Chapter 14: Never Been Married
After meeting Miriam, I returned to my room and was greeted by an unexpected visitor.
A man with piercing hawk-like eyes, a sharp nose, a thick beard, and a muscular physique outlined beneath his clothes. I racked my brain to recall who this man was.
As soon as he saw me, the man boomed in a vigorous, energetic voice that resonated throughout the room.
“Narva! I heard you’ve been having a rough time lately? Get rid of that maid. We need to talk man to man.”
Therver orin Stregos Clerio Povius.
My second elder brother and the second son of our Povius Duchy, a true knight who commanded great martial prowess and the trust of his subordinates in defeating raiders. It was only natural that we hadn’t met, given the significant responsibilities he shouldered.
Even when only close family members gathered for a small wedding ceremony, he couldn’t attend because he was busy fighting raiders. So I had erased him from my mind, thinking there would be no reason to meet him.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fathom why this brother would be here. I nodded at Edwina, who had no choice but to be forced out.
To save time for Edwina, who would be standing outside, I decided to be upfront and ask directly with both hands raised.
“Weren’t you busy in the middle of something important?”
“Busy indeed. Those raiders scum along the coast are always busy fleeing on their ships whenever we chase them on horseback. But more urgently, I need to look after our younger brother!”
And after exchanging a few words with Therver, I learned a shocking truth. He really did come because of that. I thought something tremendous had happened for him to abandon even his responsibility of defending the coastline and come all this way.
“Brother, are you sure this is okay? Even with you there, the raiders still come, so wouldn’t it be risky for you to leave your post like this?”
“Narva… are you worried about me? You rascal, don’t be so grateful. Now you’re finally showing some manly spirit.”
I dare not ask what a ‘man’ means in Therver’s mind. Nonetheless, I couldn’t treat rudely someone who had come out of concern for me, even abandoning his duties. For a long time, I had to endure Therver’s relentless persuasion, or rather, coercion.
He was particularly shocked when I said I had chosen the path of priesthood, and the reason was astonishing.
“Narva! What do you mean joining the priesthood, that’s no talk for a noble man! Have you forgotten the oath of your childhood, to become a great knight and roam the battlefields with me, raising our family’s honor?”
“Well, that’s…”
I started to make an excuse, but then pondered it carefully. As someone who had inherited this host’s memories, I couldn’t recall ever vowing to become a knight, let alone upholding honor and chivalry as the be-all and end-all. The only memory I had was crying at the mere sight of a sword’s hilt.
Later on, I would outright hide from Therver’s promises to forge me into a great knight. Before becoming a great knight, I hadn’t even been a diligent servant. To clarify the facts, I countered.
“I don’t recall ever saying I would become a knight?”
“What weight do words carry? They’re not needed. Any noble son would vow in their heart to become a great knight!!!”
“Ah…”
Perhaps the reason the line of succession was so stable was because the second son was such a hopeless case. Therver was someone who would be beneficial to all if he simply remained a knight. He even held a peculiar conviction, making him utterly exhausting to deal with.
“I understand your worries, Narva. The vile insult yubas dealt you was enough to wound a man’s self-respect. But you mustn’t abandon your knightly dreams over something like that. As a knight of Povius, let me assure you. You have talent!”
Any noble man must become a knight and take to the battlefield. This was ingrained like the belief that the sun rises. It was impossible to persuade him otherwise. But if he insisted on prejudice, I wouldn’t back down either.
Especially after encountering the knight race during my first possession, which I had thought was a dream, I had formed an unwavering belief: the knight chivalry was utter trash that I would never want as my subordinates or comrades.
I added Therver’s name to the list of people in my mind that I would never want as subordinates or comrades. Of course, instead of saying I disliked my brother, I embellished my reasons for joining the priesthood a bit.
“From this experience, I’ve realized a lot. Above all, I feel I’ve been living too idle a life.”
“Oh, is that so? Then join me in morining training…”
“I’ve also lost my temper with the servants far too often. I think this is evidence of losing my composure. Even if you help me train, brother, I won’t have time for the kind of spiritual cultivation needed.”
“Narva, does that mean you’re thinking of joining the Knight Templar Order?”
Up to this point, Therver had been consistently negative about the priesthood. But when I mentioned the Knight Templar Order, for the first time, his attitude changed. In fact, the one who brought up the Knight Templar Order was now wide-eyed and sparkling.
I slowly nodded in affirmation.
“My initial goal is to join the local monastery and receive the monastery master’s recommendation. The Knight Templar Order doesn’t just accept anyone, after all.”
“Ah, yes. They don’t accept just anyone.”
The person who had just boasted about rigorously training me was now rambling about the strict regulations of the Knight Templar Order that I hadn’t even asked about, shrugging his shoulders.
“They don’t accept anyone without exceptional skill or a resolute spirit. If you lack either, it’s a place you can’t endure. Unlike those shoddy nobles who think they’re knights just for owning some land, only those who have tempered both body and spirit through continuous training and actual combat are allowed to gather there. It’s only natural.”
“But didn’t you just say that any noble should become a knight?”
“A noble must at least know how to ride and wield a sword! Narva, I thought you were content to live as a helpless oaf who couldn’t even properly thrust a spear like those peasant bumpkins. But to think you had your sights set on the Knight Templar Order…”
He’s crying. Not joking, he’s actually crying. Therver wiped away the welling tears with his index finger and sniffled loudly.
