2 - Lariel, the Former Noble
Looking in the mirror, I brushed back my blue hair.
The reflection showed a face that looked terribly exhausted. Blood seeped through some parts of the bandages, but the wounds had closed.
There were no burn scars left, perhaps because some kind of medicine had been used.
"How are you feeling, Young Master?"
I turned around at the voice coming from behind me and thanked the old man.
"Thank you, I feel much better."
The old man was a gardener who lived and worked on the estate in a small hut in the garden. He seemed to have a family, but he had been living alone in the hut since his wife passed away.
The hut, located in a secluded spot in the mansion's vast garden, appeared to be a converted storage shed.
"I am glad to hear that. It was a dangerous situation. If it had been the mansion's doctor, the treatment might have been more thorough, but..."
The old man, who looked apologetic, was actually a former soldier. Whether he had knowledge of treating injuries or not, he had treated me efficiently.
However, what he seemed more hesitant to speak about than the treatment was—.
"...You've been completely abandoned by your parents. Hahaha, all I can do is laugh."
Seeing me laugh weakly, the old man—Zel—sat down in a chair in the room. Zel, now in his seventies, spent his days tending to a portion of the large garden.
There were several gardeners at the mansion, but Zel was the only one who lived on-site in a hut. I had heard several times that my parents were troubled because they couldn't bring themselves to tell Zel, who had served since my grandfather's generation, to leave.
Zel was the one who had carried me to the hut after I was injured and nursed me while I lay bedridden for about three days.
I sat on the bed and thanked him again.
"Thank you for helping me, Zel. Though, I can't really give you anything in return."
Seeing me joke, Zel let out a deep sigh.
"I am relieved that you seem alright. However, the state of the mansion lately has been truly strange."
The reason Zel sighed was that the atmosphere of the mansion had changed completely over the last five years.
I sometimes found it strange too, but since I lived there, there were many things I didn't notice.
"This incident with you, Young Master, is one thing, but making the young lady the successor... If the previous master heard of this, I can only imagine how furious he would be."
My grandfather, Broad Walt, was a strict noble. He held the title of Earl and possessed territory as a regional noble.
That also meant he commanded soldiers.
House Walt was a house that served as advisors to the royal family. My father used to brag to me that during my grandfather's time, he had spoken with His Majesty the King many times in the royal capital.
However, he was also a very stern man.
He was strong on the battlefield and devoted himself to internal affairs in his territory.
Even the previous King called him one of the finest nobles in Vanseim. However, he had a soft spot for his grandchildren.
As the first grandchild, I was dearly loved.
"I only have fond memories of him. But I can't face him, knowing I couldn't inherit the house."
I had betrayed the grandfather who had placed his expectations in me. Thinking about it, all my efforts until now felt empty.
I was someone who had already lost everything.
"Young Master... Please do not push yourself too hard. You are still young. Please live your future life with a positive outlook."
"Thank you. But I have no goal. Until now, my goal was to become the lord. Now that it's gone, I don't know what to do. It's pathetic, isn't it?"
As I laughed self-deprecatingly, Zel stood up and headed to the kitchen to prepare a drink. I decided to lower my head and think about the future.
(I can't stay here anymore. I have no choice but to go somewhere.)
By the fifth day of being cared for at Zel's place, the bandages were removed.
Perhaps he had used very expensive medicine, as the healing was fast.
However, I felt bad about relying on Zel's care forever. Besides, I was someone being cast out of my home.
It might cause trouble for Zel, who was sheltering me.
And so, I brought it up while talking with Zel during dinner. Zel told me stories about running across battlefields with my grandfather, and other stories from the royal capital.
Recalling the stories I had heard during dinner on the third day, I spoke to Zel.
"Zel, I think I'll become an adventurer."
"An adventurer? Certainly, children of nobles who cannot inherit their houses do become adventurers, but you have both magic and knowledge, Young Master. With that level of skill, you could find employment as an official."
I shook my head.
It might cause trouble for whoever employed me. House Walt was a great house. They possessed power.
Threatening an employer was exactly the kind of thing that Ceres would do.
"I've lost everything. If that's the case, I thought I'd try to gain something through my own strength, starting from scratch."
"...I see. If that is your path, Young Master, then it must be for the best."
"According to your stories, Zel, famous adventurers don't have to worry about money, right? I'll repay this debt someday. When I do, I'll come back as a distinguished adventurer."
"Hahaha, I shall look forward to it, Young Master."
Zel laughed loudly.
He was likely playing along with my joke. In truth, I didn't believe the profession of an adventurer was that simple.
I had, after all, been the heir to a lord.
As a lord's heir, I understood the nature of adventurers all too well. Challenging the unknown and bringing back treasures from labyrinths.
Children might admire that, but in reality, they were nothing more than a gathering of rogues.
