Sevens (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 112

Chapter 112 – The Sixth’s Memory
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When we returned to our room, Eva and Clara whose seasickness worsened lied down on the bed. Aria was also listless after forcing herself to move.

Monica looked at the three and let out a long sigh, blatantly expressing her displeasure.

「How come I need to take care of people other than chicken dickwad!?」

「Just shut up and do your work.」

「Horrible! You’re horrible, chicken dickwad! But, I love that kind of chicken dickwad.」

The three who are suffering from seasickness glared at the high-tension Monica.

Eva grabbed Monica’s ankle bone.

「G-give me medicine.」

Eva asked for the seasickness medicine, but Monica snorted.

「Unfortunately, we’re all out. In the first place, I prepared it for chicken dickwad’s sake, so there isn’t enough for everyone else.」

Eva despaired from hearing that. I couldn’t bear to look at her and averted my gaze.

Sophia turned her eyes away from the three’s tragic condition and talked about the main topic.

「More importantly, Vera-san and her subordinates are really strong. It looks like they’re experienced in fighting on ship, so perhaps they’re even stronger than us if we’re fighting here?」

May looked uninterested hearing that.

「I wanted to go out and see it. If only everyone didn’t lock me up in here, I’d be able to show my stuff.」

Monica also agreed with May’s opinion.

「That’s right. It would be possible to show everyone chicken dickwad’s true power if we were there.」

We left behind May and Monica in the room because they would stand out in a bad way.

There was no doubting their strength, but May was a kirin, a divine beast. It was possible the merchant ship would sink if she carelessly rampaged.

As for Monica──she was something incomprehensible. It would be safer not to show her.

「Now then, ignoring this troublesome duo.」

I ended the two’s grumbling and returned to the main topic.

「To be honest, I think it’s already impossible to seduce Vera-san in this situation. It also looks like that it will be difficult to advertise our strength. Sahagin, was it? Vera-san and her subordinates were taking them on easily. I don’t think that they have any great expectations of us.」

Vera-san had acknowledged us somewhat, but there was the attitude that the head of Tres family showed to us before the departure. No, considering the attitude that he showed to me, the possibility of us getting along in the future was despairingly low.

Miranda also had the same thinking like me. It didn’t seem like she had any solution.

「It will be no good unless we think up another way.」

Novem was falling into thought. She pressed her fist on her lips and muttered with a small voice.

「Perhaps, if there is an opponent stronger than the sahagin──」

What could she be thinking?

Then, Sophia who couldn’t come up with any ideas no matter how hard she thought spoke up.

「I can’t think up any ideas no matter how hard I think. Rather than that, isn’t the problem here that Lyle-sama failed right from the start? As I thought, if a man wants to seduce a woman he should gallantly appear like a knight and smooth talk her like a gentleman. Ah, how about trying it out after this?」

Just when I wondered what she was going to say, she was talking about the way to smooth talk a woman.

「Like a knight? Can I do something like that, I wonder?」

「No, please don’t reply seriously like that. I’m joking here. But, as expected any woman will yearn for a knight on a white horse.」

A knight on a white horse, rather than a prince. Huh.

When that image surfaced in my mind, Monica joined in with this topic.

「If it’s chicken dickwad, then I’ll fall in love right away the instant he hits on me. Flesh and blood women are just no good with how demanding they are. Ah, but──if you want to woo this Monica, then it will make me happiest if you dress up like a baby and ask me to take care of your every need.」

「Absolutely no way.」

「How can that beeee! Even though I’m already compromising so much like this!」

Why do I have to do something so pathetic like dressing up as a baby? In the first place, what did you mean that dressing up as a baby was already a compromise──as I thought, Monica is broken.

I tried to change the topic, but the females were getting excited by the topic of how they wanted to be seduced.

Even Miranda was joining in.

「I think it will be enough for me as long as it’s passionate. It’s fine even if there are only a few words. Come with me, just saying that is enough.」

Sophia listened seriously and nodded.

