Chapter 42 Part 6 – Reinforcements. When the souls of the living and the dead intersect. Farewell …… and ……

…. What is this ….? Why are the memories of the three old men suddenly ….?」
Father rubbed his cheeks in confusion.
Tears were indeed streaming down from his eyes.

Not only the memories of my father, but also the feelings of the three warriors who trained the fledgling imperial guards as demons gently illuminated everyone’s hearts like the lights of a table in a dark bar.

Late at night, the three old warriors were exchanging cups of sake.
The reason why their expressions are somber is because this is not a celebration but a cup of requiescats.

「….. That guy, Norton, why did he kick the bucket so quickly. This is already the third casualty this month. He was so happy that he was able to join the Imperial Guards and his dream finally came true. He said he had been longing for it since he was a kid …..! I remember him in his childhood when he used to secretly peek at our training grounds …. With a bright light in his eyes.」

The brown-bearded Bill downed his drink.

「…. I can’t get drunk at all no matter how much I drink. This sake is too weak.」

The sake was the strongest in the restaurant, so strong that it will burn when it’s brought close to a fire.

「… Hmm, it seems that rain is leaking from the ceiling. Maybe the sake got mixed with water. Still, it’s hard on an old man to let the young ones go before him. …. The Imperial Guards are the shield of the royal family. They have to be strong in order to survive. Especially if they want to have a lax life like Matzo, they have to be twice as strong as any of their opponents to survive. At least they have to be able to surpass us …… I don’t dislike his way of life. He is a man who can be a hope for the weak. He can be the ideal knight we dreamed of when we were young. We can’t let him be killed ……」

The black-bearded Bobby muttered as he looked up at the stain-free ceiling.
His stern cheeks and beard were stained with tears and snot.

The mission of the Imperial Guards is to protect the royal family in times of crisis, even if it means abandoning oneself.
At that time, in Hydrangea, an internal dissension was unfolding among the royal family.
The Imperial Guards could not do anything since the other party was a member of the royal family they were supposed to protect. The number of victims who could not fight back and were slain continued to rise within the ranks. Some of the vicious royalty even took pleasure in hurting the non-resisting imperial guards to intentionally spread the flames of conflict.

The white-bearded Brian furiously gnashed his teeth.

「….. Those power-hungry fools. The Imperial Guards is neither an ornament nor a toy. They have no idea how much blood-soaked hard work and training it took for them to become an imperial guard!! We have seen it firsthand. Their efforts ….. Those fools so easily trampled on their efforts …..!! As if it was a bug …..!!」

The white-bearded Brian’s back trembled with anger and sadness.

「…. I consider not just Matzo, but all the other members of the Imperial Guards as our sons. They are the young men who will create a bright future. We will not let anyone die again ….. so from now on ….. we will teach them to be strong enough not to be killed even by those whom they cannot touch because of their status!! We will not let the regrets of those who died go to waste!! For that reason ……」

The white-bearded Brian raised his cup with a stern expression.
The brown-bearded Bill and the black-bearded Bobby nodded deeply and clinked their cups together.
The solemn sound echoed through the night.

「… I understand. Let’s swear. No matter how much they may hate us ….!!」

「… Us old men shall be of one mind. For the future of the young. Even if we become demons!!「

「….. We will forge all of the Imperial Guards into the strongest unbreakable blades …….!!」

This was the tearful oath of the demon instructors that was not revealed to the Imperial Guards.
The heartbreaking determination of the three old men to train the young men to the strongest level so that in the future they will not be killed struck a chord in everyone’s hearts.

「….. Old man Brian ….. Old man Bill …… Old man Bobby …..!! …. We were aware of the hidden thoughtfulness of the three of you …..!! That is why … we endured the hellish training without a single complaint …..!! …. We believe that we should repay your kindness by showing our own achievements rather than words of gratitude ……」

Clenching his fists and trembling while crying tears of gratitude, Matzo cried out.
Everyone in the Imperial Guards weeped at Matzo’s words.

