4. Destination to grave

Elric had a dream.

He dreamed of slaughtering soldiers on a bloody and muddy battlefield.

The stench of blood and the smell of rotting corpses mixed together, causing a numbness in his sense of smell. The soldiers' screams made his ears ring. His vision was in black and white.

Frantically swinging his sword, he barely moved forward as the bombardment of flames from the mages, archers, and artillery unit dyed his vision pitch black.

It was as if he was looking into the gaping maw of a giant monster.

Elric stared blankly at the scene, and only at the very end did he manage to…

"Huhk…!"

He woke up from the dream.

Groggily, Elric sat up in bed and looked around at his surroundings.

A single desk, a bed, a set of knight's armor, and the decorative swords that hung on the wall painted a picture of tranquility.

This wasn't the battlefield. It was a peaceful room where the commotion of the West was not felt at all. It was his childhood room, where everything was just as he had remembered it.

'…Yes, I'm back home now.'

With a trembling hand, Elric reached out.

Even though he knew that there were no enemies here, he couldn't relax.

His body broke out in a cold sweat. His heart was pounding like a madman, and his heightened senses were picking up every sound around him, even the chirping of the birds outside the window.

'A sword, a sword….'

These were the effects of a psychological disorder.

Raised on the battlefield and immersed in its madness, Elric had been afflicted with a disease that made it impossible for him to let go of his sword, even for a single moment.

With a clatter, he found a dagger on top of a nearby cupboard.

Elric cradled the dagger in his arms and took a deep breath.

His heartbeat was slowing down.

It was at that moment.

"Sir, did you cough?"

Aldio asked from the doorway.

The sound of his voice brought Elric back to reality.

"…Yeah, I just woke up."

A light chirping of birds was heard.

…

These were such luxurious accommodations.

After coming in so late the night before and going straight to his bedroom, Elric felt awkward in the morning at the manor.

He had asked for a cold bath and was immediately met with a basin full of cold water.

After washing up, he found that his clothes were already prepared for him, and the fabric was so soft that he almost felt like he wasn't wearing clothes at all.

On the battlefield, he had always worn rough clothes that were torn apart every time he fought, so he couldn't help but notice the contrast.

Elric buttoned his shirt and tightened his necktie.

Looking in the mirror, he saw no trace of Kasha the Sword Demon.

For some reason, it felt foreign, and Elric smiled.

'This doesn't suit me at all.'

As a child, he had often heard that his smilling face was beautiful, but now it seemed too artificial. Perhaps, the reason he had never smiled on the battlefield was because of that.

His expression stiffened.

Elric tore his gaze away from the mirror and grasped his cane.

As he left the room, Aldio was waiting for him.

"Shall we have a meal first?"

"Please lead the way."

Aldio smiled and started walking.

It wasn't long before the question came up.

"By the way, what happened to your leg?"

He had been looking at Elric's knee all day yesterday, and now he seemed to finally be asking about it.

Elric shrugged.

"I rolled down a steep hill and hit a rock. I wasn't careful enough."

He couldn't talk about getting shot in the knee on the battlefield.

After all, it would take time, but it would eventually heal.

He didn't want to cause anybody unnecessary worry.

"Oh my… you're still a mess."

"Don't call me a mess. It makes me feel like a little kid."

They chuckled and exchanged teasing remarks, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the dining hall.

But, as the door opened with a thud, Elric stopped dead in his tracks.

"Have you been coughing?"

Inside the not-so-small dining hall was another person.

A woman with hair the color of golden wheat, droopy eyes, and red lips that stood out alone against her white skin.

Elric belatedly remembered that Tyria was also living here.

He had seen her yesterday, but the meeting had completely gone over his head.

"Good morning."

Elric offered an awkward greeting and made his way to the table.

His knees ached, as if he'd been up all night. He tried to compose his face, but it didn't quite match his state of mind.

Finally, he just struggled to pull the chair out and sit down.

And, as soon as he sat down, he noticed that her gaze was directed towards his knees.

"Ah, never mind it. It's not a serious injury."

How ugly would it have been if he had come home as a lame man who only whined like a child.

Elric wrapped his hands around his knee to shake off her gaze.

"…I see."

Tyria took a seat.

Soon the meal was served.

