Chapter 222: Ruhr (2)

Chapter 222: Ruhr (2)

Eugene had complicated feelings about the statue that had been erected by Molon. To be honest, he wanted to see it, but if he did see it, he felt like he would be pointlessly overwhelmed by emotions. If he had come to the Kingdom of Ruhr alone, he would have snuck over to take a look at it, but he couldn't do that now.

An elbow started poking into Eugene's side.

A strangely out-of-place smile hovering on her face, Kristina subtly tilted her head towards Eugene and whispered, "How is it?"

From just that expression alone, Eugene could tell who was currently in control of Kristina's body.

It was still Kristina, but it seemed that she had given in to the impulse from Anise's urgings from inside her head due to her own interest in the question.

Eugene cleared his throat and lifted his gaze before finally saying, "...It's well-made."

That was Eugene's honest impression.

He had seen quite a few statues like this thus far. Right now, a statue of Hamel that Eugene had brought from the Nahama Desert stood in the Lionheart clan's garden. There were statues of Vermouth in Kiehl's Capital and the Black Lion Castle, as well as a statue of Sienna in Aroth's Merdein Square. Then, in the Plaza of the Sun in Yuras, he saw a statue of Anise that floated in the sky.

Among all these, the best one by far was the statue right in front of him. The statues that Eugene had seen before now had definitely looked impressive. Anise's statue, in particular, had been beautifully decorated with precious jewels. But this one....

Eugene declared, "It's majestic."

The statue that was currently before them was enormous. In that way, it definitely felt like Molon. The statue was even taller than an ordinary building. And all of Molon's bulging muscles had been reproduced exactly as they were.

The statue depicted a wounded Molon holding the deceased Hamel in his arms. Although it hadn't included their other comrades, the ruined scenery created during a tough battle had been precisely recreated around the statue.

"...And a bit sorrowful," Eugene added.

Eugene wasn't shedding any tears. He was enduring the urge to do so. He had already shed many tears in a similar situation, and it was obvious that if he did cry, Anise would tease him so much that it would make him want to kill someone, so Eugene was suppressing his emotions.

"Sob."

Eugene might have been able to endure, but Mer chose not to. With only her face still sticking out of an opening in his cloak, Mer was weeping openly. Kristina was awkwardly donning a mischievous smile as if she meant to imitate Anise, but her eyes were filled with tears.

Cyan broke the silence, "Is there really a scene like this in the fairy tale?"

Ciel shrugged, "The fairy tale is just a fairy tale, after all. We don't even know who wrote it, so maybe it was altered quite a bit?"

"Even so, I quite liked the romance between the Stupid Hamel and the Wise Sienna," Cyan murmured.

Both Ciel and Cyan were impressed by the statue.

Ciel laughed at her brother's muttered confession and shook her head, "What do you know, brother. What the fairy tale was trying to subtly touch your heart with wasn't the romance between the Stupid Hamel and the Wise Sienna."

"Then what was it trying to promote?" Cyan asked. "The friendship between comrades?"

"That's also a great motif, but I liked the relationship between the Faithful Anise and the Stupid Hamel," Ciel declared.

Cyan paused in disbelief, "Why those two? In the fairytale, the one that Hamel liked was Sienna."

"Although that's what he confessed in his final moments, the subtle mood between Hamel and Anise revealed throughout the fairy tale is very interesting. Should I describe it as very imagination-provoking? There were also a few things that allude to something more," Ciel explained excitedly.

Cyan frowned, "I never saw anything like that...."

"Sienna and Hamel feel more like close friends than lovers, but Anise and Hamel have a mutual respect for each other, so.... Haaah, what's the point of talking to you about this?" Ciel shook her head as if mocking Cyan.

Eugene, who had been listening to this talk in silence, felt as if his clothes had been stripped off in public, so he kept his mouth shut firmly.

[That little cutie really knows something,] Anise commented.

'...Is that really in the fairy tale?' Kristina asked doubtfully.

[It's not like I could write the details about my stigmata in the fairy tale. That selfish Sienna showed her ugliness by wilfully unveiling her selfish desires, but I couldn't do that. I was supposed to be innocent and pure, after all. So I told the story of Hamel and myself in a way that only a few who have great sensitivity, like that cutie, would sense something.]

Just earlier, Anise had called Ciel a cunning bitch, but at some point, she had changed Ciel's label to a cutie.

"...But in the end, Sir Hamel was the only one who died," Cyan muttered.

