Chapter 44: The New Castellan of Chaplin Castle (2)
Before Kyle departed for Chaplin Castle, he ca to see Pramo and Ellis to have lunch.
Seeing Pramo still sulking with a dissatisfied expression, Kyle shook his head.
“Ты are the head of the Ragna Family.”
“Before that, I am also my elder brother’s younger brother.”
“Pramo.”
“I am very hurt. I don’t want to hide these feelings from you, Brother.”
It was childishness.
Pramo knew that himself.
He looked immature, to the point of seeming not fully grown up, but he did not think that was a bad thing.
Even if he hid his emotions from others, at least with Kyle, he wanted to be honest.
“Hoo…… Pramo, it’s not like I’ll be staying at Chaplin Castle for long.”
“……But at the very least, won’t you be staying on the frontlines for several months?”
“I’ll probably co back to the lord’s castle once a month.”
“Can you promise that?”
“It’s not far. I’ll be sure to stop by once a month and at least have a al together.”
At Kyle’s firm answer, Pramo finally relaxed his expression.
Just then, Ellis brought over the food she had made herself and placed it on the table in front of Kyle, who had taken a seat.
“Did you make all of this yourself?”
“Yes. Since you’re leaving, Brother-in-law, I didn’t think it was right to have you eat food made by others.”
“Thank you for being so considerate.”
“We’re family. This much is only natural.”
Looking at the food laid out on the table, Kyle picked up his utensils.
“You should sit down as well.”
“Yes, Brother-in-law.”
The three of them sat at the table and looked at one another.
No, to be precise, Pramo and Ellis were looking at Kyle.
Feeling their gazes, Kyle spoke to Pramo.
“Have you thought about who the new lord of Chaplin Castle should be?”
“Lord Saie has not yet given an answer.”
“I’ll have to go and persuade him myself. In truth, there may not even be a need to persuade him. Elder Pan is probably still persuading him as we speak.”
As Kyle said, Elder Pan had yet to return and was still staying at Chaplin Castle.
He would surely be working hard to persuade Lord Saie.
All Kyle needed to do was go there and drive the final nail in.
However, Pramo’s expression was not very bright.
“The problem is that there is no suitable candidate. Do you have soone in mind, Brother?”
“I do.”
“Are you considering Lord Saie’s eldest son?”
The older brother of Zero, the vice-captain of the Ragna Knight Order, and the heir of the Saie Family.
Pramo seed to be thinking of Lord Saie’s eldest son for the position, but Kyle shook his head.
“No. The Saie Family should return to the lord’s castle. They have suffered on the frontlines all this ti, so I want them to continue their lives in comfort.”
“Then……?”
“Give
the position of Lord of Chaplin Castle.”
At Kyle’s words, Pramo’s eyes went wide.
Kyle was soone who needed to remain at the very top of the Ragna Family.
Unlike Pramo, who wanted Kyle to preserve the dignity and honor of being the Great General, Kyle himself wished to take on the position of ruling Chaplin Castle directly.
“Brother, that is unacceptable.”
“Why?”
“You are the greatest elder of Ragna. How can soone who bears the title of Great General also hold the position of Lord of Chaplin Castle?”
“It’s not impossible.”
“……I will oppose it.”
Despite Pramo’s firm opposition, Kyle let out a deep breath.
Two castles that existed on the frontlines.
The lords of Chaplin Castle and Casio Castle had to be replaced without exception.
“You opposing it won’t stop . And I also want to replace the lord of Casio Castle.”
“……Brother!”
“Seros will act as the lord of Casio Castle.”
“I won’t oppose that. But I absolutely cannot appoint you as the lord of Chaplin Castle.”
It was always like this.
Pramo was the only one who opposed Kyle’s opinions so openly.
Even in the Tyleras Empire, there was no one who opposed Kyle’s decisions.
Because he had always acted with justification.
“Then do you have soone suitable?”
“……Even if there isn’t, it’s still not allowed.”
“Haa, I’ll tell you two reasons why I must beco the lord of Chaplin Castle. Listen carefully.”
“Even if I listen, I’ll still say no.”
