May Every Wound Be Fatal - Chapter 26.1
“When you say northern knights, you mean the Percy family.”
They valued honor as knights above their own lives and were devoted to the House of Count Briere, which they had served for generations.
The taciturn Thomas Percy was simply awkward at expressing himself, while his wife Helena was a kind and wise mother.
Their four children, raised in their example, were just, honest, and gentle.
Elizer grew up vigorously in the midst of that household.
The eldest of the Percys, Marius, became Cassian’s knight and was not often seen, but he remained as loud and lively as ever. When he occasionally returned home, he spent time teaching his younger siblings swordsmanship.
The first person to suddenly take Elizer, who was only observing from afar, under his wing and let him hold a sword for the first time was Marius. He was also the one who recognized Elizer’s talent.
“You have good potential, Elizer.”
Elizer’s cheeks flushed with joy and excitement as he gripped the sword.
“You foolish Marius! You never said anything like that to me before!”
At that, the second child, Martin, exploded with jealousy. Still an apprentice knight, he chased after Elizer all day, begging to spar with him.
The third child, Maiel, who was to become a blacksmith, found it amusing to watch Martin chase after Elizer, who was slightly shorter than him.
And the youngest, Maria, proudly went around telling everyone that she had four older brothers.
One day, a boy of Maria’s age overheard the village elders whispering and ran up to Maria, sulking.
“Stupid Maria. How can you call your father’s illegitimate child your brother?”
The villagers believed Elizer was Thomas Percy’s illegitimate child. They could never have imagined that Thomas had brought a royal illegitimate child and was raising him. News from the northern lands rarely reached the royal capital, Elmaril.
“Who says he is illegitimate? Elizer is a Percy.”
Without Martin or Maiel stepping in, Maria personally beat up the children who bullied Elizer.
There was even a running joke in the village that there would be no one left for Maria to marry if this continued, and the adults mischievously said that Elizer should be responsible for her.
At each remark, Martin and Maiel laughed, and Maria’s cheeks flushed as she yelled in response.
“……”
But Elizer could neither laugh nor get angry.
As he entered his teenage years, the boy gradually began to understand who he was.
Occasionally, when the Percy couple spoke in serious tones, or when Martin ran in without tact and told him everything he had overheard, Elizer began to piece things together.
He understood why he had been left alone in the annex palace, who Cassian was, and why Cassian had sent him to this remote northern region. He also understood what risks and scandals the Percy family had been willing to endure.
Elizer wanted to grow up quickly. So he could protect himself and one day repay Cassian and the Percy family for their kindness.
It was completely natural that he began to dream of becoming a knight who would serve Cassian.
Cassian had promised to come find him in time, but after settling in the north, Elizer had never seen him.
When he was very young, that had been a constant source of disappointment. Now, he understood that Cassian was barely surviving alone in the royal palace. The letters that Cassian occasionally sent were incredibly precious and cherished.
After much thought, Elizer mustered the courage to speak to Helena.
“I want to become Prince Cassian’s knight and be of service to him.”
Elizer was a child who, when asked what he wanted to become, would timidly glance around as if unsure whether he was allowed to desire anything. He hoped for even a little ambition, but Helena, who had never wanted such a thing for him, instinctively shook her head in disapproval.
“No. That is not allowed. How can you even think of returning to Elmaril?”
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