CHAPTER 46 – COMING HOME AFTER A LONG WHILE“Hey, teleport us, boy.” (Burkhart)
“Burkhart-san, you’ve been made to accompany us once again.” (Wendelin)
“Don’t talk about it…” (Burkhart)
It is suspicious whether it is really in absolute secrecy, but all of us, 『Dragon Busters』, got such with a partly forced request from Margrave Breithilde.
The contents of the request: The previous Margrave Breithilde involved my home, Knight Baumeister household, and sacrificed a lot of people by foolishly leading an expedition to the Demon Forest, located at the south-eastern end of Lingaia.
The death toll for that thoughtless expedition was close to 2’000, but if left alone the 2’000 corpses, left behind in the Demon Forest, would end up turning undead after a few hundred years pa.s.sed.
As for undeads, if a long time pa.s.ses after they came forth, such things as regrets, sorrow and malice would amplify in proportion and they would become troublesome existences.
If they look at the great number flawed properties in the capital, anyone will be able to understand it.
As for the Lingaia continent, with beyond several hundreds kilometers of undeveloped land after the inhabited region of the Knight Baumeister household, that is in the furthest southeastern part, it should take at least several hundred years until people try to enter the Demon Forest once again.
If, during that time, the undead’s malice became worse completely like a festering venom, they would end up becoming very strong.
If the undead in the Demon Forest left, there would be countless victims amongst the adventurers. Naturally, if they were to investigate the historical reason for that, Margrave Breithilde household, being the cause of it all, should face unfavorable criticism.
『Will there even be a Margrave Breithilde household several hundred years later?』There is no confidence if asked this, but since the Margrave Breithilde household apparently has a 200 year-long history, the possibility of them to continue to exist should be quite high.
For the sake of the descendants, who haven’t been born yet, we are to cleanse the undeads, who turned undead from the former expedition soldiers roaming about in the Demon forest, as they aren’t very strong yet.
For that reason it was decided that we would proceed towards the actual site.
From the point of receiving such private request of an upper n.o.ble, it is apparent that Margrave Breithilde is relying on us there.
Even the reward became a reasonably large amount of money since it was also including hush money.
“But, you know, is it fine with such a small number of people?” (Erwin)
“It will be alright.” (Burkhart)
Burkhart-san immediately addresses Erw’s doubts.
The reason for challenging such domain with its many monsters living there with a small adventurer group is as follows.
If too many people intrude there, it will trigger a large crowd of monsters to appear in response.
It was one verified point from the failure of the former expeditionary force.
Although there are other points as well, I have decided to not talk about the for now.
“If you invade with few people, the other side won’t encounter you with more than a suitable number either.” (Burkhart)
“That is, I know we have already experienced a subjugation just recently. But, I wonder if we will be able to cope with 2’000 undead.” (Wendelin)
“It will be fine. We have Elise-jou-chan and you, boy, for that reason with us.” (Burkhart)
I’d like him to stop calling me 『Boy』 already since I’m a proper adult, but Burkhart-san doesn’t seem to be of the same mind.
For him I’m the pupil of his pupil.
It might be inevitable for him to treat me intuitively as boy. Usually it will be a rude way of talking to me who has the official position of Baron.
As one should expect, he knows about that as well.
“Wend and Elise, it is?” (Erwin)
“Ah, that’s right. They will take care of exterminating the undead in one go.” (Burkhart)
The strategy, he thought up this time, isn’t to defeat each undead one by one, but it appears that he plans to gather the undead and annihilate them all at once.
“Boy, are you able to use magic spread over a wide area?” (Burkhart)
“Yes, I was taught by master.” (Wendelin)
As for magic spreading over a wide area, it’s simply put magic that broadens its magical effect over a vast range. (T/N: No s.h.i.+t, Sherlock! E: AOE Turn Undead)
Since the magical effect will be spread over a wide range, you naturally have to use a vast amount of mana. It doesn’t make sense without using magic appropriate for the target.
Besides, it is also related to attribute compatibility.
Because if it’s magic of the fire attribute, it will spread fire on a large-scale. With this it is also possible to kill an extensive amount of monsters by burning them to death.
Occasionally, there apparently are people who end up being burnt to death because they surrounded themselves with the fire they spread.
It’s the same with something like the tornado of the wind system. In reverse, there isn’t much of a point using magic of the earth and water system, I guess?
