Chapter 100: A Sense Of Duty
Arienne tilted her head in that curious way of hers and asked in a giggling tone, "Oh, you mean... your girlfriend?"
Kael's hand slowly rose to his temple as if trying to ease a sudden ache. "No... not exactly her. It was someone else who taught me when I was so little, maybe around your age or so... And the girl I speak about I never even believed her as my master, she's a demon..."
Arienne's wide eyes blinked with interest and she leaned forward, her voice carrying innocent curiosity, "What's a demon, Mister?"
Kael let out a quiet sigh as though unwilling to give shape to that word. "It's nothing..."
Arienne tilted her head once again, clearly unsatisfied with such a vague answer, and then her lips curved into a knowing smile. "Well, it seems you will not tell me anything else about that master of yours. However, I have a piece of advice for you, since you promised to teach me a spell today..."
Kael raised a brow at that, faint curiosity lighting his face. "And what advice would that be?"
The little girl walked forward with the confidence of someone far older than she was, and after sitting down right in front of him she covered her mouth with both hands and started giggling. "Well, you remember when your girlfriend wanted to treat her in return for training you... and you answered stupidly by asking if she wanted ice cream or not? You are a fool, Mister, do you know that? What she meant back then was that she wanted to go on a date with you... and you did not understand a single thing, did you?"
"Huh?" Kael blinked at her, staring as though struck by something he could not quite process, and then his thoughts began to wander, chasing after memories that did not add up. "Did she really mean something like that? No... she would never do that, right? Out of all people, Seraphina? It must have been some kind of joke... And here I am, being lectured about this by a child... well, I suppose I truly have zero knowledge when it comes to such things..."
After a moment of silence he cleared his throat, his voice carrying an uncertain weight. "Well, I am sure she did not mean anything like that."
Arienne suddenly rose to her feet, her little finger flicking his forehead with surprising sharpness. "Wake up from your slumber, Mister. That is exactly what she meant. I am beginning to doubt how you even managed to get her in the first place..."
Kael gave a small laugh, light and brief, yet he offered no reply. Arienne frowned at being ignored, her expression tightening, but Kael's gaze had already turned distant as his thoughts swam restlessly. "She may be right... If our marriage had never happened, then a woman like her would always have been far beyond my reach..."
He exhaled deeply, brushing the dust from his black trousers as he rose to his feet. "Well, forget it. Tell me, did you notice anything unique about your element?"
Arienne paused to think, her little face scrunching up in concentration before she answered. "Yes. When I was focusing on the sounds around me it felt as though my mind was moving through the air and then... I think... I could hear the voices all the way from the market... but it was far too loud."
Kael stared at her quietly for a moment before giving a small nod. "Well done. It seems we have uncovered a part of your element. You can hear conversations from long distances if you concentrate enough, although focusing on a single target will take much more time and control. But you still have not figured out how to cast an actual spell, have you?"
Arienne shook her head.
Kael continued in a patient tone, "In that case, try to repeat the rhythm of the sounds you hear, and do not allow your mind to drift away from them. You must focus, and then release your mana in accordance with that rhythm."
Without saying a word Arienne lifted her hand forward and closed her eyes, her small body steady as she repeated the entire process exactly as he instructed.
At first her mind scattered in too many directions, pulled by countless voices and noises, but she fought not to let herself drift. Little by little she brought the sounds under her control, until only those she allowed remained, and soon her senses sharpened to the limit of what she could hold. Then it came, that strange warmth wrapping itself around her as if invisible fingers reached out to touch her.
She directed her focus inward, drawing from her mana core and guiding that flow carefully through her veins until it reached her fingers, and then she released it into the air while binding that warmth into a single point. The sensation was strange, almost frightening, but suddenly she could no longer hear anything at all, and yet she refused to fail. She held her focus with everything she had. At first nothing stirred.
But then a dull thud rang faintly in her ears. Her eyes snapped open and her breath caught, as she noticed the wall across from her, once perfectly smooth, now bore fine cracks running like spiderwebs on its surface. Her heart leapt, astonishment filling her entire face, yet when she turned to share her joy she realized something unsettling, her Mister was no longer where she had last seen him.
She looked down, but he was not there, and just as she was about to turn her head she felt a warm hand gently ruffling her hair. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Just a moment ago he had been standing in front of her, so how had he ended up behind her without a sound reaching her ears?
When she looked up she found a smile curved faintly across his normally gloomy face. "Good job, Kiddo. It seems your dream of casting a spell has already come true. I was the one who ended up wrong. You do have the sound element, but you do not need to produce sound personally to cast it. Instead, you are capable of manipulating natural sound... or rather, the waves that carry it... gathering them into one point and releasing them forward. In other words, you can control vibrations. Now, tell me, did you notice anything unusual when you cast it?"
