28 My Father Who Dislikes Me
In the training grounds of the Academy at lunchtime.
Students who had finished their classes walked toward the cafeteria while talking about the events of the day's lessons.
The content of the lesson was difficult.
The professor always spouted nonsense.
Students grumbled that the professor expected too much from them.
Among them, a group of female students with bright smiles were engaged in girlish chatter.
-Michail, wasn't he just amazing today?
-Exactly, in the duel with the professor he was evenly matched, and oh that moment! When he sighed deeply and wiped the sweat away, how sexy he looked I got scolded for gawking at him by the professor.
-You were staring quite blatantly.
-But I still filled my Michail quota for today!
-Puhaha!
Michail quota.
This was the students' own code for appeasing their weary eyes marred by the burly male students of the swordsmanship department by gazing upon the handsome Michail.
"Sigh"
Hanna let out a long sigh as she observed the giggling group of female students.
Instead of studying'
Hanna felt out of place among the group.
Hanna passed by the female students and walked towards the training grounds, preferring to swing her sword even during meal times rather than eat.
She wanted to advance her swordsmanship skills further than now, and not wanting to waste meaningless time, Hanna was crazy about practicing.
'I will have to brag to the butler!'
Her goal had strangely shifted.
Hanna lacked social skills. She was more focused on swordsmanship than on making friends.
Even before meeting Ricardo, Hanna gave more weight to swordsmanship than to friends. Additionally, as the youngest person ever to awaken her Aura, she was not viewed favorably by her classmates.
It was always the case.
Envy towards someone who is successful.
Hanna didn't pay much attention to such gazes.
Rather, she encountered a different problem.
I'm going crazy. I can't stop thinking about him!'
Recently, Hanna's mind was filled with the red-haired butler. When practicing swordsmanship, when attending lessons, she would think of the butler she met not long ago, preventing her from concentrating.
-Why do you think you can't beat Michail?
-You can do it, Miss Hanna.
She constantly remembered the butler who had looked at her with unwavering belief.
-Giggle! Ah~ I want to see Michail again.
The female students were excited.
They were oddly thrilled, having heard that Michail had awakened his Aura and saved them in the dungeon.
Hanna let out a deep sigh and shiverd as she watched them.
"Did I used to be like that?"
As someone who once had a crush on Michail, Hanna didn't exactly see the girls' behavior as endearing.
Although she didn't pick up a dropped towel and vow to treasure it for life like a girl in front of her had over Michail, she had observed him from a distance in a similar fashion.
It was not a wish to continue closer relations.
She had admired Michail, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that she was no different from them.
Ugh'
Hanna shuddered at the memory of her past self.
"I should just practice."
There was nothing better to rid herself of these idle thoughts than practice.
Hanna quietly grasped her sword and swung it in the empty training grounds, where everyone else had left.
I wonder what the butler would say if he saw me.
-What are you doing without eating? You're going to harm your body It's all done in the service of living, isn't it. Hurry up and come back. If you don't, you'll be scolded by the young lady.
That's what he would say.'
Hanna smiled to herself, but then shook her head as if to rid herself of the thought.
'I must be crazy, thinking of him again!'
Hanna found herself irritated by Ricardo, who kept living rent-free in her mind.
With the sword in hand, Hanna became deeply engrossed in thought.
Love it can't be.'
It didn't feel like enough to label it as love.
The person who took her out of her confined, caged life.
She couldn't call her desire to repay him in some form, even physically, as love.
After all, he was the one who led her to awaken her Aura and the first to stand up to her father, who was the only commander of the Empire's knights.
Gratitude is the right word.'
A father who resents her, a brother who ignored her, a sister who treated her as nonexistent.
The person who pulled her out of that tightly sealed cage where she had lived her whole life was not Michail or the professor but a butler she had only met briefly.
That's why his image loomed so large over her.
It seemed different from the emotion of love.
Love that's an emotion that would hinder swordsmanship.
The books say love is when you tremble after seeing the other person and your heart flutters.
An emotion where you constantly want to see and be by their side.
For Hanna, that was a hard feeling to understand.
Although she wanted to see him daily and wanted to be by his side for a lifetime, even that wish seemed to be an extension of her gratitude for the immense favor he had done for her.
For Hanna, who had no romantic experience, the feeling of love was too complex.
While her friends enjoyed rosy academy days with their fiancs or boyfriends, she herself was completely immersed in swordsmanship.
She didn't have the personality to warmly approach others.
Stern and preferring sword practice over play, Hanna had not been interested in love.
Lost in these meaningless reflections, standing motionless in the training grounds.
"Hanna."
A familiar face appeared before her eyes.
A man with silver hair.
The most popular person at the Academy was in front of her, holding a practice sword.