"Sir Hamel didn't die because he was weak. He bravely and beautifully sacrificed his own life for the sake of his fellow comrades," Eugene was the one who replied to him. "Three hundred years ago, because of Sir Hamel's sacrifice, our ancestor and his comrades could climb all the way to the castle of the Demon King of Incarceration. Although the later generations ridicule Sir Hamel as being stupid because of that bullshi — no, that ridiculous fairy tale, as someone who sacrificed himself for the sake of his comrades and for the sake of a world that left him with no choice but to do so, Sir Hamel can truly be called a hero."

Ciel and Cyan both blinked in surprise at Eugene's long speech. Mer, who had been looking at the statue with a moved expression, couldn't bear to listen any longer, so she hid her head back inside the cloak. Kristina's hooded eyes suddenly widened in shock as she stared at Eugene.

[Isn't he embarrassed to say all that?]

Eugene might be unable to hear Anise's murmurs, but he could easily imagine what Anise might be muttering to herself....

As such, Eugene cleared his throat and shook his head, "In any case, about Sir Hamel... I'm just trying to say that he's a very underrated hero by the later generations."

"Uh... oh, right," Cyan gaped with a confused expression before suddenly nodding. "That was the case, wasn't it? Eugene, you're the one who personally discovered Sir Hamel's grave, so... ah... because you're the successor to his legacy, it makes sense that you would have different feelings toward this statue than we do."

Quite kindly, Cyan showed a great sense of understanding towards this non-blood-related brother of his, who seemed to have gotten overly immersed in a fairy tale.

Snow was starting to fall.

"We never even said a word about Sir Hamel being weak," Ciel pouted as she pulled her hood back over her head. "Who doesn't know how strong Sir Hamel was? But, of course, among the heroes from three hundred years ago, the strongest was our ancestor."

"Of course, he was," Cyan also affirmed as he looked back up at the statue with a proud expression.

As he was staring up at Molon's statue, which seemed as huge as a mountain, Cyan grew lost in thought for a few moments.

Eventually, Cyan asked, "...Just how strong was Sir Molon?"

"Hm?" Ciel hummed curiously.

"Just look at those muscles," Cyan pointed out. "It might just be a statue, but it's not like they'd make it bulkier than the real thing, right? Sir Hamel looks like a child when he's being held in Sir Molon's arms."

Who was the strongest among the heroes from three hundred years ago? There was no real need to think about such a question. The answer was the master of the Holy Sword and the Hero, the Great Vermouth. Everyone in the world considered Vermouth to be the peak of all the heroes.

But among the remaining four, while the Wise Sienna and the Faithful Anise were out of contention because they weren't warriors, the Stupid Hamel and the Brave Molon were warriors. As such, the question of which of the two was stronger was a topic of debate that was brought up all the time.

Ciel chided, "Are you an idiot, brother? Just because your muscles are bigger, that doesn't make you stronger. Just look at that pig, Gargith. His forearms are thicker, and his muscles are more bulging, but he's no better than Eugene — no, he's even weaker than me."

"That might be true," Cyan conceded. "However, I still think that Sir Molon might have been stronger than Sir Hamel."

Ciel considered this, "Hmmm... maybe. After all, three hundred years ago, Sir Hamel was the only one who died."

Kristina, who had been listening to the conversation between the two, glanced at Eugene nervously. As she had expected, Eugene's brows were twitching in anger.

"What kind of bullshit is that," Eugene cursed. "Sir Hamel was stronger than Sir Molon."

"And how would you know that?" Cyan challenged.

"How else would I know!" Eugene shouted, only to hesitate. "I... Sir Hamel... look, just from his face, you can tell he's stronger than Sir Molon. Don't you see that scar over there? Of course, Sir Hamel died first, and he might have been smaller than Sir Molon, but do you really think that fights are just decided based on fucking size? Sir Hamel was a better fighter than Sir Molon—"

Eugene stopped talking mid-sentence and turned his head. He had suddenly felt a piercing gaze directed at him. The place from which he had felt that gaze was quite far from this square, but he sensed the presence narrowing the distance in an instant.

'From the palace?'

Behind the statue, on the other side of the square, stood a huge castle surrounded by tall walls. This was the Royal Palace of Ruhr. It was from the palace's lofty spire, through the fluttering snow, that Eugene had first felt that gaze.

However, now it was right on top of them. Eugene reflexively took a few steps backward, pulling Kristina, Ciel, and Cyan along with his magic.

But there didn't seem to have been any need for that. The approaching presence showed no signs of hostility, and even though he was falling here from a great height, no one was in any danger.

A thick cloak fluttered behind the descending figure.

Everyone looked up with shocked eyes. The one who had come flying from the tall spire to land in front of the statue in a crouch was a giant of a man. Straightening up from his crouch, the man roughly brushed back the hair that had fallen over his eyes.

