NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17
A majestic sound of trumpets. Knights clad in brilliant armor filled the surroundings.
Amidst them, a lion walked in, spreading a red carpet and lowering its voice.
“Lord Clausewitz. Duke of Bertier Empire commands your attention!”
…Such a thing did not happen. Sorry, this was all my imagination.
Since an official from the Empire had come, I expected something along those lines.
However, what I saw was a single knight politely delivering something.
And my father, responding right away, promising to give an answer.
“Hmm.”
My father, after checking the letter first, shared its contents with the family.
“…Your Highness the Second Princess is calling for you, Kael.”
“Her Highness the Second Princess is calling for me?”
“For now, yes.”
For now, yes. That ‘for now’ hints at something, doesn’t it?
The assumption is clear. The Second Princess was chosen to minimize the burden on me.
She wouldn’t be so rude as to call someone who just returned home back again.
But still, if she’s calling for me in the name of Her Highness, there’s only one reason.
‘In reality, a higher authority wants to summon me but wishes to keep it secret.’
I shouldn’t refuse in the first place, but if that’s true, I have to go without question.
I considered departing immediately, but perhaps out of consideration, the letter had a note saying, ‘Take your time.’
That doesn’t truly mean to come slowly; it means to set off the day after receiving the letter.
“I should set out early tomorrow morning, Kael.”
“I’ll have Alexei call you again, my dear.”
“Yes. Please do, Father, Mother.”
Right now, I needed to comfort someone who might be the most displeased with the current situation.
*
How long has it been since I returned home that I’m headed back to the Empire again?
Still, my parents seemed to understand, but Kaya did not.
“This isn’t right! Do you know that you just arrived yesterday?!”
Kaya, seated on a bench in the garden, was expressing her dissatisfaction about accepting this.
At least she wasn’t stubborn like when she was little, insisting that I shouldn’t go.
“I know. But what can I do? There must be something urgent.”
“Dad said there’s nothing more important than resting. Right now, you need to rest at home!”
“Can’t I rest after going to the Empire?”
At my question, Kaya glanced at me and shook her head.
“I just don’t think that’ll be possible, brother.”
“Hmm…”
To be honest, I felt the same way. It didn’t seem like something that would end quickly.
When I departed for the Empire, I greeted several noble people.
So it was impossible for the Imperial Palace not to know about my departure.
With a rough calculation of the time, it’s not hard to guess the arrival date.
Yet, the fact that they sent someone indicates it’s an urgent matter.
“I’m a bit anxious, brother.”
“What about?”
“It’s not Dad but you specifically being summoned. Not even a Duke, but someone with no title.”
“Perhaps they want to give a significant task to me.”
“Or are they giving me a big job?”
…
At times like this, it weighs on my mind how clever my younger sister is.
It would be wonderful if I could comfort her with a little lie.
But I felt I probably couldn’t do that for my entire life.
“Kaya.”
“…”
“Brother, you need to prepare soon. If you’re late, it’ll be a big deal. It’s an imperial command.”
“Just five more minutes.”
Kaya clinged to me, not wanting to let go.
Anyone would mistake us for a couple in a sweet romance if they saw us.
I can’t let any strange rumors spread that would affect my sister’s future.
“Actually, I was going to keep this a secret until tomorrow….”
“Huh? Kaya, what did you just say?”
When I asked because I didn’t hear her properly, Kaya mumbled quietly.
“I… defeated them all.”
“Defeated them all?”
“Our family’s knights.”
“Wait, what? You’ve defeated all our family’s knights?”
“Yep.”
“You won against the vice-captain too, if we’re excluding the captain?”
—Nod nod.
Kaya responded affirmatively without a hint of hesitation.
Surely, she wouldn’t lie to me. Absolutely not.
That’s why it was all the more astonishing. I was so taken aback I couldn’t even speak properly.
I knew she was dedicated to her training, saying she would protect me since childhood.
Her achievements were impressive compared to my lack of talent in physical endeavors.
After all, the knights used to clap when they saw Kaya wielding a spear back then.
But Kaya is only just fifteen now. She’s still just a girl.
Let alone joining battles, she hasn’t even reached adulthood.
Yet now, this Kaya claims to have defeated all our family’s knights?
Did she really manage to beat even those comparable to the captain or vice-captain with her skills??
“Really? You really defeated the knights and the vice-captain?”
