153 – I will be the ember.
The cloud family mansion.
The head room of Cloud, which leads to prestigious among knights. There was only a cold atmosphere there now.
“Sure.”
The head of the cloud family. Conrad broke the silence.
Hair that shimmers silver when exposed to light, and a cross-shaped scar under the eyes. The dignity as if the sword had been forged into a human form clearly revealed that he was not an ordinary person.
“You mean it was defeated, the verification failed, and it returned without being able to claim Fritz?”
“….”
“You haven’t even played against the noisy flans lately, it sounds like you just lost to the blue flames.”
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“Sorry.”
January bowed his head.
Now standing in front of Conrad, he looked ugly. His hair was burnt and curled up in places, and his exposed skin was full of burn marks.
“Didn’t you assure me that you could get Fritz?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know if you know what happened.”
“Sorry.”
That was all January could say.
For a while, there was no sound in the household room. It was all that Conrad occasionally swallowed and exhaled cigar smoke a few times.
The one who broke the silence was Conrad’s daughter who was standing beside him. She was Elpis.
“You say you are sorry, but you are alive.”
A cold, sharp voice like an icicle.
Hair shining silver like a sword blade and a tattoo in the form of a cross on his cheek. Her appearance resembled her father’s, but her ‘likeness’ was not limited to her appearance.
“Why are there no words? If it’s too quiet, I’ll want to dig out a spot somewhere.”
Elpis inherited Conrad’s cold personality. She is the complete opposite of Qian, the round and sociable student in charge of Cheongun.
“January, can you keep quiet even if your finger is cut off? Please say something.”
“Sorry. I’m really sorry.”
January only looked at her toes as she lowered her elongated head. However, Elpis continued his next words as if it was not over yet.
“You guys asked for the Cloud family’s cooperation first. By emphasizing several times that Fritz is in your hands.”
“… Yes.”
The way the Cloud family created the current high status was simple. With Elpis’ insight, the capital was rolled, and if there was static, Conrad removed it.
So, it was also Elpis who stepped forward and agreed to this cooperation. For Cloud, who always grew up eating something, Fritz was also a really good prey.
“The appearance of a famous wizard family stepping up and being loyal to the knights, blocking the construction of the Mage Tower, and the support of other knights…. It was a business that could accomplish all of this at once.”
Elpis fiddled with the handle of her sword.
“It was a complete failure. January, what did you do the most wrong? Do you know that?”
I quietly drew the sword and pointed it at January’s neck.
January swallowed dry saliva and opened his mouth.
“Routing…. What happened… ?”
“Wrong. That’s very accurate.”
Elpis snorted.
“That’s right, you mentioned the Cloud family. If I lost, I should have just killed him quietly. Thanks to you, Cloud has become a family tied to mere losers.”
“If it’s a punishment, I’ll take it.”
“Yes. The most effective solution is execution.”
Just as Elpis tried to force his wrists.
Conrad opened her mouth.
“Stop.”
In just two letters, all movement inside the room stopped. Conrad’s gaze was neither on January nor on Elpis.
His eyes were on April, who was standing still behind him.
“April.”
“Yes.”
“You lost too.”
“Yes. Conrad.”
Conrad’s gaze narrowed as he talked to April. He took a deep breath in his cigar and asked.
“April, there is no vengeance on your face.”
Conrad’s biggest question was first of all.
If you look back at the first time they visited Cloud Mansion, April and January were people full of ambition on their faces.
The desire to somehow satisfy one’s own interests even if one puts down one’s pride as a wizard. I liked that, but….
April now doesn’t see that.
“Am I right?”
“Yes. Conrad.”
“I need to hear the reason.”
It wasn’t until then that Elpis spilled April with an anxious look. It wasn’t until a long time later that the person in question broke the silence.
“I realized.”
“I realized. Did you say that?”
“That…. It was a flame worthy of Fritz.”
Although it was a mess, April continued to speak calmly.
“I got to know my subject. The greed is also gone. I’m going back to the Great Forest to quietly sharpen the flame.”
Elpis, who was listening next to her, clicked her tongue.
“Holy Head, it seems that he has gone out of his mind. I will visit Fritz in person and finish the work.”
But it was April who answered.
“You never know if it will end.”
“… Cheeky miscellaneous stuff.”
Conrad’s smoke grabbed Elpis’ hand, which had already begun to move. Her father and daughter’s eyes met, and as soon as they met the eyes of her matriarch, Elpis drew her sword.