Eggs, soft bread, and three slices of bacon.

It was a nostalgic meal. A simple, light menu tailored to his father's taste.

Although, it was ironic that the man who created it wasn't here anymore.

With a clatter, Elric picked up his fork and knife.

Tyria picked up her utensils as well.

Elric watched her movements as they started their meal.

She was uncannily quiet. The glass and iron utensils didn't make the slightest clink, and the way she sliced, diced, and brought her food to her mouth was graceful.

She chewed her food quietly, so much so that there was no sound of her mouth opening, a stark contrast to Elric way of eating.

Scarfing down the dirt-covered emergency rations on the battlefield had become a habit, and Elric had forgotten all the dining etiquette he had learned before.

In an instant, their eyes met.

Elric hesitated for a moment, then turned his head down towards his own plate.

He coughed loudly and raised his head, wondering, 'Why am I avoiding eye contact with her?'

She was still staring at him.

Elric put on his trademark haughty smile.

"What's wrong?"

"…Nothing."

Her gaze shifted downward again.

It was an uncomfortable meal.

Still, as they were sitting at the same table, it felt too awkward to remain silent, so Elric cautiously spoke up.

"Are you going to inspect the wheat fields again today?"

"…Yes."

"Hmm, I see."

Tyria's index finger slightly twitched.

Regretting opening his mouth, Elric wondered if he was being a bother.

'I'm so stupid.'

Once again, he had made the same mistake of opening his mouth unnecessarily.

He felt sick to his stomach. If he kept sitting here like that, he would lose his appetite completely.

So, he quickly grabbed half a piece of bread, one slice of bacon, and a handful of fries that were still on his plate, and shoved them into his mouth all at once.

He wiped his mouth roughly with a napkin and stood up from his seat.

"I'm going to look around the mansion. Take care and enjoy your meal."

I'm off. Enjoy your meal.

It was the most casual greeting that he could muster.

There was no way the true meaning behind his words could have been conveyed, and he didn't even think about such a thing.

Elric grabbed his cane and hastily left the table.

Only after the door had closed did Tyria speak.

"…Yes, have a good day."

It was a very quiet voice.

A faint smile appeared on her lips, barely noticeable if one looked closely, and then disappeared without a trace.

…

The mansion was bustling after the meal.

Guided by Aldio, Elric began to greet all the servants.

Among them, there were those who existed in Elric's memory, and those who had been replaced by others.

Those whom he met after a long time welcomed Elric warmly.

Elric was overwhelmed with gratitude.

They welcomed him here, even though he was a shameless, reckless bastard who had left without a word and had not come to his father's funeral.

After each hug, they all, without exception, expressed concern about his knee.

"It will heal eventually," Elric assured them, but none of them believed him.

'Was I such a useless child…?'

Elric pondered, as he looked back on the past.

He had to admit that if you were to pick out the biggest troublemaker in Wevin, then the name of Elric Portman would come up without fail. In this respect, at least, there was no denying it.

As Elric struggled to respond, the maid chuckled and asked another question.

"Haiya… Then, Milord, are you staying for good now?"

"Haha…."

Elric awkwardly laughed.

After all, he hadn't firmly decided on his plans yet.

With his knee injury, he'd probably stay here for a while, but… who was he to pretend to be the lord of this place now?

His return to Wevin had been purely an accident, a combination of homesickness and other factors that had cleverly came together.

It was just his luck that he had found out about his father's death at the bar he visited after leaving the battlefield with a knee injury. Even if he spoke about it, would anyone believe this story?

He didn't want to cause any trouble by coming here and disturbing the peace, knowing that this place would function just fine without him.

More than likely, he would return to the battlefield.

"Milord?"

"Well, we can talk about that later, I have somewhere to go."

"Ah, well, whatever, the only thing that's important is that you're here. Ho ho! We'll have a grand dinner tonight."

Elric turned to Aldio, ignoring the giggles of the gracious maid.

"Then, shall we get going?"

"Yes, please climb into the carriage."

In front of them was a carriage, just the right size for a single rider.

Elric fiddled with the dagger in his pocket.

It was a habit, something he did whenever he felt unsettled.

Eventually, he made his way to the carriage with a thud, step by step.

His destination was his father's grave.