31 - The Beginning of the Walt Family
Having felt my own growth, and after being seen in my pained state by Novem, Aria... and my ancestors, I visited the meeting room within the Jewel Orb as promised to the First Generation.
Unlike usual, the First Generation was standing in front of his room.
And today, the Second Generation was sitting in a chair.
"This is rare, Second Generation,"
When I said that, the Second Generation gave a short reply.
"Yeah."
The First Generation was smiling.
I wondered if the two of them had been fighting again as usual. Thinking so, I asked what had happened.
"Fighting again? What were you arguing about this time?"
The First Generation shook his head.
"Do you think we're always fighting? I just told him a few stories from the old days and said what I wanted to say. Come on, let's go, Riel. Oh, wait."
The First Generation opened his room, but called out to the Second Generation one last time.
"I'll leave the rest to you, Crassel."
The Second Generation merely waved his right hand. While thinking that such an interaction was rare, I wondered.
(They're always fighting, so this is unusual.)
With that thought, I stepped through the door with the First Generation, and an old cityscape spread out before me.
The cobblestones were crumbled in some places.
The style was somehow antiquated; it looked as though the Vice territory of the Walt family was more developed.
And people were even walking about, living their daily lives.
But—.
"I can't touch them?"
When I tried to avoid a person who suddenly came right in front of me, my shoulder brushed against a wall.
However, there was no sensation.
"This is my memory, or rather, inside my memories. The things you can touch are limited, and it's useless no matter how much you talk to these people. Come on, let's get moving."
I followed the First Generation, walking down a cluttered main street.
There was no doubt that this was a place I had never seen.
(Is this the old family home? No, if it's the First Generation's memory, the scale is wrong. It feels cluttered, but is it the size of a town or a city?)
Given the scale of the territory, the family home in the First Generation's era shouldn't have been this developed.
As I walked behind the First Generation, we gradually turned from the main street into a narrow path.
There, buildings of four to five stories stood so close they narrowed the sky, and the passageways were thin.
There was no smell, but the roads were dirty.
"Where is this?"
"Huh? It's Central in the royal capital. About two hundred years ago, I think?"
Hearing that, I was shocked.
"Two hundred years ago!"
"Don't be so surprised. I was born around the fiftieth year of the Kingdom Calendar. Is it three hundred now? It wouldn't be strange for it to be around that."
"T-True."
I had never been to Central, but I walked the path while thinking that this was what it was like.
Then, as we passed through the street, there was a district where detached houses stood.
"What is this place?"
"My family home. That other way was just a shortcut, so we took it."
Being told that, I—.
(The Walt family, who are Robed Nobility in the royal capital, were here... I heard that there's absolutely no connection now, though.)
I had been told that they had become independent and that the relationship had been severed.
Moreover, even if the other party were Robed Nobility, they probably couldn't act like relatives to the Walt family, who were a Count's house of the provincial nobility.
After all, the Walt family in the royal capital were Knight-rank.
Even as nobility, they were at the very bottom, holding no official position.
"What are we doing here? Or rather, is there something you want to show me?"
When I said that, the First Generation nodded silently.
Then, I looked where he was gazing.
There was a young man holding large luggage, peeking from a short distance away at a red-haired woman... Alice, Aria's ancestor.
He looked to be in his late teens.
"...That's me."
"Eh, no way!"
I thought it was only natural to be surprised. After all, the First Generation in his youth looked like a fine young man. His hair was neat, and he didn't have a beard.
He didn't even have the barbarian style that was the First Generation's characteristic.
"It's not a lie! Back then, whenever I caught sight of Alice-san, I decided in my heart that I would one day rise above being the third son of a Knight-rank house and go to welcome her!"
It seemed he had an unexpectedly pure side.
Then, the scene shifted.
There, the young First Generation was looking at a recruitment notice for a pioneer group posted on a wall.
And the young First Generation shouted.
"This is it! With this, I can rise in the world and go welcome Alice-san!"
The young First Generation ran off happily.
"That was the time. When I bought the blue orb that was being sold cheaply. The others were expensive, but this one was cheap because it wasn't popular. Actually, in our time, there were no magic tools, and when it came to skills, the only thing we could do was buy an orb. I found out later that it's meaningless if you don't memorize the skill, though."
The reason he bought the Jewel Orb was that it was unpopular and cheap—.
As usual, it was an outrageous reason.
