Chapter 111: Eyes

“For now, I suppose I should go back.”

After Noah disappeared from sight, Emma turned and headed toward a certain room.

“I’m coming in, General Newsbeck.”

The room belonged to Newsbeck, who had temporarily returned to the royal capital from the western front.

“Ah. How did it go?”

Newsbeck looked up from the books spread before her and turned toward Emma.

Every book before her concerned Wa.

“…He looked dissatisfied. Noah apparently wants to remain in Wa for a long time.”

“Just as I said. If we hadn’t intervened, Noah would have stayed in Wa, and we wouldn’t have seen him for at least ten years.”

“…Why?”

Emma lowered her head and uttered the short question in response to Newsbeck’s certainty.

She couldn’t understand.

If Noah remained in Lunoa Kingdom, he would gain the position he deserved as a hero.

“I can largely guess what he’s thinking. First, he doesn’t want to cause a succession dispute. His family still has a bedridden heir. Noah is convinced that if he remains in the kingdom, there will eventually be conflict over the succession, and he wants to avoid it.”

“But then… he could simply marry into my family! Marrying into the royal family would be the best possible reward for Noah’s achievements!”

“…You no longer hide your feelings for Noah, even from me. When did that happen?”

“I truly wanted to behave this way when we were much younger.”

“That isn’t the only reason. Noah simply doesn’t want to remain on the front lines.”

“That can’t be true. He advances far too eagerly.”

“He’s self-punishing and far too kind. He’s looking to the battlefield as the place where he’ll be judged for killing people. He doesn’t want another soldier standing on a dangerous front in his place. Noah may appear to go willingly, but I doubt that’s true. He may be suffering more than anyone else on the battlefield. His kindness seems a little beyond common sense.”

“…No! Noah doesn’t need to worry about such things. We’re at war!”

“He truly is a troublesome boy. It’s all the worse because he has the ability to act on it.”

“…Still, is that not strange? I can’t imagine Noah doing something as irresponsible as fleeing the battlefield.”

“…He must have a reason he can accept.”

“What reason?”

“Well, never mind.”

“What!? Why become vague now?”

Newsbeck’s eyes saw people far too clearly.

Noah wished for his sister’s happiness. Whether he fled the battlefield alone or fled with her, either choice meant spending the rest of their lives hiding their true identities.

He wanted to avoid that. He sought a way to escape peacefully with his sister. Only when such a way appeared would his sister take priority over the many obligations that bound him.

Only then could he resolve to flee the war and accept that soldiers would die in his place.

(…Surely not.)

Was Shia truly only a sister in Noah’s heart?

Newsbeck’s eyes told her no.

“In any event, the lack of information about Wa is a problem. Selecting the person to send as permanent ambassador is proving difficult.”

“Stop changing the subject so blatantly!”

“But it’s important. Finding Noah’s replacement is urgent. If whoever succeeds him is careless and ruins the alliance, it’ll be no laughing matter.”

“That’s true, but… we could simply rely on Noah. He seems well informed about Wa. How long has he been preparing, and how far ahead did he plan? No one would ordinarily think to learn the language of Wa.”

“That’s the strange part. I traced Noah’s history myself, but there’s no record that he ever had contact with Wa. The country’s name never appears in his business records.”

“That can’t… It’s impossible, is it not?”

“When he learned the language is also a mystery. Perhaps his remarkable aptitude for languages allowed him to finish quickly, but however I look at it, his knowledge of Wa remains inexplicable.”

“But that doesn’t matter, does it? Doubting Noah isn’t an option. I have decided never to doubt him again.”

“Correcting his mistakes is also a form of love.”

“I’ll do that after he makes one.”

“I see. Then we’ll follow your approach this time. We’ll begin the search for his replacement by asking Noah. Staring at these books has produced nothing.”

“Yes. Let us do that.”