Even after hearing the Emperor's name, he had openly refused—not with a valid reason but ending it with just one word: "No." Yet the recruitment officer only groaned with an "Ugh" but didn't argue.
"This stubborn fool."
He only muttered this.
Everyone heard it, but the family head ignored even that and turned his gaze away as he spoke. From their tone, it seemed their friendship wasn't shallow.
"Since everyone came here, they must each have their own reasons. Ragna has stated what he wants."
Following the firm refusal, at the end of his turned gaze was Anne, who had already finished eating.
'Is this consideration?'
The family head had waited until Anne had eaten her fill. Though no such emotion or consideration could be felt in his words, seeing him ask only now, it could be considered such consideration.
'Is it his habit to speak through actions whatever he does?'
Instead of showing emotions?
That's what Enkrid thought.
The others seemed familiar with it and said nothing. Alexandra Zaun only showed a quiet smile.
Her gaze seemed to be examining Anne's face, gestures, and attitude, but there was no malice in that look.
Anne swallowed and said what she had to say.
"I heard you suffer from a long illness, and I might be able to cure that disease."
It wasn't a definite answer, but Anne's attitude as she spoke carried a determination to definitely do so.
Looking at it this way, her backbone wasn't to be taken lightly either.
'All the acts of readily taking medicine and sleeping while knowing her life was in danger, and entrusting her life to Ragna—these would be difficult with ordinary backbone.'
That was Enkrid's assessment.
"You're talking about the heavenly punishment inflicted on us."
Grida added an explanation. The Zaun family each suffered from chronic ailments. In recent years, the severity had worsened.
Even at Anne's words, the family head remained calm. Not even the corner of his eye twitched.
'Would there ever be a change in expression on that face?'
Even if an arm were cut off, he would probably just stare blankly like that.
'No, he wouldn't just watch.'
If the fight was over, he would stop the bleeding, wouldn't he? And if the fight wasn't over, he would take the opponent's neck in exchange for giving up his arm. The aura he quietly emanated was still amazing.
He seemed like he would draw his sword at any moment, but conversely, even if someone suddenly ambushed him, he also seemed like he would just watch blankly.
In other words, unpredictable.
"A son who wants the Sunrise."
The family head opened his mouth. Having paused his words, he looked around the assembly and continued.
"And a reckless young lady who says she'll cure the disease."
"And there's also Schmidt."
His wife added. She gestured toward the recruitment officer as she spoke.
The recruitment officer's name seemed to be Schmidt. He had clearly been acquainted with the family head and his wife for a long time.
"Tempe, this is also a proposal for you and your family."
Schmidt changed his tone. If earlier he had spoken as the Empire's recruitment officer, now he spoke in a friendly tone.
"Still no."
The family head answered again, showing firm will. Though emotionless, the will contained in his words was clear.
Schmidt let out another groan.
"What's your name?"
Alexandra put down her fork and knife, neatly stacking her plates as she asked Anne. Anne also organized her utensils similarly and answered.
"I'm Anne. I'm an alchemist, but I work on curing diseases. Don't you have someone people look for when they're sick here too? I do similar work to that person."
If it was a group living together, there would be people they sought when they fell ill or got sick.
"When we get sick or show signs of that disease I mentioned earlier, we look for Mileschia. And Mileschia is also the godmother to these children."
Alexandra gestured with her hand toward Ragna and Grida as she spoke, then looked steadily at Anne. Was what was contained in that gaze exploration? Or suspicion?
Grida had called this a heavenly punishment.
'A punishment sent by heaven.'
It would be in the same context as calling it a curse.
Also, even though Anne had said she would cure this, calling it a disease rather than a curse, Magrun hadn't particularly entrusted his body to her or held any expectations.
Not just that he didn't say to try once or examine his body—he had never shown such signs at all.
'There are no expectations.'
This was because he knew they had met other healers and tried various attempts.
'If not that, maybe this woman called Mileschia is such a great healer that if she couldn't do it, he knows others can't easily do it either.'
The place Magrun said he would stop by upon arriving here would be where this person called Mileschia was.
His physical condition hadn't been normal throughout the journey.
They say alchemists represent their skills by their age.
No matter how outstanding their talent and ability, it was a field where it was difficult to show results without investing time.
From her appearance, Anne looked young enough to have just turned twenty. This point would also have acted as an element making it difficult to have any expectations of her.
In other words.
