H2: Heinkel's Change
"Where is this?"
Heinkel stared at the familiar yet strange ceiling, pausing before he realized he had left the royal capital and returned home. He got up and walked toward the door but stopped mid-motion. For some reason, he thought of the admiring gazes everyone in the mansion had for him. Heinkel then walked to the window and looked out at the royal guards diligently training.
"What an idiot!"
Heinkel rubbed his rough chin in frustration. Yet again, he stopped at the door, scratched his head irritably, and finally walked over to the dressing table.
"Should I go see Louanna, or should I tidy up first?"
Heinkel picked up a brand-new razor from the table.
The wildly overgrown beard vanished from Heinkel's face, and his messy hair was finally combed neatly.
He put on the brand-new clothes the servants had prepared. Unknowingly, his reflection in the mirror now bore a trace of his younger self.
.
.
.
"Yo, today you actually have a bit of the noble lord's feel to you." "Felt-sama."
Heinkel awkwardly performed a knightly bow to the girl before him.
"After all, I don't want to be the reason you skip class."
"Ugh, your attitude is disgusting! And now you suddenly care about me? You left me alone here before!"
Even though Felt had mentioned those past days several times recently, Heinkel still scratched his head awkwardly at the memory.
Heinkel himself didn't understand why, a few days after finding Felt, he had quarreled with her, nearly resorting to violence. He didn't understand why he had completely abandoned Felt and returned to the royal capital, nor why he hadn't supported her when the royal selection began.
"I'm truly sorry. I think I drank too much."
The only thing Heinkel remembered clearly was that he had gotten drunk that day, which only strengthened his resolve to abstain from alcohol.
"Now the awful smell of alcohol on you has finally faded a bit…"
The two walked and chatted, mostly about trivial matters, occasionally teasing each other. They looked nothing like a noble and a knight, more like two like-minded commoners.
This conversation was one of the few moments Heinkel felt truly comfortable.
Heinkel stopped, standing silently at the door. After some unknown time, he finally opened it and walked in. He could immediately see his beloved sleeping. Carefully, Heinkel approached and gently touched her cheek with one hand.
Although he had so much he wanted to say, at this moment Heinkel found he couldn't utter a single word. His heart ached at his own helplessness and guilt.
—I will do everything I can.
Heinkel had intended to lightly kiss his beloved but stopped. He quietly stood up and left the room, only to be surprised by someone waiting at the end of the corridor.
"Is there something you need?" "Lord Wilhelm has arrived."
"Isn't this the dad who spent fourteen years completing his revenge? Has the White Whale parade ended already? So cold-hearted! I'd like to experience being the center of attention, even I deserve it, sharing this joy. Right, dad?"
"Heinkel, I…"
It's alright, it's alright. After all, I was a coward who avoided fighting the White Whale, leading to my mother's death. Even if I were told, I wouldn't dare go.
In a way, thanks to dad, the heavy burden was lifted. But now, why are you here meddling with the Astrea family you abandoned?
Heinkel's tone was full of disgust. Wilhelm's expression darkened but he still placed something on the desk.
"This is the Dragon Sword, 'Red'? I never expected to retrieve it. Why not keep it as a memento? Without your mother, it's just a sword no one can use, though even when she was alive it was hardly usable."
Wilhelm looked at Heinkel, grief in his expression. He couldn't imagine his son had fallen so far.
—All because of my mistakes.
For a moment, Wilhelm felt guilt and wanted to give up trying to reason with Heinkel. For a brief instant, he felt unworthy of teaching him. But then he saw the Dragon Sword on the desk, recalling his late wife and the responsibility he had entrusted to Subaru and Reinhard.
"Heinkel, it's been a while—let's have a duel."
"Hey, you mean to…"
The rest of his words went unsaid. Heinkel was struck by his father's gaze, so serious, so filled with care—he hadn't seen this look in a long time.
"That's enough! …"
If he were completely degenerate, Heinkel might have ignored Wilhelm. But the events of the past few days reminded him of his childhood dream of being a hero. Though muttering curses, he still stood, walking toward the training grounds.
Wilhelm took a deep breath, his eyes sharpening. He wielded his wooden sword with full force.
—So fast!
Heinkel barely blocked the strikes with his own wooden sword.
—So heavy!
The blows carried the force of a seasoned swordsman, the wooden sword nearly slipping from his hands, the pressure even hurting his palm. Heinkel instinctively stepped back, but more strikes came at him.
"Uwah~~"
Impossible, I can't block this!
Clack!
Wilhelm took advantage of a momentary lapse in Heinkel's attention. The wooden sword flew from his hands. Heinkel stared at his father, then at the sword in the distance.
—Of course, how could I ever beat dad? After all, he's…
Wilhelm silently watched Heinkel's complaint. Perhaps noticing Wilhelm's gaze, Heinkel gradually stopped, then glared fiercely, shouting:
"Say whatever you want!"
"You've lost your obsession with the sword. You've been defeated by yourself."
"Don't look at me like that! I just realized I'm a worthless man. I've faced reality. My sword can't save Louanna, I didn't have the courage to fight the White Whale, and the sword I practiced with can't even harm Marquess…"
Even though everything felt so powerless, for some reason Heinkel still felt an attachment to the sword. He looked at the sword nearby, trembling, and picked it up.
Wilhelm smiled at the sight.
"Actually… I may have found a way to save Louanna."
Heinkel grabbed Wilhelm's collar, but Wilhelm only smiled more clearly, slowly revealing the truth about the Sin Archbishop.
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