Translated by Wook
Edited by Wook
6 years ago, Rena was taken away on the same day she was called to her father’s study.
She did not have time to say farewells to her family members or pack her belongings.
As if she had been kidnapped, she climbed into an unfamiliar carriage, after which she traveled for nearly 10 days, not knowing where she was going.
Rena felt her anxiety growing from day to day as she didn’t know where she was going or for how long she was going.
She was no better than a beast caught in a trap.
She cried a lot while riding the carriage.
She cried and cried and cried and cried as if she was going to die.
Only after she arrived at the castle of the Western Duke that the tears that flowed endlessly dried up.
Rena, who was so frightened, eventually left her heart empty and was limp like a doll with broken threads.
She thought it would be better for her to die. She had no ability to escape and she didn’t have the courage to face reality, so she wondered if she would be better off that way.
When she resigned to her fate, the heart that had been torn down became more comfortable.
But nevertheless, tears flowed again when she saw that strange crack.
—Welcome, this is the road I prepared for you.
The man who brought Rena here said in front of the rift.
Inside the crack that appeared in the air, the red sky and black ground that Rena had never seen before were blazing like nightmares.
—Don’t be too scared.
The man, Clavis’, voice, was gentle in the midst of it. The whole situation seemed absurd.
—Have you ever seen the dead?
Clavis asked while stroking Rena’s head.
Rena trembled and shook her head.
The dead were only in the South. Or they appeared occasionally in the North, and she only heard about them occasionally from the adults.
—Right. You have not. The dead outside the city are increasing day by day, but the lady is wearing pretty clothes and eating cake in the mansion, so of course you have not seen them yet.
Clavis whispered mockingly. Because of that, Rena’s chest plummeted once more.
—It’s okay, I’m not criticizing you. It’s the lady’s blessing. It’s natural for your kind to be in a nice house. It’s a natural blessing.
Clavis comforted the sobbing Rena. But it wasn’t for Rena’s sake either. There was something else he really wanted to say.
—Just like how you enjoyed that blessing for no reason, don’t look for a reason as to why this happens to you. Even if it’s painful, even if it feels like you’re going to die, this is just how we all live our lives.
Clavis said so and kissed Rena’s forehead, then he grabbed Rena’s frozen wrist.
—Now, will you stop crying?
Where are we going?
Rena asked quietly. Clavis recognized that pitiful expression and smiled brightly.
—What you see over there is the land of the dead. Hell for us, discovered by Her Majesty the Emperor. I was curious about what kind of place it was, so I sent a lot of friends in, but no one has ever returned yet.
Clavis pushed Rena’s back and said in an excited voice.
—It’s a little sad, but I wondered. What if it’s a beautiful, growing girl like the emperor? Would they ever be able to come back from hell?
Clavis said it’s sad, but his eyes looked happy.
—If you return safely, you too will become as great as the emperor.
Clavis chuckled irresponsibly and pushed Rena. Rena desperately tried to step away from him.
Clavis smiled innocently and dragged Rena away.
Then he spoke one last time as he pushed her into hell.
—As such, I will wait. It’s okay if you want to take revenge, so please just come back.
And that was it.
At the last whisper, Rena fell.
To a place infinitely deep and low.
There, Rena faced the unfamiliar world as the emperor did in the past.
***
The day after Founding Day. The anxious Southern Duke called them early in the morning.
“How was your night, Your Grace?”
“I don’t think it was good. The expression on his face is not good.”
“You’re being rude, Uni. He always looks like that.”
“Ah, right…”
As the little maid expressed regret with sad eyes, the Southern Duke gritted his teeth impatiently.
“Why do you think my face looks like this now?”
“Is it because of me?”
At Rena’s naive question, the Southern Duke closed his eyes and let out a long breath.
It was the morning of the day after Founding Day. The Southern Duke called Rena as soon as the day dawned. It was because of the mistake Rena made the day before.
