114 Quiet Story Part 33 ~ On One Side of the Pledge ~




 He was always calm. Always calm and smiling like the spring sun.

"Come on, Dewar. That's too much.
"Oh, yeah? We're building a bonfire. The bigger the better!
Ed and Deanna are here. Ed and Deanna are here, and Deanna's just a baby. And Deanna's a baby. What if the wood blows up?

 He was not shy about having fun, and he chided Dualis appropriately, depending on the situation. Even at times like that, he never lost his smile.

"Ed. I have a son the same age as Ed.
"Really? I want to meet him! Uncle, why don't you come with me?
"Unfortunately, he can't come here yet. Our family will only be able to visit this place when we have seen the truth with our own eyes and have reached the true you. Yes, it's been decided for a long time.
"...... I don't understand.
I guess. Is it too hard for Ed?
"When will my uncle's children and I meet?
"I don't know. I don't know. But I believe in it. I believe that no matter how long it takes, he will find you on his own. He's such a sweet, honest boy.
"If I met my uncle's son. Can we be friends? --Just like Uncle Aust and my father!

 The innocent hope of a young child. He was the kind of man who would smile and nod at the innocent wishes of a young child with a sincere heart.

 --So...

"I was wrong. I was wrong. I thought it was wrong to educate my son as my father had done, that times were different, and I locked him away in the depths of the palace. --I failed to see the evil that was about to destroy the Juke!
"Calm down, Oath!
What am I to do, Dewar? What do I have to do to make it up to him? I want to hold him so badly and tell him how much he means to me. I want to hold him so badly and tell him how much he means to me, but I can't do that. How can we protect Juke?

 One day, on a stormy night. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not, but it's a good thing. Edward caught a glimpse of him through the shadows of the door, and even now he cannot forget the look of fear, anger, helplessness, and despair on his face.

"What is the king? What is the top of the land? Such a man who can't even promise the happiness of his own child. He can't possibly protect tens of millions of people!
Don't push yourself any further!

 I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea. He was filled with the desperation of trying to keep his despairing friend.

'What are we doing here? It's a bond to carry what you can't carry on your own. Don't despair on your own and deny who you've been.
"But!
Listen! There's something you can do to protect Juke. --Don't throw the King, or yourself, under the bus.
"Dewar ......
"To save Juke's life, you must limit your contact to the bare minimum for now. But you, Oath. You're the king of this land. If you stand up for what you believe in, your son will feel it in his back.
"Back ......?
"Face to face hugs are not the only way a parent loves. The way you stand tall as a king will surely be an unshakeable indicator in Juke's mind. Even if it doesn't sprout right now, it will surely protect, support, and guide your son in the distant future, and that will be the most certain "love" of all.

 His shoulders quivered slightly. Even young Edward could tell that sweet Uncle Oath was crying.
 With such loving eyes, he was talking about his son, about Juke. I wonder how much pain he must be in if he can't express his love to her face to face.

"My son is being ...... manipulated. It is impossible for him not to be biased by such a malicious education. A puppet king who is only good for a few nobles. I know my son is about to be raised by such a thing. And all I can do is sit back and watch.
"Don't be hasty. If we intervene now and Juke dies in an accident, we'll be blinded. It's painful, but for now, we'll keep quiet and wait for the right moment.
"Even if that saves her life... If Juke's mind gets distorted in that distorted space... If he becomes a king who torments his people with his twisted mind!


"Then... We, the Cresta, will stop your son.

 He seemed to have stopped breathing, and Dualis' gaze crossed his. Duarisse nodded slowly, as if to swear in his wet, light blue eyes.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that your son will never be the king who destroys the country. ...... That's why we're here.
"Dewar, .......
Believe me, you will. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing. Juke is just like Rifa, kind and upright, always cares for you when you see him, and you're proud of him, aren't you?
It's .......
When the worst happens, we'll take care of everything. You just stand firm and trust him until the very end.

 The vows they made that night... Edward is not supposed to know. Edward had already been under Sirius's tutelage since that time, and had already picked up the skill of Disappearing at the age of one digit. The conversation between his father and his father's best friend, which he would steal from behind the door, and which he felt he should never forget, even though he didn't understand its meaning, was burned in his mind and in his brain. --As he grew up, Edward came to know who he was and what we were.