That doesn’t mean that simply all of it is pointless. The earth system is used for something like civil engineering magic, I think?
Since it was magic affecting a wide area to begin with, it was a fact that there was no point in spreading it over a wide area.
As for the water system, I guess it is about spreading healing magic over a wide area.
In the period of the past wars it was obviously convenient to gather the wounded and cure them in one go.
It seems the limit was healing slightly-injured people due to mana, but even so, there weren’t many people who could use magic to such an extent.
Those people were heavily relied on, was something I saw in a book from the past.
“Can you also use other people’s magic for your magic spreading over a wide area, boy?” (Burkhart) (T/N: My fingers are itching to simply call the whole thing AoE spells, but that’s too game-like. Gaman, gaman!)
“Yes.” (Wendelin)
“Then it will become an unexpectedly easy job.” (Burkhart)
Burkhart-san explains his strategy.
First off Elise will use her purification magic of the holy system. Then I will extend that over the Demon Forest with my wide-area-diffusion magic.
If Elise uses up her mana midway, Burkhart-san will resupply her with his unused mana.
For Erw, Ina and Luise the main role is to eliminate the other monsters who draw close to us.
“And Burkhart-san supports us.” (Ina)
“As you could expect with this number of people. It is a gathering of a select few. As for being support, that’s because of my suitable ability and because I can keep a secret if requested.” (Burkhart)
There isn’t even any doubt about the success of the extermination, but you have to also take failure into consideration. I guess that’s why Burkhart-san, who works for Margrave Breithilde, was chosen as backer.
“Well then, let’s depart right away?” (Wendelin)
“No, wait.” (Burkhart)
From 6 years old until becoming 12 years I was also unable to advance my training in search magic to the degree to search the completely untouched, undeveloped land by casting it from the territory of the Baumeister household.
Thanks to that I didn’t enter some parts of the Demon Forest, but it became possible to move throughout almost the whole area freely.
Therefore, although I wanted to finish the request by moving quickly, Burkhart-san stopped that for some reason.
“Eh? Why?” (Wendelin)
“I think there is a place, where it would be wrong to not to go first.” (Burkhart)
“A place where it would be wrong to not go?” (Wendelin)
“More or less that Demon Forest is part of the Knight Baumeister household’s territory. It is normal to go greeting the feudal lord.” (Burkhart)
“No, well, that is certainly true, but…” (Wendelin)
Of course I had realized that, but, honestly, I was unwilling to do so.
Or rather, since I’m going there to deal with the Margrave Breithilde household’s disgrace, I have ended up thinking it would even be fine if the other party has at least finished their greetings first.
“Haa…” (Wendelin)
“Please endure it.” (Burkhart)
There even haven’t been many investigation teams sent in. Although it was only me and the expeditionary force headed to the Demon Forest that entered the Savage Lands, it officially belongs to the Baumeister household.
Therefore we have to go greet them to get permission. There is also the necessity of discussing the share spoils.
If there was an adventurer’s guild branch like in Breitburg, it wouldn’t be necessary.
As long as you are registered as adventurer, the guild will deal with the remaining negotiations and you only have to pay the tax.
However, there isn’t any adventurer’s guild in the Savage Lands and the Baumeister territory.
Therefore we have to directly negotiate with the feudal lord.
For example, in this case, it will be about such things as the bequest of the expeditionary force, the things that belong to the soldiers obtained during the process of purifying the undead, the raw materials procured from the monster who came attacking and medical plants gathered in the Demon Forest.
How much, from all the things obtained, will we have to pay in the end?
Will the payment be in materials?
Will we pay a fixed amount of money after selling the spoils in Breitburg?
It was indispensable to negotiate such fine details.
“(Somehow I feel like doing it now as well, but…)” (Wendelin)
It is a ridiculous story for me, who endeavored in thoroughly exploiting the Savage Lands in his childhood a training in magic for quite a while, to talk about, but this is this and that is that.
Or I should rather say that this is my villainous part.
Even if I arbitrarily exploited the raw materials of prey and minerals in the Savage Lands, our home isn’t able to do something like punis.h.i.+ng me for it.
As for why, that is because it is necessary to have evidence for proving the crime of theft.
Even if they dispatch an investigation team, my family’s home hasn’t the ability to prove my crime as they don’t understand where, how, and how long it was done.
People, who don’t even know how much has entered my wallet, couldn’t hand me over to the police for the same reason, even if they kicked up a fuss that I stole their money.