“Does the lady know what you did wrong yesterday?”
“Does it have something to do with the Eastern Duke?”
“So you know!”
The Southern Duke shouted, but Rena and Uni didn’t even react. That made the Southern Duke even more agitated.
Yesterday, Rena bowed her head to the Eastern Duke in front of everyone.
She flattered the duke, introduced herself, and even expressed her gratitude. All of them were actions that should not be done as a representative of the South.
“If you’re wearing the uniform of the South, then you are of the South. No matter how ignorant you are, you cannot bow down recklessly!”
“I was just thanking him for his help.”
Rena explained calmly, making the Southern Duke want to shout again. But, Rena continued before he could say anything,
“If it wasn’t for the Eastern Duke, you would’ve been seriously injured.”
You. Not me.
The Southern Duke turned speechless at Rena’s silent reference. At the same time, his face contorted as if he had an upset stomach.
Still, he went crazy because the cheeky Eastern Duke had saved him. He’s not the kind of guy who’d do that, so why the hell that bastard…?
When the Southern Duke was confused, Rena asked with innocent eyes.
“Since we received his help in front of everyone, it would be too rude to ignore it, and I thought it is a dignified act to keep basic manners. Did I make a mistake?”
Rena asked with a faint voice.
The Southern Duke was not accustomed to seeing the executioner like that, so he inevitably ground his teeth.
“If you had to greet him, there must have been another way that is less obvious.”
“If that’s the case, then what should’ve been done?”
“Uni. Sshhh.”
As the old man complained, Uni, who had been listening quietly, grumbled.
Actually, that child looks like a ventriloquist doll that Rena carries to provoke her enemy.
‘Could it be true?’
He swallowed his tantrums, suspicious about his own delusions.
And Rena looked like she felt somewhat sorry for him.
Actually, she went out of her way yesterday to help Lynn. To say that this was done for the sake of Southern dignity is a rough make-up story, but the savvy Southern Duke took it seriously.
Rena, who felt the old man’s inner conflict, was pricked with conscience and belatedly reconciled.
“I know what you are worried about. As the representative of the South, I have to act appropriately, but I didn’t think too far ahead yesterday.”
“You’re a smooth talker.”
“What are you saying…!”
Uni, as always, tried to come up with a sharp retort, but fortunately this time, Rena’s hand was faster than Uni’s mouth.
Rena covered her mouth and whispered, “Uni, quiet” softly.
At her lady’s request, Uni reluctantly bit her mouth, and seeing the frustrated Uni, the Southern Duke finally felt calmer.
Rena noticed that he was feeling better and added a hint.
“Actually, the best thing to do is not to create such a situation in the first place.”
“Hmm?”
“If you don’t get help, you don’t even need to interact.”
The Southern Duke raised his eyebrows and looked at Rena. All of a sudden, his expression spoke, “What are you talking about?”
At that, Rena carefully revealed her main point.
“In that sense, I’d like to ask. What happened to the Southern Knights? Where are all those who fought in the Silent War?”
At Rena’s question, the Southern Duke let out a long sigh.
“… After the war is as fierce as the war itself.”
The Southern Duke mumbled, like a man who forced himself to say something he didn’t want to say in the first place.
In fact, this was something that had to be told anyway. He had been delaying it because he was uncomfortable with revealing his weakness. However, he couldn’t avoid it anymore when he was asked directly.
“They are handling the post-war situation in the South.”
After a great fire, ashes remain. If fighting the flames is a desperate struggle, then riding from the ashes is a terrible penance.
In the same way, after the war is as fierce as the war itself.
It was necessary to repair the collapsed castle and find a way to revive the devastated people, so it was impossible to place clumsy people there.
Therefore, the Southern Duke sent his aides, who roamed the battlefield together with him, to various parts of the South.
As a result, the valiant Southern Knights were scattered, and the Southern Duke formed a new Knights Order with new people to fill their vacancy.
