NOVEL WEB Chapter 94
“Then…”
After a moment of silence.
Laris slowly began to speak.
“Kalen, do you really believe you can defeat all those people…”
Even as she uttered the words, it was hard for her to believe them herself. Kalen’s demeanor at this moment was extraordinarily composed. In fact, he was so calm that it almost bordered on irrational confidence, leaving Laris with no choice but to doubt her own words further.
The current generation’s abnormalities have become somewhat of a known fact within the social circles. The youngest daughter of Lakatus has begun asserting dominance by wielding considerable influence. Additionally, there are whispers that an internal conflict within the Hiart Family has resulted in the eldest daughter dethroning the eldest son.
Crowning it all was the banquet not long ago, hosted by the Dranunus Family. It was there that the young girl destined to bear the Dranunus name proved her aptitude as a brilliant head of the family.
Laris herself had left her original salon and was heading toward Ecllesia, influenced by these ongoing developments. Clearly, the young ladies of this generation possess an extraordinary quality.
However…
Even so, talent has its limits. Even ‘genius’ must be defined by someone, and time often fails to bridge the gap that defines it. And Kalen’s posture right now was indicative of precisely that.
His sharp, dark eyes were filled with unshakable confidence and conviction, as if he knew no defeat. His demeanor was so resolute that it gave the impression he already believed he could outmatch both the mercenary force of the Lail Guild and the head of the Plache Family.
A boy who has not yet completed his coming-of-age ceremony is speaking of defeating countless battle-hardened warriors. Even in this relatively peaceful generation, battles and hardships have not been entirely absent from their lives. The disparity between them was quite apparent.
“No… surely there must be some other good way…”
“Hmm.”
Laris tried awkwardly to twist Kalen’s words into a more definitive denial. But Kalen shook his head and refined her distortion.
“It’s only a possibility. We will avoid antagonizing them as much as possible. However, if they betray us or threaten our lives, we must be ready.”
Though his words were carefully chosen, Laris wasn’t stupid. On the contrary, she was wise and resolute, enduring endless threats from the Lail Guild while maintaining her family’s honor.
Thus, she understood what Kalen was implying. Beneath his seemingly modest admission of his own limits, his eyes still revealed that same unwavering hope.
How could this be?
This boy, who appears distant from the battlefield, seemed reckless to Laris, who well understood the strength of the Lail Guild and her father.
As Laris blankly stared at Kalen, he slowly rose.
“Shall we decide?”
“What?”
“Plache Young Lady.”
But,
Laris may in fact be the one who yearns more desperately.
Wasn’t it her ‘long-cherished wish’?
Since losing her mother, watching her father’s transformation, her sister’s departure, and spending lonely nights while caressing a necklace, she had never truly noticed.
That glimmer of hope in his eyes stirred something within her, a yearning she hadn’t dared acknowledge, constantly questioning despite its pull.
It was a sort of desperate plea. A belief that reaching an impossible goal might just be possible through some means. A faint, flickering light of trust cast upon this young boy who stood before her, and a plea questioning if it was all true.
“Appoint me as your guard knight. The term will last until you’ve conducted your mother’s funeral properly and resolved your family matters.”
“…”
Because of this, whether his belief and hope are grounded or not,
She couldn’t resist leaning on them.
It wasn’t necessary to think too far ahead. Even back during the banquet, Laris herself had clung to some small possibility, holding fast to the thread of hope.
“…About the fee…”
Laris lowered her head slightly and murmured.
“How exactly should we…”
But given the size of the room and the fact they were the only two present, her words were clearly audible to Kalen.
“…We’ll think about it once things are done.”
Kalen hadn’t really thought thoroughly about fees. He hadn’t received much in the way of compensation when helping Eliana, Serasie, and Sinat. If Blamia hadn’t taken care of him, he might long ago have ended up a cold corpse lying on the street. There was no greed in him now.
After this matter concludes, he planned to travel to the spirit realm and perhaps make some preparations for that journey.
Kalen replied thus, for some reason leaving Laris speechless for a while as she accepted the proposal with a look of increasing gratitude.
“Now, what do you plan to do?”
With a purpose set, it was time to move forward. Though Laris had expressed her desire to conduct her mother’s funeral, she had asked for help in uncovering a burial site. Kalen questioned whether she had a specific location in mind.