“…” (Wendelin)
“Ano, Wendelin-sama.” (Elise)
“I understand your sympathy. But, leave him alone for a little while, Elise.” (Erwin)
It seems Erw could also understand since his relation to his family was as complicated as mine.
No matter how much it was for the sake of work, it wouldn’t succeed if I were to go greeting my family that should have already abandoned me. I ended up having slightly depressed emotions about it.
“Haa…” (Wendelin)
“What is it? Are you that reluctant?” (Burkhart)
After teleporting, I stood in front of the Baumeister household’s mansion after a long time.
Honestly, I thought it would be fine, if I didn’t transfer because I forgot about such place, but the teleportation magic, having thoughtlessly trained it properly, was as successful as usual in spite of it being several years since I’ve been here.
Erw and me have almost the same situation.
As children who were unable to inherit the Knight household, we have gained a social status of being independent by being successful as adventurers.
Erw has renounced his family’s heirs.h.i.+p at the same time he became an adult.
He obtained a large amount of money by unforeseen fortune, but since this a talk about a different household already, Erw’s family shouldn’t be able to demand something like support out of greed.
Since it has been almost a month after that h.e.l.l-like labyrinth capture, you wouldn’t know what will happen from now on related to the speed of information spread and Erw was worried about this as well.
Conversely, how about my case?
Because the previous village headman, Klaus, tossed the outrageous bomb of me being the appropriate next feudal lord, I have abandoned my heirs.h.i.+p as fast as possible.
Or rather, it was decided for me to abandon at the time of me receiving a new court rank by His Majesty.
Although I can only say that I entrusted it to the government office to deal with the practical formalities in a hurry at that time.
In addition, neither father nor elder brother said anything about this back then, it seems.
Saying that it seems like that is because I didn’t actually meet them as I finished it all with a letter.
Anyway, for me there isn’t much of love or attachment towards my parents, siblings and the Baumeister household.
Reincarnating as Wendelin at the age of six, my only memory from before was the knowledge I saw in the dream. Thereafter there wasn’t much of a contact or should I rather say that I was obviously neglected.
It’s not like I was treated particularly bad.
It would have been fine even if I didn’t do something like helping the household and just spent my time studying and practicing magic. As result of that I was able to bring an amount of hunted prey to the table as food.
If you talk about it frankly, that level of relations.h.i.+p wasn’t something that could be seen by the surroundings either, I guess.
Since they were aware of me being able to use magic, I think it had that tendency all the more.
For the southernmost remote, poor Knight household it is necessary to have as cooperative relations.h.i.+p in this somewhat insular community for the relatives and fief’s populace.
Therefore my real intention was to become independent as fast as possible.
“At this late hour, even if it’s greetings…” (Wendelin)
“Ano, I want to introduce myself to Father-in-law-sama and mother-in-law.” (Elise)
“Me as well.” (Ina)
“Me too, as third wife.” (Luise)
I can can quite well understand the three that they want to extend their greetings since they are my fiancées, but that alone can be deemed to be a completely disagreeable development for Kurt-ani and so on.
Different from father who has a mistress, there isn’t any other wife but Amelie-sister-in-law-san for Kurt-ani.
Or perhaps I should call it the envy of men. Since the number of wives is a barometer for the economical strength, it is equal to telling the other party “You are poor.”
Actually I’ve heard this also became the cause of bloodshed amongst n.o.bles.
Therefore I don’t want to do something like greetings.
“Publicly, the boy and Artur are va.s.sals of the same lord.” (Burkhart)
I guess we will stay parent and child for eternity due to our blood relations.h.i.+p, but from the public standpoint we are fellow va.s.sals of Margrave Breithilde.
Furthermore, it has resulted in us being at the same situation given that both of us are officially His Majesty’s retainers and likewise fellow n.o.bles.
But in reality there is no way that a Duke and a Knight have the same position.
Since there is even a difference in size of territory and economical strength, it is normal for most of the Dukes to act self-importantly.
And, I am a Baron while father is no more than a Knight.
Even the economical strength, I guess we don’t have to talk about that one.
Such an awkward feeling is a first for me.
I end up remembering my middle-aged section chief from my previous life fretting about『Now the temporarily retired director of the department will re-employed as my subordinate. What shall I do?』
“How troublesome…” (Wendelin)
And presently this is a family having a strangely reversed phenomena of the father being a Knight and the child being a Baron.
