Chapter 64 - Covered in Ashes (8)
After Marie began living with the House Krieger, a few small changes took place.
First, a little space was set up for Marie in the living room.
The long sofa where Robert and Ernest used to sit side by side when he visited was now pushed snugly against a corner of the wall with its back turned to the room.
Haires had arranged it that way so Marie wouldn't need to feel self-conscious about being watched when she slept on the sofa—his own subtle gesture of consideration.
Marie also now had a permanent seat at the dining table, and getting meals ready or washing up afterward took a bit more work than before.
"You really are good at sewing."
"..."
Another change was that Marie began handling things like sewing buttons back onto shirts or mending small tears in clothing.
For the first three days, Marie did nothing but eat and sleep—her body was so depleted that she physically couldn't do anything else.
Even after that, before she'd fully regained her strength, this small and skinny girl kept trying to find ways to make herself useful, and she quickly noticed that a button on Ernest's shirt was coming loose. Marie made it her mission to refill this household role and succeeded in firmly establishing a job for herself at home.
Both Haires and Ernest were capable of handling most household chores, but neither of them was particularly skilled at mending clothes. It was easier just to pay a neighbor or a merchant nearby to get the work done. They could simply take the clothes out to be fixed and didn't need to invite anyone else into their house.
Now, Marie was taking care of not just Ernest's clothes, but Haires's as well.
In fact, she tried to tackle anything she could do—no matter how small—whether she was asked to or not, always looking for ways to help out with cleaning and washing dishes.
Having had to do absolutely everything she could to avoid being abandoned by her parents or sold as a slave before she entered the Military Academy at ten, this felt like the most natural thing in the world for Marie.
Haires didn't say much to her about any of this.
He acted as if she didn't exist.
All he did was prepare Marie's meals.
So, any problems that came up with Marie were left for Ernest to worry about and solve.
"Should we buy some clothes?"
"I'm fine."
"Aren't they a bit too big for you?"
"..."
Even wearing Ernest's childhood clothes, which were much too loose, Marie had to roll up her pants several times and fold back the sleeves of her shirt.
It wasn't much of a problem if she was just lounging around, but when she did chores around the house, the clothes kept sliding down and it was a real hassle.
"…Can I cut them?"
"Wouldn't it be better to just get new ones?"
"Mm… If I'm allowed to cut them, I'll handle it myself."
"It's not like I'll ever need to wear them again, so I guess it's fine…"
Already staying as a guest at House Krieger, Marie didn't feel she could accept new clothes.
With Ernest's permission, she altered his old childhood clothes herself.
Marie had never properly learned how to tailor clothes, to be honest, it turned out pretty messy.
But since it was something she wanted to do, and not something she did simply out of necessity but also for her own enjoyment, Ernest didn't try to stop her.
Marie took all the clothes that Ernest had outgrown—cutting, tearing, and sewing them back together to make clothes for herself.
Even though Ernest's clothes looked simple on the outside, they were actually of very high quality, so what Marie was doing was, in fact, causing far greater financial loss than she realized.
However, Haires left Marie alone.
House Krieger was not so poor that they needed to resell Ernest's old clothes.
Marie, whose face was usually as pale as a corpse, would flush bright red and sweat profusely as she focused on taking apart and reassembling the clothes. Since she was doing something she liked, she put her all into it without anyone telling her to, and she also studied diligently. Before long, Marie became quite competent at mending clothes.
Ernest did watch Marie closely but did not interfere much.
He usually studied at home, spent time with friends, and, when there was no snow, rode horses with Haires across the fields near Grimman.
It was just an ordinary, everyday routine.
Marie's presence hadn't changed things much.
"You… can't read?"
"No…"
But one day, Ernest realized he needed to get more involved with Marie, when he discovered she was having trouble reading, and that when it came to writing, all she could do was sign her name.
For Ernest, who had already been able to read children's books with simple vocabulary by age five, this was a tremendous shock.
Marie had grown up without any form of education until she was ten years old.
Even in the Military Academy, Fiders focused on making them into useful tools, so the education there was purposely limited to prevent them from growing up able to think and judge matters for themselves.
