WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Oblivious
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◈ Prince of Rage ◈
Chapter 60
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‘Gold does not rot. Do you know what that means?’
With his hands behind his back, Father looked into the distance. His clothes were clean and neat, but the fabric and design were no different from a farmer’s.
‘It means that gold’s value does not change as time passes.’
Young Lucas answered.
‘Wrong.’
At his father’s words, Lucas tried to think of another answer, but nothing came to mind. His father turned away from the distance, looked at Lucas, and gave him the answer.
‘It means its value rises as time passes.’
‘I will remember that.’
‘Say one more thing.’
‘...Since its value rises, the more we stockpile...’
‘Wrong.’
This time, Father called it wrong without even hearing him out.
‘It is nothing but a yellow stone. Use it when you can. Use as much of it as possible. In the end, running a merchant company is not about how you make money. It is how you spend it that determines success or failure. None of my rivals understood that.’
‘I will remember that.’
Lucas seemed to store his father’s words in his mind like a machine, then answer like one.
Watching him, Father shook his head.
‘No. That is not what you should remember. What you should remember is that no matter how much of those yellow stones you spend, in the end, you will possess nothing. Prices fluctuate, and power changes without warning. Do you know why powerful people fall? Because they mistakenly believe they can possess everything. If we keep this principle, our merchant company will survive forever, even if war breaks out and kings change.’
‘...I will remember that.’
‘You must possess nothing. You will be unable to possess anything. Remember this. That is why I adopted you, Lucas.’
‘...’
Father turned again and looked into the distance.
Lucas did not understand. I can have everything, so why can’t I possess it? Is that not simply because you lack the ability, Father?
Young Lucas thought this without any emotion.
Every day had its own weather, but the air after rain during the turn to autumn was the cleanest and freshest of all.
If one could fully enjoy such a washed-clean day, perhaps one’s heart would become clean as well.
But Lucas could not focus on his inner thoughts now. Slowly guiding his horse behind the carriage, he stared at Valerie.
Valerie rode ahead of the carriage, so Lucas could usually see only his back. Whenever Valerie turned his head to inspect the surroundings, Lucas could barely catch his profile.
Though that gaze was not directed at him, Lucas could not escape it.
Why? His mind could not find an answer, but his heart pointed in one direction. He wanted it. He wanted those eyes that feared nothing in the world and seemed to look down on everything in it.
He wanted that composure, the kind that could trample enemies, cut them down, snatch an arrow out of the air, and still walk on as if nothing had happened.
“What are you staring at so hard?”
Ivy asked. Sitting in the cargo bed, she was spoon-feeding soft porridge to Priest Eirik.
Lucas did not answer at once, not realizing she was speaking to him. He quickly came to his senses and replied with a smile.
“I was keeping watch in case enemies appeared ahead again.”
“Liar.”
“What do you mean?”
“You were looking at Sir Valerie.”
Though Ivy was riding in the cargo bed, she knew exactly that Lucas had been watching Valerie ahead of the carriage.
“I was simply looking because he happened to catch my eye while I was watching the road.”
“You kept looking in the same direction.”
“...Am I not allowed to look? Are you interrogating me?”
“No. It is just that you have the eyes of a thief. If you are planning to steal anything, do not even dream of it.”
“Heh heh heh...”
Eirik let out an old man’s chuckle as he listened to them.
“Do not take it too badly. This child simply wishes to protect the party.”
Lucas gave a disbelieving snort.
“Priest, and little girl. You must not know much about the world after living in some remote mountain village, but I am the Deputy Head of the Lokir Merchant Company. With Father ill, I am the one who effectively runs the company. I can hire mercenaries and raise an army. If I wish, I can buy valuable lands and even titles. What would someone like me steal?”
“I know that, but...”
Ivy was about to argue, but Eirik took hold of her sleeve and shook his head. He meant that she should not say anything more unpleasant.
Respecting the priest’s wishes, Ivy said nothing else. Still, she glared at Lucas with her round, egg-like eyes as though warning him.
Lucas found the whole thing ridiculous and did not wish to deal with such people anymore. He urged his horse forward to the front of the carriage and spoke to Valerie.
“My thanks are late. Thanks to you, we overcame the crisis.”
