Chapter 17
Lucia looked down at her hands, neatly gathered in her lap.
The faint trembling of her fingertips betrayed her conflicted feelings.
"Fifty million shillings...."
The absurd sum bid by Crown Prince Xenon.
Far from feeling honored, she felt as though a massive boulder were pressing down on both her shoulders.
'I shouldn't have submitted it.'
It was certainly a good thing that the winning bid would be used for the needy and for society.
She tried to console herself with that thought, but the burden did not lessen.
It was obvious what motive the Crown Prince had had for so lavishly offering such a huge sum.
She had privately worried something like this might happen.
I should have withdrawn it back in the waiting room. Lucia closed her eyes as regret washed over her.
-Here is the next lot. The personal effects of the late General Vermang, former commander of the Third Imperial Regular Army Corps. The Ring's General Star Sword!
Lucia's eyes flew open at the auctioneer's shout.
General Vermang. It was a name Lucia knew well.
A knight of the Solar Ring and a veteran general who had never broken his sword until the very end.
Others might remember him only as an old general, a knight forgotten amid the rapidly changing tides of the times.
"If it's General Vermang...."
To Lucia, the name Vermang was anything but insignificant.
Lucia, the only daughter of a fallen frontier baronial house.
She had been able to enter the Academy so easily thanks to the help of many people.
Of all of them, the greatest help had come from someone whose name she did not know.
Lucia only learned the identity of her benefactor three months ago, after that person had died, when her biological father finally told her.
―General Vermang. Never forget his name.
Vermang, who had once served on the frontier, had received a great favor from House Elzerna.
To repay it, he secretly paid off the baron's debts and covered all of Lucia's tuition.
Vermang thoroughly erased all trace of his name.
A regular army general associating with a noble family could lead to political suspicion that he had colluded with the aristocracy.
Even after his death, Vermang hoped this would never become known.
Even now, few people knew of the connection between Vermang and House Elzerna. Lucia had only learned of it recently.
".......Four million two hundred thousand shillings."
"Four million five hundred thousand."
"Here, four million seven hundred thousand shillings."
Compared with the earlier bidding, the increase was clearly sluggish.
Lucia's brow furrowed faintly. She found it offensive to put a monetary value on it in the first place.
-Five million shillings! Anyone else?
Ordinary luxury goods had drawn bids exceeding ten million. Her benefactor's sword was valued at less than half that.
Something surged up inside Lucia's chest.
She couldn't let his final honor be trampled like this. Lucia clenched the bidding paddle in her hand.
'Ten million shillings.'
Twice the current bid. Even if she had to call out that amount, she had to preserve her benefactor's dignity.
She firmly believed that was the way to pray for his soul's repose.
I don't want to go this far with money, but....
But if money can make it possible, I have no choice.
-If there are no more bids, then sold at....
Lucia drew a deep breath. She was just about to raise her paddle high.
-Number 326! State your bid!
The auctioneer's shout and gaze turned toward someone other than Lucia. Her gaze naturally moved in the same direction.
A man stood there with his bidding paddle raised high.
It was Astin von Cardenos.
He quietly opened his mouth.
"Fifty million shillings."
The moment the bid was called, every breath in the hall stopped. Silent gazes converged on Astin alone.
-Oh, oh.... Fifty million shillings? Did you say fifty million shillings?
Astin nodded indifferently. He neither lowered his bid nor withdrew it.
Bang! Bang!
The auctioneer belatedly recovered and brought down the hammer.
-S-Sold! Sold! Lot 326 has been sold to bidder number 326 for fifty million shillings!
"Is he insane? He's burning fifty million on that rusty hunk of metal?"
"Young Master Cardenos has gone completely mad."
"He's just showing off. 'I can afford to splurge this much and it won't hurt me.'"
The silence erupted into turmoil. Slanderous whispers mingled shock and ridicule.
Amid the uproar, Lucia stared at Astin with blank eyes.
She didn't even know what expression she was wearing.
"No, no, is he really in his right mind? He should've bought Lady Lucia's item with that money. Why spend such a huge sum on a sword that old...."
A young noble openly sneered. Lucia's brow furrowed as she looked at him.
Belittling the general's keepsake by even dragging in someone else's offering was truly petty. He was a shallow man.
"Did you call it a decrepit old sword?"
Just before Lucia could speak, the same man beat her to it again.
"Ahem! I-I misspoke, Young Master Astin."
"You didn't misspeak. You're ignorant."
Astin singled him out openly.
"It isn't some worn-out old thing; it's a medal. That sword spent thirty years on the front lines, drinking blood and sweat while supporting the Empire. It holds thirty years of toil and suffering on the eastern front. You still don't understand?"
"Y-Young Master, why are you doing this...."
"I'm saying it can't even be compared to your toys. You have no right to casually put a price on its worth."
Even amid the commotion, his voice carried with strange clarity.
"If it must be assigned a price, it's worth far more than Lady Lucia's item. At least to me. So don't say anything like that in front of me again."
"Y-Yes, Young Master...."
Lucia stared blankly at his profile. Nothing but his face entered her field of vision.
Thump- Thump-
The sound of her heartbeat. Lucia had unconsciously left her mouth open.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, Astin turned his head. Their eyes happened to meet in midair.
