The Mad Dog of the Duke's Estate

Chapter 119. Kerra

Caron stood frozen, staring at Kerra. He couldn't have misheard—it was unmistakable. Kerra had just called him "Commander."

The fading crescent moon crumbled into glittering dust, scattering into the air. Amid the dim fragments of light, Kerra lowered his sword to the ground.

Caron wondered what to say to him, but there was something more pressing to do.

Swish!

The darkness emanating from Caron spread outward, encasing both him and Kerra in a shroud of shadow. Using Pluto, he ensured that their conversation wouldn't escape the veil. There was no need for his comrades watching from behind to overhear this exchange, as it wasn't a story meant for them.

"You use magic in this life now?" Kerra's voice broke the silence.

Caron chuckled faintly and shook his head, then said, "Not a chance. It's a spirit. We've only been contracted for a short while."

Pluto, now perched on Caron's shoulder, let out a low, growling noise at Kerra. Kerra turned his gaze to the spirit, nodding slowly.

Meow.

"So, it was the spirit that unraveled my Moonlight?" Kerra asked.

"It found your shadow," Caron replied with a casual shrug. "Without it, I'd be dead already."

"Now you're exaggerating," Kerra said.

"Exaggerating? What do you mean, you bastard?" Caron scoffed. "How's a 6-Star knight supposed to survive an 8-Star knight's relentless attack?!"

They didn't bother with clichéd pleasantries, but Instead, their reunion was marked by lighthearted banter and faint smiles.

"How old is that body of yours now?" Kerra asked.

"Seventeen years old," Caron answered.

"Seventeen, and already on the brink of 7-Star... It seems my chance to properly beat you won't last much longer," Kerra said as his lips curled into a playful grin.

For a moment, silence stretched between them, tinged with unspoken emotions.

"Commander," Kerra finally said, breaking the silence. "What was it like, abandoning your subordinates and dying first? Do you truly have no regrets about the life you lived?"

His voice carried the weight of years of erosion, conveying not anger but a weathered longing.

Caron quickly realized Kerra wasn't blaming him, and thus responded in a soft, steady voice, "At the very least, I got to choose where I died. Regrets? I left those behind at that moment."

Kerra clicked his tongue, his expression half-amused and half-frustrated, then said, "So irresponsible for someone who's supposed to be a commander. Did you ever think about what it was like for those of us who survived?"

"I thought you were all dead," Caron replied plainly. "How was I supposed to know you'd still be alive?"

"Tsk tsk. Still as devoid of sentiment as ever. How can someone remain so unchanging? Most people who go through something like death come out different, but not you," Kerra commented.

"There's a saying that people die when they change," Caron said.

"That's exactly what I'm saying! So in contrast, if someone dies, shouldn't they change? Honestly, tsk tsk." Kerra clicked his tongue again, sliding his sword back into its sheath before adding, "Let me ask you one more question."

"Go ahead," Caron replied.

"Are you happier now than you were in your previous life?" Kerra asked.

It was a simple, unembellished question.

Caron let a faint smile play on his lips and responded, "Yes, I am."

"Then that's enough," Kerra said, tilting his head to glance at the sky. What had been bathed in the hues of sunset only moments earlier was now dark, cloaked in the stillness of night.

"Let's grab a drink while enjoying the moon. It's been a while. There's a pretty decent spot down the slope," Kerra said before glancing at Caron's comrades. "Go explain things to your group. I'll head down first," he added, already turning to leave. His hurried steps made it look as if he was running away.

Caron frowned, calling out, "Why not just do it here?"

"That's because you've never had to deal with Aqua's nagging. Look at her eyes."

Following Kerra's gaze, Caron turned to see Aqua. Sure enough, her eyes were blazing with a fiery intensity.

"Do you know what happens if you provoke her in that state?" Kerra asked dramatically.

"Does she breathe fire or something?" Caron replied.

"She uses a power far scarier than that," Kerra replied, his tone exaggerated but convincing.

"What, dragon incantations?" Caron asked with a deadpan expression.

"No," Kerra said, his expression now equally serious. "She cries."

"...She cries? Dragon Fear?" Caron asked.

