Chapter 98: |
Just as he was about to frown, Oden spoke.
Is it an illusion? It was a voice that was less cold than usual, and a stranger might have misunderstood it as containing warmth.
“It’s not wrong, but please refrain from reckless courage. That’s not courage, that is arrogance.”
It disappeared before the stroke.
Raymond, who was left behind, had a confused look on his face.
“What is this?”
He tilted his head.
‘That thing just now.’
‘He is not worried, is he? No way.’
***
Since then, the strange climb has continued.
King Oden went ahead, and Raymond silently followed.
When monsters came out and threatened them, Oden’s Aurora Blade flew in as if he knew somehow.
When it was repeated several times, Raymond had a strange face.
‘It’s like…… I feel like I’m getting protection.’
‘No, it wasn’t just a feeling.’
In reality, Oden was pretending not to be protecting Raymond, when he was in fact doing that.
Raymond laughed in vain.
‘What. Protection from him?’
In fact, it wasn’t something that would be very strange.
When forming a party and exploring a dangerous area, it was natural for the knight to protect the healer.
However, since Raymond is with King Oden, he could not help but feel a strange feeling.
It is natural for a son to be protected by his father.
But he was never protected by Oden in his life.
However, having a similar experience in this place, he felt a subtle strange feeling.
Of course, it wasn’t a good feeling.
The pain of being neglected came to mind and made him feel dirtier.
In the past, if Oden had protected him.
If he had just taken care of him even just by saying one word.
He wouldn’t have had to suffer so much.
But Oden didn’t do that. He just completely abandoned him.
On account of the king’s responsibility.
‘Damn.’
Raymond bit hi s lip and went to find Oden waiting at the halfway point where he could see a wide open view.
“I caught the Shabel Tiger.”
It is a size of a house with front teeth as long as blades. That Shabel tiger is lying dead!
As expected from a sword master. He easily captured a Shabel Tiger, who is said to be equivalent to an A-class monster.
“I’d like to congratulate you on your successful victory ceremony. Let’s go down now.”
Raymond turned his back.
He couldn’t wait to end this unpleasant companionship as quickly as possible. He could not stand it even for a second.
Then, King Oden caught him.
“Wait. Come closer. I have something to tell you.”
“……?”
‘He has something to say?’
As Raymond approached him with a puzzled look, Oden asked an unexpected question.
“Can you see the bottom?”
“.……?”
Since they were up quite high, they could see the vast expanse of Houston’s territory.
“I can see the land of Houston.”
“Yes, it’s a place I’ve spent my whole life protecting and cultivating.”
‘Why is he suddenly saying that to me?’
A sudden retrospective struck Raymond as unexpected.
Oden went on to say things that were incomprehensible.
“I have devoted my whole life to prospering Houston. How about you?”
“……What?”
“I’m asking you what you’re aiming for.”
Raymond looked at him with a puzzled expression.
‘Why is he asking?’
It was such a sudden question.
He and Oden is not supposed to have this kind of conversation.
But Oden was looking at him with serious eyes, waiting for him to answer.
‘My goal is to achieve the greatest wealth and fame in the whole continent as a healer.’
It was a bit too much to answer that way.
Then, an idea that comes to his mind.
[Show the true countermeasure!]
‘Now that I think about it, I was given a quest to show my true self, but I don’t think I was able to show my true character at all.’
Raymond smiled inwardly as he came up with a good way.
‘I’ll take this opportunity to give you a punch.’
“Before I answer, let me ask you a question. Is that question for you, His Majesty the King, or is it a personal question?”
By personal, he meant if Oden is asking as his father.
Why?
Oden’s face hardened slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, he opened his mouth.
“As king of the country, I ask my subjects publicly.”
“I see.”
Raymond nodded.
If so, then.
‘I’ll give you a public answer too.’
Is this the so-called reply-to-supervisor-mode? To fake all your true feelings and say only plausible things.
‘As you are not my father, we are not close enough to reveal what is in my heart.’
“I’m similar to Your Majesty. It is my lifetime goal to revive the Kingdom of Houston.”
Of course it’s a lie.
‘I’m not interested in anything like that.’
However, as usual, Raymond’s facial expression and emotional expression are the best.
It was filled with sincerity.
To the point where Oden gets tricked.
“As Your Majesty King Founding emphasized, for the nation and the people. That’s my goal.”
“Why do you feel that way?”
Raymond looked at Oden.
“Because I’m a lowly illegitimate child.”
“……!”
“Thanks to being born as a humble illegitimate child, I was able to socialize with many people down there. I looked at them and thought. I want to be of service to them.”
Raymond looked down the mountain range.
“Fortunately, heaven has given me the ability, the medicine, to serve the people. Through that ability, I want to strive for the patients and the people as well.”
Raymond brought up what he really wanted to say.
“I want to prove to people that even a dirty illegitimate child like me, and a person who is despised by everyone, can do well.”
“……!”
At last.
Oden’s expression cracked.
Raymond felt an unbearable delight in Oden’s expression.
