Chapter 248: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (41)
Chapter 248: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (41)
It was already early afternoon by the time I returned to the Percus mansion.
I had just finished a simple meal with Sir Reynold. His claim of being a former mercenary was clearly no boast; he polished off the food provided by the rural inn without a single complaint.
In contrast, a few of the younger members of the Magic Corps looked rather disgruntled.
Mages were rare, and talented mages were rarer still. Having been treated with the utmost respect by their house only to be sent down to a countryside estate, it was understandable they’d feel some dissatisfaction. To make matters worse, they hadn't achieved any results yet, making their hardships feel for naught.
It would have been stranger if they were content.
Perhaps because of that, a few of them shot hostile glares my way. Being members of a high-ranking noble family, they seemed to have been raised in a highly competitive environment—so much so that they couldn't even distinguish between an ally and a rival.
Of course, no pointless conflict broke out.
That was thanks to Sir Reynold, who warned the members in a solemn voice.
"This is a man who might very well become a son-in-law of the Lainella family. All of you, mind your words and actions."
It was the day I was publicly named a candidate for Senior Elsie’s fiancé.
I let out a long sigh, my footsteps heavy as I trudged along.
I couldn't tell if this was a blessing or a curse. While Senior Elsie was a bride far better than I deserved, I still didn't truly know her heart. I was still confused as to whether what she felt for me was love or merely admiration.
Lost in these complicated thoughts, I stepped into the mansion's reception room.
Two people were already there.
Reto and Yuren—aside from myself, they were the only men in our group.
Thinking about it that way, I could see why Lia had been particularly angry. Four out of the six guests were women; it was only natural for the ever-jealous Lia to be upset. If I had only brought Reto and Yuren, her attitude would have been much softer.
Of course, looking at the current situation, that was nothing more than a futile delusion.
Usually, when people of the same gender gather, they don't leave anyone out, yet these two were already having a meeting without me. It seemed I had been excluded from their "boys' club."
I cleared my throat, and Reto and Yuren turned their gaze toward me. Only then did I ask, a hint of bitterness in my voice.
"…What are you guys doing? I expect this from Yuren, but you, Reto? You’re supposed to be the one who likes women."
"Ian, let’s say there’s money I’m owed. Would you go and touch that money?"
I looked at Reto, baffled by his nonsensical question.
"What kind of nonsense is that? Why would I touch a friend's money?"
"Exactly… Well, they’re people I couldn't lay a finger on to begin with, anyway."
His blunt answer remained a riddle.
However, I knew that if I pressed him for the meaning, he’d just snap at me. He’d probably hurl some crude insult about how this is why people say the Swordsmanship Department is full of idiots. I had no desire to be insulted for no reason, so I decided to stop paying attention to Reto.
Instead, I turned my gaze toward Yuren.
He slapped a card down on the table, his expression equally bored.
"Ha, isn't there anything interesting to do? Blades, blood, combat… I shouldn't have meddled just to try and help my sister."
"Meddled?"
"My sister was crying her eyes out every night, so I gave her a little advice… Oops, was that a secret?"
Yuren flashed a mysterious smile.
No matter when I saw him, he was a strikingly handsome and enigmatic man. His only flaw was that he was so handsome it often made me want to punch him. Not that I could even if I wanted to, since a duel with Yuren would likely end in a stalemate.
It seemed there was something to pry out of Yuren as well, but I decided against it for now.
I happened to have news that could cure his boredom. There was no reason to delay my friend's joy. It was information I had to share with the group anyway; revealing it to a few people a little early wouldn't change anything.
As I gave a brief explanation of the situation, Yuren’s expression brightened visibly.
"Is it finally time for battle?!"
"I don't know yet. There might not even be a fight…"
"No, there will definitely be a battle!"
Yuren spoke with an odd amount of certainty.
"Ian, I told you before, didn't I? Fiends aren't the only ones who can control demonic beasts. Dark priests can control them too. So, why hasn't that dark priest summoned demonic beasts into the forest yet?"
"…To avoid being discovered?"
"That’s certainly one reason. But now, he has been discovered, hasn't he?"
A low sigh escaped Reto’s lips. He pressed a hand to his forehead as if a headache were already coming on.
"Then a battle is inevitable… whether he summons the beasts late, or he already possesses enough power that he doesn't even need them."
"Seeing as he revealed himself, we should assume his preparations are complete. In that case, the latter is more likely?"