Valerie glanced at him, then looked away again and answered without turning back.
“I see.”
“To introduce myself again, I am Lucas, Deputy Head of the Lokir Merchant Company. As Father is currently ill, I effectively run the company. The Lokir Merchant Company is the greatest merchant company in the north, and one of the five greatest in the entire kingdom. I would like to properly reward you. Is there anything you desire?”
Valerie turned to Lucas. He silently watched him for a moment before answering.
“Prepare bathwater when we arrive at the manor.”
“...Ha ha, you are modest. Is there nothing else you need?”
“What I want is something you cannot give me.”
“What could that be?”
“An answer to why I should live.”
“...”
Lucas was momentarily speechless. It was not an answer he had expected. Has this man studied philosophy? What is he talking about?
Though it was a misunderstanding, Lucas felt he now understood why a priest and an armed monk were traveling with Valerie.
“Ha ha ha... I have been rude. Your riding is excellent, and you handle a sword well, so I did not realize you were such a refined person. There is a northern-style sauna at the manor. I shall have a hot bath prepared as well. Only honored guests may use it, but I will personally give the order.”
“Thank you.”
“But do you truly have no interest in the Valkyries? A person of your skill must be rare indeed. You would likely pass the Trial of Valor without difficulty.”
“The Trial of Valor?”
“It seems you truly had no interest. You must pass the Trial of Valor yourself, or put forth a champion. There are jousting matches and swordsmanship matches. When the Valkyrie first arrived, there were many casualties for about a year, but enough people have been weeded out now that there are not so many participants. After the Trial of Valor comes the Trial of Wisdom. The Duke of Nearcaster personally asks about the principles of the world, and you answer. If you pass even that, you must bring the most valuable treasure in the world as a gift. Only then will you have a chance to meet a Valkyrie. I passed as far as the Trial of Wisdom.”
“...You are getting married? To a Valkyrie?”
“That is correct.”
“Why?”
“Fools are no different from moths drawn to the mere name of the Valkyries, while clever people weigh the practical gains and stay away. But I am neither.”
“...”
“The symbolism of the Valkyries, divine blood, and public attention. People do not realize that attention itself can become money. But I do. And I can make a great deal of money from it. I cannot give you an answer to why you should live, but I can tell you this secret.”
Valerie let out a contemptuous breath through his nose and turned away again. His eyes once more seemed to be looking down on Lucas.
Lucas wondered if he had done something wrong. He felt offended, yet at the same time, he wanted to draw Valerie’s attention again.
He did not seem to care for money, women, or honor. Then what in the world was he interested in? No, could someone like this really exist? Truly?
Watching Lucas from the driver’s seat, Yorick thought, What is wrong with this man? He really makes people uncomfortable.
“Then what do you want, Lucas?”
Unexpectedly, Valerie asked a question. He had agreed to stay at Lucas’s manor, after all, so he was not treating him entirely coldly.
“Well, I suppose I want something different from everyone else. Something only I can possess. Like the history of the royal family. Do not misunderstand. I do not wish to mock the king. I mean, you know the story. The history of House Volsung that everyone knows, its history of suffering. Grudges and revenge, especially the love story of the twin siblings. A sacred tale permitted only to the royal family, because they have divine blood.”
Lucas spoke as though recalling a distant memory, his eyes slightly dreamy. Then he turned to Valerie and flinched.
Valerie was glaring at him with killing intent.
For Valerie, matters concerning his family and bloodline were both trauma and a severe complex.
He had become much better thanks to House Winslow and his friends, but that did not mean the wounds had vanished.
Once, he had hated them madly. After drinking dragon’s blood, he had come to understand the deep pain and sorrow they carried.
Lucas’s words had scratched Valerie’s deepest wounds and provoked that complex.
To treat those desperate grudges and revenge, that pain and sorrow, as nothing more than an accessory made Valerie feel profound humiliation, along with the urge to kill.
Even if Lucas had said he wanted to kill the current king, Valerie would not have been this angry.
“I do not care whether you marry a Valkyrie or make a great deal of money. But do not cross the line. I will not say it twice.”
Valerie glared at Lucas as though he could kill him with his eyes alone. A film of tears covered his eyes, making them shine.
