Oran Knight is out (2/3 chapters for today)
A Promise to Meet Again
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*Today’s Diary*
It was a tiring day, with a snowstorm, bandit attacks, and a reunion with Willard.
After Heinz revealed his cards to Willard’s group, it was Sonia and Hana’s turn.
Willard was bombarded with questions about his feelings for Maria and became flustered. Seeing this, Lux, Heinz, and Willard’s friends Gazelle and Sheikh shared a laugh. Thus, we stayed lively in the carriage until late at night.
Tomorrow, both we and Willard will return to our respective homes.
Tomorrow will be an early start.
I should get some sleep.
—
The inside of the fort was warm, but because of that, the temperature difference when leaving the fort was tough for me. Heinz and Willard, who were used to the cold, seemed perfectly fine. I was impressed, or rather, slightly exasperated.
We were outside the fort to see Willard off. There was no one else seeing him off. Since Willard and the others were technically part of the enemy’s military, there were various inconveniences in having a send-off.
“Heads up, is the northern fort quite a distance away?” (Heinz)
Heinz asked.
“No, it’s the same path we came on. We’ll arrive by evening.” (Willard)
Willard replied.
I feel a little conflicted about the fact that people are getting hurt or even killed because of this level of distance. Later I heard that this area has a balanced military force, so it’s not a big deal, but in other places, territorial shifts can happen drastically.
“Be careful on your way back.” (Sonia)
“Thanks, Sonia. I’ll leave the letter matter to you.” (Willard)
In the end, Sonia would be taking care of the letter to Maria. Once Maria returned from her family’s home, she would give it to her at the right time.
I feel bad for Willard, but I have to explain the situation, so it’ll likely be when everyone is around.
“Well, we can’t just dawdle here. We need to get going. Well then, see you again.” (Heinz)
We’ll meet again during the academy’s competition. Even if we’re not selected, there will at least be time to talk.
“Yeah. See you again after the New Year.” (Willard)
When I said that, Willard, who had begun turning his back, quickly turned around again. It seemed like he remembered something.
“Have a happy new year!” (Willard)
With that New Year’s greeting, he finally turned and started walking north.
“Have a happy new year!” (Everyone)
We threw the same words toward his retreating figure.
—
After seeing Willard and the others off, we had breakfast with Beretta-san and the others, and then we began preparing to head home in a hurry. She had told us to take our time and rest a little longer, but with the sudden tasks at the year’s end, the soldiers dispatched from the academy would surely want to get home soon.
Beretta-san, of course, didn’t press us too hard. Also, there were things we had to tell the families of the soldiers who died in action. We couldn’t afford to just relax either. We had originally planned to walk back with the other soldiers, but surprisingly, Remnos provided us with a carriage.
Officially, it was a reward for protecting Beretta-san from the bandits the other day. Though, it was probably also a gesture of consideration from the royal family of Remnos, who wanted to protect Heinz’s identity.
During preparations, I was called into a room by General Verger. I was puzzled about why I had been summoned, but when I entered the room, General Isaiah was there as well. Since I was on the smaller side, the pressure from the two of them was overwhelming.
“I apologize for taking your time in the middle of your busy schedule.” (Verger)
Verger, also known as Bear no. 1, said with a hint of humor, and I replied, “It’s no trouble at all.”
“I should have spoken with you last night, but you were busy with the Solar children, and I was caught up in the bandit incident.” (Verger)
“I see. What’s this about…?” (Lux)
“First of all, I want to express my gratitude.” (Verger)
General Verger stood up and gave me a deep bow, and General Isaiah followed his lead. I was surprised by this sudden formality.
“Um… What’s going on here?” (Lux)
“Well, this is my way of thanking you for helping save Beretta-sama. I didn’t notice the ambush team. If they had reached Beretta-sama’s carriage, things would have turned out badly. You were alone and managed to pick off so many of them while protecting the princess. You should be proud. I’d even like to recruit you for my country right now.” (Verger)
Verger released his bow and smiled. I could only feel humbled by his words.
“I was thinking of giving you a reward, but as you know, the three countries are in a delicate balance, and we’re heading toward a ceasefire. I don’t want to make a big deal of the bandit incident.” (Verger)
“No, I don’t mind at all…” (Lux)
“But, I will remember this as a significant debt. If you ever find yourself in trouble, don’t hesitate to ask.” (Verger)
“Yes. Thank you very much.” (Lux)
I wondered what kind of problem I could ask Remnos’ heroic general to solve.
