After his side job at the Silver Oven was done, Kouga went out into the night city. He was definitely not going out to enjoy the nightlife. His destination was the clan house.
「It looks totally different」
Illuminated by street lights, the clan house looked just like a new building, thanks to the make-over it went through. The renovations to its interior were also done, and all that was left was to move in the furniture and furnishings. Just a bit more, and they would be able to use this clan house as their base.
He had only become allies with Noel a short time ago, but many things had happened between them. Looking at the clan house, he had a lump in his throat thinking back on the path they had taken.
「……Hmm? What's this?」
To his surprise, he saw light spilling out of one of the windows. He thought for a moment that maybe the workers had come to work on the clan house, but it was the middle of the night. He didn’t think that anyone would be working at this time. With that said, it was unnatural for a thief to sneak into an empty building. The only possibility that he could think of was that maybe a homeless person had gone in seeking a roof over his head.
「I guess I have no choice……」
In order to verify the intruder’s identity, Kouga went into the clan house. Making sure that his footsteps could not be heard, he walked through the dark building. Even without a light source, Kouga’s sharpened senses were able to accurately locate the position of walls and stairs, so he reached the room in question easily.
Not only was there light leaking under the door, he also felt a person’s presence. There was undoubtedly someone inside. Kouga steeled himself, then opened the door forcefully.
Then, upon learning the identity of the intruder inside the room, he blinked his eyes.
「Leon, what are you doing here?」
Leon, who was the sub-master of the same clan, was looking at Kouga with a surprised expression. He was dressed casually in normal clothes, and held a bottle of wine in his hand.
「What about you, Kouga? What are you doing here?」
「Huh? N, no, I just happened to pass by and saw the light, so I was worried that a homeless person might have settled in or something」
In truth, he had been looking forward to the completion of the clan house, so he came by everyday whenever he was free to visit it. But it was embarrassing, so he would never admit it even if you tortured him.
Kouga coughed to cover up the turmoil inside his heart.
「S, so, why are you here, Leon? ……Surely you’re not drinking all by your lonesome in an empty room like this?」
「Hahaha, that’s exactly what I’m doing」
With a troubled laugh, Leon leaned his back against the wall.
「I’m sorry for worrying you. I'll stay for a little longer, so it’s fine for you to go home, Kouga」
「Oh, okay, understood」
Leon's words meant that he wanted to be alone. Everybody had times when they wanted to drink by themselves. Kouga turned on his heel and was about to leave, but he stopped his feet.
「……Is it tough for you after all?」
He turned back and met Leon’s eyes. Leon laughed and shook his head.
「No, that's not the case」
「But it’s not like you’ve accepted everything, am I right?」
Leon was originally the leader of a party known as Sky Winged Knights. It was dissolved because of Noel's plot, and he was now the sub-master of Wild Tempest.
Taking everything that happened into consideration, Noel was undoubtedly the culprit, but the reason they dissolved was ultimately due to the problems of the individual members. Leon knew that too, which was why he had accepted his current position, even as he agonized over what had happened.
However, given the circumstances, he should still have many regrets, and things he was dissatisfied with, that couldn’t be shaken off by reason alone. Kouga had always been worried whether those feelings inside Leon’s heart would boil over, even after Leon officially became an ally.
「If it’s really tough on you, it’s better to not hold it in. You should be aware of this too, but the work of a Seeker isn’t so forgiving that you can still do it while your heart is confused」
「……Thank you. But I’m really okay」
「But--」
Leon interrupted Kouga's words by raising his hand.
「Noel said this to me. That I was fine the way I was」
「Noel said something like that?」
When Kouga tilted his head, Leon nodded.
「He said that an organization can only grow if it has diversity, and that he needed a talented individual like me. ……Maybe I’m just simple, but those words made me feel better. They made me think that people with different ways of thinking can keep on fighting together as long as their aspirations are the same」
Leon smiled gently and turned his gaze out the window.
「……If my caliber was as large as Noel’s, I might not have made everyone unhappy. It’s a bit frustrating」
「Leon……」
Kouga couldn't find the right words to say. The world of the talented was cruel. No matter how outstanding a person was, only the results mattered. Everything a person had built up could be lost in just an instant.
Looking only at fighting strength, Leon was far superior to Noel, but looking at results alone, Noel was the far superior Seeker.
As Leon had said, their calibers were totally different. It was so different that it would be ridiculous to compare them. But it was definitely not because Leon was mediocre. Noel was simply a person that deviated too far from the norm.
Suddenly, Kouga felt goosebumps. It wouldn’t be strange for Leon to hate Noel, but Leon was starting to trust him because of his caliber. This was clearly something that ordinary people couldn’t do. Listening to Leon, Kouga felt like he was able to see Noel's greatness in a new light.
Certainly, Noel lacked direct combat capabilities. But his overflowing talent as a Seeker, and as a leader of men, more than made up for that. Kouga hadn’t made a mistake in choosing Noel after all.
「……This is why I came here」
Leon took out a sealed letter from his pocket.
「What’s with that letter?」
「It's a letter sent by Kaim--a former ally」
Among the members of the dissolved Sky Winged Knights, Leon was the only one who had joined Wild Tempest. Vlaclav seems to have joined another party, but Kaim and Ophelia had left the imperial capital. Considering their feelings, leaving was probably the natural thing to do.