Arienne's eyes shone with joy brighter than he had ever seen, though her voice quivered with excitement as she replied, "Yes, when I cast the spell... I could not hear anything at all."
Kael placed a hand on his chin, his expression thoughtful. "That is to be expected. If you control the sound waves then naturally they will not reach you unless you will it so. It will take much practice before you master this... Oh, and congratulations, it seems you are a unique magic user."
Arienne blinked her eyes several times as if unable to believe his words, and then without hesitation she flung her arms around him, or rather around his waist, hugging him tightly. Her little frame trembled with happiness, and Kael could only rest his hand atop her head, letting a flicker of a smile break through the usual shadow on his face.
"Thank you, Mister..."
Kael said nothing, though deep within his heart he felt a strange stirring in his chest, something he would rather never allow himself to feel, not even in a lifetime. It was the feeling of a dream forming against his will, of a desire taking shape where none should exist. Watching her cling to him so brightly, he could not stop the thought from slipping in.
What if he had a daughter like Arienne? Would he not train her the same way, watch her grow, and guide her hand through every step?
He shook his head almost violently, the thought gnawing at him in ways he did not like. "No... I don't want such things... I'd rather not... Leave me alone, thought, just go away... I'm fine living as I am."
He repeated those words inside his mind, fighting to chase away the unwelcome vision, until at last it faded into silence. He knew well enough he was not a man who held firmly to his words forever, yet even he understood this was not something to even consider. And still, why was he beginning to think such strange things at all?
Indeed, come to think of it, he had been acting rather strangely of late. Something was wrong with him.
Deeply wrong.
With that he forced his thoughts away and gave Arienne a few more careful instructions. He warned her not to train too much at once, for at her age exhausting her mana could easily make her ill for a long while. Training her without showing his own magic was no easy task, but he had no choice since he could only use healing magic. There was a vast difference between healing magic and other elements, and though he possessed wind magic, that element belonged to the mysterious masked man, just as nearly every technique Kael wielded belonged to him. Kael was not foolish enough to use the same spells in both forms, since that would invite disaster if anyone noticed.
By the time the sun had lowered to one side of the sky and the light deepened into the warm gold of afternoon, their training for the day was complete.
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The road remained silent as always, the shadows of the towering branches stretched across the stone path, and the leaves that stirred in the wind seemed to move with a life of their own, until suddenly, as though the air itself gave birth to her presence, a figure stepped forth as if she had been there from the very beginning.
Her silver hair flowed gently in the current of the wind, and the clip resting in her strands glimmered faintly, just as her sharp eyes caught the same light with an icy gleam.
She advanced toward the front entrance of the Knight Orders Prison where the knight on guard straightened himself immediately and saluted. With only a small nod in acknowledgment she passed, her footsteps steady, until she came before the long wooden counter.
Behind the desk, as always, the young girl in uniform worked with her usual air of duty, though the moment Seraphina stepped closer the girl's voice drifted out almost automatically, as if reciting a line spoken countless times before, "Who do you want to meet…"
But the instant her gaze rose and fell upon Seraphina, her face drained of color and her words faltered. With a stammer she forced out, "Uh… Captain…" and after an uneasy pause she gave a hurried salute, her tone trembling, "C-can I ask the reason behind your sudden visit… we weren't informed of your arrival… oh, forgive me, I spoke out of turn…"
Seraphina's sigh carried a quiet weight as though it came not from fatigue but from a disappointment she had grown accustomed to, and in a voice that cut away needless formality she answered, "There is no need for questions. I am here to see Lieutenant Hermes."
Trisy froze for a moment, her lips tightening before she answered, "The Lieutenant… I think he is in his office…"
Seraphina inclined her head the slightest bit, her tone unchanging, "Very well."
But before she could move forward the girl stepped out quickly from behind the desk, almost in panic, her voice rising with forced urgency, "Captain, are you going directly to his office? You don't need to trouble yourself… just wait here, I will go and call him, he will come at once to meet you."
Seraphina's eyes lingered on her with quiet suspicion, something in the girl's manner did not align with duty. Her words carried hesitation and her smile was stretched thin, and with calm sharpness Seraphina asked, "Am I not allowed to go there myself?"
The girl paled even further, her composure breaking into a weak smile as she answered quickly, "I-it's not like that, Captain… of course you can… but why should you? He can just as easily come to you… there's no reason for you to…"
Seraphina's lips curved faintly, not with warmth but with a cold trace of amusement, "Do not trouble yourself, it is no problem."
With those words she passed, leaving the girl silenced behind her, and as she moved along the quiet corridors her steps carried her through one turn after another until at last she reached the stair that led upwards.
Ascending slowly she came before the wooden door, and after raising her hand she knocked firmly, waiting for the sound of a reply. Silence answered her at first, and after knocking once more the stillness broke with a muffled groan from within.
"What is it, Trisy? How many times must I tell you not to disturb me…"
Seraphina's brow twitched faintly at the insolence, and without another word she pressed the door open.