「That’s unexpected. I thought that Miranda-san would be fussier than that.」

Shannon and Thelma-san were talking between themselves.

「The only option that will do for me is a prince on a white horse! What about you, Thelma-san?」

「M-me? Let’s see──I won’t ask for anything extravagant anymore. Someone who will allow me to live quietly in peace will be nice. I want someone like that to tell me, it’s fine even if you don’t work hard anymore.」

Thelma-san’s desire was completely leaking out. You didn’t want to become the saintess that much?

Then even Eva and Clara who were lying down also joined in. The two of them were exposing the feelings they usually hid, perhaps because they had been weakened more than usual from the seasickness and fatigue.

It seemed that even Eva had an ideal confession that she wanted to receive.

「I-I want to be confessed to in a theater, no matter what. It has to be with loving words that are like those on the stage. If there’s a big audience…ah, it’ll be even better.」

She wanted to be confessed to in front of a huge audience. Eva really is a show-off, huh?

Clara’s wish was almost as unique as Eva’s.

「I want it done in a bookstore──a place surrounded by so many books. I want to be seduced by those lines popular in novels. A line that the two of us could understand even if the average person couldn’t would be good──」

It seemed that she had been weakened mentally to the point that she let slip her fantasized delusions.

The conversation had turned into a conversation of what kind of confession the girls wanted before I realized it.

This was getting out of hand. While I was thinking like that, the Fifth’s fearful voice came from inside the Jewel.

『Lyle──write them down.』

──Eh?

『Just do it, write down all of them. You will need it one day. No, memorize it starting right now. You will absolutely need this in the future.』

What made him so scared like that? Even though it only looked like everyone was conversing happily.

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Night that day.

When everyone had fallen asleep, I sent my consciousness into the Jewel.

My objective──was for training.

When fighting the ancestors in the Jewel, I’d be healed no matter what injuries I took. It was able to do impossible and unlimited repeating battles in there.

『Come on, come on, what’s wrong!?』

My opponent today was the Sixth.

The Sixth, swinging around his halberd, had a huge body. There is a large difference in physique between the two of us, and he released a feeling of pressure just standing in front of me.

He swung his halberd down. I judged that I wouldn’t be able to block it with my saber and dodged.

I moved my body to the side, and then I intended to immediately close the distance where my blade could reach him, but in the next moment, the Sixth’s shoes were right in front of my face.

「Damn i-!」

『You’re still naïve.』

The Sixth kicked me flying. I rolled on the floor.

「Tsu!」

I hurriedly tried to stand up, but the halberd’s blade touched my neck.

『Match over.』

Gahahaha, the Sixth laughed heartily while placing his halberd on his shoulder. That boldness looked really manly. His body was also large, so the halberd suited him very well.

「I lost.」

After I admitted defeat, the Sixth held out his hand. I grabbed it and stood up.

I was challenging the ancestors inside the Jewel like this every night, but I hadn’t won even once.

The Third until the Seventh, all of them were so strong, and I couldn’t do anything but lose.

The Sixth stabbed his halberd into the ground. Then the weapon vanished.

This place was the memory world of the ancestors. They could materialize and erase weapon as they pleased.

『You have grown really strong.』

I couldn’t honestly accept the Sixth’s words of praise. There was also the matter of the battle today, but the consecutive defeats were beginning to make me lose confidence.

「I can’t win against any of you, though. That even continued today.」

I thought that I lost six times in total.

『I have fought far longer than you. There’s no way you’d be able to defeat me easily.』

「Far longer? Come to think of it, the Sixth was the head who had the most achievements in the past.」

『Amazing, right!?』

In the history of the Walt House, the Sixth──Fiennes Walt was the very picture of a warrior. He participated in many battles and won them all.

I heard that he expanded the territory of the Walt House a lot.

He was someone who led a huge army and racked up achievements.

