Booooop. Here’s another one.
Truthfully, Reinhard was a bit nervous. It was a seldom felt emotion, but one he was becoming more and more accustomed to with regards to how he felt when Lady Felt was going to have an opportunity judge something dear to him as this tour of his houses fiefdom was.
“Beyond the High Klara Plateau is Flanders, one of the five Great Cities,” Reinhard explained steadily concealing his nerves from his Lady. “Flanders is said to be the birthplace of Earth Dragons, with a long history of its industry flourishing within the city. Hakuchuri also reaps benefits from this, providing homes for many artisans skilled in the craft of saddles, reins, and Earth Dragon gear.”
“Is that what you were talking about before? We can actually ride an Earth Dragon? I’m actually kinda looking forward to that.”
“Then I will make that happen.” Reinhard vowed. “Allow me to find a good Earth Dragon for you.”
“Cooool.” His Lady responded nonchalantly, before prancing nimbly down the road. Reinhard could not help but smile at his mistress’s inability to mask her enthusiasm as he continued leading their tour of the Astrea Domain.
This is Lady Felt’s first foray outside of the Royal Capitol, is it not? A world beyond the Royal Capitol opens to her.
Reinhard thought there was a poetic irony in the scene. Seemingly he was leading the girl he revered as his Master to see a new side of the world yet in truth she was taking him by the hand to glimpse at the world outside of his ordained role by Fate. It was futile of course, but Reinhard sincerely appreciated her efforts to garner him some illusion of freedom.
Reinhard’s smile shifted slightly to become his typical bitter one at the reminder of his helplessness against Fate. It seemed he was rather adept at ruining things for himself. And with this bitterness more thoughts reemerged within Reinhard’s mind whilst he watched his Lady have her eyes flicked towards every new feature for her and find amusement and fascination in everything she saw.
Lady Felt has never seen a world outside the Capitol before. Constricted to the Slums that are the epitome of the decadence of this country and the lack of Justice as the standard that is abided by those whom rule it.
“Hey, Reinhard. What’s the deal with those things?” Lady Felt asked with curiosity—startling Reinhard out of his thoughts with the blatant use of his first name as was rare for her—whilst pointing at the grazing black sheep in the distance.
“Those are black sheep.” Reinhard replied without hesitation, internally thankful for the distraction from his thoughts. “They’re not raised for meat, but for wool.” However, it was clear to Reinhard that this simple explanation wasn’t enough to satisfy his mistress’s curiosity which glimmered in her eyes so he continued in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Their sheared wool is in high demand, as it can be spun into cotton or yarn. The majority of farmers in this region raise black sheep, as it’s an ideal location for grazing. In fact, I’d imagine such wool must have also been used in your clothing, Lady Felt.”
Lady Felt perked up. “Wow, that’s pretty cool! But won’t someone steal ‘em if they’re allowed to roam free like that?”
“Unlike in the Royal Capital, in a town of this size, everyone knows each other. People worry more about witchbeasts attacking their grazing sheep than them getting stolen. Also, the wild Earth Dragons keep them in check. There’s hardly ever an issue.”
“What…? They’re wild, but they protect livestock?” The blondes voice oozed incredulity.
“They’re rather friendly toward humans. So much so, in fact, that they often support us with our daily routines.”
…us? Since when have I considered myself human?
The unexpected words surprised Reinhard enough he was sure he had reacted outwardly in some fashion but it seemed Lady Felt had not noticed as she had immediately nodded upon his statement looked upon the pasture with squinted eyes.
It seems there are still some small mercies for Lady Felt to have not detected that. Or was it even luck at all? The World toils to my whims, surely it would not have be unreasonable to believe this is simply another moment it has aided me.
Wryly, Reinhard wondered if anything that happened that went well for him was a result of anything of his own. All he had to do was breathe and he would inherently be advantaged above others.
Admittedly that train of thought also made him remember the moment he’d glimpsed upon Julius during the conference with Envy. Julius was someone whom worked hard despite having inherent talent. It was unfair that Reinhard couldn’t have reached where he was now through ardent work. It made him feel as though he was a fraud. A feeling he was sure Julius surely wouldn’t struggle with given his friend had rightfully earned everything he was due.
A couple moments passed in silence that Reinhard luxuriated in as he and Lady Felt watched the herds of black sheep graze the pastures. It truly was a peaceful setting Reinhard desired to remain in—
“It still woulda been better if I wasn’t alone with you, though.” The words erupted from Lady Felt snidely.
