How did anyone think to build such a massive castle in this deep valley?
The closer we drew to Beladia Castle, the more admiration welled up within me.
This castle, which had clearly been abandoned for an unfathomable length of time, was so magnificent that it seemed to lack nothing even when compared to the empire's other famous castles.
Nowhere did I see any collapsed or damaged sections, and even the weeds and vines that hinted at the passage of time seemed deliberately placed, fitting in perfectly.
"I think that's the castle gate over there."
We found the gate without any wandering. Not that there was much chance of getting lost anyway, since the castle sat squarely in the center of the valley, leaving no alternative paths.
However, there was one problem.
"That's... a drawbridge."
As we drew closer, it became visible. A raised drawbridge.
Naturally, we couldn't jump across it. The bridge had to be lowered from the other side for us to cross.
But who would lower that bridge in an empty castle?
"It's not even connected to chains. How is it staying up like that?"
Xenon was right. No matter how I looked, I couldn't see any chains for raising and lowering the drawbridge.
Which meant it must operate by some other method...
If Xenon used magic right now, one or two people could cross easily enough, but we didn't know how to operate it in the first place, nor could we be certain it would even work.
I decided to look around first.
"Is this a moat?"
The area around the castle walls was deeply excavated. Looking down, I could see water filling the bottom.
From above, it looked shallow, but I had no idea how deep it would actually be if I went down.
Naturally, there were no boats around either.
"Is there perhaps a knight who can lower that drawbridge?"
Surely among the Dullahans, at least one of them would know something about it?
Filled with such expectations, I looked back at the Dullahans, and they all fell into deep thought.
While they were lost in thought, the baby lizardman set Ganic down and suddenly wagged its tail before diving into the moat.
Splash!
Along with a spray of water, the baby lizardman's body plunged beneath the surface.
[Aigo, that guy! How does he know what's in that water!]
Ganic, left suddenly alone on the ground, recoiled in shock and crawled toward the moat.
[He just can't control himself whenever he sees water...]
Ganic stretched his neck out and peered down into the moat. He looked worried yet somehow affectionate.
Fortunately, there didn't seem to be anything else in the moat.
I was about to glance at the baby lizardman splashing and playing, then turn my attention back to the drawbridge, when Samuel suddenly spoke.
"The one who raised this drawbridge is a Knight of the Round Table."
"What?"
"Free him, and the path to the castle gate will open."
Samuel's gaze landed somewhere. Looking at where he was staring, I hesitated.
[The one who defended... the castle gate was...]
Mori, who had been quiet, stammered and opened his mouth.
[It was Ganic.]
The Dullahans' gazes also turned toward Ganic. Having heard our conversation, Ganic was startled by the sudden attention, his eyes going round before slowly looking around.
[Ah...]
It seemed that with all his attention focused on the baby lizardman, he hadn't yet realized what kind of place this was.
He surveyed his surroundings at a slow pace, then transformed into his true form amid black smoke.
[Kyaaah!]
Seeing Ganic transform into his true form, the baby lizardman shouted vigorously and waved his hands.
Now that guy didn't seem scared or unfamiliar with Ganic's appearance at all.
Rather, with twinkling eyes, he even seemed to be asking him to play together.
[Ganic.]
Ganic, who had been watching the baby lizardman, responded to Soana's call.
In his transformed state, as if it had been that way from the start, he possessed his own head.
[Ganic's head...]
At Bark's murmur, Ganic touched his own face. The middle-aged man with a rough beard wore a dazed expression.
The wrinkles revealed his dignified age, and his firm mouth and thick eyebrows captured his upright character.
Ganic stroked his head for a long time with an expression of disbelief. Only then did he seem to finally grasp the situation, wearing a strange expression.
"I..."
Ganic, whose lips were moving, looked at me blankly.
Then he turned to look not at Samuel the traitor, nor at his fellow knights.
[Kyaaah!]
It was the baby lizardman, innocently splashing in the water.
Ganic watched the baby lizardman with unfathomable eyes, then slowly raised his head to look up at the towering drawbridge.
A wistful emotion settled in his pupils. His tightly pressed lips slowly trembled.
"My son's remains are in the castle ossuary."
Hearing those words, it was as if a light suddenly switched on in my head—memories flashed back. It was a memory from my past life.
"My son was very weak..."
The power of death did not always exist solely to end lives. Very occasionally, it was also possible to collect unnecessary deaths.
It meant that while one couldn't strengthen an inherently weak life force, one could push back the shadow of immediately looming death just a little.
"But thanks to Captain, I remember that even his short life was one lived with smiles. Yes, I remember. I've regained my head..."