「I heard it was you Sixth who made the name of the Walt House renowned far and wide, so you must be amazing in military matters.」

『I felt malice from the way you emphasized military matters like that. Well, but──that’s mistaken.』

「Eh?」

『Lyle, why do you think I was able to raise so many achievements on the battlefield?』

「Because you were strong. Because you were strong both personally and in leading an army?」

The image that I held about the Sixth was of a tactician who specialized in sinister designs. His skill as an individual warrior was also really something, so surely this person had rampaged across many battlefields.

『I was strong individually. If it’s now I’m confident that I won’t lose even against Oyaji. But, well──the really strong one was Oyaji──the Fifth.』

「Eh?」

The Sixth’s usual hearty atmosphere vanished. He made a somewhat sad smile.

『Lyle, what do you think about my relationship with Oyaji?』

Being asked that, I recalled how the two of them were always quarreling in this memory world. They were also always quarreling inside the Jewel, but it also didn’t look like they had a bad relationship. It was difficult to judge.

「It’s a complicated relationship.」

『Then, I’ll show you something.』

After saying that, the Sixth’s memory world changed scenery at the surrounding.

The place seemed to be inside Walt House’s mansion.

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──In the office.

The door was violently pushed open. The Sixth──the young Fiennes Walt entered inside.

「What are you planning, Oyaji!」

The Fifth──Fredericks Walt. He was a little past middle aged, and was in the middle of doing some paper work. Fiennes approached him and hit the table with both hands.

The paperwork fluttered up, but Fiennes paid no mind to the papers. Fredericks sighed in exasperation seeing that.

「Talk more clearly. Don’t think that I’ll always know the reason of why you’re angry.」

「It’s about Ellen! Why are you sending her to marry into that family of all places!」

Ellen──it was the name of Fiennes’s little sister.

Fiennes was talking about a baronet house that had been opposing Walt House for a long time. Its size was smaller than the Walt House, but that house never stopped getting into skirmishes with the Walt’s until now.

「They will become a dependent under Walt House from here on. Are you saying it’s a mistake to send my daughter to marry into their house to form a relationship with them?」

At this time, Walt House was frequently sending daughters or sons to other houses.

Like that, the house was increasing the number of other noble houses that were connected to them via marriage.

「Do you think those guys will keep the agreement!? They have been making fun of us as upstarts, giving us such a hard time. Have you ever thought how they’re going to treat Ellen there!?」

It was a house that had been hostile towards the Walt House for many years. If a daughter married into that house, what would happen to her? It would be alright if the people there were rational, but Fiennes was enraged because he knew that house wasn’t that kind of place.

「I know. I’m sending her there even knowing that. After all, their territory is located in an important position in this area. Their territory is small but troublesome. We need to take them in no matter what.」

It seems that Fredericks was fully aware of it. Even so he still decided to send off his daughter.

「──That’s reasoning is really fitting for you, the guy who loves animals more than your own children, huh!? Then crush them! Those guys have attacked Walt House’s territory often up until now. They’re an enemy!」

「We don’t have time to bother with them right now. After all, we also have other enemies. We can’t needlessly pick a fight without any reason.」

At this time Walt House was surrounded by enemies on all sides. Small houses like this baronet house and other baron and viscount houses disliked the Walt House, considering them upstarts.

Because of that, they had no leeway to attack the baronet house in question.

「I’ve had enough! ──I absolutely won’t accept this!」

Fiennes got out of the room with angry footsteps.

Fredericks watched his back and muttered.

「You’re fine like that.」

The door closed──.

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「That was really…horrible, wasn’t it?」

『Horrible, right? It couldn’t be helped even if I grew up to be somewhat twisted, right?』

Being shown the memories of the Sixth and the Fifth made me feel complicated. As a noble the Fifth’s decision was understandable, but I wanted to agree with the Sixth as a human.

The flow of time within the memory world stopped. After that, a scene three years later was played.

The Sixth made a remorseful expression.

『But you know, it was far easier to just hate Oyaji.』

A lot of people were filling the same office from before.

The woman crying on the floor was the one who stood out the most. The dress she was wearing was really tattered. She was complaining to Fredericks.