Reinhard smiled wryly and furrowed his brow in dismay at Lady Felt’s snide remark. “I am indeed hurt to hear you say that to my face, my Lady.”
“But I didn’t wanna cancel just because of that. I ain’t no coward, y’know!”
No. Lady Felt was no coward. No one whom worked against the ones whom resided in the heavens could be. Reinhard truly believed that and enumerated the strength of this conviction to project seriousness in his next words. “If your Ladyship was displeased, I would’ve had no intention of forcing to you to come.”
To violate Lady Felt’s freedom will was something Reinhard fell ill at the mere prospect of. He was acutely aware of the lack of freedom he had. The teenager did not desire to suppress the freedom of one he cherished. Not when Reinhard knew what living with a lack of freedom did.
“This is about my mood. It has nothing to do with you. It’s a matter of my own personal victory or defeat. Anyway, I’m having a good time for now.” Waving a dismissive hand in the air, Lady Felt snickered at his concern.
Lady Felt then strolled along the path, hands clasped behind her head and glancing up at him beside her. The moment stretched in silence for an abnormally long moment as she continued to stare. Thus, Reinhard couldn’t but ask. “Is something the matter?”
“Nothin.” His Lady replied curtly. “But this area’s your hometown, isn’t it?”
Reinhard resisted the urge to furrow his eyebrows in confusion at the odd segway. “I was born in the Royal Capital. However, I grew up here as a child, so you certainly could call this my hometown. Why do you ask?”
“And despite that…” His Lady trailed off at his answer, one eye slipping shut. Reinhard shifted slightly ready to open his mouth to enquire what it was his Lady was thinking when—
“Oh, Sir Reinhard! You’ve returned!”
—the voice of a familiar villager radiated through Reinhard’s ears as he waved in greeting.
Reinhard instinctively waved back, causing Cochran to quickly bow his head, looking immensely pleased.
I cannot fathom why he is so pleased to have been waved back at by someone like myself. Surely he must have higher standards then someone as twisted I?
But Reinhard knew it would not due to mutter his more bitter musings about himself aloud. Thus, he went to satiate Lady Felt’s confusion. “That’s Cochran. He’s the heir to the ranch we saw earlier. His friend works as a craftsman of Earth Dragon equipment. I thought I’d ask him to make some earth dragon gear for you, Lady Felt.”
“It’s crazy how you seem to know so much about everyone you see.” Lady Felt muttered.
Reinhard felt a pleased feeling settle within his chest. A good lord knew their subjects. Perhaps his desire for achieving Virtue wasn’t totally hopeless afterall. “Well, it’s a small town, you see. They’re also the residents of our domain. Not to mention I consider them my friends from my hometown. It’s not much to brag about.”
“Friends, huh?” At the remark from his Lady, she twisted her head to look at Cochran whom had greeted them.
A heavy moment of silence passed as Reinhard observed his Lady peer at Cochran with a calculating look. Reinhard did not know what his Lady was thinking, but it surely was uncharitable of him he mused with a sad smile as he spoke. “I am in a different position than them, after all. It is indeed challenging to form casual friendships. Nonetheless, I’m willing to open up to them.”
“You’re the most powerful knight in the Kingdom, a nobleman, and a lord, right? I can understand how they feel. Oh, could it be? Even in your hometown, you don’t have a single friend, do you?” Lady Felt commented sardonically.
“I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, but I don’t have anyone I could call a drinking buddy.” Reinhard said, shrugging nonchalantly at his Ladies probing. She was right afterall, no? And besides, Reinhard had little reference for friendships beyond his with Ferris & Julius and even father back with Father and his friends he surely drank with.
Reinhard resisted the urge to shake his head to rid himself of those thoughts as he continued. “Even though I am a knight, that title is merely a burden to me here. And yet, it’s not something I can simply discard, even if I wanted to.”
“Have you ever wanted to discard it?” Lady Felt asked, looking oddly almost… astounded by his remark?
Reinhard paused. His blue eyes glimpsing into the ruby red sported by his Lady.
“No. I have never… It’s my Fate to carry this weight on my shoulders.” The words erupted solemnly from his lips, devoid of pride or shame.
But internally, it was an entirely different matter from this unaffected veneer Reinhard erected. Because the truth was Reinhard had undoubtedly desired.
