I leave the room to give Kurt some space.
After stepping outside and closing the door with a quiet click, I notice Herbert standing by the wall next to the door.
I close the door carefully, so Kurt doesn’t notice.
“Eavesdropping, old man? That’s unlike you.”
“Oh, it’s all for Lord Ainzich ’s safety, you see.”
I let out a small sigh.
Well, since he was doing it out of concern for me, I couldn’t bring myself to scold him too harshly.
Herbert shuffles around and swings a wine bottle that’s been hanging by his waist, letting it sway in front of me.
“Care for a drink?”
“…Sure, I’ll join you.”
We leave the barracks and, instead of joining the party, find a spot on top of the castle wall where we can watch everyone from above.
“Here we go,” Herbert mutters as he settles down, his movements unmistakably those of an old man. I can’t help but chuckle a little.
“I’m getting on in years, you know. I’d appreciate it if Lord Ainzich could show a bit more kindness to this worn-out body of mine.”
“If I get the chance,” I reply.
With the current shortage of knights, that opportunity probably wouldn’t come anytime soon.
Herbert pulls the cork from the wine bottle—bare-handed, no less—and pours the wine into two cups he’d somehow brought along. I take one.
“Where’d you get the wine?”
“Ah, from some foolish northern enemy. They seem to have mistaken this war for some kind of holiday.”
Ah, I see.
There shouldn’t be any wine in this fort’s stores, so he must have taken it from the enemy.
I take a sip of Herbert’s “trophy” wine.
It’s…ordinary, I guess? Personally, I’d prefer it colder, but for room temperature, it’s fine.
As I’m savoring the wine, Herbert starts talking.
“Lord Ainzich , how was your first battle?”
I set my cup down on the floor, cross my arms, and think.
I had joined battles under orders from my father before, but those were more like sightseeing tours. And there was that fight to mop up some remnants, but that wasn’t really on the scale of a true battle.
In a way, this was my first real war.
“Not quite how I expected… I guess that sums it up.”
To be honest, I was lucky.
If I hadn’t worked on the infrastructure, if we hadn’t had spies like Wolf, if we didn’t have Kurt, if my brother Lemaire hadn’t been here… I don’t know what might have happened.
The knights were stronger than expected, and numbers matter.
“Indeed… Many aspiring knights dream of battle, yet find it doesn’t go as smoothly as they imagined.”
Herbert looks up at the night sky, perhaps reminiscing.
“In a world where things rarely go as planned, I used to believe that strength and wisdom were what one needed to see their will through.”
He looks over at me thoughtfully.
“But meeting you, Lord Ainzich , has shown me that kindness can also be a strength. Still, if I may offer a word of caution…”
“What is it?” I ask, looking at him.
With a gentle, advising tone, he continues.
“Do use your kindness selectively. Kindness alone can make others underestimate you. Sometimes, a merciless stance that permits no leniency is just as important.”
“Using it selectively, huh…”
“Well, I’d like you to save a little kindness for this old man, at least.”
He changes the serious atmosphere in an instant. I guess that’s Herbert’s wisdom, built from years of experience.
“An esteemed mentor taught me that mercilessness is sometimes necessary, so I guess I’ll make sure you have plenty of work to do.”
“Oh? Did I say such a thing? My memory seems to be getting worse lately.”
It’s this playful side of Herbert that makes him so dear to me.
When I laugh, Herbert smiles along with me, looking pleased.
“Well, I’ll continue to look forward to great things from you, Lord Ainzich .”
“Yeah… Count on me. Keep supporting me from here on.”
“Of course, with pleasure.”
I raise my cup, and he lifts his as well.
Clink.
The sound of our cups meeting echoed pleasantly through the night.