“So, you’re saying this place is filled with fresh newbies?”
“Fresh newbies. In short, rookies.”
“Kuhh…”
At Rena and Uni’s dialogues, the Southern Duke coughed in vain. The word “rookie” hurt quite a bit, but he couldn’t deny it, and that’s why it was even more painful.
“It meant that we had to figure out the situation first.”
“Still, they are all children of prestigious families.”
The Southern Duke muttered sullenly, beckoning the secretary by his side. Then the secretary handed the prepared report to Rena.
“This is?”
“It’s a list of knights. It would be quicker to see it in person than to explain it for a hundred days. I’ve told them to prepare for a meeting, so you’ll see them in the afternoon.”
Rena flipped through the report with Uni.
Inside were the names, ages, and families of the knights.
As the Southern Duke said, all of them were children of the families that could be known just by the name. However, Rena paid more attention to their birth order rather than their origin.
A count’s third son, the marquis’ second son, the second son of this, the third son of that…
Most of them were sons born second, third, or later.
One of them is an oldest son. Rena burst into laughter while looking at it for some reason.
“I think Count Pieta was precocious since childhood.”
At Rena’s joke, the Southern Duke quietly touched his forehead.
As Rena knew, Count Pieta of the South was still young, in his early thirties. However, his eldest son on the list was twenty-two.
Unless the Count has been working hard to produce a successor since he was ten years old, the Count’s eldest son here would be an adopted child.
“Now I understand the situation.”
The second son, third son of the noble family, and the Knights Order. Rena realized what it meant and smiled bitterly.
“They’re all a waste of money,” she said, “These people.”
The South was living precariously and devastated by the aftereffects of war.
Nevertheless, the emperor ordered the dukes to conquer the Tomb, and the South was no exception.
The South decided to form a new Knights Order. In order to do that, it was necessary to have a fairly tricky selection to choose people who could show sincerity to the emperor while minimizing the burden on the southern region.
As it is the emperor’s decree, they must send famous noblemen. However, there is no hope of returning.
“So, they sent the second or third son, while excluding the eldest son.”
At Rena’s analysis, the Southern Duke’s expression darkened even more.
Everything was as Rena said. The southern nobles once resisted the merciless demand for allegiance, and this was the only compromise they came up with.
While the old man was very bitter about it, Rena said with a smile.
“Everyone’s made a heartless choice. No, should I say a rational decision?”
“Don’t be sarcastic. Which parent would be at peace having sent their child in this way? Bite any of the ten fingers and it will hurt the same.”
“Fingers… That’s harsh.”
[The Southern Duke said the idiom “Bite any of the ten fingers and it will hurt the same” which means “Every child is dear to his parents”.]
Rena grinned as she muttered, which the Southern Duke saw as a sarcastic remark as he clicked his tongue.
But Uni saw it. That Rena’s eyes fluttered slightly.
Rena felt that their situation was similar to hers.
Less painful fingers, selected scapegoats, abandoned children, beings that are only so remembered or soon to be forgotten.
No, it wasn’t the same, just that it wasn’t that different.
That fact touched Rena’s heart, and Uni became anxious as she noticed her feelings.
However, the Southern Duke did not know anything and continued to speak,
“I don’t mind whatever you say. But don’t treat them like a discarded hand. I’m calling you so that they’re not just being thrown away.”
“Since you say that, I have to work harder.”
Rena answered with clear eyes. She was sincere.
An unpredictable journey, the unprepared knights, those who knew everything but went to this wreck.
Is their decision made out of love for their family? Is it a duty to the family? Or was it an irresistible coercion?
Rena felt sympathy for them, as she was with her past self. She decided that she would do her best to protect them.
.
.
.
But an hour later, Rena Ruber’s resolve was thwarted even before the start.
Said the Southern Knight,
“We cannot accept you as our commander.”
Those were the first words Rena heard at the meeting.
