he simply carried out that order.
They appeased Basto.
"I don't know what's going on yet, so don't worry too much. There might be some misunderstanding. But where is Andrew?"
“Well, well...”
Basto got up with the help of the knights and looked around the house.
'There is no Hillen.'
He stumbled around the house and soon realized that Andrew's sword, some of his belongings, and Hillen's clothes were missing.
'Andrew...'
Andrew's condition has been a bit strange lately.
He was acting like a lunatic; he was on vacation, but he kept leaving the house, and even Andrew, who used to get angry at the mere sight of Basto, didn't get angry at him for the past few days.
'What are you up to, Andrew?'
It was ominous.
Basto first told the knights that he did not know where Andrew was and then gave them some suggestions of places Andrew might be going.
“Please take good care of our Andrew.”
Basto gritted his teeth and said so, though he was too ashamed to ask such a favor of a traitor and couldn't even look the knights in the eye.
'I have to find Andrew.'
Faster than anyone else.
So, he had to figure out what Andrew had done wrong and, if he could still fix it, he had to fix it.
'If Andrew were to commit the same mistake as I did... If he were to deceive his comrades and betray his master... then that would absolutely not be allowed. Absolutely not.'
Basto knew better than anyone how painful the price of betraying Ronheim, the place he loved so much, would be.
He couldn't pass on that painful regret and guilt to his son.
'I have to find Andrew...!'
I advised Callius, who was holding a countermeasure meeting, to closely examine the situation on Count Elbern's side.
"Count Elbern might mobilize his troops for military training. His soldiers are northerners, so they're better equipped to fight in the northern environment than the Emperor's. He's desperate to secure his place in the imperial court, so if Kavala asks for help, he'll cooperate, even if it's not the right thing to do."
I strongly urged you to do so.
In my last life, Ronheim was stabbed in the back of the head by Count Elbern, who joined hands with Andrea.
“Understood. I will have the nomads monitor Count Elbern’s movements.”
Callius promised.
He made a plan, telling the knights to be fully prepared.
The most important thing he and I emphasized was one thing.
"We need to nip the enemy in the bud so they can't invade in the first place. Finding Andrew is our top priority."
However, the knights who went to capture Andrew reported that Andrew had already disappeared with Hillen.
Callius has published many more knights.
"Find Andrew! He's probably inside the Ronheim estate anyway."
"Yes!"
The knights' voices were filled with betrayal and anger.
I left the meeting place first.
Although my stamina had increased significantly, I was so tired after the hard work of interrogating criminals that I wanted to rest in my room for a bit.
'I'll have to ask Callius about the Holy Grail later.'
But when we went into the room, Leviche was standing there holding a bunch of plants, her face full of worry and concern.
“What is that, Leviche?”
“This is a flower that symbolizes good luck and peace. Actually, it’s not a flower, it’s a grass.”
What Leviche brought was a plant called Miris.
The lower leaves on a stem were green, but the uppermost leaves were red or yellow, so they looked just like flowers.
It was said that the colors of leaves that have seen a lot of sunlight change like autumn leaves.
“In Ronheim, this mix of green, yellow, and red is considered a symbol of good luck.”
Come to think of it, the Platus bracelet that Alex lost and I returned to him was also made of green, yellow, and red thread.
“I see. But why this?”
"I feel like the atmosphere is ominous. I heard the knights went to capture Brother Andrew earlier. I have a feeling something scary is about to happen..."
Leviche was trembling with fear.
"We've only just been through the war. We've barely managed to rebuild our village and find peace..."
She held out the rhizomes she was holding to me with trembling hands.
"So, I brought them. The most beautiful and precious ones. Wouldn't it be nice if you could decorate the castle with them, my lady? As a symbol of safety... I think it would be nice if you did."
I could tell intuitively that Leviche had omitted the words "sent by God" before the word "Madam."
It seemed like she believed that if I did this, God would protect Ronheim.
I put my arm around Leviche's shoulder and comforted her.
“Don’t worry, Leviche. The worst won’t happen.”
“Really?”
"Yes."
I smiled and accepted the Miris stems she offered me.
"Let's decorate this castle. Wouldn't it be great if it could make everyone's hearts a little happier?"
“Thank you, ma’am!”
Leviche jumped for joy.
Then, she said, "Oh no," and then she started to panic.
"I was so rushed to get it that I didn't think of anything to put it in. I'll go and find the vase right away. I wonder where it is..."
Vase?
I said absentmindedly.
“I have something that could be used as a vase.”
After a while.