The only reason Marie could write her own name was because she had to be able to sign documents as instructed.
"Starting today, I'm going to teach you how to read and write."
"Why"
"..."
Ernest felt utterly lost as to how he could possibly convince Marie of the need to learn to read and write, when she didn't even understand why it was necessary.
Just to be sure, he tried a few simple tests. He found out not only did Marie struggle to count numbers higher than her fingers, but she also understood the world not through logic and science, but rather through superstitions about fairies and gods. That's when Ernest realized just how serious the situation was.
Marie was, in the most literal sense, ignorant. Aside from the housework she'd done to avoid being abandoned by her parents, the way she'd learned to handle the Balt, and the most basic military tactics, she knew practically nothing!
"Hey! Ernest! Let's go play!"
"No. I'm busy."
"Busy with what?"
"Studying."
"What? Studying? Quit messing around and come out!"
"No!"
As usual, Robert had come to House Krieger to play with Ernest, but he couldn't help being surprised. He already knew that Ernest was a studious person, but Ernest had never snapped at him like that before.
"Robert, you should study too."
"No way! We promised we'd play today in the first place!"
Ernest had no intention of simply letting Robert leave.
Robert was standing in front of Ernest's room window, begging him to come out and play, when Ernest silently opened the door, grabbed him, and dragged him into House Krieger.
"...Hello, Marie."
"...Oh, hi."
Seeing Marie's ghostly pale face as she clumsily scratched out letters with a quill pen, Robert quickly grasped the situation. Having seen illiterate Marie, Ernest apparently felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of duty and now set his sights on Robert as well, pulling him into his grand educational plan.
Looking back, Ernest had been like this from the very beginning. Since the first day they met, he'd told Robert to study—more than a few times. So, while tiny-handed Marie kept scribbling and trying to remember her letters, Robert ended up sitting right next to her, forced to study that blasted math.
Normally, Haires didn't get too involved when Ernest was studying, but this time was different.
"Have something to drink while you study."
"Thank you."
"...Thank you."
"...Thank you ...Thank you."
In a rare move, Haires personally entered his son's room and served everyone warm tea. He seemed rather pleased.
From the next day on, Robert never set foot inside House Krieger again.
Even when he came by begging Ernest to come out and play, he was always ready to run away at a moment's notice, only chatting energetically in front of the window. But Marie had nowhere else to go besides House Krieger, so she couldn't escape Ernest and had to practice reading and writing every day—and had to learn arithmetic, too.
When it came to education, Ernest was as strict as his father. Thanks to that, even though Marie hadn't really wanted it, she quickly managed to leave illiteracy behind. Just being able to read and write at a basic level changes a lot. Most important of all, it meant Marie would soon escape this hellish studying and be able to sew again.
"I think you're ready for something a little harder now. Let's start grammar and rhetoric."
"...Can't I skip that?"
"No, you can't."
There was no chance. In Ernest's eyes, being able to barely read and write still counted as illiteracy.
Marie learned from Ernest, not because she saw the need, but because, considering her circumstances, she simply couldn't refuse him.
The infamous, cruel, cold-blooded Ernest Krieger dedicated himself to giving Marie a shockingly advanced education, ruthlessly cramming every sort of rare and tangled knowledge into her small, clear head—far more than it ever seemed possible for her to hold.
"If you study hard today, I'll let you do some sewing."
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"Okay. I'll work hard."
He even went so far as to push Marie's little brain to the point where her head felt feverish from all the studying, only to then declare that, after she had suffered enough mentally, he'd have her do housework to exhaust her physically as well.
If Captain Thomas Kohler, Senior Instructor at the Imperial Military Academy, had witnessed the atrocities Ernest Krieger committed against this small, scrawny girl, he would've fainted from shock and been laid up sick for days.
"You worked hard. Good. You can sew now."
"Wow!"
"But you can't do it too late. If you go to bed early, you can get up early."
"..."
Fortunately, the amount of physical labor Marie was assigned was not very great. She only had to work for a short time after dinner and before bed, after which she could sleep peacefully.
