253 - Fanbayle's Avenger
Fanbayle Kingdom.
Its center, the capital, is located near Banseime.
Originally, it was near the center of the country, but the eastern part of Fanbayle and the western part of Banseime had been significantly carved away by the Walt family. Because of this, the capital feels as if it has shifted toward Banseime.
The royal palace of Fanbayle.
While not as large as Banseime, it is a country classified as a great power on the continent. The palace was gorgeous and functional.
Its military strength is not highly regarded, but that is also the responsibility of the Walt family. My estimate is that it is a country capable of mobilizing an army of a hundred thousand. To fight the Banseime Kingdom, it was a country I absolutely wanted to secure.
In the audience chamber of the Fanbayle Kingdom, I, participating alone as the representative of my companions, was exposed to the murderous glares of those around me.
Standing on the red carpet before the King and Queen, surrounded by high-ranking officials, an unpleasant sweat ran down my back.
And yet, inside the orb, the Seventh Generation looked nostalgic.
『Oh, I recognize several of the people in here. Of course, I saw them when I was chasing them across the battlefield or when I captured them as prisoners.』
The problems between the Walt family and Fanbayle occurred during the eras of the Sixth and Seventh Generations. If I believe the words of the Sixth and Seventh, Banseime was also at fault. Then, the Sixth and Seventh spent two generations pushing back the invading Fanbayle and seizing their territory.
Mireia-san chuckled.
『They've become grandfathers now, but there's a generation that still remembers the humiliations of the past. I'm sure their guts are boiling.』
The Third Generation seemed to be thinking seriously—.
『Should I actively provoke them, or should I persistently dig into those old wounds... Damn, either way seems like it'll turn into something interesting, which is a problem.』
—It's no use. He's the same Third Generation as always. Among the successive heads, I've started to think the Third Generation might actually be the worst.
The King of Fanbayle spoke to me.
"Now then, let us hear from your own mouth for what purpose you have visited Fanbayle, boy of the Walt family."
It was an abrupt and rude way of speaking, but the Seventh Generation spoke up as if remembering something.
『I remember! This fellow is the Crown Prince I captured! The Crown Prince who lost miserably to me in his first battle is now the King... That would make him in his mid-to-late forties. That crybaby from back then has certainly grown up.』
The Fifth Generation sounded bored.
『What's with that? From our perspective, he's the one who's the boy. Hey, Lariel... let's provoke him.』
However, Mireia-san unexpectedly spoke up.
『You mustn't provoke them. The conversation won't progress, and talking to this man is meaningless. It seems the real target is watching from the shadows.』
The person Mireia-san called the real target. Using the Sixth Generation's skill—Spec—that person was displayed as someone observing from beside the throne. The gaze felt from that place, which was like the wings of a stage, contained neither bloodlust nor hatred. It was simply a gaze that seemed to be appraising me.
"...I believe you are aware that there are unsettling movements within Banseime. The surrounding nations seem to feel a sense of crisis regarding Banseime. I assume you have confirmed the letters from the Four-Nation Alliance near Beim in the east, and from Cartaphus in the north?"
At my words, His Majesty laughed through his nose.
"Why not speak plainly? That the daughter of the Walt family is running wild within the country. The Walt family is truly a nuisance of a clan. And now, you are trying to entice the surrounding nations to start a war between siblings. If this isn't a nuisance, what is?"
He spoke plainly. Certainly, from the outside, this looked like a struggle for hegemony between siblings involving the whole continent. However, the future of the continent was also at stake in this.
"Then, does the Fanbayle Kingdom intend to turn a blind eye? I have already secured cooperation in the south, centered around Jampea. All that remained was the western direction... but it seems Fanbayle is unwilling to cooperate. In that case, I shall rely on others."
I conducted the conversation from a position of "I don't particularly need you to force yourselves to participate." This was because I truly didn't need them. In the worst case, it would be fine as long as they didn't interfere.
If I were to attack while Banseime was in chaos, it would simply mean the Margrave would have to work hard.
The opponent seemed slightly surprised to hear Jampea's name. Information that Jampea would cooperate likely hadn't reached them yet.
"You've won over the south as well, have you. The King of Jampea was a man... did you charm not only women, but men as well? You siblings are a nuisance of a pair."
Perhaps they were deeply resentful, as the King of Fanbayle was quite cold toward me. Then, a small, chuckling laugh could be heard.