I decorated the large, heavy, and rather shabby golden cup I had brought with my teddy bear with colorful rhizomes, making it beautiful and abundant.
The golden cup, with its oval bowl, jar-shaped handle, and dome-shaped base, had a unique long hole running from the bowl to the handle and base, making it perfect for use as a vase.
If you think of it as a vase rather than a treasure, it doesn't look so bad.
“Hmm, pretty.”
The result was very satisfactory.
I've never tried flower arranging before, but I thought of the flower vases that were always displayed in the palace and only decorated them. It turned out to be a pretty decent arrangement.
While I was arranging the flowers, I handed the finished arrangement to Levice, who had come to clear the ashes from the fireplace.
“Now, display this on the main hall display stand so that everyone in the castle can see it.”
Leviche accepted it excitedly.
“Yes! I’m sure everyone will like it!”
Then, as I watched Leviche's back as she left with pride, I resumed the thoughts I had put on hold for a moment.
"I need to ask Callius what Sernia said about the Holy Grail. Is the meeting over?"
‘I wasn’t going to drink yesterday...’
It wasn't easy not to drink.
When he looked at Hillen lying in her sickbed, he thought of his dead wife, Tirena.
Tirena, a hunter, was a very strong woman.
To the point where, if she encountered a bear in the mountains without a weapon, she would not hesitate to run at it with her bare body.
However, Tirena, who unexpectedly became pregnant before marriage and had a child, rapidly lost her vitality after marrying Basto.
She felt suffocated at home. She would often complain that she wanted to go out into the mountains and hunt like before.
However, while caring for young Andrew, she became pregnant with Hillen again, and Basto discouraged Tirena from going on dangerous hunting trips.
'Should I have just let Tirena do whatever she wanted back then?'
In fact, at that time, Basto did not pay much attention to his family.
Believing that with the strong Tirena at home, the family would somehow manage, he devoted himself to rigorous training so that he could stand against the Arrental army that was eyeing Ronheim at any moment.
He still regrets his past actions so much that it was hard for him to hold on with his mind clear.
‘If I hadn’t done that back then... would things have been different?’
Even though Basto knew that the past was now unchangeable, he was still lost in his thoughts of the past, thinking, "If only I had done this," "If only I had done that."
So, even if he wants to calm down, he keeps going back to the bar.
Basto dragged his feet back home.
A disgusting house.
He doesn't want to go; he'd rather leave Ronheim, but he can't.
'Hillen...'
Anyway, he has a sick child at home.
When Basto arrived home, he found people buzzing around his house.
"What?"
A drunken Basto staggered forward, pushing his way through the crowd.
He stepped through the open front door and was startled to see the knights of Callius.
“What, what is it!”
It felt like the alcohol had suddenly worn off.
He sat down, shaking violently.
Has Callius finally learned the whole truth?
Did he find out that he had betrayed Ronheim and helped Kavala murder the Saint?
“Yes, I was wrong... Okay, I was wrong...”
His body was shaking so much that he almost bit his tongue.
But the knights who saw him crawling on the floor, pale and pale, were startled and ran over to help him up.
“Sir Basto, why are you doing this! Come to your senses, senior!”
“We’re looking for Sir Andrew. Have you seen him?”
Basto stared blankly at the knights.
'You didn't come to me, you came to Andrew?'
The knights reported gloomily.
“We don’t want to do this either, but the lord tells us to bring Andrew.”
The knights who arrived at Andrew's house at the time Sernia was giving her statement in the audience room did not yet know the details.
Callius simply told him to bring Andrew back, and he simply carried out that order.
They appeased Basto.
"I don't know what's going on yet, so don't worry too much. There might be some misunderstanding. But where is Andrew?"
“Well, well...”
Basto got up with the help of the knights and looked around the house.
'There is no Hillen.'
He stumbled around the house and soon realized that Andrew's sword, some of his belongings, and Hillen's clothes were missing.
'Andrew...'
Andrew's condition has been a bit strange lately.
He was acting like a lunatic; he was on vacation, but he kept leaving the house, and even Andrew, who used to get angry at the mere sight of Basto, didn't get angry at him for the past few days.
'What are you up to, Andrew?'
It was ominous.
Basto first told the knights that he did not know where Andrew was and then gave them some suggestions of places Andrew might be going.
“Please take good care of our Andrew.”
Basto gritted his teeth and said so, though he was too ashamed to ask such a favor of a traitor and couldn't even look the knights in the eye.
'I have to find Andrew.'
Faster than anyone else.
So, he had to figure out what Andrew had done wrong and, if he could still fix it, he had to fix it.