‘He must’ve felt such guilt too, right?’
Well.
It’s a mystery.
But just seeing that expression from Oden made Raymond feel very proud.
Raymond had the last word.
“I will prove it through this war. I will do my best for the patients and give the best credit. So I will proudly prove that I, a humble illegitimate child, can serve the Kingdom of Houston as well as those noble blood.”
It was a heartfelt story to some extent.
Raymond, who is now participating in the war, is determined to make the most outstanding contribution as a healer.
So, of course, he intends to earn a great reputation as well as receive a yolk-walled estate.
To the point that no one can ever ignore him as illegitimate again.
Look only at him as Raymond de Penin, not Raymond, the King’s illegitimate child.
“…”
King Oden kept his mouth shut, and turned his back to Raymond, not wanting to talk anymore.
“Then we go down now, Your Majesty. Count Doton might be starting to worry.”
King Oden’s lips twitched as if he had something to say. But in the end, he couldn’t get anything out.
That’s how the victory ceremony ended.
***
“How was it, Your Majesty?” asked the Marquis of Aris.
He knew for what purpose Oden has accompanied Raymond alone.
The accompaniment was an “examination.”
A test to decide what to do with Raymond going forward.
“…”
Oden couldn’t answer.
Raymond’s words could only keep floating around his head.
‘Because I’m a lowly illegitimate child.’
‘I want to prove to people that even a dirty illegitimate child like me, and a person who is despised by everyone, can do well.’
‘Was that what is running in his mind all his life?’
Of course, he knew.
How Raymond has suffered in the past.
It would be a lie to say he didn’t know.
But he turned a blind eye even though he knew it.
Because it was right as the king.
But was that really the right thing to do?
Oden lamented.
‘Now what to do with Raymond? I have to decide.’
The son he left behind grew up well on his own.
More than anyone else.
Too much.
That was the problem.
Raymond was too good. More than any prince.
‘Even though I watched it from the side for a test, he was perfect.’
The reason for this unreasonable accompanying today was to watch Raymond’s appearance from the side.
After watching, he was perfect in every way.
Raymond wasn’t just a patient-conscious healer.
He has this strength, fighting-spirit, and will. He is flawless.
Unfortunately, it was not purely pleasing.
Because an outstanding illegitimate child is the seed of discord.
The royal family is the same as an ordinary family. It could have been a fire that would shake the entire kingdom of Houston.
Considering the chaos that would arise later, it might have been wiser to nip it in the bud.
However.
‘How can I make such a decision after hearing such a story?’
Raymond is the child who was abandoned by his father and despised by all.
That’s why he grew up so wonderfully.
He said that he will grow up even more and work hard for the Kingdom of Houston.
‘Thanks to being born as a humble illegitimate child, I was able to socialize with many people down there. I looked at them and thought. I want to be of service to them.’
No matter how heartless a father he is, even if he did not deserve to be called a father.
King Oden could not turn away after hearing a story like that.
Even as a king, he thought so. How can he throw away such a great person?
‘There’s nothing I can do about it.’
Oden closed his eyes.
He finally made his decision.
“I’ll watch.”
“Your Majesty?”
“We will observe without any intervention for the time being.”
The Marquis Aris looked surprised.
It was an uncharacteristic decision.
‘I don’t know what the consequences of this decision of mine will make the future.’
Oden had a bitter face.
He may regret it.
It may be that we are leaving the seeds of great strife in the kingdom.
However.
It occurred to him that Raymond’s appearance today might produce a different result than worry.
King Oden recalled Raymond’s words.
‘I will prove it through this war. I will do my best for the patients and give the best credit. So I will proudly prove that I, a humble illegitimate child, can serve the Kingdom of Houston as well as those noble blood.’
‘Yes, I will know if I watch this war. Will Raymond’s existence be a blessing or a bane to the Kingdom of Houston?’
Oden decided to wait and see what Raymond would do during this war.
***
Later, the first expeditionary force, with Duke Raif as its commander-in-chief, was dispatched.
King Oden did not participate in the first expedition. He decided to place and decide his home-base after looking at the war situation.
The size of the troops was 45,000 for the Kingdom of Houston and 25,000 for the Allies of the Cross League Empire. It was a total of 70,000 troops.
Raymond also appeared with the healers from the Penin Treatment Center.
To establish a Penin Treatment Center on the battlefield.
Recorded in later history, it was the beginning of the ‘Healing Penin Treatment Center’, which stood intensely on the battlefield.
Later historians will say:
The war started with the Penin Treatment Center and ended with the Penin Treatment Center.
It was the beginning of a legend.
***
The Laipentaina continent is divided into the “Cross League Empire” in the west and the “Iron Empire” in the east.
In the middle of the two empires, the Free City Union was located, and in the northernmost part of the continent, there was the Holy Kingdom, which protects the World Tree.
The Cross League Empire, Iron Empire, Free City Union, and the Holy Kingdom.
These four continents were the hegemonies that ruled the continent, the four great continents.