Hearing that voice, I looked toward the side of the throne—the place where curtains were provided. The person peeking out was a slender woman with pink hair. She looked more dignified than before, but she also seemed to have a shadow somewhere.
As the atmosphere of the room suddenly calmed, His Majesty cleared his throat affectedly. Furthermore, the Queen also seemed somewhat nervous.
"...We have also been considering the matter of cooperation. The treatment Banseime gave us is unforgivable. I will have the details discussed later."
The King, who had been persistently aggressive toward me until now, suddenly became honest. Discussions had likely already been progressing within the country that they couldn't leave Banseime alone. But why did his attitude change so suddenly?
From inside the orb, I heard Mireia-san's voice.
『Lariel, the real target has appeared. This atmosphere reminds me of the old days. It's vague, but I certainly remember it. You could say she's manipulating things from the shadows. Now, the real show begins.』
—I caught my breath. However, the Seventh Generation countered Mireia-san as if breathing out.
『So you were controlling things from the shadows in the same way, I see—』
Without being able to finish his sentence, the Seventh Generation was shot down inside the orb again today. While listening to the sound of the gunshot, I thought about the woman who had shown herself slightly—Rianne Fanbayle.
After exiting the audience chamber, the room I was guided to was not a conference room or a place for discussions.
No, it was a place for discussions, but it was a place unsuitable for discussing important matters.
Chairs were arranged facing each other at a round table. Several types of sweets were prepared on the table, and there was no presence of people around.
Once the man who guided me exited the room, I was left alone in that room.
"I feel a slight sense of incongruity."
As I muttered that, I felt a human presence at the back of the room. I felt a presence behind the curtains, but until now, I hadn't felt any human presence there, even with my skills.
"It's in bad taste, Rianne-sama."
When I guessed the name of the person hiding, the person who appeared from the curtains was a woman with pink hair and an atmosphere that had increased since before. Previously, the impression of her being sad was strong, but now it wasn't just the aura of royalty. She possessed an atmosphere that intimidated the opponent.
"Oh? This is the first time I've been noticed so quickly. Regardless, it has been a long time, Lariel Walt-san."
Chuckling, Rianne-sama approached the table and sat in one of the chairs herself. In a room without servers or servants, she poured tea from the prepared pot.
It didn't look like the actions a princess would take.
"Quite, how should I put it..."
Rianne-san told me to sit, then leaned back against the chair's backrest and looked up at the ceiling.
"I know what you want to say. But you see, now I do everything myself. I have a brother who was so afraid of me that he resorted to assassination. That's why I prepare the tea and meals myself."
The Fifth Generation sounded surprised.
『It would be pointless if poison were put in the ingredients.』
"In the ingredients—"
Before I could finish my words, Rianne-san explained while drinking tea.
"I go and buy them myself. I have a convenient skill. It's called Trick, but its evolved forms are Magic and Magician... they're very convenient. There are many restrictions, but it's easy enough to slip out of the castle and go shopping."
A skill that easily slips through the castle's security—this was surely the same skill as Albano-san's.
Albano-san had also said he could only do things on the level of pranks. And the Rianne-sama before me was the same. When we met before, she had played a prank by destroying the handle of a cup.
"...May I ask why you are feared?"
Rianne-san rested both elbows on the table in an unladylike manner, rested her chin on her hand, and smiled at me while tilting her head slightly.
"It's simple. I had brothers and sisters who called me a failure of a daughter who returned home. My parents' treatment of me was also cold, so I played a few pranks. When I did, they grew haggard day by day, and in the end, they came to apologize. But one of my brothers sent assassins to me. Because it was scary, I decided to have my brother live quietly far away. He should be living a quiet life in the countryside now."
It seems she drove her own brother to the frontier.
Chuckling, Rianne-sama no longer seemed like the lovely princess from before.
But it wasn't a problem. Since I'm surrounded by people far scarier than this, I'm not surprised by this level of things.
However, the Third Generation was groaning.
『She's heavy. This girl is very heavy. If we include this girl, I wonder if Lariel can endure it... yeah, he can! He can barely make it!』
The Fifth Generation was completely denying the Third Generation's opinion.
『No. This girl is dangerous. As for how dangerous, she's dangerous enough to rival the Sixth Generation's wife. Lariel's stomach will definitely end up in a terrible state, so you should stop!』
The Seventh Generation gave a slightly relaxed opinion.