“…My mother mentioned a place while she was alive. At the time, I didn’t understand why she said such a thing, but perhaps she was aware of her own situation…”
Laris seemed to have calmed down, returning to the incomprehensible expression she’d had when they first met at the banquet. It wasn’t cold though. Had the mere formality of appointing him as her guard knight given her a bit of comfort? There was a slightly more relaxed look in her eyes as she regarded Kalen.
“Isn’t there a famous place in the South? Have you heard of the Latia Waterfall?”
Kalen had heard of the Latia Waterfall. Analogous to the Winter Island he’d seen with Eliana, it was a perilous yet breathtakingly beautiful place—one worth visiting before death.
Such places were well-known in social circles. Hearing about the waterfall, Kalen…
“Why do you ask?”
“No, it’s just that it feels like conditions are falling into place, bit by bit.”
“Anyway, there’s a tragic love story tied to the Latia Waterfall. My mother mentioned she would like to be buried there if she were to die.”
Was there such a tale connected to the Latia Waterfall? As Kalen was unfamiliar with its background, he quietly listened to Laris’ explanation.
“You don’t need to know the details of the story. It’s the kind of tale you’d expect in a third-rate drama. I simply wish to bury my mother there.”
“Understood.”
Kalen’s eyes flickered momentarily toward a small bookshelf at the mention of third-rate theater. But only for an instant, as he quickly refocused on Laris and inquired.
“Is it alright not to inform the family?”
If it wasn’t the case…
If Laris hadn’t been abandoned by her father, informing him would naturally be the proper course. Denying her father a say in her mother’s funeral would be unthinkable.
Living under the careful watch of the Lail Guild and her father, Laris would usually have replied that it was necessary.
But Laris struggled to provide an answer.
Was it because Kalen had been such a good listener? Or had she become blinded by the faint hope he had shown her?
For the first time, Laris felt a sense of injustice.
She had been cast aside by her father, her lineage erased. The family had been taken over by her stepmother, and she had been forced to part with her sister.
After enduring so much and finally having the courage to open a locked drawer to retrieve her mother’s keepsakes, the thought of having to report to her father only filled her with the certainty that she would face many restrictions.
Perhaps it was the last shred of morality, or the head of the Plache Family…
But no, the Plache Patriarch was always informed of Laris’ movements, perhaps out of some selfish need to ensure her safety.
Thus, even if she chose not to report, the Patriarch undoubtedly had informants who would quickly relay the news.
This realization stirred a small sense of rebellion in her.
“No.”
Laris’ voice trembled slightly with unease, but her tone was firm.
“I will leave without telling anyone.”
Laris naturally realized that this was a change, albeit clumsy. It was something different.
The ‘long-cherished wish’ that she had only dared to dream of, shielded by the impossibility of her situation. The reality that had held her back was now shifting.
Thus, she understood she needed to change as well.
Even if this act might sever her ties with her family entirely,
Even if it was daunting to completely let go of the faint warmth she associated with her father,
She decided to release it all.
Laris had made her resolution and smiled faintly.
“…It may sound a bit forced, but, esteemed guard knight.”
Her dull grey eyes had brightened somewhat, appearing purer and more silver-like.
“Will you accompany me?”
As Kalen quietly nodded in response, Laris smiled with brighter eyes.
*
Clang-
If there existed a pinnacle of luxury, this was it. The room was opulently adorned in unimaginable splendor, with a grand chair fit for an emperor, occupied by an old man holding a glass.
“Even after returning, she didn’t inform her father.”
“Yes, Master of the Guild.”
“And she was accompanied by some unknown boy.”
“Yes.”
The glass held a wine with a rich, old fragrance. Yet the old man shook his head, as if struggling to comprehend.
“Hmm… I thought she’d given up by now…”
“You need not worry.”
“Hmm?”
“Even if she brought someone like that, there’s nothing the young lady can achieve.”
“That’s correct. Naturally, it should be this way. Otherwise, how could feeding and sheltering you all be justified?”
“Yes.”
Mystery breeds fear. Yet the old man neither comprehended nor appeared troubled by it.
As if such occurrences were countless, his eyes were fixed only on the man before him who had already submitted.
“For now, leave her be and monitor her movements. It could be that she simply wishes to marry after taking a fancy to some man, like her sister.”
“Yes, Master of the Guild.”
The man disappeared quietly after speaking. The old man chuckled softly and drank the entire glass of wine.
“How entertaining… so entertaining…”
The sky outside had turned deep and black.