The sound of wood striking against the wall echoed sharply, and as she entered her gaze swept the room only for her expression to empty completely, the sight before her resembled not the office of a Lieutenant but the corner of a tavern left in neglect.
The space itself was modest, yet instead of reports and parchments the desk bore nothing but a pair of shoes carelessly crossed upon its surface, a scattering of leftover food, and bottles abandoned without order. In the chair behind the desk reclined a young man of perhaps his late twenties, dressed not in his armor but in a simple shirt and trousers, his dark hair neat though his posture was anything but disciplined.
The instant the door struck open his eyes lifted wide with shock, and the pale gold of his irises fixed upon her with horror. Losing his balance as he scrambled upright, he almost toppled before catching himself, then stared wordlessly at the figure standing before him.
"Ah… what a sight… Captain…" he stammered, his voice breaking into a forced laugh as he pushed himself into a salute. "I… I had no idea you would be visiting today. Please, why stand there… come in… this is practically your office, not mine… please, take a seat…"
His words trailed as his eyes fell on the desk and the shame of what lay on it. His face drained of color, and in a frantic rush he swept the scraps and bottles onto the floor, dragging a cloak to wipe away the water that had spilled, moving with clumsy haste as though to erase the proof of his idleness. "Here, it's… it's ready now, please sit. I would not wish it to seem as though I neglected to offer my superior proper courtesy, that would never be my intention…"
His smile came thin and empty, the tremor of fear clear behind it.
Seraphina's voice cut through the room with frost, "Forgive me, I seem to have entered a circus hall by mistake. Day by day my sight must be failing me."
Hermes paled further still, pressing one hand behind his back as though to steady himself. "Please, Captain, do not jest like that. I beg your pardon, I truly did not know you were coming. That girl, Trisy, why did she not tell me? If only I had been informed..."
Her voice grew sharper, colder, every word falling with the weight of judgment, "If you had been warned, you would have staged the scene, just as you did before, covering this mess with stacks of parchment and false order so that I might believe you worked tirelessly. I was deceived once by such a display, but not again. Now I see clearly what lies beneath. You lack discipline, Hermes. You wear the rank of Lieutenant, yet you do not act as one."
His weak smile faltered entirely, his lips dry as he tried to speak, "M-ma'am…"
Her gaze burned with an unyielding cold, her tone unrelenting, "Silence. Do not speak unless I demand it. Do you even comprehend what you have caused with your negligence? Do you understand that because of your carelessness an innocent man was subjected to brutal treatment within your prison, left on the verge of death, while one of your soldiers... your soldier... committed an act so vile on the prisoner's wife that I cannot bear to repeat it aloud? And you stand here, ignorant, answering my knock with irritation, confirming that you knew nothing of it."
She paused for a moment then added with more coldness in her voice, "Tell me, Hermes, how is it possible that a mere soldier twisted an entire division into his plaything, carrying out his cruelty unchecked? A whole division, Hermes. He acted openly, with arrogance so great that he did not even bother to perfect the falsified reports, so sure was he that no one would question him. And it seems his confidence was not misplaced, for you did nothing. Tell me, do you still not see why this happened?"
Hermes's eyes widened, his face a storm of disbelief and shame, and for a long moment he stood frozen. At last his voice came low, distant, almost to himself, "If you mean Rowen… then yes, I think I understand, at least in part. If what you say is true, then it is my fault. I trusted him, Captain. I truly did. He was not only a soldier under me but also someone I… I thought of as a friend. When I noticed his strangeness I dismissed it as nothing more than lack of sleep, but I did not look deeper. I did not know…" His fists tightened at his sides, his eyes falling shut for an instant before he forced himself to meet hers. "You may punish me however you see fit. I will not argue, I will not resist. Whatever comes, I deserve it."
Seraphina glanced at him and her eyes seemed to glow faintly as though they carried a warning within them, her voice steady and cold as she spoke, "Listen, Hermes... you may put your trust in your soldiers, but what you have done is far more than that. You not only trusted them, you also placed your responsibilities on their shoulders and let them do the work that belonged to you alone. That is not how things are meant to be done. Trust is indeed a valuable thing, even I keep my trust in my soldiers, yet you carried yours too far until it became something blind."
She lingered for a moment then replied, "You allowed them to sign in your place... and yes, I know, sometimes the endless lines of writing truly pain the eyes, the head, and even the hands. Reading through those long reports and recognizing the patterns within them is no simple task, and of course, signing them one after another feels like a heavy nuisance. Who could understand that better than I do, huh? Yet even so, it remains your duty, and if you had carried it out properly then perhaps this accident would never have taken place. You are not a fool, Hermes. I know you understand me well enough. And now, as for your punishment... you will leave for Caelum tomorrow and you will ask for forgiveness yourself."
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(Chapter Ended)