Chapter 111
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Banquet (1)
Rorschach turned to look at Federback.
Federback was looking at Rorschach as well.
The two recalled the conversation they'd had before.
'We need artisans skilled enough to properly handle mithril, orichalcum, and silver.'
'You're talking about the ones the northern artisans are working on day and night right now.'
'Lemegeton Killer. It's a top-class military secret, so make sure no one finds out.'
'That's a brutal name. Referencing the seventy-two demons from the legends.'
Federback carefully examined the red spear before his eyes.
Its twin blades split like a snake's tongue, the shaft twisted and coiled as it extended outward, its dark crimson hue like blood hardened in veins.
Soleil explained.
"It's an alloy of mithril and orichalcum, blessed by a priest, then coated with silver infused with Meursault blood. It's also called the Myth Killer."
Federback was familiar with this much.
He'd handled Lemegeton Killers extensively before his regression, and even now, he was directly involved in their production.
...But what Soleil said next was information even Federback didn't know.
"Using this will let you pierce three circles cleanly."
"!"
Federback's eyes widened.
The Lemegeton Killer he knew could pierce two circles.
For example, allowing a 1st Circle knight to slay a 3rd Circle demon.
But Soleil was talking about one step higher.
A weapon that let a 1st Circle knight kill a 4th Circle demon.
It held far greater power than the Lemegeton Killers Federback had known.
'It's way more vicious-looking than the ones I saw before regressing.'
Federback examined the Lemegeton Killer once more.
Its form was like a giant's veins pulled out, twisted into a rope, and straightened.
At around ten meters long, it was much smaller than the ones he'd made.
But the destructive power contained within was several times denser.
'It doesn't even compare to the ones we used before regressing. How on earth...?'
Federback looked up.
Soleil was grinning there.
"Just like you found the family's secret swordsmanship manual, I once found one of the family secret texts myself. Around your age, actually."
"...Father found a secret text?"
"Yeah. In my case, it was at the end of the family training cave, in the Secret Vault. So when you brought the swordsmanship manual, I had a gut feeling. 'This one's real.'"
That must have been why Soleil had believed the secret swordsmanship manual Federback brought was authentic.
He continued in a calm tone.
"The secret text I found decades ago detailed 'siege weapons' of immense power. And that was this 'Lemegeton Killer.' It was widely used in the Mythical Era, but the crafting methods were lost over time."
"...I see."
Federback was genuinely surprised.
The Lemegeton Killers he'd seen before regressing had been made by artisans who'd inherited only fragments of Mythical Era knowledge.
Even that had been enough to give humanity a foundation for counterattacking.
But to think someone knew the complete crafting method—and right here, so close!
Soleil went on.
"But knowing the method was one thing; actually making one was impossible. You need massive quantities of orichalcum, mithril, and silver. So I vowed that someday I'd gather the funds and produce them."
"...And now the funds are there."
"All thanks to the money you brought in. So this production facility might as well be your creation."
Soleil winked at Federback's words.
"I heard you're making downgraded Lemegeton Killers from the metals mined at the Beauvoir Mine."
"...You knew?"
"Heh heh heh. Do I look like a figurehead to you? Even if I came from a branch family and climbed to patriarch, I've run this house for decades."
Soleil playfully reached out, wrapping an arm around Federback's head and ruffling his hair.
"You pulled together every master artisan in the north. Some of the blacksmiths I approached after your suggestion told me you'd made a similar proposal. Of course, I beat you to it by a few steps. I started moving the moment I heard you'd reclaimed the Beauvoir Mine. Producing Lemegeton Killers has been my lifelong dream."
"I had no idea you knew about them, Father."
"I never dreamed you'd know about them either. Did you read it in a secret text too?"
"No. If there was something like that, I'd have shared it with you. I just explored the abandoned Beauvoir Mine, found a Mythical Era workshop relic, and made weapons based on the methods I found there."
Federback gave a suitable deflection.
In truth, the pre-regression Lemegeton Killers had been discovered that way.
Soleil's expression turned serious as he placed a hand on Federback's shoulder.