"Better than nothing, right? Still, I really wanted a red one."
The young First Generation picked up the cheaply sold blue orb and looked at the other red and yellow orbs, which were at prices he couldn't afford.
The First Generation seemed to feel bitter looking at his own figure.
"Maybe that was a mistake. Though, I didn't have any choices. To be in a Knight-rank house of the Robed Nobility without a position... I'd just be a money-eating bug living on a pension. I grew to hate a family home like that, and thought that one day I'd become independent and great. ...Or so I thought."
The scene shifted once again, and this time it seemed several years had jumped forward.
In a tavern in Central, the young First Generation, who had become wilder than before, was drinking alcohol while crying.
"...What happened?"
"...I came back to Central temporarily. The village had somewhat taken shape, so I thought I'd ask Alice-san to marry me."
The result was likely as I knew it.
Alice-san, Aria's ancestor, married into the Rockword family.
"I truly grew to hate everything at that point."
"I can imagine."
The young First Generation drinking before my eyes was ordering alcohol over and over while crying.
I wanted to hold my head in my hands when I heard him mutter that he spent the money he brought as a betrothal gift entirely on drinks.
(Doing something like that suddenly won't work. You have to bring up the topic first, or get a connection... or rather, the difference in status is too great; he'd be turned away at the door.)
A love across social classes.
Without their fates crossing even a millimeter, the First Generation's first love came to an end.
Then the scene changed completely, and a peaceful landscape spread out. It was spreading, but a heated battle was unfolding there.
The young First Generation in barbarian style was trading blows with a barbarian dressed in similar furs.
"...What is this?"
"Hm? Oh, this is that. The territory of some people who didn't follow the Kingdom from the start overlapped with my territory. When that happens, you have to decide whose it is, right?"
"No, even if you say it's natural to decide it with a fistfight... ah, he won."
The young First Generation won the fight, and as he let out a roar, the surrounding barbarians fell to their knees.
The man he fought also knelt before the First Generation.
"How nostalgic. At this time, I was tired of thinking and was just working."
Then time progressed, and the First Generation, slightly older than before, was having a drinking party outside.
There, he shouted.
"The woman I'll take as a wife must be beautiful, healthy, and sturdy! And she must be smart with beautiful skin! I have no interest in anything else! This is the family precept of the Walt family!"
Driven by the alcohol, he started saying outrageous things.
The First Generation sighed looking at his own figure.
"At this time, it was... I just didn't want to get married anymore. I couldn't imagine there being a woman better than Alice-san."
"You're really terrible. Is this why the successive heads of the family suffered quite a bit?"
"...Do you think I'd take things said at a drinking party seriously?"
He said that, but the villagers listening at the banquet seemed to be taking the statement seriously.
Would the daughter of so-and-so fail to meet the conditions? My daughter isn't smart. My sister isn't sturdy.
They were discussing it seriously.
Among them, there was one man who seemed decent. He was older than the First Generation and had a troubled expression with his hand on his forehead.
His clothes were finer than the other villagers, and he was a person of dignity.
"Ah, this person is 'the Old Man.' He had territory nearby and was the one who taught me various things. In the end, this man used his connections to bring me a wife."
Speaking of 'the Old Man,' he must be the head of the Foxuz family of that era.
Seeing the decent Old Man suffering because of the First Generation made me feel apologetic.
"You've been relying on the Foxuz family since this time. I wonder how much the Walt family has been indebted to them."
"He was a good man."
Even though I spoke sarcastically, he brushed it off, and I let out a sigh.
Then the scene switched, and a village that had expanded slightly was engulfed in flames.
The First Generation in the memory held a greatsword and faced the monster before him... a subspecies of dragon with gray skin, a powerful jaw, and large forelegs.
The greatsword he held was as long as a person is tall.
"That sword is..."
I immediately understood that it resembled the sword that appeared when I gripped the Jewel Orb.
"A huge monster like this came to the village. It seemed impossible even if I gathered all the men. So I stepped forward."
The First Generation holding the greatsword shouted the name of a skill and began fighting the monster.
He slashed and blew away the monster, which was more than twice his size, with the greatsword he swung with brute force.
That figure was truly that of a single hero.
"Full Burst... my trump card. It multiplies my abilities by two or five times."
"Eh? That much? In my case, it wasn't that much? But if you raise your abilities that much, isn't there a backlash?"
