Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The War Hero Becomes a Fairy Godmother (6)
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A moment later.
I slipped out of the armory and went straight to find Diela.
At first, I couldn't fathom what a dress for the banquet hall had to do with the armory.
But I never imagined there'd be a dress in the armory, let alone that it would be no ordinary gown, but imperial magic armor.
Magic armor.
Just one piece of that—equivalent to a wearable fighter jet—made the internal power struggles in this barony crystal clear to me.
And there was only one reason for such conflict.
"Milady, were you here?"
"Yes."
It was because of the middle-aged man lying motionless on the bed like a corpse, with Diela sitting beside him, tending to him.
"I never dreamed Father would end up like this. He collapsed out of nowhere one day, and now the Arsin Barony is plunged into unintended chaos."
Arsin Baron.
As for why he took Trimien as his wife—there's nothing I could say about that.
"Maybe I've been misunderstanding Mother. Father might be lying there like this now, but if not for her, he would have been killed by imperial forces on the battlefield from the start."
Regardless of how much more maternal and beautiful the first wife had been, Baroness Trimien Arsin was the one who saved Baron Arsin's life.
A life debt.
Cases where rationality gives way to romance after someone saves your life are more common than you'd think.
-Tch, don't get the wrong idea! It's not like I spared her because she saved me from the mana core overload! N-no, I let her live solely so we could have a fair rematch next time!
In fact, I once spent three days in a cave with an imperial Swordmaster—one of those who risked life and limb saving me from a mana core or magic armor malfunction.
We would have killed each other otherwise.
But just because we'd spared each other's lives, we both thought, "Maybe not worth killing after all?" In the end, we parted without killing or even seriously injuring one another.
Ah.
We did inflict some injuries.
-Th-that was just to warm up our bodies! If we stayed still like that, we might've died of hypothermia! ...What? A Swordmaster getting hypothermia? ......Shut up!!
We gave each other physical damage that would linger forever in our bodies, and she left claw marks on my back deeper than any beastman's.
In any case, it's natural to develop positive feelings toward someone who saved your life.
Even if that person later reveals greedy ambitions to exploit the favor and bring down your house, up until the point you make her your baroness, you'd have whispered words of love.
"Yuri."
"Yes, milady."
"I don't know what feelings Father holds for Mother. He's lying there stricken with some unidentified illness, and even the priests can't find a cure."
"......."
"And at the same time... we have to settle the house's debts."
"Debts, you say?"
"Yes. ...That's why I stand in opposition to Mother and my sisters."
Diela rose from her chair and reached toward the vase on the bedside table.
"Ever since Father collapsed, Mother and my sisters have hardly visited this place."
As she removed the flowers from the vase, she placed fresh ones inside and wrapped the old blooms in silk.
"They're too busy using the house's assets to buy dresses and jewels. The problem is, they don't even distinguish real from fake—they just focus on splurging. ...They're draining the house's cash reserves wildly, without a thought for the servants' upcoming wages, payments to merchant caravans for food supplies, or even the promissory notes we owe."
"......."
"I won't judge her for her origins, but Mother treats this barony like a mercenary band she runs. No, it's as if she's deliberately trying to bankrupt it. Almost like..."
"Like she's intentionally creating this crisis to force the sale of that imperial weapon in the armory?"
"Probably. Mother's cunning, not foolish. She pretends to indulge in luxury and extravagance, throwing money around, but if she can just sell off the magic armor, the barony's financial woes would vanish in an instant."
Diela smoothed the wrinkles in the blanket over Baron Arsin, her smile bitter.
"That's likely why the nobles are standing by idly—waiting to snatch up the magic armor at auction for a steal. And that noble is one who's been connected to Mother's mercenary band for ages... hahaha."
Diela laughed weakly, like a wind-up doll running down.
"I really couldn't confide this in anyone easily. No one to help, and those who might want to were forced to bow to reality."
"Milady."
"So, this is the last chance."
Diela approached the man's desk, spread out a sheet of parchment without sitting, and began scribbling furiously.
