Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Debt Collection (1)
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That night.
Federback was walking down a corridor inside the castle.
The narrow, elongated hallways intertwined like a spider's web, making the castle interior cold and eerie.
The whale oil candles hanging at every corner were insufficient to illuminate the darkness within.
Thud— thud— thud—
The cold, dry air mingled with Federback's breath, floating like a white ghost.
Right then, Federback ran into someone.
It was none other than Administrator Yuda.
Yuda, who had been walking briskly somewhere, stopped upon spotting Federback.
"Ahem."
"……."
Their encounter was coincidental, and under normal circumstances, they would have exchanged simple greetings.
But Yuda was still upset from the morning's events.
He opened his mouth toward Federback with a somewhat sarcastic attitude.
"I owe you a great debt today, Young Master."
"……."
Federback ignored Yuda and continued walking forward.
Yuda shouted indignantly.
"You've grown quite crafty in the time I haven't seen you! To think you'd clear a path for yourself like this!"
"?"
Federback's footsteps halted.
Yuda shrugged his shoulders and continued.
"Ha! Did you think I wouldn't notice? I thought you had some brains in this family, at least. From this morning's incident!"
"……."
"Volunteering to go to the Levarb House. In truth, you wanted to leave this house and seek refuge with them, didn't you?"
"……."
"And knowing my close ties with the Levarb House, you pointed me out! It was obvious I'd be useful if we went together. Sure, you'd have to sell some internal info on the Meursault House, but what's that to you?"
"……."
"So you reached out to me, right? To act as intermediary between you and the Levarb House. But that's not how you make a request. Goodness! When you should be coming politely, showing sincerity, and bowing your head, you put a person in such an awkward spot……."
That was as far as he got.
Federback averted his gaze from Yuda and resumed his path.
Then Yuda chased after him.
"Even if you play it cool like that, it's obvious. You actually want to get on good terms with me, don't you?"
"Chase after me further, and the distance between your upper and lower jaws will grow quite wide."
"Hmph! You talk tough, but you can't do a thing in reality. Besides, sharp administrators like me already see right through whatever schemes you're plotting. No use trying to fool us!"
Yuda followed closely behind Federback, kneading his shoulders as he spoke.
"Going to the Levarb House this time might be a good choice. No, it's a smart move! For both me and you. Let's burn that nominal writ and negotiate well. Who knows? We might both snag a position there."
"……."
Federback paused for a moment.
Then he turned to Yuda and asked.
"Does that mean you're committing treason?"
"Why bring that up now? Treason? It's just switching sides. Why make it sound so scary, when you're the one voluntarily defecting to the Levarb House?"
"Hmm."
Federback stroked his chin.
Then he nodded.
"True, the Levarb House is wealthy. Might be better off than staying with the Meursaults."
"Of course."
"I'll consider it positively."
Only then did Yuda's expression brighten.
Now the two parted ways at the fork.
"Then, good night, Young Master."
Yuda bowed slightly to Federback and vanished into the darkness.
Federback stared at where Yuda had disappeared for a while before moving on.
……That one's still useful.
He planned to keep him alive a bit longer.
That night, Federback visited the patriarch's office.
Knock knock—
When he knocked, Soleil's voice came from inside.
"Come in."
Federback entered the office directly.
Beyond the door, piles of documents towered like mountains.
In their midst sat Soleil, wearing a monocle.
"You summoned me."
Soleil nodded at Federback's question.
"You've achieved something in my absence. Your eyes look very different from before the expedition."
"I've made some progress."
"May I see your hand?"
Federback extended his hand obediently.
Soleil grasped his son's wrist and slowly infused mana.
Then.
"……!"
His eyes widened dramatically.
"2nd Circle? No, this is nearly 3rd Circle. My goodness, to think my son is a genius!"
"You're too kind."
"Too kind? Too kind!"
Soleil was so shocked he repeated himself twice.
"At your age, I couldn't even properly sense mana. It was only after crossing the line between life and death dozens of times on battlefields big and small that I reached 2nd Circle. I was in my mid-twenties then. Son, how old are you this year?"
"Fifteen."
"Fifteen, surpassing 2nd Circle and on the verge of 3rd. If our ancestors buried on the ancestral mountain knew, they'd leap from their graves in shock. Heh…… such an unprecedented stroke of fortune."
For the taciturn Soleil to react this way was extremely rare—no, unprecedented.
His flushed face beaming with joy soon regained composure.
"Son. But don't get arrogant. Evil often clings to good fortune."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"So let's keep the banquet small. Invite just ten families from around here and make it modest……."
"No. Skip the banquet."
"Heh, really. What a surprise."
Federback had always loved banquets.
He wanted to show off his sculptures, paintings, and instrument performances to everyone.
His pretty face had caused a stir at every banquet, with local young ladies flocking in.
But now, Federback had no interest in such things.
Soleil chuckled awkwardly, finding his son admirable yet unfamiliar.
"I called to check your progress, and now this joy…… Heh heh heh—"
"Father."