"Huh? How should I know! I ignore the disadvantages. Ignore them!"
I gave a wry smile at the opinion so characteristic of the First Generation.
"You store up magic power normally, and when you use it, you use it as a trigger for a sudden explosion. The more you've stored, the more it raises your abilities. For me, it took about a month to get two to three times, but for you, it'll probably be faster."
The amount of magic power the First Generation and I possessed were too different.
From the Fifth Generation onwards, who incorporated the blood of magic users into that lineage, they became nobility who could use magic in the true sense.
As this continued, the First Generation won by cutting off the head of the dragon subspecies at the end.
A child ran toward such a First Generation.
—Probably the Second Generation.
"...Maybe it was this time. When this brat told me 'Father is amazing,' and I got carried away. Until then, I hadn't done a single thing like a father, and I couldn't let my wife live easily. So, I thought I'd leave something behind for them."
The Second Generation in his childhood was a boy who admired his father the warrior.
And time progressed once again.
It was a village that had expanded even further, but the impression I had was—.
"This is... just reckless, isn't it?"
"..."
The First Generation remained silent.
The grown-up Second Generation was shouting at the First Generation in the memory, who was doing farm work.
"Give it a rest! Expanding the fields so recklessly... because of that, fights are breaking out among the villagers! Think a little!"
And as time progressed again from that sight, we were inside a manor.
The manor the First Generation lived in was so simple that it would be strange to even compare it to the current Walt family.
When the First Generation tried to go outside with a hoe, the Second Generation silently passed by his side.
They didn't even meet each other's gaze.
"...I was wrong. I wanted to leave something behind even if it was just a little, but in the end, all that remained were problems with the territory."
The First Generation had silenced the problems between villagers in the recklessly expanded fields with his own charisma and physical strength.
The one who worked harder than anyone was the lord, the First Generation—Basil Walt—and no one opposed the hero who saved the village.
However, that dissatisfaction seemed to be directed toward the Second Generation.
"Just so they could eat even a little, I cleared the forest and expanded the fields... by the time I noticed, I had left nothing but problems. No one complains to me. But those complaints were directed at him, the Second Generation."
"First Generation..."
"In the old days, he ignored me until the end. But when he finally came to me and complained... honestly, I was happy. Because father-son fights were something we only did when the Second Generation was a brat."
The usual argumentative interactions between the First Generation and the Second Generation seemed to be better for the two of them than before.
Both the First Generation and the Second Generation were likely clumsy.
Then, the scene returned to the moment the First Generation fought the dragon subspecies.
"My era was a time when we were recovering from chaos, and life was about to become affluent. Many villages were destroyed by war, so we set out to pioneer. But food was scarce, and it wasn't uncommon to struggle to eat."
I had heard it was a harsh era.
My father, when he was still kind, told me that the Walt family also had a harsh era in the pioneer village.
He also said that the First Generation who led such a village was great.
Regardless of the reason, he truly was a great person.
"Riel, have you ever struggled to eat?"
To be honest, I haven't.
Even when I was distanced from my family, meals were provided.
Even when I was kicked out, Zel the gardener and Novem were there, so I never starved.
(He'll probably get angry.)
It would be a luxury, in a way.
From the perspective of the First Generation who struggled to eat, I, who had no worry of starving even after being kicked out, would not be a pleasant sight.
Despite that, if I were to be timid and mopey, he'd want to shout at me.
"...No. I've never starved. I've had the experience of being hungry, but even then, I was able to eat."
I braced myself for whatever he might say, but when the First Generation turned around, he was laughing.
"I see. Then it's fine. It means my descendants don't struggle to eat. Then, what I've done wasn't a complete waste! That's the best thing I've heard at the end!"
The smiling First Generation said that and held out the greatsword to me, which he had produced from somewhere.
It was that silver-shining one from that time—.
The greatsword that had cut down the red orc in one blow.
"I'll teach you the final skill. I was in a rush when I let you use it, so I have to teach it to you properly. The skill's name is [Full Burst]. It's a skill that releases the magic power stored normally all at once, explosively raising abilities. Try fighting that guy in front of you."
The First Generation pointed to the dragon subspecies.
It was a monster that couldn't fly and only slightly resembled a dragon, but a dragon is a dragon.
It was a dangerous opponent.
"Eh? But I'm not storing any magic power."
When I said that, the First Generation placed his hand on my head. As he roughly ruffled my hair, power began to overflow.