Hanna, startled by his unexpected appearance, stammered.
"Michail, senior."
Michail was in front of her, obstructing her path with his sword.
Michail held his sword lightly and politely asked her.
"Would you be able to spar?"
A duel with Michail.
If it had been before, she would have trembled with joy muttering, 'With me You want to spar?' But now, the thought of sparring with Michail wasn't entirely welcome.
Apart from being recognized by the butler and receiving an award, she had also opposed the senior students during a student council meeting.
She didn't regret her actions, but it was uncomfortable to face him now.
Hanna lifted her sword with an awkward smile.
"Yes I can do it."
Michail nodded and stomped on the ground.
With a thud', the practice swords clashed, burrowing fiercely into each other's embrace.
Hanna prized speed in her swordplay. Michail, even though slower, exhibited precise postures that unleashed his full strength.
Their swords met quickly, but it was Hanna's blade that first reached Michail's side.
"Ugh"
Michail cringed, twisting his body to barely dodge Hanna's blade.
Hanna did not give Michail any chance to recover.
Once at the neck.
Once at the thigh.
And again at the side.
To Hanna's eyes, Michail's unwary parts were blatantly exposed. It was a swordplay that was neither focused on defense nor decisively concentrated on attack.
Hanna clicked her tongue.
I used to think such swordplay was impressive.'
It was swordplay with no lethality.
Focusing not on victory, but on overpowering the opponent.
In Michail's benevolent swordplay, Hanna felt emptiness; she could sense his nature of not truly aiming to harm but rather appearing to take it easy on the opponent.
-You're thinking too basic. Below. Above. The side. Even after ten matches, my grandmother could predict the next attack.
-Isn't building from the basics important?
-The basics are just that, the basics.
Ricardo, who had trampled over Hanna's past pride in her swordsmanship.
Without any concessions for being a woman or holding back, he knocked her down and picked her up, then knocked her down again, helping her find a swordsmanship style that suited her.
And then.
-As long as I'm with you, you won't die.
They had even engaged in battles that demanded their all.
The Michail Hanna looked at now did not invoke those feelings. He was using an indecisive swordplay as if waiting for a hero and employing only passive techniques, which felt tedious to her.
Michail attempted to harness his Aura.
His Aura shone with a golden light, appearing like a mirage.
"...."
It was clumsy.
For sure, Hanna's past self must have been the same, but Michail senior's Aura neither seemed frightening nor potent.
Disliking the notion that he was not seriously trying to defeat her, Hanna frowned and confronted Michail.
"Senior. Are you not taking this seriously?"
The desire to face him waned. She thought awakening his Aura meant he'd be a decent sparring partner
This was neither a labor of love.
Disappointed in Michail's performance, Hanna put down her sword and said.
"I don't want to."
"What?"
"What are you trying to do? You don't aim to win, no sharp attacks Are you just a guard wandering the streets? What kind of swordsman focuses merely on overpowering?"
With no instinct for the kill, Hanna's flat swordsmanship made her turn away and leave the spot.
Michail stood vacantly at the training grounds, gazing hollowly at the sword in his hand.
***
After class and under the setting sun.
Hanna stared vacantly at the crimson sunset and let out a deep sigh.
-A birthday present for you.
It just won't leave my head.'
Whenever she saw the sunset, memories of that day surfaced.
The sunset dyed red.
The warmth of the butlers embrace, who easily defeated a powerful adversary she met for the first time and protected her against her father's demand to drop the sword, still felt warm as if lingering around her.
"Hah"
Maybe I should have taken a leave of absence.
She wanted to see the butler.
Hanna looked at the letter in her hand.
[Histania Rowen]
It was a letter from her father.
She knew its contents without opening it.
It's dangerous, put away your sword.
It's the same letter that comes each time.
Even after proving herself, her father refuses to believe in her, and even though she awoke to her Aura faster than he ever did, his indifference only answered with urgency. Hanna's sigh grew with each reminder from her pressing father.
"How annoying."
Every time like this, she cant help but think of the butler.
Most people would think of their parents when troubled but for me
Hanna stroked her pallid face and heaved a deep sigh as she got up.
Rising from her spot while looking at the red sunset.
[-Ding.
-A quest has emerged.]
A blue window appeared before her eyes.
A blue window bearing ominous tales furrowed Hanna's brows as it overlay her vision.
[Q. If he hadnt been there
Hanna of Histania, a woman with a destiny of misfortune. She was originally meant to die.
Despite constant discrimination from her father and indifference from her kin, Hanna had earnestly raced forward, focusing solely on the recognition she yearned for.
Believing that one day, she too would be treated the same as them.
She had steadily progressed.
