My eting with Lark had drawn to a close as dawn approached.
As commanders of the western and southern fronts, we had our heated argunts but eventually ca to moderate agreents.
"Ash."
But in the end, our conversation always ca back to one personal topic: our brotherhood.
"Never forget. We are brothers."
Lark stared at intently before nodding.
"Thats why I want to trust you."
"Feel free to trust , brother."
With a slight smile, Lark added,
"And I want to trust Fernandez as well."
"..."
No matter how much I earnestly warned him about potentially going head-to-head with Fernandez, it was like talking to a wall.
"You two are both my precious siblings. I dont want the guardians of our empire, us, to be divided and at odds."
With a stern face, but seemingly resolute, Lark continued,
"If you genuinely wish for Duchess Bringars survival, Ill turn a blind eye. And if Fernandez wants the throne, Ill gladly step aside."
"..."
I was left speechless by his declaration.
Was he going this far just to keep the familial bond intact? This elder brother of mine.
"All I wish, Ash, my brother, is for us siblings to live in harmony and love."
"..."
"Thats... all I hope for."
Lark said, pushing his white hair back. I responded with a warm smile.
" too, brother."
Though it felt like an obligatory response, it was needed for family.
"Hopefully, misunderstandings are cleared, and once again, as siblings, as guardians, we can peacefully share our thoughts and decisions."
But that wont happen.
The Imperial Capital will be engulfed in the flas of a civil war, and the empire will be split in two. Theres no going back to the days when the four of us held guardians etings.
However, much like when soone says "lets grab a al" more as a way to check in rather than a genuine invitation,
I simply conveyed my wish.
Lark, sensing the sentint, smiled bitterly, stood up, and donned his hood.
"Until next ti, little brother."
He left, this ti with a gentler embrace.
Lark strode away from my mansion with long strides.
Without venturing too far, I watched his retreating figure from the entrance of my mansion.
Given his height and stride, he quickly beca distant.
"...Is he gone?"
After Lark was completely out of sight, Dusk Bringar peeked her head from the roof of the mansion.
"Is he really gone? Lark? Without drawing his sword, without causing an earthquake or uprooting buildings, just a little chat and he quietly left?"
Dusk Bringar looked down at , disbelief evident on her face. I shrugged.
"Brotherly love is quite special to him."
Im dear to him, and so is Fernandez. He had no choice but to rush to the Imperial Capital right now.
The change of direction, given the magnitude of the crisis, ca unexpectedly easily.
My eting with Lark had co to a close more conveniently, thanks to his tily rebellion.
Thud!
Following Dusk Bringar on the rooftop, her knights descended one by one.
From the storage area in the backyard of my mansion, my heroic characters under my command had also gathered swiftly. I clicked my tongue.
"I didnt even call for them, and theyre all battle-ready..."
"When such a powerful figure openly displays his might in front of you, do you think your subordinates could just stand by?"
It seed everyone was preparing to jump in should I face any danger.
All of my party mbers looked drenched in cold sweat. Observing these subordinates who resembled wet puppies, I chuckled softly.
With his imnse strength, clearly beyond human bounds, Lark had exerted a pressure that was more intense than most boss monsters in the ga. All of them had clearly felt the tension.
I playfully patted them on their backs. "The crisis is over. Go get so rest." They returned to their quarters with weary faces.
"By the way, what exactly did you discuss with Lark to make him retreat?"
With her dragon-like eyes, after confirming Lark had left through the southern gate to the Crossroad, Dusk Bringar questioned .
I briefly explained. Fernandez would instigate a rebellion, and Lark was heading to the Imperial Capital to stop it.
"A rebellion... So, issues like the rebels or the southern front are re trifles in the face of such a grand event."
Dusk Bringar acknowledged, rolling her eyes,
"...Ash, do you know that every descendant of the Imperial Family receives a divine prophecy?"
She suddenly broached a new topic.
"A divine prophecy?"
It was entirely unfamiliar to , so I furrowed my brows.
"The Guardian Tree of the Empire, Everblack, serves as a magical beacon that can foresee the future."
She referred to the dark thorny tree, frozen alongside the Emperor in the deepest part of the Imperial Palace. The very tree after which the empire was nad.
"The fate of the direct descendants of the Imperial Family is intertwined with the future of the empire. Thus, princes receive a prophecy even before theyre born."
Given that Dusk Bringar was a Duchess of Bringar, which was once friendly with the empire, she was well-versed in the customs of the empire.
"This prophecy determines their middle na."
"I see..."
I had wondered about the origins of the middle nas of the imperial family, so it ca from predictions made by that black thorn tree.
"I was also present at that prophecy ceremony. At Emperor Trahas request, I gazed into the future of Everblack with him."
She casually ntioned Emperor Traha Peacemaker Everblack.
It seed that before their countries grew apart, they had a cordial relationship. After all, considering age and rank, Dusk Bringar held a higher position. To the emperor, she could be like a distant aunt.
"Anyway, what was the future you saw?"
"Traha saw three sons as his successors."
I was genuinely surprised. I had assud such a future prophecy would be as vague as weather forecasting, but it was spot on, right down to the number of children.