If an adventurer called themselves a mercenary, they were a mercenary. And those mercenaries would attack villages and steal food without a second thought.
Because they dealt with monsters on a daily basis, adventurers were nothing more than troublesome existences.
However, not all of them were evil.
Famous adventurers could be employed with favorable treatment. Those who also ran mercenary groups were hired for high prices and received lavish hospitality due to their strength.
"But, an adventurer, eh? If you want the real thing, the Free City of Beim seems like a good choice."
I listened seriously to Zel's words.
"Beim? That was the city with a merchant council and no lord, right? I believe it was a trading hub with other countries?"
"Exactly. It is not managed by a nation, making it a land where adventurers can live easily. Though, the same could be said for criminals."
Many who started as adventurers became criminals. When that happened, they were expelled from the Adventurers' Guild and became wanted men with bounties on their heads.
However, if they fled to Beim, a trading hub with other nations, no single country could openly touch them. I had heard the stories, but the thought of actually aiming for such a place made me hesitate slightly.
Zel seemed to sense this.
"You needn't worry too much. As long as you don't hang around the places where those sorts gather, you will rarely be bothered."
"I-I see. I thought the royal capital might be fine, but..."
An Adventurers' Guild existed even in the Walt family's territory. However, since my father, the lord, could interfere, I had to avoid it.
In that case, if I stayed within the country, I had no choice but to choose a place where my father's influence didn't reach. Thinking simply, that led me to the royal capital.
"Among the robe nobles of the royal capital, there are many houses connected to ours. It is not a bad option, but I wouldn't call it the best."
"I see. But I lack the travel funds to get to Beim. Besides, I want to know how far my skills will take me."
Beim was a city of merchants. At the same time, many adventurers existed there seeking work. In other words, it meant that one could not survive unless they were highly skilled.
"True. Then, perhaps trying the royal capital once is a viable option. Though I wouldn't recommend a long-term stay."
"Where else is there besides the royal capital?"
I decided to consult Zel since I was at it. Zel, who had run across battlefields with my grandfather, knew many places.
I had never spoken with him before, but upon talking, he turned out to be an old man who told interesting stories.
"How about Darion, which is close to the royal capital? It is a pleasant and easy place to live."
"Darion? I've only heard the name of the place."
"As a territory, its development is slower than here. Because of that, you won't lack for work."
"Work? Isn't it just monster hunting?"
When I said that, Zel pressed the bridge of his nose, looking slightly exasperated.
"Well, since there was little need to teach you about the ways of the world, Young Master, I suppose it cannot be helped."
Zel explained the nature of adventurers to me. In my image, adventurers primarily dove into labyrinths and sometimes fought on battlefields as mercenaries.
But according to Zel—.
"Adventurers are beings who handle any kind of work. At first, they might hunt monsters or challenge labyrinths, but there are many chores as well. Young newcomers earn money through chores to purchase their equipment."
"I-Is that so? But surely there are people who specialize in chores."
"The guild puts out recruitment calls for that and lets them do day labor. It is essentially job placement. The guild uses that method to stay on good terms with the local residents. Though, one could say they are making a profit by providing laborers."
Zel told me about the side of adventurers I didn't want to hear. As expected, not everything was guaranteed to go smoothly.
"However, adventurers gather their equipment through that kind of groundwork. It is not all bad, so if you criticize it, the adventurers would be more troubled than the guild."
"Is that how it works? I don't really understand."
For me, who had been educated to become a lord, it was undoubtedly a world I couldn't even imagine. However, Zel looked a little happy.
"What is it?"
"No, I have served since the previous master's time, but I never imagined I would talk with you like this, Young Master. The current head of the house has been a member of an Earl's house since birth."
In my grandfather's generation, House Walt finally became an Earl's house.
I heard that in the generation before that, people whispered that they had bought their status through considerable extravagance.
My father still spoke of that with regret.
My father's grandfather, my great-grandfather, apparently was a man who used quite dirty methods.
Due to those circumstances, my father had been educated as a member of an Earl's house from birth. My grandfather had been the head of a Viscount's house, but he had still led armies into battle.
Consequently, it seemed Zel had no point of contact with him.
"...By the way, Young Master, have you had any strange experiences in this house?"
"Strange experiences? No... ah!"
At Zel's sudden question, I almost answered that there was nothing. Compared to being kicked out of my home, most things felt like nothing.
But then, I remembered.
"On the brink of death, perhaps? I heard my grandfather's voice. It was a nostalgic voice. ...But I heard other voices too. I might have just been dreaming, though."
I said I might have been dreaming and resumed eating.
Then, Zel looked at me with wide eyes.
The next morning.
I put on clothes I borrowed from Zel and threw on a robe.
"They were clothes my son left behind, but the height seems to fit."
"I'm sorry for everything. I'll definitely repay you."