Reto’s voice, trying to soothe his headache, and Yuren’s excited tone formed a strange harmony. Their words all pointed toward a single conclusion.
Whatever was waiting in the forest, a battle was bound to happen.
Of course, I didn't entirely agree.
"Mitram might not even be in that forest. Would a guy like him really let himself be caught so easily?"
"…He will."
Still maintaining his confident attitude, Yuren showed that suspicious smile of his again.
"Dark priests rarely leave their hideouts. If his main body is waiting, it’ll be near the place where he showed himself."
How did a guard knight of the Holy Kingdom know the inner workings of the Dark Cult so well? I scoffed inwardly, but I couldn't shake the ominous feeling.
I’d have to tell everyone to prepare thoroughly.
Organizing the words I needed to relay to the group in my head, I began my own preparations for the forest.
*
The next morning, the hastily assembled search party set out.
The Magic Corps of the Lainella family included in the party were an outside force. Since we were obligated to report our destination, the members of the Percus household came to know not only where we were going but also what our objective was.
Naturally, Lia immediately expressed her desperate opposition.
"…No, no, absolutely not!"
Right up until the moment of departure, Lia showed no sign of letting me go.
Normally, my father or brother would have stepped in to stop her, but today, they did no such thing. They simply couldn't bring themselves to intervene because of their dignity, but their hearts were clearly in the same place as Lia’s.
In the end, left to deal with Lia’s protest alone, a sigh escaped me.
"Lia, I have to go. This isn't just a problem for the Percus family…"
"If it's not just a problem for our family, then why do you have to be the one to go, Brother? We can just wait for the Central Army!"
As I stood there with a troubled expression, Sir Irene stepped forward. Since their previous meeting, Sir Irene was often seen by Lia’s side. It seemed she was faithfully following the instructions of 'me' from the future.
"Lady Lia, the Master is one of the core members of this search party. Even setting aside the Lainella Magic Corps, we absolutely need someone to lead the rest of our forces."
"…T-Then tell someone else to lead them!"
"On a battlefield where lives are on the line, a commander's judgment is the boundary between life and death. Being recognized by one's comrades is just as important as that responsibility."
Otherwise, there was a risk of orders becoming tangled or delayed in an emergency.
Furthermore, I was someone with a personal grudge against Mitram. If a knot is tied, one must know how to cut it. A person who abandons their responsibility because they might die is no noble.
Finally running out of arguments, Lia resorted to her last resort.
"No, no… I still say no! If you absolutely must go, then take me with you!"
"…Lia."
I had to shake my head, sighing once more. I couldn't indulge Lia’s tantrums any longer. I turned to Sir Irene.
"Sir Irene, I’m counting on you. Please look after Lia."
"I will do my best… I’m quite sick of failing as an escort, after all."
Sir Irene gave a bitter smile and shook my hand. In the end, Lia couldn't overcome Sir Irene’s physical strength and was dragged away.
"A-Sir Irene! Let go of me! My brother might die right now…!"
Leaving Lia’s pleas behind, I gave my final farewells to my parents.
"I’m heading out."
"Ian…"
My father looked particularly sorrowful.
"Remember this: entanglements with the Dark Cult always lead to nothing but regret and pain. Do not trust their tongues."
It was something I already knew well. I deliberately spoke with confidence, acting as if it were nothing.
"Don't worry, Father. I’ll return without a scratch."
My father shook my hand, my mother held me in her arms for a long time, and my brother Aaron silently patted my shoulder.
My companions also had brief moments of farewell with the family members they had grown close to. Senior Elsie was passionately explaining to my father just how incredible a person I was, while the Saintess comforted my mother, promising she would protect my life at all costs.
Seria received another raw ruby from Aaron. It was likely meant as a gesture of encouragement.
By now, life-and-death battles had become a daily routine for me. Yet, seeing the affectionate faces of my family as they sent me off made my heart feel heavy.
I made a sincere vow to myself.
This time, I would return as unharmed as possible.
Of course, as is often the case in this world, it was a vow that wouldn't go exactly as planned.
The moment we encountered people in the forest who appeared to be civilians, I shouted at the top of my lungs.
"…Everyone, prepare for battle!"
It was because I recognized some of the faces among them.
They were the missing people.
Our neighbors, turned into Mitram’s test subjects, were lunging at us with blood-curdling screams.