Not long after, Grovasel and Helen returned to the manor. They both rushed in immediately after seeing a large group of soldiers gathered in
Not long after, Grovasel and Helen returned to the manor. They both rushed in immediately after seeing a large group of soldiers gathered in the living room. But when they saw Buldrokkas'tee sitting and talking with Ludy in the guest room, Helen, upon seeing her husband, ran to embrace him, full of longing, before bursting into tears of joy.
Grovasel, although wanting to say something upon seeing his father, revealed a slight expression of happiness at seeing his father return safely.
Buldrokkas'tee, suddenly embraced by his wife, stood stunned for a moment before hugging the small figure back and speaking in a voice filled with guilt.
"Helen... I... I'm sorry."
Seeing this, Ludy couldn't help but grumble at the old man.
"Is this really the time to be saying that? Don't you remember what I just told you?"
Buldrokkas'tee fell silent before nodding slowly and speaking in a faint but gentle voice.
"I'm home... Helen."
Helen's eyes widened in astonishment. She looked up at her husband before revealing a smile filled with tears of joy.
"Welcome home."
.....................
After that, Ludy let Helen prepare food with Buldrokkas'tee, while she went to talk with Grovasel about her recent conversation with his father.
"What?! Are you saying that old man never received a single letter I sent him?!" Grovasel looked very shocked to hear that.
Ludy nodded before handing him a thick stack of letters, more than a hundred of them.
"Your father kept them very well. And not only that, the contents of these letters claim to be sent by you, complete with your signature... but the content of the letters doesn't match what you wrote to him at all."
When Grovasel read through the letters, he found that they had his signature and handwriting that was remarkably similar to his own. It was no wonder the old man thought these letters were written by him.
As for the content, although the first few were about his life at university, the content later changed to discussions about the Infected and the peace he wanted to help them achieve by joining a resistance group in the empire. It claimed that Ursus was becoming more exploitative and contemptuous of the Infected every day, and even said that his mother agreed with this ideology and was trying to persuade his father to join him.
"What is this nonsense... even though I disagree with the exploitation of the Infected, I've never joined a resistance force or had any problems with the military," Grovasel, having read almost half the letters, felt displeased at being framed like this. Especially since these letters were sent to his father... it only made the young man even angrier.
Ludy could understand his anger. She had examined the letters earlier and felt the same way, thinking there was no way Grovasel would do something like that, especially when she found that the content of most of the letters did not mention what Grovasel wanted to write to his father at all.
But strangely, the things mentioned in those letters did exist, such as the places, the name of the resistance group, and a man named Augustus, who was a close friend of Grovasel's back when he was studying at Saint Caria University in the imperial capital. That man had since died, executed in public by a group of soldiers for causing a public disturbance after joining the resistance group.
The reason that man joined the resistance was because he had become Infected in an incident five years ago and was expelled from the institution, while Grovasel was still in his final year.
Grovasel told her that he hadn't spoken to Augustus in almost four years, ever since he decided to join the resistance. But he had learned of his close friend's death from other friends. Although he felt sad about the incident, it wasn't enough of a driving force for him to join the resistance. Besides... at that time, he was still working for the prince. What time would he have to join a resistance group?
Ludy then asked Grovasel if he had anyone he was close to during that time, someone who could see his handwriting and signature all the time and had enough time to copy or imitate it without anyone noticing. The reason she thought the person who sent these letters was not someone in the military or someone who handled mail for the army was because if that were the case, they would have chosen to be more subtle, by reading Grovasel's letters first and adding minor details to increase the connection.
But these letters were not like that at all. It was as if they had been written in advance by someone who was planning to use this to attack the feelings of Buldrokkas'tee, his father.
Grovasel thought for a moment. He thought that besides the prince... he wasn't particularly close to any other students after leaving the university. But there was one woman he often wrote letters to in the few years after that.
She was a history professor at the university Grovasel had attended. Her name was Kolchena, a kind young professor whom many students adored for her gentleness and beauty. Many nobles were close to her because her knowledge of history was on par with the top scholars in Ursus.
Grovasel was one of the students who admired her as well and would often discuss historical problems with her, to the point that they became like pen pals. But in the two years he had been working at this manor, he had not contacted her again, as Kolchena seemed to have mysteriously disappeared three years ago. No one could find her. All they knew was that before she disappeared, she had been muttering about someone she was interested in in Victoria. After that day, she disappeared from Ursus without a trace, and no one could contact her.