I thanked him, but Zel shook his head.
"No, you have already repaid me enough. Also, Young Master. Take this."
What he handed me was a leather pouch. Inside the palm-sized pouch was money.
"No, I can't accept money..."
It was a small amount to me, but it would be different for Zel. Understanding that our sense of money differed, I refused, saying I couldn't accept it. However, Zel pushed it upon me.
"You will absolutely need it. What do you intend to do from here on with nothing? Besides, if you intend to pay me back, I shall consider this an investment."
Being told that, I thanked him and accepted it.
The contents were silver coins.
"S-Sorry. For everything."
"It is fine. With this, I can finally fulfill my promise to the previous master."
"Promise?"
When I tilted my head, Zel presented a small wooden box to me and opened it in front of me. Inside was a blue Orb.
Silver decorations were applied around it, and one could tell at a glance that it was an expensive piece of craftsmanship.
"No, surely something this expensive is—"
"This is an orb passed down through the generations of House Walt... no, from the previous master. Rare metals were used in the craftsmanship, forged by a renowned blacksmith, and finished by a famous artisan."
I looked at the orb, about two centimeters in diameter, which had been made into a necklace.
"My grandfather's? I knew he had one, but didn't my father inherit it?"
"The previous master had it decorated so that it would be fitting for an Earl's house, but unfortunately, he passed away... At the stage of embedding the orb for the finish, I went to check on it and brought it back with me. However, I was unable to meet Lord Myzel."
My father was also busy.
Therefore, even if someone was a vassal, there were times he wouldn't meet them if it wasn't important. Especially if it was Zel, who had been a source of worry.
I took the orb necklace out of the wooden box.
The Orb—a device whose production method had now been lost—was something that could record a skill unique to an individual.
The detailed specifics had been lost, replaced by simple magic tools.
A skill produced by an individual occurs only once in a lifetime. While it could be polished, it could not be increased.
The Orb was a device that recorded such a skill and made it usable by others.
"Furthermore, I cannot give this to the current head, Lord Myzel. It is my own judgment, but please take this, Young Master... Lariel-sama. Doing so will also be a way of repaying the kindness of the previous master."
I put the necklace around my neck and gripped the orb.
"...Thank you so much, Zel. I'll definitely come back to repay you someday."
"I shall look forward to it, Lariel-sama."
With that, I left Zel's hut.
Zel looked around the room, which had felt narrow for the past six days, and suddenly felt it had become spacious.
The house where he once lived with his family had also been a hideout where Broad, the previous master, would occasionally visit with sake.
Looking at the painting of his wife that had been drawn for him in town, Zel muttered.
"Hey, old lady. I've finally lifted this burden from my shoulders."
He lay down on the bed, covered himself with a blanket, and closed his eyes.
"But to think he had the same tastes as Lord Broad. That man also loved stewed meat."
Zel remembered the state of the house when it was lively.
And he remembered when Broad had handed him the orb passed down through the generations. Broad had been older than him, and in the end, he had been bedridden.
Zel had wept at the frail sight of Broad, who had been full of dignity and someone he admired.
"You must have known you wouldn't make it in time for the finish. Why did you ask me... But with this, I have fulfilled my duty, Lord Broad."
Memories of running across battlefields together in their youth returned to Zel.
"Still, I am truly glad I could hand it over to Lariel-sama in the end... Old lady, I'm coming to join you now."
The old man took one deep breath and wore a peaceful smile.
After leaving the mansion and arriving at the city in the center of the territory, I was talking to a traveling merchant at the gate of the wall surrounding the city.
It was past noon, and if I could hitch a ride on a wagon leaving now, I could reach the post town.
"To the post town? I don't mind, but you'll arrive at night, and I don't know if there are any rooms available. I can stay because I have connections, but it's crowded this time of year."
The merchant showed reluctance, but for me, this was a land I wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"That is fine. May I hitch a ride?"
"I don't mind, but can you fight? If not, since I'm putting you on the wagon, I'll take money."
Told this by the merchant, I produced a flame in my palm.
I had lost my saber, but I could still use magic. With this, I should have shown that I was strong enough to protect myself.
"I'm surprised. A magic user... are you a noble? No, looking at your appearance... Oops, that was unnecessary prying. I understand. If you prioritize guarding my wagon, I won't charge a fee. In fact, depending on your performance, I might even pay you."
The middle-aged man changed his tune and allowed me to ride.
"Thank you. About what happens after the post town—"
Then, a voice interrupted the conversation between me and the merchant.
When I turned around, a well-known person was standing there.
"U-Um! Please take me with you too!"
A girl with a characteristic side-ponytail.
"...Novem."
The name of the girl looking down was Novem Foxzus.
She was the second daughter of a Baron's house.
And she was the girl who had been—though the term 'former' now applied—my fiancée.