'If Andrew were to commit the same mistake as I did... If he were to deceive his comrades and betray his master... then that would absolutely not be allowed. Absolutely not.'
Basto knew better than anyone how painful the price of betraying Ronheim, the place he loved so much, would be.
He couldn't pass on that painful regret and guilt to his son.
'I have to find Andrew...!'
***
I advised Callius, who was holding a countermeasure meeting, to closely examine the situation on Count Elbern's side.
"Count Elbern might mobilize his troops for military training. His soldiers are northerners, so they're better equipped to fight in the northern environment than the Emperor's. He's desperate to secure his place in the imperial court, so if Kavala asks for help, he'll cooperate, even if it's not the right thing to do."
I strongly urged you to do so.
In my last life, Ronheim was stabbed in the back of the head by Count Elbern, who joined hands with Andrea.
“Understood. I will have the nomads monitor Count Elbern’s movements.”
Callius promised.
He made a plan, telling the knights to be fully prepared.
The most important thing he and I emphasized was one thing.
"We need to nip the enemy in the bud so they can't invade in the first place. Finding Andrew is our top priority."
However, the knights who went to capture Andrew reported that Andrew had already disappeared with Hillen.
Callius has published many more knights.
"Find Andrew! He's probably inside the Ronheim estate anyway."
"Yes!"
The knights' voices were filled with betrayal and anger.
***
I left the meeting place first.
Although my stamina had increased significantly, I was so tired after the hard work of interrogating criminals that I wanted to rest in my room for a bit.
'I'll have to ask Callius about the Holy Grail later.'
But when we went into the room, Leviche was standing there holding a bunch of plants, her face full of worry and concern.
“What is that, Leviche?”
“This is a flower that symbolizes good luck and peace. Actually, it’s not a flower, it’s a grass.”
What Leviche brought was a plant called Miris.
The lower leaves on a stem were green, but the uppermost leaves were red or yellow, so they looked just like flowers.
It was said that the colors of leaves that have seen a lot of sunlight change like autumn leaves.
“In Ronheim, this mix of green, yellow, and red is considered a symbol of good luck.”
Come to think of it, the Platus bracelet that Alex lost and I returned to him was also made of green, yellow, and red thread.
“I see. But why this?”
"I feel like the atmosphere is ominous. I heard the knights went to capture Brother Andrew earlier. I have a feeling something scary is about to happen..."
Leviche was trembling with fear.
"We've only just been through the war. We've barely managed to rebuild our village and find peace..."
She held out the rhizomes she was holding to me with trembling hands.
"So, I brought them. The most beautiful and precious ones. Wouldn't it be nice if you could decorate the castle with them, my lady? As a symbol of safety... I think it would be nice if you did."
I could tell intuitively that Leviche had omitted the words "sent by God" before the word "Madam."
It seemed like she believed that if I did this, God would protect Ronheim.
I put my arm around Leviche's shoulder and comforted her.
“Don’t worry, Leviche. The worst won’t happen.”
“Really?”
"Yes."
I smiled and accepted the Miris stems she offered me.
"Let's decorate this castle. Wouldn't it be great if it could make everyone's hearts a little happier?"
“Thank you, ma’am!”
Leviche jumped for joy.
Then, she said, "Oh no," and then she started to panic.
"I was so rushed to get it that I didn't think of anything to put it in. I'll go and find the vase right away. I wonder where it is..."
Vase?
I said absentmindedly.
“I have something that could be used as a vase.”
After a while.
I decorated the large, heavy, and rather shabby golden cup I had brought with my teddy bear with colorful rhizomes, making it beautiful and abundant.
The golden cup, with its oval bowl, jar-shaped handle, and dome-shaped base, had a unique long hole running from the bowl to the handle and base, making it perfect for use as a vase.
If you think of it as a vase rather than a treasure, it doesn't look so bad.
“Hmm, pretty.”
The result was very satisfactory.
I've never tried flower arranging before, but I thought of the flower vases that were always displayed in the palace and only decorated them. It turned out to be a pretty decent arrangement.
While I was arranging the flowers, I handed the finished arrangement to Levice, who had come to clear the ashes from the fireplace.
“Now, display this on the main hall display stand so that everyone in the castle can see it.”
Leviche accepted it excitedly.
“Yes! I’m sure everyone will like it!”
Then, as I watched Leviche's back as she left with pride, I resumed the thoughts I had put on hold for a moment.
"I need to ask Callius what Sernia said about the Holy Grail. Is the meeting over?"
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