Exhale.
With a long drag of smoke, the old man limped toward me. Even though the Curtain of Fire had been dispelled and the mages floating in the air had been neutralized, he didn’t show a hint of panic. He simply walked with a weary, bored expression.
“Fools, the lot of them. Tsk. “
The old man clicked his tongue, lightly kicking the mages groaning on the ground. Despite their pain, they repeatedly whimpered apologies. Judging by their subservience, the old man held a high position within this Magic Corps.
“The landowner, eh? I suppose that makes you the Lord of this place.”
“It does.”
“You’re young. I guess that youthful blood made you abandon your post to wander about. They said you were the Lord who broke Rhapsody’s legion… but strangely enough, your actions are a carbon copy of Hugo Rhapsody’s. You know, if you’d been just a little later, this village would have been wiped off the map.”
The old man let out a hollow chuckle and flicked the end of his cigar. Black ash fell in clumps.
“Did you kill all my boys outside?”
“I killed those who didn’t run and let the rest go.”
“How honorable. Are you a Knight or something?”
“No, I never became a Knight.”
“Is that so? I guess becoming a Knight is quite the difficult task.”
The old man looked at me with glazed eyes.
“There was no malice. As a soldier, I waged war according to the state’s orders. In the process of conducting that war, I targeted this place because it was the most vulnerable region. I fought, and I won. Like you, I didn’t kill those who surrendered. A few of the nastier ones among my subordinates did some violent things… but as their commander, I made an effort to ensure there were no fatalities. I did my best.”
“What’s your point?”
“Well, I’m asking you to spare us,” the old man said matter-of-factly. “It was a legitimate war, and I observed the minimum decencies. If there are those who violated honor, I’ll hand them over as criminals. So, instead of fighting another war, why not just let us go? We’ll leave quietly. We’ll vomit up everything we took. I’ll even pay reparations if you want.”
“Are you saying you’ll surrender without even trying to fight?”
“Why would I fight? It’s obvious I’d lose.”
His words were devoid of pride. He was nothing like the Knights of the Iron Kingdom or other soldiers I had met.
「Does this strike you as strange?」
“…”
「That fellow is a bit of an outlier, but humans of the Machine Empire are generally like that. They value reason over emotion and tend to be stoic in most situations.」
“…”
「The development of the collective, the dazzling growth of technology, the formation of a magnificent culture—everything the Machine Empire has achieved stems from that national character. Of course, because of that character, while their average is high, those who reach the ‘summit’ are extremely rare.」
The old man stared at me blankly.
「They accept reality far too easily. They have no sense of romance.」
“If you’re in a position where you need to preserve this estate and protect the residents, wouldn’t it be better for us to just leave?” the old man continued. “Besides, we preserved the village’s appearance as much as possible to use it as a base. We even restored buildings we destroyed and passed on some magical engineering technology. I was actually considering whether to build a factory here. So, can’t you give us a break?”
「In the slang of today’s youth, one might call them ‘cool.’ But my young descendant, these are not ‘cool’ people.」
Puff. Red smoke poured from the old man’s mouth again.
“Won’t you give me an answer? Or are you waiting for me to suggest the amount for the reparations first? I’ll name the highest figure I can manage. If it’s not enough, I’ll pay additional compensation as soon as I return to the capital. If you want, I’ll even swear to the gods that we’ll never invade this place again. Or is it that you want war because you’re a young Lord?”
“…”
“Think carefully. If you refuse, we’ll struggle with everything we’ve got. You’ve brought the First Witch, so you’ll obviously win, but you’ll suffer irreversible damage. No, not you—this village will suffer. We’ll all die, but you’ll lose everything too. Let’s not do something so stupid. ‘The greatest happiness for the greatest number’—it’s my favorite phrase.”
“The greatest happiness for the greatest number. That’s nice.”
I looked at the old man. His words were plausible. A young Lord around my age might have fallen for them. But unfortunately, I am not that kind of person. My Suspicion has long since passed the level of a mental illness and blossomed into my Mystery .
“You said you’d swear to the gods?”
“Yes, I did. Shall I do it now? I swear I won’t invade here again—”
“No. Make a different oath.”
“What kind?”
A paranoia that transcended mental illness. To me, a man who lived with doubt, his words were nothing but noise.
“Swear upon your soul to the Seven Chief Gods and the Nine Goddesses. Swear that you did nothing contrary to reason in this village, that you tried to stop the violent acts committed by your soldiers, and that you yourself committed no wrongs against ethics. Then I will let you live. I will send you back. I don’t even need reparations. Just make that oath. Prove that your words are true.”
“…”
“I can’t believe anything until it’s proven. Anyone can talk. So, right here, right now, swear on your soul.”