Because she had a remarkable talent for swordsmanship and an excellent ability to learn.
But her father never gave her the attention she desired.
He thought it was more important for the family to focus on Malik than Hanna.
Hanna was parched for praise.
If only someone had been there to tell her she was doing well, she might have avoided the tragedy
On a hot summer's day.
Hanna makes a drastic choice.
Knowing she faced an insurmountable foe, but in pursuit of the sword's growth and her father's approval, Hanna set out to ascend the Hamel Mountains.
1. Read the letter sent by Histania Rowen. (0/1)
2. Meet with Histania Rowen. (0/1)
3. Subjugate the elite orc warriors of the Hamel Mountains. (0/30)
Reward: Access to 41st side story If He Hadn't Been There']
Hanna blinked her eyes.
What was this situation? She understood it with her body even if her head could not grasp why such a thing appeared before her.
Perhaps it was the result of training too hard.
Or maybe it was because she had skipped a meal.
Even after blinking deeply, the blue window in front of her did not disappear.
What is this'
Chills ran through her body.
It contained an ominous content suggesting that if she hadn't met the butler, she would have died.
Casually swinging her sword and desiring only her father's recognition, the content that pierced through her past self caused a slight tremor in Hanna's fingertips.
Why would I die'
Hanna thought she was a strong person.
Both in the past and now.
The reason she could endure living in contempt was due to her strong mental fortitude.
The thought that she, who had never broken down before her fathers disdain, would have made a foolhardy choice was unthinkable, yet Hanna, who knew herself better than anyone, could not hide her trembling heart.
A bad premonition kept her eyes glued to the blue window.
Though she inwardly denied it as nonsense, there was a chance she might have done something foolish back then.
If-If she hadn't gone to see the butler then
Hanna shook her head, attempting to shake off the thoughts that clung to her.
-Snap!
Hanna slapped her cheeks with both hands, telling herself to snap out of it. She thought she was seeing strange things because she was not focused on training and kept thinking about the butler. Trying to dismiss the absurdity in her mind, Hanna shook her head.
Opening her eyes, which had been tightly shut, the blue window with its ominous content had disappeared.
"It's just fatigue It's because I'm tired."
Struggling to rise, Hanna clutched her father's letter firmly in her hand as she stood up.
It's nothing.'
With an uneasy heart, Hanna headed up to the dormitory.
*** ***
Three days earlier.
The commander of the Imperial Knights, Rowen of Histania, sat at his desk in the office, holding a pen after a long time.
Rowen, who picked up a pen instead of a sword for the first time in a while, pressed his throbbing forehead, lost in thought.
[To Hanna]
His hand holding the pen didn't move.
What words to write.
What should be written.
Rowen let out a deep sigh as he could not easily come up with the words.
"Sigh"
Then, the words of a red-headed boy would not leave his mind.
-Its a madman's act to hunt elite orcs at this age.
-Isn't it impressive? Why don't you applaud?
-You of all people haven't tried this
The boy who defended Hanna with unwavering eyes. It was something that could not have been done by someone of meager bravery.
No doubt, he knew I was the commander of the Imperial Knights.
His palpable hostility disappeared as soon as he saw me, and the aura that had subtly risen was cleanly erased, all of which I had witnessed with my own eyes. It was a situation I could infer to some extent.
Yet, the boy's unwavering eyes still lingered in my memory.
"Impudent brat"
Rowen felt the pen he was holding heavier than usual today.
Having faced numerous mighty adversaries and having crossed the line of death in battle, the pen in his hand felt much heavier than the sword he had gripped countless times.
"Sigh"
The blank piece of paper he was about to write on was soaked with ink from the pen.
Rowen crumpled the letter, exhaling another deep sigh.
"This is maddening."
There was a mountain of crumpled letters behind Rowen.
Starting with letters addressed to Hanna.
It took him an entire hour just to write a simple inquiry about her well-being, but even that he tore apart.
Where did it all go wrong?
Rowen, who focuses only on the best, could not tell.
Praises about Hanna were prevalent among those around him. They said how fortunate he was to have a daughter who had awakened her aura at such a young age.
Colleagues and nobles from the surrounding areas bestowed her with praise, yet the very subject of their praise, Rowen, did not find their compliments pleasing.
Did I do something wrong?'
Even when he questioned himself, the answers returned with a strong negation.
He had not done anything wrong.
When he tried to write a letter, only sharp words would come out.
-Put away the sword.
-It would be better for you to stop, its dangerous.
If Hanna hadn't awakened her aura, he would have used his talent as a pretext to write a letter, but now his daughter had created accomplishments that could not be belittled by talent. Even that became impossible.
Pushing Hanna forward would have been the right thing to do for the family.
