257 - The Third Person
The territory of Margrave Lesnou.
Having exchanged documents at the Margrave's castle, I sought a handshake with a smile.
However, the Margrave, who responded to the handshake, had an expression as if he had chewed on a bitter bug. The reason was simple.
The Margrave spoke to me.
"I assume Braubey and Parselena are safe?"
His voice sounded like a threat. Furthermore, the gazes of the surrounding knights were filled with killing intent. Since the negotiation involved taking the heir as a hostage, and the surrounding circumstances were favorable, the Margrave had no choice but to sign.
After I kidna... rescued the two of them, the Margrave brilliantly filed a protest with Central. And from his son, who was in Central, he received only a letter that seemed particularly unconcerned.
It was certain that the son had been charmed by Celes, and the relationships with the surrounding lords had also become delicate. This was because he had protested to Central. Rumors were spreading that forces, starting with the Walt Family, might invade.
"Please rest assured. Despite everything, I am a man who keeps his promises."
"You kidnapper and traitor."
The Margrave's words were not wrong. Fanbayle was working with the nations of the western continent to invade Banseime. Margrave Lesnou was currently in a situation where a rift had been created in his relationships with the surrounding lords he should be cooperating with...
His options were few.
Mireia-san spoke in a voice that sounded like an evil empress.
"That is not the case. It was Banseime that abandoned Lyell. Calling him a traitor is cruel."
The Fifth Head said to Mireia-san
"Well, Lyell probably has his own side of the story, but no matter how you look at it, what he's doing is cruel. It's only natural the Margrave would be angry."
I turned my gaze out the window, and there was Mei in the form of a kirin. On her back, she carried Parselena-san and Braubey-kun.
"Grandfather!"
"Braubey!"
The Margrave, who hurriedly threw open the window himself, looked at Braubey-kun rather than the kirin outside. The surrounding knights looked back and forth between the outside of the window and me.
"They are my precious comrades, so please rest assured. Please do not think of trying to capture them. If you do, the talk of cooperation will vanish."
The people around me gasped at my words. The only way for Margrave Lesnou to survive was already to cooperate with me.
Considering the domestic situation, eventually Celes—no, even now, Celes was wasting the national strength in vain. She seemed not to realize that she was strangling herself.
The Margrave turned back from the window and looked at me.
"As promised, my grandson and adopted daughter have been returned. Lesnou shall move as promised when the time comes. However, regarding the territory..."
I nodded.
"I shall have it prepared. Please proceed with the arrangements with Fanbayle."
Hearing this, Margrave Lesnou asked,
"That is well and good, but if we move carelessly, won't Central notice?"
I placed the documents I had received into an envelope and held them carefully.
"It will be fine. Preparations will be complete before Central moves."
Yes. Preparations were already coming together.
—Southwest of the continent.
The territory located there was the land of the Walt Family, the representative nobles of Banseime.
Now a complete enemy territory, a place where Lyell could not return, it was visited by Novem and the others.
Miranda, wearing a hood, looked around with a bit of curiosity.
"We're not going to the urban areas? Isn't that where you'd go to gather information?"
Novem, similarly hooded, was looking at the scenery visible from the horse-drawn carriage. The town they passed through was the birthplace of the Walt Family, the lordly nobles who had lived there from the First to the Third Head.
"...Naturally, many people in the urban areas would recognize my face. This is an important place for the Walt Family, so we might be able to hear some useful things."
From atop the carriage, Eva had removed her hood and was looking outside.
"It's a nice place. The atmosphere isn't bad. Since it's the Walt Family's territory, I thought it would be in a more terminal state."
The Walt Family's forces currently running rampant in Banseime—.
She likely thought that the interior of the territory would also be in a terrible state, brainwashed by Celes. Novem looked down and said,
"This is a very important place. I did not let Celes-sama lay a finger on it."
Miranda reacted to Novem's words.
"You didn't let her lay a finger on it, huh. It must be quite a precious place. But is it really that important? I mean, there is a large town, but..."
Given the current scale of the Walt Family's territory, it wasn't that important of a place. It wasn't a transportation hub, either.
For that reason, the Fourth Generation had moved the manor.
Novem said,
"The Walt Family, as lordly nobles, began here. You say that is not important?"
Miranda looked away from Novem and gazed at the scenery outside.
"So it's treated like a holy land for you, Novem. I understand."
Miranda spoke sarcastically, but Novem did not deny it. It wasn't just Novem. For the Foxus family, this place was undoubtedly a holy land.
(The place where we could meet the Walt Family again... no, the kin of that person. The place where I could meet the person of the Walt Family who inherited that person's will... Basil-sama.)
When the carriage stopped, Novem and the others got off and looked over the town.
Then, Novem began to walk, leading Miranda and Eva. The destination they headed toward was a cemetery.
Among the many lined graves, there were gravestones in a separately prepared section engraved with the names of the heads of the Walt Family—Basil—Crassel, Dewey, Slay—.
Novem removed the hood and made a gesture as if praying.
(Successive heads of the family. Lyell-sama has grown into a strong person, just like you. The Walt Family is secure. I, Novem, will surely make Lyell-sama the overlord of the continent. I will show you that he has conquered the continent and reclaimed the world of strong humans.)
Whether those inner thoughts, like a vow mixed with personal desire, reached the successive heads sleeping beneath the gravestones—.
In the room of memories where Raiel had disappeared, Celes no longer appeared.
The successive heads were no longer having their traumas awakened, and opening the door led immediately to the room where I had been under house arrest.
I felt a sense of loneliness without the presence of the erotic brat who had said he wanted to line up women wearing garters and gaze at them.
The room felt a bit wider.
I had entered my own room of memories at Mireia-san's invitation, but I hadn't been told what we were going to do.
