The Guardian Knight of Affection-Starved Young Ladies

43 – The Young Head of the Family (01)

044.

Rustle-

In the dark cavity, the old altar had collapsed.

It wasn’t noticeable in the urgency, but in the bright light, things that weren’t visible before became apparent.

The altar was more worn out than expected, and the dust and dirt in the cavity told how long it had been neglected.

In that cavity,

Dark eyes rolled.

It was something seen when entering the cave with the cavity.

The pattern engraved at the entrance was quite similar to what Sinat had.

‘Is it a seal after all.’

Kallen, who was examining the collapsed altar, straightened up and recalled the spirit.

The spirit that Sinat had given a strange name.

It was a mysterious being, now only vaguely known through old documents, called a lord.

Although not exactly the same, he couldn’t think of any other complex and strange patterns like that.

When Blamia spoke about the spirit called the lord.

He didn’t say there was only one, so it seemed right to say that this place was a seal managed by another ‘lord’.

The job of the lord spirit is to block something.

It also seems appropriate to explain the monster that appeared in the cave and attacked Kallen and Sinat.

The moment when he was prepared to face death with Selassie.

It was in that context that he asked for magic on his body to bring out his image, just like that time.

Spirits and monsters.

The spirit world and mana.

Even Kallen’s own image.

To be honest, he didn’t expect to survive.

As Blamia had also advised, embedding magic into the body required that much determination.

Still, isn’t survival the priority?

Anyway, if he stayed as he was, he would lose his life, so there was no choice.

Just the sense of alienation felt at the back of his neck.

Feeling that alienation, his body became light as if it were a lie.

If not, he wouldn’t have been able to withstand the subsequent offensive.

As he looked back for a long time, there seemed to be nothing more to find out.

The expectation that he could find out something about his unknown constitution or image gradually faded.

In the end, there was only a small gain of turning his guess into certainty.

Having found nothing, worry surged.

Kallen headed to a corner of the cave and leaned against it.

‘Did I go for nothing?’

From Eliana to Selassie.

The image with a crimson horizon shows beauty no less than Eliana’s winter island.

Even though his own image was in such a state, why did everyone he was involved with awaken such beautiful images?

With his face clearly imprinted, the ensuing waves would not be insignificant.

Indeed, unless one’s life is at stake, one cannot succeed in gambling.

Kallen soothed his bitterness and stood up.

Understanding Blamia and leaving their side is not difficult.

However, it was unreasonable to do so without tying up loose ends.

The restoration of the Dranus family.

To resolve Sinat’s obsession, a small journey that began with Lakatus.

Perhaps he wanted to put an end to it together.

So, whatever it may be.

Now is the time to return to Blamia and Sinat’s side.

As for what comes next,

He didn’t want to think about it yet.

*

A month after Kallen returned to the cabin.

If asked if anything special had happened during that time, he could answer no, as ordinary days passed by.

Of course, on the day Kallen returned, Blamia patted him on the back, saying he had worked hard and thanked him,

And Sinat greeted him cheerfully, shouting “Kal!”

But he was also exhausted.

From Lakatus to the matter of Hiatt.

Kallen had gone through countless things that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine.

So after returning, he spent leisurely days with Sinat like this.

“Kalryong is being more affectionate to Kal. What’s going on?”

“…I don’t know.”

Sinat was still bright, but a little different.

How should I put it?

His eyes seemed a bit deeper.

If what he had shown Kallen until then was a kind of obsession,

Now it seemed to be something beyond that.

Just like when Eliana and Selassia were at their weakest emotionally.

It felt like seeing that time again.

He wanted to be together more.

Wanted more affection.

Leaning against Kallen and sitting in his embrace,

was now reaching the realm of obsession.

I thought that as the time spent together decreased, naturally, the feelings would grow distant.

However, Sinat’s feelings for Kallen only grew stronger.

It is impossible to measure a person’s heart at will.

Judging with one’s own standards is purely a realm of misunderstanding.

One must acknowledge that the feelings Sinat harbored for Kallen went beyond mere obsession.

It was at such a moment that the sound of someone calling for Kallen from outside was heard.

*

“We will start to reclaim what the Dranus family has lost in earnest.”

That was the first thing Blamia said, having called Kallen to sit down.

Stroking his graying beard.

He alternated his gaze between Kallen and Sinat.

“You should be prepared too, Sinat. You said you were ready, right?”

“Yes, grandfather.”

The Dranus family is a family above the great duke.

To become the head of the family befitting that position, ordinary determination is not enough.

Sinat was saying that she would walk such a thorny path.

To Kallen, Sinat was a girl full of delicate and romantic thoughts, dreaming of the family’s revival.

Preferring simple tasks over complicated ones.

Liking to rest comfortably rather than doing difficult and hard things.

Could the family be so precious that it would change even such a girl’s mind?

However, having experienced the matters of Eliana and Selasia, Kallen felt that Sinat’s appearance was a little different.

“Is it the family that’s precious, or was it that time?”

It was a sudden and contextually irrelevant question.

The question that popped out blankly was one that a boy asked a girl.

“Kal?”

The girl froze upon hearing the question, cautiously turning her head.

She saw the dark eyes looking this way, resting his chin on his hand.

“Um. No. It’s nothing.”

As I said, you can’t know what hasn’t been said.