"Humph!"

The man appeared to be middle-aged, with windswept hair, a roughly-shaven beard, and darkly-tanned skin. Eugene noticed a crown on top of the man's head that was tilted to the side as if it could fall off at any moment.

"Nice to see you, young ones," the man began speaking. Then, with a wide grin that showed off his gums, the man spread his arms wide, baring his chest. "We hope that you're not too offended by Our intrusion. I was having fun listening to the cute conversation between you young ones, but as a descendant of the Bold King, I couldn't continue to just listen silently."

The Bold King was a term used to refer to the founding king of Ruhr, Molon. But in fact, aside from Molon, there was one other person in Ruhr who was entitled to address himself by the pronoun, We.

Cyan was so startled that his hair stood on end, and he immediately knelt on the spot, "Th-the descendant of the Lionheart clan, Cyan Lionheart, is honored to meet His Royal Highness, the King of Ruhr."

Ciel and Kristina also hurriedly knelt down and curtseyed. For now, Eugene also decided to get on one knee, as the reaction from their surroundings seemed unusual. Even though this was the sudden appearance of the King of Ruhr, the people in the plaza only spared a glance towards him, not showing any particular reverence.

"Ahahaha! You young ones are embarrassing Us. Since We were the one to jump in on you in the first place, there's no need to be so polite. Aren't your knees getting wet from the snow on the ground? If you want to kneel down and pay your courtesies to Us, instead of doing it in a place like this, why don't you visit Us in Our castle," the king invited them.

This was the current king of the Ruhr Kingdom. The Beast King Aman Ruhr. Letting out a hearty laugh, he straightened his tilted crown and continued speaking.

"Furthermore, We didn't come here just to hear the greetings from you young ones. Look here, young Lionheart," Aman's grinning eyes turned to Eugene, "You're the one who said that the Bold King was weaker than Sir Hamel, right? I can't accept those words. While, of course, the Great Vermouth must have been the strongest, still, among the heroes from that era, the strongest besides Sir Vermouth was the Bold King!"

"Uh... um... yeah," Eugene eventually responded with a puzzled expression.

While everyone was still down on one knee, Aman strode over to grab them by the arms and lift them up from their bent positions one by one.

"Cyan Lionheart!" Aman roared cheerfully. "A descendant of the Great Vermouth. I'm well aware that you are the next in line for the Patriarch of the Lionheart clan. Though it hasn't been confirmed yet, Our daughter may soon be engaged to you."

Cyan was similarly hesitant, "Uh... yeees...?"

"In fact, We have no desire to decide on Our daughter's marriage for political reasons," Aman confessed. "The most important thing will be whether Our daughter wants to marry you or not! Ah, though, of course, Our daughter isn't yet old enough for such things."

Cyan frantically scoured his memory, "Princess Ayla's current age is... um... I recall that she's eleven, but...."

"If you do wish to marry Our daughter, you will need to work hard starting now to sway her heart. Alright, since we happen to have met like this, allow Us to tell you a secret. Our daughter, Ayla, prefers rare weapons and armor over dolls and bouquets. If you wish to impress Ayla, it would be better for you to gift her with a small dagger," Aman advised with a chuckle and patted Cyan on the shoulder.

They may have just been intended as friendly taps, but each time Aman's large hand landed on his shoulder with a bang, bang sound, Cyan's whole body shook.

Aman turned to Ciel, "Ciel Lionheart! We have also heard about you. Indeed, you are just as fair and beautiful as a snowflake! I've heard that Carmen Lionheart, a heroine who has received Our recognition for her strength, is your teacher, correct?"

"You flatter me, your Majesty," Ciel responded politely.

"Flattery? Are you referring to Our compliments on your looks? Flattery, you say... hahaha! With your beauty, humility is a luxury you can't afford. No, that's not it. As a descendant of the Lionhearts, could it be that you are dissatisfied with being complimented for your looks? In that case, I'm curious to see how sharp your sword is," Aman mused insightfully.

Ciel couldn't escape from Aman's huge hand either. But it was only after Aman had stepped past her that Ciel allowed her expression to crumple as she rubbed her aching shoulder.

"And you... Oooh! To think that it would be Yuras' Saint Candidate, Kristina Rogeris. We do not worship the God of Light, but We are still in awe of the miracles that can be performed by the Followers of the Light. Among all those we have seen, the miracles performed by your adoptive father, Cardinal Sergio Rogeris, were particularly impressive," Aman complimented.

Kristina greeted him stiffly, "It's an honor to meet you like this."