Although Malik had awakened his aura and was showing impressive performances, compared to Hanna's reputation, it was a pathetic level.
But the hallucination he had seen made him write negative things in the letters.
-Please save me Daddy, please save me
Hanna dying
It was something he had never even thought of before.
And that made it even more troubling.
What kind of father would think about his own child needing to be saved from death? Rowen found himself unable to make rational judgments.
If it were for the glory of the family, it would be right to support Hanna.
However, Malik was already exhibiting his skill since awakening his aura, and yet when compared to Hanna's fame, it seemed so trivial.
If it were to be thought through logically that would indeed be correct.
The thought of Hanna with a sword brought a tremor to his heart.
"Please save me. I don't want to die like this."
Crack Rowen broke the pen in his grip.
"I need to think of another way."
Rowen exhaled a sigh and drew out a new sheet of paper.
-To Hanna.
'
The letter once again became soaked with ink.
*
[Read the letter sent by Histania Rowen. (0/1)]
-Crumple.
Seated at her desk, Hanna was looking at the letter with eyes filled with complicated thoughts.
It was a letter she had intended to rip, but the traces of her inability to do so were all over it.
Hanna smacked the desk in irritation.
-Boom
"What is it you're trying to say now?"
Her fist was clenched, trembling.
She didn't want to see.
She was certain it contained the same old lines.
-Put down your sword.
-You have no talent.
Hanna was sure these words would be written there.
What kind of words were going to harm her this time? Would he tell her she was a disgrace to the family? Hanna felt fear.
She was also scared of her father.
She hated that even after proving her worth, he remained unchanged.
All Hanna could do was stare at the letter in front of her with a troubled heart, without opening it.
"I've proven myself"
Proven, but what more were they expecting here Hanna didn't know.
With eyes welling up, Hanna glared at the blue window before her.
[Q. If he hadn't been there
1. Read the letter sent by Histania Rowen. (0/1)
2. Meet your father Histania Rowen. (0/1)
3. Subdue the elite orc warriors of the Hamel Mountains. (0/30)
Reward: Gain access to 41st Side Story If He Hadn't Been There']
"I'm not going to do it."
Because it's best to avoid an ending you don't wish to see.
She was living a sufficiently happy life even now. She didn't want to cling to the past and had people who supported and believed in her, as opposed to the father who had curtly rejected her.
Hanna coldly turned down the blue window before her.
But.
She couldn't help but be drawn to it, feeling anxious.
If If she were to listen to the story that the blue window was showing
She felt like she might never be able to see her father's face again.
With a disturbed heart, Hanna gazed up at the sky.
"Sigh I want to see the butler."
Today, especially, Hanna found herself missing the red-haired butler.
***
"Sit!"
In the tranquil room of the young lady.
The lady, with a more serious expression than ever before, was holding jerky in her hand, trying to teach Gomtang who sat under the bed.
Gomtang, not understanding the situation, tilted her head and gazed at the lady's hand, while the lady's annoyance was reaching an uncontrollable level.
The lady shouted at Gomtang.
"Sit down! You miserable creature!"
-Goom?
Gomtang ignored the lady's command.
Gomtang's eyes were fixed solely on the jerky in the lady's hand.
As Gomtang drooled in anticipation, the lady twirled the jerky in front of her and said,
"Sit and Ill give it to you."
-Nom!
Gomtang snatched the jerky out of the lady's hand along with a bit of her hand. The lady, unable to match the reflexes of the animal, looked down at her right hand drenched with saliva with a hollow expression.
The jerky disappeared in a blink of an eye.
-Gooom!
Gomtang wagged her tail as if to say she was pleased.
"Yikes! You darn bear!"
"It's a dog, not a bear."
"Bear or dog, its frustrating!"
The lady swung her hands around threateningly at Gomtang, but to me, she only appeared endearing.
It was a peaceful day.
The sun was shining brightly.
No visitors to be found.
A day stretched out like that of a carefree bum.
This is life.
I want to live like this forever.
Do nothing, eat and play, enjoy a peaceful bum's life, throw all the work to Michail and lead a gentle life of leisure
Thats when it happened.
Gomtang, who had been playing nicely with the lady, climbed up on the bed and started barking out the window.
-Woof! Woof!
"Yikes!! Where do you think you're going! You need to be scolded!"
The lady who yelled at the disdainful Gomtang peered out the window that Gomtang was looking through, and wondered, "Huh, who is it?"
"Ricardo. A thief has come."
"What? There's nothing to steal here."
"But there is."
"What then?"
"The most beautiful thing in the world me."
I lightly disregarded the lady's words...
"Why ignore me!"
"..."
"Yikes!!"
I shrugged my shoulders.
