Capitulo 59
Chapter 59: Endings always meant new beginnings.
Perhaps because it had been Ariel’s first hangover, I had been bedridden for two days, so I spent my free time training.
Normally, we had our reading sessions in the mornings, but with my reading partner knocked out, there was no reason for me to visit the library.
Crackle!
crunch!
As I took a bite of an apple, I advanced my magic.
From what I read in those guidebooks, the nature of one’s magic is tied to their innate temperament.
The color of your magic used to match the color of your hair.
Thus, my magic seemed to have an «electric» characteristic.
In the Medieval Era, having an electric power would be an immense blessing, unfortunately I don’t have any kind of device to use it. And from what I understand, I won’t be able to use attacks like the ‘10,000,000 Volt Lightning’ that Pikachu could do.
I wonder if Tesla or Edison will be around too.
I remained thoughtful as I sat on a bench just outside the training ground.
Hm?
I spotted a nobleman I hadn’t seen before heading towards the castle.
He was accompanied by a butler, and his attire clearly indicated that he was a high nobleman at a glance.
Who was he?
The «Noble», visibly enraged, walked past the training camp. He looked old enough to be my father, and as I looked into his face, I could see a certain resemblance to an unpleasant fellow.
Did he look like Deron?
He had the same blond hair and similar features. But what could have brought Deron’s father here, two days before the end of the Engagement?
It was a mystery.
I shrugged and resumed my workout, welcoming the afternoon.
And then…
Hmm?
As I wiped my sweat in the afternoon sun, I spotted another nobleman. He, too, seemed to belong to the high nobility, and his features looked familiar.
Blund?
What’s the matter?
Earlier today Deron’s father appeared and entered the Great Castle, and now in the afternoon, Blund’s father has also appeared.
What could be the reason for the meeting of the Finalists’ fathers when the Grand Ducal Engagement was concluding?
Hm.
I was wondering if the escapist’s father, Kyle Beallon would also show up.
As I was about to leave for dinner,
……What the hell.
A nobleman with blue hair appeared.
Perhaps because the other two nobles who had arrived earlier had such an intense aura, this one seemed somewhat tame(?), which made me certain of his identity.
This man was Kyle’s father.
All the fathers of the candidates had met two days before the finals.
In addition, the Grand Duke, who was supposed to be in the capital to fulfill his official duties, had also returned.
Since that night, there has been no news from Lermian….
The parents of the candidates were now meeting….
The return of the Grand Duke…
Surely this meant that something was going on with the engagement to bring them together in this way.
Rustle-.
I rummaged through my coat to check the status of the «agreement».
If I had been a day late, I might have dealt with the Grand Duke instead of Gelwood.
And that would surely have taken a bad turn.
Even if Gelwood had the authority of the Grand Duke, he could not match the anger a father would feel upon learning of the «pain» inflicted on his daughter.
Any normal father would instantly jump to the «punishment» part of talking to someone who had caused his daughter’s pain.
Sigh.
He should be grateful for my quick retreat.
With such sentiments, I took a big bite of another apple.
Crunch-!
And then I thought.
So everyone had a father.
A meaningless thought.
**
I’m sorry… Your Excellency.》
What’s done is done. I’ve entrusted you with all the authority, and you gave your best, despite it being a rather…. Unsettling. However, there is no need to apologize.
A few days after leaving the Grand Duchy, Logan Winterfell urgently returned and heard Gelwood’s full story.
The testimony of the retired man named Elden Raphelion, along with recent events.
It was distressing, to say the least, but what mattered to Logan was not the past, but the future.
Leaders like him should not be beholden to the past.
Therefore, granting the «reprieve» to that little wretch was not a difficult decision for him.
For Logan, the fact that the treaty signed by Gelwood specifically stated that all events that occurred during the Grand Duchy Compromises would remain absolutely confidential came as a relief.
The most pressing issue now was to ensure the completion of the betrothal and to make sure that the next festival would go off without a hitch.
As Ruler of the North, nothing would be more embarrassing than to disappoint his subjects.
And if the Esponsals were ruined, he would not have the courage to face his ancestors.
The traditions of Winterfell must not be spoiled.
He could not allow the people of the northern province to be disappointed. Punishment for his youngest daughter, who had desecrated a sacred tradition with misguided judgment, would be dealt with later.
With that mindset, Logan stared at the trembling figure of Deron Caelid, who was kneeling before him.
Thanks to the letters sent by Lermian, he was able to deal with this mess with the other family heads directly.
The negotiations ended with the victory of Duke Caelid.
But, of course, the Duke of Caelid had no choice, such a conclusion was inevitable.
Marquis Rosfell had publicly disowned his son, and Count Beallon had brought his son in shackles.
Thus, Deron Caelid was the only remaining candidate, making him the final victor.
Of course, for now, this was but a Pyrrhic victory.
«I want you to know this brat. I take no pleasure in making you the winner.»
