Chapter 518 – You Who Remember the Sea.
“Bayets… Ramen.”
Although Elain was surprised by his unexpected family name, she was able to understand why Lancelot was calling Minos abusively.
In general, the managers of each region have been held by powerful figures from the four major public figures or their subordinates, but Bayec was defeated by him in this election and failed to be reappointed.
So there were questions that arose.
“Why is a member of Bayets in the East…?”
That’s because the Bayets were a family that served as administrators of the West. Even though this place was close to the center, considering the distance, it was strange that he was located so close to the exact opposite.
As Erein looked at him suspiciously, unable to hide his suspicions, Lancelot took something out of his upper pocket and held it up.
“This is the leader of the Eastern Knights?”
It was a plaque proving that he was the leader of the Eastern Knights.
“Yes, it just so happened to be like that.”
“Surely you?”
Come to think of it, she had also heard that a member of Bayets had become the leader of the Eastern Knights. It was a topic that was loud at the banquet at one time.
Even though Bayets has produced many outstanding knights, he has mostly served as the head of the western knights, where his family is located, and it was unusual for him to have been the head of the knights in other regions.
Therefore, some people often expressed concern about the situation in which a member of Bayetz held the positions of knight commander in the east and west at the same time.
“It is not as serious a problem as you think, my lady.”
“Tsk, how do you know what I was thinking?”
“Bayets will not take power and put pressure on other families or the current regime.”
“…”
Ereine was left speechless by his story, which seemed to have seen exactly what she was thinking. Because Sesipia is located in the west, it was bound to be most sensitive to the fact that a member of the Bayets was the leader of the western knights.
“Then why in the East?”
“I am the third son of the family.”
“Ah.”
However, Elain was able to predict the situation to some extent from that single word. Usually, it was the eldest son who inherited the family, but in that case, the situation of other heirs became ambiguous.
“I didn’t really want to fight with my brothers, so I went into the world with a light heart…”
Sometimes, a more outstanding successor replaces the eldest son, but when their relationship is close or it is difficult to distinguish between superiority and inferiority in ability, it becomes more difficult to decide on a successor.
“Even after becoming a monk, I continued to live as a knight, and before I knew it, I was in this position.”
“You mean it was just a coincidence?”
The way he shrugged his shoulders was sly, but it showed a hint of embarrassment that he couldn’t hide. He was at a loss for words when Erein realized that what had been causing trouble to her parents for years was just a coincidence.
“Thanks to you, I heard some nagging from my older brothers…”
Elain closed her mouth as Lancelot’s expression darkened. If his story is true, it would have been one of his brothers who lost to Minos in this election.
‘It seems like we’re on quite good terms.’
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been drinking alone and complaining in a quiet bar like this. So she became curious.
“I heard that brothers usually don’t get along very well?”
Since Erain was an only child and had no other brothers or sisters, she wondered how it felt to have blood from the same parents. But Lancelot smiled bitterly at her.
“It’s not wrong. My brother wasn’t very good, let alone very bad.”
“Then why?”
“It’s because I met someone I couldn’t tolerate.”
“It’s Minos.”
Eraine was able to understand them as he nodded silently. Anyone with a little bit of thought would know that Minos’s actions and policies to incite the crowd would not only be ineffective, but would also lead to serious side effects.
“That’s why we joined forces… But the result is as you know.”
Minos eventually became manager of the West, and Bayec was pushed out. Even the residents of the West are enthusiastically supporting him and are hostile to Bayets, which is not a good situation.
“…People are like pieces on a chessboard. They cannot move exactly as planned.”
In fact, the policies that Bayets put forward in response to Minos were extremely reasonable and common sense, but unfortunately, the public was not a very rational being.
“It is as you said.”
Elain couldn’t take her eyes off his face as he sighed bitterly. Perhaps he felt a sense of kinship in the fact that he was suffering against the same enemy.
“I guess I’ll have to go now.”
But she had no choice but to get up from her seat after confirming that it was her time to leave.
‘It’s a shame.’
However, she was still haunted by the traces of the game left on the small chessboard on Lancelot’s wrist, so she could not easily take her feet off.
“Unfortunately, this chessboard will not be available commercially.”
