CHAPTER 555

THE CRUTCH

The atmosphere in the grand hall slowly regained its vigor as the time ticked on, though retaining a certain sense of awareness throughout, with eyes frequently glancing past the dancing platform and onto the elevated point. Their attention was drawn to but a single figure, sitting at the very center, draped in clothes so ordinary one might mistake him for the side-street beggar, surrounded in a relaxed and tranquil countenance that almost seemed like a falsified front for what really lies beneath.

Though Lino had noticed their eyes, he simply ignored them as it wasn’t anything new. Instead, he excitedly chatted with Rammraght, introducing him to various things and people inside the hall, while Hannah sat to the side, smiling faintly. Unlike with her, nobody walked up to Lino to greet him, as even with the current relaxed atmosphere, there was a sense of absolute distance, the point which they should not cross.

“… right, where is Aaria?” Lino suddenly turned to Hannah and asked.

“Honestly, I thought you’d forgotten her completely.” Hannah replied with a cheeky smile.

“… I should have forgotten you instead.”

“I very much doubt that’s physically possible, considering all the unforgettable things I’ve done to you.”

“Yeah, like crack my heart like an eggshell time and again.”

“Well, something certainly did crack like an eggshell on occasion…” she said, her smiling widening.

“I’m fairly certain Aaria is the proof that nothing was a-cracking.” Lino replied, smiling back.

“… could you two possibly shut it?” Lucky grumbled from the side, yawning and stretching. “You’ve barely been back half an hour, and yet you’ve already made me wanna kill myself eight times.”

“Weren’t you asleep?” Lino asked.

“… got me.” Lucky shrugged, taking the bottle in front of her and drinking a bit.

“… you’re awfully grumpy for someone who’s about to adopt a couple of toddlers.” Lucky gagged and spat out a mouthful of wine, coughing violently right after while Alison buried her head into her bosom, her cheeks flushing. A strange silence quickly erupted on the table, with Lino grinning at the now-fuming Lucky. “I’ve always known it, but damn, you caved in rather easily.”

“… shut it, bastard.” She took a deep breath, calming down.

“… congrats,” Lino got up and walked over, patting her head gently. “Both of you will be great moms.”

“I’ll be a father, though?” Lucky’s lips stretched into the faintest of smiles as she swatted his hand away.

“Tsk, I’ve always known you were grooming a cock under all those layers of clothes,” Lino said, returning to his seat. “Too bad it’s not functional… sigh… what a shame…”

"Alright, quit yapping," Hannah slapped him gently, barely containing her laughter. "She's right. You've barely been back half an hour, and I already want to shove an ax through your brain."

“… ah, dear Ram,” Lino sighed lamentingly, his expression of pain exaggerated as he swung his arm around Rammraght’s shoulder. "Do you see how they treat me? Their very Emperor? It's like… it's like I'm a pissed-on piece of turd to them, you know? See all the injustices I'm facing."

“…” Rammraght rolled his eyes and sighed, wholly sympathizing with everyone except for him. “When you told me you were an Emperor,” he said. “I was picturing… something else entirely.”

“Right?!” Lino exclaimed. “You were expecting at least a basic level of respect, no?!”

“… I wasn’t expecting you to be so loved by everyone,” Rammraght said, smiling helplessly at the old man's antics. If one were to distinctly remove his appearance, it'd be easy to conclude he was still a kid. "You must have done something special to this place…"

“…” Lino met the pair of shimmering eyes squarely as his lips broke out into a grin. “We’re each other’s crutches, is all,” he replied, taking a sip of the wine from the table. “I’m Emperor last, here. Titles are dead, after all; we are, on the other hand, very much alive.”

“… I’ll toast to that.” Hannah chuckled and raised her glass, and was quickly followed by the rest, even those who didn’t know what they were toasting to.

“That’s great and all, but you never told me where’s my little princess.” Lino said right after the toast, causing Hannah to sigh and roll her eyes, dispassionately pointing her finger at the hall down below and the small figure hiding inside a group of people. Lino grinned as he met the pair of starlit, smiling eyes. “Alright, spin the music.”

“… huh?” it was Hannah’s turn to nearly choke on the wine.

“What? Can’t a father dance with his daughter?”