'The family head will refuse.'
This was a prediction based on logic.
The family head paused briefly and then opened his mouth.
"If there's anything you need, say it. Anne. And though you've returned after a long time, it would be good to have a familiar face help. Grida."
"Yes, I'll do that."
The prediction failed.
"Ragna, are you ready?"
The family head's gaze touched Ragna's forehead. The torn hair and traces of being hit were evident.
"Not today."
Ragna answered, and the family head was about to dismiss the gathering. He was about to organize the tableware and tell everyone to rest.
Enkrid asked in that gap.
"Why don't you ask about my business?"
Alexandra answered instead.
"It was too obvious, so I didn't ask."
Obvious? Enkrid knew he wasn't such a simple person.
Just because he was straightforward didn't mean he was simple.
His being here was to protect Anne, he intended to report the truth about what happened while coming here, and he was also in a position to cheer for Ragna as his friend.
Moreover, what was happening in Zaun now wasn't simple either.
Enkrid was prepared to get involved in this complexity if things went wrong, so he knew his business couldn't possibly be concluded with just a word or two.
Therefore, that word "obvious" could be said to have blind spots. It could also be called an error.
'It would be fair to call it a contradiction too.'
Enkrid concluded inwardly. Whatever the opponent said, he would point out that contradiction.
Having finished such mental preparation, the family head said to Enkrid.
"Tomorrow morning, let's spar alternately with my wife and me."
Enkrid answered without even breathing.
"Yes, let's do that."
A duel. Then couldn't other problems be postponed for a bit?
Odinkar's disappearance? He had disappeared voluntarily. In other words, this should be seen as running away or going out, not disappearance.
Ragna had said he would go out briefly and returned now as an adult after leaving in childhood.
If Ragna could do that, Odinkar could too.
Even if not, didn't they say men sometimes need a cave to stay alone?
If that's what he needed now, it could be so.
The attacks that happened while coming here?
Would anything change by telling the family head about that now?
Someone had tried to kill Anne and interfered with coming here. That was all. And wouldn't Grida or Magrun take care of telling him all these things?
'It's not something I need to step forward for.'
Therefore, he could just duel.
There was nothing complicated. Even if the situation was complex, Enkrid knew how to see it simply.
'That's who I am.'
Enkrid drew out rationality from within himself and completed it.
"Then let's see each other tomorrow. You may go. Show them where to stay."
Everyone left without complaint, but only Schmidt, the Empire's recruitment officer, didn't lift his rear from his chair.
As they left the reception room-dining room, Enkrid's gaze briefly touched Schmidt.
"Please come this way."
A neatly dressed servant guided Enkrid. Schmidt's voice was heard through the creaking closing dining room door.
"Will you really do this?"
If not resentment that pierced to the bone, it was at least somewhat reproachful.
The doors that had opened on both sides closed, and the long line created between the doors seemed to separate this world from that world.
Through that line, the family head's eyes and Enkrid's eyes briefly met.
'Should I call it amber?'
The family head's eyes, reflecting the lamp's color, shone orange.
Thud.
Along with the heavy closing sound of the weighted door, Schmidt's urging words were heard.
"Say something. This isn't for my sake."
Those words were not indifferent. Anyone could tell there was clearly concern in the background.
'If not for himself.'
For whose sake was he saying it?
Such a question arose, but it wasn't something to interfere with. Shouldn't he prepare for tomorrow right away?
Enkrid walked with his back to the closed door.
Just because one is a Knight doesn't mean what one must do with their own hands changes. For instance, just swinging a sword doesn't make the sweat smell embedded in dust-covered Fairy undergarments disappear.
It's the same with removing the layers of dust accumulated on the cloak used to block wind, and the stones and black dirt clumps stuck to the boot soles.
Just swinging a sword doesn't solve it.
The words of someone who had once mastered mercenary work came to mind. Even at nearly fifty, if he ate by the sword and was respected, he could fairly be called a mercenary king.
He should have retired or died before that, but surviving proved his humanity and could be said to have been chosen by the goddess of luck.
Anyway, he had said.
"Originally, preparation is seven out of ten in fighting. Isn't it too obvious that someone who sharpens their blade well and manages their equipment well has the advantage?"
Agreed. Enkrid had considered his words gems and taken them to heart.
'The boot soles could probably be done with a sword.'
Enkrid scraped and maintained his boot soles with the tip of his shortsword in front of his assigned quarters.
