Chapter 77
＊ The Day Before the Talent Gem Presentation Ceremony: Ebenyu Estate ＊
Relenoa, Etan's bodyguard, watched Etan train. The estate's training grounds allowed them to practice swordsmanship and strength training even in the rain.
"—All right, let's stop here."
"Haa, haa... Y-yes, thank you..."
Etan was drenched in sweat, while his training partner was a beastman nearly two meters tall. Halflings were a minority across the continent, so if Etan trained only with halflings, actual combat would often feel very different. Learning how to fight opponents with a larger build was also one of the purposes of this training.
Relenoa poured water from a pitcher and offered it to Etan, who was wiping his face with a towel. Etan accepted the silver cup and drained it in one go before—
"Phew—"
—letting out a satisfied breath.
"You're working hard, Etan-sama."
Relenoa never dropped their formal speech when addressing their master, Etan.
"Yes. I can finally receive my Talent Gem, too."
"I wonder what kind of Talent Gem it will be. I'm looking forward to it as well... Hasn't the head of the family told you yet?"
And then,
"—I can't very well tell you that."
A shrill voice cut in.
Recognizing whose voice it was, Relenoa immediately dropped to one knee.
"Why, Duke-sama..."
His ornate clothes did not suit the small body of a halfling very well. Even so, nobles had to dress properly for public appearances.
Like Etan, he wore his caramel-colored hair long and braided it elaborately. The many glittering adornments in it were not beads, but genuine jewels.
His face was youthful, like that of a human in their twenties, but the small mustache beneath his nose made his appearance rather unbalanced.
The Duke of Ebenyu, head of the family, sat beside Etan on a bench in the training grounds. His attendants and bodyguards arrived one after another, making the area suddenly feel crowded—even so, since they were all halflings, it was not quite as cramped as it might have been.
"Father, you're back early today."
"Hmm? Yes... That's right. The Rosiers skipped our meeting, leaving me with an unexpected gap in my schedule. I have another meeting this evening, so I'll be heading to the palace again."
"The Rosiers? Isn't it extremely unusual for them to abandon a meeting with you, Father?"
"Yes..."
The Duke of Ebenyu furrowed his brow, seeming to ponder, before—
"Something about this feels ominous... The fact that the 'Sword Saint' of the Luciel ducal family is away on an expedition makes the timing particularly unfortunate."
—he said.
It was a vague, nonspecific statement for a duke to make, but no one contradicted him. Halflings, who lived in harmony with nature, placed great importance on their own intuition.
Even so, was there something so ominous that he would mention the Sword Saint's absence?
"Perhaps something happened at the 'One Heaven Altar'..."
Everyone who heard him suddenly stiffened.
The heart and foundation of the Holy Kingdom of Kurvaan. An absolutely untouchable institution, like the Holy Royal Family—or, depending on the circumstances, even more so.
That was the "One Heaven Altar."
"...Father, Duke Rosier is the director of the Altar Management Agency, isn't he?"
"If he were to lose his composure, that would be about the only thing capable of causing it. Even if we were invaded by another country, not one of the six great dukes would panic."
＊ The Day Before the Talent Gem Presentation Ceremony: Holy King's Palace ＊
"—This can't be happening!!"
The thunderous shout made the beautiful blue-tinted windowpanes tremble.
The table, carved from natural stone and polished to a lustrous sheen, possessed both imposing weight and luxurious elegance. Yet resting upon it were several reports written on fresh plant paper, an ancient book written on parchment, and a few scrolls made from wooden slips.
When the Holy King waved his hand, the reports flew into the air. The thick book went flying as well, sliding across the table and over the edge—but a priest in ceremonial robes leaped after it and caught it with a scream, averting disaster.
"Er, Your Holiness. That book is extraordinarily valuable, so please don't handle it so roughly..."
"Shut up, you rabbit bastard! You're the priest in charge here, aren't you?! Do something about this!"
"Er, as I have been saying in my capacity as a High Priest, the analysis of that Talent Gem is complete—"
"I don't want to hear it!"
The Holy King curled up in his chair, clutching his head as he began to tremble. No citizen would ever imagine that a grown man—much less the leader of a nation—could behave so unguardedly and emotionally.
The Holy King's Palace had been built as the residence of the Holy King, but it was also a place for enshrining and protecting the One Heaven Altar. For that reason, the entire palace was built like a temple.
With no doors or windows, in order to invite divine spirits, it was completely open. Only the bedroom had been built to stay warm; everywhere else—including the reception room where the High Priest El now stood—was completely visible from the corridors.
Even so, few people were present in the Holy King's Palace. Any gardeners or cleaners worked while suppressing their presence so as not to come to the Holy King's attention, and contract magic bound them to secrecy, so there was no cause for concern.
El, the giant rabbit whose emotions were impossible to read, approached the trembling Holy King and gently touched the king's arm. Perhaps feeling the warmth of El's fluffy fur, the Holy King turned tear-filled eyes toward El.
"...For that Talent Gem to have appeared during the reign of the current Holy King... Er, if I may be so presumptuous, I believe it is 'fate.' When you overcome this difficult situation, the word 'Hero'—which was never bestowed upon the name of either your predecessor or the one before him—will be given to you."
"El..."
The Holy King feebly pushed the hand away.
"...I'm going to have to do what I must as Holy King, aren't I...?"
"Er, yes, Your Holiness."
The Holy King feebly wiped his eyes.
"...I'm a heartless piece of shit, aren't I...?"
"Er, surely no one thinks that—not a single person in the kingdom."
The Holy King feebly shook his head.
"...I don't want to become a damn hero..."
El did not answer.
"A month ago... I was just a giddy father..."
The silence continued. El and several accompanying priests held their breath.
"—El."
The Holy King stood up.
"I'm heading to tomorrow's ceremony site now. We need to make a final inspection. Come with me."
"Yes, sir."
Before them stood only the Holy King—the one and only ruler of the great nation of Kurvaan. The pathetic figure he had shown moments earlier had vanished, replaced by a dignified king who embodied both strength and gentleness.
Kurvagne, the Holy King's capital, was under unprecedentedly heavy security, and more nobles than ever before had gathered there.
The rain stopped in the middle of the night.
And then, the day of the Talent Gem presentation ceremony arrived.