Did you really think you could lie to me?
“Why can’t you swear?”
“…One cannot completely avoid actions contrary to reason during a war.”
“Then I’ll leave that part out.”
“I’ll be honest. Fearing the soldiers might riot, I turned a blind eye to quite a few of their violent outbursts to let them vent their desires. I apologize for failing my duty as a commander.”
“I’ll leave that out too. Make the final oath.”
“…War is a special circumstance. Therefore, actions against ethics are… unavoidable.”
“Then, what wrongs did you commit?”
The old man could no longer meet my eyes.
“…I beat the farmers.”
“Is that all? Then I’ll let it slide. Leave that out and swear. Hurry up and swear to the gods that you did nothing else wrong.”
“…I looted crops and valuables.”
“You can leave that out too. So hurry! I said, swear!”
“…”
“You can’t do it. Do you know why? You couldn’t swear even if you confessed a hundred wrongs with your own mouth. Because it’s obvious you’ve committed so many sins you can’t even remember them, as naturally as you breathe.”
Suspicion.
The moment the Curtain of Fire was lifted, my Suspicion saw the state of my people. The marks etched on their bodies, the sorrow, the looks in their eyes, the subtle whispers, the sounds of sobbing. I heard the voice of a girl murmuring while locked in a shack, and the parents of a young daughter who held their breath in rage upon hearing the old man’s words. Every piece of information conveyed by the people of my land was pouring into me.
This old man was a criminal.
“If you were just an uninvited guest who stepped foot here, I could have sent you on your way. But an uninvited guest who touched my people cannot return alive. Never.”
As I glared at the old man, Liam spoke.
「Indeed, young descendant. They are merely ‘pretending to be cool.’ While they succumb to reality and give up far too easily, they seek to disparage the efforts, passions, and fruits of others. Do you think that’s all? Even after committing filthy deeds, they act slick and pretend to be clean in public. Liars who are different on the inside and outside—that is the true nature of those Machine Empire bastards.」
As Liam’s voice echoed, several neighbors who had been holding their breath began to speak. Those who had kept their mouths shut for fear that the village would be devastated or that another fight would break out finally found their voices.
“They stripped my father naked and hung him upside down! They babbled some nonsense about checking for dangerous items and how the people of the Iron Kingdom are treacherous…”
“My sister was dragged away every night. To that old man’s tent—”
“My daughter…”
Deeds so filthy it was hard to list them all. Amidst this, a loud voice rang out.
“Arhan!”
It was Audrey. The witch, Audrey.
“The disgusting things that bastard did are countless! He brought indelible shame to the people of this village, and to the children Hailyn brought here because they were poor kids who looked like her! Do you know what he tried to make them do? He tried to force them into something horrific, something truly unimaginable! Things filled with the desires of a foul old man that I can’t even put into words!”
“…”
“No sin? You made an effort? No malice? Don’t make me laugh! You’re a mass of horrific desires and a collection of malice, you old man with molten iron for blood! Arhan, you can’t let this guy go. Because of him, Hailyn… Hailyn is on the verge of death. Trying to protect those kids, my friend… my friend is dying!”
Audrey’s eyes were bloodshot.
“If I weren’t a witch, if I didn’t have a background they feared, I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened here. So you can’t just let this slide. You’re the Lord of this place. And you’re Hailyn’s and my friend…”
Lord. And friend.
“You’ve finally arrived, Young Master.”
“…Tom.”
“It was difficult. Still, not many have died. Of course, it wasn’t because of that old man’s efforts, but because of mine. I’m a washed-up old man, but I moved without rest. Diligently.”
Tom smiled. My reliable neighbors. Thanks to them, this village was able to remain standing.
Hearing the pouring voices, the old man sighed. The cigar he was smoking had finally burned down to the end. As the red smoke spread out, he let out a chuckle.
“Well now. I’ve been caught.”
“…”
“But so what? Is it a crime to touch some lowly wenches, lowly old people, and insignificant things living in an insignificant corner of the insignificant Iron Kingdom? Do you have any idea how treacherous other commanders of the Machine Empire are? Compared to them, I’m practically a saint. If another legion had come, you’d be crying tears of blood. You should be grateful that it was me who came.”
“I see.”
Disgusting. Watching his repulsive display, I spoke.
“But you won’t be grateful that I came.”
I glared at him. Soon, the old man spoke again.
“I’ll make the proposal one more time. Send us back and take the reparations. The things my subordinates and I did—they were violent, but aren’t they already in the past? What’s the point of dwelling on what’s gone? It’s not like you can undo what happened… If you stir things up for no reason, more people will just die or get hurt. If you let me go, you get your estate back, you get the money, and the problem is solved in an instant.”