They were boots reinforced with Pen-Hanil mountain troll leather and iron plates. Though worn from long use, they were still sturdy.
He lifted his shoes to smell them, but no terrible stench came from them.
Grida, with solid experience as a guide, threw a leather pouch as she passed by.
"If you put that in there, the smell will fade a bit."
When he caught it with a thud, white stones and such came out, but looking closely, it was soap that had dried from long disuse. If left in dry shoes overnight, it would catch the odor.
"Where are you going?"
"Since I've returned after a long time, I'm going to look around here and there."
As she spoke and stepped out, the setting sun created shadows in front of Grida. Those shadows busily shrank and soon disappeared.
Grida's steps weren't much different from when coming here. They were as fast as necessary.
Either there were many places to visit here and there, or there were plenty of things to investigate—it had to be one of the two.
'I should do some laundry.'
Enkrid thought as he found the well in the castle, drew water, and washed and wrung out his undergarments and cloak.
Even if swinging a sword a few times wouldn't make the cloak clean, there was no need to mention that a Knight's superior strength was excellent when wringing out laundry.
Crunch.
The sturdy cloak twisted and spat the moisture it had absorbed back to the ground.
Soon Ragna and Anne also came out and did similar things.
Several maids approached and handed over small clubs. They were giving them to beat the laundry. They looked sickly with dark circles under their eyes.
"Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Seeing this, Anne asked.
"I'm fine."
The maid answered. Enkrid's eyes swept over the answering maid's waist. Even maids carried swords here.
"Well then."
After checking equipment, catching up on accumulated laundry, and examining the shortsword and horn dagger among others, it was already night.
Though they had arrived when the sun was up, time had passed quickly while washing, eating, and organizing.
When he lay his body on the bed filled with feathers and wool, drowsiness immediately rushed over him.
Just because one is a Knight doesn't mean one can do laundry with a sword, nor is stamina unlimited.
When it's time to rest, one must rest. Enkrid saw now as that time.
Ragna was in the left room, and next to it was Anne's room.
Just a brief thought, and he quickly fell asleep.
And upon opening his eyes, Enkrid glimpsed the Ferryman in passing.
The owner of poor taste holding a lamp said.
"Protect."
It was a statement without an object. Therefore, it was difficult to know exactly what it meant.
"Schmidt, the discussion is over."
Alexandra shook her head.
While maids and working servants cleared the table, the three moved to the small adjacent reception room.
Schmidt took a sip of tea brewed from dried flower petals. His throat was parched. This was because he couldn't understand their stubbornness.
"Alex, you need help."
Schmidt was anxious, but he knew work wouldn't proceed without their permission.
"That doesn't mean I can bear the name of shield and become a duke of the Empire."
Tempest Zaun, the family's head, answered while supporting his chin with clasped hands.
"Tempe."
"Stop it, Schmidt. I won't accept a title from the Empire."
The Empire had asked Zaun to come under Imperial territory for a very long time.
They would give him a duke's title, so become the shield of the east. That's why it was Shield Duke.
Tempest Zaun, owner of the nickname Tempe, had repeatedly refused.
"To cure the disease, the Empire's power is needed."
Schmidt said.
The Empire wasn't a group that put philanthropy first. They were people who thoroughly calculated profit.
Schmidt wanted to help them, but for him to help them, Zaun had to extend their hand first.
"It's not necessary."
The family head shook his head.
"That's not a curse."
Schmidt said again.
The family head closed his mouth. That mouth closed like a clam wouldn't open easily once shut. Schmidt knew this well.
When he turned his gaze, Alex—the woman who had once been his stepsister—shook her head.
"Give it up, Schmidt."
"Why?"
"I've told you many times. The family head won't swing his sword for others just to save his own life. Zaun has the freedom for each person to swing their sword for what they want."
They fill their deficiencies with swords. They also pursue freedom with swords. Since Zaun was such a place, they wouldn't become the Empire's shield.
So if the family head here decided to become the Empire's shield, they could no longer be Zaun.
They would just become part of the Empire, swords that cut down the enemies the Emperor pointed to.
Since Zaun didn't pursue such a life, they couldn't do so.
"What use is all that if you die?"
Schmidt was frustrated, but he only realized he couldn't achieve his will this time either.
There are things more precious than life in the world. Some call it dreams, and others might call it obstinacy or stubbornness.
The family head had something similar too.