254 - True Revenge
The Kingdom of Fanbayle.
In a room within the castle of its capital, I had gathered the other four for a meeting to discuss countermeasures against Rianne.
"—And so, it seems she is quite cornered. However, it would be problematic if Fanbayle were to be crushed like this. Is there any way around it?"
Aria, her expression strained, looked at the people around her before returning her gaze to me.
"What? Is the princess in such a terrible state?"
I nodded. I explained that the Kingdom of Fanbayle had been taken over by Rianne, and that this Rianne was burning with a desire for revenge against Rufus and Celes. Furthermore, I explained that she was gleefully preparing to carry out torture.
Aria's reaction was perhaps to be expected.
"Quite cornered. I think it's partly because the situation was terrible even after she returned."
A princess abandoned by her fiancé. Certainly, depending on how you put it, it sounds pitiful, but the world is colder than one might think. There were those who said, "Was there something wrong with Rianne?" It wasn't just her family. The heavyweights of the country, and everyone else down to the lowest ranks—.
In the midst of that, Rianne used her ability to dominate the country. No, rather than an ability... it might have been a matter of her own nature.
"I thought she was a real princess, but she's different from the image I had. Before, she seemed so fragile, or rather, pitiful..."
Clara pushed up her glasses slightly, adjusted their position, and spoke to me.
"If she's willing to cooperate, wouldn't that be fine? Or does Lyell-san intend to add Rianne-san to his harem as well?"
Certainly, if the goal was simply to achieve victory over Celes, the current situation would be no problem.
However, a bomb remained within the country of Fanbayle. Even if we won, it would be scarier if Rianne became lethargic and stopped involving herself in national administration.
Would a Fanbayle that harbored a grudge against the Walt family honestly listen to our opinions? It would be problematic if they suddenly lost control and exploded.
"The problem is after the victory. People might laugh at me for thinking about what happens after the win before the fight even starts, but that's a crucial part. It doesn't just end with victory."
Clara nodded as if convinced. However.
"In that case, Rianne-san is necessary for Fanbayle. Or, we must make her follow our lead. Since she's heavily resented because of the Walt family, it might be difficult on an emotional level."
At Clara's remark, the Seventh Head inside the jewel looked bashful.
『Hehe, it was quite a grand victory—no, it would be fair to call it a complete rout. From the Crown Prince down, the major nobles were taken as prisoners, and we made a fortune in exchange for ransoms. The troublesome ones died in battle, so it took them decades to recover... Those who became prisoners must have felt quite small too.』
In other words, the Sixth and Seventh Heads were the cause.
No, I know. Losing was out of the question, and we had to win. But the problem was that we won so completely it became a trauma. Thanks to that, Fanbayle had been haunted by the impression of being weak in war for the past few decades.
If I were in the opposite position, I would certainly want to hold a grudge.
Aria wore a troubled expression.
"Huh? In that case, it's better for Rianne-sama to stay in Fanbayle, right? The harem doesn't matter, and wouldn't it be over once we make Fanbayle acknowledge Lyell?"
Monica, who had been listening in silence, checked the contents of the cups placed before us and prepared refills.
"Making them acknowledge him is also difficult, and the problem is that the female powerhouse who united Fanbayle after the revenge was completed—after the victory—might lose her motivation. Why not try seizing it in the future?"
I rejected Monica's opinion.
"Banseime alone has a considerable amount of territory. Governing that is already a struggle. If possible, I'd rather resolve unnecessary problems in advance."
The Fifth Head agreed with my opinion inside the jewel.
『I agree. Seizing a country is flashy, but everything after that is quite dull. Rather, it would be problematic if the entire continent didn't get sufficiently exhausted. On top of the war, territory returning... I feel like Fanbayle wouldn't stop at that.』
The Third Head said the same.
『It's a deep-rooted problem. Since the people in power are from the trauma generation, it's even more complicated. Why not just... quickly swap the heads?』
Scary. The Third Head says scary things. However, the idea of forcing a generational change might be a correct opinion.
Shannon, while drinking the tea Monica had brewed, looked a bit puzzled.
"Hey, I think that princess still has feelings for the Crown Prince. That's why she can't forgive him, isn't it?"
I looked at Shannon, exasperated.
"That's why it's a problem. Because her love was deep, her hatred became that deep."
Shannon, in turn, looked at me with exasperation.
"That's! What! I'm! Saying! That princess will definitely hate the person who killed him! At this rate, it won't be a Fanbayle without a princess, but a Fanbayle with a princess that will bare its fangs!"
Aria, Clara, and I all looked at Shannon. Come to think of it, while Shannon is usually disappointing, she possessed eyes that could sense people's hearts through the flow and fluctuations of magic.
"...Is that true?"
