A moment later, he abruptly pulled his son into his arms.
“I’m sorry, Heinrich.”
In that instant, tears welled in Heinrich’s eyes. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that he would be held by his father while he still lived. His father had always seemed as cold and unyielding as steel. To think that such a side existed in him…
As tears streamed down and blurred his vision, his father’s voice, laden with remorse, echoed softly.
“You were always on my mind. Once you left, I truly regretted how coldly I had treated you. It was never your fault to begin with.”
“F-Father…”
Overcome by an indescribable emotion, Heinrich silently swallowed his tears. He had never dreamed his father would welcome him like this. Regret washed over him for not having come sooner.
“I waited and waited for you to return. I wanted to tell you, sincerely, that I was sorry.”
His throat tightened, and he could not even open his mouth. All he could do was bury himself in his father’s embrace and sob soundlessly… Count Farion quietly gazed into Heinrich’s face.
“You’ve grown so much. I didn’t realize it when you were young, but now that you’ve grown, you look just like me. If Stella sees your face, even she won’t be able to say otherwise. You are my son. My son, whom no one can deny…”
Heinrich remained quietly silent. Countess Stella Farion had tormented him endlessly until now. She had never once tried to acknowledge that Heinrich carried Count Farion’s blood.
Countless times, Heinrich had heard her call him “the wretch born from a lowly whore who took in some seed no one knows belonged to whom.” Perhaps that was why his father had treated him with such unusual coldness.
His father had likely not wished to stir up trouble in a harmonious household all because of him. Count Farion carefully stroked his son’s face.
“You must have suffered greatly, leaving home at such a young age. How have you been?”
Heinrich wiped away his tears and answered.
“I met good companions and have been doing well, Father.”
“In any case, thank you for coming back alive. Now forget all those painful memories. I will never abandon you again. From now on, I will not care what the family says.”
“No, Father.”
Heinrich quietly shook his head. By now, he had regained a certain measure of composure.
“It is enough that you have acknowledged me. Yes. More than enough.”
A tender light flickered through Count Farion’s eyes.
“Judging by the look of you, you’ve become a mercenary. Then you must be able to use a sword to some extent. I’ll see if I can find you a position as a guard somewhere. Wouldn’t it be better to settle here than to continue such a dangerous life as a mercenary?”
“I appreciate your words, Father, but I have excellent companions. The fact that you have acknowledged me leaves me with no regrets. Now I can leave without any lingering sorrow.”
“Even so…”
To his father, who could not quite let go, Heinrich quietly revealed his resolve.
“Mother and my brothers are likely not very pleased that I have returned. I do not wish to ruin the harmony of the household because of me. I will simply leave. Wouldn’t it be enough if I came by from time to time to see you, Father?”
“……”
Count Farion remained quietly silent. In his heart, he wanted to live with the son who had returned. But that was merely his own wish. It was obvious as day that his wife and children would not welcome Heinrich, a child of a different mother.
Had Count Farion not deliberately treated Heinrich coldly since he was young in order to avoid trouble? After thinking it over and over, the count finally made his decision and let out a long sigh.
“If you insist on leaving, I will not stop you. But you must come visit often. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Seeing you makes me think of your mother.”
“Do you… remember my mother?”
“Of course I remember her. She was truly a kind woman… Though I spent barely a month or so with her, she gave me much comfort during a difficult time in my life. I wonder where she is now and what she is doing…”
Count Farion wore an indistinct expression, as though recalling memories, but soon his face changed.
“Ah. This…”
He silently slipped a hand into his bosom. A moment later, a small crest emerged in his hand.
“Take it. It is the crest of House Farion. While you were gone, I had already registered you as a member of the family.”
Heinrich accepted the crest with an expression full of emotion. Now he was officially a member of House Farion. After staring at the crest for a long while, Heinrich looked up at his father.
“The family must have opposed it greatly…”
“Even so, the fact that you are my son does not change. Wherever you go from now on, you must take pride in the fact that you are a member of House Farion. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Father.”
Count Farion affectionately drew his son along.
“Let us go in now. I want to treat my son, who has returned after four years, to a warm dinner. I have called all your brothers. Even if the atmosphere is somewhat awkward, endure it for a little while. Do you understand?”
Heinrich answered with a faint smile. Had he not already endured and endured for more than ten years?
“Do not worry, Father.”
“You rascal.”
Count Farion stroked his head as though proud of him.
As they entered the inner chambers, father and son continued conversing without pause. Their main topic, naturally, was the family. Remembering his eldest brother, who had shown exceptional talent in swordsmanship, Heinrich looked at his father. Marta, the eldest son of House Farion, regarded as the pillar of the family, was that very brother.
“By the way, my eldest brother must be a Royal Guard knight by now. He always competed for first place at the academy, so surely he is, isn’t he?”
Count Farion’s expression hardened as if troubled.
“Unfortunately, your brother was unable to enter the Royal Guard Order. He is currently affiliated with the Wyvern Knight Order.”
Heinrich was startled. The Wyvern Knight Order was a second-rate knight order that differed considerably in level from the Royal Guard Order.
The Royal Guard Order, which was responsible for protecting the sovereign, was considered the elite in any nation. Tezeros was no different; only the most outstanding knights were carefully selected and assigned to the Royal Guard Order. Therefore, for the knights of Tezeros, entering the Royal Guard Order could only be the lifelong dream.
Knights who unfortunately failed to become Royal Guards chose the Central Knight Order or the Capital Knight Order. Becoming a knight there was still more than enough to bring glory to one’s family and earn honor.