『I’m not a tool! I’m not your tool! The child that I gave birth to in that house was taken away from me, I couldn’t even raise my own child. I was treated like a servant there! I was thrown into the stables when I defied them! Are you telling me to just shut up and obey even after receiving this kind of treatment?』

The crying woman was Ellen. She was Fredericks’s daughter and Fiennes’s little sister.

She was the woman who wedded into the hostile baronet house that came up just now.

The Sixth explained the situation while folding his arms.

『She must hate our house. Ellen received unreasonable treatment at the house she wedded into. And then she just barely escaped with her life from that place.』

Ellen was crying that she wanted to meet her child.

「──It’s sad watching something like this.」

『Yeah.』

The Sixth closed his mouth. Ellen’s brothers who were watching Ellen──especially Fiennes, were all enraged. His hair bristled and a vein was pulsing on his forehead.

『Aren’t you going to say anything? Say something, Oyaji!』

Fredericks stayed quiet while watching the enraged Fiennes. His other brothers also raised his voice, but Fredericks only looked down on his daughter quietly.

「What was the Fifth thinking?」

I asked the Sixth. He scratched his head──and looked ashamed because he couldn’t give me the answer.

『I don’t know what he was thinking even now. Perhaps he didn’t want to think anything at this time.』

And then the furious Fiennes grabbed Fredericks’s collar. Fiennes lifted up the smaller Fredericks from the floor and spoke.

『Are you saying that we should shut up even after receiving this kind of treatment? It was you who taught us that it’s the end for a noble if they’re looked down upon! If you still want to continue doing nothing like this, I’ll kill you and become the house head! And then I’ll help my sister!』

The brothers around Fiennes also raised their voices in agreement.

The siblings who hated Fredericks were united as one. The Sixth was watching the scene with a sad gaze.

The Fifth that I knew and the Fredericks in front of me looked like different people.

「──Fifth.」

It was pointless even if I called out here. This was a memory. I couldn’t interfere with it, and my voice also wouldn’t reach Fredericks. But, Fredericks was slightly smiling.

That smile was surely not directed at me, but for some reason my heart jumped.

『These idiots. Now you guys are finally talking.』

After Fredericks said that, he grabbed Fiennes’s hand that was grabbing his collar and put it into a joint lock. Fiennes couldn’t endure it and let go. Fredericks landed on the floor.

And then he gave the order.

『We’re marching out. Gather up all the soldiers and meet up at the house that has spat on us.』

Fredericks only said that and got out of the room.

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The scenery changed.

A town that was surrounded by walls made from logs could be seen.

「Where is this?」

I moved my neck to look around, but this scenery was unfamiliar to me.

The Sixth was glaring at the town.

『This place? It’s the town of the idiots who treated my little sister like some common livestock.』

The Sixth was angry. He was irritated even now when recalling this memory.

『──It seems like those guys hated us for rising in the world. Even though our house and their house were fellow baronet house in the Third’s era, Walt House was the only one rising up in rank.』

It seemed they envied the growing up Walt House and their hatred turned violent.

「They were hostile because of that kind of reason?」

『That’s right. At first it was only harassment, but then they escalated. The harassment that started in the Fourth’s era escalated into them ransacking our territory in the Fifth’s time. They attacked nearby villages in our territory.』

The envy and jealousy changed into hatred as time passed.

「That’s horrible.」

『It’s something common. The Fourth and the Fifth really wanted to crush them, but at that time they didn’t have any leeway to take care of them.』

Like that the enemy was left free to do as they pleased, and in the end Walt House sent a daughter to marry into their house to improve the relationship.

「But, that’s strange isn’t it? If they had accepted a wife like that, normally they should try to get along better.」

『──Something that is common sense to you can feel like something senseless to other people. And then their common sense is to treat Ellen coldly. You will meet painful experiences if you think that other people will think the same as you.』

Then the Sixth said 『Here they come』. An army that surrounded the town appeared at that time.

The armed group was forming an orderly line. The soldiers were marching from the highways at the four directions.

Thousands of knights and soldiers were converging just to take on one town.