 For as long as he can remember, Uncle Oath has been a close friend of Dualis, visiting the mansions and estates of King's Landing several times a year.
 He was the honorable "King" who reigned at the top of the land, Auster de Lante Elgrand himself.


  ***************


I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

 The first is a wide variety of evil faces. For some reason, only the children of the eldest son can inherit this, and it has helped the Countess of Crestor fulfill her role in the royal court for generations.
 The rest of the family, except for the eldest son, basically left the nobility when the time was right and went on to develop their own specialties. Some have become scholars, some have become merchants and moved to other countries, some have become sons-in-law of farmers, and some have formed bandit groups.
 The royal court does not know what happened to those who left the nobility. Even if they have children, it is unlikely that they will be recognized by their faces as members of the family, since only the eldest children will inherit the evil face of Cresta. In fact, Fiona was blessed with two sons, both of whom are ordinary beauties who have successfully inherited the good qualities of Fiona and her husband Jin.
 For quite a long time, there has been a debate and examination of the evil face that appears only in the children of the eldest son. So far, the only conclusion that I have come to is that it's just the way it is.

 Another noteworthy inheritance is the extraordinary desire for knowledge that has existed for generations. We want to know what we don't know, and if there is something mysterious, we want to figure out how it works. He wants to apply the knowledge he finds and develop it into useful wisdom. Chris, Edward's fiancée, says that the family's way of doing things is now "in the realm of the bewildered. The knowledge that has been written down for generations is always there to greet them in the depths of the basement of the Crester house.
The children of Crester do not need a teacher. Once they learn basic reading, writing, and math, the many books in the house and the writings left behind by their ancestors will serve as their best teachers and guide them. If they don't understand something, they look it up, and if they still don't understand it, they ask an adult for a hint and look it up again. That's how Edward and Deanna understood the role of the "Crester" without being taught.

 A long, long time ago. At the dawn of civilization, when people were forming groups, dividing the land, building houses, and creating the concept of "country". A man known as the "Wise Man" who united a group of hunters in a lush forest at the foot of a mountain and used his wisdom to live in harmony with nature, and a man who became known as the "King" while actively taking care of his friends in a village by a lake. The two men eventually formed a unique friendship that would be passed down from generation to generation like a miracle.
 The Kingdom of the Lakes survived the course of history, and even changed its name to the Kingdom of Ergeland four hundred years ago.
 Even if they achieved the unification of the peninsula, which surprised even the people concerned.
 Even though their positions were changed to "king" and "vassal".
 --Their unchanging friendship was nothing short of a miracle.

 Learn the history of the kingdom and of Crester. Learning about the history of the kingdom and Crester, and witnessing the friendship between the lake and the forest that continues to this day.
 Because I understood from the bottom of my heart that it was the most precious thing in the world, I longed for it.

"If we meet someday... I wonder if we could be friends. ...... "Juke" and

 The son of my favorite Uncle Aust. I wondered if we could form the special bond that existed between him and his father.
 The more I learned about the reality of my childhood longing, the thicker the despair fell.

"Ed. I believe in Juke. I believe in you, Juke. ...... Even after the last moment has passed.

 I'm proud of him. He believed in me. --I didn't want to think of him as distorted.

 Since he ascended the throne, until now.
 I've been watching him as a nobleman, as a human being of Cresta, completely deceiving even myself.
 --The real truth is... The truth is, deep down, he was hoping for a miracle.

 Because it would be. If I really didn't care about him.
 How can you be so emotional about every move he makes?

 ...... It's all too late for me to realize this now, but...

I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do it.

 It was just after noon on the day that Diana was thrown into the dungeon for her unjustified crime, almost at the same time as the sunrise. I had a hunch, and waited in a tavern in the downtown area of the royal capital, when a descendant of the family that spun "Suwon" came to me. He asked me to wait a little longer, to which I replied, "It's the head of the family's decision, I can't do anything about it.
 It was as if he saw through my childhood envy and longing and my current resignation and despair, and it was impossible for me to suppress the truth.

Do you really think that I believe that this is the right thing to do? Do you really think that it is your sincere desire to break the bond between the Legrand Lake and the Resto Forest that has been handed down for over 2,000 years in my generation? --How is that possible?

