Hestia and the Pitiful Beasts - Chapter 5

Still avoiding Lapinan’s gaze, she quickly turned and walked to the window. As soon as she yanked the curtains aside with a rough motion, an overwhelming flood of bright light poured into the room.

The sprawling garden outside boasted endless greenery, wrestling with the scorching spring sun. Both the stoically silent Hestia and the patiently waiting Lapinan were no different from the garden—steadfast in their roles. Hestia knew he wouldn’t leave this room until he got his answer.

She closed her eyes.

“Have you forgotten? I am the emperor.”

“I apologize. I spoke out of turn.”

A direct apology, devoid of any excuses, quickly followed. When his bowed reflection appeared in the window, Hestia couldn’t suppress her emotions and burst out, adding a bitter comment.

“Of all people, I didn’t expect you to say something like that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re just…”

Her words faltered. Lapinan bowed his head once more toward Hestia’s back. There was no point in continuing to express anger—it would only be a misplaced outlet for her frustration. Forcing herself to suppress her simmering emotions, Hestia squeezed out her words.

“It’s about time for the Hera flowers to bloom, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Go and relay this message. This year, dry those flowers with even more care and deliver them to the imperial palace. Collect everything—the roots, leaves, and petals—and have them stored. With the new chancellor, the officials are working themselves to the bone, so we’ll need to prepare some sort of tonic for fatigue recovery.”

“I’ll oversee it personally.”

“Leave now.”

There was no other choice. Like it or not, Lapinan was the only person she could rely on.

Soon, when she got married, that would truly become her reality.

It was only a matter of time before Erei left. Strictly speaking, it was simply a return to the way things had been before meeting Erei… yet, for some reason, the thought of it made her heart plummet into the depths.

Then again, perhaps that was a natural reaction.

Thump, thump.

A sound like a rapidly beating heart.

Alone once again in the room, Hestia covered her reflection in the window with the curtain. The fabric, fluttering loosely as it fell, was only a temporary fix, but for now, it would do.

“…Has it really been three years already?”

Three years ago, on the day she first met Erei, her heart had raced just as furiously.

“Right now, I’m deciding whether to kill you or to kill your people later.”

Back then, it was purely out of fear.

*

Three Days After Seire

Arriving ten days earlier than scheduled, Commander Erei Lin stood in front of the city gatekeeper with a raised eyebrow, his expression tilted in irritation.

“Say that again.”

His voice brimmed with displeasure.

“Who, exactly, are they preparing a wedding for in there?”

No, it wasn’t just displeasure—it was a murderous intent that screamed, Answer me properly, or I’ll kill you on the spot. The gatekeeper, suddenly thrust into a life-threatening situation, shrank back, guiltless but terrified.

“F-For His Majesty the Emperor… I told you already. Why—why do you ask, Commander Erei?”

“How bold of them.”

A smirk suddenly broke across Erei’s previously stony face. But it wasn’t a pleasant kind of smile—it was the chilling kind that only deepened the gatekeeper’s unease. The air around them seemed to grow colder, and the man’s piercing gaze felt like the fires of hell itself.

The gatekeeper yelped loudly.

“It’s not me! I’m a coward, I swear!”

“Not you.”

But Erei’s curt response was as dismissive as it could be. The gatekeeper felt a pang of embarrassment at how completely his dignity had been tossed aside. His expression turned awkwardly sheepish.

“E-Excuse me? Then… who…?”

“Hm.”

No reply came this time. As though the gatekeeper’s presence had entirely slipped his mind, Erei suddenly began stroking his chin, his expression contemplative.

He had come rushing back to the capital before the memory of kissing the back of her hand could fade, cherishing the blessing bestowed by the Emperor. He had left the return trip of his unit to Jun, breaking away with such haste that he’d braced himself for a round of scolding. But he’d never imagined news like this would be waiting for him.

If not for the soldiers he was responsible for, he could have traveled the distance in just five days on his own. Still, he’d needed some pretense, so he’d lugged back the severed head of a mountain bandit chief, neatly preserved.

‘I made the trip in such a rush so I could deliver this before it spoiled.’

That had been his excuse—or at least, it would have been.

But as soon as he arrived at the city gates, he was met with the sight of preparations for Hestia’s grand wedding. There was no better way to describe the situation than absolutely audacious.

Erei muttered under his breath.

“Well… it was their boldness that charmed me in the first place. Out of the way. I’m going in.”

No amount of deliberation could compare to confronting the person in question directly. Without hesitation, he shoved the gatekeeper aside and crossed through the gates.

Inside, the city was buzzing with activity. People were bustling everywhere, carrying loads and rushing about more than ever before.

Some nobles were draping bundles of silk over the shoulders of their attendants, squabbling heatedly under the sunlight about whether green or blue was the better color. Passing by, Erei coldly tossed out a comment.

“Forget it. There won’t be a need for either.”

“What was that? What did you just say?”

One of the nobles turned to him, unable to catch his words, but Erei had already walked far ahead, crossing through the garden.

