Episode 3
And Desherro had as many as four younger sisters.
The image of girls who looked exactly like Desherro gathered together and smiling brightly, that I saw a few years ago in a family photo in passing, remained in my memory. Perhaps that’s why the letters that arrived for Desherro were always noticeably thick.
“Your siblings seem to have a lot to say. What on earth is written in it to be that thick?”
“Let’s see. This time, there are many questions about the Eiketa-Bruchell equation.”
“…What equation?”
“The Eiketa-Bruchell equation.”
“…!”
“Would you like me to explain the theory?”
“No. My stomach hurts a little all of a sudden.”
“Your stomachache’s timing is always impeccable, Andert.”
Marquis Calpenweaver was the kind of person who ran out of the barracks faster than anyone when a letter arrived.
Apparently, he had two children, and one of them was no less than a troublemaker who caused a ruckus every year.
You might ask, what was the fuss about whenever a letter arrived? It wasn’t anything extraordinary. It was just a childish reaction as befitted young men.
“Uh, Marquis! So, who is the charming Miss Calpenweaver interested in this time?”
“No mention of the abdominal muscles? What about the thigh muscles?”
This troublemaker, who I wasn’t sure was the oldest or the second daughter, but clearly female, stirred up commotion in the unit with questions like “Who is the most handsome knight?” or “Who is the strongest unmarried man?” or “Which knight has the firmest thighs?”.
Soldiers thirsty for love with women always approached these absurd debates with seriousness. They sought to fully exhibit their charm to Marquis Caplenweaver so their name could be inscribed in the playful reply that Marquis Calpenweaver sent.
For your information, the winners of this unit-wide commotion were Raphael, Duke Berkeley-Gratten, and Count Rogenhoff. I wondered what kind of uproar would happen this year.
Raphaelo also received letters every time.
The sender was his mother, and whenever Raphael read the letters, he always wore a relaxed smile.
Raphael’s mother, possessing remarkable vitality, diligently carried out her duties and prayers even after losing her husband to war and seeing her son depart for the front lines.
It was said she always strived to live in a way for not just herself, but her neighbors as well, so as not to be a shameful mother to her son, who was revered as a hero.
Her good deeds had already entered the ears of Natasha’s brother and yielded meaningful results. She had gathered refugees from the neglected borderlands and established a camp.
After hearing the news, I thought children were truly the mirrors of their parents. One could easily infer where Raphael’s unshakeable and upright nature came from.
Of course, not all soldiers had family or relatives.
There were quite a few who didn’t receive letters. However, they often ended up receiving an abundance of gifts instead.
Goods of a certain weight enclosed with a letter were distributed to them. During the war, sweets such as chocolate, candies, jellies, which were considered more valuable than painkillers, as well as various sundries like cigarettes and newspapers, were among them.
Even if the military is a miniature version of society that combines the young, immature and adults into one place, when facing life and death together, a sense of camaraderie naturally builds. These small acts of sharing often led to festive celebrations within the unit.
I didn’t know why, but these moments always seemed like too much to me, and the picture of me in that gap between them also seemed extremely bizzare.
Even if I forced myself to hang out with someone, it would only amplify this emptiness.
So on a day like this, it was easier to be alone. Like now.
I came out onto the desolate plain and lay down on the frozen mud that had freezed in the snow. It had a strange sensation. Kinda like ice cream…
“Our young hero is sitting here as pitifully as a dog in the rain. Are you waiting for your master to come and fetch you?”
Suddenly, a dark shadow fell over my head.
Timing was really something. As I struggled to sit up, I met eyes with the person who took a seat next to me. When his wrinkle-free uniform became marred with the squishy mud, I felt a sense of guilt for no reason.
“Why don’t you pick me up yourself?”
“Sure. I’ll even play you a lullaby on a silk-wrapped sofa and stroke your back.”
“Forget the silk, how about getting me a magic stone mine, Your Lordship? I’ll live as a miner instead of a soldier for the rest of my life and die as a miner as well.”
“You sure have spirit. I tried to be kind to a puppy, but ended up with a mangy mutt in the house.”
No letters came for the Swordmaster. It wasn’t surprising, given he had no blood relatives.
A commander of the Swordmaster’s caliber should have received a golden seal filled with warm encouragement and concern from the Emperor. But seeing that no news arrived, he seemed to be too reserved.
Sending the Emperor’s seal through the secret missives was risky. There was a possibility it could inadvertently leak military secrets.
The other person casually glanced down at my arm and asked in passing, “Is your arm okay?”
“Yes, I’m almost fully recovered now. Thanks to this, your plans to make me quiet and obedient have come to naught, haven’t they?”
The Swordmaster immediately grasped the underlying meaning of the response.
“No need to regret; there’s still plenty of time.”
What time? Time to really make me a cripple?