"I have a duke's daughter in a neighboring kingdom who's like a true sister to me. We studied together at the academy. Her house has minor issues too, but she could provide enough help to restore your memories."
"Milady."
"It's not too late now. Leaving the barony amid a situation tied to magic armor rather than some other issue—Mother would just brush it off as a passing storm. So..."
"You're telling me to leave?"
At my words, Diela halted the quill racing across the parchment.
"After sharing all this, do you truly wish for me to depart?"
"......."
"Milady."
I approached Diela and faced her directly.
"You saved my life, Lady Diela. No matter what I was before, without you, I would have died discarded in that river."
Not exactly true, but that's the line we needed.
"I'm a bit wary of dealing with all these entanglements involving imperial magic armor, but there's something even more important."
"Yuri. No."
"Repaying the debt."
Like any knight, I dropped to one knee and extended a hand toward Diela.
"Something inside me is screaming to do this. To me, it's only natural—not just now with my amnesia, but even before I lost my memories."
"Please. No more, I can't...!"
"I cannot turn away and leave while a lady suppresses her tears."
"!!"
Diela's eyes began to tremble wildly.
"I don't want to see a woman who, despite her dire circumstances, doesn't wish to burden a stranger yet desperately tries to help him, reduced to tears."
"N-no. If you keep this up...!"
"You can rely on me."
"!!"
At my words, Diela collapsed into the chair.
Twenty years old.
Her father unconscious on that bed, her stepmother and stepsisters squandering the family fortune, the servants bowing to the thugs her stepmother brought in, unable to lift a finger.
And outside the house, so-called relatives keeping their distance, waiting to devour the assets once bankruptcy hit.
"No... If you keep this up, I might try to use you. I might exploit your kindness in my misfortune and get you hurt."
In such a crisis, facing it alone with no help, then I appeared.
Even my aid—she couldn't bring herself to exploit it just because I'd lost my memories, or seemed strong, or looked noble-like before the amnesia.
In the 12-year war, the countless dead were good, innocent souls just like Diela.
And among those who survived tenaciously, most were like Baroness Trimien Arsin, preying on such kind hearts.
"It's fine. I seem tougher than I look."
At the very least, in this house's affairs, I am Diela's steadfast ally.
"Rely on me, use me, exploit me. Ladies are meant to command knights at will, after all."
"Ah, ahh..."
"So, if you wish to overcome this crisis through me."
I extended my hand toward Diela a little further.
"Would you grant this knight the honor of paying you due respect, milady?"
"......I'm sorry. Truly."
Tears streamed from Diela's eyes as she extended her hand to me.
"Yes, gladly."
I lightly kissed the back of Diela's hand.
"...Yuri. One thing—just one request first?"
"Anything."
"Hold me."
For a split second, the inner Hans nearly surfaced, but I slowly rose and pulled Diela into my arms.
And.
"......."
Diela buried her face silently in my chest, soaking my shirt for a long while with no sobs or cries.
After formally deciding to aid Diela—or rather, after exchanging knightly and ladylike vows so she could unburden her heart a little and rely on me.
I escorted the exhausted Diela to her bedroom, then slipped away briefly to return to the baron's room.
Shh.
Quietly, without anyone noticing.
"......."
Baron Arsin on the bed showed no reaction.
"A father lying still while his daughter sobs silently for fear of waking him."
I reached toward Baron Arsin.
"Unless he's under a black magic curse, the least he'd do is twitch a finger."
Whoosh.
The moment I channeled mana toward Baron Arsin, something red glimmered on his forehead.
A red magic circle, akin to a devil's mark.
"Just as I thought. Only black magic can plunge consciousness this deep."
As expected.
"I wondered who was behind it, but to find traces of the Empire's fallen black mages here."
Formally known as [Worshippers of the Evil God].
Black mages I'd encountered often during the 12-year war—ones no different from my worst nightmare.
"I crushed them every time on the battlefield, yet remnants still linger."
They offer beautiful virgins as sacrifices to summon great devils.
A cult that places pure maidens on altars, offering their hearts and souls to demons.
"These bastards dare."
A pure virgin belongs on a bed, not an altar.
"One more reason to intervene."