"Even I could do it. You'll be able to do it even better... go on!"
The First Generation said that and slapped my back with his palm.
As I staggered forward, the dragon in the memory, which had been stationary until now, began to move. Before I knew it, the First Generation in the memory had disappeared.
"Honestly, it's always so sudden. Please consider my position as the one being swung around!"
I ran forward with the greatsword and swung it.
It was a greatsword that, no matter how I thought about it, seemed impossible to swing, but perhaps due to the skill's effect, I could swing it easily.
(Being able to use a skill like this without any disadvantages is nothing short of cheating.)
To the dragon trying to crush me with its large forelegs, I stepped back and used magic.
"Fire Bullet!"
Fire bullets were shot one after another from my fingertips, and each hit was extremely powerful.
When they hit the dragon, they exploded, not only flinching its massive body but pushing it back.
Then, I used a second magic.
It was also to verify the power. How much power would it have with the abilities raised by the skill—.
"Lightning!"
As purple lightning assaulted the dragon, the surroundings became rapidly bright.
It was light from the magic, but I myself was surprised by the attack power, which was greater than usual.
It was beyond my imagination.
"This... it'll be bad if I don't get used to handling it."
I broke into a cold sweat at the power that might involve allies if I were careless. Then, I ran and jumped.
The charred dragon shook its head left and right to search for me.
However, at that moment, where I was was the dragon's head—directly above it.
I swung the greatsword down and blew away its neck.
It was the same way of delivering the finishing blow as the First Generation.
Then, as the skill's effect wore off, the greatsword felt extremely heavy, and I thrust it into the ground. Holding the hilt, I leaned my weight on it.
"As I thought... it's tough."
When I said that, the First Generation walked over. He was laughing as he looked at me.
"If you can do that much, there's no problem! As expected of my descendant."
I steadied my breathing, then returned the weight I had leaned and held the greatsword as if carrying it on my shoulder.
The First Generation raised his right hand.
Sensing it somehow, I raised my right hand as well. I held the greatsword in my left hand and thrust it into the ground.
Then, I performed a powerful high-five with the First Generation.
My hand went numb, but it felt good.
"Riel, you... have you decided on a goal?"
Being asked that, I remembered the conversations I'd had with the First Generation until now. When I remained without answering, the First Generation muttered "Well, that's fine" with a smile.
"You decide what you'll do from now on. You can become independent somewhere. You can start a village and become a lord. You can leave your name as an adventurer. Living quietly with Novem-chan might not be bad either. As for me, I'd like you to keep an eye on Aria-chan too. And... you could even challenge Celes."
Hearing that I could challenge Celes, I felt as if my chest were being gripped.
The fear returned.
The First Generation spoke in a tone that seemed to be expecting something from me.
"If there's someone who can stop her, it might be you. Well, do as you please. You can ask the others about the rest."
"Eh?"
"My role ends here. I've conveyed what I wanted to convey, and since I can leave the rest to you, it'll be fine. You're far more reliable than someone like me."
I couldn't understand what he was saying.
No, maybe I just didn't want to admit it. That the First Generation was leaving from before me just like this.
And so, I tried to stop the First Generation.
"Wait. I still need the advice of the First Generation... of Basil Walt! Please help me with your intuition like you always do. Your intuition is very reliable!"
My voice had become tearful.
I didn't even know why I was about to cry.
"I have neither knowledge nor technique. Besides... when it comes to intuition, the Second Generation is quite something too. After all, he's my son. Oh, you're a descendant too!"
The First Generation, laughing "Gahahahaha," gave the impression that he had no more regrets.
"After all, we are memories left by skills. The actual persons are dead. When everything has been conveyed... the skill itself within the Jewel Orb... this is what happens."
Once conveyed, he would disappear. He would be gone.
"Did you... know?"
My voice was trembling.
The First Generation shook his head.
"No, just somehow. I can tell... it seems those guys have a vague inkling too, so ask them for the details."
I reached out to the First Generation, and he said.
"My skill is yours now. Use it as you like, Riel... and, don't lose."
What did he say not to lose to?
I tried to ask that, but before my voice could come out, the surrounding scenery changed completely.
In the usual room within the Jewel Orb, I was reaching my hand toward where the door to the First Generation's room had been until now.
The Second Generation, with his feet on the table, spoke to me.
"Don't cry, it's pathetic."
"Eh?"