Who could have come to a mansion seemingly haunted by ghosts?
I cursed the sinner who was disturbing my blissful bum life inwardly and resolved to hang a warning sign at the manor's front door: [If you enter, the villainess will bite you.]
I slowly looked out the window.
There was a man with brown hair standing in front of the gate, waiting for someone to come out.
With a towering stature.
A handsome appearance.
The man destined to be Michail's master.
Histania Rowen.
I warned the lady.
"Airstrike alert!!!"
"Eeek!!!"
We hid by lying face down on the bed.
-Peek.
Olivia, lying on the bed and clutching Gomtang to her chest, sneakily glanced out the window.
Ricardo had gone to catch the thief.
The tall man standing confidently in front of the gate despite being a thief.
-Please leave.
-...
-Go away, I mean it!
The atmosphere flowing between the two men was far from ordinary.
It looked like they were having a serious conversation, but at her position on the second floor, Olivia could only make out their shouting.
Ricardo, clenching his fist and raising his voice at the thief, heaved a deep sigh, evidently angry, while the thief stood still, calmly observing Ricardo.
It looks interesting'
Surmising they were engaged in an interesting narrative and feeling left out, Olivia murmured to herself, hugging the wriggling Gomtang in her arms.
I want to join in'
Ricardo gestured insistently for the thief to leave. The thief, however, remained quiet and steadfast.
Pushing, resisting, the two of them went back and forth.
Unable to participate in the intriguing scene unfolding before her, Olivia grew restless.
"Yikes can't see"
She cautiously stuck her face out the window a little more.
It looks familiar.'
Brown hair.
A preference for black formal attire.
A sword with a golden hilt.
It was the attire she had often seen when she was active in social circles.
Someone who seemed to be always at the emperor's side
Who could that be
Olivia plunged into deep thought.
I can't remember'
Ricardo and the man were having a conversation.
The stranger, wearing a stern expression, looked fixedly at Ricardo, who was running his hand through his hair with a forced laugh.
-Are you suggesting that I do that?
-...
-Is it something a man who's become a father should do?
-That's none of your concern.
-Hah.
Ricardo shook his head and let out a deep sigh.
It was a familiar expression, His ever smiling and joy filled face contorting in anger.
Like the time back at the academy when Olivia had said she liked Michail, and he had made that face because they just couldn't see eye to eye.
'Please don't do that.'
-Why wont you listen to me
-Why stop me? I have the right to like someone too!
-I'm doing this because it might hurt the lady. That's why.
-Shut up. Just shut up You're just like everyone else. If you're not going to support me
-Miss Please. Just listen to me this time.
-I said be quiet!
The way Ricardo swept up his hair with exasperation was a habit he often resorted to when angry.
Unable to say cruel words,
Frustrated and unable to take it out,
Ricardo's habit was his only outlet.
Olivia, who had often made Ricardo angry back at the academy, knew all too well about his habits.
The conversation seemed to be going poorly.
Ricardo was glaring at the man. Olivia has never seen him this angry before...
The man was giving Ricardo a menacing look.
An edgy aura began to emanate from the two of them.
Clutching her fists, Olivia felt an urge to intervene.
Oh, this isnt right.'
Ricardo was talking about his arms being sore.
Olivia, who still worried about Ricardo, watched the confrontation with something akin to concern.
A brief moment passed.
-Swoosh
Both men drew their swords.
Olivia shouted out the window.
"Gomtang, bite Go bite him!"
-Goom
Gomtang buried himself deeper into Olivia's embrace.
"Eek"
Gomtang, too, was concerned for his own life.
***
Before me stood an insurmountable mountain.
Histania Rowen.
The strongest man in the empire was standing right before my eyes.
[Histania Rowen Lv. 100]
[Job: Commander of the Royal Knights]
[Favorability: -61]
[Preferred Conversation Topics: The honor of Histania/Talented swordsmen/Praise for his children/The safety of his children]
[Disliked Conversation Topics: Incompetent fathers/Untalented swordsmen/Evaluations about himself/Arrogant people/One-sided disregard]
The mere presence of Histania Rowen brought with it a strong aura of intimidation, and I couldn't imagine winning against him.
Rowen turned towards me, standing awkwardly, and spoke.
"It's been a while."
His deep voice reached my ears.
The voice of a swordsman who had survived countless battles.
My hands were slick with cold sweat from nervousness.
Even without exchanging words, the sheer force emanating from him was overwhelming.
Why did he come here?'
I spoke to Rowen with a serious countenance.
"We don't accept peddlers, so kindly fuck off."
It was a sort of survival instinct.
It was the essence of countless experiences of the butler who had driven away peddlers and beggars mistaking the manor for an abandoned house.
