༺ The Soaring Hawk (1) ༻
Enjoying a cup of tea alone in the club room was a simple pleasure. Drinking with Marghetta was nice, but being alone sometimes wasn’t so bad either.
Actually, I didn’t go because Marghetta mentioned that she’d be busy today.
‘It’s peaceful.’
There was an old saying in the world I lived in before this world:
“Every thundercloud has a silver lining.”
It meant that good things often followed bad ones and that life wasn’t just a series of misfortunes. What a beautiful saying. After all my struggles, I deserved this little bit of happiness.
Unfortunately, the opposite was also true. A disaster often followed a stroke of good luck. Hoping for only good things to happen was morally questionable. Happiness isn’t unlimited, after all.
And so, I trusted my own luck.
‘It’s about time for something to happen.’
My luck had been at rock bottom, so I’m pretty certain something will happen anytime soon. Anyway, wasn’t bad luck still luck? Knowing that I was somehow doomed to be unhappy made me feel strangely at peace. Darn it.
Luckily, things inside the academy, or more precisely, within the club, were extremely peaceful. I didn’t need to worry about any trouble here. The problem was that just because it was quiet inside didn’t mean that the outside world was quiet, too.
In the original story, two of the groups that were supposed to destroy the academy had already shown up. It was only a matter of time before the other three made their move.
‘Please just disappear.’
Louise managed to reject all the members, causing the original story to go up in flames. I didn’t know the details, but could there really be a romance novel where all the male leads were turned down? So, it was very likely that the original story collapsed.
The original collapsed due to the heartbreak of five men. Thus, it should only be fair for the five villain organizations to disappear along with it.
‘Having to bring down two organizations should’ve been enough.’
I felt somewhat wronged. It wasn’t like I planned to defeat all five of them. I had already managed to get rid of two of them by myself in half a year. Hoping for the remaining three organizations to stay quiet was just my small wish.
But even that small wish seemed unlikely to come true. Well, it was unrealistic to expect the crazed terrorists to suddenly become gentlemen and say, ‘Oh dear, you seem heartbroken. We’ll leave you be.’
‘Damn it.’
While the romance part in this romance fantasy had utterly collapsed, the annoying fantasy part was still going strong, and even more so now. It was as if it had taken over the romance’s spot and was using it to its full potential.
A sigh escaped me as I glanced at the communication crystal on my desk. A message from the Information Department’s Executive Manager read:
The Dove faction within the Five Pillars has fallen. Expect more aggressive actions in the future.
– Information Department’s Executive Manager
This message arrived out of the blue yesterday. It felt as if it was just the other day when I heard that the Five Pillars was the one that was the most quiet among the three remaining organizations.
‘Damn it.’
It felt dreadful every time I read it. The fall of the Dove faction was a clear sign that trouble was brewing.
‘Weaklings.’
Just because they were named ‘Doves’ didn’t mean they should be as helpless as actual doves. With their fall, the remaining organizations would become uncontrollable.
I ran my hand through my face several times, overwhelmed with complex emotions. What was once a controllable and quiet group had suddenly become a threat, not just in my eyes but in the eyes of the empire as well.
‘What should I do?’
Seriously. What was I supposed to do now?
It’s a real headache. Until now, the empire has been anonymously funding the Five Pillars. From the empire’s perspective, the stronger the Five Pillars, who were opposing the United Kingdom of Yuben, the fewer potential competitors the empire had to face.
The issue was that the Dove faction was the recipient of this funding. Supporting the more aggressive Hawk faction and then watching them implode due to their foolishness would mean just throwing money away. But who could have foreseen the fall of the Dove faction?
— I’ve never raised a hawk before. It seems it will take a long time to prepare. Haha, pigeons only know how to eat and are of no help.”
I quickly contacted the Minister of Foreign Affairs after receiving the Information Department’s Executive Manager’s message, and he greeted me with a look of resignation.
The Dove faction, which the empire had been supporting for decades, fell from grace during his tenure. The thought of facing the Emperor’s criticism must be making him dizzy.
But there was something else that was driving the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the edge.
“Hawks are hawks for a reason. I’m worried they might fly away before we can tame them.”
“I agree. They are notoriously wild.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs was losing what little hair he had left over the same concerns I had.
The empire wouldn’t have ignored the Hawk faction without reason. It seemed obvious that they would be like an eight-cylinder engine that would come crashing into a wall and explode if they took the lead.
Then, the empire would lose its shackles on the United Kingdom of Yuben, and we’d likely get entangled in the Hawk faction’s destructive plans for the academy.
‘But we can’t just strike them down unilaterally.’
