Chapter 92: Everyone Makes Mistakes (4)

Reganon lifted his head, covering his eyes with his hand.

“Sir Gant, take the squad and leave. I can’t bear to show any more of my disgrace.”

“But, my lord...”

“If you trust me, then go.”

“...As you command.”

With a salute, Gant placed a hand over his heart, then led the squad out.

Reganon lowered his hand, revealing his dry, tearless eyes.

“

Sigh

, thank you for giving me a chance.”

Reganon, who was talking intensely mere moments ago, had now returned to his regular calm self. Keter clicked his tongue at how quickly he changed his demeanor.

“There was a snake masquerading as a man in Sefira.”

“Despite what you may think, there wasn’t a single lie in what I said earlier, especially not about my resolve to save Sefira. But of course, if you truly decided to kill me, I wouldn’t have gone down without a fight.”

Suddenly, Reganon began unbuttoning his shirt, exposing his chest. His body was thin, the outline of his bones was clearly visible. Keter’s expression darkened—not with disgust, but with the realization that he had been played.

On Reganon’s chest was a tattoo that was composed of runes.

“You’re smart. I can tell from the look in your eyes that you recognize this.”

“It’s a rune spell—a deadly one. If your heart stops, it detonates. You do know those things are permanent, right?”

“I do. But to face someone like you, I figured it was necessary. Thankfully, I didn’t have to use it.”

A chill ran down Keter’s spine, replacing his boredom with interest. The man he had dismissed as helpless had prepared a cunning trap all along.

“Even sitting in front of me like this... Pulling the knights back to a safe distance... Everything was intentional, wasn’t it?”

Keter’s tone shifted. If Reganon were merely a manipulator relying on evoking compassion to scrape through this encounter, there would be no need to respect him. But this was different. Reganon put his life on the line for this bluff, and even Keter had been momentarily fooled. That, in itself, demanded respect.

“You likely didn’t think much of me, someone who let the Flying Wolf Tribe slip away and foolishly exposed the connection to Bydent. It’s three losses in a row. To you, I must look like nothing more than a greedy loser who made all the wrong choices.”

“It wasn’t that you did nothing. You made it seem like you did nothing.”

Every move had been planned. It was a flawless trap—so perfect that even someone as sharp as Keter had not noticed. A blade unseen was far more threatening than one plainly displayed.

Keter revised his earlier judgment that Reganon was just a competent director. Now, he saw him in a new light: he wasn’t just a capable, cunning director, but a capable administrator hiding a deadly blade up his sleeve.

“It’s true that we didn’t do anything, or at least Sir Gant didn’t. I, however, have been busy studying you. Do you know where we are? This is the archives. Every event in Sefira’s history is recorded and stored here. If anyone in this world knows you best, it’s me.”

“Hah. So, tell me then: what kind of person am I?”

Instead of answering immediately, Reganon took a deep breath. The more he delved into Keter’s history, the more it felt like staring into an abyss.

On the surface, Keter’s actions appeared to harm Sefira. Yet, upon closer inspection, every one of them had ultimately benefited the family. So, logically, nothing made sense.

He knows Sefira is in trouble. He knows what it would look like, so he’s been helping us all along by pretending to be a disruptive force.

The realization sent chills through Reganon.

How could such a thing be possible?

Keter had spent his entire life in the Lawless City. How could he know about Sefira’s plight, let alone deceive the world to aid them?

This wasn’t a matter of mere intelligence. Keter was only eighteen. While he was legally an adult, it was extraordinary. It wasn’t just about strength or brilliance—there were countless prodigies in the Lilian Kingdom. But some things even prodigies couldn’t achieve. Some things only time could provide.

Wisdom.

Keter possessed a wisdom that no other young genius could possibly have.

It’s as impossible as seeing the sun and moon together in the same sky. Wisdom comes from experience, from learning through both failure and success. Even if Keter had faced hardships from a young age, they would have been limited to the Lawless City. Here, that experience should be a disadvantage, not an asset.

Reganon rubbed his forehead. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t make sense of Keter.

“...I don’t know. I don’t know what kind of person you are. I’m not even sure if you’re a person.”

