Chapter 18: The Tin Knight and The Lion's Bloodline
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 18: The Tin Knight and The Lion's Bloodline
"...and that's what happened."
On the way back to the Friedel domain.
The young lady had the chance to hear from Ronnie about everything that had transpired.
About being captured by slave traders, being rescued by the Tin Knight, fighting the Colombo bandit group, and even how they had created a double of her to ensure her escape.
"They're... truly incredible people."
The young lady couldn't hide her admiration.
A knight in silver armor who appears out of nowhere when someone is in danger, defeating evil with his outstanding martial prowess.
A witch in black robes who wields all sorts of mysterious magic at will, mesmerizing people and making them move to her tune.
"They're like heroes from a fairy tale."
As she said this, her eyes glazed over dreamily.
Already known for her rich imagination, the young lady seemed completely intoxicated by the idea that characters straight out of a story had come to her rescue.
"Ha, haha. I suppose so. Haha."
Careful not to shatter his 'young lady's' fantasy, Ronnie forced a smile, trying to suppress the twitching of his cheeks.
Of course, Ronnie also respected the Tin Knight and the witch, viewing them as his saviors.
But, well...
If asked whether they were the "knight and witch from a fairy tale" that the young lady was describing, he would find it a little... no, very difficult to nod in agreement.
Unaware of her page's inner turmoil, the young lady began to speak cheerfully of her future plans.
"Father always said that if you receive a kindness, you must repay it. When we get back home, I'll have to properly thank them! That's the right thing to do, isn't it? Right? Ronnie?"
"Yes, you are absolutely right."
In reality, a grand party would be impossible.
The Friedel domain, having lost its lord, then his eldest son who was to succeed him, and on top of being plundered by bandits, had its heir kidnapped. There was no way it could be in good shape.
The young lady would have to pour her efforts into restoring the domain, a task that would surely be a long and arduous trial.
But Ronnie didn't point this out.
The young lady was a dreamer, but she was not a fool. In fact, she was quite talented.
It was impossible that she hadn't realized something that even an ordinary person like Ronnie could surmise.
Ronnie couldn't bring himself to scold her for turning her eyes away, even for a moment, from a future full of hardship to seek a little comfort.
After several suns had set and risen.
Their finally-reached home betrayed their expectations in a different sense.
To borrow Dorothea's words to describe how it betrayed them:
"It's in better shape than I thought."
The streets were bustling with people, and the movements of the city guard protecting the domain were orderly.
Traces of the bandits' rampage remained here and there, but even those were being quickly repaired by the hands of the residents.
Ronnie and the young lady, who had been secretly imagining a desolate landscape, could only stare dumbfounded at the scene before them.
"Young Lady! Sir Ronnie! You've returned safely!"
As they looked around the domain in bewilderment, they were greeted by the domain's people, who had been sent back ahead of them from Albert City.
"I'm just glad you're all safe. But what on earth happened to the domain? Did my mother perhaps regain consciousness?"
Among the lord's family, the lord and his eldest son were dead, and the daughter had only just returned from being kidnapped. The only one left to command the domain was the lady of the house.
That was the young lady's guess, but the answer she received from the resident was unexpected.
"No, the ones managing the domain right now are your relatives, Young Lady. They brought a ton of soldiers and supplies and are helping with the reconstruction."
The kinship of nobles is a complicated thing.
The number of people who could claim to be the young lady's 'relatives' exceeded a hundred, and even if grouped by family, there were more than five.
But among them, there was only one 'relative's family' capable of seizing control of a failing domain in an instant and reviving it.
And that relative, upon meeting the young lady who had returned home, said this:
"My, you've returned on your own? We were just about to send a rescue party. I'm glad you've saved us the trouble."
*
Many nations existed on the continent, but if you were to ask which was the strongest, people would generally name two.
The Empire in the south and the Magic State in the north.
Let's exclude the Kingdom of Heaven that frolics in the sky, as it's not on the continent.
A kingdom? It would be too cruel to drag a patient, holed up and wheezing in the far east, into this discussion. Respect for the elderly is important, after all.
The Lennart Ducal House was a family with its roots in one of these two great powers, the Empire.