"No, she just cries. When Aqua starts crying, it lasts for six hours straight. And stopping her? It's impossible. I can't do it. Anyway, I'll head down now. We've got a lot to talk about, so hurry up," Kerra answered.

With that, he turned on his heel and left, irresponsibly abandoning Caron to deal with the aftermath.

Caron sighed heavily as he watched Kerra's retreating figure and said, "You've grown older, but you haven't changed a bit—"

"Tell Aqua that her uncle is sorry!" Kerra called out, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Caron let out another deep sigh, his irritation almost palpable. With a gesture, he dispelled the shadows lingering around them and slowly approached his companions.

Aqua rushed to hug him tightly and said, "Dad! Don't worry, I'll make sure to punish Uncle!"

The title of "Dad" still felt jarring to Caron, but he smiled faintly, patting Aqua's head. Then turning to the others, he said, "Kerra wants to talk to me privately. I'll head down for a bit."

Leon's voice was full of concern as he replied, "Are you sure about this? Hey, just make sure you beg for your life if it comes to that. Get on your knees, grovel, whatever it takes. Your knees aren't worth dying for. Trust me, your older cousin's advice here is solid."

While Leo's words were correct, the way he said them felt downright sleazy.

"Take a rest. Oh, wait... The house is wrecked," Caron said, glancing at the remains of the building, which Kerra had split in half during their earlier clash.

Aqua, still clinging to his leg, grinned brightly as she said, "I can fix the house, Dad! Go have your talk with Uncle."

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Caron asked.

"Of course! Uncle breaks the house sometimes when he's practicing with his sword, so I've fixed it before. I know what to do."

"...So he's a repeat offender. Alright, Aqua, it's all yours." Although Caron wasn't entirely sure how she planned to repair it, her confidence was strangely reassuring. He ruffled her hair one more time, then said, "I'll be back."

Caron had a mountain of things to settle with Kerra.

***

As Kerra had promised, the perfect drinking spot wasn't far. It was a clearing littered with tree stumps, as if someone had meticulously chopped down the trees just for this purpose.

Caron settled on one of the stumps, and Kerra, already waiting, tossed something in his direction.

"Commander," Kerra called.

Caron caught the flying bottle effortlessly, halting it mere inches from his face. He glanced at Kerra and asked, "What's this?"

"What else would it be? It's liquor. Don't worry, it's cheap. Enjoy it without hesitation," Kerra replied with a smirk.

"You're telling me this is how you treat your Commander after fifty years?" Caron asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've been stuck in this backwater for nearly six months now. Where would I even get high-end liquor? Just take it and drink without complaints."

Popping the cork off his own bottle, Kerra drank without hesitation. Caron, shaking his head, followed suit.

The whiskey was harsh. It was far from the smooth refinement of the expensive varieties. And yet, in its own way, it had its charms.

"Must say, you look a bit more tolerable this time around," Kerra remarked, grinning.

"Hey," Caron interjected sharply.

"Yes, Commander," Kerra replied, feigning innocence.

"I was better-looking than you even in my past life," Caron said.

"Oh, please. Maybe if you were Duke Halo, but you? Let's not stretch the truth," Kerra said, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he took another swig. After a moment, he asked, "So, how does it feel to be reincarnated?"

Caron chuckled bitterly, nodding slightly before saying, "Try it yourself one day. Then you'll understand."

"Man, life really is unpredictable," Kerra mused. "Who would've thought that you'd go from a slave to being reborn as a scion of a great noble family? By the way, does Duke Halo know that it's you who actually reincarnated?"

"Of course not. I'm planning to tell him on his deathbed. Speaking of which..." Caron's gaze turned sharp, locking onto Kerra. He asked, "How did you figure it out?"

Since the regent was a representative of the World Tree, Caron had accepted the fact that she knew. Caron hadn't seen this coming, however; it came as a surprise that Kerra knew.

"I only figured it out recently," Kerra admitted, setting his bottle down. He began to explain, his tone calm and deliberate. "I realized it after entering the Great Forest."

"Don't tell me... The World Tree again?" Caron asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.

"Bingo! How'd you guess?" Kerra replied, smirking briefly before continuing. "Actually, Aqua is part of the story too. It started with the World Tree's spirit seeking me out."

Caron leaned back slightly, listening intently as Kerra unraveled the details.