After listening quietly, General Isaiah spoke up when the conversation seemed to have reached its conclusion.
“Now then, I have something else I want to ask you. I heard from someone last night, and I need to confirm something. Your name is Fort Lux, correct?” (Isaiah)
“Yes, that’s right…” (Lux)
“I apologize if I’m mistaken, but are you related to Fort Ross-dono?” (Isaiah)
Unexpectedly, my grandfather’s name was brought up.
—
I was surprised but confirmed it, and General Isaiah nodded.
“I thought so…” (Isaiah)
He gestured for me to sit, and when I did, a tea was prepared. General Isaiah seemed ready to talk.
The bitterness and unique flavor are pleasant to the cold body. This was the Snow-free flower tea. General Isaiah took a sip of the tea and exhaled deeply.
“Ross-dono’ grandson… the child from that time has grown up.” (Isaiah)
“Do you know about my grandfather?” (Lux)
“I know him very well. Colonel Ross saved my life more than once.” (Isaiah)
…Colonel? The old man?
When I gave him a puzzled look, General Isaiah hesitated.
“… It seems that Colonel Ross hasn’t spoken about this, has he?” (Isaiah)
“I didn’t hear anything. Can you tell me?” (Lux)
“Of course. Colonel Ross and I have been on the front lines together many times. Colonel Ross is a little older than me, and he has always been kind to me since I was a rookie knight (ritter). Your grandfather was known as the ‘White Fang’, and was a true hero who was greatly feared by the enemy.” (Isaiah)
“Grandfather was a hero? That’s hard to believe.” (Lux)
“It’s true. He was a man with genius skills as a sniper. When I heard what you said today, I remembered Colonel Ross, and I never thought I’d see your name ending in ‘Fort’. Why did you go to the military academy?” (Isaiah)
I briefly explained why I had joined the military academy, invited by Rita-san from the southern village.
“I see… Perhaps it’s fate. One more question. What do you know about your parents?” (Isaiah)
“… Grandfather told me that my parents died from an epidemic a long time ago.” (Lux)
“… Would you like to hear the truth?” (Isaiah)
Seeing General Isaiah’s serious expression, I replied “Yes” with a straight face as well.
“… Understood. Your parents were both military personnel, excellent soldiers. However, they died in combat. You had a younger sibling, right? A baby at the time. Normally, your parents would never have gone to war.” (Isaiah)
“They weren’t supposed to go to battle?” (Lux)
“No, they had no choice. There was an unavoidable request.” (Isaiah)
“I see…” (Lux)
“One more thing. It’s not entirely clear, but there were rumors at the time that your parents died due to a betrayal from within their own ranks.” (Isaiah)
“Betrayal? Why?” (Lux)
“Out of jealousy toward Colonel Ross, or perhaps under some threat… It’s said that a certain noble was involved behind the scenes. This isn’t certain, but Colonel Ross left the military and vanished afterward.” (Isaiah)
“Do you know the name of the noble?” (Lux)
“You have the right to know. I’ll tell you. The noble’s name was Deran. He is now one of the most powerful military nobles.” (Isaiah)
“Deran…” (Lux)
I realized that the military noble who had slandered Rita-san also had that name.
“If the Deran Household realizes that you are Colonel Ross’ grandchild, they may try to do something, regardless of your intentions. Be cautious. If it becomes too much to handle, run. Seek refuge in Remnos and turn to General Verger for help.” (Isaiah)
So, this is why General Verger is here. And how it connects to what was said earlier.
I thanked both generals for their consideration.
“Actually, I would love to share more stories about Colonel Ross, but unfortunately, time is running out. We can continue when we meet again. I look forward to that.” (Isaiah)
“Thank you. I also look forward to hearing more about Grandfather.” (Lux)
I shook hands with General Isaiah.
As I was about to leave the room, General Isaiah suddenly spoke.
“By the way, Rita… and I believe Lulu are both at the academy now. Are they doing well?” (Isaiah)
“You know them?” (Lux)
“Well, yes. I’m an old acquaintance. They’re well-known on the front lines. Both as excellent soldiers and as troublemakers, a pair that always seems to be together.” (Isaiah)
Leaving aside Lulu-san, it was amusing to hear that Rita-san was also considered a troublemaker, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
Thus, after many events, our mission ended, and we hurried back to our town, looking forward to the warm soup prepared by the dorm mother.
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