Chapter 249: Homecoming |
Author’s Note: The main POV of this story is Melgin. (Lupetta’s lover)
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After waiting until nightfall, I left the Field.
Conveniently, it’s cloudy tonight. The stars were almost invisible.
The moonlight beyond the clouds was extremely unreliable, but this is like my second home. There was no hesitation in moving forward.
Still, it won’t hurt to be cautious.
I used detection magic that I don’t use often, and moved my legs while being conscious not to panic. I must act carefully.
I arrived at the village only after the moon had risen considerably. Normally it was a distance that I could have easily walked, but I may have been moving too cautiously.
The clouds had become quite thin before I knew it. The moonlight was quietly illuminating the village.
I moved to the house I intended and knocked on the door several times.
After a while, I felt someone moving inside.
[…..who is it?]
The door opened just a little, and a voice full of alarm came flying out.
It was a small voice that seemed to be drowned out by the night breeze.
[It’s me, Melgin.]
When I said that, I could feel the atmosphere on the other side of the door change.
[Oh, you’re back. Come, come, get in.]
As I was told, I entered the house.
I think it’s safe in the village, but I want to hide as soon as possible.
[…why isn’t Lupetta with you?]
When I saw the village chief say that while closing the door, I was convinced that my bad premonition was correct.
[It’s the same in this village, but the city seems to have a hard time collecting taxes…]
I was taken to the living room and asked the village chief about the current situation in the village.
It seemed that life in Spierzeig territory had become much worse than before. It’s been a while since I saw the village chief’s face, and he looked a little more haggard than I remembered.
[Is it because of the fall of Reisleaf?]
[Well, I guess. At this rate, I’ll have my hands full just trying to survive.]
[I see…]
[Not to mention, the village would be in trouble if any more men were taken away. That’s why I called you two…]
That was last month. When I went to the adventurer support facility near Newnelly Field, there was a message addressed to me written on the message board.
Apparently, the village chief had entrusted the peddler with a message. When I asked what the message was, it’s “I want you to come back to the village”.
Since the peddler was only responsible for delivering messages, we were unable to confirm the details. That’s why I came here to check it out in person.
[I left Lupetta in Newnelly City. This time, it would be bad if the military found out.]
Previously, when Lupetta returned to the village, she was discovered by the Spierzeig military officer and was chased. Although she managed to escape that time, there was no guarantee that she would be able to escape if the same thing happened again.
[Lupetta said earlier that it would be more dangerous for you to wander around.]
[That’s true, but…]
It would be suspicious if a Lord-class individual stayed in the same place for a long time, even more so if they frequently moved in and out of the territory. I have the same level of magical power as a Lord-class soldier from a knight family, so if I make any disturbing movements, I could be misunderstood as an intruder.
In fact, I went to Levios territory and Quordenze territory to escape conscription, so there is something suspicious about me already.
[…This time, it’s better if it’s only me.]
Considering that Lupetta was found, there was a possibility that they were being warned about the next infiltration. The difficulty of infiltrating Spierzeig may have increased significantly.
Considering the range and accuracy of the detection magic, I decided that the chance of being captured would be lower if I moved alone, so I convinced Lupetta.
[So, what happened?]
I apologized to the village chief for rushing the conversation, but it’s not a good idea to stay here for too long. Maybe I’m being too cautious, but since I can’t predict how the people involved with Spierzeig will judge my existence, I want to keep my time in the village as short as possible.
If possible, I would like to finish my business and return to Weldburg Field before dawn. Detection magic is less effective inside the field, so I will never be discovered.
[…It’s just as the legend says. Let me start by saying, but I want Lupetta to come back to the village.]
It was exactly what I heard in Newnelly City.
My bad premonition was right. The village chief’s voice was filled with bitterness.
[I would like to know the reason. Now that Reisleaf Castle has fallen, if Lupetta returns to the village, she will be conscripted someday.]
This may sound a bit accusatory, but it is true. Lupetta, who is kind and cannot abandon her family or village, is a useful pawn for the Spierzeig family. There is a risk that she will be used up as a member of the Lord-class soldiers.
[Let’s talk for a moment… Recently, there has been a check on the strong people in the territory. The shield-breaking incident is still resonating.]
The fall of Reisleaf Castle and the rise of Serpent’s Great Shield Breaker were major events for the Spierzeig army. I think it is inevitable that war will intensify in the future.