Translated by Wook
Edited by Wook
6 years ago, Rena was taken away on the same day she was called to her father’s study.
She did not have time to say farewells to her family members or pack her belongings.
As if she had been kidnapped, she climbed into an unfamiliar carriage, after which she traveled for nearly 10 days, not knowing where she was going.
Rena felt her anxiety growing from day to day as she didn’t know where she was going or for how long she was going.
She was no better than a beast caught in a trap.
She cried a lot while riding the carriage.
She cried and cried and cried and cried as if she was going to die.
Only after she arrived at the castle of the Western Duke that the tears that flowed endlessly dried up.
Rena, who was so frightened, eventually left her heart empty and was limp like a doll with broken threads.
She thought it would be better for her to die. She had no ability to escape and she didn’t have the courage to face reality, so she wondered if she would be better off that way.
When she resigned to her fate, the heart that had been torn down became more comfortable.
But nevertheless, tears flowed again when she saw that strange crack.
—Welcome, this is the road I prepared for you.
The man who brought Rena here said in front of the rift.
Inside the crack that appeared in the air, the red sky and black ground that Rena had never seen before were blazing like nightmares.
—Don’t be too scared.
The man, Clavis’, voice, was gentle in the midst of it. The whole situation seemed absurd.
—Have you ever seen the dead?
Clavis asked while stroking Rena’s head.
Rena trembled and shook her head.
The dead were only in the South. Or they appeared occasionally in the North, and she only heard about them occasionally from the adults.
—Right. You have not. The dead outside the city are increasing day by day, but the lady is wearing pretty clothes and eating cake in the mansion, so of course you have not seen them yet.
Clavis whispered mockingly. Because of that, Rena’s chest plummeted once more.
—It’s okay, I’m not criticizing you. It’s the lady’s blessing. It’s natural for your kind to be in a nice house. It’s a natural blessing.
Clavis comforted the sobbing Rena. But it wasn’t for Rena’s sake either. There was something else he really wanted to say.
—Just like how you enjoyed that blessing for no reason, don’t look for a reason as to why this happens to you. Even if it’s painful, even if it feels like you’re going to die, this is just how we all live our lives.
Clavis said so and kissed Rena’s forehead, then he grabbed Rena’s frozen wrist.
—Now, will you stop crying?
Where are we going?
Rena asked quietly. Clavis recognized that pitiful expression and smiled brightly.
—What you see over there is the land of the dead. Hell for us, discovered by Her Majesty the Emperor. I was curious about what kind of place it was, so I sent a lot of friends in, but no one has ever returned yet.
Clavis pushed Rena’s back and said in an excited voice.
—It’s a little sad, but I wondered. What if it’s a beautiful, growing girl like the emperor? Would they ever be able to come back from hell?
Clavis said it’s sad, but his eyes looked happy.
—If you return safely, you too will become as great as the emperor.
Clavis chuckled irresponsibly and pushed Rena. Rena desperately tried to step away from him.
Clavis smiled innocently and dragged Rena away.
Then he spoke one last time as he pushed her into hell.
—As such, I will wait. It’s okay if you want to take revenge, so please just come back.
And that was it.
At the last whisper, Rena fell.
To a place infinitely deep and low.
There, Rena faced the unfamiliar world as the emperor did in the past.
***
The day after Founding Day. The anxious Southern Duke called them early in the morning.
“How was your night, Your Grace?”
“I don’t think it was good. The expression on his face is not good.”
“You’re being rude, Uni. He always looks like that.”
“Ah, right…”
As the little maid expressed regret with sad eyes, the Southern Duke gritted his teeth impatiently.
“Why do you think my face looks like this now?”
“Is it because of me?”
At Rena’s naive question, the Southern Duke closed his eyes and let out a long breath.
It was the morning of the day after Founding Day. The Southern Duke called Rena as soon as the day dawned. It was because of the mistake Rena made the day before.