 Edward stood up, grabbed his best friend by the chest, and shouted with passion. Holding his breath in surprise, Edward urged Alford.



There's nothing we can do. As long as the palace, the country, and Diana's life is targeted, we can't show mercy. I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.
...... Even if Miss Deanna herself doesn't want the full force of the Cresta to destroy her country?
Diana's will is irrelevant. --This is our duty as the family of the Wise Men who unite the Forest People.

 I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.
 The young man, who was born into the Swoon family, a family that has passed down old poems and traditions to the present, was taken aback by Edward's peculiar phrasing.
You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of these in the marketplace.

You can't ...... do that!
It's a masterpiece. I only found out about it from your father earlier.
That's impossible. ......! It hasn't been seen in hundreds of years!

 The people who have lived in the land of Cresta for generations are known as the Forest People, and they boast a much richer sensitivity to the forest than people in other regions. Of course, the people of the Crester family, descendants of the Wise Men of the Forest, are also forest people.
 Among them, Diana's sensibility has been outstanding from birth. When she was a baby, she was sleeping peacefully in her bed facing the forest, and without warning, she started crying like she was on fire. No matter how he was coaxed, he would not stop crying, and when Dualis checked the forest, he found that poachers were on the verge of hunting rare small forest animals.
 Deanna's senses are far more acute than those of most forest folk. If she hides in the woods, it is impossible for even a Sirius-class hunter to find her. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and how you can get it.

I'm not sure what to say. I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it. That's something I'll never shake.
"Ed. ......
There's nothing we can do about it. We don't really want to go all out,......, and neither does your father.

 Edward's hand, which was supposed to be grabbing his chest, was. I'm not sure what to make of that.

It's a good idea to take a look at your own personal life. You'll be able to trust me, and we can work hand in hand to find a way.
"Ed.
Ed, with the crown bringing out the guillotine. Ed, when the palace has brought out the guillotine, what other course of action do you want us to take than to go all out and clash with the palace's ringleaders? I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.

 No matter how much my heart cries out, "I don't want to mourn. --No matter how much my heart cries out for protection, there is something I must protect.
 I want to protect it. I want to protect it. I want to protect you, I want to protect you, but I can't do it under the circumstances.

I'm sorry. ...... Ed. That was insensitive. I can't ask you to wait or go easy on me anymore.

 Slowly, Alford's quiet voice fell. It's just," he continued as Edward choked and shook his head, "I don't want you to give up.

I don't want you to give up. ...... until the end.
"...... in this situation?
It's not my words. --It's a message from Miss Diana.

 She's in jail, and she's the one Crestor needs to protect at all costs. It's not my word, it's a message from Miss Diana. ...... But more than that, it's Edward's only sister.
 It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

"Diana is ......?
"Oh. Mistress Deanna, he said. I can't move, but I have a lot of friends outside the prison I can trust. It would be rude to despair in this situation.

 Alford smiled softly. There is no shadow of despair there.

"Miss Diana, you've grown stronger. How could you not know that you're at the bottom of the barrel? Even in that situation, you smile and believe in everything.
"Deanna ......
I'm sure you're worried about being in a prison where you can't do anything. And yet you never showed a shred of that in front of me. --It takes a man to be trusted like that and still not be inspired.
Al.
Ed. What you want and what you want to protect. It may not be possible to reconcile that right now. ......, but there's still time. It's too early to give up.

 With a poof. Alford tapped Edward on the shoulder.

I know it's scary to keep believing under such extreme circumstances. But you can do it, Miss Deanna. You can't tell me that you can't do what your sister can do, can you?
"......, you're telling me.

 The words of a sister and her best friend are... You have a strong heart.


 It was a wind that blew away the despair in Edward's heart.

 Is it okay to give up? --Is it okay to keep believing?
The bond between the lake and the forest. The bond between the lake and the forest is still barely connected.
 The life of my precious sister and the friendship I've longed for. And that neither of them will fall from the palm of my hand.

"Al. You said it so well. I'll take care of the palace.
That's my line. You're the only one who can advise the most powerful servant of Lord Dualis and Lord Sirius.
We'll figure it out. The point of "total power" is how you use it. It's all about how you use it, how you react to changing circumstances. We'll see what we can do.

