... ...
... ...
The Hayeral household.
“Miss Collette, welcome!”
“Hello, Teacher Collette.”
Before the main gates,
Rezerian, Lilia, and Shulim were welcoming Collette, who was visiting today. Even though she wasn't some high noble, out of noble etiquette, Rezerian had changed into proper, decent attire for the guest's arrival, rather than his usual training clothes that were easier to move in.
“Mr. Rezerian, and Madam, you are all being far too polite. It's just a regular visit, there's really no need for such a grand welcome.”
Being treated with such solemnity actually made Collette feel a little embarrassed.
“Not at all. Miss Collette, you are my daughter's teacher. When an educator comes to visit, how could we possibly treat you with anything less than respect?”
“Yes, Miss Collette, please come inside.”
With Rezerian and Lilia speaking in turns, it would have been impolite for Collette to decline any further.
“In that case... excuse me.”
Collette curtsied in return.
“Oh~...”
A flash of surprise crossed Rezerian's eyes. The young woman shouldn't be a noble, yet she seemed incredibly familiar with noble etiquette. It appeared her background was not ordinary.
Collette was quickly invited into the parlor by Rezerian and Lilia. Lorenz had already been instructed to prepare the room beforehand.
“Master, Madam, the tea and snacks are here!”
Jessica pushed a cart laden with pastries and tea into the room.
“Please, help yourself!”
Jessica placed the tea and snacks before Collette.
“Ah, thank you so much!”
Collette thanked her and picked up the teacup, taking a gentle sip.
“Wonderful tea!”
Rezerian smiled at her proper manners. “It's just some mediocre tea. I appreciate the compliment, Miss Collette. That being said, from what my daughter mentioned, the purpose of your visit today is because you are interested in our ancestor?”
“That's right, Father. Teacher Collette seems to be a fan of our ancestor and wanted to take a look at our family heirloom. Oh, Jessica, could you add some sugar to mine? The tea is a bit bitter.”
Jessica, who had just set down some pastries in front of Shulim, paused mid-motion.
“Eh? But putting sugar in tea is a bit... Alright, I understand.”
Rezerian stroked his chin and said, “I see. So that is the purpose of your visit, Miss Collette?”
Collette replied hurriedly, “Ahaha... Well, it's pretty much like that. But aside from wanting to view Lord Orubet's relics, I also wanted to hear more about him from you, Mr. Rezerian, as his descendant. Truth be told, I am somewhat ashamed to admit that my understanding of Lord Orubet mostly comes from biographies and other such books.”
“Ah, of course, if the family heirloom is inconvenient to show to outsiders, you don't have to show me!”
“Teacher Collette, munch... don't worry, it's not anything highly confidential. Plenty of people have seen it!”
Shulim spoke while munching on her snack, her spoon continuously stirring the sugar cube that hadn't yet dissolved in her teacup.
Lilia immediately scolded her gently, “Shulim, it's very rude to talk while eating.”
“Gulp... Sorry, Teacher Collette.”
Shulim swallowed the snack in one gulp and remained silent afterward.
On the other side, Rezerian pondered for a moment before giving his reply.
“Miss Collette, just as my daughter said, the heirloom passed down from our ancestor isn't anything exceptionally precious. There's naturally no issue with letting you look at it. However, if you wish to learn more about our ancestor from us, to be honest, we don't necessarily know much more than what's already recorded in books. I'm afraid I might disappoint you.”
Collette shook her head quickly. “Not at all! I'm already incredibly grateful that you've agreed to my unreasonable request, Mr. Rezerian. How could I possibly feel disappointed!”
“As long as you don't mind, Miss Collette. In that case... Jessica!”
“Yes, Master. What are your orders?”
Having placed the pastries for everyone, Jessica, who had retreated behind Lilia, responded.
“Go find Lorenz and tell him to bring the locked box from my study. He'll know which one it is.”
“The locked box? Understood, I'll go right away!”
Jessica quickly left the room.
“Alright, while they are retrieving the item, I shall share with you the story of my ancestor, Orubet of the ‘Lone Sword’...”
... ...
Shulim had heard these stories from her father long ago. Nevertheless, she chose to listen attentively now, hoping to discover something different within them.
Although Semilis had brushed the topic aside back then, her reaction remained deeply engraved in Shulim's mind.
Was her ancestor, Orubet Hayeral of the “Lone Sword,” truly just a Guardian Knight of a single country? If so, why did Semilis—who should have been in the celestial realm of Tiramsuin at the time—recollect that name? Did the denizens of the heavenly realm enjoy mortal gossip so much that they even knew the little stories composed by wandering minstrels?
Shulim found that highly unlikely. Consequently, for the first time in her life, she felt a sense of curiosity about this Guardian Knight ancestor whom she had long been so familiar with that she never considered him special. What kind of story was actually hidden behind him?
Orubet Hayeral, a figure from three hundred years ago in the Pasara Empire, was of commoner origin. However, due to his extraordinary talent, he rapidly rose through the ranks after entering the military. At a young age, he attained a high-ranking position, serving as the Commander of the Royal Capital Defense Knights, shoulder-deep in the heavy responsibility of protecting the imperial family.
Because none within the empire could rival the sword in his hand, busybodies in the royal capital gradually bestowed upon him the title of the “Lone Sword.” It signified that his blade stood at the absolute peak, with no equals, leaving him proud and isolated—hence, the Lone Sword.
Normally, having achieved fame and fortune as a commoner at such a young age, Orubet's next logical step should have been to start a family, find a way to firmly secure a place among the nobility, and achieve a perfect, fulfilling life. In fact, many high nobles had indeed extended olive branches to him.
However, disaster suddenly struck.
It had absolutely nothing to do with Orubet. Or rather, at the beginning, he was merely an unrelated bystander.
The royal family of the Pasara Empire at that time was at its lowest, weakest point since its founding a thousand years prior. The imperial family was sparse in heirs, and the emperor was weak-willed and incapable of shouldering his grand responsibilities. Powerful nobles dominated the imperial court. While the empire appeared stable on the surface, it was completely rotten to the core, like a crumbling dynasty on the verge of collapse.
It all began with a rebellion. No one knew the true cause behind it; the most widespread rumor was that certain powerful nobles could not tolerate a young prince—who had already shown immense talent—ascending the throne, so they plotted an assassination. In the end, this plot was seized upon by ambitious figures who utilized the chaos to gather strength and launch an outright rebellion.
The rebellion erupted from within the royal capital itself. Flames instantly engulfed the entire royal city, and the emperor, along with the vast majority of the imperial family, perished directly during the chaos.
With the empire suddenly left leaderless, the powerful nobles seized the opportunity to raise armies, carrying out their actual rebellion under the banner of suppressing the rebels.
To everyone's surprise, the young prince whom the powerful nobles wanted to kill most had sensed the danger right from the beginning and escaped ahead of time.
Though a spark of hope remained, the situation was already far beyond the young prince's ability to halt.
When the rebelling noble forces colluded with the inner rebel forces to once again besiege the royal capital, driving the army that truly sought to rescue the remaining imperial lineage into a desperate corner...
Orubet, who had been missing for days, reappeared once more.
Rate on N.U.
