248 - Revenge
Perhaps it was revenge.
Fredricks, the fifth generation of the Walt family, told me so.
The scene reflected around me was horrific.
An overturned carriage.
Amidst a downpour so cold it felt like it would pain the skin upon contact, a woman was shielding Fredricks. Blood flowed from the woman, and her slightly enlarged belly was also a cause for concern.
No, I know the sequence of events that follows.
"Mama, Mama!"
Fredricks was clinging to the fourth generation's wife—his mother—inside the carriage that had fallen off the cliff.
"I-it's okay. Fredricks... it's okay."
Those who attacked the carriage were dressed as bandits. However, as far as the recorded images showed, the opponents were experienced. They had stalled the guards and targeted only the carriage, pushing it over. It didn't seem like the work of mere thieves.
The fifth generation, who was watching the scene with me, spoke.
"At that time, there was a baby in Mama's womb. She miscarried while shielding me. Afterward, she gave various reasons for saying she wouldn't have more children... but even I can tell it was because of the accident. I know it."
The guards who rushed to the scene were hurriedly securing the area around Fredricks and the others while destroying the carriage to create a roof and starting a fire. After performing first aid, one of the knights galloped away on horseback through the pouring rain toward the Walt estate.
The image turned gray and stopped there, and the raindrops seemed to freeze in mid-air.
"...They weren't just bandits. My family is merciless toward bandits, so I thought we might have earned their grudge. But thinking back, they were too experienced. Besides, the son of a neighboring lord who had invited us out spoke to me with a smile at that time."
Was the fifth generation overthinking it, or was it all orchestrated?
The image shifted, and this time Fredricks was eavesdropping in front of a door. Inside the room, knights were speaking with the fourth generation.
Slamming his fist onto the desk, the fourth generation was breathing heavily.
"Lord Marks..."
I felt I had seen the worried knight somewhere before. He had grown old, but he was the knight who had once been punched away by the third generation and had informed the fourth generation of the third generation's crisis.
"...I know. Both my wife and Fredricks are safe. To hope for more is certainly... but how can I forgive this! Find them thoroughly! Extract information from the captured bandits, no matter what you have to do! I will also use this later..."
The fourth generation, clutching the blue orb hanging from his neck, likely intended to use the skill Mind, which was a recorded skill of the third generation. However, that would not serve as evidence.
"Information extracted via skills is often dismissed as simply being forced to say it by the skill. Even if the opponent is identified, it's not easy to take action. It's laughable, isn't it? Because we became a great house, we can no longer move easily."
Just as I was about to ask the fifth generation, the image shifted.
Fredricks, in his early teens, was once again in a place other than the Walt estate. He was surrounded by children of the same age, being punched and kicked.
"Shorty, when is your place finally going to start listening to us!"
A large boy threw the fifth generation. Fredricks, who had collided with the wall, tried to stand up without saying a word. He was then kicked.
Around them, noble daughters of the same age watched and laughed.
"Upstarts are the worst. I would never want to marry into the Walt family."
"He's just a shorty, after all."
"His mother is a shorty too, and I heard she's a court noble. Moreover, she can't have children anymore. She's the lowest of the low as a woman."
Looking down, Fredricks gritted his teeth and endured it. The large boy grabbed Fredricks by the collar and lifted him up.
"Try talking back, shorty. Well, it's the truth, so I guess you can't. That day, your carriage fell off a cliff and you got injured, right?"
Fredricks endured. He clenched his fists, and though blood flowed from them, he endured.
"Fifth generation, why didn't you talk back?"
The fifth generation spoke while watching the image.
"...Because they coordinated their stories. If I fought back, I would be the one in the wrong. Naturally, that would become an issue even in discussions between parents. I told you, didn't I? The Walt family was in a delicate position at that time. I couldn't even trust my own dependent vassals. There were houses that helped us, though. The Foxuz family was one of them."
Then the image shifted to the Walt estate.
His mother spoke to Fredricks.
"Fredricks, is there anything you're hiding?"
"N-no, there isn't."
Marks was the same.
"...Actually, a neighboring lord has suggested his daughter as your bride. However, I turned it down. The current and former heads of the Foxuz family strongly opposed it. They said it was unsuitable."
"...Yes."
Marks seemed to have noticed something as well. However, Fredricks did not try to speak much about it.
He simply directed a smile toward his parents.