Aman noticed her discomfort, "It seems that We shouldn't have carelessly brought up the unfortunate death of your adoptive father. May the Light protect you."

Aman didn't pound on Krisitna's shoulders. He instead reached out with his own large hand to shake her hand, and with a bow of her head, Kristina took his hand with both of hers.

"Eugene Lionheart," Aman finally turned to Eugene. Striding over with a hearty smile, Aman looked down at Eugene and said, "The foster child of the main family. The Second Coming of the Great Vermouth. The Wise Sienna's Successor.... But it seems that those aren't the end of it."

"Were you eavesdropping on our conversation from such a long distance away?" Eugene accused.

"Please don't think that We were intentionally eavesdropping. Our ears are extremely sharp, so We can hear all sorts of things without even intending to. However, We must still offer our apologies for something else," Aman lifted the crown that he was wearing on his head with one hand as he slightly lowered his head in apology. "From the moment you entered this square, We have been watching you with great interest. We were merely confirming the news that the younger generation of the Lionheart clan had arrived in Ruhr through the warp-gate."

Eugene shook his head, "I'm not offended by that information. After all, Your Majesty is the king of this country, right?"

"Ahaha! There is no law saying that it's alright to observe and spy on others just because you're the king. At least there isn't such a law in this country," Aman stated proudly as his large hand patted Eugene's shoulder.

Bang, bang.

The sound might have been just as loud, but Eugene's body didn't shake like Cyan and Ciel's had. Aman's eyes grew cheerful at this sight.

"So then, Eugene Lionheart, what is your opinion?" Aman asked seriously.

Eugene frowned, "What opinion are you talking about?"

"Do you really not know what We are asking, or are you just pretending? You said that Sir Hamel is stronger than the Bold King. However, We choose to disagree," Aman lowered his body to bring himself close to Eugene.

Eugene realized why Aman was called the Beast King. He also saw the proof that Molon was indeed Aman's ancestor.

As they stared piercingly at Eugene, Aman's eyes were just as clear as Molon's, and the same intense desire for conflict that had once swum in Molon's eyes could also be seen in his. However, unlike Molon, Aman wouldn't restrain his desires on the grounds that they were comrades. In Aman's eyes, a wild, bestial spirit was stirring apart from the dignity that came from being the king of a country.

"If you continue to insist on Sir Hamel's superiority, then We, as the descendant of the Bold King, must strive to convince you. Don't you think that it would be fun to cross swords for the sake of our friendly relations?" Aman proposed.

"How dare I cross swords with you, Your Majesty?" Eugene tried to evade.

"Ahaha! It seems that there is a law in Kiehl that states you must not draw your sword against the Emperor, right? But something like that has no relevance here. No matter who it is, if they so desire, We will gladly exchange blades with them," Aman declared with loud laughter as he straightened up his lowered body.

As if to demonstrate, Aman looked around the square, and indeed, the people of Ruhr who were out in the square were looking in this direction with eyes full of amusement and curiosity instead of anger and concern.

"I'm afraid I will have to decline," Eugene politely rejected.

To be honest, Eugene did want to compete with Molon's descendants. However, Eugene didn't want to face Aman in the middle of a square full of watching eyes on the very day he had entered Ruhr.

"Is that so? Then it can't be helped. It's not like today will be the only chance we will get for it," Aman sighed.

Now that Eugene had refused, Aman also didn't continue to insist.

He patted Eugene on the shoulder once more and said with a grin, "It's fine even if it's in the middle of the Knight March, so if you ever wish to compete with Us, come visit Us at any time. These words aren't just for you, Eugene. Cyan Lionheart and Ciel Lionheart as well. If you two so desire, you can come to Us anytime. We will be happy to show you the martial arts that have been passed down to us from the Bold King."

"Would it be alright for me to ask you something?" Eugene asked after clearing his throat and looking back up at Aman. "Sir Molon... no, did the Bold King himself ever say something like that directly? That he was stronger than Sir Hamel."

"Ahaha! He never said anything like that. He didn't leave such words in any of the historical records either. Of course, he did often mention Sir Hamel in those while calling him a dear comrade and friend. Although he said that he really wanted to seriously compete with Hamel at least once, they never actually managed to compete because they never got the chance to...," Aman trailed off with a grin. He then leaned over slightly towards Eugene and whispered, "However, this information is written down in the Annals of Ruhr. According to the words of the Bold King, three hundred years ago, the person with the most physical strength next to the Great Vermouth was Molon himself. If that's the case, then doesn't this naturally mean that the Bold King was stronger than Sir Hamel?"

