Chapter 642 - Lyudmila ②
The house where Lyudmila was born is said to be on the banks of a river flowing through the eastern part of the Royal Capital region.
In the Royal Capital region, there are two relatively wide rivers, one each in the east and west. The western river flows by the Royal Capital, and the eastern river flows by the fortress where Fiona was... which is currently a magic water production facility... and it seems to be upstream from there. It's quite a remote place.
Due to the convenience of Price-sama, who participated in the Harvest Festival ritual at the Medioland Royal Capital Great Church, the implementation was four days after the Harvest Festival. The transportation was a medium-sized bowl piloted by Wilson-san. Those who departed from the Royal Capital were the five regular members of the Henry Party, the Headmistress, and me. We met up with Price-sama, who came by a Church ship, at a port near the fortress.
We temporarily moved to the fortress to rest, and from there, for some reason, we flew west away from the river. During that time, Price-sama told us about Lyudmila's mother.
“Lyudmila's mother was a person named Olga, who came from the mainland. She was from a region further east than East Liber.”
According to Price-sama, she had wished to withdraw into the forest. She had the blood of a monster, even if only half. She must have liked the depths of the forest.
When we actually went there, it was quite deep, close to the eastern edge of the Central Mountain Range. When I was shown a map, it was directly north of the Flatlands where our farm is. It was more of a stream than a river. At best, it was between the upstream and midstream. If you crossed the southern mountains visible in the distance, it would be the place where wild Orcs fought over territory on full moon nights. If you followed the river upstream, it would hit the mountains at the edge of the Central Mountain Range and turn east to reach the headwaters, but it was located on the inside of that bend.
The bowl, which had headed south along the river from the fortress in one go, landed near the bend and became like a boat. As it proceeded slowly, a wooden pier extended into the river, and a small boat with a mast was docked. At the end of the pier, there was a place with stairs on the riverbank cliff, and a house stood on top of the cliff.
“This house is the one Olga built after her marriage. It's the place where Lyudmila was born and raised until she went to the orphanage.”
When we got off the bowl and climbed the stairs, there was an unexpectedly wide field and a house the size of a large mountain hut. Since it had a chimney, it would have a fireplace. It must be cold in winter, perhaps closed off by snow. Building the house by the river was a correct choice. If one felt like it, one could go to the village by boat even in the middle of winter.
However, the weeds around the house seemed to be properly pulled, and the field was well-maintained. I wonder if someone else is living here?
“There was a possibility of attacks from the Demon Lord's forces in the southern mountains or the northeastern forest, but thanks to Hero Olga living here, the villages in the northern plains could also feel safe. After her death, following Olga's will, it has been under the management of the Royal Family. It's a base for the Royal Capital Region Jaegers... the current Paratroop Jaegers.”
Was it not bought from the owner?
“This forest originally belonged to the Kingdom. Building a house without permission was, so to speak, illegal. However, since it served as a measure against the Demon Lord's forces, they turned a blind eye. Now it's a base for the Paratroop Jaegers, so it's legal.”
I see. The title of Hero is useful in many ways.
The door of the house opened, and a person came out. A mountain bandit. He must be a Royal Capital Region Paratroop Jaeger. I might have met him somewhere before.
“Henry-sama, Eleanor-sama, we have been waiting for you.”
“Umu, good work.”
“This is a gift.”
Wilson-san flew three wine barrels and three wooden boxes on a plate over to them.
“Thank you as always.”
“No, don't worry about it. Are the other nine on reconnaissance?”
As many as ten people are stationed here.
“Yes. Three are in the south, three are deep in the forest, and the other two are stationed where you are going this time.”
One person is missing.
“Over there.”
He pointed to the other side of the river. Just as I thought there was nothing, there was a sound like a stone falling into the river.
“A good placement. From there, you can monitor boats coming up from downstream.”
They had detected our arrival in advance and, while listening to Eleanor-sama's explanation, had apparently been timing their appearance. If the opponent were an unidentified person, depending on the number, they would apparently respond by pretending not to be there and letting them pass, or by ambushing them from behind the door once they entered, or by ambushing them from a tree while they were outside.
We went inside and were allowed to rest.
There was a table right after entering, but it wasn't that large. There were four chairs of a corresponding size. However, a long bench was placed against the wall, where five or six people could sit. Beyond the partition in the back, there was another room, and the fireplace was there. That room had bear and boar furs laid out so one could lie down and relax. It must be a bedroom-cum-living room. We bypassed the table, entered that room, and everyone sat down. Perhaps because the furs were laid in multiple layers, it was comfortable to sit on.