"Marie. You promised to go to bed early."
"..."
"At night, I'm confiscating your needles and cloth."
"No way…"
"You're going to sleep anyway, so why do you need them?"
"..."
"Right? You don't need them, do you?"
"But… but still…"
"If you can convince me with logic, go ahead. Of course, seeing how you were busy doodling during rhetoric lessons, I doubt you have that ability."
"..."
But Ernest Krieger's acts of cruelty didn't end there. He ruthlessly confiscated the things Marie treasured most, then mocked and belittled her, saying she'd have to obey him if she wanted them back.
In the end, poor Marie had no choice but to do as Ernest said: she went to bed early, woke up early, and spent her days subjected to relentless mental torture from the crack of dawn.
What was even more appalling was that, after enough of Ernest's nagging and brainwashing, Marie became obsessed with her rhetoric studies—a form of inhumane torture—clinging to the faint, futile hope that she would one day be able to persuade Ernest with words.
So eventually, Marie was sleeping well, eating well, studying properly, and even getting to rest rather than being burdened with hard housework. The pale, skinny girl—who once looked as if her legs might snap just from walking—gradually regained some color in her face, and though she hadn't gained much, she put on a bit of weight and now appeared rather healthy.
"Shall we go to the forest?"
"Yes!"
And when Marie was healthy enough, Haires decided that, for the first time in a while, he would go camping in the forest with his son.
"Marie will go with us too, so please get her things ready."
"Are you sure it's okay?"
"We can't just leave her home alone."
"Okay! Marie, we're going to the forest. There's a lot you'll need, so let's hurry up and get ready."
"O-okay…"
Haires had decided to bring Marie along to the forest as well. It wasn't just that he couldn't trust an outsider alone in their precious home, but also, considering Marie's dependency issues, forcing her to be separated from Ernest now would obviously backfire. It was better to spend more time together and help her find a sense of security on her own.
"Ernest! Today, it's do-or-die! Is it studying or me? Make a choice! You're not going to say studying is more important than your friend, right? Huh?"
Just then, Robert showed up. Ernest looked at his father, and Haires gave a nod of approval.
"Robert! Come with us to the forest!"
Robert, who had been calling out enthusiastically to the window of Ernest's room, was startled when Ernest actually opened the door and came out, and immediately tried to run away.
"No! ... Wait, what, we're not studying?"
Robert, who had thought Ernest was dragging him inside to force him to study, paused in the middle of his escape and looked back, startled.
"That's right. Not studying—let's go to the forest. We'll hunt, camp out, it'll be fun."
"Hmmm…"
Robert stuck out his lips and thoughtfully rubbed his smooth chin.
"So, you're saying we're going to wander a snowy forest in the freezing winter, go hunting, and even spend the night out there?"
"That's right."
"That's absolutely insane. Who would want to do something like that? It'll be freezing, exhausting, and miserable."
"So?"
"Let's do it right now. Wow! I've never been hunting before! Never been camping either! And in winter, no less! This is going to be awesome!"
As if he had never tried to run away in the first place, Robert came barreling breathlessly into House Krieger.
"Hello! Mr. Krieger! Good morning!"
"Yes, good morning to you too."
"Hi, Marie! Good morning!"
"Um…"
Unlike Robert, who was thrilled at the idea of hunting and camping in the winter forest, Marie only felt bewildered by all of this. She knew all too well how harsh the winter forest could be. Right now, all Marie felt was fear. The memories of the cold and hunger she had endured before coming to House Krieger made her head spin.
But Marie simply couldn't bring herself to say she didn't want to go. Lord Haires, the head of House Krieger, had said they would go—how could Marie possibly refuse?
Since arriving at House Krieger, Marie hadn't stepped outside even once.
Even when Robert invited her out to play, she had always refused.
She was far too frightened to set foot beyond the house. She felt certain that if she walked out just once, she would never be able to return. Certain she would end up suffering from the cold and hunger all over again—and die alone on some frigid street.
"It's cold, so you have to dress warmly. Oh, but never mind the clothes—you don't even have any shoes to wear."
"Shoes… I do have some…"
"You can't wear those. Your feet will freeze."