The knights of Spierzeig had begun to reconfirm how many followers they have in their territory who can be mobilized as soldiers in case of an emergency.
[But, I think it’s said that both Lupetta and I are out of the territory.]
That’s the truth. Even when we return to the village, it’ll be with secrecy.
[Well, this is also something that has happened recently, but the number of adventurers coming from the Levios Kingdom has increased…]
That story sounded familiar.
[Maybe that one in the Royal Capital. I’ve heard rumors…]
Until recently, adventurers from all over the continent were gathering in the Royal Capital. This is because the Levios family began to give preferential treatment to adventurers who entered the Field after the disaster caused by Yersinia. Lupetta and I were also attracted to that and decided to go to the Royal Capital.
I think it was thanks to that preferential treatment, but there weren’t many demon beasts in the Field of the Royal Capital. The adventurers hunted them for gold.
The reason Lupetta and I moved to Newnelly City was because the more we continued our activities, the worse the profits became. I’m sure that even after we left, the profits would only get worse.
And since the beginning of this year, the Levios army seems to have carried out a large-scale demon beast mopping operation in the territory. It is said to be one of the preliminary preparations for holding a big social gathering that will gather all the Kingdom’s Nobles.
According to what I heard, they exterminated the demon beasts in the Field at random using human wave tactics that made their numbers stand out. In particular, be careful about the Fields in the Royal Capital, which is also your home.
In retrospect, this series of events probably went according to the Levios family’s plan.
After having a skilled adventurer exterminate a certain number of demon beasts, the military wiped out the left over and made it as if they did all the work.
Thanks to this, the number of monsters that are affordable to hunt had drastically decreased from the Fields around the Royal Capital. Well, it’s a good thing from the perspective of the people of Levios, but it’s a problem for those who work as adventurers. As a result, the adventurers who had gathered in Levios territory were scattered across the continent in search of new hunting grounds.
[…Oh, did something like that happen?]
[Recently, an adventurer who came to Newnelly City from the Royal Capital said something like that… But, you’re saying that many also come to Spierzeig territory?]
Spierzeig territory seemed reluctant to buy magic stones. I feel like it would be more profitable to go somewhere else.
[It seems like they just stopped by on their way to the west. There are few people who’d choose to stay after feeling the uneasy atmosphere.]
Certainly, if he were an adventurer, he would probably leave before getting into any unnecessary trouble. The impact of the fall of Reisleaf Castle was so great that even adventurers who came from other places were talking about it. It is natural to feel anxious about the future of Spierzeig territory.
[So, what happened to the adventurers who moved there?]
[Good gracious, it seems like your face was quite popular in the Royal Capital.]
[Well, in its own way…]
[Haa.], the village chief exhaled.
[It seems that the adventurers stopped at Newnelly City after leaving the Royal Capital and headed west. During their journey, they stopped at a village near our house to earn some money.]
[And?]
[The feudal lord must be worried about the shield breaker, so it seems that the adventurers have been investigated.]
That means that the adventurers are also Lord-class. Since they came from the Royal Capital, there is a possibility that they may know each other.
[There may be things going on in the future, adventurers who have left the capital…especially powerful adventurers.]
If you know the circumstances of adventurers in the Royal Capital, that may be natural. It’s possible that adventurers will continue to enter Spierzeig’s territory from time to time. As a knight who protects a territory, I think that’s something I’d like to make sure of.
[The person who interrogated me was the feudal lord. It wouldn’t be strange if there were officials who knew about Lupetta.]
Putting aside drifters like me, I think it’s safe to assume that a Lord-class like Lupetta who makes this territory as her hometown is recognized by the feudal lord to some extent. This is because in an emergency, if you take the villagers hostage, there is a high chance that they will listen to what feudal lords say.
Regardless of friend or foe, I have seen many Lord-class soldiers forced into the battlefield in this manner.
They probably even know Lupetta by name, the fact that she is from this village, and the information that she went to the Royal Capital to work.
If you compare the testimony of that adventurer, you can predict a certain amount of movement.
[Lupetta, after leaving the Royal Capital, is now working in Newnelly City… I’m sure the officials have something to think about when they hear that…]
I don’t know who or where they got the information, but they received an unnecessary testimony.