The reason for the expression 'with its roots' is simple.
The Lennart surname was not exclusive to the Empire.
As such a renowned and prestigious family, they received love calls from all over. It was also the result of the ducal family, sensing the Imperial Family's unease, halting their power growth within the Empire and instead dispersing their personnel externally.
The members of the ducal family who remained in the Empire were the 'main family.'
Those who shared the same blood but belonged to nations other than the Empire were 'collateral lines.'
The relationship between the main family and the collateral lines could hardly be called equal, even as a courtesy.
It might be easier to understand as the difference between a directly managed store and a franchise.
And at this very moment.
An inspector from the directly managed store was delivering a mercilessly harsh critique to the employees of a franchise.
"I couldn't believe my ears when I first heard the news. The sole heir of the family was wandering the domain without a proper guard and was kidnapped by bandits. How in the world does something like that happen?"
Giselle von Lennart.
The beautiful woman with an intellectual air, possessing silver-blonde hair and violet eyes, was glaring at the young lady with a gaze that held an icy chill.
The young lady answered, flustered.
"The state of the domain was not good. Our main forces were all lost in the war, so the power to protect the domain was weakened—"
"I am aware of that. Lord August's participation in the war was arranged through an agreement between our main family and the kingdom. It is only natural for the main family to supplement the domain's strength since it was weakened as a result of complying with our request. The problem is why you, the heir, were wandering the domain. Weren't there clear instructions to hold out in the mansion until the main family's support arrived?"
At a loss for words, the young lady shrank back. Ronnie quickly spoke up in her stead.
"Excuse me, Lady Giselle. May I have a word?"
"You have permission to speak."
"The situation in the domain at the time was extremely chaotic, and the people were trembling with anxiety. The Young Lady was touring the domain to calm the unsettled public when this misfortune occurred."
"Let me ask you one thing."
"Yes."
"Was this 'public sentiment' you were trying to calm more important than the chaos that would ensue if something happened to the last remaining heir of this domain?"
Ronnie could not answer immediately.
And that, in itself, was the answer.
"Your crime is clear. You willfully ignored the main family's orders and acted on your own. You were unable to overcome your impatience to 'do something' and got swept up in danger while doing something that was not essential."
"Finally," Giselle added.
"Purely and simply, your own skill is pathetic. An heir who cannot even protect their own body against mere bandits is not worthy of calling themselves a descendant of the Lion Duke."
The young lady's eyes trembled violently.
Ignoring it, Giselle continued her cold words.
"The main family has determined that the Friedel domain, in its current state, lacks the capacity for self-sufficiency. We have decided to reclaim governance of this territory. In accordance with a formal agreement with the kingdom's royal family, I, Giselle von Lennart, will take over the position of Lord of the Friedel domain and the title of Viscount."
"W-Wait a minute! You can't just...!"
"You need not worry too much. We will not be remiss in our courtesy to the 'former lord's family.' A certain amount will be paid monthly for your upkeep, and we will support you in pursuing any profession you desire, according to your wishes. The treatment of the Viscountess, who has not regained consciousness, will of course continue. Sir Ronnie Roxley, the same applies to you."
"Pardon?"
"A loyal vassal who personally rescued the family's heir must be treated with the appropriate respect. I hereby appoint you as a formal knight of the Friedel domain. It is a temporary appointment for now, but a proper investiture ceremony will be held as soon as preparations are complete."
It was an utterly one-sided declaration.
With every word Giselle spoke, everyone present was being arbitrarily pushed around.
The young lady was furious.
She quickly scanned the faces of the vassals around her.
There was no way everyone in the domain would accept such injustice, such tyranny.
These were the people who had followed her father.
These were the people who had supported her older brother.
These were the people who had offered words of comfort to her after she had lost her father and brother, telling her it was still okay.
And then the young lady realized.
Not a single one of them would meet her eyes.
Only Ronnie wore the same confused expression as she did, but the overall mood was clear.
The vassals of the Friedel domain were supporting Giselle, not her.
Why?
The question arose.
She couldn't understand what was happening at all.
