Chapter 209 : Blood Is Thicker Than Water (2)
Chapter 209: Blood Is Thicker Than Water (2)
The shock within Karbenna was greater than in any other faction.
It was the organization where he had been the most active, and the number of people who rallied around him had grown considerably.
The confusion and sense of betrayal felt by the members of Class 3 of the second year, in particular, were beyond words.
“If I had known this would happen, I would've withdrawn from the Academy too.”
“…Seriously. He went through all that trouble convincing us, and then this?”
“You knew, didn't you, Francia?”
“No, I really didn't…”
“Liar. You're saying he didn't even tell his favorite disciple?”
“…There would've been no point in telling me.”
“…Well, I guess that's true.”
“You must be having a hard time too. The mentor you trusted and followed so faithfully… turned out to be someone carrying the blood of House Vladia.”
“……”
Leaving the voices behind her, Francia headed back toward the training grounds.
Yet with every step she took, her unease only intensified instead of fading.
Whenever she felt confused, she always regained her composure by swinging her sword.
But this time…
She didn't think it would be that easy.
At the entrance, Erik Hallenberg was leaning against the wall, waiting for her.
After exchanging a brief glance with him, Francia stepped inside.
“…I sparred with Instructor… at midnight.”
As if out of habit, she drew her sword and swung it a few times before letting it slip from her grasp, covering her eyes.
“I never imagined something like this would happen in less than ten hours…”
“…Francia.”
She knew exactly what kind of family House Vladia had been.
From commoners to nobles alike, their atrocities had always been passed down as cautionary tales.
Her father used to say they represented both one of the Empire's oldest sins and propaganda used to glorify the rulers who had supposedly eradicated such a monstrous criminal organization.
“They neglected those criminals until they grew out of control, and now they're using them to preserve their own positions. Pathetic.”
That had been her father's harsh assessment.
Even so, he had never once denied the atrocities committed by House Vladia.
But that…
and this…
were completely different matters.
No matter how infamous House Vladia had been…
equating them with Instructor…
made no sense.
Francia shook her head, picked up the sword she had dropped, and declared,
“I trust him.”
“He would never do something like that.”
Erik nodded in agreement.
“…That's true.”
Yet both of them knew better than anyone that it changed nothing.
Their voices remained devoid of confidence.
“…Is there any way we can help Instructor?”
After remaining silent for quite some time, Francia suddenly voiced a thought that had occurred to her.
“…What they're really aiming for is damaging Princess Edel's image, isn't it?”
“…Right?”
“If she embraces Instructor despite him carrying the blood of House Vladia, they'll argue that it proves she lacks the qualities expected of a ruler.”
“……Yeah.”
“The ideal solution would be proving that Instructor has nothing to do with House Vladia…”
“But we don't have the means to do that.”
However—
“We can create a story.”
“A dramatic story where Instructor overcame the blood of House Vladia and ultimately became a hero.”
Erik's eyes widened.
“Then Princess Edel won't become someone who was deceived by House Vladia.”
“She'll become a great ruler who even succeeded in reforming someone born from House Vladia.”
Gathering mana into her sword, Francia cleaved a wooden pillar clean in half with a single strike.
A determined smile spread across her face.
“Even the infamous House Vladia couldn't overcome Edel Ribenia's love for her people…”
“What greater ruler could there possibly be?”
.
.
.
Meanwhile, Michel Bernhardt was once again sitting across from Frederick inside the Chairman's office.
After Eugene had left, the remaining three had spent their time desperately trying to suppress the growing negativity throughout Karbenna.
During the faculty meeting, Michel had firmly declared,
“Until the facts are fully confirmed, discussion of this matter is prohibited.”
But there was no stopping the rumors.
By now, every student and staff member already knew.
Even the parents they had barely managed to send away earlier returned, issuing formal protests that their children could not possibly train alongside a survivor of House Vladia.
Before the situation escalated any further, Frederick severed every communication line belonging to the Academic Affairs Office except those connected to the Imperial Family.
Even then, the physical protests continued unabated, forcing some of the guards to repeatedly stop people from attempting to break through the barriers.
“……”
“……”
Even after facing one another, neither of them spoke for quite some time.
Then, almost simultaneously, they asked the exact same question.
“Chairwoman…”
“Do you trust Carter?”
“Director of Academic Affairs…”
“What do you think of Instructor Eugene?”
They both flinched.
After hesitating briefly, each gave their answer.
“I trust him.”
“Of course.”
“He already saved me once.”
Michel answered first.
“Maybe I would've thought differently in the past…”
“But now he's a student I'm proud of.”
“I can't let him be treated this way simply because he inherited the blood of House Vladia.”
Frederick expressed essentially the same opinion.
The moment they confirmed they stood on the same side, the awkward tension between them eased considerably.
Now…
They needed to make Karbenna's position perfectly clear.
A half-hearted response would be the worst possible choice.
Whether they chose to stand by him or distance themselves from him…
Their stance had to be unwavering.
Touching her lips thoughtfully, Michel spoke.
“I don't know how the rest of the faculty will react…”
“But I have absolutely no intention of abandoning Instructor Eugene.”
“I'm sure the Imperial Special Operations Force feels the same.”
“…Most likely.”
“No matter how tainted his blood may be, that doesn't erase everything he's accomplished.”
“For better or worse…”
“Eugene Carter has influenced both Karbenna and the Imperial Special Operations Force far too deeply.”
“And he did it all within such a short period.”
The countless reforms he had proposed while still a cadet greatly contributed to modernizing Karbenna.