「......Aren't you going to read it?」
「To be honest, I'm scared. For some reason, I thought that I would be able to pluck up the courage if I came to the clan house, but regrettably, my heart is still undecided over what I should do」
Leon took a drink from the wine bottle, then sighed.
「I suppose it’s useless even with the help of liquid courage…… Hahaha……」
Leon laughed dryly. Kouga took pity on Leon.
「In that case, should I read it for you?」
「Huh? You…… Read it?」
After seeing Leon’s stupefied look, Kouga hurriedly explained further.
「N, no, I don't particularly care about the contents of the letter. I simply thought that if I read it, you would be able to make up your mind. Of course, I won’t force you, but continuing to mull it over by yourself isn’t going to help, right?」
Leon turned it over in his mind for a while, then nodded.
「……You’re right. Kouga, can you read it to me?」
Kouga nodded and took the letter. He broke the seal, and slowly read it, which began with words stating Kaim’s sincere apology and deep remorse.
<The reason Sky Winged Knights was dissolved was entirely because of me. Due to my selfish feelings, I ignored your intentions, and instead scorned you as a traitor then stabbed you. The fact that my heart was weak is not a valid excuse. I did something that cannot be undone. I’m truly sorry>
「……You’re wrong. I was the one who had cornered you to that extent…… Kaim, you’re not at fault……」
Leon was pressing the corners of his eyes and sniffling. Kouga stopped reading. A short while later, maybe because Leon had sorted out his emotions, he lifted his head and urged Kouga to continue.
After the apology, Kaim wrote about his present situation. It appears that he had went on a journey while thinking about what he, a person who had hurt his important ally, should do.
He wasn’t alone. It seemed like Ophelia was also with him. The two of them had traveled around the Empire, trying to find out what it was they were missing. As they met and interacted with all sorts of people, they felt their own inexperience day after day. In order to broaden their knowledge further, they were thinking of eventually visiting other countries as well.
「I see ……together with Ophelia.....」
Leon smiled as if relieved.
「That's good……. It’s really good that the two of them are doing well……」
As Leon relished in delight, Kouga told him the last part of the letter’s contents.
「Leon, Kaim says this at the end」
<One day, our journey will end, and I'll return to the imperial capital. At that time, I want to apologize to you once more. Of course, I won’t ask you to forgive me. But if you do forgive me, I would like to have a drink with you again at that bar. Let's talk the night away. Nothing would make me happier than to listen to the stories of your new adventures. I pray, from the bottom of my heart, that you will become a hero whose name is inscribed in history>
When Kouga looked up from the letter, Leon had his back towards him and his shoulders were shaking. He was undoubtedly having a hard time keeping the tears from his eyes.
As Kouga silently watched over him, Leon spoke in a scratchy voice.
「......Kouga, can I become strong enough to be called a hero?」
「I don't know what the future holds」
As far as Kouga knew, there was only one person who could possibly know that.
「But I chose Noel as my boss, didn’t I? He can accomplish things that I can't. I don’t have any thoughts of becoming a hero like you, Leon, but I fell for his potential just as you did」
At Kouga’s words, Leon turned back slowly. His face was stained with tears, but it shone with a strong will.
「You’re right. At the end of Noel's path are the very things we desire. Kouga, let's get stronger together. In order to support him on his path to hegemony」
That went without saying. Kouga laughed and nodded.
「Yeah!」
†
†
On the day when Wild Tempest's clan house was finally completed, Noel summoned Kouga and the other members via Link.
Inside the office, Noel, the clan master, was sitting with his legs crossed on a leather chair that gave off an air of luxury. With that majestic appearance, you wouldn’t think that he was a 16-year-old novice clan master at all.
Noel surveyed the assembled members and smiled audaciously.
「As you all know, we’ll be using Modern Opinion to hold a fundraising party in the near future. But the real purpose of the party is something else」
What Noel revealed next, was everything about the Puppeteer, Hugo Coppelius. It seems like his plan was to use this party, which would have the eyes of the public on it, to help Hugo, who had been imprisoned due to false accusations, so that he could join Wild Tempest as an ally.
「The necessary preparations are already in place. My goal will be achieved if I take advantage of this party. But I don't expect it to go off without a hitch. So I was thinking that I should share the scenarios that are likely going to happen, and how to deal with them」
Noel spoke confidently about what would happen, almost as if he had seen the future. The contents of his predictions were things that Kouga and others could accept. But when they heard the strategy that Noel was plotting, they couldn’t help feeling shocked.
「Noel, you’re not right in the head after all…… That’s insane」
「No matter how you look at it, that’s overkill, isn’t it……」
「Owww, my stomach......」
Even while saying that he was not right in the head, Alma looked happy. Kouga was appalled over how irremediable Noel was, and Leon was suffering as his stomach started hurting from the mental stress he was suddenly under. All three of them had completely different reactions.
But--
「If you're scared and want to give up, now's the time to say it, you know?」
When Noel asked them that to test their resolve, all three responded with one voice.
「「「Who's giving up!?」」」
Hearing that response, Noel nodded contentedly.
「I accept your resolve. In that case, let's create a storm. A big one that lives up to our clan's name of Wild Tempest」
Another short chapter, but the party finally starts next chapter. Seriously, the title of the next chapter is “Let’s Party!” lol.
Now that I think about it, we’ve never seen Noel actually doing any politicking, have we? Or will it end up in a bloody mess, just like usual? When are we actually going to see the all important Hugo?! Stay tuned!
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