Astin's deeply sunken golden eyes. Lucia's trembling ruby eyes.
Astin's brow crumpled almost imperceptibly.
―He sure notices when people badmouth him.
Astin muttered to himself, then looked away.
"......."
Even after he turned away, Lucia couldn't take her eyes off him.
***
In front of the massive main gate of Aetherna's imperial palace.
Long after everyone had entered the ballroom, a carriage arrived late.
Creeak─
The door opened, and someone cautiously stepped out. It was Knight Julian.
"Halt. We must verify your identity."
An imperial guard stopped Julian. Two spears crossed in an X.
Julian unfolded the commission document in his hand.
"Julian of House Calvert. I have been formally knighted."
"Calvert? Was there such a house?"
"...A fallen house."
"Ah, I see. You may enter."
Julian passed through the checkpoint and proceeded without trouble.
What kind of noble looks like that? Mocking gossip came from behind him.
In truth, Julian agreed with them.
His appearance was wretched for a noble attending the Founding Festival.
His face was swollen dark blue, one eye could barely open, and bandages were plastered over his crooked nose.
Rather than a noble attending the Founding Festival, he looked more like a patient who had been bedridden until recently. In fact, he was.
"Let's not worry about it."
Julian paid it no heed.
Who cared what his face looked like?
He hadn't come here for such trivial socializing.
He had come to take "responsibility" for what he himself had done.
Bang-
The ballroom's great doors opened, drawing a fair number of gazes.
"Oh my, look at that person. What happened to his face?"
"Isn't that Knight Julian? Tsk, tsk. I heard Young Master Astin gave him a thorough beating. He looks awful."
Julian walked with his head held high. He felt no shame. He had gained more than he had lost.
He searched the ballroom with hurried steps and a busy gaze.
"Young Master Astin. Incredible, isn't it? Fifty million shillings for an old sword."
Julian halted abruptly at the sound of the passing conversation.
"He won General Vermang's personal effects at the highest price in auction history. His intentions are obvious, which makes it even more moving."
"Indeed, indeed. So the rumors that Cardenos's wastrel was a complete scoundrel were all nonsense. He's a true noble who knows honor and glory."
Favorable stories spread among the older nobles.
A faint smile spread across Julian's lips as he listened silently. His heart even grew warm.
-You people are always like this. You don't understand even when I explain it. And yet you dismiss us as ghosts endlessly circling the Infinite Ring, without even respecting the knights who endure such hardship.
Astin respected old knights and veterans to his very bones. He showed it not just in his heart but through his own actions.
Overwhelming skill and firm convictions. The breadth of spirit to protect retired soldiers' honor.
He even felt glad that they had finally recognized Astin's true nature, albeit late.
So my defeat wasn't in vain after all.
"What true noble? Can't you tell it's all an obvious ploy?"
A young noble gave an audible snort.
"His reputation is crawling at rock bottom after he assaulted Lady Rosenthal. He's just trying to make up for it with the family's money. I would've done the same."
"True. Fifty million shillings is pocket change to Cardenos. If you're putting on a show, you have to burn at least that much."
They giggled, saying behind his back what they couldn't say to his face.
Julian's brows drew together sharply. He dragged his injured leg toward them.
"You."
Flinch- The young nobles turned their heads.
"Could you burn that much money?"
"W-What? What are you talking about, barging over here all of a sudden?"
"It's not a stunt to repair his reputation; it's a man's mettle. Don't casually disparage another person's actions."
A knight with half his face smashed in let killing intent seep out. The young nobles could only stand before him, struck dumb.
"Sir Julian?"
Then a gentle voice came from behind him.
It was Lucia, the young lady known as the star of high society.
As an academy senior, Julian had been about to speak informally as usual, but he closed his mouth. This was a public occasion.
"Lady Lucia. How do you do?"
"I'm sorry to hear about what happened to Azeline."
Concern clouded Lucia's eyes as she looked at his battered face.
"I didn't expect you to come here. Your injuries look serious. Are you all right?"
"I'm all right. It was all my fault."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. It wasn't your fault. The person at fault was...."
For some reason, Lucia let the sentence trail off. Julian gave a bitter smile.
It seemed Lucia believed this tragedy had happened because he had tried to shield Azeline.
"Do you happen to know where Young Master Astin is?"
Lucia's eyes narrowed.
Was Julian planning to challenge Astin again in that condition? Or was he even planning revenge?
"Why are you asking?"
"I want to apologize."
".......An apology?"
Lucia blinked repeatedly. An apology?
"Did you just say you wanted to apologize?"
"Yes. I also intend to thank Young Master Astin while I'm at it."
"What are you talking about.... Why would you apologize to Young Master Astin? And what are you thanking him for?"
The victim, beaten nearly senseless, was going to apologize and offer thanks to the perpetrator.
It made no sense whatsoever.
Where should he even begin explaining this?
Julian opened his mouth with difficulty, weighed down by prolonged remorse.
"As I just said, I brought all of this upon myself. Young Master Astin...."
The truth came from the person directly involved.
Throughout his calm confession, Lucia's pupils trembled slightly.
"......Ah."
Her lips fell open in stunned disbelief.