“Why can’t I get it? Any amount of money is all it takes…!”
When she returned, she was planning to look for the craftsman who made the chessboard and pieces, so Erein held onto her desk and asked, and he answered while organizing the chessboard.
“That’s because I made it myself.”
“?!”
Elain froze for a while and couldn’t move.
“Ha, I really don’t want to do anything.”
After her first encounter with Lancelot, Erraine lay helpless in her own room for the better part of a fortnight. In the meantime, she often received letters inviting her to participate in the ballroom, but she refused even to do so.
She could gain some small advantage, but now she hated even meeting Minos in person. But if there was a bigger reason.
“Lancelot…”
The woman she had met not long ago stared quietly at the white ceiling, quietly chanting his name.
“Why does this keep coming to mind?”
Even when she closed her eyes, lay down, or even when she ate, she was reminded of his face all the time, making it impossible for her to lead a normal life.
“Ouch! If only I had won at least one game!!”
Erein thought the reason was because he had never beaten Lancelot at chess. Additionally, the fact that the chessboard could not be ordered separately but was made by him himself.
“Miss, there’s another letter.”
The moment she heard the butler’s voice knocking on her door, Ereine jumped up from her bed, dressed herself quickly, and opened the door.
“Ah! You’re finally thinking of attending the ball… Miss?! Where are you going?!”
“I’m sorry! Carol! Tell your father and mother that you have business to do!”
“Miss!?”
She heard her butler’s voice calling her anxiously, but Eraine had no time to pay attention to him.
‘I can’t do it! I really have to win this time!’
She thought that if she could push her proud nose just once, she would never have to sleep at night, so she headed straight to Lisa’s bar.
“Sir Lancelot hasn’t arrived yet?”
“That can’t be possible.”
Since I didn’t have a special appointment with him, I didn’t realize that Lancelot wouldn’t always be at the tavern.
“Huh? What is it? Last time you were playing some kind of strange board game or something.”
“Tsk, I know what you’re thinking, but that’s not it.”
Liza smiled meaningfully and looked at him with a sinister look, but Elain scoffed. Because she just came to get revenge on her for not winning.
“Yes, yes, I guess so. Did you know that everyone starts from small things like that?”
“Hmph, if you’re just going to talk nonsense, I’ll go first.”
“Ah! Elain! Just a moment!”
“It’s done. I guess I came here for no reason.”
She was about to leave her tavern, regretting that she should have gone to the Eastern Order to see him in person.
“Ahh?!”
At that moment, I bumped into someone who was entering the bar without realizing it.
“Ah, thank you…”
“Miss Elain?”
“?”
At the same time, just as he was about to express his gratitude to the person who held him back from falling, he was startled by a voice and looked up to see the knight’s face.
“…Sir Lancelot?”
Although it was difficult to distinguish due to the ornate plate armor and helmet, the voice coming from beyond was clearly Lancelot’s.
“You really are Miss Elain.”
He immediately took off his helmet with a startled voice and was able to meet the warm light brown eyes that he had seen before.
“Well, oh, it’s been a while.”
As soon as I met his eyes, I felt like the competitive spirit that seemed to be boiling over just a moment ago was melting away and I ended up averting my gaze.
“Yes, are you here to drink alone again?”
“That’s not it!”
If she continues like this, she will be seen as a woman who goes out drinking alone to meet her husband. Erein hastily denied it and grabbed his wrist.
“Last time I played chess! I never won, did I?!”
She couldn’t see it because she was wearing armor right now, but with a chessboard like that, she could carry it with her anytime, anywhere.
“Ah, you came here because of chess.”
“…Of course.”
For some reason, I didn’t like my answer, but I couldn’t think of anything else to say, so I answered like that and he scratched his cheek as if he was troubled.
“I’m sorry. I just finished work a while ago, so there’s no chessboard.”
“Ugh, like that.”
After watching Elain look visibly disappointed, he opened his mouth as if he had a good idea.
“Do you by any chance memorize the coordinates of the chessboard?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Then why don’t you compete with that?”
“…Feel so good!”
It was an unfamiliar method, but Elain gladly accepted it. Even in the absence of a chessboard, chess continued immediately.
