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Chapter 261: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (54)

"That\'s how fate is."

The way her pointed hat was pressed down seemed pitiful.

Her blue eyes briefly spared,dissatisfaction flickering within them...

"One cannot defy fate... I too once wandered across the continent in search of freedom. Those were the years I lived, hating my family."

"...I\'ve already heard that."

Though his voice was gruff, the middle-aged man did not seem inclined to scold the girl.

After all, he had been watching over her since her childhood.

He was well aware of her impudence.

He was her uncle, after all.

His name was Reynold Rinella.

He was the uncle of Elsie Rinella, the girl sitting across from him, and one of the Archmages the Rinella family prided themselves on.

"Then you should have realised it sooner."

Reynold’s voice was flat.

From the start, he was never one to raise his voice and scold anyone.

Instead , he just quietly questioned and argued in that calm and cold voice.

That was why Elsie was especially afraid of him.

He was not only a powerful mage who had reached the rank of Archmage, but was also one of the few family members who, despite her successive mishaps, tirelessly scolded her.

Elsie had more than enough reason to dread him.

No matter how strong she pretended to be, she couldn’t hide her true nature.

Elsie hated and feared those stronger than her.

She was scared that they might suddenly turn on her, abuse or torment her.

In truth, her inherent violence stemmed from this perpetual fear.

She was so scared of the violence inflicted on her as a child that she tried to become the fear itself.

Against Reynold, of course, such behaviour was ineffective.

He neither had a reason to fear her nor was as kind to her as Ian.

Thus, Elsie despised him..

‘Crazy old fart’, she muttered under her breath, biting her lip.

Of course, she kept it to herself, not having the courage to say it out loud.

"There is no reason for our family to yield. After all, I came to the Percus territory to take you back... and yet, you want to lead the valuable Mage Corps to protect someone else\'s territory?"

"B-But...!"

Seeing Elsie still unconvinced, Reynold let out an uncharacteristic deep sigh.

"...Elsie."

Under his contemptuous gaze, her spirit withered.

Her head drooped once more.

"You are a Rinella, not a Percus."

Once, it was a title she felt immensely proud of.

"Rinella" was almost synonymous with her identity.

She had survived the dog fighting arena and becamethe best fighting dog, carrying the family’s name like a treasured sword.

It didn\'t make sense to say Elsie didn\'t love the Rinella family.

But deep down, she knew the truth.

She didn\'t love "Rinella."

She merely wanted to borrow the power they possessed.

It was out of fear that someone might torment her.

Being such a coward, Elsie always sought something to rely on.

One day it was her family, on another it was Ian.

So now, whom should she choose?

In her heart, she wanted to choose Ian, whom she loved deeply.

She didn\'t care about her family\'s circumstances.

Elsie wanted to help Ian, even if it meant being unreasonable, and she was willing to mobilise as much of the family\'s power as needed if she could.

But the wall of reality was high and thick.

"Elsie, remember this...Rinella’s destiny is her own."

\'Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own’

It was something she had heard repeatedly, to the point of being tiresome.

If those words had a physical form, Elsie would have torn it to shreds long ago. That was how much she despised the Family Motto.

"If you are a Rinella, you must follow Rinella\'s decisions."

In other words, she was being told to support the decision of abandoning the Percus territory.

The territory so dearly cherished and loved by Ian.

Overwhelmed, Elsie lifted her head. Her feelings conveyed in her blazing eyes.

But the next moment, she locked eyes with Reynold.

His gaze was cold and chilling.

In the pupils that showed no sign of even a slight tremor, there was a resolute determination.

They were the eyes of the strong.

Elsie soon lowered her head and replied meekly..

"...Yes."

Of course, her tone still betrayed her dissatisfaction.

Reynold was not oblivious to her feelings.

He stared at Elsie for a while, then slightly averted his gaze and murmured.

"...Still, Sir Ian seems to be a good match for you."

"Yes, I underst... wh-what?!"

In Elsie\'s eyes, who had been dejectly nodding ,light returned.

She had been half zoning out, expecting another long, tedious lecture.

But then, good news came out of nowhere, and she couldn’t help but be shocked.

That fastidious Reynold actually acknowledged someone?

Elsie felt a renewed sense of affection and respect for her master.

Seeing her dramatic reaction, Reynold couldn\'t help but chuckle.

By then, Elsie had already stood up, leaning on the table.

Though Reynold rarely showed his emotions, it seemed even he couldn\'t resist the ties of family.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Elsie conveyed a sense of endearment.

"Why are you so surprised? Sir Ian\'s swordsmanship is truly remarkable."

With that, Reynold\'s gaze shifted to the loot piled up in the corner of the room.