I quickly turned the topic around since I knew the Swordmaster wasn’t one to make a silly joke.
“Duke… are you not going to marry?”
If he could form a family and receive official correspondence as soon as possible, the two of us wouldn’t have to spend these lonely days together.
“You sometimes blurt out impertinent questions without warning.”
“I apologize. I just didn’t think it would be less rude to give a warning.”
Even during war, children are born.
A child is both the fruit of love and a political agreement.
Although the position of the Duke of Berkeley-Gratten is not inherited through blood ties, the Swordmaster, based on his achievements, owned a vast estate and wealth, as well as his own title. These were things worthy of being passed down.
“I’m not particularly considering it at the moment.”
“Why?”
“Why is that?”
“I’m sure I’ll be disappointed if my child is born ugly.”
Huh. My mouth fell open at the unexpected reason.
“Duke… you always manage to surprise me in all sorts of ways.”
The Swordmaster only looked back at me with a casual look at my surprise at what he said, offering no further response.
“If you don’t mind, can I ask one more question?”
“As long as it’s not my personal history.”
“How does one open their ears?”
He seemed to understand what I was asking at once. After a brief pause, the Swordmaster slowly blinked and then opened his mouth.
“Sir Andert, do you believe that hardship and adversity temper a person?”
“Yes, I suppose they do.”
“In that case, to be tempered means to be soon broken. Do you agree?”
“I agree.”
“People are broken by hardship and adversity. Sometimes, without a way to mend, they crumble, unable to die. But some raise their broken bodies with a single-minded determination to protect. Whether it’s family, the future, beliefs, or oneself… opening one’s eyes and ears is the evolution experienced through that process.”
I thought of Raphael, lying collapsed as if dead among fallen leaves.
‘That’s the process of evolution?’
It just seemed like dying. The evolution of the helpless was indeed perplexing.
“On the other hand, it could be seen as the struggle of the unfortunate weak. Repeating hardships and adversity… they are like candles in the wind.”
“Does that mean only the weak can become strong?”
“Yes, because in the first place, evolution is the domain of the weak.”
Author came back just to hurt me
Also Daisy’s experiences as Andert are so interesting to me, how she grew during the war, the things she went through.. I’d always wanted more of it. Even if no baby is in sight yet, more Daisy makes me happy!’
For a little explanation, here, temper is used as a metaphor in reference to how iron is tempered. When the swordmaster says, ‘in that case, to be tempered means to be soon broken’ it’s because something can only be tempered too many times before it breaks. but there are some who rise even after reaching that breaking point.
ALSO THE SWORDMASTER IS SO OUT OF POCKET FOR THAT ONE “I’ll be disappointed if my child is born ugly” DUDE??? I was going to leave it as unseemly but after further research that’s really just what he said lmaoo
And that troublemaker sister is definitely the younger daughter, Tara!!
Thank you for the chapter!
Daisy is trying really hard, not to acknowledge her loneliness… Also, if I get it right, Daisy crossed the first wall by overcoming her trauma? Not understand her essence? Remark about evolution being for the weak is contradictory. All characters who are known to have crossed walls were strong/talented from beginning.
The evolution that the swordmaster talks about in the last sentence is not the literal steps of crossing the wall (maybe I should’ve used a different word, but I thought contextually it would fit lol, my bad). It is used in a general level, beings only evolve to protect themselves. You can only become strong if you’re weak. You must have to have something to breakthrough for a breakthrough, right? The breakthrough that a person goes through after hitting their limits, that’s where the process seems to start.
For the strong characters part,
The crossing of the walls is a process and it’s more of understanding oneself than strength playing a major part Daisy crossed the first wall when she understood the meanings of her disregard for her names and acknowledged her fears and regrets. you can cross it even without being a warrior (as mentioned in the series before). That’s a misconception (that the king Ashernik too had, if you remember his meeting with Daisy when she looked into his eyes and asked if he’d crossed the first wall). Dian Cecht is a big example. He was talented, but he was no strong warrior. It was his mind and way of thinking that set him apart. Again tho, everyone has their interpretations, I’m just adding an explanation in case I failed to phrase the words right ಠ◡ಠ glad to have you back btw, vystas (≧▽≦)
This is too long an explanation, basically, “does that mean only the weak can become strong?” ≠ “Only the weak can cross the walls.”
Rather, it’s more, “only the weak can continue to grow to become stronger, they face more adversities which in turns hardens them over and over, their turning point is when they finally break after all the hardship, whether they decide to pick up their broken selves and continue to fight or not. That sets the stage for becoming truly strong, and the process of opening one’s ears (crossing the first wall) inevitably comes.”
I am glad to be back too, Ami! Also, got the problem. It was mistake on my part, for only looking for mind-body unity everywhere. Obsession with that setting is a bit too much.