Was this a provocation?

Eugene smiled stiffly and nodded. "I guess that's true."

Aman laughed smugly, "Ahaha! Well, it's only natural. Just by looking at this statue, you can tell that the Bold King was stronger than Sir Hamel. But what will you all be doing now? I've heard reports that you're not traveling with the Lionheart clan's main force but are instead heading to Lehain independently."

"Yes, we plan on heading to Lehain right away," Eugene revealed.

"It seems that you're in a hurry," Aman observed. "If your preparations are inadequate or you're anxious about the journey, how about accompanying Us? You can rest well in the palace and leave for Lehain when We and the Knights of Ruhr do."

"Although I'm grateful for your words... I'm afraid I'll have to decline. However, why haven't you departed yet, your Majesty?" Eugene inquired.

"It is because We haven't yet finished dealing with the affairs of state," Aman admitted. "We and our Knights of Ruhr will most likely be able to depart next week."

Aman blinked for a few moments. Then he made an oops sound and smacked his own forehead.

"We really should be more careful with our words," Aman chided himself. "Hector Lionheart, the one who participated in that upheaval at the Black Lion Castle last year... he was an honorary knight of the White Fangs, wasn't he?"

"As far as I know, all discussions considering that issue have already been concluded. Even though Hector was an honorary knight of the White Fangs, the White Fangs cannot be held accountable for what he did at the Black Lion Castle," Eugene assured him.

"However, wasn't it still Our mistake to make such a deplorable man an honorary knight? As such, We feel that We must do something to aid you on your journey," Aman insisted.

Eugene didn't really think it was necessary, but Aman just stood there absentmindedly, lost in thought for a few moments. Then he suddenly smiled and looked down at Eugene with a nod.

"Just wait here for a few moments."

"Huh?"

Booom!

Aman kicked off the ground and leaped into the air. With just one leap, he flew through the air and crossed the large distance between the square and the palace spire that he had first flown from.

"...Just what on earth?" Cyan questioned dumbfoundedly, still having yet to come to his senses.

Just as Aman had said, it couldn't have been more than a few moments before he returned. Just like when he first arrived, he leaped over from the palace and landed in the square, but unlike that last time, he wasn't alone.

"We shall allow our pet dog to go with you," Aman stated generously.

The pet dog wasn't the kind of cute puppy that the words brought to mind. Though Aman was a giant of a man, the body of the wolf he had brought with him on his shoulders was even bigger than Aman was.

"His name is Abel. He's a descendant of the Snowfield Wolves, which have been bred by the Bayar Tribe since long ago and have been raised within the Royal Palace since the founding of this kingdom. This guy won't get lost in a blizzard or even in the flat, featureless, white snowfields. If you're accompanied by Abel, you should be able to reach Lehain without getting lost," Aman stated.

The Snowfield Wolf that Aman lowered to the ground was as big as an ox, but it didn't seem anywhere as dull-witted as an ox. Aman grinned as he stroked Abel's gray fur.

"Abel," Aman instructed. "Guide these young lions to the training grounds at Lehain."

"Woof!"

"That's right, there's a good boy."

Abel let out a loud howl.

Turning back to the group, Aman explained, "You don't have to worry about Abel's food because this clever guy can hunt down his own food. If one of you injures your leg on the way there, it's fine if you need to ride on Abel's back."

Eugene hesitated, "Uh, yes...."

"As long as you stick to the path that Abel leads you on, you should have more than enough time to cross the snowfields. Young ones, are you interested in sightseeing?" Aman suddenly asked.

"Did you say... sightseeing?" Eugene repeated.

Aman nodded, "Lehainjar might be dangerous, but it's a fascinating place."

It was the most dangerous mountain in Ruhr, a place where the Snowy Mountain Rangers and knights would occasionally visit for training.

"If you feel the urge, you should go take a look at the Grand Hammer Canyon," Aman recommended.

"And where is that exactly?" Eugene inquired.

"If you want to go, Abel can lead you there. You don't need to be able to speak wolf, this clever guy... if you tell him that you want to go to the Grand Hammer Canyon, he will guide you there immediately," Aman said with a wide smile that showed off his gums. "That's where the legends of the royal family are passed down."

"Legends?" Eugene repeated curiously.

"It's also the place where the descendants of the royal family are reborn as warriors," Aman said without any further explanation as he turned away. "Of course, it's up to you whether to go or not."

With those last words, Aman kicked off the ground once again.

Booom!

With a loud roar, Aman flew back to the palace.

"...What an extremely... free-spirited king," Cyan muttered as he watched Aman's back disappear within mere moments.