Chapter 16

Dietrich Ernst was a man who had served Hu Linke for a long time. He had watched how Hu Linke had ruthlessly used his people on the battlefield but was like sweet butter that melts only towards his daughter.

Rather than other useless qualities, Hu Linke survived the battlefield for a long time due to his relentless loyalty and had commanded his soldiers until his hair turned gray. He didn’t hesitate to appoint knights and was a man who knew how to deploy the soldiers in their right position.

But what about his daughter?

Dietrich looked at the woman in front of him who was the childhood friend he grew up with.

Reinhardt Delphina Linke – a name only given to those who were the most qualified person in the family. Hu Linke was another person in the Linke family with the name “Reinhardt,” so his daughter’s name should’ve been Delphina. However, Hu Linke had loved his daughter so much that he was willing to abandon his own name to give to his daughter.

So, how proud was Reinhardt when she wore the Crown Princess’ tiara on her head, the position for someone who was raised dearly with love? Dietrich can still remember her back view as she walked into the palace for her wedding.

However, despite her pride and dignified manners, she still wasn’t able to keep her composure in the end.

So Dietrich was skeptical when he heard that Reinhardt stabbed the Crown Prince because he knew she wasn’t the kind of person to do that.

But this was because Dietrich did not know that Reinhardt came back to life once again.

When he arrived at Luden State, he found that Reinhardt was still the same woman that he had known– because of Wilhelm.

Wilhelm.

He heard it was the name of the boy that saved Reinhardt’s life on her way to the Luden State.

Of course, Dietrich also did not know that the child’s name was actually Bill Corona and also did not know the accomplishments that Bill Corona had achieved in Reinhardt’s last life. To him, it seemed like Reinhardt was simply paying back her debt to the child that saved her life. But Reinhardt’s affection seemed too much. She cared, loved, and even hugged Wilhelm like he was her own younger brother.

‘If you looked at those young eyes properly for just once, you wouldn’t be able to do that.’

Wilhelm was a beast with black eyes and hair. From time to time, his eyes would gleam in a way that they wouldn’t have gleamed if he had been raised as a human child. Dietrich didn’t like Wilhelm – because of his eyes.

Dietrich was convinced that Wilhelm would become a great knight in the future. He could tell by just taking a glimpse at the boy.

Dietrich suspected that the boy would’ve grown much larger with shoulders that were even wider than his own, if had he grown properly. It was only bad luck and poor circumstances that stunted the boy’s growth.

Aside from his conviction that he would be a great knight, Dietrich just couldn’t like him. Whenever Wilhelm had a chance, he would look at Reinhardt. Though Reinhardt saw him as a little puppy, Wilhelm’s eyes said otherwise.

‘Those are the eyes of a greedy beast,’ Dietrich thought.

While serving as a knight for Hu Linke, Dietrich not only met greedy people, but also met people who were obsessed with women and used their lower legs anywhere, people who trained all day because they were obsessed with using their swords, and people who would kill anyone because they’re obsessed with money. But they all had something Wilhelm didn’t have.

Those greedy people had something more important than women, swords, and money – self-awareness.

If their lower body is in danger of being amputated, they will withdraw their body no matter how good the woman is, and this also applies to the man who is greedy for training. A man who kills for money wouldn’t do anything that will endanger their own life, no matter how much money they will be paid.

But Wilhelm was different.

Dietrich still remembers when he went on a reindeer hunt.

It wasn’t easy for Dietrich’s party to camp in a snowy field that fell deep until their thighs, looking for any traces of a deer. In the end, they managed to find a small cave and lit a fire. It was Wilhelm who poked his thighs as he sat down beside him, who was standing guard. Wilhelm then asked Dietrich.

[Does Halsey hate Alutica?]

He only thought that the story about the goddess of revenge, Halsey, and her brother Alutica, was very impressive. Dietrich scratched his chin in response.

[I don’t know. Since Halsey is Alutica’s older sister then she must’ve spared his life. She must’ve hated him because he kept on disturbing her.]

[Alutica likes Halsey.]

This child. Dietrich smirked.

[I guess so. Maybe that’s why Anilac was born?]

[Anilac…….]

Wilhelm, who had been muttering Anilac’s name, asked again after a while.

[What happened after Anilac was born?]

[Ah. Do you want to know what happened next?]

Dietrich readily continued.

[Halsey was very busy because she is the goddess of revenge. You know, the number of people praying for revenge was endless. However, for the young Anilac, Halsey would take care of him for a hundred days, then leave the child with Alutica. It would take her another hundred days to journey to Alutica’s castle, and then Halsey would leave again.]

[… … Because she hates Alutica?]