Ludy, after hearing the whole story, thought for a moment before turning to him.
"Grovasel, can you please contact Prince Fyodor for me?" Ludy said.
"Ludy, you're not suspecting the prince, are you?" Grovasel asked in a serious tone, as he was one person who didn't believe the prince would do that to him.
"I can't really rule that option out... because if he's involved in this, it will drag all of us here down into the abyss with him. But another part of me still thinks it might not be his doing. Because if that prince wanted to create division or build credibility with the Infected in some way, I think he has no reason to start with your father, but should start with his own father, who is the Emperor of Ursus."
Ludy thought it was very likely the work of the woman named Kolchena... but another part of her was still suspicious of Prince Fyodor. So she asked Grovasel to try calling him. Over the past two years, they had contacted each other occasionally, although it was mostly the man who called her to ask about the research she was doing. Of course, Ludy had no desire to converse with someone like him, so she would usually ask Grovasel to talk to him instead.
But this time, it seemed she would have to contact him herself to check if there was any suspicion in his tone...
"Sigh, well, since you put it that way... I guess we have to try," Grovasel, finally having to agree to help, went back to his room to get the private phone the prince had given him for communication.
After Grovasel returned with a large phone in his hand, he handed it to her immediately. As soon as Ludy lifted the receiver, she heard a voice that was polite but also strangely cheerful.
"Oh... look who's calling. Isn't it my lovely fianc—"
Click.
"..."
"Sorry... can you please call him again for me?" Ludy, who had accidentally hung up without realizing it, turned to Grovasel with a strained smile.
Grovasel could only sigh before dialing the number on the phone again.
Ludy didn't have to wait long for the call to be answered, but this time, before the other person could say anything, she started laying into him.
"Listen up, you loli-prince! You're currently a suspect in a case serious enough to ruin your reputation in seconds! So if I ask you anything, just answer accordingly! Or if you're going to help, you have to share the information you know with me! And if you think about spouting any nonsense that will make a vein in my brain pop, I swear I'll smash this phone so I don't have to hear your annoying voice anymore!!"
"..."
After a moment of silence from the other end of the line, a reply came back, as serious as he could make it.
"Okay, little lady... I'm listening."
Ludy sighed before deciding to tell him what had happened to Grovasel and his father. After hearing the whole story, Prince Fyodor immediately replied in a more serious tone than ever before.
"I believe this is related to Koschei, the Deathless Black Snake of Ursus."
"The Deathless Black Snake?"
"Koschei?"
Both Ludy and Grovasel were surprised to hear that name.
"Your Highness... the Koschei you speak of, is it that Duke Koschei who died in Lungmen?"
"Yes... but Grovasel, you're mistaken. Koschei never died... he is immortal, just like his name. And that name will be passed down, even after hundreds of years have passed."
"He is like a legendary god who has lived since the beginning of Ursus. A creator, a destroyer, like a guardian deity and an evil god who loves and cherishes Ursus more than anyone. That is the origin of his name. The Deathless Black Snake who will never die, who will live as long as the name Ursus remains on this land of Terra."
"If you're telling me this is a horror story, I'd give you a 3 out of 10," Ludy grumbled, but inwardly, she felt a little creeped out by what she was hearing.
"Unfortunately, it's the truth... The proof is that Kolchena is one of the snake's scales that the man cherishes very much. And besides her, there are other instances of the Deathless Black Snake throughout Ursus, a number that even my father doesn't know for sure."
"Then how do we know that what you're telling us is the truth?" Ludy asked seriously.
"I can send you the reports that man has given to the empire over the past few years. If one of those reports is related to Grovasel or Commander Buldrokkas'tee, you will know immediately, because that man is loyal to Ursus above all else, and he would never think of harming our royal family."
"...Also, you can ask Commander Buldrokkas'tee about this directly. He's probably the most familiar with the Black Snake's name, maybe even more so than my father."
"Understood. Thank you, Prince Fyodor, for the useful information," Ludy thanked him. Even though she didn't need the report, asking Buldrokkas'tee directly might be the fastest way to get an answer.
"Since it's a request from little sister Ludy, how could I refuse... What I'm really interested in is when you think we should get married. How about after you turn eighte—"
Click.
