Reset Life – Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Please Don’t Call Me That (4)

Of course, Father would know this much. And he would also know that I wanted to say that, and that I wouldn’t be able to say it openly.

I still don’t know why he’s making me go through this. Is it just because I’m his illegitimate son?

I bowed my head deeply.

“Although the results are good, the process is also important. That’s how society and the Empire work. I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll be more careful from now on. I think I’ve been too reckless for someone who hasn’t even come of age. I’m worried that I’ve tarnished the family name.”

“No. It’s beneficial to the family name. What’s recorded for posterity are the results. But sometimes someone might question the process. Well done. Your handling of the situation was excellent.”

I suppressed the urge to lift my head abruptly.

Oh my god! This person……! Is he sincerely praising me?!

Joy welled up inside me, but I suppressed it. The one who said, ‘someone might question the process’ was Father himself. Because he was the one who orchestrated it.

So what should I say? Did he question it himself before anyone else could? So that no one else would dare to speak up? Was he, in the end, protecting me?

But Father was angry before he dispatched me.

Was he really angry at my recklessness? Was it a twisted expression of a father’s love, worrying about his son?

I threw 30,000 jeers at my own thoughts. Anyone else, maybe, but not this man.

Then he must have had another purpose……

“You may leave now. Rest well and recover from your journey today. I’ll inform them that you’ll be attending the ball in three days.”

“Yes, Father.”

I bowed my head again and left the study.

It was already a dark night, and candles were quietly illuminating the hallway. I walked down the hallway, then stopped and looked up at the night sky.

What is Father thinking?

Perhaps he’s even harder to understand than Artshever. Suddenly showing kindness he never showed before, praising me when he never did……

They say people change when they’re about to die. Is that it?

“Oh, come on. It’s Father, for crying out loud.”

I chuckled.

Father, in his early forties, is brimming with vitality.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Empire’s Eastern Army and the Duke of Orknesia, Ecaledon Uck Herduke, is far from dying. He’s a man who hasn’t even caught a cold before I was born.

Hmm. Don’t let your guard down.

I’d already given up on trying to figure him out, so there’s no need to adjust my assessment, whether it’s upwards or downwards. Let’s not jump to conclusions until I know his true intentions.

I threw a few thoughts into the night sky.

On my way back to my room, I noticed a door in the hallway was open. It was definitely the door leading to the backyard, and it should have been locked at this hour. Did the gardener go out?

I cautiously peeked my head through the door. Under the soft moonlight, the white snow reflected a pale light. And following the footprints scattered across the snow……

“Levidian?”

She was there.

Changed into comfortable clothes and wearing a thick coat, she was standing in the middle of the snow, seemingly closest to the moonlight, breathing out white puffs of air.

I quietly stepped outside and onto the snow. A small crunching sound.

“Isn’t it too cold for a walk?”

“Did your conversation with the Duke go well?”

As expected, she didn’t seem surprised. The footprints scattered in front of the door belonged to several people, so perhaps passing servants often called out to her.

“Yes. It went well. I even received praise.”

“Huhut. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. But are you really on a walk?”

“No, just…… Come here.”

She beckoned me. I walked towards her, leaving my footprints next to hers. She was gazing up at the sky.

I unconsciously followed her gaze, and then I was awestruck.

“Wow……”

It was an unusually large full moon. The chillingly white moon and the stars densely scattered around it. It was a different kind of beauty from the stars I saw in the hallway earlier.

The halo of light surrounding the moon seemed to gently spread and illuminate the sky. A pale bluish light, perhaps? The moon, seen from the middle of the snowfield reflecting the moonlight, was truly special.

“I was just going to look at it for a moment, but it’s so beautiful. I can’t take my eyes off it.”

“Indeed. Today is truly a beautiful moonlit night.”

“Yes.”

She and I quietly gazed at the moon. The moon, which never seemed to get tiring no matter how long we looked at it, existed as a mystery itself.

On a cold, windless day, I was gazing at the moon, forgetting the cold.

Even when Levidian suddenly started speaking, I didn’t realize how abrupt it was.

“It’s been nine months since I met you. During that time, I’ve spent time that can’t be compared to any other nine months. I can’t believe that I’m here, looking at the moon so peacefully.”

“Me too.”

So much had happened. So many things, it was hard to express in a single word.