“Those are my father and mother.”
The mother in the blue robe is truly a beauty. She has the same gray eyes as Lyudmila. Her long black hair is flowing. She's standing grandly like a hero... she has a calm feel. Her face doesn't show much of the strength imagined from the image of a Vampire.
The man in hunter's clothes seems to be the father. He has the same red hair as Lyudmila and is a calm-looking handsome man. Somehow, the atmosphere of the Lyudmila siblings fits perfectly.
By the way, Lyudmila is looking around the room restlessly. No, she's clearly pretending to look all over while being concerned about one spot.
“Did you remember something?”
“Um, can I check something for a bit?”
When she looked at Eleanor-sama, she said, “Go ahead.”
She stood up and went to the corner of the wall.
When Eleanor-sama looked at the mountain bandit, he smiled and nodded lightly, then immediately returned to his original expression.
“It's here!”
She stood up and showed us a small box.
“Lyudmila, what is that?”
“Um, a memento from my mother that I hid.”
Looking at her feet, there was a hole in the wall, and a small piece of wood had fallen. She must have plugged the hole by fitting it in.
The mountain bandit changed his expression as if he were very surprised. It seemed his daily training was being put to use; it didn't look like acting.
“A memento?”
“Yeah!”
She ran back and showed us the contents of the box.
“Beautiful!”
There were gold coins, rings, and a pendant. The rings were all gold, and some had large jewels. The pendant was connected by a thick gold chain, and a large amber was set in the gold base. The gold coins had engravings I had never seen before, and there were about ten of them. She's suddenly rich.
“I gave half to my younger brother. But I hid my share there.”
The mother's mementos were apparently things Lyudmila's grandfather had given to the mother. By the way, the younger brother who received half is a hunter. He can't use magic at all, but his skill with a bow is certain. I occasionally see him at the Bird's Head Tavern. He's a calm and unflappable handsome man. According to Bonnie, when choosing a reconnaissance instructor, unmarried women apparently flocked to volunteer.
“Olga always wore this amber during her life. She wore it even during the Demon Lord subjugation war.”
“Grandfather said it's a famous item in his country.”
Grandfather means a True Ancestor. It might represent a legitimate bloodline.
Looking closely, there was a black pattern inside the stone. It didn't look unlike a dragon sleeping with its tail curled up.
“I'm glad it remained.”
“Yeah. Thank you for leaving it as it was even though you found it.”
Following Eleanor-sama's words, she thanked the mountain bandit.
The mountain bandit was chuckling. It's just as expected of someone with Vampire blood. She saw through it.
The grave seems to be a bit further into the forest. Since it's said to be connected to the house by a small path, we'll walk there.
“My father and mother's graves are inside a cave. It's so the ritual is easier to perform.”
According to Lyudmila, her mother dug a hole in the cliff to make it.
“I was the one who taught Olga how to make earth blocks using [Magic: Clump Sand].”
Eleanor-sama apparently taught her the applied use of magic itself.
“Truly, the best mage on the island was Olga. However, she disliked standing out. She wanted to stay in my shadow. Therefore, I consulted with her and decided to make it so that I was the best on the surface.”
I see. It wasn't just that she wanted to stand out.
But then, what will happen if Lyudmila inherits that power?
“I don't know. But I think she will become a super-high-class mage.”
“Really?”
The person herself didn't seem to know.
“According to Olga, for example, among the techniques and magic unique to Vampires, especially powerful ones... for example, the ability to influence the weather and call forth storms is lost at the half-blood stage. Also, the special abilities the half-blood had, such as temporarily turning the body into mist or possessing small animals, as well as immortality, physical ability, and magic control, are lost at the quarter-blood stage. However, because a lot of human blood has entered, she can receive the blessings of so-called holy magic. And by receiving the Ritual of Succession, she will gain physical ability and magic control that an ordinary human could never acquire. In that respect, I was told she would be about the same as Olga.”
“How strong was Mother?”
“Let's see. Olga's magic control itself exceeded mine and Catherine's. About the same as Wilson, I suppose. The types of magic she used were almost the same, but the number of times and the full power were different. Her physical ability was probably a little weaker than Catherine's in her prime.”
That's more than enough. Couldn't she have claimed to be the strongest in history by herself?