The blood he had shed as a soldier of the Imperial Special Operations Force ultimately saved countless lives.
“The clearest proof is the title of youngest recipient of the Honorary Medal.”
“Neither Karbenna nor the Imperial Special Operations Force can afford to lose him.”
“He has already become part of our identity.”
Frederick largely agreed, so he offered no objection.
“Then…”
“How do you intend to persuade the nobles?”
“If things continue like this, the cadets won't be able to train properly.”
“I'm not going to persuade them.”
“What?”
“You're just going to leave things as they are?”
“No.”
“I'm going to make them withdraw on their own.”
“…How?”
Just as Michel was about to answer with a faint smile—
Bang! Bang! Bang—!
Violent knocking echoed from outside.
Before either of them could even tell the visitor to come in, the door was thrown open.
Francia Bride rushed inside, sprinted over to Michel, and shouted between heavy breaths.
“There is!”
“There's a way to save Instructor Eugene!”
By the time I reached my destination, it was already late in the evening.
Aindel.
One of the most remote towns in southern Parcel.
Originally, it had been a place where several minor noble families gathered together and supported one another.
That way of life had nearly disappeared about fifty years ago.
Now, fewer than two hundred people even lived there.
Even in this place, whose population was barely enough to qualify as a village…
House Carter was a complete outsider.
The entire family consisted of only thirteen members.
Fewer than seven actually lived here.
It was, in every sense of the word…
a dead family.
Arriving at the tiny estate, I cast an indifferent glance toward its devastated entrance before continuing forward.
Around the grounds stood nothing but broken wooden planks, piles of stones, and heaps of trash.
“……”
An overwhelming sense of familiarity washed over me.
It felt like I had seen this scene before.
I had seen it…
grown furious…
walked away…
and never looked back.
Only a vague memory remained.
Keeping that feeling in mind, I continued forward.
The mansion's front door was tightly shut.
Even so, it creaked so badly that it looked ready to collapse.
Afraid that pushing too hard would break it, I carefully eased it open.
The inside looked far better than the outside.
Even so, there was no hiding its shabby atmosphere.
The dust had been meticulously cleaned.
The carpet had faded less than expected.
The few decorations that remained had all been carefully polished.
But that was all.
An elderly man emerged from the side door behind the staircase.
The moment he saw me, he froze.
“…Young Master?”
The familiar, welcoming voice stirred my memories on its own.
The oldest servant of House Carter.
The family's veteran retainer who had served as head butler for thirty years.
Louis.
With graceful movements, he respectfully lowered his head before speaking.
“Has it really been fifteen years…”
“Since you last returned here?”
“…I believe so, Louis.”
As I gave a vague reply, his expression darkened even further.
“…So your memories still haven't fully returned.”
“……No.”
I briefly considered pretending otherwise.
But after coming all this way, bluffing would serve no purpose.
Least of all against this old man.
Seeing the determination in my eyes, he closed them briefly in sorrow before opening them again.
“Even so…”
“The reason you've returned must be because of the newspaper article published this morning.”
“……”
“Young Master…”
“Does the Carter name…”
“Does the blood of House Vladia…”
“really matter that much to you?”
“Must you uncover every truth…”
“even if it means digging up the horrific memories of that day?”
Looking into the old servant's tear-filled eyes, genuinely worried for me, I answered just as sincerely.
“I have to.”
“I have a reason.”
Even as I spoke…
I questioned myself once again.
Did I really?
If I truly was the child of someone the world despised…
Wouldn't it be enough simply to distance myself from them so they wouldn't suffer because of me?
I already knew.
There was a high probability that the article was true.
Then why…
Why insist on confirming it?
Why reopen wounds that were already painful enough?
What could I possibly gain from this?
“…Please, Louis.”
“Take me to him.”
Even though I still couldn't answer that question…
I continued throwing myself toward the pain.
Like a moth flying straight into the flames.
“…If that is truly your wish, Young Master…”
“Very well.”
“Please, follow me.”
Together, we climbed the stairs.
The second-floor hallway was even darker and more stagnant than the first.
With every step toward the only room whose light was still on, a foul stench assaulted my nose.
Stopping before the room at the end of the hallway, Louis gave me a slight bow before quickly heading back downstairs.
I clenched both fists tightly…
and stepped inside as though trampling the floor beneath me.
The carpet had turned yellow where dried vomit remained only half-cleaned.
Broken liquor bottles lay scattered haphazardly across the floor.
The bookshelf held no books.
Only bottles of alcohol.
Most of them were empty.
Instead of a table, there was an old leather sofa.
A massive man sprawled across it, crushing it beneath his weight.
“Urgh…”
After letting out a loud belch, he glared at me.
“So the son who never once came to see his father after he ended up like this…”
“comes running the moment things start going badly for himself?”
“You shameless bastard!”
Leslie Carter.
Eugene Carter's father.
After grumbling like that…
he hurled the bottle in his hand toward the wall beside me.
Crash—!
The bottle exploded into countless shards.
Some of the fragments grazed my cheek.
That sharp sound.
The stinging pain on my face.
My father's icy words, painfully familiar.
Those lifeless eyes filled with nothing but contempt.
For me…
they were the ultimate trigger.
“Ghk…!”
Pain incomparably worse than what I had experienced atop the Imperial Special Operations Force headquarters exploded through my head.
Hundreds…
Thousands…
of memories flooded back all at once.
The memories of that day—
the very memories my body had sealed away because it had judged that I would never be able to endure them.