 They laughed at each other. Edward left Alford.

 When he returned home, he saw that Dualis had gathered all the evidence he needed to predict a major upheaval at the palace.
 As if to support this, he said, "Tomorrow at ten o'clock, the House of Lords will meet to discuss the crimes of the Red Rose. All those who are eligible to attend should assemble in the chamber as soon as possible.
 Edward was not going to give up.


  ***************


 --Eventually. Belief will be rewarded.

"Dear Dualis, I have an announcement to make. A moment ago, in the dungeons of the palace. His Majesty spoke with Diana, and showed with his body and mind that he had reached the bond between the Lake and the Forest, and the truth of Cresta.

 The news came just after midnight.
 The three members of the Crester family, who had gathered in the office and were making their final push, paused for a moment and then reacted in different ways.

 Elizabeth smiled as if relieved.
 Edward, who had waited with faith, muttered disconsolately, "At last.
 And then, the important thing, Dualis...

"Oh dear. It seems the heavens are on your side, Ed.
What are you talking about, Father?
Don't be silly. You wandered off before noon with a dark face, and then you came back all chipper. It's obvious from the way you've been moving that you're assuming that the King will be on our side.

 I'm sure you've been meeting with Al anyway. You guys are really good friends. He is indeed one of the most intelligent and wise men of all time.

I'll tell you what, I don't know what the kid, Juke, understands and how he's been acting. I'm telling you, I'm not going to overturn the decision until I know everything.
"I know, sir. I understand. I mean, I don't mind if you raise the total power. --The point is, where do you want to direct it?
You're right. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm not sure what to do.
"I'm sure you've been thinking about it, father. You must have been thinking that there are not enough pieces to really blow everything away.

 This case of the kidnapping of the favored princess... If you can trace the culprit back to the ringleader, the entire power center of the royal court will be blown up. --But it won't be a complete clean slate.
 But it won't be a complete clean slate. In the end, whichever faction prevails.

"...... I have a feeling that there's an unseen 'something' waiting for us to turn on the palace at this stage and make a half-hearted attempt to clear the land. I have this feeling.
You're getting pretty good at guessing, aren't you?
So... still?
Yeah, I'm sure there's a ....... I'm sure there are some unidentified people out there who treat people like pawns.

 I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. The reason why they don't do this is because generations of wise men have been more concerned about their people and friends than they are about their own wisdom.
 It is precisely because they can do this that they are even more repulsive to Crestor. I'm not sure what to make of that.
 Just like Dualis, Edward. Its existence is unforgivable.

"If you're going to do this, do it thoroughly, Father. "If we're going to do this, we need to be thorough, father. To do that, it's not a good idea to play into his hands now.
That's a very quarrelsome way of thinking, isn't it?
Did your father dare to go along with this?
I'm not sure what to make of that. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

 A soft voice took over the secret bargaining between father and son.
 Elizabeth, smiling, had already begun to clean up her desk.

"Really, Dewar, you're so naive. You must be so relieved that Juke got here just in time.
"That's not the same thing. I have to separate my personal feelings from my role as a Crestor.


In any case, Crester is a family that's been running on personal feelings for generations, so there's no need to think so hard now.
"Wait a minute. It's not like we've always put our personal feelings first.
"I vaguely understand that there is a detailed agreement, but... From my point of view as a married woman from outside, it's all 'personal feelings'. In the end, no matter how much you try to make it sound, your theory of action can be summed up in one phrase: "We want to help our friends.

 It was Elizabeth's perfect analysis that made Dualis cringe.
 Edward blew up.

"Well, father, you've got ...... one.
"Shut up! We're on our way to the palace now. We're on our way to the palace. You have all the evidence you need, right?
Don't worry. Don't worry. We're in good hands.
Hey, you two. Don't come barging in here all of a sudden, you'll scare the jukebox. --Sirius, give Alford a heads-up.
Yes, sir.

 --Finally, we meet.

When Uncle's boy and I meet... Will we be friends, too? --Like Uncle Aust and my father?
Oh. I'm sure you'll be as good friends as we are. Maybe one day I'll meet Juke. You take care of him for me at .......
"Yes!

 A promise made on a childhood day, when the world was full of hope. Secretly repeat it in the back of your ears.
 I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more information on this site.