“Does the lady know what you did wrong yesterday?”
“Does it have something to do with the Eastern Duke?”
“So you know!”
The Southern Duke shouted, but Rena and Uni didn’t even react. That made the Southern Duke even more agitated.
Yesterday, Rena bowed her head to the Eastern Duke in front of everyone.
She flattered the duke, introduced herself, and even expressed her gratitude. All of them were actions that should not be done as a representative of the South.
“If you’re wearing the uniform of the South, then you are of the South. No matter how ignorant you are, you cannot bow down recklessly!”
“I was just thanking him for his help.”
Rena explained calmly, making the Southern Duke want to shout again. But, Rena continued before he could say anything,
“If it wasn’t for the Eastern Duke, you would’ve been seriously injured.”
You. Not me.
The Southern Duke turned speechless at Rena’s silent reference. At the same time, his face contorted as if he had an upset stomach.
Still, he went crazy because the cheeky Eastern Duke had saved him. He’s not the kind of guy who’d do that, so why the hell that bastard…?
When the Southern Duke was confused, Rena asked with innocent eyes.
“Since we received his help in front of everyone, it would be too rude to ignore it, and I thought it is a dignified act to keep basic manners. Did I make a mistake?”
Rena asked with a faint voice.
The Southern Duke was not accustomed to seeing the executioner like that, so he inevitably ground his teeth.
“If you had to greet him, there must have been another way that is less obvious.”
“If that’s the case, then what should’ve been done?”
“Uni. Sshhh.”
As the old man complained, Uni, who had been listening quietly, grumbled.
Actually, that child looks like a ventriloquist doll that Rena carries to provoke her enemy.
‘Could it be true?’
He swallowed his tantrums, suspicious about his own delusions.
And Rena looked like she felt somewhat sorry for him.
Actually, she went out of her way yesterday to help Lynn. To say that this was done for the sake of Southern dignity is a rough make-up story, but the savvy Southern Duke took it seriously.
Rena, who felt the old man’s inner conflict, was pricked with conscience and belatedly reconciled.
“I know what you are worried about. As the representative of the South, I have to act appropriately, but I didn’t think too far ahead yesterday.”
“You’re a smooth talker.”
“What are you saying…!”
Uni, as always, tried to come up with a sharp retort, but fortunately this time, Rena’s hand was faster than Uni’s mouth.
Rena covered her mouth and whispered, “Uni, quiet” softly.
At her lady’s request, Uni reluctantly bit her mouth, and seeing the frustrated Uni, the Southern Duke finally felt calmer.
Rena noticed that he was feeling better and added a hint.
“Actually, the best thing to do is not to create such a situation in the first place.”
“Hmm?”
“If you don’t get help, you don’t even need to interact.”
The Southern Duke raised his eyebrows and looked at Rena. All of a sudden, his expression spoke, “What are you talking about?”
At that, Rena carefully revealed her main point.
“In that sense, I’d like to ask. What happened to the Southern Knights? Where are all those who fought in the Silent War?”
At Rena’s question, the Southern Duke let out a long sigh.
“… After the war is as fierce as the war itself.”
The Southern Duke mumbled, like a man who forced himself to say something he didn’t want to say in the first place.
In fact, this was something that had to be told anyway. He had been delaying it because he was uncomfortable with revealing his weakness. However, he couldn’t avoid it anymore when he was asked directly.
“They are handling the post-war situation in the South.”
After a great fire, ashes remain. If fighting the flames is a desperate struggle, then riding from the ashes is a terrible penance.
In the same way, after the war is as fierce as the war itself.
It was necessary to repair the collapsed castle and find a way to revive the devastated people, so it was impossible to place clumsy people there.
Therefore, the Southern Duke sent his aides, who roamed the battlefield together with him, to various parts of the South.
As a result, the valiant Southern Knights were scattered, and the Southern Duke formed a new Knights Order with new people to fill their vacancy.