“Are you going to continue being so busy?”

“I was planning to…… but I’ve decided not to.”

“Why?”

“That’s…… because I’m incompetent.”

I glanced at her. She was already looking at me, and her expression demanded an explanation.

I complied.

“When I realized that the things I thought I could handle were actually miracles that I was able to manage, I felt how complacent I had been. I’ve been continuously succeeding in tasks that would have been worthless failures if I hadn’t been thoroughly prepared. Normally, one would trust their luck in such situations, but luck doesn’t last forever.”

They were things I thought I could handle. But when they actually happened, some kind of possibility would pop up and make things difficult. Not that I couldn’t solve them, but just barely.

This is where I started thinking about the”what ifs”.

What if I was a little more competent? For example, what if I had better swordsmanship, situational awareness, patience, or abilities that were much better than now?

Even if some kind of possibility, in other words, an obstacle, popped up, I would have been able to overcome it with difficulty. Honestly, there were many things that happened so far that I found difficult to handle.

I was lucky.

I have a rough understanding of the future 10 years from now, and I was able to utilize people and events related to the future.

And I have status. I’m the second son of the Duke, and even if I’m ignored by my father and brother, the influence I hold isn’t disregarded.

However, there are still problems that I can’t solve with my current position and abilities. Especially when Artshever is involved.

Of course, he’s special. He seems like someone made up of only unique elements in many ways. But his singularity can’t be an excuse for my lack of ability.

It’s been nine months since I came back to life.

The history of the Empire and Azot has already changed a lot. I caused it, but I don’t know what will happen in the future.

And there will be others like me and Lime-hyung.

Even at this moment, someone might have traveled back in time with memories of 30 or 40 years.

“Instead of recklessly starting things and making them difficult to solve, I’m going to focus on building a solid foundation. In order to proactively and efficiently deal with the challenges that lie ahead, I need to cultivate myself first. It’s not always wise to just keep starting new things.”

“So what are you planning to do specifically?”

“Well, I have some things in mind. But the most important thing is still swordsmanship training. I want to develop the skills to escape from dangerous situations on my own, even if I can’t be as good as you, Teacher.”

“So that means…… you’ll still need my help in the future?”

“Of course.”

I said with a smile. I can’t leave out Levidian. No, at least she should be within my sight, even if others aren’t.

“I’m glad you think so.”

She smiled brightly. A smile she doesn’t show to others very often.

Seeing her as usual, I feel a bit playful. I have something to ask.

“Oh, by the way, Teacher.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“You said something in the Hiltenpens Barony, didn’t you? That you had something you couldn’t tell me.”

“Huh? Oh, that…… Why are you asking about that?”

She became visibly flustered. It’s rather cute how she tries to feign ignorance.

“I’m curious. I want to hear it while I’m still alive, since I won’t be able to hear it if I’m dead. What was it?”

“That’s…… Umm, hmm, fine. I’ll tell you. But on one condition.”

“What condition?”

“If you laugh, I won’t let you off easy. Got it?”

She said sharply, as if stabbing me with a sword. I nodded with a chuckle, and she told me why my training with Lea was so harsh.

“So I was impatient. Huu, I still don’t know why I was like that. Risel?”

I was covering my mouth and trembling, trying not to laugh.

Oh, damn. So, that’s what it was? Pfft! No, this is…… Well, what can I say, Phew! Ah, no. I can’t laugh. You said you wouldn’t let me off easy if I laughed! Puhat!

I really want to burst out laughing. Oh my god! It’s such a Levidian reason! Oh my! God! Why did you send such a cute person to be the Sword King?

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I burst out laughing, bending over.

“Puhahahahahat!”

“Risel-! I told you not to laugh!”

“No, I, that! Puhahahat! I’m not! Phew! I’m not laughing! Puhahahat! Ehat! No, that is, Pfft! It’s such a Teacher-like reason……!”

“What is it?”

“Ehahahahat! That, that you were so impatient, Oh, my god, even though you have over 130 disciples! Woohoo! Puhahahahahat! Ugh!”

The last sound wasn’t laughter. It was because she, blushing bright red, threw a snowball at my face. Of course, I laughed even while being hit.

Ah, as expected, genius talent eats away at other talents. Oh my god, she always said she only knew swords, and it was actually true! As expected, Teacher is the best! Hahahahat!