"Let's go talk to your father! Big Brother Grovasel," Ludy turned and smiled at Grovasel, tossing the phone in her hand to the young man without a care, leaving the close friend of the man on the other end of the line with nothing but a dry smile at the scene.
"You're probably the only one... who dares to hang up on the heir to the Ursus throne, Ludy."
After arriving at the dining room, Ludy and Grovasel saw the married couple helping each other cook, while their subordinates sat waiting at the table, trembling as if they didn't know what to do (the mood of... the boss is cooking for his subordinates).
"Old man, we need to talk to you," Grovasel said as soon as he arrived, immediately calling for his father. The subordinates, seeing an opportunity, quickly volunteered to help Lady Helen, the captain's wife.
"Captain, please leave the cooking to us."
"Yes, yes! We'll help Lady Helen! Captain, please go talk with your son."
"Ah... I'll leave it to you," Buldrokkas'tee replied slowly before following his son and Ludy outside the dining room.
"Old man, do you know about the Deathless Black Snake?" Grovasel, after making sure the door was closed, immediately asked his father.
"...Where did you hear that name?"
Buldrokkas'tee reacted violently upon hearing that name, which made Grovasel and Ludy turn to nod at each other. They were now certain that the story the prince had told was not a lie.
"Where we heard it from isn't important now. We just think that person might be the mastermind behind the letters..." Grovasel said curtly. When Buldrokkas'tee heard this, he was silent for a moment before snorting through his throat.
"Perhaps... it's possible that person is indeed behind it."
"Old man... is there something you want to tell us?" Grovasel asked his father directly. This made the other man sigh for the first time, something his son had never seen.
"I... have resigned from the military."
"What!" Grovasel was so shocked he shouted without realizing it.
"Oh..." Ludy looked shocked as well, not expecting this old man, who had lived his life in war for decades, to dare to make such a decision.
"Actually... I had planned this before Ursus declared war on Kazimierz. But because of the Emperor's declaration, I stopped thinking about it."
"And on that day... that man appeared before me. A man with the aura of a wicked serpent, who came to me with an offer that was hard to refuse. He wanted me to become the commander of the Infected, to fight in the Victorian war alongside mercenaries from Kazdel to occupy Londinium. He promised that if I helped him, he would restore the Wendigo name to its former glory."
"...And what did you say?" Ludy asked seriously.
"Of course, I refused... The Wendigo name, for me, is just a bitter past, a sin I must bear. There is no need to cherish it anymore... But that man still tried to use various methods to threaten me into cooperating with him. But I still refused decisively... I never thought that man would send the Infected forces to die uselessly on the front lines of Kazimierz... I thought it was his way of pressuring me to choose. So I wanted to end the war as quickly as possible to reduce the casualties... but as you know, my army was defeated by the Knight-Primarch, and Kazimierz was victorious."
"Old man..." Grovasel, who had never seen this weak side of his father before, felt his heart, which was previously filled with displeasure, soften into understanding and sympathy for his father's fate.
"Even so, the defeat on that day taught me something... It made me start to think and realize the reality of the life I had dedicated to Ursus for decades, that those things were not the only things that held my heart." "The sin, fate... everything was always in my hands. I just chose to close my eyes and accept the fate that others kept pushing onto me."
"That made me decide to resign from the Ursus military and intend to live a quiet life with my family, as my father and that man wanted me to be."
"That is the whole story I wanted to tell you, Grovasel, my son."
"I am just a foolish old man who was always afraid of his own fate, without even believing in his own father's last words. I was stuck believing in the peace that others told me to make, and by the time I realized it... it was too late."
At that moment, Ludy immediately spoke up.
"It's not too late for someone like you, Uncle Buldrokkas'tee."
The young girl walked up in front of him and extended her hand.
"Even though this place isn't as beautiful as the empire, my house is still big enough for you and your people to live in!"
"Of course, I'll hire you all myself! All of you!" Ludy smiled brightly.
This made Buldrokkas'tee, who saw the smile and the small hand extended towards him, see a reflection of a young woman with the same hair color as her, who had once extended a hand to him like this when he was young...
Suddenly, his calloused hand, which had held weapons all his life, reached out to touch it without realizing it, and he felt the soft hand of this young girl... so much like that woman.
-----------------
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