Seeing Pramo retort with stubborn eyes, Kyle let out a hollow laugh.
For Lord Saie to carry out his duties as an elder, he had to stay at the lord’s castle.
If that happened, the position of lord of Chaplin Castle would naturally be left vacant.
That was unacceptable.
“Pramo, now is not the ti to be stubborn.”
“I would rather appoint Lord Acasia as the lord of Chaplin Castle.”
“Only if I beco the lord of Chaplin Castle can I suppress the Orc Lord. I can also prepare for conflicts with rulers who wish to escape the Monster Mountain Range. Above all, Acasia is soone who must take responsibility for training the Ragna Knight Order.”
It was true that within the Special Operations Unit, Acasia was the strongest knight after Seros.
However, he lacked the ability to serve as a lord.
He always pursued freedom by nature and was unsuited to leading and governing others.
“Then I will station the Ragna Knight Order at Chaplin Castle.”
“Pramo!”
“I know how you intend to use the Ragna Knight Order, Brother. But do you truly find
that unreliable?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Of course, it’s true that we lack administrators, but whether by recruiting from elsewhere or raising new ones, it’s sothing I can handle sufficiently. I have no intention whatsoever of using knights—such an important force—as administrators.”
Using elite knights for administrative duties was sothing that should never be done.
In no territory did knights serve concurrently as administrators.
“Pramo, a knight’s value does not diminish just because he handles administrative work.”
“Knights are those who should wield swords, not pens. Even if you can placate their dissatisfaction, what will you do about mine?”
“…….”
“Do you know how desperately I have lived for the sake of turning knights into administrators?”
Ellis, who had been silently watching the brothers’ argunt, gently closed her eyes.
She could understand Kyle’s position, and she could also understand Pramo’s position.
Opening her closed eyes, Ellis stepped into the conversation between the two.
“May I say just one thing?”
“……There’s no need to ask for permission.”
“Then I’ll speak honestly. Your actions and decisions right now are authoritarian, Brother-in-law.”
Ellis, who would normally have spoken gently to Kyle, continued in an unusually clear and firm voice.
“Of course, if either the Family Head or I believe your intentions are right, we will follow them. But I also oppose having knights handle administrative work alongside their duties.”
“Tell
the reason.”
“As the Family Head said, they did not live such difficult lives just to be made to hold pens. Knights are people whose value shines on the battlefield. If they hold pens and stay in offices, that value will inevitably fade.”
Of course, it could not be said that Kyle’s thinking was entirely wrong.
The situation itself was highly unusual, and anything done for the first ti naturally invited resistance.
However, the Ragna Knight Order was both the symbol of the family and an important military force.
They were manpower too valuable to be used rely for administration.
Kyle knew Ellis’s thoughts as well.
He had simply been looking a little further ahead than the two of them.
“You might think that way for now. But you need to look further ahead. The mont a new dynasty is established, an enormous manpower shortage will sweep in.”
“……Even so, I believe that at least the Ragna Knight Order must retain their honor as knights, Brother.”
“Hoo, if that is your will, then I will do so. But Acasia is still not suitable to be the lord of Chaplin Castle.”
Perhaps Kyle, in trying to look too far ahead, had been making a grave mistake.
He had pushed forward thinking it was all for the sake of the family, and for the sake of Pramo.
No matter how much he could convince and persuade the knights, he could not prevent their values and pride from being shaken.
Had he not listened to Pramo and Ellis, he might have ended up stripping the knights of their honor.
Only then did Kyle acknowledge his mistake and silently nod his head.
Watching him, Pramo spoke in a low voice.
“……Even so, you absolutely cannot beco the lord of Chaplin Castle.”
“Then appoint Seros as the lord of Chaplin Castle. Changing the lord of Casio Castle can be postponed, but Chaplin Castle must be changed imdiately.”
Faced with Pramo’s hardline opposition, Kyle decided to take a step back.
Still, the matter of changing the lord of Chaplin Castle could not be delayed.
“Understood.”
“Until Seros arrives, I will take responsibility as the interim lord of Chaplin Castle.”
“It would be better to send Sir Seros directly to Chaplin Castle…….”
