“That’s how fate is.”
The middle-aged man asserted.
At his monotonous voice, the girl’s head drooped deeply.
The way she pressed down her hooded hat looked pitiful.
A flash of discontent briefly sparkled in her blue eyes.
“You can’t go against fate… I too once wandered the continent seeking freedom. It was a few years of living in distaste for my clan.”
“……I’ve already heard.”
Though her voice was sulky, the middle-aged man did not seem inclined to scold her.
After all, he had watched the girl since her childhood.
He was well aware of her impudence.
He was her uncle.
His name was Raymond Rainelle.
He was the uncle of Elsi Rainelle, seated across from him, and one of the archmages the Rainelle clan boasted.
“Then you should have realized it sooner.”
Raymond’s voice had no rise or fall.
He was a person who never raised his voice to scold anyone.
He merely pointed out matters in his flat, cold tone.
That was why Elsi was particularly afraid of Raymond.
He was a powerful mage who had reached the level of archmage, and he was one of the few family members who did not tire of scolding her despite the ongoing incidents.
There were more than enough reasons for Elsi to resent him.
No matter how strong she pretended to be, she couldn’t hide her true nature.
Elsi feared and loathed those stronger than her.
She was scared that they might suddenly turn and abuse her.
In truth, the violence within her stemmed from that very fear.
Terrified of the violence she had faced in her childhood, she had wanted to become the source of fear herself.
Of course, such behavior did not affect Raymond in the slightest.
He had no need to fear Elsi, nor was he kind to her like Ian was.
That’s why Elsi disliked Raymond.
“That crazy old bastard,” Elsi mumbled under her breath, gnashing her lips.
Of course, she did not have the courage to say it out loud; she kept it confined to her thoughts.
“There’s no reason for the clan to bend to anything. After all, the very reason I came to Perkus Manor was to take you with me… Yet you’re leading the vital magic troops to protect someone else’s territory?”
“But…!”
Seeing Elsi’s disbelief, Raymond let out a rare sigh.
“……Elsi.”
Under that glance of pity, Elsi felt herself shrink.
Her head dropped again.
“You are a Rainelle, not a Percus.”
Once, that title had felt so proud to her.
“Rainelle” was practically Elsi’s identity.
She had survived in the dog-fighting ring, becoming the best fighting dog and had carried her family’s name like a badge of honor.
It was nonsensical for Elsi not to love being a Rainelle.
However, the truth was that deep down, she knew.
She did not love “Rainelle.”
She just wanted to borrow the power that Rainelle possessed.
It was because she feared that someone might bully her.
Weak as she was, Elsi had always relied on others.
One day it was the clan, another day it was Ian.
So now, where should Elsi choose?
In her heart, she wanted to choose the one she cherished the most—Ian.
She did not care about her family’s circumstances.
Elsi wanted to forcefully help Ian, and if that was possible, she was willing to utilize the power of her clan.
But the walls of reality were too high and thick.
“Elsi, remember this… The fate of Rainelle is determined by Rainelle.”
“The fate of Rainelle is determined by Rainelle.”
Those words had drilled into her ears.
If those words had a physical form, Elsi would have torn them to shreds long ago. That was how much she was sick of the Rainelle family motto.
“If you are also a Rainelle, you must follow the decisions of Rainelle.”
In other words, it meant to support the choice of abandoning Perkus Manor.
The territory that Ian cherished and loved.
Elsi’s heart surged, and she lifted her head. The fiery glare in her eyes reflected her turmoil.
But the next moment, Elsi found herself locking eyes with Raymond.
His gaze was cold and frigid.
In the pupils that felt devoid of even the slightest tremble, a resolute determination shone through.
They were the eyes of a strong person.
Elsi soon lowered her head and answered in a faltering voice.
“……Yes.”
Of course, her voice still betrayed her evident discontent.
Raymond was not someone who would miss that sentiment.
He quietly gazed at Elsi for a while before averting his eyes and murmured.
“……Still, Prince Ian would make a fine match for you.”
“Yes, I understand… Wait, what?!”
A glimmer returned to the dull eyes of Elsi who had been nodding her head despondently.
She had been half-expecting a lengthy lecture to follow.
But suddenly, good news arrived, leaving her shocked.
The strict Raymond recognizing someone!
Elsi felt a resurgence of affection and respect for her master.
Raymond chuckled lightly at Elsi’s dramatic reaction.
Before she knew it, Elsi had leaned on the table and stood up.
While Raymond was originally someone who expressed emotions very little, it seemed he could not overcome the bond of blood.
His gaze toward Elsi conveyed a sense of endearment.
“What are you so surprised about? Prince Ian’s swordsmanship is quite remarkable.”