“Are you still laughing? Are you really going to keep doing that?”

She kept throwing snowballs, and I started running away, giggling.

But she’s not only skilled with a sword, but also with other martial arts. She threw snowballs at me with terrifying accuracy as I ran away.

“Oof! Ow! Ugh! Ack?!”

“Oh my, a rock?”

“Are you serious?!”

Lately, I’ve been thinking that Lynin is giving me divine punishment quite often. Why are there so many days when lightning suddenly strikes in front of me?

I quickly threw a snowball back.

I may not look like it, but I was a famous snowball fight ace striker in my company!

However, she dodged the snowballs, dancing as she hopped around.

“You think I’ll get hit by something like that? Take this!”

Unlike her cute voice, the snowball, packed with terrifying speed and energy, hit me squarely in the face. Thwack!

She and I had a snowball fight in the middle of the night.

After a while, the neatly laid snow was completely messed up. My description of pure white or whatever disappeared across the Sair River.

After playing around for a long time, she and I tacitly declared a truce and breathed out hot, white breaths.

She didn’t get hit that much, but I looked like a snowman who would offer vodka and shout”Brother!”if he saw one. This is unfair no matter how you look at it. (Don’t ask me why vodka.)

“Haa, haa……! See, Risel. You’re no match for me.”

“It’s a shame. If only I was born 10 years earlier…… As expected, the difference in height and weight can’t be helped.”

“Wait a minute. I think I heard some physical measurements that I can’t ignore?”

“Since I’m much smaller, I would weigh less than you, Teacher. Isn’t that obvious?”

“So you’re saying you want to do it again? Alright. Risel, pick up a snowball. I’m a swordsman. I won’t use my hands against someone who’s not holding a snowball.”

“Hey, snowballs have nothing to do with being a swordsman…… Ugh!”

“Don’t argue. You’ll get hurt.”

She smashed a snowball on my face and dusted off her hands. I grumbled and brushed the snow off my face and clothes.

I said as I brushed off my shoulders.

“Oh, does Aila know by any chance? What you said, Teacher.”

“Yes, she does. I should say she was the first to know.”

“As expected of Aila. I should thank her profusely later. If I hadn’t known, I might have just misunderstood you, Teacher. Oh, then when will Lea be ready?”

“Hmm, she’s still young, and she’s just started learning swordsmanship…… It will take a little longer. I’m sorry. Please wait a little longer.”

I scratched my head. Even in my eyes, Lea shows the qualities of an excellent swordsman. No, to begin with, she’ll be one of the eight strongest on the continent in nine years, so my eyes weren’t wrong.

But how much longer does she plan to polish such a talent? No matter how I think about it, Levidian’s standards are too high.

“Still, take it slow. Wouldn’t it be troublesome if Lea resented you?”

“I explained it to her. Don’t worry.”

She puffed out her chest and shrugged. It doesn’t seem like something to be proud of in my opinion……

Then it started to snow.

White snowflakes, like little mist flowers, began to fall softly, filling the night sky.

Levidian reached out her hand and caught the falling snow. The snow melted as soon as it landed, but she seemed to enjoy catching it.

Then, suddenly, she said as if she remembered something.

“Thank you, Risel.”

“Huh? For what?”

“For this and that. For many things. I have a lot to thank you for.”

“No, well…… Me too. If it weren’t for you, Teacher, I probably wouldn’t have survived Breedpo, and even after that…… I was able to persevere thanks to what you taught me.”

She stared at me intently. The way she slightly pursed her lips clearly showed that she wanted to say something. I waited for her words with a calm expression.

She placed her right hand on her chest and took a small breath. She spoke with a determined look.

“Please don’t call me that.”

“Huh? But, Teacher?”

“Don’t call me that from now on. You’re the only person I’ve entrusted my back to. So please call me Levidian from now on. Ibi is fine too. For example, you’re my…… my……”

She was searching for the right words.

I waited for those words with a pounding heart.

Although I lack the ability to protect her back, I’m just happy that she acknowledges me.

It’s snowing, and my body is cold, but I feel like I could wait for her words forever.

Even though she’s taking a long time to choose her words, I can keep waiting.

Finally, she spoke.

“Because we’re comrades-in-arms.”

I almost slipped.

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