“I never thought you would volunteer to take on what I couldn’t do myself. Ahem, ahem!”
“Yes? Were you rejected from joining?”
Therver’s thoughts were so simple, it was almost nice. He was also an exceptional knight. The proof was complete. Therver already had a track record of countless victories in repelling the raiders pushing in from the coast.
If even someone like Therver was rejected, just how stringent were their standards? I was now experiencing the shock a high school student feels when their vague dream of attending Seoul National University crashes against reality.
Then, upon seeing my shocked reaction, Therver suddenly stopped crying. Therver turned his head slightly and started stroking his beard.
“Let me explain. Back when I was in the prime of my youth, I frequented the red-light district a bit too often, and the rumors about that eventually spread like wildfire, and that was it.”
“…”
“N-Narva. Let me explain before anyone in the family finds out. Listen closely. I was simply seeking out skilled artisans.”
This was Therver’s excuse.
Roughly, it’s the life of a knight so full of vigor that lust soars even when just sitting still. If the fiery passion ignited on the battlefield isn’t relieved, one can’t even sleep properly. Calling for one’s absent wife in this state is out of the question.
Yet whispering sweet nothings and embracing just any woman would be a betrayal of one’s wife. Therefore, he sought out experts of the flesh who uphold strict class ethics without any emotional entanglement—.
I immediately spotted the flaw in his excuse.
“How many times did you go for the Knight Templar Order to reject your admission?”
“…Three times.”
“Just three times couldn’t be enough for that.”
“Three times a day. Well, I was speaking of when I was in my prime, it’s no longer an issue now.”
Ugh. I had no choice but to cover my face, unable to listen to Therver’s excuses any further. Perhaps there was no risk of our family lineage ending after all.
…As I thought that.
Thanks to this, persuading Therver turned out to be much easier than expected. When I said I was aiming for the Knight Templar Order, he even encouraged me, his younger brother, to do whatever I wanted.
Moreover, Therver was deeply affectionate toward his family. Out of his cherishing love for his younger brother, Therver made an earnest promise to grant one request.
“Narva, no matter what happens to me, I’ll help you out once, but you must never tell anyone else, especially your sister-in-law or your nephews, understand? Absolutely never!”
“In that case, brother, please visit me once at the monastery if I send you a letter. I’ve heard there are class distinctions even within the monastery, so I’m worried about potential mistreatment amid the unsavory rumors surrounding my admission decision.”
“What, Narva… I see you’re still being cheeky. But what should obviously be done doesn’t need asking. Just send the letter, and I’ll be right there to put in their place anyone who dares insult my brother and our family!”
Yes. People can have a flaw or two. To have a brother who is so busy yet still looks after his younger sibling like this—where could you find another? This level of fraternal affection would undoubtedly place him in the top 10% of medieval times.
“But don’t rely on me too much. If you’ve chosen a difficult path, you must endure as much as you can first. Understood? This brother will be cheering you on from the battlefield whenever I get the chance.”
“Yes, brother.”
After firmly stating this, Therver abruptly left, just as he had abruptly appeared, wearing a pure, satisfied smile as an elder delighted in his younger brother’s growth.
***
From then on, it was smooth sailing. Thanks to the fact that Therver, an unexpected opponent, had a change of heart after hearing my resolve.
With the last opponent gone, there was no room for hesitation. The moment Prince Athelton announced the revocation of my inheritance rights, my family’s disownment, and that I would be sent to a monastery, the entire council of elders and vassals unanimously agreed.
yubas’s intended vehement protest was resolved by the Church pressuring him and taking my side. The bishop of Illenifut, who had not participated on yubas’s side during the Feast of Saint Illenio, stepped forward.
[Miriam orin yubas’s chastity has long been questioned, and the Church too deemed it a valid doubt, but out of pity for the child in her womb, we turned a blind eye to the injustice. However, appalled by the cruel actions of her husband Narva orin Stregos Clerio Povius who accepted Miriam, we have now resolved to protect the mother and child.]
This was the conclusion the bishop of Illenifut reached regarding this incident.
[The Church is certain that their lights were never entwined, and thus declares this marriage null and void.]
With that, my marriage record disappeared. I was no longer a twelve-year-old married boy, but had returned to being an unmarried, pure youth. It was only after receiving this news through Edwina that I could finally wear a satisfied smile.
“That’s one burden off my shoulders.”
“Are you planning to stay at the monastery for a while?”
“Well, I may not be able to remain there for long.”
“…?”
Edwina tilted her head with a questioning look. I could only respond with a bitter smile. The bishop of Illenifut clearly harbored a grudge against yubas’s side, as evidenced by his swift harsh stance the moment an opportunity arose.
But my concern lay elsewhere.
The Church in this world is similar to the religious organizations in fantasy novels. There is a bishop for each diocese, with priests beneath them—that’s where the similarities end. The reason Illenifut wields such strong influence despite being a small territory is because it’s directly under the Holy See.
The problem lies with the bishops of other dioceses. For instance, the bishops in each principality. While the bishop of yubas’s territory can be silenced by threatening decapitation, what about the other dioceses that know nothing? Even if I understand…
“It seems there may be one more enemy.”
The fact that even the bishop of our Povius Duchy remained silent felt a bit off.