"So what am I supposed to do?"
"If you wore those shoes out into the snowy winter forest, it wouldn't end well for you either."
"Ernest, while you're at it, take Marie and buy her some proper clothes and shoes. Here, I've put plenty of money in."
"Yes, sir! Marie, get ready to go out."
"Uh, okay…"
"Robert, do you want to come along too?"
"Yeah!"
Swept along by the excited Ernest—who was looking forward to camping in the forest after so long—and the overly cheerful Robert, Marie came to her senses only to find herself already outside the house. She hardly had a moment to feel her old fear of the outside. With Robert chattering nonstop and asking endless questions in his excitement, and Ernest just as riled up and talking about everything under the sun, Marie felt completely overwhelmed.
Before she knew it, she was trudging along the street after Ernest and Robert, bundled up in thick fur clothing, boots, and a hat.
Now that she looked, Robert was dressed exactly the same way.
"…."
Marie's mind was blank; she couldn't think at all.
She had no idea how any of this had even happened.
When they returned to House Krieger, Haires had already finished preparing to leave.
As soon as Ernest changed his clothes and came out, they were ready to head out for the winter forest camping trip—which had become something of an annual tradition for House Krieger...
"Oh, I should tell Father."
"We'll stop by on the way."
"Sorry…"
...but they couldn't leave right away.
Robert had forgotten to tell his family about this sudden trip.
Since it was a bit far to stop by Jimman's mansion or the main store, they decided to pass their message through the Oliver Trading Company's branch store instead.
***
"So, just please let my parents know."
"Uh... Aren't you going to get permission? You're just going like this?"
"Yes!"
"No, wait! Young Master!"
They really were just passing on a message—nothing more.
Permission?
There was always forgiveness after the fact; why bother asking for permission?
That kind of thinking was for over-diligent types like Ernest.
"Is this really okay?"
"Hm? What is?"
"Nothing..."
"Let's go already!"
Anyway, the message had been delivered, so that was enough. Next, they headed to the stable to get their horses so they could make their way to the forest. Since House Krieger didn't own a mansion with its own stable, they paid to keep their horses at a local stable.
"Wow! Drek! It hasn't been that long, but I missed you so much!"
Robert, already hyped up at the thought of camping out in the winter forest, greeted Drek as if it had been ages since they'd last seen each other—even though he had seen the horse just a few days ago. Drek nudged Robert with his head as Robert ran to him, petting and hugging him enthusiastically. He seemed to be saying, "Alright, alright, I get it—enough already."
But before long, Robert fell completely silent.
He had no choice—he was riding together with Haires, sitting behind him with his arms wrapped around Haires's waist. Flapping his mouth and goofing around was hardly an option; Haires was just too intimidating.
"..."
"..."
Haires was not a man of many words.
Naturally, not a single word passed between the two of them.
Robert was riding with Haires, while Marie rode Drek together with Ernest.
Since Drek was a smaller horse, it would have been difficult for both Ernest and Robert to ride him at the same time.
Marie was clinging to Ernest almost desperately.
She had no choice—she'd never ridden a horse before.
"W-where are we, g-going?"
Although Drek was moving carefully, Marie couldn't find her rhythm and even speaking was difficult for her.
"To the forest where the mock battle training takes place."
"...."
"We're not heading to the regular training ground. We're taking a roundabout route to a spot much farther out."
As Marie's arms tightened anxiously around his waist, Ernest added an explanation. In the past, they hadn't even realized that mock battle training was held in that forest. It was probably because Haires had scheduled everything so discreetly.
Of all the forests near Grimman, none were better suited for camping than this one.
First, it was close enough to respond quickly in case of an emergency.
If anything happened, they could be back in the city in no time on horseback.
Second, the Military Academy managed the forest and had wiped out all the dangerous predators like wolves and bears, making it extremely safe.
After all, they couldn't risk cadets getting attacked or killed during training.
It was a forest free of wild beasts. Naturally, all sorts of herbivores had flocked to the area, their numbers booming.
Without human hunting, their population couldn't be controlled, so hunting was permitted here.