"Mireia-san, what are we doing here? Also, Raiel mentioned that the next one would be the last?"
Mireia-san looked around the room, touching the furniture with her fingertips as if it were dusty. As she traced it, the dust clung to her fingertips, turning them whitish.
"Lyell."
"Yes?"
When my name was called and I tried to approach, I instinctively stepped back.
What Mireia-san was pointing toward me was a muzzle. It was a single-shot gun with a knife attached, capable of handling close-quarters combat.
"...That's dangerous."
As I said that, Mireia-san tucked the gun under her sleeve and smiled.
"A good reaction. If you can master your own body to that extent, there is possibility. I panicked when Raiel abandoned his role, but with this, we can move forward."
Saying so, Mireia-san swung her left hand sideways. The room was dyed gray, and the scenery began to change.
And as color returned to the scenery—it was a sight I didn't know, or perhaps a scene from memories that had vanished... an unknown landscape spread out.
Mireia-san looked at me and said,
"The third person is I—Mireia, Lyell."
Mireia-san, who had called herself a guide, seemed to be in charge of the end. Hearing that, I thought this person would also disappear. However, unlike the first, Septem-san, she seemed like a formidable opponent, much like Raiel.
I felt she wouldn't disappear easily, but there was a part of me that felt relieved by that.
"...I would have preferred it if you were honestly surprised rather than making such a complex expression. However, my role is the same. There are facts that Lyell must know."
While trying not to let my inner thoughts be known, I asked Mireia-san back,
"What is it?"
"You may have noticed, but the one who defeated Agrissa—the Septem of three hundred years ago—was not a member of the Banseime family."
"...I suppose that's true."
How did the Banseime family defeat Agrissa? Furthermore, the records from that time were surprisingly few. Before the Kingdom of Banseime, the Kingdom of Centras had ruled the continent.
The Banseime family, who were lordly nobles of that Centras, saved the continent under Agrissa's rule and ascended to the throne. After that, the surrounding lords became independent, and the continent was not unified for nearly three hundred years.
"The important part is not Banseime. Well, there were certainly a few wise rulers, but basically, there were many who caused trouble for those around them. I have no emotional attachment to them, and I have nothing but unpleasant memories, so I don't care about that part."
She had absolutely no loyalty to the royal family. Well, lords want the authority of the royal family; loyalty like chivalry is secondary. One could say they bow their heads to the authority that recognizes them as correct.
"Do you remember Thracy? At that time, there was the divine beast whale—the White Whale, right? Recall the words she spoke."
Come to think of it, she had said something when Thracy was repelled. She had an aura as if she knew about three hundred years ago.
"Something about a hero with the same surname... but I couldn't ask for details."
At my words, Mireia-san smiled.
"...Lyell, to tell you the truth, I thought something when you tried to grasp the continent in your hand. As I thought, it returns to the hand of the owner. Do you believe in fate, Lyell?"
Since I didn't understand what she was talking about, I tilted my head, and Mireia-san said,
"Three hundred years... Take back the throne you had lent to Banseime. That was originally the property of the Walt Family. The time has come to take everything back from Banseime, who stole the achievements of the Walt Family members—achievements that were not even allowed to be spoken of."
I swallowed in surprise and then sought confirmation from Mireia-san.
"Um, does that mean—"
"The Walt Family—there was a youth who was its formal heir. He was truly just a strong person. An era where one could not use magic, nor were there magic tools. He was a hero who challenged Agrissa using only physical enhancement skills, without even possessing an Orb."
The surrounding scenery showed many tents set up, as if a war were about to begin.
In such a place, there was a youth walking toward them, shouting loudly.
"Yo, Novem, have you been doing well? Did you eat and sleep properly?"
The youth, who laughed boisterously with a "Gahahahaha," was tall and carried a greatsword on his back. It wasn't a lump of iron like the First Generation's, but a true two-handed sword.
And the youth called Novem was a slender man? He looked as if he could be a woman.
"I can hear you, so please don't shout, Lyell."
Lyell—he had the same name as me.
"My bad. We're about to invade. I'm just overflowing with spirit and can't help it."
The rough youth drew the greatsword and gave it a light swing. Novem—was watching this. He let out a sigh, but looked a bit happy.
Mireia-san said,
"...This person is a member of the Foxus family. They are known as a clan with talent regarding magic. They were a family of counts among the court nobles."
Hearing that the Foxus family were counts, I was surprised once again.
"What... no, first I'll listen to the story."
Mireia-san nodded, and the two youths continued their conversation.
"By the way, Lyell, you've settled things with Count Banseime, right? He's someone I don't want coming too far forward."
The youth who was my ancestor sheathed the greatsword and shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't want to be told various things by the heir of a low-ranking Knight rank house. Well, I'm satisfied that he's providing troops."
The Foxus youth's eyes narrowed.
"It will even have a negative effect on the soldiers Lyell gathered. Let me stop him. We decided to fight together because it's Lyell. I hate Count Banseime, who observes the situation from later and aims to take the best parts for himself."
"Don't say that, Novem. The soldiers and supplies are all gathered now. All that's left is to storm Central and land a blow on that hag Agrissa. I've decided that I'll be the first to punch that hag's face, so I'll leave the second and onwards to you."
The Foxus youth gave a wry smile.
"You're the same as always. Agrissa is proficient in both martial arts and magic. She is not an easy opponent."
Then, my ancestor let out a laugh and made a statement similar to the First Generation.
"That doesn't matter. I'll get close and slash her! That solves everything. Let's drink some sake when it's over. You're my oldest acquaintance, after all."
The Foxus youth smiled somewhat sadly.
"...I'll pass, as it would be bad for your wife. She's pregnant, right?"
At that point, the image turned gray.
Mireia-san spoke toward me.
"Lyell, are you ready to know everything?"