“So, you’re saying this place is filled with fresh newbies?”
“Fresh newbies. In short, rookies.”
“Kuhh…”
At Rena and Uni’s dialogues, the Southern Duke coughed in vain. The word “rookie” hurt quite a bit, but he couldn’t deny it, and that’s why it was even more painful.
“It meant that we had to figure out the situation first.”
“Still, they are all children of prestigious families.”
The Southern Duke muttered sullenly, beckoning the secretary by his side. Then the secretary handed the prepared report to Rena.
“This is?”
“It’s a list of knights. It would be quicker to see it in person than to explain it for a hundred days. I’ve told them to prepare for a meeting, so you’ll see them in the afternoon.”
Rena flipped through the report with Uni.
Inside were the names, ages, and families of the knights.
As the Southern Duke said, all of them were children of the families that could be known just by the name. However, Rena paid more attention to their birth order rather than their origin.
A count’s third son, the marquis’ second son, the second son of this, the third son of that…
Most of them were sons born second, third, or later.
One of them is an oldest son. Rena burst into laughter while looking at it for some reason.
“I think Count Pieta was precocious since childhood.”
At Rena’s joke, the Southern Duke quietly touched his forehead.
As Rena knew, Count Pieta of the South was still young, in his early thirties. However, his eldest son on the list was twenty-two.
Unless the Count has been working hard to produce a successor since he was ten years old, the Count’s eldest son here would be an adopted child.
“Now I understand the situation.”
The second son, third son of the noble family, and the Knights Order. Rena realized what it meant and smiled bitterly.
“They’re all a waste of money,” she said, “These people.”
The South was living precariously and devastated by the aftereffects of war.
Nevertheless, the emperor ordered the dukes to conquer the Tomb, and the South was no exception.
The South decided to form a new Knights Order. In order to do that, it was necessary to have a fairly tricky selection to choose people who could show sincerity to the emperor while minimizing the burden on the southern region.
As it is the emperor’s decree, they must send famous noblemen. However, there is no hope of returning.
“So, they sent the second or third son, while excluding the eldest son.”
At Rena’s analysis, the Southern Duke’s expression darkened even more.
Everything was as Rena said. The southern nobles once resisted the merciless demand for allegiance, and this was the only compromise they came up with.
While the old man was very bitter about it, Rena said with a smile.
“Everyone’s made a heartless choice. No, should I say a rational decision?”
“Don’t be sarcastic. Which parent would be at peace having sent their child in this way? Bite any of the ten fingers and it will hurt the same.”
“Fingers… That’s harsh.”
[The Southern Duke said the idiom “Bite any of the ten fingers and it will hurt the same” which means “Every child is dear to his parents”.]
Rena grinned as she muttered, which the Southern Duke saw as a sarcastic remark as he clicked his tongue.
But Uni saw it. That Rena’s eyes fluttered slightly.
Rena felt that their situation was similar to hers.
Less painful fingers, selected scapegoats, abandoned children, beings that are only so remembered or soon to be forgotten.
No, it wasn’t the same, just that it wasn’t that different.
That fact touched Rena’s heart, and Uni became anxious as she noticed her feelings.
However, the Southern Duke did not know anything and continued to speak,
“I don’t mind whatever you say. But don’t treat them like a discarded hand. I’m calling you so that they’re not just being thrown away.”
“Since you say that, I have to work harder.”
Rena answered with clear eyes. She was sincere.
An unpredictable journey, the unprepared knights, those who knew everything but went to this wreck.
Is their decision made out of love for their family? Is it a duty to the family? Or was it an irresistible coercion?
Rena felt sympathy for them, as she was with her past self. She decided that she would do her best to protect them.
.
.
.
But an hour later, Rena Ruber’s resolve was thwarted even before the start.
Said the Southern Knight,
“We cannot accept you as our commander.”
Those were the first words Rena heard at the meeting.