«I…I apologize…. M-My Lord… I have c-committed a sin worthy of de-mue-death…!»
«100 days.»
«Y-yes?»
«If you don’t win Lermian’s favor within that time, then the Pledge will be as if it never happened. understood?»
This was also negotiated with Duke Caelid.
Deron’s ultimate fate would be determined by his daughter’s decision.
For the Grand Duke, conducting a smooth festival for his subjects was more important than the fate of such a useless brat.
«So, grovel and bark like the dog you are. Amuse my daughter, you filthy rat. So she can heal from her pain.»
100 days.
That was the grace period granted to Deron, who hit his head on the floor.
Thump-!!!
Whether it was an opportunity, a new crisis or punishment, the condemned man screamed as he pressed his bruised head against the ground.
«I’ll do what I can!»
As such, Deron Caelid made his vow,
Not knowing whether it would bring him disgrace or not.
**
Night had come and enveloped the kingdom in its darkness.
Blund Rosfell fiddled with the bandage wrapped around his right hand.
He had no idea it would hurt so much.
Nor how humiliating it had been.
As someone who had never been beaten by his father, the pain and humiliation of being trampled by a woman was unbearable.
«…I should have killed her then, that bitch.»
Blund gritted his teeth.
Luckily for him, Lermian hadn’t shown her face for days now.
Otherwise, by now, his left hand might have been destroyed as well.
He no longer cared about winning.
Blund might have lacked the courage to stand up to his father, but disappointing his family would be a hundred times better than being around that slut.
«She hid her identity like a pig whore and now she’s making a fuss? If she hadn’t hidden it, this wouldn’t have happened, you dumb slut.»
Being trampled by the same toy he used to break at the Academy was something he never wanted to endure again.
«You think you’ll get away with this? Stupid bitch, I’ll pay you a hundred times over for this…. Just wait.»
With a grimace, Blund stood up.
And then, there was an unexpected reunion.
«…Father…?»
Crack-!
Crack-!
Their unexpected father-son reunion began with a punch impacting Blund’s face, whose teeth flew out of his mouth as he broke his nose.
The son, suddenly overcome with despair, collapsed to the ground.
«Kuh! Arghh, Father…?!?».
With his nose bleeding profusely, Blund looked up at his Father.
Never before had his father laid a hand on him, so Blund felt terror more intense than despair at his father’s merciless violence.
«Men! This fool is no longer a member of House Rosfell. Strip him of everything and throw this scum out of my sight.»
Hearing his father’s words, Blund felt as if he fell into a deep abyss.
A hole so deep that he could never crawl out of it.
So he desperately clutched at his father’s legs with his blood-stained hand covering his nose.
«F-Father, what are you saying, how could you abandon your own son!»
But instead of answering his pleas, Blund only received more blows.
His father’s boot smashed into his face, throwing Blund into the air as he collapsed to the ground.
Gah-!
«Gah-!»
Veins popped, turning his bloodshot eyes.
His crushed nose was still bleeding.
And his teeth, torn from his gums, gushed red.
«Useless filth like you is not needed in the Marquisate of Rosfell. With the support and approval of the Grand Duke, you will henceforth no longer be associated with the name of Rosfell.»
That would be the end of him.
His ties to the Marquisate of Rosfell were terminated through ruthless violence.
Stripped of everything he owned, Blund had hurriedly fled the Grand Duke’s castle as he despaired.
«No…No…!»
The frantic men walked towards a certain place.
The same place he had secretly visited yesterday.
A place where he had emptied his entire fortune to finance a certain task.
Determined not to repeat his humiliation, Blund had used all his money to cast eternal darkness upon the Lermian name.
Money, after all, could always be extracted in large amounts once he returned to his family.
Money was not an issue if it meant achieving his revenge.
But now, without the backing of his family, the down payment he had thrown down mattered more than his revenge.
As such, Blund quickly headed there.
and,
«Ah…Ahhh…»
He realized that there was no escape from the abyss into which he had fallen.
The place that housed that shady organization was completely deserted.
The organization that had promised to fulfill his request had vanished like a mirage.
Thud-.
Blund collapsed to the ground, his eyes blood-tinged as he looked up at the sky.
And then, he laughed.
He laughed at how everything he had, was gone in an instant, he laughed at all the misfortune that crossed his path.
«Ha…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!»
Kyle Beallon, who had somehow escaped from his makeshift prison, had jumped off a cliff to his death.
Blund Rosfell, cast out by his family, stripped of everything he owned, had been reduced to a beggar on the streets.
and,
Deron Caelid, saved or damned, was now trapped in 100 days of unrest.
The punishment for the wicked was over.
But endings always meant new beginnings.
**
Crunch!
«Hmm… What if I make something like whey protein…. It’ll be a sure hit, won’t it?».
The last of the supposed ‘Villain Quartet’ was simply chewing his apple while thinking nonsense.
(thanks to joshua for his donation, much appreciated)