I hadn’t been very open about my birthplace in the Royal Capital or Newnelly City, but I never expected something like this to happen. Were we naive in not using a fake name?
[The timing was bad… Lupetta was chased by soldiers the other day, wasn’t she?]
[Ah…that too, huh?]
As expected, it seems that there were negative effects from being discovered.
[After that, I was summoned by a city official. I was asked if Lupetta had returned to the village. It was chilling to the core.]
At that time, he was still able to hide the secrets well.
[However, because of that adventurer, their suspicions have been reignited. They believe that the suspicious person that the military identified back then was Lupetta, who had returned to the village. They also said that I might be in cahoot with Lupetta, and that I might be pretending to break off our ties with her in order to avoid her from being drafted.]
That was the closest to the correct answer. I was drenched in sweat.
[However, even if there is no report from the military, it will be over as soon as it is revealed that Lupetta is in Newnelly City. An official told me to send a messenger to bring Lupetta back. Although the Royal Capital is infinitely far away, it’s not the case with Newnelly City. I don’t think the city is too far away to go…]
The fact that she continues to work as an adventurer in Newnelly City, near her hometown, suggests that she may still be attached to the village. In that case, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have her come back for a trial…that’s probably what the Spierzeig officials thought.
That’s a really bad idea. For us that is.
[Judging from the way you’re talking, it seems like the officials are expecting a decisive battle to take place soon. At that time, a considerable number of men from our village will be conscripted.]
Perhaps because of the large number of people getting requested for conscription, the village chief looked bitter.
[…What will happen if Lupetta returns to the village?]
Here’s what’s important.
I had my own predictions, but I needed to hear it from the village chief.
[She won’t be taken away by the military right away. They’ll probably tell her to wait in the village in preparation for the decisive battle…]
[Then, if the decisive battle happens?]
[…At that time, Lupetta will be assigned to our lord’s unit and march. The men from the village will support her. I have confirmed this many times. So, there must be no mistake.]
I guess it’s like being placed as one of the vassal soldiers under direct control of the knight army. And the men of the village would be placed in that same unit… In that case, Lupetta won’t be able to escape. But considering that it’ll be the rear troops, it should be relatively safe. Even if the knight army were crushed by the Quordenze army, it would be easier to escape from the rear.
Lupetta’s life or death depends on which battlefield the knight army is deployed to, but it seems like the men in the village are relatively likely to survive.
What is being presented is the survival of the village at the cost of one of its Lord-class commoners. However, if you are lucky, both will be saved. The story goes that the more Spierzeig’s army gains the upper hand, the more hope there is.
[What if she doesn’t return?]
It won’t be a bad thing.
I asked reluctantly, but the village chief looked disgusted when he answered.
[At that time, the men from the village will be incorporated into some unit that will be posted on the front lines.]
Commoner soldiers standing on the front lines of a major battle…
[That’s pretty much sending them to their demise…]
It’s certainly not something you want. It’s a role that someone has to take on, but I don’t want the people of this village to take on that role.
[If we don’t acknowledge Lupetta’s presence in Newnelly City… we can’t let her pass without our knowledge…]
I asked with a glimmer of hope, but the village chief quietly denied my idea.
[If Lupetta comes back, that’s fine, but if she doesn’t….. we can just blame her for making us into the frontline soldiers.]
Does that mean that once the feudal lord showed an opening, it was already useless?
[…I’m sorry. I didn’t expect the Spierzeig family to be so tense. I didn’t think the war situation was so bad that they would use such methods…]
I thought the Spierzeig family had more leeway. Even if they are at a disadvantage, they are still the champion of the Voistra Plain, which includes Othelloria City.
[It’s not your fault.]
[But even though I was staying in Newnelly City, I couldn’t even send you any detailed information…]
As I was feeling regretful, the village chief momentarily smiled darkly.
[I appreciate any information you bring back…]
Then, the village chief’s expression changed to a hard one.
[…It’s just so infuriating. The lord’s subordinates are swayed by just one idea.]
Although his tone was calm, I could clearly feel the anger that the village chief was harboring.
I heard from an elderly person in the village that the village chief used to be a man with a strong rebellious spirit. Normally, as the head of the village, he must be holding back and suppressing it.
[…I’m not aware of any disputes between the Nobles.]
Lupetta also sometimes complains about the Spierzeig family, but that may have been similar to the village chief.