『Mother was certainly scary. However, she is of the same bloodline as Ludmilla. Bloodline-wise, she's flawless, and as for me, I think there's no problem?』
Mireia-san sounded amused.
『Broad-kun's opinion is really useless, isn't it. But, the elder brother's wife... she was a formidable enemy. Well, I didn't oppose her, though.』
Speaking of the Sixth Generation's wife, she was a woman who had married in after confessing her love. The sight of her throwing things nearby at the Sixth Generation with a terrifying expression and eyes devoid of highlights was truly scary.
If she's at the same level as that great-grandmother, isn't she quite dangerous?
Rianne-sama was smiling at me.
"I've heard rumors about you. You were quite active in Beim. I also heard information that you were involved in the turmoil in Cartaphus, and it seems that was also true. Do you really intend to fight Celes?"
When Rianne-sama's expression became serious, I nodded. I had no intention of giving an ambiguous answer here.
"I will fight. Of course, I intend to win. That's why I'm making preparations."
"Is our country one of those preparations? Certainly, it's necessary to secure the west of Banseime. The north is Cartaphus, and the south is the nations centered around Jampea... what do you intend to do about the east?"
I straightened my posture.
"I'll handle the eastern direction on my own."
Hearing that, Rianne-san only said, "I see."
"The atmosphere in the audience chamber—it felt as if Rianne-sama was the one in control."
At my words, Rianne-sama laughed.
"You can just call me Rianne. We are fellow avengers, after all. You see... I'm expecting things from you. To one day take revenge on Rufus, who abandoned me—and on Celes, I'll even manipulate Fanbayle from the shadows. For that, if there's anything you need, just say so. I'll prepare everything for you. No matter what sacrifice must be paid."
Rianne-sama—no, Rianne's eyes were serious. And such a Rianne, as the first person she named as a target for revenge, was not Celes, who stole her fiancé, but the fiancé himself, Rufus. The Crown Prince of Banseime.
However, I felt that Rianne, burning with revenge, overlapped with the back of the Fifth Generation.
The Fifth Generation must have noticed that too.
『Lariel, this woman is serious. She seriously intends to take revenge on Banseime—no, on the Crown Prince and Celes. No matter what she sacrifices... even if she sacrifices herself. Stop her. It's still in time.』
Hearing the Fifth Generation's opinion, I squeezed the orb to show my agreement.
"Even if you sacrifice everything?"
Rianne's eyes were serious.
"If it's necessary to sacrifice everything, I'll just do it. I have nothing left but revenge. You understand this feeling, don't you? You want to take revenge on Celes, right? You want to see her beg for forgiveness while being tortured, don't you? I want to see that sight. I'll leave Celes to you. But, leave Rufus to me. I'll kill him slowly over several months. I studied various things for that. If necessary, I can teach you a few interesting torture methods—"
I spoke to Rianne.
"I'm sorry, but my goal isn't revenge. I'm not thinking of torturing Celes."
Then, I felt the orb become slightly warm.
However, Rianne's eyes looked as if they were rejecting me—disbelief, and as if she had seen something unbelievable... anyway, they were eyes that denied me.
"...Do you think the people around you will be satisfied with that? I think everyone will just think the whole continent was dragged into the Walt family's internal strife. Next, the blades of those who aren't satisfied will be pointed at you."
Even so, what I aimed for was not revenge against Celes.
The time to end it had already come. Not just Celes. Not just Agrissa or Septem.
"I'm sorry, but I'm fighting to save. I'm not saying I'll protect my family's lives. I've done enough of that, and I think saving them is impossible. But what we need is what comes after that—the future. I'm different from you, who ends with revenge."
I saw Rianne's eyes dye with anger. However, Rianne wasn't the type to shout abuse at me.
"I see, it seems I was the only one who thought we were the same. But that's fine. The condition for cooperation is that you hand over Rufus. If you're not interested in Celes, will you give him to me? With that, Fanbayle will cooperate. I'll even accept your empire concept. It doesn't matter to me."
However, that would be a problem for me.
"That would be a problem. Fanbayle needs to have the power to secure the surrounding areas. As it is now, it's lacking in power. I want Fanbayle to have the power to unite the western direction."
Rianne seemed uninterested.
"You're the one who'll get the Banseime territory, right? Then the wider the better. Besides, I'm not interested in such things. How to crush those people... that's my only reason for living!"
Looking at the broken Rianne, I felt an anxiety about whether I could truly save her.