Ganic smiled faintly as he recalled the past. Then he turned completely toward me.
"The eighth knight who repaid your grace with loyalty, Ganic, offers his greeting."
His black armor was faded and covered with many scratches, showing the time he had waited.
"I closed the castle gate and raised the drawbridge to protect you."
Ganic approached slowly. One of his hands was already on his sword hilt.
A pitch-black sword slid smoothly from its sheath.
"After that, I stood against that traitor here."
Samuel, at the point of the sword, showed no surprise.
"That one cannot cross this bridge."
"You said the same thing back then. But you were defeated."
"Sir Samuel!"
Seeing Samuel provoking Ganic without any hesitation, I urgently called out to him.
With a face I couldn't read his thoughts at all, Samuel was watching Ganic.
"Will you abandon your rest because of that baby monster?"
"How shameless, traitor."
"You fear your own rest."
Samuel spoke as if Ganic did not desire rest.
Ganic's face was angry, yet he didn't directly deny those words.
We had all witnessed Dasha's end. If Ganic didn't desire death, he might feel anxious about the rest that would come to him.
He would obtain the rest he desired. But whether he would obtain it in the form he wanted was unknown.
For no one knew what form rest other than death would take.
[Ganic, we need to complete the final authority.]
Soana, who had been watching the situation, spoke in a firm voice. Minty also called out to Ganic in a quiet voice.
Even though they had heard Ganic call Samuel a traitor, everyone seemed to consider the realization of the final authority more important.
Ganic looked at his companions, then slowly lowered his aimed sword.
"Captain. You must have a reason for keeping that traitor by your side. Or perhaps everything is the goddess's..."
The murmuring grew quieter toward the end.
Ganic stood still for a while with his sword hanging down, then took a deep breath.
Then he raised his head with eyes full of resolve.
"Welcome back to Beladia Castle. I am your shield, your solid castle wall, the knight who blocks all threats at the forefront."
Just as when he drew his sword, the blade was smoothly drawn back into its sheath.
"Now I ask of you."
Ganic's face was calm, without any lingering attachment or hesitation.
"Grant me the rest befitting me."
* * *
With a rumbling roar, the drawbridge slowly descended.
From somewhere came the sound of gears creaking as they turned. Beyond the gradually lowering drawbridge, the lattice-style castle gate could be seen slowly rising.
The drawbridge and castle gate moving on their own without anyone's operation were wondrous rather than chilling.
I stared blankly at the sight, then glanced down at the moat. Among the things that changed after the authority was realized, that moat was included.
"The water has risen."
[It was originally for defense to block enemy attacks.]
The one who answered calmly was Soana in the form of a hawk.
[Beladia Castle is returning to its original form.]
As if stopped time was flowing again.
I smiled bitterly and lowered my gaze.
The baby lizardman, who had been laughing as he surrendered himself to the rising water, approached the drawbridge, cutting through the waves.
Seeing the baby lizardman, my thoughts naturally turned to Ganic.
Ganic had calmly accepted his rest. And then, he had vanished.
'Was that death?'
It was completely different from Dasha. Dasha's earnest heart had been conveyed to me so clearly that there was no room for confusion.
But Ganic... Ganic, wrapped in the green authority, had calmly closed his eyes, and his feet had begun to blur.
And so he vanished.
[Kyuu?]
The baby lizardman, having come right up to the drawbridge, suddenly lifted his head.
That baby lizardman had been swimming, knowing nothing, at the moment Ganic disappeared. Making utterly innocent sounds.
[Abua?]
Soana, looking at the baby lizardman glancing around, sighed and flew high into the castle.
By then the drawbridge had completely lowered, and we too could cross the bridge.
Samuel led the way across. The baby lizardman, who had never left Samuel's side when we first rescued him, now didn't even give him any attention.
While we all began to cross the bridge, the baby lizardman swam in circles beneath the drawbridge, crying loudly. He showed no sign of wanting to follow us.
He just kept crying noisily.
[Kyu! Abububu!]
It still wasn't a proper sentence. And now there was no one left to interpret those words at will.
Yet those sounds kept sounding like proper words to me.
I withdrew my gaze from the baby lizardman. Somehow, like Soana had done, I felt I might end up sighing without realizing it, so I clenched my teeth.
The firmly closed castle gate opened, and the drawbridge that had been raised like a lifted sword came down.
What this meant, the baby lizardman surely wouldn't know at all.
From behind, I could hear the squeaking cries.
Ganic, Ganic.
[Abua!]
Ganic, he's calling for you.