Originally, all land near Grimman—especially the mountains and forests—was strictly managed as property of the Imperial Family. However, areas used for special purposes like this were open to citizens.
"Have you ever been hunting before?"
"No."
"Then this will be your first time."
"..."
Marie had never even imagined that she would go hunting, so she didn't know how to react.
Anyway, they arrived at the forest.
Haires and Ernest entered via an old, unofficial path they'd used together for years and began to set up camp at a familiar spot.
First, they shoveled away all the snow, then used a pickaxe to break up and dig a bit into the hard, frozen ground—this would be the space for their fire.
Next, they set up poles and started stretching the fabric for their tent over them.
"Hold that tight."
"I am holding it."
"Tighter."
"Ah!"
"Marie, help Robert, would you?"
"O-okay!"
Even setting up the tent was a job in itself.
If Haires and Ernest had done it together, they would have set up the tent in no time, but Haires left the task to the children and went deeper into the forest to gather firewood.
"Robert, I'm serious—you're really useless."
"Hey."
"Marie may not be strong, but she's much better with her hands."
"..."
Robert really was no help at all.
To properly set up a tent, you needed to pull the fabric tight and anchor it evenly to the stakes, but Robert's tent, much like his own personality, ended up loose and all over the place.
In the end, Robert's job became lending Marie the strength she didn't have beside her. Marie, following Ernest's instructions, put the tent together with careful precision. She actually found the work rather enjoyable.
"Not bad—you did a great job."
"Robert wasn't much help, though."
"Hey! I tried my best!"
"Trying your best isn't enough. You have to do it well."
"Let's eat first."
Outside the tent, Haires skillfully started the fire. Meanwhile, Ernest carried the firewood inside the tent and stacked it neatly in the pit they had dug. Haires brought over the fire, and as soon as he lit it, a splendid campfire blazed to life.
"Wow…"
"Whew…"
Robert and Marie were both impressed by the campfire burning inside the tent.
Even though it was freezing inside the tent—only protected from the wind—it became surprisingly warm once the fire was going.
Now, it was almost too hot.
"Why are you putting stones in there?"
Robert looked on curiously as Ernest placed stones in the campfire.
"Heated stones are useful for a lot of things. You can use them to boil water or line the floor to block out the cold."
"Ah, I see."
"And most importantly, if you're making a fire inside the tent, you need to make sure there's good ventilation."
"Why? Won't that make it cold?"
"If you don't, you'll die."
"..."
As the fire burned the logs, not only did it give off visible smoke, but also invisible fumes. In the past, people blamed the deaths on superstitions about fire spirits and the like, but now it's known that the invisible fumes can kill you.
"The tent feels a bit cramped, doesn't it?"
"It does."
The tent was spacious enough for just Haires and Ernest, but with Robert and Marie inside as well, it felt a little tight.
Of course, it wasn't so crowded that they needed to kick someone out.
Haires simply thought that he should buy a slightly bigger tent next time.
"Let's start with lunch. Go ahead."
"Yes, sir."
Once again, Haires didn't cook himself but had the children do it.
Ernest remembered everything he had done with his father as a child.
"Robert, this is the only way you can really help us all."
"..."
"Just watch."
"This is so unfair!"
"What you did was even worse."
Robert did his best to follow Ernest's instructions. But after spilling flour, dropping meat on the ground while trying to cut it, and nearly knocking over the whole pot and ruining all the food, he ended up sulking in the corner of the tent, grumbling to himself.
On the other hand, Marie, who had mastered household chores from a young age trying to avoid being abandoned or sold into slavery, knew exactly what needed to be done even before Ernest asked.
"If someone can't do something, you should help them get better, not just tell them to step aside, isn't that too harsh?"
"That may be true, but at least for now, I don't want to ruin this precious meal, Robert."
"No, all the more because it's precious, you should teach me harder! That way, I won't make mistakes next time!"
"There's no rush—Ernest just wants to make sure this meal goes well. He can always teach you when we have more time."
"It's exactly when things are urgent that you learn the most. Since this meal is precious, it's the perfect chance for me to grow, right?"