As he said this, Raymond shifted his gaze to a pile of loot stacked in the corner of the room.
There lay an armor, dented and strewn about.
It was the armor worn by a test subject that Ian had smashed with the Golden Lionsword.
“To have cleaved through steel armor so cleanly…”
His exclamation was mixed with a sigh.
At that sight, Elsi hesitated and cast her eyes downward.
It was good that her master was being acknowledged, but she felt a bit like she was telling a lie.
After all, it was “that” from the future who had shattered that armor.
Regardless, Raymond shook his head and continued speaking.
“The ability is sufficient, but now finding a proper match is necessary. I will speak to my brother.”
“……Wait, an engagement?!”
“Yes.”
Internally, Elsi silently cheered.
A few women flashed through her mind.
The lascivious wench, how devastated would she be if she found out? Serves her right.
And she had to check in with that Delphine as well. There’s no way she would have imagined that an engagement would happen while she was away, right? Master like that would be doomed…
Thus, her mind flitted through various people until suddenly someone came to a halt in that mental procession.
Ian Percus.
In fact, his will was the most important.
Elsi’s next question was inevitable.
“Then, does Master… no! Did Ian agree to it too?”
At that, Raymond momentarily fell silent.
He pondered, swallowing his own words, and after a pause, he uttered a single sentence.
“…In an engagement between families, the wishes of the parties involved are not significant.”
The man’s grave voice contained only truth.
And indeed it was so.
If Count Rainelle proposed an engagement, Viscount Percus would have no choice but to comply.
From both practical and symbolic standpoints, it was a beneficial union. The probability of Viscount Percus, being a noble, rejecting it was exceedingly low.
However, Elsi felt strangely burdened by those words.
“The fate of Rainelle is determined by Rainelle.”
It felt as if she was binding Ian’s life to her own twisted fate.
The little fighting dog, once so spirited, had now dulled her ears.
The dawn wind was sharp and cold.
No matter how early it was, the weather was incomprehensible.
The season was summer, and the heat and humidity should feel suffocating.
Yet, for some reason, Perkus Manor was hit by an unexpected cold snap.
Yulen interpreted it this way.
“It’s the climate of the Demon Realm.”
Yulen’s voice was extremely blunt.
It stemmed from the fact that Yulen had been forced to remain at the manor while others had departed during the last battle.
To be honest, having only Lady Airen for protection didn’t make him feel at ease. That’s why he had entrusted Riya to Yulen, who was seasoned in guarding.
Of course, the battle-hungry Yulen had no reason to be pleased about that.
That was why he now treated me so coldly.
“In the Demon Realm ruled by Delphrium, they say eternal winter continues. So the blizzards occur each time the minions of the evil god descend.”
Yet, despite his grumbling, he kindly explained useful information.
Feeling the need to respond somehow, I pondered for a moment.
The words that eventually came out were quite bland.
“…We must hurry.”
As it turned out, Perkus Manor was enveloped in an atmosphere as dark as a city on the brink of collapse.
Everyone was hastily packing their belongings, yet it remained uncertain how many of them could actually leave.
There were even some who were adamant about staying and dying here.
It was a spectacle that felt strange in my once-familiar hometown.
I let out a slight, hollow laugh and took a swig from my drink.
As for me, I was someone who had nothing to prepare.
There was no one to bother me for drinking wine like a layabout from early morning.
Well, there was at least one.
“Master!”
It was the cheerful voice of a boy.
As I shifted my gaze, the expected figure was approaching me.
He was a little brat who still had some growing to do.
He had been my attendant until recently and was the kid I occasionally taught swordsmanship to back then.
With a sigh, I had to call out the boy’s name.
“…Ned, you need to hurry and pack!”
“Eh, it’s fine. I only need to take care of my little sister.”
Of course, I was not someone who would let that pass.
I scolded Ned once more.
“No matter what, there are various things to pack…”
“Ah, alright! Then I’ll quickly pass on the message from the lord and come right back!”
I looked at Ned with a skeptical gaze.
He had often lingered with me in idle chatter.
So I spoke in a deliberately serious tone.
“You know what a great knight…”
“Doesn’t tell lies! I know—oh, wait.”
Ned’s words trailed off mid-sentence.
His eyes widened as he looked somewhere.
I thought I understood the reason, so I hesitated and got up to see who it was.
Black hair and golden eyes.
There were a few people at Perkus Manor with such hues, but the one before me was the highest among them.
I lowered my head without a word.
“Father.”
“Ian…”
Watching me avoid his gaze, my father let out a deep sigh.
“…Let’s have a talk.”
I still had unresolved matters to address.
This was the day before the minions of the evil god descended.