To desire is the root of Sin. And to Sin is to be human. Something which I- no. Which Fate cannot allow.
Reinhard was a perfected being. He could not desire. Reinhard—despite in the past having desperately clawed at a wish of humanity—could not become fully human either. If he became human, then he was no longer Reinhard van Astrea. And if he was no longer Reinhard van Astrea… then whom was he?
He had killed Reinhard Astrea in the eyes of all whom once knew that boy. Reinhard couldn’t return to being that boy whom hadn’t slain Grandmother and stolen the peace of the boys family. Nor could Reinhard return to being solely under Fate’s whims without question due to Lady Felt having now instilled in him doubt.
For a brief moment, Reinhard felt a childish sense of resentment towards Lady Felt for having instilled in him doubt. It would’ve been easier to have kept on going as he was before. But Reinhard knew that was an immature passing thought that ought to be discarded. He was not a child afterall. He’d grown up surely?
Lady Felt’s voice filtered into his ears now whilst he was lost in the web of his mind. “I see, you don’t have any friends. No wonder no one came to see ya when you came all the way back to your hometown.”
“Well, if you put it that way… also, it’s in poor taste for you to derive pleasure from that.” Reinhard steadied his voice to make the latter portion not sound as petulant as it admittedly felt to him in his own mind.
“Heh heh.” His Lady snickered. “No matter what you say, it’s not going to work on me now.” Her eyes glimmered with a mischievous air Reinhard knew was the telltale sign of her beginning to needle him.
However, Reinhard was not as ignorant to Lady Felt’s behavior as he had been at the beginning of their partnership, as interrupted Lady Felt’s plan with some words of his own. “However… it didn’t appear as if you had any friends to bid you farewell in the Royal Capital yourself, my Lady.”
“Ugh!” The girl groaned.
“In fact,” Reinhard continued. “if it weren’t for Master Rom, that would mean that you also had no friends.” Reinhard valiantly worked to keep a smile off his face as he derived this childish sense of enjoyment from needling his Lady as she often did to him.
“Ugh, just drop it!” Lady Felt snapped, her face flushing red since he’d hit her where it really hurt. “Old Man Rom is the only one I need!”
At that remark,Reinhard lost his poise and smiled. In response Lady Felt pursed her lips and asked, “What?”
“Nothing. Your Ladyship really respects Master Rom. It’s endearing.”
It reminds me of how I once was with Father… did Uncle and Auntie find my behavior endearing with Father once too?
Lady Felt continued. “We’re family, you know. Even a great swordsman like you, who can do anything, must have someone he admires, right? Even in the Royal Capital, it was like that with the old couple, wasn’t it?”
Someone I admire…
Reinhard found it suited Lady Felt to have guessed that he admired someone when most would have dismissed him as admiring no one for he was at the apex of the summit. The one others admired.
If this was during my childhood, my answer would’ve undoubtedly been Father but as it stands now…
“Of course. I admire the Uncle and Auntie, but if you are talking about respect, I respect all my family and ancestors. But of all of them, I suppose I respect my great-grandfather the most.” Reinhard readily confessed.
“Your great-grandfather?”
“My grandmother’s father. The head of the family two generations ago, Veltol Astrea.”
“Was he also a Sword Saint?” Lady Felt curiously.
The fact he is not is one of the very reasons I admire him so ardently.
Reinhard shook his head at the notion from his Lady. “My great-grandfather did not inherit the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint. However, he was a virtuous lord beloved by his people for his morality and sound governance. There are no records of him as a swordsman, but I did hear that my grandfather, himself a swordsman, admired him, too. So I imagine that he must have had some skill with the sword.”
Reinhard found the simple pursuit of virtue with no mandating circumstances such as the role of the Sword Saint to be something he admired with the entirety of his warped being. Veltol Astrea did not need to have been virtuous. All he needed to have done was simply exist and he would’ve fulfilled his role in the world. Yet the man forged himself into someone whom embodied the ideals of Virtue on his lonesome.
Reinhard desired wanted to forge himself into a virtuous being even outside of his role as the Sword Saint. It was not in his nature, but surely if Veltol whom hadn’t been ordained by Fate in any facet could be a virtuous swordsman then he could achieve some sliver of what his ancestor did.
“Heh. A virtuous swordsman. I can’t imagine that.” Lady Felt remarked, causing Reinhard to feel a pain in his chest at her remark. Even Reinhard was not dense enough to be unable to realize his Lady was thinking of him when she said these words.