Of course it’s about myself.
“Give up, it’s work after all.” (Burkhart)
“Understood.” (Wendelin)
Because it is as Burkhart-san has said, I knock on the door of the mansion.
It is pretty much called the mansion of a n.o.ble, but with the Baumeister household being an insignificant n.o.ble as usual, the size of the house was no more than at the level of a wealthy farmer’s house.
“Yes, who is it?” (Maid)
It was my family’s home after approximately three years, but the maid opening the door didn’t change.
Although she is called a maid, given that she is simply an old woman coming to help out from the neighboring farm family, you couldn’t visibly see he grow old if it’s around three years.
By the way, she doesn’t even wear maid clothes.
Because she was an old woman with an age beyond 70 years, I didn’t think that I wanted to see her in a maid uniform too much either.
“This is, Wendelin-sama!” (Maid)
“Yo, Helena. It’s been a while.” (Wendelin)
Thinking back, I had a lot more conversations with the servants than with my family as child.
While handing over the spoils I obtained as result of training my magic, I usually chatted with them.
“As the gentlemen of the merchant group came some time ago, we heard about the rumors about Wendelin-sama.” (Helena)
Such things as defeating the ancient dragon which became undead and the elder dragon having its sphere of influence over the monsters living in a domain close to the capital, also about the matter of obtaining a court rank and getting a lot of rewards and about the matter of being engaged to the granddaughter of Cardinal Hohenheim who is an influential person within the church.
Helena knew up until the martial arts tournament and the duel uproar during the stay in the capital.
I guess I should say as expected from merchants, huh?
They brought quite accurate news to the southern remote region.
“Oi, Helena-san and… Ooh! Wendelin-sama!”
It is a small mansion. The majority of those working as servants are elder people who already retired from working on the farm. The news of me returning immediately circulated to the other servants.
Continuing on, the butler Lobus (T/N: >> Robusu
Being a normal old person he naturally doesn’t wear something like a butler’s dress. He is also an old man retired from farmwork and is over 70 years old.
He is able to work at this place as father’s a.s.sistance since he can read, write and calculate to some degree. In the end it is working out because there’s no necessity for someone with a very advanced expertise.
“You have grown big, Wendelin-sama” (Lobus)
“It looks like Lobus is healthy too.” (Wendelin)
“Though I don’t know when death will be visiting me. By the way, Wendelin-sama is our pride due to obtaining big achievements as magician.” (Lobus)
Since I received many favors from him until I left the house, I wanted him to be as happy as possible.
No, if I talked in such way, I feel that he might feel depressed, but instead it’s the opposite.
In order for him to also lead a stable life from now on, I wanted him to stop praising me.
Father is one thing, but considering the situation with Kurt-ani, I end up thinking like that.
“If I heard correctly, your beautiful fiancée has come here as well?” (Lobus)
“As one would expect of the ojou-sama’s from Breitburg and the capital. There is nothing but lovely Ladies here.” (Helena)
“I’m looking forward to the children to be born.” (Servant)
Lobus, Helena and the other servants, seeing Elise, Ina and Luise, smiled with their whole faces while being delighted.
Because they are too pleased, it went to the degree that it became a mood that I couldn’t tell them that I was already the head of another household.
“At any rate, I’m happy.” (Lobus)
“If Wendelin-sama has returned, this Baumeister household will become secure as well.” (Helena)
Furthemore, the talks advanced in a strange direction.
It appears that they are thinking that I came back to my birthplace in a triumphal return carrying the achievements obtained in the capital.
As retainer of this Baumeister household or maybe as head of the family.
“Wendelin-sama, if you go developing the Savage Lands…” (Helena)
“Certainly this place will get wealthy too.” (Lobus)
The talks are advancing in an even more dangerous direction.
In the past the village headman Klaus came petioning his wish for me to succeed this Baumeister household.
This problem was resolved at the time I established a branch family as appointed n.o.ble.
However, this time they reached the conclusion that if I were to successfully develop the Savage Lands, they would become rich without using their hands at all, even if it would become the Baumeister household’s territory on paper only.
Given that it is a place they don’t know what to do with anyway, it will be fine if they end up selling or allocating it to someone.
I also don’t want to think about who the heck the fief’s population is hinting at, but if you consider it this far, it should be obvious to everybody.
I guess it will become a very unpleasant story if it comses from my father and Kurt-ani.