"Well…"
Robert's social skills were truly remarkable.
While Ernest and Marie were setting up lunch, he had already plopped down next to Haires and was chatting away enthusiastically.
This left Haires a bit bewildered.
In the past fifteen years, aside from his son Ernest, not a single person had spoken to him in such a friendly and casual way.
And yet here was this young boy, completely unafraid, chatting his ear off.
Robert was definitely the type who, even if tossed naked onto the street, would somehow end up a welcome guest in a fancy mansion within three days.
Lunch was ready in no time.
The stew, thickened with flour, was hearty and full of meat and vegetables, and with a generous serving of big bread to share, their stomachs were more than satisfied.
At times like this, there's nothing better than stew: it's easy to make, still tastes good even if thrown together carelessly, and the warmth drives away the cold.
"Let's go hunting now."
"Wow! Hunting!"
With their meal finished, it was time to hunt.
Ernest pulled out the tools for making traps from the pack and handed them to Robert, then gathered up guns, bullets, and powder before stepping outside the tent.
The two boys headed out first, and Marie began to follow them.
"Marie."
At that moment, Haires quietly called Marie's name in a low voice.
Startled, Marie turned to look at him cautiously.
Haires usually acted as if Marie didn't even exist, and it was almost unheard of for him to speak to her first.
Having grown up constantly on edge and reading the room, Marie knew all too well just how indifferent Haires was toward her.
For a moment, Haires gazed into Marie's anxious eyes in silence, then took a thin plate from his jacket and handed it to her.
Marie carefully accepted the yellowish plate with both hands.
"..."
And the instant her hands made contact with the plate, Marie jumped in surprise and looked up at Haires, her eyes wide.
A Balt Battery.
Although even the lowest-grade Balt Battery contained only a small amount of stored Balt, it was hardly the kind of object one would waste on something trivial like lighting.
For a skilled Baltracher, a single thin Balt Battery like this would be more than enough to kill ten people with ease.
"If anything happens, protect Ernest. …And Robert, too."
Haires spoke with a firm tone he rarely showed to his son—unmistakably the voice of a soldier giving orders to another soldier.
"Yes."
And so, as a Baltracher Cadet of the Empire, Marie Fiders did not dare to defy that order.
She tucked the Balt Battery straight into her clothing.
The cold battery slipped inside Marie's shirt and touched her bare skin.
Thanks to her shirt being tucked into her pants, the battery pressed tightly against her stomach. She shivered for a moment at the chill, but showed no further reaction.
Haires nodded, and Marie immediately stepped outside the tent. Haires followed her out.
It had all happened so quickly, and with Robert distracting Ernest's attention—and Ernest himself in such high spirits—he didn't notice any of it.
"I'll gather a bit more firewood and keep watch over the horses."
Once again, Haires sent the children out hunting on their own. Normally, whenever they went hunting, Haires always accompanied them, so Ernest couldn't help but feel a little taken aback.
"Are you sure it's okay for us to go by ourselves?"
"Yes. You're not little kids anymore."
But when Haires said this, Ernest broke into a broad smile, thinking his father was finally recognizing him as an adult.
A new year would soon arrive. Ernest, who had been born in spring, would soon turn fifteen. At fifteen, he'd be considered a full adult.
"All right. We'll bring back something from the hunt."
"I won't be disappointed if you come back empty-handed."
No one should expect to succeed on their very first hunt. First, you have to get a feel for the land—see if there's any game around and figure out their trails. Ernest understood that, but he was too excited to say anything else.
With Robert and Marie at his side, Ernest stepped into the snowy forest.
"..."
"..."
Walking at the very back, Marie glanced over her shoulder cautiously and met Haires' eyes.
She hesitated for a moment before hurrying after Ernest and Robert with quick, small steps.
Left alone at the camp, Haires quietly watched the children as they disappeared into the forest, his gaze lingering on Ernest's retreating figure.
Once the trees hid them from view, he slowly closed his eyes.
Yes, Ernest is growing up.
He won't remain a child who needs to stay by my side forever.
Realizing this simple truth anew, Haires let out a long sigh.