"Yes."
Federback called out to Soleil.
He hadn't come to boast of his achievements.
"I have a question."
"What is it?"
Soleil listened intently to his son with a serious expression.
Federback asked.
"If you gained great power, Father, what would you do?"
"Great power? Heh heh heh— How great?"
"Power to slay the Demon King alone, without allies."
"……!"
Soleil's expression changed at the question.
After much thought, he answered.
"I don't know why you ask, but…… I'd pass that power to you all."
An answer more befitting a father than a warrior.
Soleil continued.
"I'd want to hand it intact to you and Cardina. So you wouldn't suffer as I did."
Soleil was a 4th Circle knight.
As a collateral branch inheriting half the vision, his reputation was inevitably halved.
"Reaching 4th Circle was thanks to my bloodline. But no matter my efforts, I couldn't surpass the 5th Circle wall. That defeat, inferiority, torment…… it was unbearable. That's why I wandered in my youth. I didn't want you two to face such sorrow……."
Sadness tinged Soleil's voice.
But Federback felt no resonance with that sorrow.
He spoke only the core matter stiffly.
"What I mean isn't the 'father's' aspirations, but those of 'Meursault'."
"……."
Federback's gaze fixed on Soleil's eyes.
Soleil.
A man who had lived faithfully to the house since childhood.
He was Meursault to the bone, and would be even in death.
"As one Meursault, not as a father……."
Soleil stroked his chin.
Then continued in a low tone.
"Then I'd probably go kill the Demon King."
"……!"
Federback's eyes narrowed.
Soleil went on.
"People think the Demon King is gone, but I don't. His seed is surely growing somewhere in this world. And as you said, it'll revive soon. The increasing monsters are proof."
His words were utterly resolute.
"A winter that won't end soon is coming."
Meaning the Demon King would awaken.
"I want to uproot that winter."
Soleil's eyes sparkled briefly like a child reclaiming a dream, but he soon sighed deeply.
If he had the power, he would; without it, he couldn't.
Thus, his parting words left a bitter taste.
But.
"……."
Federback's expression, watching Soleil, subtly brightened.
Soon, Federback said.
"Good news will come soon."
"……?"
Soleil tilted his head quizzically.
Federback bowed silently.
Soleil was currently at 4th Circle.
He said he'd reached his limit, but with the house's secret swordsmanship manual, he could break the 5th Circle wall.
Federback planned to share what he'd obtained from the Secret Vault with Soleil.
……When the 'right moment' came.
The next day.
In front of the annex building housing Federback's room stood several wagons.
Servants were loading luggage onto them.
It was the delegation heading to the Levarb House.
"……."
Federback gazed at the wagons, recalling last night's events.
'If our party had just one more frontliner who could act as a warrior…… no, even one more.'
Then they could have slain the Demon King.
A warrior was essential in a hero party.
Before Federback awakened as one, the hero party consisted only of hero, mage, and saintess, leaving humanity unable to mount any proper counterattack and on the brink of annihilation.
Right after Federback joined as warrior, the party repelled countless Demon King forces and briefly held the line.
Warriors were that indispensable.
……But.
'I alone was a bit short.'
Before regression, Federback was the party's sole frontliner.
He could hold the vanguard alone, but not maintain formation while protecting comrades.
……If someone had blocked the Death Knight's sword just before striking the wyrm's neck.
……If someone had stopped the apocalyptic serpent lunging with jaws agape just before stabbing the succubus queen's heart.
……If someone had blocked the balrog's fiery whip just before bisecting Demogorgon's torso.
Then the hero party wouldn't have been wiped out.
Moreover, this world had no hero, mage, or saintess.
But it had those of comparable bloodline.
His father, Soleil.
A man lost so long ago he felt awkward to call father.
And his sister, Cardina.
Also lost so long she now felt like a little sister…… no, a daughter.
'These two, I can trust at my back.'
Federback planned to raise Soleil and Cardina.
'Of course, I need to pave the way first.'
Awakening bloodlines involved perilous hurdles.
Federback intended to endure all the trial and error himself.
With regressor's knowledge, he could reap decades' worth of results in a few years.
'I need to create an environment where Father and Sister can focus on training. And train myself too.'
A perfect opportunity had arisen.
The dispatch to Levarb territory.
A place teeming with traitorous dogs.
The nominal mission: visit and collect the debt.
Federback turned to look at the servants.
Soldiers were giving them orders.
"Preserved food all loaded? Now water."
"How long till you check the axles! No time!"
"We run at least two weeks straight, so prep thoroughly."
"Hey— load more crossbows and ropes. We pass monster habitats en route."
Federback meticulously inspected the items stacked on the wagons.
Right then.
"Federback."
Someone called from behind.
When Federback turned.
"……!"
An unexpected figure appeared.
White hair fluttering in the sleet-mixed wind.
A black eyepatch over her right eye.
Cardina Meursault.
She stared at Federback with her characteristic expressionless face.