Shannon nodded, puffing out her non-existent chest with confidence.
"Hmph, this Shannon-sama's eyes are amazing. She hates him now, but she still loves him deeply. That's exactly why she can't forgive him, that's the feeling."
Aria gasped.
"Wait. In that case, we're fighting a princess who took over a country all by herself? Look, I don't really understand the behind-the-scenes stuff, but I think Rianne-sama is dangerous."
Clara gripped my sleeve with her fingertips and looked up at my face.
"Lyell-san... this is the time for 'Lyell-san'. Let's seduce the princess of Fanbayle. That princess will definitely be a nuisance."
Monica put her hand to her chin and stated her own view.
"Hmm, even if we fight, she's not the type to be active on the front lines, but the type to move around in the shadows. If the story about the chicken coward is true, she's a nuisance skill-holder who appears and disappears unpredictably. She's definitely the troublesome type. Moreover, she's far worse than someone with a mind-control skill. With the current members... she might be more troublesome than Ludmila. She's as troublesome as that fox-eyed Novem. No, if she becomes a clear enemy, her troublesome nature might be even greater. There's no telling what kind of methods she'll use."
Shannon looked at me and spoke.
"I think that princess... is scarier than Big Sister. No, if they fought, Big Sister would definitely win, but it's not that kind of scary... she's truly scary."
It seemed that after defeating Celes, the worst-case scenario was the birth of a monster on par with Celes. No, she was a different kind of threat than Celes, so they couldn't be compared.
"...What should I do?"
Inside the jewel.
I had held out my right arm to Raiel. While repairing the flow of blue light running through my right arm, Raiel listened to my complaints.
『What? A scary princess this time? Why do you keep drawing such bad cards? Lyell's hand really has a lot of jokers.』
A room from my memories. It was the room where I had been confined.
Sitting on the bed, I averted my gaze from Raiel.
"...Because everyone is kind to me."
『That's true. They are kind "to" Lyell. Though if you let your guard down, it feels like a serious fight to crush each other would start. ...Oops, this part is terrible too. Why did they break it so meticulously? Moreover, the period of neglect was too long, so the repair is harder than I thought.』
The flow of magic within me, torn to shreds by Celes. Raiel, repairing it, placed his hands on my back.
Small hands were rubbing my back.
『Revenge, huh. You don't understand what true revenge is. Besides, a method that results in self-destruction is second-rate as revenge. True revenge is—whoa, this part is terrible too.』
Raiel laughed, saying things like 『It would have been better if I'd treated it sooner.』
Then, he spoke to me.
『...Lyell, I told you, didn't I? I want you to save your family. Now, a question. For "my and your" family, what do you think salvation is?』
I looked down and answered Raiel's question as he rubbed my back.
"Killing them. Killing them so they don't suffer."
I couldn't see what kind of expression Raiel was making. But he surely didn't look happy.
『Correct. And that is the maximum salvation possible for parents who were manipulated. There's also the option of hiding them somewhere. But the parents I know would not accept that. My father, who wanted to be more noble than anyone. My gentle and proud mother. Those two would surely choose death if they were freed from Celes. That's the kind of people they are.』
I felt sad hearing Raiel's words.
"I don't even have those memories. Hey, give them back. I... only have vague memories. I want the memories of my family. I want to remember them!"
Raiel didn't answer. Then, he placed his hands on both my shoulders. I felt a sensation of my body becoming warm, and then Raiel, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
『...Sorry.』
"Eh?"
I looked up. I tried to turn around, but my shoulders were held down, so I couldn't. Even moving only my neck, I couldn't see his face because Raiel was looking down.
『I'm sure returning the memories is the right thing to do. I am the memory itself, released from Celes's seal by the jewel for that purpose. Memories are important to people. So important that they can determine one's life...』
"Then!"
『That's why!』
Raiel shouted.
『That's why I cannot give the memories to you. I don't want to. What's important to the jewel isn't the current Lyell. It's a Lyell who can defeat Celes. For that purpose, the jewel wants to make Lyell strong. But that's not it. I—』
Raiel released his hands from my shoulders.
When I turned around, the room was dyed gray and crumbled away like sand. As a gray sandstorm blew, what remained was a room that reproduced the interior of the jewel.
In the reproduced room, the First, Second, Fourth, and Sixth Heads were sitting in their respective chairs. The interior of the jewel, dyed gray.
Even looking around, the four of them showed no reaction to me.
The round table expanded, becoming like an arena, and Raiel gripped a saber in his right hand. The saber I received on my birthday. The saber I had continued to hold.
The form of a ten-year-old. That version of myself took a stance with the saber.
"...If I win, you'll give them back, right?"