“You’re calling me a monster?”

“I can’t help but feel I’ve uncovered too much about you.”

“And you’re saying that so casually, right to my face.”

“What could I possibly hide from someone like you, who effortlessly uncovered the secret deal with the Flying Wolf Tribe and Bydent?”

“Oh? That really sounded like sarcasm.”

“Whether you’re a monster or not doesn’t matter to me. If you can save Sefira, I’ll set aside my pride, endure any humiliation. If my death could save Sefira, I would’ve leapt off a cliff long ago.”

“For what purpose?”

“That’s because...”

For Sefira.

Reganon had repeated it to himself countless times and even said it aloud to Gant. But no, that wasn’t it. What Keter wanted to hear—and what Reganon held deep within his heart—was not for Sefira.

The reason he devoted himself so wholly to Sefira was...

“...For my daughter, Olive, who loved Sefira.”

A single tear welled up, filling the creases of his deep wrinkles before sliding down his cheek. Finally baring his true feelings, Reganon exhaled a long breath.

Keter laced his fingers together and chuckled.

“Living honestly—it’s not such a bad feeling, is it?”

“While I’m being honest, let me ask again: will you truly forgive me?”

To anyone else, it might have sounded absurd. What right did Keter have to pardon an elder of a noble family? But Reganon felt no shame in asking. Keter was a man deserving of such a question.

Slurp.

Downing the tea Gant had brought in a single gulp, Keter stood up.

“Forgiveness isn’t mine to grant; you should seek it from Father. What I’m offering is a chance—an opportunity to make amends.”

As Keter turned his back to leave, Reganon rose from his seat and said, “I’ve read through the records about you, then erased them all. I intend to keep doing so. I won’t speak of you to anyone, not even to Besil.”

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Keter responded with a round of applause.

* * *

“This is an urgent matter, my lord.”

“Let me guess, Sir Navakin. Keter has returned, and as soon as he did, he caused trouble. Am I right?” Besil asked.

“

Gasp!

How did you know?”

Besil had already heard about Keter's return from Butler Jacques, and over the past six months, every emergency seemed to be connected to Keter in some way. So, if there was an urgent matter, the odds of it involving Keter were overwhelmingly high.

“Tell me, what kind of trouble did he cause this time?”

Having developed trust in Keter, Besil didn’t even pause his paperwork. His heart was brimming with understanding, ready to overlook any misstep.

“Well... Lord Keter accused Lord Reganon of being a traitor in collusion with the Bydent family. Then Sir Gant, upon hearing this, immediately attacked Lord Keter. Just as it seemed a fight was about to break out, Lord Reganon appeared and took Keter with him to the archives.”

Snap!

The fountain pen in Besil’s hand broke clean in half as he mechanically signed documents.

“Perhaps I’ve been sitting too long. I must be hearing things. Sir Navakin, forgive me, but could you repeat that?”

“Lord Keter said Lord Reganon was a traitor colluding with the Bydent family...”

Navakin swallowed nervously as he repeated the words. Besil froze completely; he didn’t blink or even breathe.

“S-sir? Are you all right?”

“...

Ahem

, I’m fine. So, Keter is still in the archives?”

“Yes, we have stationed soldiers at the entrance to keep watch. We will notify you the moment he emerges, my lord.”

“Well done. You’re dismissed.”

The moment Navakin left, Besil shot up from his seat and rubbed his temples.

“Keter never got along with Elder Reganon, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why.”

Besil knew their first meeting had been orchestrated by Ultima, and he had heard there was some minor tension between them then. The only other encounter he recalled was just before Keter left for his mission in Hacose Village. According to Gant’s account, Reganon had offered words of encouragement, telling Keter not to make any mistakes on his first assignment. But Keter had reportedly brushed it off, responding curtly.

“Now that I think about it, something strange did happen. Sir Gant’s attitude toward Keter changed drastically after that mission.”

Even Gasilius, the commander of the Order of the Galaxy, had recorded the incident in detail, and Besil vaguely remembered reading it. Gant had tried to forcibly detain Keter upon his return, not out of goodwill, but with a clear sense of hostility.

