After working part-time at the Silver Kiln Pavilion, Kouga went out to the city at night. Never to play at night. The place to visit is the Cranhouse.
"I totally misjudged you."
The clanhouse, lit by street lights, had a similar look to the new building thanks to the remodel. The repairs inside have already been done, and all we have to do is put the furniture and the conditioning. It would also be a little more impatient to be able to use this clan house as a base.
Noel and I have been company and the sun is still shallow, but a lot has happened. Watching the clan house remembering its trajectory brings something hot up in my chest.
"... yeah? What?"
Unexpectedly, there are zero lights coming out of the cranhouse window. I thought the workers were here, but time is already late at night. I don't think I'll be working from this hour on. or so, it is also unnatural for thieves to sneak into a building with nothing. Per the vagabond who sought accommodation?
"Squirrel......"
Kouga went inside the cranhouse to find out who the intruder was. Be careful not to make footsteps and walk in a dark building. Even without a light source, Kouga's sharpened sensations accurately identified the position of the walls and stairs, allowing him to reach the desired room without difficulty.
Not only is there light leaking from the gap in the door, but there are also signs of people. There's definitely someone out there. Kouga never opens the door with momentum.
And he found out who the intruder was in the room and blinked his eyes.
"Leon, what are you going to do?
Make it the same clan member, and Leon, the submaster, is looking at Kouga with a surprised face. He was in ruffled personal clothes and had a bottle of wine in his hand.
"Kouga, what's wrong with you?
"Huh? Yes, no, the eagle just happened to see the light when it hit the street, and I was just worried that even the floaters had arrived."
The truth is, I'm looking forward to completing the cranhouse, and I come to visit as long as I have free time every day, but I can't tell you that even if I'm ashamed of myself and my mouth is torn.
Kouga coughed and misled the upset inside.
"So, what's Leon gonna do? Are you lonely and alone in a room with nothing?
"Ha, no way."
Leon laughed like trouble and left his back on the wall.
"I'm sorry to bother you. I'll stay a little longer, so you can go home."
"Oh, oh, okay"
Leon's words mean I want you to be alone. There are times when everyone wants to drink alone. Kouga tried to leave with her heels back, but stopped her legs.
"... after all, are you tired?
Look back and gaze. Leon laughed and shook his head.
"It's not like that."
"Well, you didn't convince me of everything, did you?
Leon was originally the leader of a party called the Heavenly Wings Knights. That would be dissolved by Noel's plot, and now he's a sub-master of Stormwing Snakes (Wild Tempest).
Given the circumstances, there is no doubt that Noel was the culprit, but it was the matter of the individual members who eventually dissolved him. Leon knew about it, too, so he got into his current position, troubled.
But there must be many regrets and grievances that cannot be separated by reason, just because the circumstances are circumstances. Kouga has always been anxious for Leon's heart to explode, even after Leon officially became one of them.
"If it's really hard, there's a way to be patient. Yeah. As you can see, Explorer's work isn't sweet enough to keep you lost."
"... thanks. But I'm really fine."
"Potatoes -"
Leon raises one hand to stop Kouga's words.
"Noel said it. You said you could stay put."
"Is that what Noel said?
Leon nods at Kouga tilting his neck.
"Organizations grow only when they are diverse. So they also told me I needed people like me.... Simple as I am, but those words made me feel better. I thought we could continue to fight together if we even had the same aspirations, even among those with different ideas."
Leon smiles calmly and looks out the window.
"... If I had a vessel like Noel's, I guess I wouldn't have made everyone sad. That's just a little regrettable."
"Leon......"
Kouga couldn't find a word to hang. The world of talent is cruel. No matter how good he is, only the result is everything. It's an instant when you lose what you've piled up.
Leon is overwhelmingly superior to Noel if you look only at his combat abilities, but if you look only at the results, it was Noel who overwhelmed him as an Explorer (Explorer).
As Leon says, the vessels are as different in size. It's ridiculous to compare. But it's never Leon inferior. Noel is deviating.
Fu, Kouga felt goosebumps. It's no stranger to resent Noel, but Leon is beginning to forgive his heart for the size of that vessel. Obviously, this is something no man can do. I listened to Leon and felt I could recognise Noel's awesomeness.
Indeed, Noel lacks direct combat capability. But the more you make up for it, the more talented the Seeker is, and the more you stand above people. Again, there was no madness in Kouga's eyes for choosing Noel.
"... this is why I'm here"
From his nostalgia, Leon took out a single letter that remained sealed.
"What is that letter?
"Kym, this is a letter from a previous associate."
Of the members of the disbanded Heavenly Wings Knights, only Leon entered the Stormwing Snake (Wild Tempest). Vrakav said he had entered another party, but Kym and Ophelia had left the Empire City. Given its heart, it would be more natural to leave.