His gaze was already sharp, but when he deliberately stared as though he meant to kill, Lucas’s mind and body froze. He truly felt as though he were already dead.
Yet he also felt a strange thrill at having properly drawn Valerie’s attention.
Extreme fear and exhilaration, conflicting emotions, were precious stimuli that money could not buy. Especially for someone who lived on self-admiration.
Valerie sharply turned his head, as though telling Lucas not to speak to him again. Only then could Lucas breathe, drawing in several deep breaths.
“Hey, Deputy Head. Why not go back there? Stop bothering people.”
Knut, riding beside the carriage, spoke.
Lucas was not someone who normally followed another person’s orders, but his thoughts were a mess. Still shaken and afraid, he slowly fell back. When he reached the rear of the carriage again, the unpleasant old man and girl came into view.
Knut guided his horse toward Valerie.
“See? I told you. He really is an idiot.”
Valerie had been calming his anger alone, but Knut’s words made him snort with laughter. He no longer needed to struggle to suppress his anger. It scattered in an instant.
“I admit it.”
“You live long enough to see everything. I used to think having a lot of money made everything perfect. People really do need an education. Like me.”
Yorick spoke.
“I admit that too.”
“If he bothers us one more time, I will give him a bowlful of curses. Valerie, you can handle the aftermath.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Valerie turned to Yorick and smiled. It was not a smile granted to just anyone.
From behind the carriage, Lucas could not hear what they were saying. But seeing the scene from the rear made his insides twist once again. He did not know why.
The party left the village in the morning and arrived at the Lokir Merchant Company headquarters around evening.
To be honest, Valerie’s party was surprised.
It was not merely a manor. It was on the level of an entire territory. All manner of workshops stood around the manor, along with wide, fertile farmland.
All of it belonged to the Lokir Merchant Company. Its reputation was well deserved. However, it had all been built not by Lucas, but by his father, Lokir.
Valerie’s party headed for the manor. They had thought Lucas was simply an idiot, but from this point on, he showed some authority.
Farmers and workshop laborers who had just finished their day’s work bowed to Lucas even from afar.
Several people on horseback rushed out from the manor and hurriedly asked after Lucas.
“Are you all right? We learned of it too late. We heard you were attacked.”
None of Lucas’s attendants had survived, so the company headquarters could only have found out late.
“I am fine. Thanks to these travelers, I was not harmed in the slightest. They are honored guests, so prepare the sauna and hot bath, and treat them with special care. Quickly.”
The merchant company’s fighters were surprised, but relieved to see their Deputy Head unharmed. They hurriedly began preparing to receive Valerie’s party.
When they were nearly at the manor, a young lady who looked around fourteen or fifteen came running out in a dress.
“Brother!”
“Oh, dear.”
Lucas quickly dismounted, worried that his sister, who always made a fuss over everything, might hurt herself. Then they embraced as though they had not seen each other for ten years.
“Ah, I was so worried, Brother...”
“I am fine. I am all right.”
Lucilia buried her face in Lucas’s chest and wept for some time. Then, hearing the sound of nearby hooves and rolling wheels, she suddenly lifted her head.
And she saw him. A man illuminated by the red sunset.
A man? No. To Lucilia, Valerie looked like a beautiful being beyond human, regardless of gender, and she could think of nothing. It was only a brief moment, but the shock was enough to be etched into her forever.
Riding atop the pitch-black Snow, Valerie gave her one indifferent glance and simply passed by.
He could have greeted her, but he did not want to become involved with this family. More than anything, after so long, all he could think about was properly washing himself in the sauna and hot bath.
Lucilia stood blankly for a moment, following Valerie with her eyes as he passed.
“Thanks to those travelers, I am safe. They are my benefactors, so if you encounter them in the manor, behave politely.”
“...Pardon?”
“I said, behave politely.”
“How have I behaved improperly?”
“No... Never mind. Let us go inside first. I am tired after handling matters.”
His subordinates had done all the work of cutting up and hanging the corpses in the village. He had merely stood there at the proper time, but he had been attacked on the way, so it was true that he was mentally exhausted.
The brother and sister walked hand in hand. Yet neither noticed themselves, nor even each other’s clasped hands, as they both watched one man moving farther away.
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