“Keter had captured Bydent knights who illegally infiltrated our territory, so why would Gant show hostility toward him?”

At the time, Besil had brushed it off, thinking Gant might simply dislike Keter for personal reasons. But piecing everything together now, Gant’s behavior made no sense. Disliking Keter for being an illegitimate child from the Lawless City was one thing, but outright hostility was uncalled for.

“The same goes for Elder Reganon. He’s not someone to be swayed by personal feelings.”

Could it be...?

The thought struck Besil like lightning.

Could Elder Reganon truly have betrayed us?

Besil felt a wave of disbelief wash over him. If that were true, Sefira was a mess. The elders, who were supposed to assist the patriarch in leading the household, were harboring ulterior motives. Elder Ricotta had vanished without a word, Elder Panir had secretly negotiated with other nobles behind Besil’s back, and now, Elder Reganon was allegedly in contact with Bydent, Sefira’s sworn enemy.

Now I understand why the chief butler has been trying to strip the elders of their power in my place.

Besil was ashamed of his past self, who had thought maintaining a semblance of peace was enough.

“Reganon’s betrayal isn’t confirmed yet,” he murmured aloud.

But in his heart, he thought otherwise. After all, it was Keter who had said it.

“Keter wouldn’t call Elder Reganon a traitor without evidence...

Ah

!”

Besil suddenly remembered a conversation he had with Keter.

“Now tell me, why were Bydent knights in Hacose Village, and why did you fight them?”

“It’s not much different from what Luke told you. But it’s true there are parts I can’t share.”

“Even with me, your father and the patriarch?”

“I have a prior agreement... with Elder Reganon.”

Besil sank into the sofa.

“Keter has been suspicious of Elder Reganon all along. No, perhaps it started from their very first meeting.”

Why it had come to this, Besil couldn’t even begin to guess. Without hearing directly from those involved, it would remain an unsolvable mystery.

“Keter, what exactly have you seen, and how far ahead are you looking?”

Worry crept into his heart, and doubts began to surface. He wanted to summon Keter and demand he spill everything. But that would be foolish. He shouldn’t reprimand him but praise him instead. He should commend him for his efforts, thank him for his dedication, and assure him of his trust.

Even if Keter’s actions were a calculated pretense, one thing remained true: he was working for the good of Sefira.

“You asked me to trust you in any situation. I said I would. So I will believe in you until the very end, my son.”

Still, Besil resolved to quietly suggest to Keter, when they next met, that perhaps he could give his father a small heads-up.

Just as Besil was about to return to his desk and resume his work, he heard hurried footsteps echoing down the hall. Moments later, the door flew open. It was Navakin.

“My lord, it’s an urgent matter!”

“You always seem to bring me urgent matters.”

“Lord Keter has left the archives.”

“That hardly qualifies as urgent.”

“Elder Reganon also left shortly after and is heading here to meet you.”

Besil, who had just sat back down, rose to his feet and straightened his attire.

“That is indeed an urgent matter. Elder Reganon and Keter are coming together, you say?”

“No, sir. Only Elder Reganon and Sir Gant are on their way.”

A meeting with Elder Reganon, who had avoided him for decades. Besil hadn’t expected it to happen like this, but he wasn’t about to avoid it.

“Where did Keter go?”

“Well... Lord Keter didn’t say where he was going. Oh, but he did ask me a question.”

“What question?”

“He asked who was participating in the Sword of the South Tournament. I knew, so I told him.”

Four participants were set to compete in the Sword of the South Tournament: Anis, the second eldest of Sefira; Taragon, the fourth eldest of Sefira; Brooks, the lieutenant commander of the Sacred Order of Sefira; and Darkin, captain of the second division of the Order of the Galaxy.

Each of them was going about their day when a butler approached them.

“This is a message from Lord Keter,” the butler announced.

Their reactions varied at the news. Anis thought their duel was finally beginning. Taragon felt tense, not knowing what to expect. Brooks and Darkin, who had no notable connection to Keter, were puzzled.

Once they were ready to hear it, the butler delivered Keter’s message: “Lord Keter said, ‘Assemble at the Second Training Ground. Be the first two to arrive.’”