Being efficient in a crisis was a butler's merit; therefore, I stared back directly at Rowen's seemingly evicted face and said firmly,
"We are not buying electric heating pads, no Germanium bracelets, and we don't take out loans, so please leave."
I desperately pretended not to recognize the man before me.
Acknowledging him might disrupt my blissful life of idle leisure. Even if a powerful being capable of destroying the world were before me, any entity posing a threat to my blissful loafing existence was rated lower than Gomtang.
This was the survival instinct of one possessing another.
Rowen wore a look of confusion.
It was a rare sight to see the commander of the Empire's knights taken aback by a few mere words, but I withheld the budding laughter and reiterated with conviction,
"Please leave."
"Do you not know who I am?"
"No, and I plan to get through this winter without heating, so just go away."
"..."
At the blunt rejection, Rowen clasped his throbbing forehead.
I shouted inside my own head.
Please just leave.'
Please just go away.'
Just go back home and wash your feet or something.'
With the world being such a dangerous place, why would he come to such a run-down location? Wishing he would just return from where he came, I spoke to Rowen. However, Rowen sighed deeply before responding to me.
"It's my first time being treated as a peddler."
Rowen found this treatment amusing.
In the original story, Rowen was a character who disliked introducing himself. His face was his business card, and his sword was the symbol of the Empire.
To not know him was to be a person not worth speaking to; he was that proud of a knight.
When Rowen and Yuria first met in the novel.
-Who is this person?
-I am from Histania
-You just look like a peddler to me.
-...
After being dismissed as a simple peddler by Yuria, Rowen had left without looking back. It was only later that Michail introduced him as his master, clearing up the confusion. But it revealed Rowen's sensitivity to having his reputation disregarded.
His own name.
The influence of Histania.
Rowen's fame in the Empire was so great that he had such confidence.
Maybe it's like saying if you don't know me, you should go study some more.'
That's why I'm using all the knowledge from the original story to wish for Rowen to just go back.
Rowen let out a deep sigh.
"I am Histania Rowen."
Apparently, my tactics haven't worked.
"The Knight Commander of the Empire. The man known as the Empire's Sword."
"..."
"I have something to say to you."
Rowen spoke, looking at me with a face suggesting that there was an indispensable response that I had to hear. I felt overwhelmingly trapped.
I helplessly bowed my head politely, maintaining decorum.
"I am Ricardo, the butler to Lady Desmond Olivia."
As I bowed slowly, greeting him, I raised my eyes to meet Rowen's face and spoke.
"It is an honor to meet the Empire's Sword. May I ask your forgiveness for the earlier rudeness?"
I showed Rowen a clumsy attempt at courtesy.
An implied message in my words that it was his fault for not informing us of his visit. I said,
"We would not have shown you such disgrace had you informed us beforehand. My apologies."
"It's fine."
Rowen dismissed my mistakes with a wave of his hand.
In order to lead Rowen into the mansion, I spoke politely, While it may be a humble abode, please do come in.' Rowen lightly waved it off, refusing to enter. I will just state my business and leave. No need to enter.'
That was a relief.
The mansion was a mess because we'd neglected cleaning it. Moreover, if Olivia were to see Rowen, she would undoubtedly call him a brainless oaf who only thinks about swords.' To protect her reputation, it was wise of Rowen to make such a decision. I thanked him internally.
-Clomp.
Rowen looked me over.
From my shoes.
To the sword at my waist.
To my red hair.
After examining me thoroughly, he spoke.
"Do you know of Histania Hanna?"
"Yes, she's a friend I've made recently."
"Friend"
"Yes."
Rowen nodded slightly and began to get to the main point.
"I've heard about you from Malik. They say you're a brave and talented swordsman."
"That's an overstatement."
A thankful patron indeed.
Though I didn't particularly enjoy flattery nor the praise coming from an unwelcome mouth, it didn't feel bad to be commended.
After all, it was praise from the Empire's Sword.
The last time Malik had visited the mansion, he entrusted me with a request.
-Hey, Ricardo.
-Yes?
-May I ask you a favor?
A request to help Hanna and her father reconcile.
Malik thought that since he himself had reconciled with help from me, perhaps with my help, Hanna might open her heart to her father. With that in mind, Malik cautiously made his request, but
-I refuse.
I rejected Malik's plea without hesitation.
Personally, I believe it's wrong for outsiders to meddle in family matters.
Knowing that indifference could lead to a future where Hanna dies, I was even less inclined to get involved.
I didn't want to make the cruel suggestion that she open her heart to a father who had tormented her all her life.
Frankly, even if I told Hanna to get along with her father, it didn't seem likely that she would listen anyway.
What mattered most was that it wasn't Hanna's own will to do so.