“Although it’s true that you’re pretty popular with the townsfolk.” Lady Felt admitted in a fashion that seemed as though she was speaking to herself. “Maybe it’s just ‘cause I’m a stray dog with no concept of that ‘virtue’ stuff…”
“Lady Felt?” Reinhard paused and peered at her pensive expression. His face instinctively leaned closer to her as their gazes locked, blue meeting red, when Lady Felt’s lips twitched. Suddenly—
“You’re way too close!” she spat.
“Ah, my apologies.”
Lady Felt didn’t deign to give a verbal response as she pushed his chin away with her palm, forcing herself past him. Reinhard chuckled as he was shoved aside and turned his gaze to the sky. Above them, the sun had already begun its descent, tinting the sky in gradients of fading scarlet.
I want this moment to last forever.
Such was the thought Reinhard had as he looked at the stunning sky that was the red color standard of his family and of passion. A passion he felt at this moment directed to a desire to remain in this moment forever. But his wants were not permissible. This evening had proven that well enough with Lady Felt’s questioning of his knighthood.
“Lady Felt, it’s about time we return to the mansion. Dinner will be served soon.” Reinhard spoke perfunctorily, not truly putting his true feelings into the words.
His Ladies eyebrows scrunched in consideration. “Hmm, fine. We’ve been walkin’ around all day, so I am gettin’ pretty hungry.”
“Flam and Grassis are preparing dinner tonight, so I’d like to reintroduce you to them again at the table.” Reinhard affirmed.
For Reinhard, meals were not particularly about the food. It was about the gathering of people in a communal sense. He had not grown up with Mother and Father dining together with him and it left him well… it left him desiring wishing he could’ve had such a domestic occurrence.
“True, we only chatted a bit earlier.” His Lady acknowledged easily.
“They’re both caretakers of the mansion and may sometimes serve as your Ladyship’s guards if need be.” Reinhard explained. “They descend from a family that has served House Astrea since the beginning, so their skills are truly impressive.”
“I don’t care ‘bout that now. What I care about is their cooking skills!”
Reinhard withheld his smile at the priorities of his Lady as he responded evenly. “They learned from Auntie, so you can count on their culinary finesse to be outstanding as well.”
“Awesome!” Lady Felt clenched her fists in delight at his words accompanied by a big smile.
Unbeknownst to her, Reinhard smiled at the sight of the biggest smile she’d shown all day. It seemed despite his earlier effort to withhold his smile it had broken through. It seemed that was indeed a common trend with Lady Felt.
“I’m starting to think you’re pullin’ some strings, though.” Lady Felt grumbled.
Reinhard felt a rather sizable sum of amusement at that remark. His Lady was keen enough to perceive strings were being pulled around her, but not the source. For Reinhard was no puppeteer to pull strings. He was the puppet on the strings, carrying out the bidding of the various Masters he served.
“You overestimate me, my lady. I possess no such ability to control people’s minds or actions. It’s merely happenstance.” Reinhard demurred, pointedly ignoring the Divine Protection of Mind Changing that still rested with him even now. If he pretended it did not exist, then he did not have such an ability as he’d described.
“Well, I can only pray that’s true.” Lady Felt said, mischievously poking out her tongue, despite having no particular deity to pray to that she followed.
Reinhard wondered if the same lack of religious affiliation could be said of him. Were the ones in the heavens not essentially gods whom he served in the way an oracle did its guardian deity? If one looked at it from that angle… Reinhard did not particularly consider it a stretch to think of himself as a pious man.
Abruptly Lady Felt stopped walking along the path they’d been on back to the Manor causing Reinhard—a few paces behind her—to cease.
“You sure you didn’t do anything, huh?” Lady Felt asked with a puzzled look.
What is causing Lady Felt to look so confused. Surely it’s not anything surprising for one even such as I…? Wait. Is that a—
“I’m afraid I’m just as lost as you this time.” Reinhard responded to her doubts, more baffled then even his Lady given his typical inability to be surprised at events he already knew to occur.
The source of mutual bafflement innocuously laid before them, at the gate of the mansion. A basket containing a baby. Accompanied with such a bizarre presentation was a single note.
“Please take good care of Ilya.”
It seems even I cannot predict events as inexplicable as this.
Such was the muse of Reinhard van Astrea as the babe rested innocuously.