“So dwelling on the past changes nothing, you say.”
“Exactly. What do you gain from revenge? A moment of pleasure, perhaps. That’s it. You have to think rationally. Rationally.”
“I refuse.”
I spoke without a moment’s hesitation. To say such things to me, of all people?
“I am foolish and dull, so I have no such thing as reason. I am driven solely by emotion. I’ve dedicated my life to a blind quest for revenge, and I don’t care about future profits—I only know the resentment and rage of the moment. So, you, the wise one, will just have to deal with it.”
“…”
“Ah, since you said you want the greatest happiness for the greatest number, it would be best if you just stuck your neck out and died. The people here are a ‘number’ too, aren’t they? Their happiness will increase, so I hope you’ll just die quietly.”
“You’re insane.”
“I hear that often.”
Don’t dwell on the past.
Forget it. Think of the future.
Nothing comes from revenge.
Think rationally.
I’ve heard those words until I was sick of them. But I cannot sympathize. Loss and wounds, resentment and rage, indelible shame and hatred—those things can only be resolved through revenge. The fact that the man I hate is breathing under the same sky as me is sometimes unbearable. That is not something that can be converted into money. The price of blood can only be paid with blood.
“Fine, so I’ll die. And my subordinates will all die too. I have no idea how the hell you brought the First Witch, Elizabeth. Dammit. I should have run the moment I saw a young witch in this backwater. Son of a…”
“…”
“But I’m definitely not dying alone. You’ll regret this. You’ll mutter to yourself, ‘I should have just accepted it, I should have just taken the money, I can’t believe so many people died.’ And then you’ll realize that you were wrong and I was right. Mark my words.”
“You talk too much.”
“Sons of the Machine Empire!” the old man shouted, his eyes wide. “Your commander, Edward Stein, commands you! To the end! To the very end, kill one more of these hateful Iron Kingdom bastards! Break one more thing! Destroy one more thing before you die! You can’t escape anyway! So! Go wild until the end and die!”
As Edward Stein, Commander of the Magic Corps, shouted, a murderous atmosphere began to flow from all directions. The villagers’ faces turned pale, as if recalling the terrifying moments from before.
“Elizabeth.”
“Don’t worry.”
Snap.
The sound of a finger snapping rang out. In the next moment, as if a door were opening, the pure white clouds parted and the sky opened up. In the center of the rift was a massive eyeball—an eye looking down upon everything.
“Since I’ve decided to help, I have no intention of doing a half-hearted job.”
I couldn’t tell what kind of magic it was. Amidst the unfolding of that mysterious power, I slowly raised my sword.
“Sherizik.”
“Yes.”
“Can you make sure no one dies?”
“It would be better to ensure no one dies and no one gets hurt.”
“…Is that possible?”
“It’s not an easy task,” Sherizik said, raising her glaive. With a charming smile, she added, “But for me, it is easy.”
With the help of the two confirmed, I shifted my gaze. There stood the old man. As I approached him, Edward Stein let out a huff of laughter.
“…With those powerful beings right there, you’re going to face me yourself?”
“Yeah. Shouldn’t the Lord deal with the leader of the uninvited guests?”
“Haha, hahahahaha! Your youthful blood isn’t just hot, it’s boiling over! How can you make such a foolish choice? Did I look like a joke because I offered to surrender? Did this old man look like an easy target?”
“…”
“If it weren’t for that damn witch, you would have tasted hell!”
Puff. Red smoke poured out, enveloping Edward Stein.
“You’ll regret this! You brat!”
With a massive roar, a threatening aura surged forward.
“I can easily take you with me as a companion in death! How dare a mere swordsman challenge me? Do you know what the Steel Legion of the Iron Kingdom used to call me? Knight Slayer! Grave of Steel! The Natural Enemy of Knights!”
The ground I was standing on shook violently. The earth turned into a quagmire, and in the next moment, soil and rocks rose up sharply, turning into a wave that crashed toward me.
“The Earth Magic that swordsmen fear most! I pride myself on being among the top ten in the Machine Empire when it comes to Earth Magic, you stupid young Lord!”
“…Hmm.”
“It would be fun to toy with you before killing you, but right now—huh?”
Edward Stein, who had been boasting excitedly, widened his eyes. His Earth Magic had vanished into thin air before it could even touch me. I looked at him as he stood there with his mouth agape, lost for words.
“Are you using Earth Magic?”
Tsk. You’re really dead now.
“Why is this… what the…”
His face was a mask of denial. Walking toward him, I spoke.
“I told you. I’m the owner of this land.”
The nerve. Trying to use the earth in front of the Lord of the Land.