Then the image shifted to a village where reclamation had begun.
Fredricks, surrounded by knights, seemed to be studying various things while looking at the village being reclaimed.
"Is this good land?"
One of the knights explained politely to Fredricks.
"I cannot say it is very good, but I believe it will become prosperous if we apply some effort. If it succeeds, it will be Lord Fredricks' achievement."
"I'm just looking around as part of my training, though?"
The fifth generation muttered, looking at the young knight.
"...Old man Landburg's grandson."
Hearing the name Landburg, I looked at the young man's face. As I thought I had seen him on the street, he was someone I had admired as a knight.
The fifth generation continued.
"He has served the Walt family as a knight since the third generation's time. He was a good guy."
Then, a small girl bumped into Fredricks. She had run out from the side of a building and collided with him.
"H-hey! Get away from Lord Fredricks this instant!"
As the knight reached for the girl, Fredricks smiled and shook his head.
"It's fine. Just be careful from now on."
The girl looked at Fredricks, seeming not to fully understand. Then, a girl who was her older sister ran over, her face pale. She bowed her head in apology.
"I-I am terribly sorry!"
Bowing her head repeatedly, she hugged the girl who seemed to be her younger sister and begged for forgiveness. Fredricks looked somewhat perplexed by this. However, looking at the older girl, Fredricks' cheeks flushed.
"I-it's fine! I'll overlook it this time. Now, you should get back to work."
His voice was slightly high-pitched, and the two girls bowed their heads with smiles of relief. Watching the backs of the two as they departed, Fredricks looked bewildered.
The knight who saw this spoke.
"...Shall I have them come to your room tonight?"
At that, Fredricks' face turned bright red.
"Y-y-y-you idiot! I-I'm not... that..."
Those around him laughed at Fredricks. Fredricks began walking with long strides, shaking off the knights and moving ahead.
The fifth generation spoke while watching the scene.
"We planned to increase the number of reclamation villages. That's why the fourth generation decided it was necessary for me to know such sites. This area was left to run wild, after all."
The fifth generation looked nostalgic. However, he watched the scene with sadness.
After that, several scenes played where Fredricks and the sisters conversed. Little by little, Fredricks and the sisters became close.
It was then.
Fredricks was summoned back to the Walt estate and had to return temporarily.
At the village entrance, the heir of the Landburg family and the villagers were seeing Fredricks off.
Fredricks, mounting his horse, spoke to the two girls he had become close with.
"I'll be back soon. At... at that time..."
Those around him laughed, looking at Fredricks, whose face was red.
The girl nodded.
"We shall be waiting for you, Lord Fredricks."
Fredricks smiled.
But—.
The next memory shown was the village after it had burned down. Fredricks stood still in the ruins of the burnt village, accompanied by his guard knights, looking at a tree in the center of the village.
There were a few survivors, but when Fredricks arrived, they showered him with abuse.
"Why didn't you come sooner!"
"My... my daughter..."
A couple I had seen somewhere. They were the couple who appeared in the memories of the sixth generation who had run away from home.
Fredricks walked slowly toward the tree in the center of the village.
Villagers were hanging from the tree.
The young man of the Landburg family had been stripped of his clothes and was in a terrible state. It seemed he had resisted until the end.
And, in a prominent position directly in front, the sisters Fredricks had been close with were hanging.
They were hung in a way that seemed intended to spite Fredricks—though it was strange to say "meticulously." Fredricks collapsed to his knees and saw the words carved into the tree.
Shorty—that's what was written.
As Fredricks looked down, I could tell his gaze had changed. I gasped at those sharp, clouded eyes.
I looked back at the fifth generation.
"...There was no evidence. Besides, there were people who knew the internal affairs of the village. I wanted to lead soldiers and storm in immediately. I wanted to do the same to them. No, I wanted to exterminate them entirely."
The fifth generation, whose expression remained unchanged, continued his words flatly.
"Someone leaked the information that the sisters and I were close. I had a general idea of who it was. It was someone related to the dependent vassals. They approached with a smile and sold our information."
I looked up at the tree in the center of the village, then looked away. I wondered if someone could be this cruel, and if it was necessary to go this far.
"This is too cruel. This is just..."
"Don't say it's impossible. Listen, Lyell. The people who did this and we are the same. We are lords and nobles of the same land. If one step is misplaced, we would do such things. In fact, Fines likely did even worse things in the territories they invaded. If an opponent invades, one must retaliate. If you are looked down upon, the opponent will repeat such actions."
