Chapter 390 - Episode 382: I'll Be All Right
Tension, apology, and awkwardness. Helga, her expression a mixture of various emotions, seemed to hesitate for a moment before opening her mouth again as if she had made up her mind.
"I... I am truly sorry. For the rude attitude I took on the night we first met. And for all my other insolences. I am truly sorry... I was wrong, my thinking was wrong. I was foolish."
Saying so, Helga bowed her head deeply.
"Please raise your head, Your Highness."
Noein said to her, letting a small smile slip.
"The words you spoke to me on the night we first met were not wrong. I believe that your noble thoughts, the ideals you spoke of that day, are all correct. Correct to the utmost degree."
Perhaps Noein's words were unexpected, as Helga looked as if she had been caught off guard.
"A perfectly noble and proud logic, without a single gap—the world calls that idealism."
Hearing the following words, Helga gasped.
"Idealism is called idealism precisely because it cannot be realized realistically. In the real human world, there are various shackles, and that is why ideals cannot be fulfilled while remaining merely ideals. In order to move even one step closer to the ideal, one must face reality, and at times temporarily give up a part of that ideal, moving forward to make reality even a little bit better."
"Yes... now, I believe I understand well. At least more so than my former self."
Helga answered with an expression of shame.
"Yes. If I may be so bold, even from my perspective, you have grown greatly. On the day of the decisive battle, it was you who moved the hearts of the soldiers who had given up the fight and tried to flee. At that time, the one who faced the harsh reality, resisted that reality, and showed that reality could be moved in a better direction was undoubtedly you."
Noein spoke each word carefully.
"I believe that the current you can strive for the sake of your country and your people within a sometimes cruel reality... and that is why,"
When Noein cut his words there, Helga braced herself. Noein chuckled at her reaction and continued.
"That is why, please continue to hold onto your noble ideals. If you continue to move through reality without discarding your ideals, you will become a wonderful princess, and eventually a wonderful queen. To the point where I might have to learn from you. Please, from here on, for a long time to come, let us be good neighbors and good friends who can respect one another."
"...Yes!"
Helga nodded with a happy expression.
Noein nodded back to her, then turned toward Gabriel.
"Then, Your Majesty, until next year."
"Yes, next year I shall visit your country. I hope it will be a peaceful visit."
Exchanging a firm handshake with Gabriel at the end, Noein mounted his horse and departed the royal capital, Kurutaveski. Behind him followed a line of vassals and soldiers.
After proceeding along the highway for a while, once Kurutaveski had faded into the distance behind them, Noein exhaled atop his horse.
"Phew, I can finally go home... they really were formidable opponents."
"Indeed, while we had the advantage of numbers, Kaia and Cadne were not enemies that could be defeated easily."
Yuri, who was also riding a horse beside him, answered Noein's mutter. On the opposite side of Noein was Matilda, also mounted, staying close to Noein in silence.
Hearing Yuri's response, Noein laughed amusedly.
"Ahaha, it's true that Cadne and the others were tough, but there was one more formidable opponent. A formidable opponent in various senses."
"...Princess Helga Reuvelant, I presume?"
"Yes, that's the one."
As Noein laughed with increasing amusement, Yuri looked slightly exasperated.
"Indeed, that lady had, how should I put it... unique ideas."
"If she had eventually inherited the throne with those ideas and established diplomatic relations with us, it would have been a pain. I'm glad I was able to change her mind by exhausting all words. Though the flow of the war also worked in my favor."
At Noein's tone, Yuri raised a single eyebrow slightly.
"For a strategy considering future diplomatic relations, it seemed you were speaking to her quite sincerely?"
"You think so? The premise was strictly a political convenience—that I wanted her to develop favorable feelings toward the Archduchy of Arqvist, you know?"
Noein spoke in a slightly playful tone, then let a smile slip.
"Well, but... I don't particularly dislike people like her."
.....
Two weeks after leaving the Kingdom of Reuvelant. Having finished a march through the mountains that was not harsh but was tiring, Noein and his party arrived back at the Archduchy of Arqvist.
Since the vassals and soldiers were all exhausted, they were dismissed quickly, and Noein headed to the manor with Matilda. Being greeted by internal affairs attendants and servants as he entered the manor, he moved to the living room, flopped down onto the sofa, and let out a deep breath.
"Dear, welcome back."
"Thank you, Clara."
Noein returned the smile to Clara, who sat beside him and smiled gently.
"Father, are you very tired?"
"Ahaha, Eleos can tell, huh... That's right, I'm very tired. It's been a long time since I've been this exhausted."
Asked by Eleos, who had climbed onto his lap, Noein laughed and let his beloved son sit there. While doing so, he gently stroked the head of Philia, who was being held by Clara sitting to his left, with his left hand.
Matilda entered the living room carrying a tray with tea, lined up the cups including his own on the table, and sat to Noein's right.
"...I love you, Clara. I love you from the bottom of my heart."
"My..."
When Noein moved his hand from Philia's cheek to Clara's and spoke while stroking her cheek, Clara was slightly surprised by her husband's sudden action. When Noein brought his face close to Clara's cheek and kissed her, Clara blushed and smiled.
"What happened all of a sudden, dear?"
"I just felt like saying it... well, a lot happened in this battle. I'll tell you more slowly tonight."
Noein said this to Clara, and then kissed the forehead of Philia, who was reaching out not only to her mother but to him as well.
When he looked back, Eleos was looking up at Noein with a face that seemed to say "What about me?", so Noein laughed and, of course, kissed his forehead too.
While showing affection to his wife and children, he held hands with Matilda with his free right hand.
"...I am happy. I am very happy. It's thanks to all of you."
He had not become like Cadne. He had not become a person who was swallowed by hatred for society and sought to make the world submit through power. He had not walked the path toward a lonely end like his.
He had chosen a better path of revenge. He was able to choose a path of revenge that led to happiness. That is why this happy present exists. He has a wife, children, vassals, servants, and people. Beside him is Matilda, who continues to walk the path of happiness together.
I'll be all right. I can continue on this path until the very end. I can live through to the end in happiness.
By returning to his own country and being surrounded by his most beloved family, Noein was able to believe that from the bottom of his heart. He was finally able to feel relief from the bottom of his heart.
While taking a sip of the tea Matilda had brewed for him, Noein looked back on the days he had walked until now and thought of the path he would walk from here on.
This concludes Chapter 14. Thank you very much for reading this work for so long.
From the next part, I plan to write some side stories. They will be stories from the time before Noein began cultivation, when he was still living in the detached residence of the House of Count Kivileft. Please look forward to it...!