「….. The three of you have been the honorable fathers of the Imperial Guards. We are now …. full-fledged knights thanks to the guidance of the three of you ….!!」

‘….. If that’s the case, then don’t cry in front of others. How improper. I’m so worried that I won’t be able to rest in peace.’

At the familiar voice, Matzo quickly looked up and his eyes widened so much that his eyeballs were about to pop out and everyone in the Imperial Guards gasped.

「Oh …. ohhh …..!!」

Large drops of tears fell from Matzo’s eyes.
As the flames slowly circled, the white-bearded Brian, the brown-bearded Bill, and the black-bearded Bobby were floating as they nostalgically looked down at them all. The Ruby of God’s Eye exerted its strength so that not only us, but also everyone around the boat could see the three warriors.

「…… Old men ……」

Father looked up in a daze and was speechless.

‘…. Haha, how can you lecture the youngsters when you are also crying.’

The brown-bearded Bill became enraged after being pointed out by the black-bearded Bobby.

‘What are you talking about! You old geezer! You’re the one who’s crying and whining!!’

‘What did you say!! Then let’s have a drinking contest to decide who’s right!!’

‘Don’t regret it!! Later on don’t cry when you lose!! This is a deposit!!’

‘You’re giving too much!! I’ll give it back!!’

Before they even had a drinking contest, they ended up having a fist fight in the air ….

「….. They’re still hitting each other when they’ve become ghosts …..」

「….. I don’t think they have rested in peace in the first place …」

「….. They’ve already passed away, so wouldn’t it be possible for them to keep on fighting forever …」

「….. They’re definitely residents of the Shura world ……」

The Imperial Guards members whispered to each other in hushed tones, their tears of sorrow having been retracted by the sheer shock of it all.
The brown-bearded Bill and the black-bearded Bobby quarreled in a manner close to a cross-counter, their expressions contorted.
It turns out that ghosts can punch each other ……

‘….. This is our 360th battle ……’

‘….. Nonsense, this is already the 361th battle …..’

The two did not falter and once again quarreled with their foreheads bumping into each other, but their eyes were smiling as they looked at each other.

‘….. Young lord, we’ll be busy having a drinking contest in the afterlife, so we’ll leave you to it. ….. Take good care of your new family. No more snowy nights all by yourself looking at the main residence. ….The madam and young lady Scarlet will be the young lord’s home from now on. Now that you have their warmth, we are no longer of any use to you. …..Though it is a bit lonely.’

The white-bearded Brian smiled gently.

‘….. Lastly, will you hold the young lady in your arms before our eyes? It is our last duty on this world to witness it.’

At Brian’s words, father’s eyes widened in surprise, then he turned to look at him in bewilderment.

「….. Old man Brian ….. I …. I’ve never held a baby …. I don’t know how to hold her ……」

With that one sentence, it suddenly occurred to me that it was not that my father did not have any affection for anyone other than my mother, but that he just had a hard time grasping the distance between himself and other people.

I felt like I saw the young father standing alone in the snow, looking at the lights of the main residence where his family was.

I understood after seeing the memories of the three warriors.
As a child, father was not loved by his parents and lost his expressions.
However, it is not that unusual for nobles to be estranged from their families.
The aristocratic system makes it inevitable.
Only a minority of the nobles would personally take care of their children, such as mother’s Melville family.
The majority of noble children grow up under the care of nannies and governesses.
However, the reason why my father has become so expressionless was probably because he is actually a child who is more sensitive than others and was deeply hurt by being shunned by his parents ….
Then, he was subconsciously afraid of being suddenly betrayed again, so he began to wear a mask of ice, then he grew up and became how he is now.
He’s actually a very affectionate person, but he just doesn’t understand it.
I think father’s abnormal love for mother is the flip side of his true nature …..