I understood that one must not be looked down upon by the opponent.
Then, the fifth generation spoke.
"...The lord of the invaded territory, the one before the previous generation, got along well with the third generation. But as generations passed, it became like this."
There are lords and there are villagers... a lord who can decide the policy of the territory will bring prosperity if they are capable, and conversely, the territory will fail if they are incompetent.
It often happened that things went downhill with a change in generation, or vice versa.
"...I, Lyell, swore at that time. That I would definitely have my revenge. No matter how many years it took, no matter how many decades, I would exterminate them."
I looked at the fifth generation, who was looking down. However, during the fifth generation's era, the Walt family continued to endure and ultimately did not invade those around them.
"What happened that made the fifth generation change his policy?"
At my words, the fifth generation looked up at the sky and laughed. He laughed, and finally, in a small voice.
"My own children. When I first saw Fines, I truly hesitated. I hated them so much. I wanted to kill them... but I thought I didn't want my own children to experience the same feeling I did. It's too late, isn't it? I already had concubines and was proceeding with the plan... by the time I realized it, it was a situation that couldn't be stopped."
Having said that, the fifth generation silently pushed me out of the room of memories.
Inside the porter.
Under the light of the lantern, what Monica told me was about the hostages Banseime was taking.
An order had been issued throughout the country for lords of Baron houses and above, on a large scale, to send hostages to Central.
Summarizing the information Adele and the others had obtained, it seemed that many lords were unable to move even if they wanted to because of this.
I thought for a moment about the information conveyed through the Valkyries. However, what crossed my mind was the fifth generation.
Inside the bed of the porter, Clara spoke to me.
"Lyell-san, are you alright? I think it would be better if you rested."
Lightly rubbing my temple with my fingertip, I shook my head.
"Sorry, please continue."
Monica, while watching my condition, conveyed the obtained information.
"Aside from the hostages, it seems that lords of Baronet houses and below will move for the confirmation of land tenure. If we can draw them to our side like this, we can prepare troops within Banseime."
Then, the third generation spoke up.
"That's not right. Certainly, there are lords who want confirmation of land tenure. But that's not necessarily true for everyone. Some want more land, and many think of using this opportunity to resolve disputes with neighboring lords. As expected, the cooperation of lords who hold dependent vassals of Baron houses and above is necessary. The fewer troubles, the better. Or rather, with only small lords, there is no cohesion. It would be difficult to lead a large-scale army."
According to the third generation, it is difficult to unify all the opinions of small-scale lords. He said that lords who can handle such detailed adjustments—those of Baron houses and above—should be brought under their umbrella.
Additionally, he said that as a commander, one cannot command a large-scale unit.
"Monica, tell Adele-san and the others. While chipping away at the small ones is important, I want them to welcome one large lord to our side. It's impossible for us to unify them."
Monica had prepared tea for me. It seemed to be herbal tea.
"I believe it will be difficult. The matter of the hostages is one thing, but the problem is the hostages themselves. Are they safe after being sent under that Celes? Even if we promise a rescue, there is a possibility that they have eventually defected to Celes' side from the bottom of their hearts. Or that they are already no longer in this world—"
It meant that it was difficult to recover the relatives of the lords who had been taken away. It was a situation where we could not say "we will definitely save them" when attempting to persuade them.
Clara spoke to me.
"As expected, is there no choice but to chip away at them in small pieces? Even if we defeat Celes, if the hostages are not safe, resentment will remain."
Aria was also negative.
"If it were possible to storm Central and perform a rescue, it wouldn't be strange if someone had already assassinated Celes."
Aria's opinion, having faced Celes and experienced that irrationality, was reasonable.
However, we also didn't have time.
"The western direction. What about the lords near the hometown of Fanbayle? We are supposed to head there. If they are still safe, there is a way."
When I looked up, Monica shook her head.
"We don't have information up to that point. Adele-san and the others are in the east."
Novem and the others are in the south. If they finish their duties safely, they should enter Banseime from there.
I thought for a moment, and then reached a conclusion.
"Gather information. If they are still safe, we'll consider rescue or recovery. Storming Central is indeed impossible. Other than that, we'll do what we can with this number of people."
As I looked around at everyone, they all nodded.