“Just so you know, the result of the hand-to-hand combat and staff fighting between Henry and me was about six to four in my favor. In other words, Olga's physical ability was on par with Henry's.”
In other words, the Headmistress is also quite a monster.
Ouch! I got smacked on the head.
“What Olga excelled in were fire, lightning, and wind. On the other hand, she was poor at earth and water. Even though I say poor, she had learned super-high-class for both.”
“I see.”
“Yes, Lyudmila, weren't your high-class ones fire and wind?”
“That's right.”
“Blood will tell.”
“But I want to learn earth and water too. I hope I can learn them this time.”
“Probably, for fire and wind, you must have had a clear image of the magic Olga used. That's why you acquired them preferentially. There are also the examples of Beatrix and Jeanne. Magic is not something you learn by lineage. It depends on your own effort.”
“Yeah, I understand. If I can't learn them this time, I'll work myself to death!”
“Well said. That's the spirit.”
This is something to look forward to. The third super-high-class mage of the Class of 175 might be Lyudmila.
We reached the entrance to the grave. There was a stone building like a shrine, and two mountain bandits were in front of the entrance door.
“Henry-sama, Eleanor-sama, we have been waiting for you.”
“Umu, good work.”
“I've delivered the gifts. Please share them among yourselves.”
“Thank you as always.”
“We're going inside.”
“Yes.”
Eleanor-sama opened the door with a key she took from her bosom. Stale air flowed out. It was pitch black inside.
Lyudmila held my hand.
“Jeanne, please, the [Magic: Firefly].”
“Yes.”
I produced a [Magic: Firefly] at the tip of the staff I held in my left hand and went inside.
The inside of the shrine was empty, with nothing there. From the exterior, I thought there might be a stone statue of the Goddess, but there wasn't. There was just the entrance to a cave.
The door closed, and when Price-sama set the bolt, the sound of the key being turned from the outside could be heard.
It's quite strict.
Wait, huh? None of the Henry Party who came with us are here. It's just Price-sama, the Headmistress, Lyudmila, and me—four people in total.
“From here on, only Lyudmila-san herself and the priests will go.”
At Price-sama's words, Lyudmila's hand tightened.
“Lyudmila. From here on, it will be a match against your mother. Are you prepared?”
“Y-Yes.”
Lyudmila's mother was from the mainland, so she was originally a pagan. In other words, she could use forbidden magic. Of course, on the surface, she was just a human and had already converted, so the times she used it were limited. To protect the father's remains, which are necessary for the Ritual of Succession, she apparently used [Magic: Undead] to turn monsters defeated in the forest into Revenants to guard the grave. Normally, the technique is canceled when the caster themselves dies, but it's effective because it was passed on to the father's soul during the Ritual of Succession. Therefore, it can finally be canceled only after the Ritual of Succession is over and the father's soul is sent to rest. However, even if canceled, the instructions just become invalid and they don't ascend, so in the end, they have to be defeated and returned to the earth.
“Then, let's go.”
We proceeded through the winding cave. Since the cave was wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side, the Headmistress and I, the lighting person, stood at the front, followed by Lyudmila and Price-sama.
“By the way, what kind of monsters did Lyudmila's mother turn into Revenants?”
“What kind of monsters do you think?”
It was the Headmistress. She knows, yet she won't tell me.
“Even a guess is fine. Since you're a monster hunter, try to guess.”
She's smirking. She's brought out the monster hunter label here.
“Please give me some hint.”
“Let's see,” the Headmistress began to think.
“Necromancy is high-class, right? If it were Wilson, what rank do you think he could control?”
Wait a minute. It would be a Fire Dragon. There's no way we could win.
“Ah, I see. That wasn't a hint, was it?”
“Please tell me.”
“Then, how about if it's about the level that can be completely sealed off by a barrier drawn by someone with that much magic control?”
“D... at most, C-rank or below?”
Hmm. If that's the case, it's about the level of a Cerberus. The other day, although King Seldic was there, we defeated three of them at once.
“It doesn't seem that difficult.”
“If the number is small, that is.”
“How many are there?”
“I wonder how many.”
Are there that many? I hope it's not...
“Could it be ants?”
“Correct. Olga was truly worthy of her Vampire blood. She stole a swarm of red ants from the original Queen Ant and made them follow her. She was the true Queen.”
Lately, it's been nothing but matches against Queens.