Those who failed even those examinations went to the Wyvern Knight Order. The four great knight orders named after powerful flying monsters: Wyvern, Griffon, Eagle, and Falcon. Though their names sounded grand, public opinion held them to be, at best, second-rate knight orders.
So it was no wonder that Heinrich was surprised. It was difficult to believe that his eldest brother, who had been widely expected since childhood to enter the Royal Guard Order, was serving as no more than a knight of the Wyvern Knight Order.
“Th-that is surprising. I thought by now my eldest brother would be a Royal Guard knight.”
Count Farion gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
“You rascal. Did you think just anyone could enter the Royal Guard Order? Even countless knights renowned throughout the nation gather there, yet only an extremely small number are chosen. Marta has already failed the examination five times. Now he has exceeded the age limit and cannot even become an apprentice knight, so he had no choice but to join the Wyvern Knight Order.”
Shock spread across Heinrich’s face.
“Then are you saying my brother also failed the examinations for the Capital Knight Order and the Central Knight Order?”
“That is right. Even for the Wyvern Knight Order, he only barely passed on his second attempt.”
“Wh-what happened to my other brothers?”
Count Farion’s face grew even heavier.
“They are still undergoing their apprenticeship. That is because they still cannot draw up an Aura Blade. Becoming a Paladin is not an easy thing. If Marta had only been able to draw up an Aura Blade during the examination, he could have become an apprentice knight of the Central Knight Order without difficulty. But he can only succeed once or twice out of ten attempts at best… One could say he had poor luck during the examination.”
For a short while, Heinrich could not gather his thoughts. He had assumed all three of his brothers would have become Royal Guard knights. Since even he, who had started the latest, had become a Paladin without much difficulty, it had seemed obvious. Yet not a single one of his brothers had become a Paladin… Suddenly, questions arose about the mana cultivation method he had been practicing.
‘If that’s true, then the mana cultivation method Damon taught me is truly incredible. Less than two years after learning the cultivation method, I became able to manifest an Aura Blade…’
When Heinrich remained silent, Count Farion lightly patted his back.
“You rascal. What are you thinking so hard about? Don’t worry too much. Your brothers will be able to become full knights before long. Since your eldest brother is in the Wyvern Knight Order, won’t he guide them well?”
Heinrich abruptly came back to his senses.
“Yes? Yes, Father.”
“Let us go in. It has truly been a long time since the whole family gathered for dinner.”
A short while later, father and son appeared in the lavishly decorated banquet hall. The table was laden with abundant food. Three or four servants hurried about, carrying plates of food. Count Farion personally pulled out a chair.
“Sit here. It seems your eldest brother has not arrived yet. We will have to wait a little.”
Heinrich, who had been about to sit down quietly, flinched. A venomous gaze had suddenly shot at him from across the table. Seated directly opposite him was Countess Farion.
Stella was glaring at Heinrich as though deeply displeased. Beside her sat his brothers Peter and Malachi, and they did not even spare Heinrich a glance.
“Have you been well?”
Out of consideration for his father’s dignity, he tried to attach the word “Mother,” but it would not come out of his throat. It was obvious that he would receive a curt reply.
Unable to keep watching, Count Farion added a word.
“What is the matter, my lady? He is still Heinrich, whom you have not seen in four years. Please treat him warmly.”
Countess Farion said nothing. It seemed Count Farion had firmly admonished her beforehand, but her icy face showed no sign of thawing. Count Farion continued haltingly, as though embarrassed.
“Heinrich will leave sometime today. He says he must carry out a mission with his companions.”
“Hmph. As if a mere mercenary rabble would have a mission to carry out.”
Though she spat out one venomous remark, the countess’s face seemed to ease slightly. The news that he would leave appeared to have improved her mood. At the unchanged cold treatment, Heinrich bit his lip hard. He regretted not leaving as soon as he had seen his father.
But he could not storm out now. As he quietly remained silent, his brothers’ gazes finally came to rest on Heinrich. Their eyes were as indifferent as if they were a cow looking at a chicken.
His second brother, Peter, muttered with displeasure.
“Well, well. To think our family would produce a mercenary.”
“Don’t mind him, Brother. He says he’s leaving today.”
Heinrich, utterly cowed, simply stared at the table. Faced with this unexpected situation, Count Farion did not know what to do. Even though he had firmly admonished them, his wife and sons still did not acknowledge Heinrich as family. Anger naturally surged within him.
‘This is truly too much.’
But if he grew angry, it was certain that the emotional rift would only deepen, so Count Farion had no choice but to remain still. In the meantime, the eldest son, Marta, entered. As though he had just come home from work, he was still wearing his knight order uniform.
“I’m home. Hm? Aren’t you Heinrich?”
Unexpectedly, Marta acknowledged Heinrich. Heinrich greeted him respectfully.
“It has truly been a long time, Elder Brother.”
“Elder Brother?”
Marta’s eyes widened, but when he received his father’s glare, he quietly went to his seat and sat down. It seemed he had cultivated a fair amount of refinement after becoming a knight. Once the family had all gathered, Count Farion went to the head seat and sat down.
“Today, the entire family is gathered in one place. Heinrich has come home after no less than four years. So I hope all of you will treat him warmly. Do you understand?”
“……”
Everyone remained silent. Their faces were full of dissatisfaction, but since Heinrich was said to be leaving today, they seemed to be barely holding themselves back.