Upon returning to Percus Manor, it was already early afternoon.
I had just finished a simple meal with Mr. Raymond. His claim of being a mercenary was no exaggeration; he devoured the meal prepared by the rural inn without any complaints.
It was rather the young members of the magic troops who wore slightly sulky expressions.
Mages are valuable, and outstanding mages are even more so.
Having been treated like royalty in their clan and now coming down to a rural territory, it was understandable that they would have complaints. After all, they had achieved nothing during this time, so there was no reward for their hardships.
If they were at ease, it would be strange.
Perhaps because of this, some of the members shot hostile glances at me. They seemed to have grown up in a competitive atmosphere, as befits the scions of high nobility.
They couldn’t even distinguish between who to collaborate with and who to compete against.
Of course, there was no unnecessary conflict.
Thanks to Mr. Raymond’s solemn warning to the members.
“Keep in mind that this person might become the son-in-law of the Rainelle Clan. Everyone, be mindful of your words and actions.”
It was the day I had publicly become a candidate for Senior Elsi’s fiancé.
With a sigh, I shuffled my feet forward.
I could not tell if it was a blessing or a curse. After all, Senior Elsi was a match beyond my worth, but I still didn’t know her feelings for me.
It was confusing whether what she had for me was love or mere admiration.
It was at that moment, with such complicated emotions, that I entered the reception room of the manor.
There were already two people present.
Reto and Yulen, the few men in the party excluding me.
Thinking of this, I could understand why Liya was particularly angry. Out of the six guests, four were women, so it was natural for the jealous Liya to harbor discontent.
If only Reto and Yulen had come, Liya’s attitude would surely have softened.
Of course, judging by the current situation, that was just a delusion.
When a gathering occurs among the same gender, it is common for no one to be excluded, yet before long, the two had been gathering without me.
It seemed I had been excluded from their inner circle.
Clearing my throat brought the attention of Reto and Yulen to me. Only then did I ask, with a hint of disappointment.
“…What are you doing, just two men together? Yulen is one thing, but Reto, you like women too.”
“If I were to say I had money I needed to receive, would you meddle with it?”
Reto’s absurd retort left me baffled.
“What nonsense is that? Why would I touch a friend’s money?”
“That’s just it… well, they’re not the kind of people you could meddle with anyway.”
His blunt response was still quite ambiguous.
However, pressing further for clarification would only earn me scolding from Reto. Accusations that the Swordsmanship Department is full of fools and other blunt criticisms.
I had no desire to be subjected to unwanted insults. I decided to ignore Reto.
Instead, my gaze shifted to Yulen.
He was slapping the table with a card, looking equally nonchalant.
“Ha, isn’t there anything interesting going on? Blades, blood, battles… I wasn’t just trying to help my sister on a whim…”
“What do you mean ‘meddling’?”
“I felt I could give some advice since my sister was crying so much at night… Oh no, was that a secret?”
With that, Yulen wore a peculiar smile.
He was always mysterious and strikingly handsome.
The only downside was that he was so good-looking that I sometimes felt like hitting him.
It wouldn’t do any good to compete with Yulen; I’d only end up with a draw, so he was not the kind of person I could just strike at anyway.
Although there seemed to be something I could pry out of Yulen, I decided to stop.
As it happened, I had news that could relieve Yulen’s boredom. There was no reason to delay a friend’s joy.
After all, it was information that needed to be shared with the party. It wouldn’t change anything if I disclosed it to a few people early on.
Upon hearing my summary of the situation, Yulen’s expression noticeably brightened.
“Is it finally time for battle?!”
“Not yet. There might not be a battle…”
“No, it’s definitely going to be a battle!”
Yulen spoke with an uncanny level of conviction.
“Ian, remember what I said last time? It’s not only mages who can control monsters. Dark priests can control them too, but why hasn’t this dark priest summoned monsters in the forest?”
“…To avoid being discovered?”
“Of course, that’s one reason. But now they’ve been discovered, haven’t they?”
A low sigh escaped from Reto.
He seemed to be already experiencing a headache, resting his hand on his forehead.
“If that’s the case, it’s definitely going to be battle… whether they summon monsters late or have enough strength to not need them.”