When told that, I touched my face and found that I was crying.
"He conveyed everything. He finished his role."
"B-But! It's a Jewel Orb, right? Then why is it in this form! If it's just to convey, an orb can do that. I don't understand the meaning of coming out specifically and then disappearing!"
To my shout, the Second Generation answered indifferently.
"...An orb doesn't convey everything. Indeed, unless you grasp everything about the skill, you can only use a part of it. We are here to teach you the skills. We exist in this way. Do you know? Our memories end at the point where we last touched the orb. In other words, we only have memories up until the point we passed the orb to the next generation."
Hearing that, I was stunned.
The ancestors were here solely to teach me the skills. No, it could also be said that the skills were mimicking the forms of the ancestors.
"The fact that I could talk to you without problems was also strange. The words we used were from at least two hundred years ago. Even though you said old books are hard to read, we can converse normally like this. Why do you think that is?"
To the Second Generation's question, I came up with an answer.
Otherwise, there would have been no meaning.
To convey the skills to me, the ancestors were matching their language to mine. If the era is different, the way of speaking differs slightly.
That is obvious if one looks at old books. Phrasings, popular words... while language changes, we can converse without problems like this.
That's because the Jewel Orb has something it wants to convey to me.
—Because that is the Jewel Orb's role.
"Did you notice? That's right. We exist solely to convey the skills to you. To teach the method of use, and even including the effective methods."
I noticed that the greatsword I had gripped was gone from my hand.
And the greatsword was floating in the place where the First Generation had been sitting until now.
The chair was gone, the door was gone... it was floating on the table, in the place where the First Generation had once sat.
The silver greatsword had a blue Jewel Orb embedded in its guard.
That greatsword was also the proof that the First Generation had recognized me.
"Why... then, why did you... if it's just to convey, wouldn't that be enough! Why did you get involved this much, and why do I have to feel this sadness!"
At first, I hated it.
I even thought he was just nagging and a nuisance.
But... he taught me various things.
He recognized me.
And yet—.
As I collapsed on the spot, the Second Generation said.
"We wanted to do that too. But... not just memories, they recorded the heart as well. We couldn't just leave it alone. Besides, we were entrusted with you by the First Generation... by Basil Walt."
The Second Generation said they couldn't leave it alone. I didn't know how to answer.
It was miserable.
Until the end, I couldn't even tell the First Generation my goal, and we parted while I was still miserable.
"...Can we meet again?"
"...If there's a next possessor after you, meeting would be possible. Next time, you'll be on our side, though. But I don't know if we'll remember our current memories. There's little merit in remembering. It's enough to teach the usage and the skill names."
In the end, I can never meet the First Generation again.
The 'me' recorded in the Jewel Orb is my skill, not the real me.
The Second Generation said.
"In the first place, it's a miracle that we could even meet like this. Our clan inherited the blue Jewel Orb, and you inherited it like this. Riel, don't be sad... rather, be proud. You were recognized by that man... by my father. Hold your head high."
Being told that, I woke up in the real world.
"Riel-sama, are you alright?"
"...Novem?"
Novem was peeking into my face with a worried expression as I lay in bed.
Even though we were supposed to be sleeping in separate rooms, Novem was in my room.
"It seemed you were having a nightmare. No, well... it seemed you were crying, so I came to check."
I wiped my face and brushed away the tears.
Forcing a smile, I smiled at Novem.
"I'm fine. I had a slightly sad dream, but I feel refreshed now."
"A sad dream?"
Novem tilted their head and offered me a towel dampened with water. Receiving it and wiping my face, I told myself.
(If I keep crying forever, the First Generation-sama will really get angry. I am already a man recognized by Basil Walt... the ancestor of the Walt family, a provincial nobility.)
Thinking back now, he had a barbarian style and was tyrannical in some ways.
But there was no doubt he was a reliable person.
And, ironically, while he hated me the most, he was also the first person to recognize me in the true sense.
(I was recognized by that man, wasn't I.)
"Shall I prepare some warm drink?"
Since Novem looked worried, I decided to nod.
"That sounds good. Let's drink something together."
"Yes."
As Novem went to prepare, I called out to them.
"Novem... thank you."
Novem looked a bit puzzled, but nodded with a smile.
"What happened today, Riel-sama?"
"No, I just felt like I wanted to tell you. There's no deep meaning."
Getting up from the bed, I headed toward the kitchen with Novem.