In one corner of the garden, attendants were pulling fully bloomed red Hera flowers out of the ground and loading them onto carts. In the empty spaces left behind, they filled the soil anew and planted white Freynia bulbs in their place.

Even someone as ignorant about the Empire’s traditions as Erei knew what those white flowers symbolized: congratulations for a wedding.

Another dry chuckle escaped him.

“Unbelievable.”

Thankfully, before his frustration could fully boil over, he spotted a familiar face in the garden.

“…Erei.”

Standing there, his usual sculpted stoicism etched onto his face, was Lapinan Kyle—his one and only close friend.

Of course, the moment Erei heard Lapinan’s voice, he noticed something was off. Lapinan might have been maintaining his usual calm façade, but Erei could tell that he was deeply unsettled.

Of course, he’d feel guilty about something, Erei thought, a rare smirk forming on his lips.

“It’s been a while, Lapinan. How have you been?”

Though his greeting was directed at Lapinan, Erei’s gaze stayed fixed on the unfamiliar young man standing beside his friend.

The youth had pale skin and strikingly golden hair, almost yellow in its brilliance. His eyes were a similar green to Lapinan’s but murkier in hue. He looked to be about eighteen years old, at most. Judging by his overall darker pigmentation compared to Lapinan, it seemed unlikely that he was of pure noble lineage.

Erei quietly observed the young man, his gaze sharp and assessing, until Lapinan stepped forward, deliberately blocking his view.

“You’ve returned earlier than expected,” Lapinan said, taking a firm step to shield the youth behind him.

Erei let out a sigh, one of forced patience, and tilted his chin slightly upward.

“It turned out that way.”

“I wasn’t expecting to see you for another ten days.”

“Isn’t that exactly what you were hoping for?”

“You ditched your unit again, didn’t you? Off on your own. How many times have I told you to break that habit?”

Lapinan’s insistence on feigning ignorance amounted to nothing, as the golden-haired youth next to him suddenly poked his head out and, wide-eyed, exclaimed in surprise:

“My goodness! Are you by any chance Commander Erei Lin?”

“You know me?”

Erei’s eyes lit up with a pleased expression as if everything had fallen into place. At the same time, Lapinan shut his eyes tightly, bracing himself. Whether he noticed Lapinan’s discomfort or not, the young man stepped cheerfully around him, standing boldly before Erei, his voice bright and brimming with enthusiasm.

“Of course I know you! I’m Dense from the House of Lichti. I’ve always regretted not having a chance to see you in person, but here we are!”

“Lichti… So, that’s how it is.”

Erei’s voice trailed off in a vague tone.

Dense, however, seemed utterly oblivious. Who could have imagined that a man of the Lichti family would turn out to be one of those fervent admirers of “Commander Erei Lin,” a mere street-level hero? Not even the ever-pragmatic Lapinan had foreseen this.

Then again, over the last three years, Erei’s reputation had soared after he brought victory to every battle he fought in. Stories of his exploits were enough to spark vicarious thrills among young men who’d never even set foot on a battlefield. Never mind the lingering mystery of his origins—those details were easy to overlook in the face of his legend.

Dense pressed on eagerly:

“By the way, Commander, I heard you went to subdue mountain bandits. Have you already returned?”

“Yes.”

“Haha! I knew you’d make it back safely!”

“…Is that so?”

Erei’s eyebrow arched slightly, his voice carrying a note of mild amusement. For a fleeting moment, his gaze shifted toward Lapinan, who now seemed visibly exasperated. A hint of boredom crept into Erei’s expression. Lapinan, sensing this as his chance, tried to grab Dense and drag him away. But Dense, oblivious to all cues, continued his barrage of questions.

“Wait! What’s that bag you’ve got slung over your shoulder? It smells kind of strange.”

“Oh… this?”

Erei glanced indifferently at the bag on his shoulder, his reply even more detached.

“A criminal.”

And yet, for some reason, he turned to Dense with a chilling gaze, his eyes cold and sharp as a blade.

“It’s the head of a mountain bandit chief, eyes gouged out. The Emperor requested it, so I made sure to bring it back in one piece.”

The air grew heavier as the stench of blood and rotting flesh seeped through the bag, mingling into a nauseating odor. Despite the gruesome vividness of Erei’s description, Dense showed no sign of unease. Instead, he grinned as though exhilarated, his excitement barely contained.

“His Majesty will be very pleased! I’ve heard all about your legendary feats, Commander. Didn’t you annihilate an army several times the size of your own with only a hundred men during the war with the Kingdom of Kashan?”

“That’s not quite true. Stories like that always get exaggerated.”

“How modest of you! These days, the taverns outside the city gates are buzzing nonstop with tales of Commander Erei Lin and your squad. Even stray dogs on the streets know those aren’t just idle rumors!”

“Oh? It seems our dear Chancellor has uncharacteristically failed to keep the soldiers’ tongues in check.”

Erei let out a sudden, amused exclamation and turned his gaze toward Lapinan. The look in his eyes carried a clear implication, but Lapinan remained unfazed, entirely unaffected by the pointed attention.