SML Ch 30

Chapter 30

A Time of Rest (2)

As soon as Reynald returned to the castle, he went straight to wash off all the slime and foreign substances clinging to his body. Heide was horrified by Reynald’s appearance—as if he’d just crawled out of a sewer—and frantically offered to heat up water and asked him to wait a little, but Reynald himself merely said that an un-torn set of clothes would suffice, and immediately went in to wash.

Once Reynald disappeared to bathe, Heide’s attention shifted to the relatively clean and less grimy young men. No matter how immature they might be, the fact that the aging lord had taken on all the work and returned in that state, while the younger men remained mostly clean, clearly irritated her.

While Lyndon and a few other young men tried to explain the situation under Heide’s scolding, Alex recalled the earlier events with a rather complicated feeling.

‘How can a person move like that?’

The way Reynald had climbed up alone to where the tentacles were rampaging—leaping about as if he could fly—was simply astonishing. Alex had thought his own agility wasn’t bad, but he had never seen anyone move with such speed and strength.

This wasn’t a matter of age but of the limits of human capability. Honestly, with strength like that, he shouldn’t be treated lightly anywhere. So why had he come to this remote village? No, it wasn’t just about strength. That man himself was…

‘I had a vague intuition the first time I saw him. That man is too exceptional to remain in a place like this.’

The other young men teased him about being an old man, but when Alex first met Reynald, he felt an overwhelming presence that was difficult to describe. Just by being there, he commanded attention, and no matter what he said, people naturally listened. It was a kind of charisma that could compel not just a village of hundreds, but an army of thousands or tens of thousands, to turn their eyes to him.

Surely his arrival here had been some sort of mistake. He would likely return to where he belonged in a matter of days. If Alex hadn’t believed that deep down, he wouldn’t have reacted so sharply during their first meeting.

‘Even though he’s stayed here quite a while, I still don’t think I was wrong about him…’

The more time he spent with Reynald, the more convinced Alex became that he was no ordinary man. And today, he was forced to acknowledge something he had long tried to ignore. That lord—though he would likely scoff at the timing of such a realization—was, without a doubt, strikingly handsome.

His distinctly masculine and bold features drew the eye as much as his vivid red hair. His sharp impression could have been overwhelming, but there was a subtle gentleness in his gaze, and even the faint wrinkles brought on by age only highlighted an unexpected warmth rather than flaw.

Moreover, Alex had unintentionally seen the man’s bare body. Until now, Reynald had always worn thick clothing due to the cold, concealing it, but exposed beneath the torn remnants from the tentacle attacks was a body with well-balanced, defined muscles. Like the man himself, powerful yet strangely gentle…

‘What the hell am I thinking right now?!’

He hadn’t wanted to entertain such absurd thoughts. Feeling embarrassed, Alex shook his head roughly. His gaze happened to land on Volant, and he finally managed to calm himself. Volant seemed somewhat different than usual.

Unlike the other young men, Volant wore a rather somber expression. The other village youths also seemed to have noticed, but chose to ignore it, and Heide, having heard the situation from them, appeared to understand and asked nothing. Alex, sensing something off, cautiously asked Volant a question.

“That necklace… from last year, maybe?”

“Yeah…”

Volant nodded weakly and lowered his gaze. The new lord might not know, having only recently arrived, but the incident from last year was significant enough that even Alex—who, as an outsider, had a distant relationship with the villagers—knew of it.

It happened while Volant’s family was still alive. A traveler had come to Volant’s house, asking if he could stay the night. Looking back, Volant recalled that the man had seemed suspicious. Most notably, he wore a stark white mask that covered half of his face.

Still, the villagers were used to encountering outsiders fleeing from distant places, so they hadn’t been quick to turn him away. Volant’s family allowed the traveler to stay the night, and Volant had gone out to borrow oil from a neighbor.

When he returned, the traveler had inexplicably murdered his entire family. Enraged, Volant attacked him, but the man only cackled and fled. Naturally, the culprit was never caught, and Volant was left mourning the loss of his family.

It was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, and it clearly left Volant deeply traumatized. Though he usually tried to maintain a cheerful attitude, whenever something reminded him of the incident, he couldn’t help but grow gloomy.

“That thing… you said the necklace was valuable. Enchanted, even.”