That army──was carrying the flags of Walt House. There were also different flags among them, but all the groups looked the same. The weapons were uniform, and the formation also looked the same.

「Are they the soldiers of Walt House?」

『──That’s right. It’s the army that Oyaji created.』

「The Fifth did?」

Considering the town’s scale, at most they would only have several hundred knights and soldiers. Walt House was surrounding such a town with more than ten times the enemy numbers──it was to the point of overdoing it.

The Sixth started walking. He was heading toward the headquarters of Walt House.

A tent was set up there. Inside there were Fredericks and Fiennes──and his other siblings.

In front of them, there was someone who seemed like a messenger from the town.

The messenger was trembling in fear. He was pleading desperately.

『Walt House’s anger is only just! However, however! If you can just trust us one more time and allow us to submit to Walt House, then we swear we shall put all the efforts of our humble self to serve! So please!』

Fredericks who was sitting on a chair stood up and approached the messenger. He told him with a very cold voice.

『Go back and tell your lord. We are magnanimous, so we shall give you a single day of postponement. Use that time to prepare to fight. Oi, take this man out of my sight.』

The messenger was taken out of the tent.

Fiennes was watching that with a face that was filled with anger. He was still dissatisfied.

What was he thinking at this time? I turned my gaze at the Sixth.

『Aa~, it was that. I still couldn’t believe Oyaji at this time. We had come this far. I wanted to attack and destroy the town right away. If it was me then, I’d have charged  in right away, taken back the baby, and returned him to Ellen’s embrace.』

The Sixth looked embarrassed seeing his younger self.

And then time passed and night arrived.

The outside of the tent became noisy. When I came out together with the Sixth──there was fire inside the city. There was one place that was on fire.

But, Walt House’s army hadn’t moved.

「W-what happened?」

The Sixth answered dispassionately. I didn’t know what he could possibly be thinking right now.

『The citizens who were driven by fear rushed towards the feudal lord’s mansion. They must be thinking that rather than being slaughtered by us, they would rather kill the feudal lord and his family so that they could be spared.』

I couldn’t see the distance scenery, but my back turned cold.

Fredericks and Fiennes went outside and looked at the burning mansion of the feudal lord.

『They are doing it really flashily over there.』

『Why are you acting so carefree like that Oyaji! Your grandson might die over there!』

Fiennes was enraged and he looked like he was going to rush out, but a man appeared from inside the darkness. That man was holding a baby.

Fredericks saw that and gave an order to his subordinate.

『Call my daughter.』

The woman who had cried at that time was brought here. As soon as she saw the baby, she hugged him and started crying out loudly.

It seemed that Fredericks had placed a man to save the baby beforehand.

「──Don’t tell me, it was the Fifth who incited the citizens?」

Was the riot that occurred inside the town caused by Fredericks’s order? Such a question came up in my mind.

The Sixth let out a long sigh.

『Who knows. Oyaji never said anything. But, what’s clear was that he had prepared to save his grandson.』

The scenery changed to the morning. A messenger came from the town to inform their surrender.

It was the same person from yesterday.

He was prostrating before Fredericks. He placed down something that was wrapped in bloody cloth.

『Please! Please, spare us with this!』

Fredericks spoke with a cold gaze.

『I don’t need knights who betrayed their lord. Behead them all. But, their family will only be banished. I’ll also forgive the citizens. From here on a magistrate from Walt House will rule this place.』

The knights of Walt House dragged out the messenger. The messenger looked relieved and resigned.

Fredericks turned his gaze toward Ellen who was hugging her son inside the tent.

『It might be good to entrust this town to that child when he come of age in the future.』

Fiennes made a conflicted expression.

『Oyaji, was this your plan from the beginning? Then there shouldn’t be any need to gather everyone.』

But Fredericks looked satisfied.

『They all gathered here properly with my order. This army really has become decent. The main army made from Walt House’s troops, and adding the troops of our dependents──aa, it’s enough with this.』

What was it that Fredericks wanted to do?

