My meeting with Lark had drawn to a close as dawn approached.
As commanders of the western and southern fronts, we had our heated arguments but eventually came to moderate agreements.
"Ash."
But in the end, our conversation always came back to one personal topic: our brotherhood.
"Never forget. We are brothers."
Lark stared at me intently before nodding.
"That's why I want to trust you."
"Feel free to trust me, brother."
With a slight smile, Lark added,
"And I want to trust Fernandez as well."
"..."
No matter how much I earnestly warned him about potentially going head-to-head with Fernandez, it was like talking to a wall.
"You two are both my precious siblings. I don't want the guardians of our empire, us, to be divided and at odds."
With a stern face, but seemingly resolute, Lark continued,
"If you genuinely wish for Duchess Bringar's survival, I'll turn a blind eye. And if Fernandez wants the throne, I'll gladly step aside."
"..."
I was left speechless by his declaration.
Was he going this far just to keep the familial bond intact? This elder brother of mine.
"All I wish, Ash, my brother, is for us siblings to live in harmony and love."
"..."
"That's... all I hope for."
Lark said, pushing his white hair back. I responded with a warm smile.
"Me too, brother."
Though it felt like an obligatory response, it was needed for family.
"Hopefully, misunderstandings are cleared, and once again, as siblings, as guardians, we can peacefully share our thoughts and decisions."
But that won't happen.
The Imperial Capital will be engulfed in the flames of a civil war, and the empire will be split in two. There's no going back to the days when the four of us held guardians' meetings.
However, much like when someone says "let's grab a meal" more as a way to check in rather than a genuine invitation,
I simply conveyed my wish.
Lark, sensing the sentiment, smiled bitterly, stood up, and donned his hood.
"Until next time, little brother."
He left, this time with a gentler embrace.
Lark strode away from my mansion with long strides.
Without venturing too far, I watched his retreating figure from the entrance of my mansion.
Given his height and stride, he quickly became distant.
"...Is he gone?"
After Lark was completely out of sight, Dusk Bringar peeked her head from the roof of the mansion.
"Is he really gone? Lark? Without drawing his sword, without causing an earthquake or uprooting buildings, just a little chat and he quietly left?"
Dusk Bringar looked down at me, disbelief evident on her face. I shrugged.
"Brotherly love is quite special to him."
I'm dear to him, and so is Fernandez. He had no choice but to rush to the Imperial Capital right now.
The change of direction, given the magnitude of the crisis, came unexpectedly easily.
My meeting with Lark had come to a close more conveniently, thanks to his timely rebellion.
Thud!
Following Dusk Bringar on the rooftop, her knights descended one by one.
From the storage area in the backyard of my mansion, my heroic characters under my command had also gathered swiftly. I clicked my tongue.
"I didn't even call for them, and they're all battle-ready..."
"When such a powerful figure openly displays his might in front of you, do you think your subordinates could just stand by?"
It seemed everyone was preparing to jump in should I face any danger.
All of my party members looked drenched in cold sweat. Observing these subordinates who resembled wet puppies, I chuckled softly.
With his immense strength, clearly beyond human bounds, Lark had exerted a pressure that was more intense than most boss monsters in the game. All of them had clearly felt the tension.
I playfully patted them on their backs. "The crisis is over. Go get some rest." They returned to their quarters with weary faces.
"By the way, what exactly did you discuss with Lark to make him retreat?"
With her dragon-like eyes, after confirming Lark had left through the southern gate to the Crossroad, Dusk Bringar questioned me.
I briefly explained. Fernandez would instigate a rebellion, and Lark was heading to the Imperial Capital to stop it.
"A rebellion... So, issues like the rebels or the southern front are mere trifles in the face of such a grand event."
Dusk Bringar acknowledged, rolling her eyes,
"...Ash, do you know that every descendant of the Imperial Family receives a 'divine prophecy'?"
She suddenly broached a new topic.
"A divine prophecy?"
It was entirely unfamiliar to me, so I furrowed my brows.
"The Guardian Tree of the Empire, Everblack, serves as a magical beacon that can foresee the future."
She referred to the dark thorny tree, frozen alongside the Emperor in the deepest part of the Imperial Palace. The very tree after which the empire was named.
"The fate of the direct descendants of the Imperial Family is intertwined with the future of the empire. Thus, princes receive a prophecy even before they're born."
Given that Dusk Bringar was a Duchess of Bringar, which was once friendly with the empire, she was well-versed in the customs of the empire.
"This prophecy determines their middle name."
"I see..."
I had wondered about the origins of the middle names of the imperial family, so it came from predictions made by that black thorn tree.
"I was also present at that prophecy ceremony. At Emperor Traha's request, I gazed into the future of Everblack with him."
She casually mentioned Emperor Traha 'Peacemaker' Everblack.
It seemed that before their countries grew apart, they had a cordial relationship. After all, considering age and rank, Dusk Bringar held a higher position. To the emperor, she could be like a distant aunt.
"Anyway, what was the future you saw?"
"Traha saw three sons as his successors."
I was genuinely surprised. I had assumed such a future prophecy would be as vague as weather forecasting, but it was spot on, right down to the number of children.
