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Chapter : 22
Knights’ Headquarters
A lazy afternoon, warm sunlight spilling into the study.
“That’s impossible.”
Amid the drowsy atmosphere, Lowell shot to his feet, nearly knocking over the desk.
“There’s no way the young lady would suddenly say something like this to me!”
He crushed the envelope in his fist and muttered as if he still couldn’t believe it. Between Lowell’s fingers, the crest of the Heinstein family marked the seal.
“It is a little sudden.”
Leon glanced once at Lowell, who was fuming all alone, and spoke in an indifferent tone.
“A little? It’s nothing close to a little.”
“So what are you going to do? The lady says she feels burdened staying in touch with you. What do you think you can do about it?”
“How could she feel burdened? The young lady and I have been close friends for years! And that kind of relationship suddenly becomes a burden?”
“Well…”
Only then did Leon finally turn his body to face Lowell. Lowell had his lips clamped tight as he glared at the floor. Leon had never seen him so angry.
“And even if she did feel burdened, she’s not the kind of person who would say so through a letter. The young lady is endlessly kind and gentle!”
Finally, his strength seemed to give out. The letter slipped limply from Lowell’s hand.
The paper fluttered onto the desk. Even at a glance, the writing on it looked flimsy—empty.
[Lowell. I’ve already recovered enough, so you don’t need to visit me anymore.
And you’re no longer a person of Heinstein.
I’d appreciate it if you stopped contacting me like this. It’s burdensome.]
It was a strange letter on many fronts. Every letter from the Heinstein estate had always been over five pages long—yet this one was three sentences.
“Pretends to have so much to say all the time, and then suddenly this.”
Leon pictured how Lowell would fly to get Aria’s letters the moment they arrived, reading them over and over for the whole day.
“Someone clearly meddled.”
Lowell glared at Leon and ground his teeth.
“And who exactly do you think meddled?”
Leon wondered for a moment why Lowell was glaring at him, but still asked with some semblance of calm.
“Shion Heinstein… It has to be him. It’s always that guy. This time too.”
“The young viscount? Why would he bother?”
“He has reasons. Plenty. And even if he didn’t, he’d make one.”
Fury burned violently in Lowell’s eyes. Leon looked into that fire and wondered if Lowell might actually charge at the young viscount if he were standing in front of him now.
“Hm. But even if the young viscount meddled, the lady still made her choice, didn’t she?”
Even amid the anger, logic remained. Leon glanced at the letter, then back at Lowell.
“What?”
“The lady is also living through this seventh cycle, same as you. So she would know better than anyone what consequences her choices bring.”
“…”
“So even if someone interfered, ultimately she judged and chose.”
The flames in Lowell’s eyes visibly dimmed.
“She must have had her reasons.”
Leon ended it there, lifting his teacup as calmly as before.
“…”
Leon only looked again when Lowell stayed silent far too long. At some point, Lowell had sunk onto the sofa, shoulders slack, gaze dropped. He looked lost in thought.
“You’re right. The young lady made this choice…”
Lowell murmured after a long pause.
“To her, I’m just someone who left the house and has nothing to do with her anymore, but maybe I’ve been overreacting.”
“No—.”
That wasn’t what Leon meant. He wanted to end the sentence properly.
“The carriage is ready, my lord.”
But Hilda entered the study just then, cutting their conversation short. Leon couldn’t finish.
“It’s noon already. Let’s go. You’re heading to the Knights’ Headquarters, right?”
Lowell stood and forced a weak smile. Before Leon could read the emotion behind it, Lowell turned and left the study.
“My lord?”
“…Let’s go.”
Leon only managed to rise after Hilda called him again.
Evening neared.
Leon parted ways with Lowell, who went to the market to buy more herbs, and headed straight to the Knights’ Headquarters. There was something he had to deal with.
“…If I knew you’d storm in like this, I would have met your wife first.”
Leon flung the office door open, but Agnes only scanned him up and down, smirking with interest.
“What did you tell her?”
Leon’s face held not a trace of humor.
“Oh? Worried I might have said something unpleasant?”
“You absolutely would.”
“Why? Because my last name is Lanistan? Sounds like your resentment toward my father grew while I was gone.”
Agnes almost hummed the words. The tone was dripping with intention, and Leon scowled.
“Bored of this topic? Fine. Let’s get to the point.”
The playful smile vanished. Agnes sat casually on the desk.
“The Empire sees the demon invasion as a major act of provocation. And conveniently, the number of monsters is skyrocketing.”
“And what are you getting at?”
“Join the war. Hearing from your wife confirmed it—once the investigation of the Heinstein villa incident wraps up, the Empire plans to expand the war.”
“Hah…”
Leon let out a humorless laugh.
“The Third Knight Order needs power like yours.”
“Fascinating. They toss me out, and now I’m supposed to come running for war?”
“A wide-scale war needs every magic knight it can get. You’re valuable.”
Agnes’ expression was so unbothered that Leon wondered if she thought she was offering him a casual favor rather than enlistment.
“I’m not a knight anymore. Under what authority would I join a war?”
“Recruits will be granted the title of Special Knight.”
“You mean like the title given to the Heinstein lady?”
“You’re well informed. Yes—you’ll receive the same.”
“You’re talking as if it’s a foregone conclusion.”
Leon’s brows tightened.
“Yes. Because I believe you will.”
“Oh? And why’s that?”
“You came here. To Headquarters. To the commander’s office, even. You’re not the type to show up without a goal. You came to get something. And besides…”
Agnes trailed off, hand drifting toward the desk.
Shff.
It was instant. She grabbed the dagger lying on the desk, imbued it with mana, and hurled it at Leon.
“…What do you think you’re doing?”
Leon stopped the straight-flying blade mid-air with magic. A thick vein pulsed on his cheek.
“You’ve gotten stronger. Much more than when you left the Order.”
She must have seen the fury—but her eyes gleamed only with curiosity.
The dagger clattered to the floor.
“What does one have to do to reach that level so fast, I wonder.”
Agnes let her eyes roam over him—not a question, but an assessment. The dense mana wrapping him, the dark, midnight scent filling the room—things she’d never sensed before.
“I don’t see why I need to tell you that.”
Leon stared her down, voice broken by contained heat.
“Well, fine. I doubt you’d use that strength to destroy the Order… so put it to good use. You haven’t forgotten your knightly honor just because you quit, have you?”
Her light tone returned.
“The commander approves of this?”
“Of course. He’s the one who sent me to speak to you. You know him—he keeps work and emotion separate.”
Agnes smiled, easing the tension without losing sharpness.
“Earn merit as a Special Knight, and returning to the Order will be nothing—especially with mana like that.”
She watched the magic radiating off him.
Then she tossed him a badge bearing the crest of the Khan Empire.
“I hope we meet again soon.”