“Yeah. I remember that guy wore something like it. I asked to keep it, thinking it might be a clue… If only I’d found it last year.”

“You’re not going to tell the lord?”

“Later. I want to think about it first.”

Since Volant said so, Alex simply nodded and said nothing more. If they told the lord, he would surely help without hesitation, but it was understandable that Volant would hesitate to make such a request of someone he hadn’t known long.

It would certainly be difficult to find clues alone, and it would be better to rely on Reynald, but Alex didn’t voice that thought. He himself wasn’t one to lean on others, so he wasn’t in a position to judge someone else’s choices.

That said, Volant’s nature differed from his own. While Alex tried to keep his distance and avoid forming attachments, Volant was the type who had a lot of affection, yet hated burdening others—so he bottled things up and suffered alone.

“Ahh, that was refreshing… Hm? Why are you all still here, unwashed?”

Surprisingly, Reynald had washed and changed in no time. As he emerged, Volant quickly stuffed the necklace into his pocket and put on a composed expression. Alex, catching a glimpse of Reynald’s damp red hair clinging to his pale nape, suddenly felt strange and hastily excused himself.

In the royal capital of the Carbonel Kingdom, three men of noble blood gathered in the king’s office. One was the king himself, and the other two were his sons. The king had three sons, and the ones present were the second and third princes.

“Arun, Serna. You can probably guess why I called you here, can’t you?”

Though the king was quite advanced in age, his eyes and posture still radiated strength. However, there was now a persistent bitterness and unease in his expression. The second prince Arun and third prince Serna nodded calmly. Both knew well the source of their father’s concern.

“There’s been no contact from Sir Reynald. He may have gotten caught up in some kind of trouble. You two, having long-standing ties with Sir Reynald just as I do, must be worried as well.”

The king’s words were about three-quarters accurate. It was true that there had been no contact from Reynald, that both princes had known him for a long time as their father’s old companion, and that Prince Arun was indeed concerned about the situation. However, Prince Serna wore a slightly reluctant expression, offering only a perfunctory nod.

It wasn’t that he disliked Sir Reynald. He simply had a more grounded understanding of Reynald’s capabilities.

“A man who once rode atop a dragon’s back to strike down its neck, struggling in some backwater fief? Really?”

“Foolish boy! You never know what might happen in life! Even a founding hero of a kingdom could perish after a scuffle with a beggar. I’ve told you many times never to let your guard down!”

If only he wouldn’t speak, he might be less annoying. Serna shrugged, thinking to himself. Through long observation, he had come to see right through his father’s psyche.

The man was just hopelessly obsessed. Not even with his own children—but with his friend. His ever-serious expression and dignified words might fool others, but Serna wasn’t deceived.

“Still, what makes you think Sir Reynald is in trouble?”

“There’s been no word. That alone is cause for concern.”

“There could be other explanations. Maybe Sir Reynald simply doesn’t want to see you anymore. Perhaps he’s a little upset.”

“Nonsense! How could that be? Sir Reynald is the most loyal of knights!”

Even the most loyal knight might get angry after being strung along for thirty years, wouldn’t he? Serna found himself pitying Reynald. From him, he’d learned just how painful it was to be targeted by someone powerful, clever, and utterly lacking in self-awareness.

He could still vividly remember seeing Reynald off, delighted at the prospect of retirement. But upon arrival, to find his assigned territory in such a dismal state—who wouldn’t get upset and go silent for a while? Yet it seemed the king hadn’t even considered that possibility.

“Honestly, if you’re so worried, why did you let him go on the subjugation mission?”

“He wanted to go. How could I refuse? At least in the past I could be at ease, knowing he had a proper guard with him. But this time, he went alone.”

“He always charges ahead to the front lines. What’s the point of a guard then? Actually, wasn’t that more of a strike force than a protection detail?”

“Still, it’s better than nothing. Sir Reynald is powerful, yes, but far too reckless. I thought he’d mellow out with age, but no such luck. He always insists on handling things personally—I can’t help but worry.”

“Well, I suppose that’s true…”

“Still, I’ve never denied him anything he’s asked for. I always granted his requests, didn’t I?”

You never granted his one big request—stepping down as knight commander and retiring. Serna sighed lightly, wondering how he and his father could speak the same language and still not understand each other.