Hence, I turned down Malik's request.
I did not want to interfere with someone else's family matters.
I have always believed that getting involved in other people's family issues is something that should be avoided at all costs.
I waited with a chill in my gaze for the words to come out of Rowen's mouth.
"I came here with a favor to ask."
"I thought you could handle it, since you're the one who handed Hanna the sword."
A sense of foreboding came over me.
"Find a way to make Hanna release her sword or rather, make her give up the sword altogether."
I clenched my fist, something cold flowed through my veins...
"Is that something a father should say?"
"You're overstepping."
"I don't understand rank because I'm an orphan."
A blue aura began to explosively flow from Rowen's body.
A powerful aura that made my skin tingle.
Contrary to him, I started to release a faint aura of my own. Though I couldn't win against him, I was cunningly preparing to bite at his nape. I gathered aura at my fingertips.
Even bears feel pain from a sting.
As Rowen drew his sword.
I drew mine as well.
As our auras converged at the tips of our swords.
A booming voice came from the second floor.
"Guards! You tax thieves who only eat and play! There's a thief here!!!"
Olivia was lifting Gomtang up, hiding her face.
"Do-Don't fight!"
Olivia closed her eyes and trembled.
She must be really worried about me.
"Phew! Understood."
I grinned slightly and sheathed my sword. Then, I turned to Rowen, who looked baffled, and spoke,
"Please leave. It seems that you and Miss Hanna aren't meant to get along after all."
I heard Rowen muttering Impudent wretch' behind me, but I dismissed it lightly and made my way back up to the mansion.
If he were to ever release his aura in front of the lady ever again, I will have to apologize to Malik and Hannah.
Looking at the screen in front of me, I wonder for how long he would last...
[-Swordsmanship Lv. 6]
[-Limit Break (L)]
*** ***
In the dark office
Histania Rowen was lost in deep thoughts, running his hand through his hair.
"How annoying"
Hanna's rebellion was one thing.
The presumptuous dangerous redhead guy was another.
No one seemed to affirm that his decisions were right.
Although Rowen had never once thought his parenting method was wrong as he raised his three children
This time, Rowen found himself tangled in unusually complex thoughts.
"Ha"
Sitting at his office desk, Rowen poured liquor into an empty glass and sighed deeply.
His mind was heavy with thoughts.
Wondering whether his focus on the sword alone had made him lacking as a father.
He thought he had tried hard enough
Yet, whenever the wounded face of his youngest daughter came to mind, he couldn't help but think that there might be something wrong with his parenting.
He was frustrated with Hanna for not following the path he thought best for her.
If she would just give up the sword, he could give her anything.
Support for a business.
Connections for a political career.
Even an introduction to the finest gentlemen of the empire. But Hanna only looked to the sword.'
Rowen asked himself a question.
Am I really a good father?'
Malik, successful as a swordsman.
The second child, who hadn't missed being the top of his class for three years running due to his outstanding talent.
Looking at these two, he felt there was nothing lacking in him as a successful father.
But Hanna
She achieved everything on her own.
Until she attended the Royal Academy, Hanna's talent paled in comparison to Malik and the second child's.
Even if he could go back in time, he would have told Hanna the same, to give up the sword.
Hanna's swordsmanship was stagnant.
No matter how much she struggled, the realm she could reach was only that of a third-rate adventurer.
Rowen believed that as a parent, it was wrong to encourage Hanna to pursue a career he thought would be unsuccessful, given that sheer willpower was the only talent she had.
Because his own father was just like that.
His father had made it possible for him to become the Empire's Sword he was today.
Rowen thought that his father, who had raised him with strict and unfeeling education, would have said the same thing to Hanna.
His father, who had always been harsh, uttering cruel words and showing favoritism.
Though Rowen himself had resented his father for his harshness, as he became an adult and saw the success of his siblings and the course of his own life, he recognized that his father had not been wrong.
Knowing about the unnecessary efforts of his siblings, who grew up under a sword-obsessed father, Rowen felt he had to be cold to Hanna.
Because sure success leads to happiness, not half-baked victory.
For the success of Malik.
For the glory of Histania.
Rowen firmly believed that he had been harsh for Hanna to quickly find her own path.
The same Rowen who had beaten his brother in the training ground, the one who had comforted him when he was scolded and depressed, and he had agreed with his father's decision to expel his younger brother from the family for lacking talent in the sword.
So Rowen thought he was not wrong in his past decision to ask Hanna to give up the sword.
He had been raised that way.
He had been taught that way by his father.
Of course, he didn't have a good opinion of his father.
Who had disregarded family and only shouted Sword. Sword.' A rogue.