The Five Pillars were tricky to mess with. They weren’t a mere rebel group like the Third Honor, nor did they attract continental-level aggro like the Twilight Cult.
They weren’t unconventional like the 5th Empire, nor uncompromising like the Red Wave.
For one, the Five Pillars had a significant presence within the United Kingdom of Yuben. They were practically in the position of the main opposition party in politics. That was why they couldn’t be easily struck down like other groups.
Moreover, the fact that the Five Pillars bind the United Kingdom of Yuben wouldn’t change even if the Hawk faction took control of the Five Pillars. From the empire’s standpoint, it’s impossible to take them down with our own hands. It’s a terribly tangled situation.
— It’s still quiet. I guess the hawks are tired from hunting the doves.
“That’s a relief.”
— But who knows when they’ll regain their strength? You should be careful, too. Those hawks are particularly vicious.
“Yes, sir. I’ll keep that in mind.”
I recalled my conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs as I fiddled with the communication crystal.
It seems the Dove faction wasn’t completely incompetent. If they couldn’t even stir after taking so much money, then they wouldn’t be worth considering as humans.
For now, the Hawk faction seems to have exhausted itself purging the Dove faction and isn’t immediately causing trouble. That’s a relief, to some extent.
‘Maybe it’s because of Lather.’
The Minister of Foreign Affairs’s warning about the Hawk faction’s potential explosion was probably because of Lather. It seems they’ve gathered whatever information they could on the Hawk faction to predict their next move.
What type of approach would the recuperated Hawk faction take with Lather? A fiery terror attack? Or an attempt at persuasion?
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Not knowing anything doesn’t help at all. Damn it, look at the trouble I’m in because of those pigeon bastards.
I hate the Dove faction for causing this mess. I wouldn’t have had to worry about this if only they hadn’t fallen from grace. Damn them, I’ve always preferred hawks over pigeons.
‘…I should just wait.’
If the Hawk faction resumed activity, either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Intelligence would tip me off. There was no use in wasting my energy to worry; I should just save my breath and wait.
***
After much thought, I decided not to meet Carl today. It was a painfully sad decision, but it was necessary for mine, Carl’s, and young lady Louise’s future.
‘I need to be certain.’
I bit my lip gently. It was frustrating that such things were happening even though Carl and I weren’t engaged yet.
But what could I do? A good man in my eyes was likely a good man in others’ eyes too. It was understandable. After all, it was something I was prepared for.
Even father had multiple wives, so it was only reasonable for Carl to do the same. After all, the Gold Duke had twelve wives. If Carl wished to have other wives besides me, I was willing to respect his decision. What mattered most was Carl’s heart.
‘But the first place is mine.’
But while I understand the concept of having several wives, I cannot accept being second to anyone. Even if Carl desired Lady Louise, I have no intention of giving up my first place.
I was the first. I was the first to like Carl, the first to show my heart to him, and the first he confided to about his past.
This ‘first’ was something I could never compromise on.
‘It doesn’t seem like she’s coveting it.’
Fortunately, it didn’t seem like Lady Louise was after my place.
From what I’ve observed, it’s clear that she harbored feelings for Carl. But that was as far as it went. She hadn’t even confessed her feelings to Carl yet.
If she had, Carl would have shown some kind of reaction. He would have told me the truth, or, at the very least, given some indication through his behavior or silence.
“It’s nothing much.”
Carl spoke of his matter with Lady Louise as if it was just an insignificant event. Carl wouldn’t lie to me, so it must have been nothing serious.
In that case, I could afford to be generous. If Lady Louise was being considerate of my feelings and was restraining herself, then I’d be willing to accept that.
Seeing how she rejected the princes and nobles involved made it clear that her feelings for Carl were genuine. Besides, Lady Louise seemed to have a good nature and was neither rude nor disrespectful.
‘I still don’t know for sure.’
Of course, my assumption that Lady Louise was restraining herself was just that – an assumption.
She might be coveting my place without Carl noticing. My knowledge was secondhand since it came from Carl and not from my direct observation, so I need to verify it myself.
That was why I sacrificed my precious time with Carl and took action myself. Clinging to the present might cost me the future forever.
‘A Valenti must act swiftly.’
Decisions must be made carefully, but actions must be swift.
Like a hawk diving from the sky, and like the red hawk that symbolized the Valenti family.
That was the lesson father taught me.
Following that teaching, I decided to find out Lady Louise’s true intentions myself.
If, and just if, she was eyeing my first place…
‘I’m not sure how I might react.’
I definitely won’t let it slide. I swear to my family’s honor that I will shatter it.
Anyone who dared to covet what belonged to me, Marghetta, would never be forgiven.
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