Enemies Meet at the Engagement Ceremony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘If I lose to Cherry, I might have to live apart from my mother again.’

 

Enoch gritted his teeth. The more he learned swordsmanship, the more he understood the sense of deprivation his grandfather felt towards Emblem.

 

Moreover, Gray always resented and hated Emblem.

 

His grandfather undoubtedly loved him and his mother.

 

However, the presence of Emblem in his grandfather’s heart was so overwhelming that it was beyond imagination.

 

So, Enoch worried that if he really lost to Emblem, his grandfather’s resentment might again be directed towards his mother, tearing their family apart.

 

Living with such anxiety was not an option.

 

“….……”

 

“….……”

 

The knights of the Gray Knights, who remained in the training ground to prepare for the formal knights’ competition in two days, were also present.

 

“We must avoid him.”

 

They easily noticed that the tip of Enoch’s sword was slightly trembling. Everyone praised Enoch, the winner of today’s hunting competition.

 

It was truly amazing that a boy, only seven years old, succeeded in killing a lower-tier monster.

 

They cheered, saying that Enoch had avenged Gray’s loss to Melsia Emblem in the hunting competition.

 

Gray’s honor was heightened, and Jade Gray praised Enoch, telling him he could rest well today.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

“Okay.”

 

The Gray Knights quietly sheathed their swords and withdrew. Although Enoch didn’t know, his face was tinged with the feeling of defeat for the first time.

 

Despite being a descendant of Gray and showing extraordinary talent, he was just a seven-year-old child. There must have been something in the Mitro Forest that they didn’t know.

 

Whatever it was, the knights could clearly see the growing pains Enoch was experiencing. Their faces were bright as they stepped aside.

 

“We should retire as late as possible.”

 

“That would be good.”

 

Everyone had the same expectation on their faces. This time, they had a vague feeling that Gray might be able to defeat Emblem.

 

Watching Enoch’s small body, that feeling seemed to turn into a conviction.

 

“…….”

 

After confirming that the knights had left the training ground, Enoch took out a letter he had cherished.

 

It was a letter from his mother, Diana Gray, who was still on a mission ordered by the emperor in the Kratyn Forest.

 

The letter began with stories about the Kratyn Forest and the monsters encountered there.

 

In the middle, there were the words Enoch had longed to hear.

 

[….I don’t like that your grandfather uses me as bait to wield you. But as a knight, not just your mother, and as a proud member of Gray, I am proud of you. As the head of the Gray Knights, hearing about you makes me eager to recruit you into our order immediately. I want to see your sword soon and spar with you. So, Enoch, let’s live together once this mission is over. I will set aside my stubbornness for the three of us, Edward, you, and me, to live together. Though it makes me angry to think of your grandfather’s smug face, I want to live by your side, sharing swords.]

 

Reading up to this point, Enoch’s cheeks turned red. For the first time since the end of the hunting competition, Enoch’s stiff mouth relaxed.

 

 

“I want to live by my son’s side, sharing swords.”

 

Enoch read his favorite sentence aloud. It felt as if his mother’s voice was whispering in his ear.

 

Feeling slightly better from his anxious mood, Enoch continued reading the letter.

 

[Do you know why Gray cannot defeat Emblem? It is because the long-standing frustration of never defeating Emblem has become an obsession that weighs down our swords. Emblem purely loves the sword, while Gray always feared and hated it. So, how could the sword dance joyfully in Gray’s hands? The moment I realized this, all your grandfather’s words became meaningless, and I chose harmony with Emblem. So, Enoch, if you truly want to defeat the emblem’s sword…]

 

“You must love the sword more than they do.”

 

Enoch recited the last sentence of his mother’s letter before putting it back in his chest.

 

He remembered the face of Cherry, who had gazed at the sword she held with a wounded palm, and the touch on the heads of the children she had protected.

 

He recalled the warmth in the amber eyes that watched over those who left the forest unharmed.

 

At that moment, the disheveled red hair explained why Emblem was called the ‘Emblem of the Sun.’

 

“What should I do, Mother?”

 

Enoch closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the precious letter in his chest.

 

“It seems that she has already come to love the sword.”

 

Enoch had taken up the sword to live with his mother and soon realized his talent. Every time he controlled the sword precisely as he desired, it felt quite good.

 

The sword of Gray, which excluded emotions and aimed for the most ideal result with cold logic, suited him well.

 

But that was all.

 

“Not yet for me.”

 

After seeing Cherry today, Enoch realized that he didn’t love the sword yet. So, he resolved to work harder. Enoch was Gray, and Cherry was Emblem.

 

They would spend their lives crossing swords. Enoch believed that staying by Cherry’s side, who loved the sword, would eventually bring that moment to him as well.

 

With this thought, Enoch grasped the sword again and began to swing it.

 

The moment he immersed himself in the sword, Cherry shone brilliantly, dazzling like the ‘Emblem of the Sun.’

 

To seize that moment when it came to him, he had to work harder than Cherry.

 

“…..….”

 

As Enoch was diligently swinging his sword, there were two pairs of eyes watching him from a distance.

 

“The sword of the winner of this hunting competition is sharp, Duke.”

 

The Emperor, Marchian Leopardo Lutinas, was observing Enoch with great interest from beside Jade Gray through the window.

 

“Indeed, his talent is as exceptional as I expected.”

 

At the Emperor’s admiration, Jade Gray’s wrinkled forehead twitched slightly.

 

“Is that why you went to the trouble of releasing a lower-tier monster into the Mitro Forest, Your Majesty?”

 

“………”

 

The Emperor’s lips, which hadn’t stopped praising since arriving here, finally closed. Jade Gray continued, his eyes gleaming coldly.

 

“Being born in Gray, we cannot raise him as softly as other families’ children. But that doesn’t mean I don’t cherish him.”

 

The Emperor didn’t respond, only listening quietly with a gentle smile.

 

This composed attitude caused a vein to pop on Jade Gray’s forehead.

 

“You have crossed the line this time, Your Majesty. The hunting competition is hosted by the royal family. Melsia Emblem seems to have noticed as well, so you’ll have to bear the official complaints from Gray and Emblem for this ‘mistake.'”

 

“Oh, of course. I was always planning to take full responsibility.”

 

The Emperor raised his hands in a placating gesture and stepped back. By explicitly referring to it as a ‘mistake,’ Jade Gray had forever concealed the Emperor’s intent.