Although he had pledged not to become like his father since taking over the family headship, now that he held the title himself, he found himself walking the same path.
While his father would disown anyone without talent, Rowen, though perhaps not as harsh, was not significantly different in his teaching methods when looked at closely.
"I hated it back then, and now, I find myself doing the exact same thing."
Madman. I am, too.
Unlike his father, Rowen believed he had raised his children with warmth and affection.
Instead of cutting off all support as his father had for those with no talent, he suggested different directions for his children.
He advised them to study finance to become secretaries.
Or to learn diplomacy to become diplomats.
Or to get into politics to secure high positions.
Even if he hadn't spoken gently, Rowen didn't think he had made the wrong choices as a father.
Guiding children to the path of rightful success is a parents duty and desire.
Its just that perhaps the methods were a bit too extreme.
-Dad, I'm going to be a great swordsman like you! Ill take down the bad guys and spread the name of Histania across the world.
-Give it up. You lack talent. You'll only tarnish the name of Histania.
-But if I work hard!
-Hard work cannot beat talent. The only reason effort leads to success is that mediocre people occupy the top positions.
-But.
-Don't scrape the bottom. Become the best in another field. Don't bring shame to the name of Histania.
Rowen didn't think himself wrong.
He was raised old-fashioned.
His life proved it.
To criticize him, one had to hold a status and achievements of similar caliber for it to be effective.
To him, the words of a philosopher with admirable convictions yet no achievements seemed nothing more than bluster.
But then-
-Father
After the vision of his daughters death
Cracks began to form in Rowen's heart.
Holding Hanna's lifeless, cold body, unable to utter a word, Rowen felt an indescribable depth of regret.
He had thought the feeling of regret was useless
But now, for the first time, it struck him with terrifying force.
-Bang!
Rowen roughly set the broken glass down on the desk.
The glass shattered in his hand.
Carefully wiping the fragments with a handkerchief, Rowen maintained the pristine condition of his Swordmasters hands.
"Hanna's adolescence has been too long I should have been harsher."
Even now, Rowen wished Hanna would give up the sword.
No matter how young she had been when she awakened her aura.
He thought Hanna would take on dangerous challenges.
He could no longer find fault with Hanna's talent. She had proven him wrong, unable to see that talent, and was now illuminating the name of Histania within the empire.
But-
-Please save me
The more the vision came to mind, the stronger his resolve to make Hanna let go of the sword.
So many thoughts entered his mind.
After seeing the illusion
He felt both the urge to prevent any more reckless challenges and the altruistic notion that, as a father, he should support his daughters growth.
Whichever way he considered it
Seeing Hanna's death consumed his mind with fear, and he concluded that he must make her let go of the sword.
Because that was the path for Hanna.
For the sake of her safety.
Whether it was an illusion or a nightmare
If he could just prevent such a thing from happening
He just needed to push forward with his own stubbornness.
Since Hanna would undoubtedly continue to charge ahead with youthful vigor.
She would rush towards danger for rapid growth, and eventually re-enact the nightmare Rowen saw, he was sure of it.
That's why he steeled his heart even more firmly.
Rowen loved Hanna.
He might have not attended her as much as he did his other children, noticing her deficiencies and shortcomings, but he was not a callous parent who would wish death upon his child.
Sitting at his desk and pondering, Rowen nodded awkwardly.
"Yes, its all for Hanna's sake. She will understand when the time comes."
Just as he had when he became an adult.
Rowen believed Hanna would also realize this once she grew up.
With all the turmoil recently at the Royal Academy, now might be the prime opportunity.
Rather than continuing to agonize
In the midst of negotiating with himself
-Creak.
A handsome man opened the door and walked into the office.
Rowen's son Malik, with the same brown hair as Rowen, Hanna's older brother.
Rowen frowned and spoke.
"Who taught you to enter without knocking I certainly didn't teach you that."
Malik, entering the room, gave an awkward smile and said.
"I'm sorry. I knocked but I didn't realize you hadn't heard."
Rowen acknowledged his own mistake.
"I must not have heard it while concentrating on my work. My apologies."
"It's alright. I'll be more careful next time."
Malik's face was stiff.
Visiting his father was uncomfortable.
And having a private audience was not something he was accustomed to. Rowen knew this, so he said nothing more.
Malik exhaled a deep sigh and showed the bottle of liquor he was holding.
"Father, I've brought some fine liquor. Do you have a moment to share it with me?"
It was familiar liquor.
Golden brandy.
A glass bottle crafted with fine details.
A label often mentioned among nobles, a brand from a very famous restaurant that Rowen remembered, The Forest's Friend.'
Rowen was secretly pleased with the gift from his son.
Malik pulled up a chair and sat naturally in front of Rowen.