“No. Seros has matters to handle at the lord’s castle. He must deal with those before moving.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s settle the matter of the lord of Chaplin Castle here. Since it’s a al we’re having together after so long, I don’t want our voices to rise any further.”
At Kyle’s words, Pramo and Ellis nodded at the sa ti.
The al, which had begun in silence, was filled only with the sound of utensils.
After everything was finished, Ellis brought out the tea she had prepared.
“……Pramo.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“Let’s go for a walk.”
“Understood.”
With the awkward atmosphere lingering, Kyle stood up without even drinking his tea.
“Thank you for the al. I’ll drink the tea next ti I co.”
“Yes, Brother-in-law.”
Sensing that the brothers needed so quiet ti together, Ellis stood and bowed her head.
Leaving the lord’s castle with only Pramo, Kyle walked slowly.
As the awkward silence continued, Pramo spoke first to Kyle, who was walking ahead.
“Brother, I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for. Haven’t I always said this? You are the head of the Ragna Family, not .”
“……Even though I am the Family Head, I have never once thought of myself as standing above you.”
“Then neither can I stand above you. We are simply standing on the sa level.”
“Brother…….”
“You still treat yourself like a sinner when it cos to . I never liked that.”
Despite having achieved feats difficult to accomplish as a Family Head, Pramo always shrank when standing before Kyle.
He continued to see himself as a sinner, unable to shake the thought that he had stolen Kyle’s rightful place.
“……I am a sinner to you, Brother.”
“Do you still think you took the position of Family Head from ?”
“If I had lacked talent, you would have remained in the Ragna Family and beco the Family Head.”
“That’s not true. Even if you had been a talentless younger brother, I would have left the family.”
“……Brother.”
“Because Father wanted that.”
It was the first ti he had heard such words.
Pramo stared at Kyle’s back with his eyes wide open.
Kyle slowly stopped walking, turned around, and looked directly at Pramo.
“He wanted to protect .”
“……What do you an by that?”
“It was the royal family that held Ragna’s leash because of the pledge docunt. Do you think they would have left
alone the day I inherited the Frostfire?”
Pramo was not the sinner toward Kyle—if anything, it was the opposite.
Rai, the father of the two brothers, had placed an excessively heavy burden on Pramo to save Kyle’s life.
Even going so far as to push the grave position of Family Head onto Pramo, Rai had wanted to protect Kyle.
Realizing that truth only now, Pramo pressed his lips tightly shut.
“…….”
“Don’t think of yourself as a sinner. The more you do, the more your father and I beco great sinners toward you.”
“How can you say such a thing?”
“Because it’s the truth. To protect my single life, we placed too great a burden on you. It’s too late to say this now, but… I’m sorry.”
Kyle wanted Pramo to finally let go of the guilt he had been carrying.
In the end, both Pramo’s rise to Family Head and this overwhelming life had all been mistakes made by Kyle and their father.
At Kyle’s words, Pramo gently closed his eyes.
“I will live my entire life carrying guilt toward you, Brother.”
“Pramo…….”
“Father wanted
to resent him. But I do not resent Father either. How could I, as his child?”
Kyle was soone born at the cost of his mother’s life.
She ultimately lost her life while giving birth to him.
The elders of the family called him a cursed child, saying he had been born by gnawing away at his mother’s life.
Yet Rai loved and cherished Kyle more than anyone.
To protect his son from bla, he even entered into a loveless marriage.
“I hope you will now be free from guilt. Do not forget. You are my younger brother.”
“……I will not forget.”
Seeing Pramo’s resolute gaze, Kyle nodded with a faint smile.
“Father was a great man. Didn’t he raise you and
so well?”
“Yes.”
“I cannot carry on Father’s will alone. It only has aning if I do it together with you.”
Kyle stood beside Pramo and looked up at the sky.
The two brothers standing side by side.
He wanted to show them moving forward with the sa goal.
“Brother, please be careful. You must never be hurt.”
“I promise.”
Kyle smiled brightly and placed his hand on top of Pramo’s head.
“When did you grow this much?”
“……I know, right. Hehe.”
The brothers looked at each other and shared faint smiles.
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