“Yep.”
“Were they—”
“They wouldn’t have gone easy on me, brother.”
Well, true enough. The knights who fought alongside Father on the battlefield are no ordinary folk.
Even if it’s Kaya, being the daughter of their lord, that’d be unacceptable.
It’d be appropriate to give their all and then provide necessary guidance afterward.
“That’s incredible….”
“Is that all?”
Kaya rolled her eyes. Obviously, this couldn’t be the end of it.
It’s no small feat for a fifteen-year-old girl to defeat an official knight.
“Our Kaya is a genius. A genius.”
“Hehehe.”
As I ruffled her hair, she immediately became flustered.
Was that look like a puppy? No, a cat that follows only me?
Ah, I definitely do not treat my sister like some pet.
“If this continues, you might even become the Empire’s best spearmen!”
“Hmm! I must be that good to help you when you become a Duke later, right?”
“Just being next to me is enough to help, Kaya.”
Of course. Family can just be there beside each other.
Though I couldn’t do that in my past life, it’s different in this one. It can be changed.
They are not the ones sacrificing themselves for me; I am the one for them.
To achieve that, I’m willing to be a genius strategist or anything.
*
“Let’s head inside, Kaya. We need to get going early tomorrow morning….”
“You go in first. I’ll stay out a little longer before heading in.”
With a bright smile, Kaya gently nudged me from behind.
Kael, who had been slightly puzzled by her words, soon nodded.
She’s not a five-year-old anymore; at fifteen, telling her to go to bed early is just nagging.
She’ll handle it just fine. She’s at that age and should be.
Still, it’s chilly in the night air, so I told her to hurry and went inside first.
“….”
Kaya, who was watching my back, turned her gaze to the night sky.
“Sigh.”
She felt uncomfortable. The lie sat heavily on her heart, driving her nearly mad.
Not just anyone, but I lied to Kael—the person I love the most in the world.
I shouldn’t have done that. Honestly saying it would’ve been far better.
Defeating our family’s knights. That’s true. Winning against the vice-captain. That’s true too.
But I only said that much. There was more to say, and there were parts I should’ve denied.
“The Empire’s best spearmen….”
I muttered the words Kael spoke earlier.
“Lady. Just when did you become this strong?”
After defeating the vice-captain, Kaya had fought secretly against our family’s knight captain.
The final result was a victory for the captain. Yet from the captain’s perspective, it was almost like a loss.
This was because he was neck and neck with someone much younger than him.
What’s more, she was trying to show her skills with a spear, not her main weapon.
“Impressive. To have such skill at just fifteen. It’s hard to believe.”
“I didn’t take it easy. I truly gave it my all.”
“By the way, Lady, why do you insist on using a spear?”
“If it weren’t for the spear, that duel would’ve been my defeat.”
“Isn’t your true skill in swordsmanship?”
That’s right. Kaya Clausewitz. In front of my brother, she portrays herself wielding a spear.
But her real skill lies not in the spear, but in the sword. She could defeat anyone with it.
Very few know this fact. Just two know in the Duke of Bertier’s domain.
One is the captain who dueled with Kaya, and the other is the Duke of Bertier himself.
Then why is she hiding this? Why is she showing her spear to Kael?
‘Since brother Kael is decent with a sword after all. I absolutely don’t want to take away his shine.’
The Clausewitz family, which has been active in the military for generations, had excellent physical capabilities.
In contrast, Kael only had slightly above-average physical abilities.
He’s not weak, but he’s not overwhelming either. His skills in martial arts hovered around the average.
At least his swordsmanship was quite good. He himself felt a bit proud of that.
And Kaya, having watched him closely, didn’t want to disrupt his skill in that area.
So she chose to wield a spear instead. That was more than enough to protect Kael.
‘Whether it’s a sword or spear, I don’t care. As long as it’s for brother Kael, anything is fine.’
As she gazed at the distant moon and stars in the night sky, Kaya smiled faintly.
*
“I’m ready, young master!”
“Okay. By the way, are you alright, Alexei? You didn’t rest at all after coming here.”
“It’s alright. Being in the Imperial Palace like this makes my heart race! Hahaha!”
Right? To be honest, my heart feels like it’s going to burst as well.
How long has it been since I had returned home? Now I’m heading back to the Empire.
The only difference is that my ultimate destination is the Imperial Palace.