“Considering they’ve revealed themselves, we have to assume they’re prepared. So the latter is highly likely?”
The voices of Reto, calming his headache, and the excited Yulen formed a strange harmony.
All their statements pointed to one conclusion.
Whatever awaited us in the forest, a battle was inevitable.
Of course, I didn’t agree with that statement.
“The monsters in that forest might not be there. Do you think that thing could be caught so easily?”
“…I think they would get caught?”
With the same confident demeanor, Yulen displayed that familiar suspicious smile.
“Dark priests rarely stray away from their lairs. If the main body is waiting, it’ll be nearby where they revealed themselves.”
How could a holy kingdom’s escort knight know so well about the dark cult’s circumstances?
I scoffed inwardly, but I couldn’t shake off the ominous feeling.
I needed to tell them to prepare thoroughly.
As I organized the words I would convey to my party in my mind, I began to prepare to head into the forest.
The next morning, a hastily organized reconnaissance team set out.
The magic troops from the Rainelle Clan were the external army included in the reconnaissance team.
Since we were obliged to inform our destination, the household of the Percus Family learned our objective as well as our target.
Naturally, Liya immediately expressed her desperate opposition.
“…No, no way, absolutely no!”
Until just before our departure, Liya showed no signs of letting me go.
Usually, at this point, either my father or brother would stop her, but today they did not.
They couldn’t step in due to pride, but their hearts were aligned with Liya’s.
In the end, I found myself breathing a sigh, bearing Liya’s opposition alone.
“Liya, we have to go. This isn’t just a problem for the Percus Family…”
“If it’s not just a problem for the Percus Family, then why does my brother have to handle it? We can wait for the central army!”
Seeing my confused expression, Lady Airen stepped in.
Since our previous meeting, she had been frequently seen next to Liya. It seemed she was following the directives from “me” who came from the future very well.
“Lady Liya, the teacher is one of the core members of the reconnaissance team. Even if we make an exception for the Rainelle magic troops, we still need someone to lead the other forces.”
“…Then, let someone else lead!”
“In a life-and-death battlefield, a commander’s judgment can be the boundary between life and death. Therefore, it’s equally important to gain the recognition of colleagues.”
Otherwise, there was a risk of confusion or delay in directions in urgent situations.
Moreover, I was someone with a troubled past with Miltram.
If a knot has been tied, one must also know how to untie it. Nobility cannot abandon their responsibilities, saying they might die.
Ultimately left with no argument, Liya resorted to her last means.
“No, no… I absolutely won’t! If you must go, take me with you!”
“…Liya.”
Once again, I sighed and shook my head.
I could no longer indulge in Liya’s complaints. I requested Lady Airen.
“Lady Airen, please take good care of Liya.”
“I’ll do my best… After all, I’m fed up with failing to protect.”
Lady Airen smiled wryly as she shook my hand.
In the end, Liya could not withstand Lady Airen’s strength and was dragged away.
“Ah, Lady Airen! Let go! My brother might die right now…!”
I left Liya’s pleas behind and gave my parents a final salute.
“I’ll be back.”
“Ian…”
My father showed an unusually sad expression.
“Remember, getting entangled with the dark cult brings nothing but regret and pain. Do not trust their words.”
I was well aware of this.
I purposely declared with an air of unconcern.
“Don’t worry, Father. I’ll return unscathed.”
Father shook my hand, Mother embraced me for a long time, and Brother Aaron silently patted my shoulder.
My comrades also shared brief farewells with their families.
Senior Elsi was passionately extolling how great I was to my father, while the Lady Virgin Saint assured my mother that she would protect my life at all costs.
Ceria received another ruby from Brother Aaron.
Perhaps it was a token of encouragement.
I had long since gotten used to battles that could cost me my life. Still, seeing the tender faces of my family sending me off, my heart grew heavy.
I firmly pledged to myself.
This time, I would come back with as few injuries as possible.
Of course, as is often the case in the world, a determination made with mind alone doesn’t always come to fruition.
As soon as I encountered what appeared to be civilians in the forest, I shouted.
“…Everyone prepare for battle!”
Among them were familiar faces.
They were the missing persons.
Neighbors who had become Miltram’s test subjects came screaming and charged at us.
