It was uncharacteristically of Lorenz to seek Claude out, unless he specifically needed something. Though both have grown from the days of the academy ( for better or for worse, claude was still trying to figure that out ), some things never really changed. Lorenz was more accepting of Claude as a leader and vice versa, Claude knew he could leave Fodlan in his hands for a brighter future, but Claude and Lorenz both still had their walls up around others.
Even when they didn’t realize it.
“Ah, right. Yeah. Hilda’s gone. Again. This isn’t the first time
she’s disappeared on me, so I’m not all too surprised or bothered,
honestly!”
He’s not being honest with himself. His words, however, does put a frown on Claude’s face.
“Lorenz… I won’t deny that when I came to Fodlan, she was one
of the firsts to really help me out. She was the first I befriended,
the first person aside from Teach who believed in me, but… You
should know by now that you mean a lot to me as well. You and
the other Golden Deer, but we’re talking about you specifically.
You’re the one I’d want on the other side of me. You and Hilda
both kept me grounded, when Teach couldn’t. Teach and I have
similar mindsets, so I always looked towards you and Hilda for
another perspective.”
“Y’know, there was a reason I always challenged you, why I
always played those little games you pulled with me back in
the monastery, during our academy days. It’s because I believed
in you. Just like you believed in me. So, yeah, of course I’ll look
towards you as my right-hand man. And that won’t change when
Hilda gets back too. You both have had that position.”
He immediately wanted to point out that that was an obvious lie. Claude was not a man of many tells, but despite it being a repeat performance, there was no conceivable way in which Claude wasn’t hurt by her absence. And that was fine, there was no reason for him not to be. Lorenz was hurt, himself. Hilda being cast off his island was...Unacceptable. To be thrown into whatever fate awaited her, something that none of them could know...
But Claude’s next words gave him pause, and he stood stark still as he listened, unsure of what to say in response. As for himself, Lorenz had decided to believe in Claude above all else. That even though he had torn his own heart out, turned his back on so many because he believed in him, he would gladly do it again. Even knowing House Gloucester’s position near the Reigan Dukedom. It did not matter at the time, no matter what his words may have said to the contrary.
After a while, he cleared his throat, finally speaking: “That is...unexpected. I am aware of my value to your cause, and to your war, but I was...Not aware it was so intimate as that.”
He could not help the surprise on his face, hands clasped behind his back. “Here I thought I was being courteous by offering mine support to you in this trying time...Of course, I-” Cutting himself off, his own features turned an awful shade of pink, up to his ears. “Of course I knew you were simply challenging my preconceived notions at the time, just as i was challenging you. It was certainly mutual verbal sparring. Assessing whether you were up to the task, deserving of my loyalty, and-”
Clearing again, chin up, he had to throw in a verbal barb, despite how obviously pleased he was with the outcome of this. “And would not one of us needs be your left hand? Unless you have two right hands, of course.”