She had just overcome the horrific experience of being sold into slavery and had barely managed to escape.
She was about to end her long suffering, thank her saviors, and hold a joyous festival.
If this were a short fairy tale, this would be the part where the line, 'And they all lived happily ever after,' should appear.
So why had it turned out like this?
For what reason?
Unable to accept the situation, unwilling to acknowledge it, the young lady desperately racked her brain.
To deny the woman before her, she tried to find fault with everything she had seen in the domain.
The revitalized citizens. The reconstructed buildings. The disciplined elite soldiers.
It was certainly amazing. Amazing, but it was only possible because of the main family's support.
It couldn't be said to be proof of Giselle's own ability.
Compared to that, she herself... she... well.
...Huh?
What... did I even do?
The young lady looked back on her own actions.
Her efforts to soothe the people's hearts had ended up being worse than doing nothing, as she herself was captured as a slave.
Even after being captured, there was nothing she had accomplished.
Saving the captured citizens was the work of the Tin Knight and the witch, and it was Ronnie who had requested their help.
The young lady's will and efforts had had no impact on this incident whatsoever.
She had simply been rescued as things flowed along.
She hadn't fought the bandits with outstanding skill, nor had she resisted them with a lofty spirit.
The moment she realized that, she sank to the floor without even knowing it.
*
Thump.
You and Dorothea watched from a distance as the young lady collapsed to the floor, her legs having given out.
Ronnie rushed to support her in a panic, and the surrounding vassals wore expressions of guilt.
The only ones with impassive faces were the woman named Giselle and those who had been dispatched with her.
You realized you didn't like this situation one bit.
Just as you were about to take a step forward, Dorothea's voice came from beside you.
"What are you going to do, step in? Cut down the new lord?"
You mulled over her words for a moment.
That lord certainly looked skilled, so fighting her might be fun, but you didn't think cutting her down would solve the current situation.
[The 'Tin Knight' says that's not the right way!]
"Just stay put. Whoever becomes the lord, we just need to get our reward and leave."
[The 'Tin Knight' points out that's too heartless!]
"Then a witch is supposed to be heartless. What, am I supposed to spread happiness to everyone around me with a big, open heart?"
At Dorothea's words, you glanced down at her.
Her heart's disposition aside, she did seem physically big and open, but that wasn't what was important right now.
[The 'Tin Knight' asks if you don't feel a little sorry for her!]
Dorothea looked at you as if you were absurd.
"You're a guy who's about to hit a triple-digit body count from what I've seen, and now you're suddenly talking about compassion?"
Dorothea's point was valid, but you didn't feel particularly guilty or troubled by the contradiction.
You always just said what you felt at the moment.
You didn't like how this was unfolding, and you knew something other than force was needed to resolve it.
You had force in spades, but you were lacking in other areas.
Therefore, you made a request to Dorothea.
[The 'Tin Knight' tells her to recall the second clause of their contract!]
【'Dorothea Aschengard' shall provide the mana necessary for the 'Tin Knight' to move his body. In return, the 'Tin Knight' shall protect 'Dorothea Aschengard' from threats.】
【'Dorothea Aschengard' and the 'Tin Knight' may, as needed, request additional cooperation from the other party. The compensation for said cooperation will be determined by mutual agreement each time.】
At your words, Dorothea's eyes narrowed.
After a moment of thought, she let out a short sigh, as if in resignation.
"Fine. But from now on, you are absolutely forbidden from making any remarks to me like 'wicked,' 'like a villain's second-in-command,' or anything of that sort."
You nodded readily.
There were plenty of other ways to tease her anyway.
Dorothea's tendency to skip over the fine details and set loose conditions when making contracts was both her strength and her weakness.
"Alright, we have a deal."
Unaware of your inner thoughts, Dorothea stepped forward, a hint of motivation now on her face.
And she spoke.
"—So this is the main family of the Lion Duke's bloodline. Is acting like a bunch of thugs your specialty? Is it fun ganging up on a miserable kid and beating her down with words? What a fine hobby."
Watching the expressions of the people around them turn to shock, you thought to yourself.
It'd be nice to have some popcorn and a soda right now.