After stopping Elpis without saying a word, Conrad opened her mouth with a little interest.
“April, you just said something that seemed to doubt the power of Cloud.”
“Yes.”
“Is that also enlightenment?”
“No.”
April shook her head from side to side.
“I just said it because I really don’t know. Plan says….”
She said with an expression of incredulity.
“They said that even if the Cloud family intervened, the outcome would never change.”
“… !”
A look of bewilderment spread across Elpis’ face. Conrad also paused the cigar he was bringing to her mouth.
“What did you just say?”
Conrad put down his cigar on the desk.
It’s different from the calm appearance of listening to other people’s stories. Life around Conrad spread like smoke.
April looked back at January and said.
“That’s right, January. You heard that.”
“Huh? Uh uh uh…. It is, but….”
Conrad’s expression became subtle.
‘Is it simply magical confidence? Or not….’
Kian, son of Conrad. He was a promising knight cadet who led Cheongun, but died in the danger zone of Berkel. Even down to the worst of choosing to become a Mine.
Only Plan’s party knows the inside story.
Conrad asked just in case.
“Has there been any mention of Mine?”
“… Mine?”
“No, nothing.”
Conrad’s eyes grew colder.
“January, April. Recount the conversations at the mansion that you remember. One should not be left out.”
“Yes.”
After hearing this and that, Conrad nodded his head. He lights a new cigar.
‘There was no mention of Mine.’
Fortunately, the worst hasn’t happened yet, but there was a need to tie the knot before it became more of a nuisance.
For Conrad, the Cloud family is a masterpiece he has devoted his whole life to, and a tower he has worked hard to never collapse.
As if making up his mind, Conrad nodded his head.
“Elpis. Get ready for your butterfly collection. There are not many days left before we set off for Lacheln Hill.”
“Okay. Lord.”
Elpis nodded silently. Born into the Cloud family, disobeying Conrad’s will was impossible, at least not to her.
“And January, April.”
Conrad quietly reached out his hand. For an instant, January shrank from an unknown energy.
Then Conrad laughed.
“What are you flinching about? You said you would return to the Great Forest again.”
“Yes?”
He held out two cigars.
“Let’s talk before we leave. It is the last one.”
“Yes?”
“Take it.”
“Yes, yes….”
January and April accepted it silently.
Originally, I don’t have a hobby of burning cigars, but I decided that it wasn’t such a bad thing if I could end the relationship with just this.
“You can light the fire yourself. White flame or something.”
“Yes…. Coke! Coke!”
January and April coughed as the acrid hit their throats, and Conrad looked at them funny. Meanwhile, smoke seeps into their lungs.
Eventually, until Conrad burned all of his cigars, April and January only smoked the tip.
“Go away.”
“Cough, Cough! Thank you Enough….”
April and January turned around.
Pu-wook—!
The smoke that penetrated their lungs rose sharply and penetrated their bodies. An unconventional weapon that uses smoke like a sword to slaughter opponents. This is Conrad’s unique ability.
“Ouch… ?”
“Keheuk… !”
Before the siblings had time to ask any questions, they cut her intestines and collapsed. It was hard to believe that she was Korean. Her shape was so contorted.
Cloud, Plan, Lacheln Hill, Dawning Butterfly…. Conrad uttered just one word as he sorted out the pieces in his head.
“Take it away.”
◈
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I wish it was a dream, but this was a flashback.
At dawn.
My father continues to light the flames even though he is already exhausted. Trixie still had that image vividly.
The effort did not cover time and place. Even as he burned his body, he always set himself on fire.
Little Trixie couldn’t understand.
My mother was already the apex of the blue flame.
If no matter how hard she tries, she can’t ignite as much flame as her mother, wouldn’t she be able to live with satisfaction just by having such a woman as her wife?
Why are you so obsessed with it? I couldn’t understand my father who was working hard even when his heart was worn out.
─Not for me.
Isaac of the past said so.
─I will be the ember.
It is said that a small ember is needed to start a big fire on firewood. He said he would become such a fire.
“….”
It was around then that Trixie opened her eyes.
I see a familiar ceiling.
I am in perfect shape. After taking a few breaths, Trixie immediately stood up.
Then something fell under the bed. I didn’t know it, but it seems that something was placed on top of my stomach.
“… Trivia.”
One Trivia. It’s not your own.
But what really bothered me was the single note that was left together.
[ Coming in front of the tombstone. ]
On the memo, it was written that way.