[But, I can’t keep saying that. I’m the head of this village, thus I have to act for everyone.]
Then, the village chief looked at me.
[…Please tell Lupetta to return to the village.]
Even the village chief doesn’t want to cut Lupetta down. I understand that this is an unavoidable decision.
[I get it… very well.]
But, I didn’t want to.
If I tell her, Lupetta will definitely say she will return to the village. However, if I don’t tell her, Lupetta will probably get angry and grieve. I don’t want Lupetta to die, but I don’t want her to be sad either.
In order for both Lupetta and the village men to survive, she had no choice but to return to the village.
[….sorry. It’s only natural to be angry.]
Apparently I was glaring at the village chief unconsciously.
[…..pardon me.]
The village chief is not at fault. I managed to suppress my angry heart.
Perhaps sensing what was going on, the village chief abruptly changed the topic.
[I heard from Lupetta. You’ve proposed to her.]
[Ah… y, yes… well…]
[I’m happy to hear it.]
The village chief had been hoping for a long time that Lupetta and I would get together.
Well, Lupetta and I are both Lord-class. If a child is born from our bond, it’ll probably be a Lord-class as well. If that happens, the village will be happy.
It’s a matter of calculation, but the presence of the Lord-class is important.
[But even as an old man, it’s a happy news. It’s just a joy to see the village children grow up and start a family.]
The village chief had a kind smile on his face as he spoke. He had been watching Lupetta since she was a child, so I guess there’s something about it that resonates with him.
[Lupetta was still confused by the marriage proposal. Maybe she was thinking about the village and was worried about something, but she seemed happy for some reason… Rita said she gives you her blessing.]
At that moment, my heart felt hot.
I felt guilty for finding out about Lupetta’s feelings not from the person herself, but more than that, I was overjoyed.
Besides, the fact that Rita, who is also Lupetta’s mother, is happy is priceless. There are now no obstacles to marriage.
[I don’t know what will happen to this war in the future, but… I leave Lupetta in your care.]
[Y, yes!]
I couldn’t help but scream out loud. That’s how happy I was.
[You should go see Rita when the night is over. She must be wanting to meet her soon-to-be son-in-law.]
[I was thinking of doing that…]
When I told him that if I stayed too long, I might be discovered by Spierzeig’s army and get everyone in trouble, the village chief thought for a moment.
[I feel like the number of military people roaming around has decreased over the past few days. I think it’s okay though…]
[That’s because the great social gathering in the Levios Kingdom has ended. Since the agreement of no war between Spierzeig and Quordenze has been canceled, the military’s eyes are now inevitably on the front lines.]
That’s also the reason why I decided to return to the village at this time.
Now that the Head of the Spierzeig and Quordenze families have returned to their home base and taken a breather, they should be able to focus more on the front line than on the borders of their territories. I’m sure there will be a tense exchange of stares on the front lines. It was a good time to sneak in.
[However, that doesn’t mean the army is gone. I heard from Lupetta that there’s talk of building a military base or fort around here, right? They’re also asking for men from the village to help. If that’s the case, I think it would be better to leave early…]
Then, the village chief clapped his hands, as if he had made a point.
[I see, that’s it. It was about when Lupetta visited at the beginning of the year. …That’s no longer the case now.]
A dark smile appeared on the village chief’s face as he said that.
[In a sense, it’s thanks to the Great Shield Breaker. We were saved because we didn’t have to do any extra labor.]
It seems that since the construction schedule has been cleared, there are fewer military personnel wandering around the area. The village chief said that there is no need to be so cautious now.
[If that’s really the case, I’ll go back to Newnelly after meeting Rita-san.]
When I said that, the village chief nodded with satisfaction.
If there’s no need to rush home, I’ll even listen to various stories before heading home. I haven’t been back to the village in a while, so I’ll check what I can for now.
[…By the way, why was the construction canceled?]
That was the first question that came to mind.
Why did they decide to build a military facility in such a remote area in the first place?
I thought the answer would come right away, but the village chief looked up at the ceiling and thought for a while.
[That’s right. I don’t know if this will be helpful. …Maybe I should just tell you everything.]
After checking the surroundings, the village chief beckoned.
It probably means I should get closer.
From that look, I could tell that an important conversation was about to begin.
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It was six days later that I returned to Newnelly City.
[Melgin~san.]