Among them was a broken armour, lying in pieces.

It was the armour worn by the test subject that Ian destroyed with his Illusory Sword of the Golden Lion.

"To slice so cleanly through steel armour..."

His exclamation was a mix of awe and lamentation.

Seeing this, Elsie awkwardly lowered her eyes.

She was happy that her master was recognized, but it felt a bit like a lie.

After all, the one who had actually shattered that armour was his future self..

Regardless, Reynold just shook his head and continued.

"He possesses the skill, and it\'s about time we found him a suitable match. I\'ll speak to my elder brother about it."

"...En-engagement?!"

"Yes."

Elsie secretly rejoiced inwardly.

Several women flitted through her mind.

That lecherous milkbag, she\'ll wail when she hears this, won’t she? Serves her right.

And I should also listen to that bitch Delphine too. She wouldn\'t have expected an engagement to be arranged while she was away, would she? Always calling him Master, what a load of nonsense...

As various people crossed her mind, one stood out.

Ian Percus.

In reality, his opinion was the most important.

Thus, her next question was inevitable.

"Th-Then has Master— I-I mean! Has Ian agreed to this?"

Reynold fell silent for a moment.

He hesitated, swallowing as he pondered, before uttering a single sentence.

"...In engagements between families, the wishes of the individuals involved are not important."

His stern voice always carried the truth.

And indeed, it was true.

If Count Rinella proposed an engagement, Viscount Percus would have little choice but to accept.

It was a union that offered nothing but advantages in terms of both practicality and legitimacy. If Viscount Percus was a true noble, the likelihood of him refusing was almost nonexistent.

But somehow, Elsie felt the words weighing heavily on her.

\'Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own.\'

It felt as if she was binding Ian\'s life to her own twisted fate.

The little fighter dog, previously so excited, now had her ears drooped.

***The wind of dawn was fierce and cold.

Despite how early it was, the weather was incomprehensible.

It was summer, and so the air should have been hot and humid, suffocatingly so.

Yet, the Percus territory had been struck by an unreasonable cold wave.

Regarding this, Yuren commented,

"It’s the climate of the Demon Realm."

Yuren\'s voice was extremely curt.

This was due to me having forced him to stay behind at the manor during the last battle.

To be honest, I hadn’t felt secure with just Dame Irene alone. That’s why I had asked Yuren, who was seasoned in bodyguard duties, to take care of Ria as well.

Of course, there was no way a battle maniac like him would be pleased with that.

This was the reason behind his coldness towards me lately.

"They say that in the demon realm ruled by Delphirem, there’s an eternal winter.. That’s why whenever the underling of the Evil God descends, a blizzard follows."

Despite his grumbling, he was a considerate friend who kindly explained what he knew.

Feeling I should respond somehow, I pondered for a moment.

The words I uttered after much deliberation were quite simple.

"...We must hurry."

Indeed, that was the case.

A grim atmosphere shrouded the Percus territory, like a city on the brink of destruction.

Everyone was busy packing their belongings, but it was uncertain how many would actually be able to leave this place.

There were even people determined to stay here and die.

Despite being the hometown where I was born and raised, it was a sight that felt unfamiliar.

I let out a bitter chuckle and took a swig of my drink.

I was someone who had nothing to prepare.

Even if I started drinking like a loafer early in the morning, there was no one to bother me.

Well, maybe there was one person.

"Master!"

It was the lively voice of a young boy.

I glanced over and, as expected, saw a familiar figure approaching me.

A young boy who still had some growing to do.

He used to attend to me until recently, and I often taught him swordsmanship during that time.

With a sigh, I called the boy\'s name.

"...Ned, you should start packing too!"

"Eh, it’s fine. I only need to take care of my little sister anyway."

Of course, I wasn\'t going to let it slide that easily.

I scolded him again.

"Even so, there are lots of things to pack..."

"Ah, alright! I\'ll just deliver the Lord\'s message and then go right away."

I looked at Ned skeptically.

There had been more than a few times when he just dawdled and chatted with me instead.

So, I spoke in a somewhat stern voice.

"You know, right? A great knight..."

"Never lies! I know, but more importantly, there\'s something I need to tell you... Oh."

Ned’s words trailed off.

He was staring wide-eyed at something.

Because I felt like I knew the reason, I hesitantly got up and looked at someone.

Black hair and golden eyes.

Few people in the Percus Manor had such features, but this was the most prominent person amongst them.

I silently bowed my head.

"You\'re here, Father."

"Ian..."

Seeing me quietly avoiding his gaze, my father let out a deep sigh.

"...We need to talk."

There were still unresolved matters I needed to address.

This was the day before the underling of the Evil God descended.