Chapter 11
When Finn returned to the terrace, Arnulf was sitting there with a languid expression, having finished his meal.
Should I clear the dishes? Or bring dessert?
“Finn.”
Finn, lost in thought, immediately lifted his head at the gentle way he was called.
“Yes?”
Seeing Finn’s ears perk up and him waiting attentively, Arnulf smiled faintly and continued.
“I’ve wanted to do something for a long time.”
“Something you want to do?”
Finn’s eyes widened. He had never heard Joseph express a desire to do anything before. Honestly, it was well known that Joseph wasn’t the type to pursue something with determination.
His life had always been lived like diluted water in alcohol—just passing time without much effort—and he had never needed to worry about making a living.
Perhaps that was why he occasionally got himself into troublesome situations.
Yet now, Joseph, the carefree master, was saying he wanted to do something. It was both surprising and remarkable.
“Yeah.”
“What is it that you want to do?”
Even when Finn left the academy, he had never heard Joseph say anything like that. Well, it wasn’t exactly expected for Joseph to speak like that to a mere servant. The only thing he had heard back then was Joseph’s refusal to return to the principality.
“First, I think I’ll return to the principality.”
“Wha—! What did you say?”
Finn’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“There’s really nothing for me to do here anyway.”
“Huh…”
He hadn’t misheard. His master was truly saying he would return home.
“Why, why? Joseph, you’ve said the principality is a backwater, boring, and full of eyes, so it would be bothersome, and that you’d spend your life in Hessen instead.”
Arnulf chuckled at Finn’s astonished words. The Principality of Pomosein, though small, was a well-established maritime country with a solid foundation. It had abundant resources, active trade, and wealth comparable to Hessen.
Its diplomacy was exceptional; even with three major neighboring powers, including Hessen, it skillfully balanced relationships without favoring any side.
‘Calling such a principality a backwater…’
It was clear that Joseph had hardly wanted to return. But Arnulf thought differently. He judged that the principality, with its stable support base, was better than staying in a kingdom that offered no real benefits.
‘Setting up a kendo dojo would cost a lot, too.’
He wasn’t sure how much money Joseph had, but it couldn’t compare to the grand duke’s resources. Surely, if his son decided to live responsibly from now on, the grand duke would fully support him. Based on what Arnulf had seen, the grand duke would probably go out of his way to help.
“I’ve been thinking lately, and I don’t really see a reason to stay here any longer.”
“I see… Then, what will you do once you return?”
Finn cautiously observed his master’s expression before asking. The principality’s succession had already been secured by the grand duke’s eldest son. The youngest, Joseph, had little chance to intervene, so he would either have to take on another role or serve under his elder brother, as his other siblings did.
But Joseph, who loved leisure and hated bothersome tasks, might never do such a thing.
Of course, he had changed somewhat since losing consciousness and his memory, but there was no guarantee when his memories might return.
‘Ugh…!’
Finn shuddered at the mere thought of what Joseph might do if his memories returned. The best solution was for Joseph to remain as he was now.
‘Even if I had to hit Joseph on the back of the head with a frying pan every day…!’
Finn, momentarily formulating a reckless plan, quickly composed himself and looked at Arnulf.
“I don’t think there’s much for you to do here or there anyway.”
Yet Finn’s honesty slipped out. Arnulf, initially baffled, then chuckled and responded.
“Well, I could open a kendo dojo with the skills I’ve honed, at least.”
His tone was light, but the words were serious.
“Eh?”
Finn pulled the word out, disbelieving. Arnulf shrugged nonchalantly.
“Think about opening a dojo here. Who would come? People would complain if they sent their children to a reckless delinquent and they got influenced, and it’d be lucky if no one showed up. But in the principality, having studied at the Hessen Royal Academy would be impressive. Or I could teach the children of a noble in a quiet province—it would work, too.”
That made sense. This time, Finn kept his thoughts to himself, silently murmuring as he tried to grasp the unbelievable idea of Joseph returning to the principality. Arnulf simply smiled quietly.
What he said wasn’t false—he truly considered opening a dojo and returning to the principality. But Arnulf had his own reasons. First, to distance himself from people who knew him well. Second, to move to a new foundation for a fresh life.
“That really is a good idea.”
Finn nodded with a gentle smile, looking at Arnulf with a curious gaze.
Arnulf left the mansion for the first time in a whole month. He had received word that the sword he had ordered from the armory was finished.
After getting off the hired carriage, he walked casually until he stopped in a narrow alley. It seemed to be the same place where he had run into the thugs last time.
Though the alley was still dark and dirty, there was no sign of thugs harassing the weak. That was fortunate.
But what concerned Arnulf more was the unexpected encounter with Zygmunt last time—Zygmunt had spoken in a probing manner, almost as if testing him.
“Perhaps he really wanted to check if I had truly lost my memory.”
Zygmunt had always been fiercely loyal to Arnulf. Even if Queen Louise overlooked Arnulf’s death, Zygmunt’s nature wouldn’t allow him to ignore it. So, each encounter might be a subtle test. Best to avoid him whenever possible.
‘Why here again…’
Arnulf’s calm expression masked a slight feeling of dismay. At the armory, he had received the sword from the old man and was inspecting it while talking casually.
He sensed someone entering. The old man, noticing first, greeted with a bright, cheerful voice quite different from how he had greeted Arnulf.
“Oh, Zygmunt! Welcome! It’s been a while.”
The old man’s hearty laugh clearly showed his fondness and familiarity with Zygmunt.
“Schmidt, how have you been?”
Arnulf recognized the voice behind him without turning. With the old man showing such genuine happiness and having mentioned the name Schmidt, it was impossible to mistake.
Arnulf set the sword down on the table and turned. Zygmunt’s gaze immediately fixed on him, his brow furrowing.
“You seem to be around quite often, Zygmunt.”
Arnulf greeted first, noting Zygmunt’s clearly displeased expression. Really, avoiding him seemed futile here. The capital wasn’t that small, yet such encounters were hard to avoid. This made Arnulf think even more that he wanted to return to the principality quickly.
“Why are you here?”
Zygmunt’s curt response made Arnulf give a weak smile. His gaze swept from Arnulf to Schmidt and then landed on the sword on the table.
The sword, drawn from its sheath, was familiar to Zygmunt—a pointed, sleek blade: the Kolischmard. Seeing it, Zygmunt’s eyes narrowed, sharp and alert. Arnulf immediately recognized that look.
‘Damn.’
It was unfortunate. Choosing the Kolischmard would immediately catch Zygmunt’s attention. What if he misunderstood? That Joseph, out of jealousy, had ordered the same sword for Arnulf? It was unlikely, but better not to risk suspicion.
“Are you here for repairs or to buy a new sword?”
Fortunately, Schmidt, unaware of the tension between Arnulf and Zygmunt, interjected at the right moment, diverting Zygmunt’s attention.
“I came to have the sword repaired.”
Zygmunt lifted his sword, still sheathed at his waist. Schmidt immediately inspected it, forgetting Arnulf’s presence.
“Oh my, the blade is badly damaged. The pommel is also ruined. Who did you entrust this to all these years?”
Schmidt examined the scratched and dented handle thoroughly, then looked up at Zygmunt.
“The blade will need to be replaced, and the hilt requires overall repair, so it’ll take some time.”
Zygmunt nodded in agreement. Yet he couldn’t help noticing the emblem near the front of the Kolischmard handle Arnulf had subtly taken with him. His eyes glinted sharply once more.