"Let me say it again: this Lemegeton Killer was my lifelong dream. And now it's your power too."
"..."
"Don't try to shoulder everything alone. Your old man's always by your side."
At those words, a small ripple stirred in Federback's heart.
After regressing, he'd had to solve everything alone, and perfectly at that.
But now, he'd found an ally who handled even the things he'd overlooked far more flawlessly than he could.
An ally who had died young in the pre-regression world—his father.
"Thank you, Father. I'll leave the Lemegeton Killer production to you."
"Just say the word. I'll churn them out for you."
Soleil grinned at Federback's request.
A smile born of gratitude, pride, relief toward his son.
And confidence that he could be his son's strength.
The meeting with the patriarch ended.
Federback headed straight back to the vice-patriarch's office.
"Rorschach."
"Yes."
Rorschach, following behind, closed the door.
Federback gathered his sword and shield as he spoke.
"A banquet will be held to announce the viscountcy promotion. You can think of it as a pre-celebration."
"With this military strength, recognition as a marquis house is more than warranted. The justification is solid too. The empire's current limits on viscount house forces can't check high-level northern monsters like Frozen Horrors. And public sentiment is fully behind us. Plenty say it's absurd for a house like Meursault to remain viscounts."
The Meursault House would smoothly promote from viscount to marquis.
This celebration banquet was a gathering to toast that foregone conclusion in advance.
All northern houses had to attend—and they surely would.
Everyone knew how the Levarb and Frosange Houses, who had rebelled against Meursault, had been utterly crushed.
Rorschach said,
"Two of the north's five fingers have been severed, so the remaining three must be sweating bullets."
"What about the others' reactions?"
"After the promotion rumors spread, the Daytona House sent a letter first. They said they'd definitely attend. The Modificata House has been sending letters non-stop even before the rumors, vowing to attend any banquet held at Meursault. They've been obedient since Frosange was subjugated."
"One remains."
"Yes. No reply yet from the Portofino House."
"Stubborn as ever, past and present."
Portofino House.
A group of loyal, steadfast northern giant warriors who had followed Meursault's ancestors.
But the current Portofino was a bit different.
"Rats wearing bear pelts. They had no involvement in this black magic incident?"
At Federback's words, Rorschach touched her chin.
She answered cautiously.
"No direct evidence linking them, but there were a few suspicious points."
Speculation closer to hypothesis than fact.
Even that, only Rorschach could have pieced together.
She continued.
"Truth be told, I nearly overlooked it amid other administrative duties. If Deputy Administrator Jules Verne, whom you assigned, hadn't taken so much off my plate, I might not have noticed the Portofino House's oddities."
Federback had heard Jules Verne's days had grown very long.
Thanks to that, Rorschach had breathing room to consider other matters.
"What did they do?"
"Nothing major. Just a few lines: they heavily hired housekeepers who had previously worked for Portofino—Shedioldis, who hid in Frosange, and Harbu, who hid in Levarb."
"Housekeepers from Portofino. Where are they now?"
"That's... they all vanished the moment war broke out. Not a single one left."
No one bats an eye at a few maids dying or fleeing during war.
They just assume they packed up and ran amid the unrest.
But housekeepers with Portofino history coincidentally re-employed at Levarb and Frosange, then all vanishing? It felt off.
Federback said,
"There's a saying from a far-off eastern land across the sea."
"What is it?"
"Where there's fragrant bait, there must be dead fish."
"What does that mean?"
Rorschach tilted her head.
Federback repeated what he'd heard from pre-regression comrades.
"Under sweet bait lies certain death."
"...?"
Rorschach tilted her head the other way, uncomprehending.
Federback said,
"Society's buzzing about one thing right now. We'll use it as bait to draw out our targets."
"You mean the remaining three northern fingers. What's the bait?"
"Marriage. A betrothal to Meursault is the sweetest lure there is."
Rorschach jumped at Federback's words.
And then.
"Sister Cardina has come of age. It's time to formally seek a fiancé."
"...Phew."
Rorschach visibly relaxed at Federback's follow-up.