“… shouldn’t you dance with me first?”

“Danced with you plenty.”

“We danced like three times in our lives.”

“… really?”

“Really.”

“Eh, you’re old. You have more patience.”

“… did you just call me old?”

“I’m sorry; I meant you’re enviably young.” Lino said, quickly getting off the chair, avoiding Hannah’s deathly glare. “But, seriously, tell whoever’s in charge to start the music. Firefly!” he spun and ran off, shouting and causing the hall once again to throw in a towel, turning silent. “Come ‘ere,” he signaled to Aaria as he made his way to the empty dance platform. Aaria sighed, knowing full well there was no point to resistance and made her way through, slightly embarrassed yet also excited. “Boy, you’re all grown-up now! Sheesh, looks like it’s time to marry you off…”

“… mom already made that joke.” Aaria rolled her eyes as she walked up.

“Tsk, she keeps stealing my jokes.” Lino clicked his tongue, glancing at Hannah.

“… welcome home, dad.” Aaria said, stopping in front of him, tinkering with her fingers.

“… what are you doing?” Lino looked at her dubiously, tilting his head.

“… u-uh… following etiquette?”

“… what etiquette?”

“… a proper one?”

“…” the music suddenly began, dousing the silence in a breathtaking symphony. Lino seemed unperturbed as he continued staring at the nervous-seeming Aaria. "Etiquette is fine and all, kiddo," he crouched down, lifting her chin gently and meeting her eyes, smiling. "But, whenever you don't hug me, I lose about one-tenth of my total lifespan. This old heart of mine can't take it anymore."

“…” Aaria rolled her eyes and extended her arms, throwing herself into him. She had already forgotten that there was a massive hall full of people around her, as in her eyes there was only the single figure – someone who can draw that attention away. A figure she respected more than anything or anyone else in the world, someone whose shade could blanket the entire world and protect it. “I missed you…” she whispered softly as Lino hugged her back.

“… missed you too, firefly,” he chuckled, slowly standing up. She was good three-four heads still shorter than him, but even if it was awkward to dance, neither seemed to care much. “Listen…” he mumbled, glancing upward. “Do you know this song?”

“… no.” she replied.

"It's your mom's favorite," he chuckled. "I remember her threatening to leave me if it didn't play at our wedding."

“… ha ha, that does sound like something mom would do.” Aaria chuckled faintly, closing her eyes and letting the sounds sweep her along his arms. “You stink, by the way. You really should have at least washed up…”

“… sorry.” He chuckled awkwardly, finally having realized it himself.

“Nhm…” she shook her head faintly. “It’s fine. It reminds me of you…”

Hannah remained seated, watching the two figures rocking back and forth in place, growing teary-eyed. There was something between the two of them that was their own, a small piece where she had no place to intrude; at times, she really did feel like an outsider looking in, yet she didn’t mind it all that much.

The song slowly came to its end as the music ended, followed soon after by applause. Aaria looked up and met the pair of encouragingly-black eyes who looked at her smilingly. Lino patted her head gently, chuckling.

“A’right kiddo, run off to your mom now.” He said. “Your dad’s gotta do something first.”

“Hm.” Aaria nodded faintly before turning around and leaving him alone on the stage. He walked up to the edge and looked down at the audience that grew quiet immediately. He maintained the silence for a few moments before speaking out.

“… we are victorious,” he said simply. “Whatever little that means. Before we roll off to another war, and before we begin scuffling and battling and bickering over this and that, at least try and remember the cost of the crown. It’s a cheap piece of jewelry built upon the sea-laden corpses. The throne but a chair built by the endless stretch of bones. The flag but a piece of cloth woven by the tears of all those left behind. All these titles just worthless mementos of vanity. I won’t care for how you go about obtaining power, hoarding wealth, and whatever other dreams you may have; but, if any one of you, be it those I’ve yet to meet, those I’ve met, or even those I love, ever fan the flames of war again, I’ll behead each and every one of you on the spot.” Everyone in the hall felt cold shivers run down their spines as the black eyes scoped across them. “Consider me a tyrant, or a hypocrite – I don’t care. We can either prosper and live together in peace, or I can spend a few years weeding through you lot. It’s entirely up to you. Enjoy the ball.”