Without saying anything, Fredericks took off the Jewel hanging on his neck──the blue Jewel of Walt House and handed it to Fiennes.

『My role is over with this. Take over as the house head formally from now.』

『O-oi! What’s with you so suddenly? Oi, explain it to me, Oyaji!』

Fredericks walked out of the tent.

And then the memory ended here.

I turned my gaze to the Sixth. I asked him what was in my mind.

「Um, what did the Fifth want to do?」

『Hm? Aa, that. He wanted to ascertain that the Walt House’s army was functioning properly.』

「Ascertain?」

『It seems that the army was horrible at the Fourth’s era. The army wouldn’t gather even when he called out to them. Far from gathering, some dependents even betrayed the Walt House and switched side to the enemy. The only ones we could trust at that time was ourselves. But, we couldn’t fight with just us.』

Walt House at that time was weak. The Fifth──Fredericks went through a lot of hardship at that time.

『Oyaji raised us, and then sent us to the dependents and important people around. We who had learned the way of Walt House took root in our surroundings. And then when we saw us united as one, he thought that his role was already over.』

The Sixth placed his hand on my shoulder.

『Lyle, I was simply fighting while leading this powerful army that the Fifth had built. Well of course I was also strong, but it was Oyaji──the Fifth who prepared everything for me.』

「I see.」

I had the image that the Sixth was the one with the most achievements in the history of Walt House, but the Fifth’s achievements were also included in that.

The Sixth made a sad face.

『I only understood Oyaji’s thinking and feeling after some more time passed. Thinking back now, it was me who never thought of anything──even so I also couldn’t accept his method.』

I knew that the Fifth was more affectionate to his pets rather than to his own children, I thought that it was horrible.

It couldn’t be helped that his son harbored dissatisfaction about that.

But, there was some kind of reason behind it──the Sixth also became unable to completely blame the Fifth.

『Lyle, ask the Fifth what you will need to prepare for your battles in the future. As for the fighting itself, the Seventh is better than me for that. You can rely on that guy.』

The Fifth and the Seventh had some respect for the Sixth’s achievements. And yet the Sixth was saying that the two of them were better than him.

「Aren’t you going to say that to those two themselves?」

『No way, it’ll make it sound like I lost.』

「What’s with that?」

Parents and children were really troublesome.

I chuckled. The Sixth also laughed heartily.

And then the Sixth asked me about my plan going forward.

『By the way, Lyle. What are you planning to do now? Are you giving up on seducing Vera?』

「I’m already in checkmate. I’ll think up some other plan.」

『You are actually relieved inside, aren’t you?』

The Sixth hit the bullseye.

「I think it’s wrong to seduce a girl just for money. I have resolved myself to become a villain, but I think this is different from that.」

I unconsciously spoke of my true feelings. Compared to the other ancestors, the Sixth──how should I say it, he felt more like a big brother who was easier to get closer to.

『Yeah. That’s the act of the lowest trash. But you see, Lyle──if you continue to deceive her completely till the very end, that lie will eventually just stop being a lie.』

「Ha?」

I was surprised. The Sixth laughed heartily and slapped my back several times.

『Accept her! And then there won’t be any problems as long as you make her happy! She is gutsy, and on top of that she is an independent woman who has her own merchant ship. She is a strong woman. Although she doesn’t suit my tastes, she is a good woman. You will need someone like that from here on.』

「B-but」

『No buts! Imagine if you continue to let Celes do as she pleases. Even Beim will be turned into a sea of fire sooner or later. Sacrifice cannot be avoided in order to save a lot of lives!』

And that sacrifice was Vera-san?

I was astonished by the Sixth’s thinking.

「I don’t wanna.」

『What, you don’t like her?』

「──I don’t hate her. I think she is a good person.」

『Then get her! It’ll be fine. If you make her happy then everyone will be happy! You can do it if it’s you!』

What kind of basis does he have for saying something like that?

『Get to know that girl more. If it’s still no good even then, I’ll also give up. The others will grumble in that case, but pay them no mind!』

Get to know Vera-san more, huh.