"... you're not gonna read it?
"Honestly, I'm afraid to read. Somehow, when I came to the Cranhouse, I thought I'd have the courage to read, but sadly, I still can't decide what to do."
Leon pours a bottle of wine and exhales.
"You can't even use the help of booze... Ha..."
Leon with a dry laugh. Kouga felt pity for Leon.
"Then will the eagle read it?
"Huh? You?
Seeing a decent Leon, Kouga hastily adds words.
"Yes, no, I'm not worried about the content of the letter or anything. I was just wondering if Leon would be able to stop if he was just going to read it. Of course, I'm not saying I can't, but you must be holding it all by yourself, right?
Leon worried for a while, then nodded.
"... right. Kouga, will you read it?
I received the letter and Kouga nods as well. The letter, which opened the seal and slowly began to read, first contained Kym's sincere apology and profound remorse.
The cause of the dissolution of the Heavenly Wings Knights is all on me. Ignoring Leon's intentions with selfish emotions, he cursed and stabbed the belly with a traitor on the contrary. There's no reason why you were weak. I've done irrevocable things. I'm so sorry.
"... no. I'm the one who caught up to that... Kym is not bad......"
Leon holding his head down and soaking his nose. Kouga interrupts reading. After a little while, Leon urges ahead by looking up to see if his emotions have been sorted out.
What was written after the apology was Kym's recent state of affairs. He thinks as he travels about what he should do from now on when he hurts his dear companion.
It looks like Ophelia is with us, not alone. The two of us are touring the empire and trying to find what we didn't have enough for ourselves. Every day we meet and touch a variety of people and realize how elusive we are. In order to further spread the word, all other countries intend to see it.
"Well... with Ophelia..."
Leon smiled as relieved.
"Good...... I'm so glad you're both well..."
To Leon, happy to chew, Kouga tells him the last thing.
"Leon, Kym says this at the end"
One day I'll finish my journey and come back to Empire City. At that time, I want you to apologize again. Of course, I'm not asking you to forgive me. But if you'll forgive me, I'd like to have another drink at that tavern. Let's talk all night together. If I could hear your new adventure Tan, I wouldn't be happier than that. I sincerely pray that you will be a hero in history.
As Kouga raised her face from the letter, Leon was showing her back and shaking her shoulders. I'm sure I can't contain the tears that come in.
As he watched, Leon said in a voice that could plunder.
"... Kouga, can I be strong enough to be called a hero"
"I don't know what's ahead."
If you know what I mean, that's as far as Kouga knows, there's only one.
"Well, they chose Noel as Admiral, didn't they? He can do things we can't do. I don't think I want to be a hero like Leon, but I think it's the same thing that fell in love with his potential."
To Kouga's words, Leon looks back slowly. On the face where tear marks lingered, but the power of strong will dwelt.
"Exactly. It's at the end of Noel's path that we have what we want. Kouga, let's be strong together. To support him in his quest for hegemony."
I don't need to be told. Kouga grinned and nodded.
"Respond!"
†
†
On the day the Clanhouse of the Storm-Winged Snake (Wild Tempest) was finally completed, Kouga members were called by Noel to share their thoughts (link).
In the office, Noel, a clanmaster, sits with his feet together in a luxurious leather chair. That prestigious figure doesn't seem like a very sixteen-year-old new clanmaster.
Noel looked over at all the members and smiled invincibly.
"As you know, Modern Opinion will soon be used to throw a party to raise funds. But the real purpose of the party is different."
Noel revealed about the puppet master Hugo Coppelius. Apparently, he plans to use a high-profile party in the public to help him and add him to his peers who are being jailed for wrongdoing.
"The necessary preparations are already in place. If I use the party, my purpose will be achieved. But nothing happened and I don't expect it to fit round. So I'm going to share what's going to happen in the future, and what to do about it."
Noel talks about the future with a firm mouthful as if he had seen the future. The contents were also convincing to the Kougas. But when they heard about the operation Noel planned, the three of them had no choice but to be stunned.
"Noel, I knew it was crazy. It's insane."
"Whatever it takes, that's too much..."
"My stomach hurts..."
Alma, who seems to have fun while saying he's crazy, Kouga, who can't help it, Leon, who suffers from stomach pain because of sudden mental stress, and his reaction is threefold.
But...
"If you're gonna freak out and get off, now's the time, right?
In questioning Noel's readiness to try, the three respond in unison.
"" "" Who's going down!
Hearing the answer, Noel nodded contentedly.
"Admitted. Then let's have a storm. Don't be ashamed of the clan name of Stormwing Snake (Wild Tempest), have a big storm."