When I heard a familiar voice, I turned around and saw a familiar girl standing there.
[Oh, Holte?]
The girl crossed the street and approached me.
Then, she handed me a large jute bag and pressed it against me.
[Running an errand?]
The bag I received contained a large amount of fruit. Maybe they’ll serve it at the restaurant.
[Yes! It was really heavy. Melgin-san, can you please take it along with you~? You’re going home now, right?]
[You shouldn’t have pushed it off to me before asking]
Holte’s family, who run the inn where me and Lupetta are staying, had been taking care of us for a long time. I have become very close to this girl.
[Huh? Aren’t you going home?]
[I was thinking of buying some things at the store, but… well, nevermind. This is quite heavy, so I’ll take it to the inn first.]
[Wow, thank you!]
Holte started walking, looking back every now and then, as if making sure that I wasn’t straying from the supposed path.
I’ve always felt like this kid is good at using older people. Perhaps because she is used to relying on others, but she is not mean or sarcastic. Perhaps because of her demeanor, I don’t feel bad being relied on.
Lupetta, shy as she is, seems to talk to Holte from time to time, and I think she has a good temperament as an innkeeper’s girl.
[Where were you planning on going shopping?]
[For now, it’s a general store. Also, I want to repair my shoes, so I’ll have to make a visit to the workshop.]
At that, Holte made an expression as if to say, [Oh my].
[If it’s not urgent, Melgin-san, it’s best not to wander around today.]
[Why?]
[Because the master is leaving the city. Lupetta-san also said that she would stay in her room all day today.]
According to Holte, the city has notified them as of this morning. As a result, it seems that people are being sent out to clean the main streets.
If a Noble is going to leave the city, there should be officials keeping an eye on them all over the city. For a Lord-class like me who doesn’t originally belong here, it’s better not to go out and get into trouble.
[Who exactly is this Noble we are talking about?]
[I don’t know. Our lord is our lord, right?]
[So, you don’t even know where they’re going?]
[Hmm? …Ah, now that I think about it, the people at the dock seemed busy. I guess they’re going to the capital again, right?]
That would be the current Marquis of Quordenze.
It seems that the previous Levios Kingdom’s big social gathering was interrupted due to the appearance of a demon beast. Will it even restart again? Also, it would be nice if a no-war agreement could be concluded between Spierzeig and Quordenze…
[Will Melgin-san return now?]
The tone was more like a confirmation than a question.
[I will.]
[Alright. I’m still the innkeeper’s girl after all.]
I clearly looked like I was traveling, and my clothes were a little dusty. Right now, I look like I’m from out of town.
[Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in a while.]
Come to think of it, I only said I would be away at the inn for a while. However, this is something I don’t want to say in a place with too many people.
[…Lupetta’s hometown.]
[That’s in Spierzeig territory, right?]
I poked Holte’s forehead to make her stop talking.
I don’t want to say too much about Spierzeig in a place like this. Even if Holte is just a citizen of Newnelly, it might lead to a bad thing if I say something about that in the open.
[…But, didn’t you say earlier that you couldn’t go home because it was dangerous?]
It seemed like she had no intention of stopping.
[I had to go home, even if it meant taking a risk.]
[Hmm? But, I’m glad you came back safely.]
While we were talking, we arrived at the inn.
It’s strange how seeing it like this makes me feel like I’ve come home. I feel more at ease coming back to the inn now than when I returned to the village. It’s probably because Lupetta is waiting here.
[…..what?]
[Ufufufufufufufufufu.]
Did she see through me that I was thinking about Lupetta? Holte was grinning and looking at me with a mischievous expression.
This brat is observing the relationship between me and Lupetta with amusement and interest. Maybe she’s at an age where she’s excited about relationships between men and women, but it’s her fault that she keeps messing with me.
[…I’ll leave the luggage here.]
[Ah, yes. Thanks.]
I left the jute bag at the entrance of the inn and headed to the room I was renting.
When I entered the room after calling out to her, I found Lupetta with her weapon spread out on a wide linen cloth. It looks like she was performing maintenance.
[Welcome back. Melgin.]
Although her voice was small, I could feel that she was happy that I had come back.
[I’m home. Lupetta.]
I could feel happiness from just casual conversations.
I don’t want to lose this current life. I thought so strongly.
Author's Thoughts
The main character of this story is Melgin. (Lupetta's lover)