"The first son's personality was predicted to be too warm-hearted and generous, leading him to face hardships, while the second son's nature was foreseen as too cold, causing problems," Everblack had prophesied.
"Wow, that's some impressive accuracy."
If that thorn tree was a fortune teller in Korea, it would have made a fortune.
Dusk Bringar chuckled lightly. "That's why Traha named his two sons in opposition to the prophecy."
"Huh?"
"Exactly that. He gave them middle names opposite to their prophecies."
To the warm-hearted Lark, he gave the name 'Avalanche', and to the cold-natured Fernandez, he assigned 'Ember Keeper'.
Perhaps in hopes of them compromising and balancing each other's inherent destinies.
I sighed heavily, amazed. "That's intriguing."
Though I'm not a fatalist, such stories always fascinated me.
"So, in reality, Lark is 'Ember Keeper' and Fernandez is 'Avalanche'...?"
"Well, the middle name is at the emperor's discretion after all."
Dusk Bringar folded her arms and let out a light sigh.
"As I hear of Lark and Fernandez, I'm reminded of an event from decades ago..."
A sudden chill ran down my neck.
Winter was approaching. Perhaps it would snow soon.
After hearing the story of their middle names, I had such a thought.
So, the upcoming winter storm, the avalanche that would befall this empire...
Would it be Lark or Fernandez?
Who truly embodies this winter's spirit?
"...Um, Duchess," I timidly approached Dusk Bringar, poking her side with my elbow. "What prophecy did the third child, like me, receive?"
"Huh?"
"I'm curious about the fate that led to my middle name."
Born Hater?
What horrific prophecy had been seen that this adorable youngest child received such a name?
Curiosity had me poking her side, but Dusk Bringar diverted the topic with a cough.
"...I can't remember."
"What?! How is that possible? You remember the other two but not me?!"
"To be fair, Lark and Fernandez are considered geniuses in the history of the Everblack royal family. You, on the other hand, have been a bit of a troublemaker since you were young. Compared to your brothers, you weren't as... noteworthy."
Dusk Bringar pointedly remarked on my mischievous, rogue-like upbringing. Seeing my hurt expression, she cleared her throat again, looking slightly awkward.
"So, it seems I've forgotten. Please understand."
"That's just mean... leaving me in suspense..."
As I grumbled, another question popped into my mind.
Moving to Dusk Bringar's other side, I poked her opposite side with my elbow, making her jump.
"Stop that! Just ask verbally! Why the constant poking?"
"It's just a friendly gesture... Anyway, I've been wondering."
It had been on my mind from the start.
"Why is Your Grace named Dusk Bringar?"
How could a person's name be Dusk Bringar?
I wasn't mocking... I genuinely wanted to know.
The young duchess before me bore the same name as one of her distant ancestors.
It was the name of the legendary Red Dragon, the guardian dragon of the Empire and the last Fire Dragon. Hundreds of years ago, this dragon married an emperor of the Empire and birthed the first Duke of Bringar. This dragon's name was none other than Dusk Bringar.
She was the same dragon who stopped the world-turning serpent Jormungand and protected the Empire.
Dusk Bringar had inherited that very name. For what reason? Was it like being named Jupiter Junior?
"..."
At this, Dusk Bringar only looked up at me. Why was she looking at me like that? Had I asked something offensive?
"...Ash, you've earned the right."
"Excuse me? The right?"
What was she talking about? We were discussing names.
"You've taken in my followers and, as promised, you've successfully fended off Lark and... his pursuit troops. Rejected by all other alliances and abandoned by the world, you welcomed us. You've already won my faith."
"Well... Haha. Thank you for your kind words."
But why did the topic shift from a simple question about her name!
"...However, it's not yet time."
"Excuse me?"
"I want to observe a bit longer to decide if you truly deserve to know the meaning behind my name."
Slowly removing her gaze from me, Dusk Bringar whispered softly.
"When the time is right, I will reveal the meaning of my name to you."
"Uh... Okay."
I hadn't expected such a weighty response to a light-hearted question.
Feeling a little awkward, I scratched the back of my head.
Seems like names hold deep meanings in this part of the world. They inscribed destinies in middle names and bore names with meanings too profound to share.
"Now, enough about names!"
Dusk Bringar, back to her playful demeanor, grinned, showing off her sharp teeth.
"You did great today, Ash. I'll trust your word even more from now on."
Seeing as Lark and the Imperial Army's First Division retreated without a fight, her biggest concern seemed to have been alleviated. She looked visibly relieved.
I returned her smile.
"I'll keep a close watch on the Western Front and the Imperial Capital's movements. You can relax and spend your winter here."
"Yes, thank you very much."
With a smile, Dusk Bringar bowed slightly in gratitude, then led her knights out of the mansion.
I watched her head north before turning my gaze westward. Lark had disappeared without a trace.
The world was now in turmoil.
All I could do was run desperately alongside a crumbling cliff.
***
"..."
Heading to the refugee camp outside the North Gate, Dusk Bringar was deep in thought.
In truth, she remembered very clearly.
The destined fate of the third prince of the Imperial family.
The curse-like prophecy that the Black Ever Tree had spoken to the emperor.
- Your third son will tear the Empire to shreds and bring about its downfall.
- Yet at the same time, your third son will ensure the Empire's prosperity for all eternity.