"The first sons personality was predicted to be too warm-hearted and generous, leading him to face hardships, while the second sons nature was foreseen as too cold, causing problems," Everblack had prophesied.
"Wow, thats so impressive accuracy."
If that thorn tree was a fortune teller in Korea, it would have made a fortune.
Dusk Bringar chuckled lightly. "Thats why Traha nad his two sons in opposition to the prophecy."
"Huh?"
"Exactly that. He gave them middle nas opposite to their prophecies."
To the warm-hearted Lark, he gave the na Avalanche, and to the cold-natured Fernandez, he assigned Ember Keeper.
Perhaps in hopes of them compromising and balancing each others inherent destinies.
I sighed heavily, amazed. "Thats intriguing."
Though Im not a fatalist, such stories always fascinated .
"So, in reality, Lark is Ember Keeper and Fernandez is Avalanche...?"
"Well, the middle na is at the emperors discretion after all."
Dusk Bringar folded her arms and let out a light sigh.
"As I hear of Lark and Fernandez, Im reminded of an event from decades ago..."
A sudden chill ran down my neck.
Winter was approaching. Perhaps it would snow soon.
After hearing the story of their middle nas, I had such a thought.
So, the upcoming winter storm, the avalanche that would befall this empire...
Would it be Lark or Fernandez?
Who truly embodies this winters spirit?
"...Um, Duchess," I timidly approached Dusk Bringar, poking her side with my elbow. "What prophecy did the third child, like , receive?"
"Huh?"
"Im curious about the fate that led to my middle na."
Born Hater?
What horrific prophecy had been seen that this adorable youngest child received such a na?
Curiosity had poking her side, but Dusk Bringar diverted the topic with a cough.
"...I cant rember."
"What?! How is that possible? You rember the other two but not ?!"
"To be fair, Lark and Fernandez are considered geniuses in the history of the Everblack royal family. You, on the other hand, have been a bit of a troublemaker since you were young. Compared to your brothers, you werent as... noteworthy."
Dusk Bringar pointedly remarked on my mischievous, rogue-like upbringing. Seeing my hurt expression, she cleared her throat again, looking slightly awkward.
"So, it seems Ive forgotten. Please understand."
"Thats just an... leaving in suspense..."
As I grumbled, another question popped into my mind.
Moving to Dusk Bringars other side, I poked her opposite side with my elbow, making her jump.
"Stop that! Just ask verbally! Why the constant poking?"
"Its just a friendly gesture... Anyway, Ive been wondering."
It had been on my mind from the start.
"Why is Your Grace nad Dusk Bringar?"
How could a persons na be Dusk Bringar?
I wasnt mocking... I genuinely wanted to know.
The young duchess before bore the sa na as one of her distant ancestors.
It was the na of the legendary Red Dragon, the guardian dragon of the Empire and the last Fire Dragon. Hundreds of years ago, this dragon married an emperor of the Empire and birthed the first Duke of Bringar. This dragons na was none other than Dusk Bringar.
She was the sa dragon who stopped the world-turning serpent Jormungand and protected the Empire.
Dusk Bringar had inherited that very na. For what reason? Was it like being nad Jupiter Junior?
"..."
At this, Dusk Bringar only looked up at . Why was she looking at like that? Had I asked sothing offensive?
"...Ash, youve earned the right."
"Excuse ? The right?"
What was she talking about? We were discussing nas.
"Youve taken in my followers and, as promised, youve successfully fended off Lark and... his pursuit troops. Rejected by all other alliances and abandoned by the world, you welcod us. Youve already won my faith."
"Well... Haha. Thank you for your kind words."
But why did the topic shift from a simple question about her na!
"...However, its not yet ti."
"Excuse ?"
"I want to observe a bit longer to decide if you truly deserve to know the aning behind my na."
Slowly removing her gaze from , Dusk Bringar whispered softly.
"When the ti is right, I will reveal the aning of my na to you."
"Uh... Okay."
I hadnt expected such a weighty response to a light-hearted question.
Feeling a little awkward, I scratched the back of my head.
Seems like nas hold deep anings in this part of the world. They inscribed destinies in middle nas and bore nas with anings too profound to share.
"Now, enough about nas!"
Dusk Bringar, back to her playful deanor, grinned, showing off her sharp teeth.
"You did great today, Ash. Ill trust your word even more from now on."
Seeing as Lark and the Imperial Armys First Division retreated without a fight, her biggest concern seed to have been alleviated. She looked visibly relieved.
I returned her smile.
"Ill keep a close watch on the Western Front and the Imperial Capitals movents. You can relax and spend your winter here."
"Yes, thank you very much."
With a smile, Dusk Bringar bowed slightly in gratitude, then led her knights out of the mansion.
I watched her head north before turning my gaze westward. Lark had disappeared without a trace.
The world was now in turmoil.
All I could do was run desperately alongside a crumbling cliff.
***
"..."
Heading to the refugee camp outside the North Gate, Dusk Bringar was deep in thought.
In truth, she rembered very clearly.
The destined fate of the third prince of the Imperial family.
The curse-like prophecy that the Black Ever Tree had spoken to the emperor.
- Your third son will tear the Empire to shreds and bring about its downfall.
- Yet at the sa ti, your third son will ensure the Empires prosperity for all eternity.
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