"In simple terms, the World Tree asked me to protect Aqua. So, I went to Etyron's lair, retrieved Aqua, and settled here. Now that I think about it, it's already been over six months," Kerra explained.

"...So an 8-Star knight ended up as a babysitter. Life sure is fleeting," Caron remarked with a dry chuckle.

"Don't knock it," Kerra shot back. "The kid's adorable, and I'd say those six months were the most meaningful of my life. Don't diminish that."

"Fine. But what does taking care of Aqua have to do with you realizing I was reincarnated?" Caron asked.

Kerra clicked his tongue and shook his head in exasperation, then said, "Tsk. Give me a second to explain, will you? Some things never change, huh? Still as impatient as ever."

"I'm tired. Just get to the point," Caron replied flatly.

"The World Tree told me," Kerra said finally. "It said Aqua was born because of you, and that if I took care of her, you'd eventually show up on your own."

Caron turned his gaze toward Aqua, who was laughing joyfully in the distance.

She was born because of me? Caron mused. The explanation didn't sit well with him. It was almost incomprehensible.

"You'd understand if you spent time raising one," Kerra replied with a grin. "Dragons are truly exceptional beings. And if Aqua calls someone 'dad,' well, there's only one person she could possibly mean, isn't there?"

"...You figured it out from just that?" Caron asked skeptically.

"It wasn't complete certainty, more of a hunch," Kerra admitted.

"Then why did you call me 'Commander' earlier?" Caron pressed, narrowing his eyes.

Kerra's grin widened as he confessed, "A bit of a bluff. But hey, Commander, you always lost when we played cards back in the day. No one else might have caught on, but you can't fool me." He chuckled, his tone playfully smug.

As Kerra spoke, he tilted his head back, gazing at the darkening sky. The sun had slipped below the horizon while they talked.

"That's as much as I know," he continued. "For the rest, you'd have to ask the World Tree directly."

Caron exhaled a long, frustrated sigh, then said, "Can't exactly do that now, can I?"

He recalled seeing the World Tree's decline with his own eyes. And based on what the regent had told him, she didn't seem to know much about Aqua either.

All the secrets—every last one of them—seemed to hinge on saving the World Tree. It was as if the ancient being had held its secrets hostage, demanding its own rescue in exchange for answers.

"The Mother of the Great Forest, yeah yeah," Caron muttered under his breath. "Feels more like some shadowy mastermind."

There wasn't much point in grilling Kerra further. It was clear he didn't have more to offer. So Caron shifted the topic, asking, "How many of the others are still alive?"

Caron wasn't optimistic. Not everyone would have survived the final stand, protecting the palace. Reaching the status of an 8-Star knight, like Kerra, was a feat achieved by only a rare few.

"Counting myself, there's three of us. Hugo, Beatrice, and myself," Kerra replied.

Caron nodded slowly. The last he'd heard from Elder Ulrich, the other knights had disappeared from surveillance around the same time as Kerra. Something had clearly happened to them.

"And where are they now?" Caron asked.

"Beats me. I don't know that either," Kerra answered with a shrug, his tone infuriatingly nonchalant.

"Hey, they're 8-Star knights too. I'm sure they're doing fine wherever they are," he suddenly added, brushing the matter aside.

"You could've at least kept in touch. You all served in the same order, for crying out loud," Caron said.

"Commander, when you're my age, you'll understand. No news is good news," Kerra quipped. Then, with a sudden thought, he added, "Wait a second. I just realized I'm eighty now. Does that make me older than you?"

Caron didn't respond. Instead, he tipped his head back and drank deeply from his bottle, staring up at the night sky.

Damn chatterbox, he thought.

The nickname resurfaced in his memory after all these years. It fit Kerra perfectly. He hadn't aged out of his incessant prattling one bit. If anything, he seemed to have grown into it.

"Commander," Kerra began, his tone mock-serious. "How about we—"

"Ah, what a bright moon tonight," Caron interrupted loudly. "Why aren't you drinking? Less talking, more drinking."

When faced with an unwinnable argument, sometimes retreat was the only option.

The forty-six-year-old Caron did his best to tune out the eighty-year-old Kerra's incessant babbling, drowning his frustrations in another swig of whiskey.

It was shaping up to be a noisy night.