[That’s right, but Halsey dearly loved Anilac who came out of her own stomach, so every year, she will go to Alutica’s castle to see Anilac and stay there for a hundred days. Of course, while she was there, she wouldn’t even look at Alutica. Halsey didn’t really like men. And the reason why she became the goddess of revenge was because she was once betrayed by a human man.]

Then her second son was born, Kallon of Summer.

It was said that the reason why summer was so terribly hot with constant rain was because of Halsey’s hot tears as she once again fell in love with Alutica and conceived a child with him. In the end, Halsey gave her heart to Alutica. She gave birth to her third daughter named Gallaktia of Autumn. Gallaktia became Alutica’s most beloved daughter and became the goddess who embraced her father’s abundance.

But isn’t this story too provocative to tell to this little guy? Dietrich thought as he lit the fire.

It was a tale that they often hear as a child, but actually, there was no resemblance to any real-life occurrences as you got older.

[… … Alutica…… ] Wilhelm murmured.

[Hmm?]

[In the end, Alutica has Halsey anyway. Isn’t that what matters?]

At that, Dietrich frowned.

[What’s good about that? The girl you like looks at you like you’re some sort of an insect.]

[…… It doesn’t matter.]

What doesn’t matter? You’re talking as if you’re Alutica – Dietrich was about to say before he stopped laughing.

It was because although the eyes of the boy who said ‘It doesn’t matter’ were looking at the fire, and Dietrich certainly knew that he was thinking of someone else – Reinhardt.

It was his master who was once the Crown Princess.

The boy trembled when he saw the ferocious deer, but the look on his eyes changed when Dietrich held the axe and declared, ‘I will give this deer to the Viscountess.’

As the reindeer was wriggling and rolling on its front paws, Wilhelm had cut its neck off with the axe. He had an incredible amount of power and strength.

Wilhelm would grow up to be different from those who have given up greed for their own comfort. While the child looked fine and serious on the outside, on the inside he was blinded by his own greed and would lose his sense of reasoning.

He acted like a gentle sheep whenever Reinhardt held him in her arms and teased him, but his eyes would suddenly overflow with greed.

When Dietrich pulled him out of her arms, his eyes were full of poison. If the way that Wilhelm looks at Reinhardt could be described with desire, then the way that Wilhelm looks at Dietrich could be described with jealousy.

Dietrich was thus able to handle Wilhelm with great ease. Wilhelm used to get up with tears in his eyes with just a few words from Dietrich compared to Reinhardt. The reason he broke five wooden swords was because Wilhelm couldn’t defeat Dietrich. After getting out of a battle against Dietrich, Wilhelm would continuously swing his sword without sleeping.

It was amazing.

After training like that, it was natural for his skills to improve and his body to grow.

‘It will probably natural for him to grow as a great knight, just as natural as one plus one equals to two.’

It was sometimes alarming to see Wilhelm growing up like a beast just to beat Dietrich. Those were the things that Reinhardt, who only saw him as a cute boy and was busy with the affairs of the state, cannot fully understand. It was only Dietrich who noticed as he was constantly watching Wilhelm from the side.

Thus, Dietrich felt that Wilhelm should be gradually separated from Reinhardt.

A newborn duckling can’t blindly grow up just by watching his mother duck. Only when you separate the pair would the duckling be able to grow and learn to desire other things.

‘Isn’t he being blinded just because no one had ever saved his life before and hadn’t received any love?’

‘Perhaps it would be better if I just separate him from Reinhardt.’

The conscription order arrived just as he was thinking of that, and Dietrich believed it would be a good opportunity. Of course, it would be a very unfortunate loss for the Luden State.

“I will take him to Nathantine. The guards take only fifteen people. If you tell them you’re going to rent a driver and ask for a compromise on the number of people hired, they’ll probably accept it,” Dietrich said confidently, thinking that he could somehow do both at the same time with this conscription.

Reinhardt was too soft to use people, while Wilhelm was only looking at her.

Reinhardt’s forehead frowned.

‘Yeah, it must be difficult for her to accept the fact that the child she loved so much is going to be sent to war in the first place.’

But Dietrich has a vague idea of Reinhardt’s ultimate dream – revenge on Mikhail.

Reinhardt was pushed out of her position in the capital and was sent to this remote mountain in the northeast. She must set aside her soft feelings, such as affection, in order for her to approach Mikhail Allanquez in the capital and take her revenge.

However, what came out of Reinhardt’s mouth the next moment was far beyond Dietrich’s expectations.

“It’s just not enough. How much is the rent for one driver?”

“…… What?”

“If Wilhelm really does the job of a knight, as you said, he can never be satisfied with a compromise. It’s better. I think I can at least get the Leilan Marsh,” Reinhardt said with strength in her eyes.

Ha. A laugh escaped Dietrich’s lips.

It was obvious why she had that name Reinhardt. Her coolness was just like Hu Linke’s, and even her calculations were correct. Reinhardt had it all.