As I put my left hand forward, the katana I had been using appeared. Gripping the scabbard, I grasped the hilt with my right hand and drew the blade.
Raiel was laughing.
『Now, the treatment is over. Even in this state, you can put out four to five parts of your power. Come at me seriously. If you want those memories that badly, defeat me and seize them!』
More power entered my body than ever before. Power that had felt like it couldn't quite fit was now blending into my body. I felt lines of blue light racing throughout my body.
It was the same for Raiel. He approached me in an instant and thrust the saber. However, I clamped the saber's blade with my side and launched a kick.
Raiel, who quickly let go of the saber, flew to the side and landed on the floor.
"I can see it!"
I, who had found it difficult even to track him until now, could keep up with Raiel's speed. Then, I slammed the scabbard in my left hand into Raiel, and the floor crashed, shattering that part.
Raiel leaped up, gripping the saber, and swung it down at me.
I blocked it with the katana in my right hand, and sparks flew.
『—The next stage. Lyell, you still don't understand. The weapons of the successive heads have this kind of usage too!』
What appeared in Raiel's left hand was the Sixth Head's halberd. It was swung horizontally, and I blocked it with the scabbard in my left hand. Just as I pressed down on the shaft and tried to kick him away, Raiel pulled back the halberd.
My left arm was sliced by the axe part, and blood spurted out.
Throwing away the saber, Raiel swung the halberd held in both arms. I let go of the scabbard, and as it touched the floor, it shattered and vanished like glass.
"W-Why?"
『I told you, didn't I? You're not the only one who can use them. I am also "Lyell Walt". I can use the weapons of the successive heads too.』
The halberd Raiel held looked strange. The shape of the axe and spear, and the length of the shaft—those had changed.
I stabbed the katana into the floor and gripped the halberd with both hands, and a halberd of a familiar shape appeared.
As Raiel approached, he skillfully swung the halberd. Conversely, I, who had been approached too closely, was slow to respond.
"The reach is—"
『Wrong. That's right. The Sixth Head's halberd can change the shape of the blade based on the length of the shaft. Why don't you notice?』
When I tried to respond by shortening the shaft as he said, Raiel instead extended the shaft—extending it ten meters, and as it reached the ceiling of the room, he changed the shape of the halberd into a bow.
Instinctively, I prepared the Fourth Head's daggers, and they deployed before my eyes. The daggers rotated in a circle, but the arrow Raiel fired did not head for me; it was fired in four directions—and then changed direction just above the ground.
"Kuh!"
I deflected two arrows of light with the daggers in both hands, but arrows of light pierced my right arm and left thigh.
『You're not mastering the Second Head's bow. Depending on how you use it, you can do things like just now. And—』
What Raiel was gripping were the Fourth Head's daggers. Feeling him activate a skill, I also used a skill instinctively.
『—Too slow.』
Before I knew it, silver daggers were piercing my body. As I fell to my knees, the daggers vanished and the wounds on my body healed.
As I managed to push myself up, Raiel was standing on a floating dagger. Creating a foothold with the dagger, he leaped up and this time took out a greatsword. The greatsword used by the First Head was a weapon specialized in destruction.
I also prepared a greatsword. The greatsword—a mass of metal—clashed, and I was the one blown back.
Rolling on the ground, I barely managed not to let go of the greatsword.
Raiel had the greatsword resting on his shoulder. A child carrying a greatsword larger than his own body on his shoulder, looking at me.
『Skills and weapons... you're really clumsy at handling them. It's your fault for not thinking much about how to handle them because they were too powerful on their own. Did you really intend to defeat Celes like this? I really can't return the memories.』
I gritted my teeth and stood up. I stabbed the First Head's greatsword into the ground, and as I stood, the First Head from my memories was nearby. I felt as if his gaze was turned toward me.
"Don't just say whatever you want... do you even know? My memories were stolen, I couldn't even understand that, I don't know anything! I caused trouble for everyone, and even that wasn't enough... they're my memories! Give them back to me!"
Raiel said nothing. He simply lowered the greatsword from his shoulder and took a stance. Absorbing Raiel's magic, the ferocious greatsword changed its form.
I couldn't understand. Raiel, who should have the purpose of returning my memories, had a reason to refuse them—.
But if there was one thing I could imagine.
"You just don't want yourself to disappear, do you? Because if you return the memories to me, you don't know what will happen to you!"
Raiel smiled sadly.
『Yeah, that's right. That's right. I'm scared of disappearing too! Come on, if you want them back, try killing me! Try blowing me away!!』
Imitating Raiel, I poured magic into the greatsword. Emitting a blue light, the greatsword changed its form. Changing into a shape different from Raiel's, we both stepped forward using all our skills.
As the greatswords clashed, a violent shock struck the room.