“(I suppose this topic is bad…) No, I have come here on a request as adventurer. I’d like you to call father.” (Wendelin)
“Master, it is? Please wait for a minute.” (Lobus)
I ask them to call for father after wrapping up the talks, but father, who appeared from inside, was in a state of having a lot more grey hair on his head than before.
If I remember correctly, he should be around 50 years old now.
There were many people still in active duty at this age in this world, but if you considered the matter of the slowly encroaching old age, it would become no good being a delicate age.
“It’s been a while.” (Artur)
“It’s been a long time, father.” (Wendelin)
We met after three years, but honestly, I don’t know what would be good to talk about.
This seems to be the same for the other side as well. With that much the conversation between two people ceased in the end.
“Excuse me, Lord Baumeister. We have visited today wanting you to listen to a request from Margrave Breithilde-sama.” (Burkhart)
“Request… ?” (Artur)
Father sent a reciprocal gaze at me while frowning due to Burkhart-san not changing his att.i.tude of it being an errand from Margrave Breithilde to the last.
Going by father’s words, after around the time I was born into the current world, the Baumeister household hasn’t experienced anything decent because of their patron, Margrave Breithilde.
No matter how much it was the wrongdoing of the previous Margrave Breithilde, it isn’t something that can be siimply resolved like that.
“Father… ! Wendelin! You are alive!” (Kurt)
“Haa?” (Wendelin)
“Restrain yourself, Kurt! He is Baron Baumeister-dono.” (Artur)
Continuing, the eldest brother, Kurt, came out from indoor. He seemed to be very surprised to see me.
However, I don’t think he is honest with 『You are alive!』
“Elder brother, what’s this about?” (Wendelin)
“No, that is…” (Kurt)
It looks like there is some kind of discrepancy in information.
Subst.i.tuting for the obviously confused Kurt-ani, father begins to explain.
“A certain rumor spread from the central government. It’s about the possibility of Baron Baumeister’s group having lost their lives during an underground ruing investigation.” (Artur)
I have no doubt that this information originated from Finance Minister Rückner’s little brother.
It has been a little less than a month since we entered the underground labyrinth on our first request.
Where the flow of information in this remote place is concerned, it will take half a month for even one-way for the merchant group.
But in case of someone like skilled adventurers, they could propagate the news by crossing the mountains by themselves without any possession in a hurry. That should raise the speed a bit more.
They just barely should have received the rumor that I might have died.
After that, it didn’t seem that they heard I survived in fact and was forcibly handed an outrageous amount of money.
“When did those news reach you?” (Wendelin)
“Yesterday.” (Artur)
Once again the important timing is bad.
And now, looking at Kurt, I end up comprehending the facial expression of obvious disappointment.
I guess this elder brother wished for my death.
I suppose he has likely aimed for my a.s.sets, but even if I died, Kurt and his family members wouldn’t get a single cent either.
That’s because I have written such testament.
Looking at that att.i.tude, I don’t feel obliged to tell him either.
“(I saw a detestable reality…)” (Wendelin)
If I didn’t meet him for my whole life, this matter would feel less severe as I woudln’t know of it.
Honestly, I ended up resenting Margrave Breithilde for this.
“(Boy, sorry…)” (Burkhart)
And now my feelings have been noticed, huh?
Burkhart faced me with an apologetic expression.
“For the time being, please come inside. It would also be wrong to not listen to the story from Margrave Breithilde-dono.” (Artur)
Father, who noticed me making an openly reluctant face, shelves this talk for now. He leads us inside the mansion to carry out the original negotiations.
Although it was a long time since I was inside the mansion, it’s still the same or rather it hasn’t changed at all.
Given that it is a mansion of the degree a wealthy farmer could obtain, the people from the capital probably wouldn’t think they are inside a n.o.ble’s mansion.
For now having decided to welcome the visitors, we move to the living room. We sit face to face at a large desk.
With father in what is called the seat of honor, Kurt sits right of him.
The left side of father seat is vacant, but it seems the village headman, Klaus, sits there usually.
It looks like Helena has currently gone to Klaus’ house to call him over.
In these negotiations we will decide how many % of our obtained spoils we have to pay to the Baumeister household.
Because it will be necessary to calculate, they called Klaus who is able to do so, I guess.
“(Wend’s father and elder brother as well… ?)” (Erwin)
“(Erw’s father too?)” (Wendelin)
“(Ah.)” (Erwin)