It’s impossible to judge a person’s heart by one’s own thoughts.

Just the resolve shown by Sinat.

That look in his eyes was something I had seen many times before.

It resembled the time when Eliana and Selassie were reminiscing about the past.

Kallen, who asked without realizing it, shook his head.

Sinat also looked at Kallen for a moment, then turned his head.

“From today, the magic lessons will be much more grueling, so be prepared.”

Blamia also had to be prepared.

The Dranus family is trying to rise again.

Sinat also says he will gladly bear that weight.

Such a delicate thing.

His granddaughter, who is still at an age where running around in the fields suits her much better, says so.

She says she can’t keep trembling with guilt over her grandson forever.

Leading a family is hard.

If it’s Dranus, it’s even harder.

Blamia can’t bear that weight.

Because he had already sat in that position once, and the end was a failure.

He doesn’t want to sit there himself.

So he teaches.

With a lot of anxiety that he might repeat the karma he committed in the past.

He teaches his granddaughter, prepared for the fear of repeating his grandson’s work.

So that she can bear the name of Dranus.

From noble mtl dot com

One day, a little kid picked up on a whim paved the way, so he can’t back out now.

Wasn’t it something he had resolved to do when he accepted the work of Lakatus in the first place?

If Sinat’s work succeeds.

Maybe the sadness he feels every time he sees Kallen will somewhat fade away.

A giant who erased himself out of fear of the past,

Has decided to show himself to the world again.

The heart of the giant is the girl.

The girl will once again engrave the name of Dranus in the world.

“Magic is known… The rest is the work of the social world.”

Dranus lost a lot with one failure.

The dazzlingly bright connections were also one of them.

Realistically, the best way to build connections is through the social world.

With Blamia’s level of magic skills, people would naturally flock to her even if she did nothing.

Sinat is merely a second-tier contract attribute magician.

Considering his age, it’s certainly impressive, but it’s hard to expect automatic formation of connections with just that.

So, the social world.

He had to go out into the social world and build connections.

There was a little less than two years left until the coming-of-age ceremony.

The period needed to be shortened.

The framework was set.

“Let’s aim for the third tier within half a year. It’s ambitious, but there’s no time. At your age, it won’t be difficult to build connections at that level.”

When the coming-of-age ceremony is held, most people can handle first-tier magic a little.

Second-tier is sufficient, but it felt somewhat lacking to bear the heavy name of Dranus.

Sinat quietly nodded.

“Debut in the social world with third-tier mastery and revive Dranus.”

“Got it, Grandpa.”

“Kallen, you…”

Blamia turned her gaze from the firmly nodding Sinat to Kallen.

Having faced it, a choice had to be made.

Whether to send Kallen, fearing the past events.

Or to embrace it as if attempting the work of Sitram with Sinat.

The answer was all too clear.

The favor owed was more than repaid.

The matters of Lakatus and Hiatt were not something a young boy could handle alone.

Having overcome such hardships, he finally succeeded in repaying the favor.

At the moment when he decided to teach Sinat.

Above all, because the precious Sinat liked it.

The revival of the Dranus family.

At least until then, he had to make an effort.

“…Can you help Sinat?”

At fifteen, the third rank.

He hadn’t been able to check properly because he was busy, but if Kalen returned and reported as he said.

He wouldn’t starve anywhere.

Even if he could only skillfully use first-rank magic, a family with not so high noble consciousness would take him.

Is it wrong to hold on like this?

“Understood.”

Kalen’s answer came around the time he had such thoughts.

“Kal!”

Sinat shouted excitedly.

To Blamia and Sinat, not Dranus, Kalen was deeply intertwined.

Blamia decided to think so and stood up.

“Rest today. We’ll start tomorrow.”

How will this deeply entangled relationship end?

He only prayed that, like before, only sadness and regret would not remain.

*

Knock, knock.

A firmly closed door.

The face knocking on it was a familiar one.

Everchen Lakatus.

The head of the Lakatus family, and the maids and servants gathered around, not knowing what to do.

No matter how much they knocked, there was no answer.

Although his daughter’s illness was cured thanks to a boy, another problem had arisen.

“…Eliana.”

Even calling her name was the same.

It was possible to force the door open and enter, but he didn’t want to do that.

Thus, the Duke of Everchan, who always turned back first, was different this time.

Because this might be the only way to open his daughter’s heart that had closed again.

“…I heard Kallen accomplished Hyatt’s task.”

He threw it out there.

Everchan spoke towards the door that wouldn’t open and closed his eyes.

If this fails too, what should I do?

It was at that moment when such thoughts crossed his mind.

Creak-

The door, which had been firmly closed and showed no sign of opening, opened slightly.

Through the gap, a precarious voice leaked out.

“Then…”

In the room dyed pitch black.

Eyes that stared at Everchan clearly, like clouds staining the sky.

“Will you keep your promise now…?”

Everchan quietly opened his eyes and sighed in relief.

Due to Hyatt’s capriciousness, Kallen had been betrayed.

It was natural since he had called him a benefactor but didn’t keep the promise he made.

But because of that.

Because of the one thing that made it seem like he had betrayed Kallen, his daughter had locked the door again.

She spoke up in front of him.

Everchan repeated the word “fortunate” to himself.

“Do you want to go?”

Now. He was trying to fulfill what his daughter wanted the most.