Sevens (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter 45

Chapter 45 – The Walt House’s Mystic Eyes
Going back slightly in time.

That day, I who was spending my time in the inn gathered the leaflets of private schools and dojos to search for something interesting.

As expected, a lot of leaflets were prepared so that even people who only just arrived in Arumsaas could understand it easily.

Sitting on the bed, I checked them one by one.

「Sword art instruction school Beckens……with this even you can become a reliable vanguard. Let’s polish our sword art together.」

The Third scoffed while I was reading the leaflet for a sword art dojo.

『I wonder if a practice sword art that is learned in a dojo will be useful in real battle?』

I read the leaflet.

「But, it’s written here that the trainer has a practical experience as an adventurer for ten years you know?」

The Fifth urged me to read the next one.

『You have already been taught sword art and you are really skilled. You don’t need it, that’s why next.』

I took the next leaflet.

「Let’s peer into the abyss of magic. The water magic taught by grand wizard Claris. With this even you will become the core of your party’s offense! Become the one relied on for firepower.」

The Sixth was laughing.

『Being in charge of firepower with water magic! No, I understand what it wants to say but……next!』

I took the next leaflet.

「A party’s vital point is the scout. We will teach you the skill for that. Scout master.」

The Second sighed.

『You, that scout master…….no, certainly it’s important. It’s important but, isn’t the name scout master ruining it in various ways?』

The Seventh seemed to be in agreement. He was also talking in excitement.

『You’re right. Besides, Lyle is the cornerstone who supports the party at the center. There is no way he can be allowed to do something like scouting or the like.』

The Fourth spoke last after I read some more leaflets.

『None of them feels really right. As I thought, without looking with our own eyes it’s……. Ah, Lyle, leave behind the leaflets. Use the back part that has nothing written on it effectively.』

I put the leaflets on the table beside the bed and lied down.

The girls went to check where the shops that sold things like daily necessities or essential items were located. I was staying behind at the inn alone.

「……Nothing to do.」

Then the Second spoke to me.

『Then, how about you go checking the request in the guild just like Clara-chan said?』

Requests──the jobs that were raised mainly by the academy’s students.

If I took a job that was requested by young nobles from among those requests and could obtain their trust, it would become possible to enter the dungeon.

There was a reason to focus on young nobles. Because if they weren’t a noble then there would be a risk that the other students or the academy or the guild running interference. For example, even if I became friendly with a merchant’s son, Clara-san said that the guild would recommend other adventurers to our client when it was time for us to challenge the dungeon.

The academy’s side also valued their students, so it seemed they always instructed the guild to introduce their students to adventurers that could be trusted with past results behind them as much as possible. If that happened, we wouldn’t be able to enter the dungeon. Because our number was lacking, and we also had no trust and actual results in Arumsaas.

It was the same even if we wanted to gather members. Clara-san said that we who were hated by the guild would be hindered in a variety of ways by them. The guild staff here were really irritating.

──But, it would be a different story with young nobles.

Even the academy wouldn’t be too strict when dealing with them, while the guild was blatantly acting subservient to them.

If they said that something was right then it was right. No one would say anything to them.

……The reason was because nobles were bothersome. I felt really complicated as someone who also came from a noble background.

I lifted my upper body from the bed and set out to the guild.

.

The guild that was located near the outer wall was placed beside the gate. Because of that it was hard to call its location as good.

The scale of Arumsaas as a city was big. From that the traffic of people coming and going was also heavy.

Food was transported from the neighboring villages every day to be sold in the market.

The materials and processed products that were obtained in Arumsaas would repeatedly come and go.

Because of that the area around the gate would easily get dusty. Cows and horses were pulling the carts so the smell of feces and urine was also terrible.

Adventurers without decent equipment were cleaning those up. It might be due to a request that they accepted from the guild. I also could see magicians scattering water with magic that was cast with token effort.

「The sun is blazing like this, so they dried up immediately huh.」

The scattered water evaporated, causing the air to be weirdly humid.

When I entered the guild, I couldn’t find many adventurers because of the time that had greatly gone past noon.

When I headed towards the request board to see the request papers that were put up there, several adventurers were there. They checked the contents of the request papers and sighed.

Many of the request that were put out by the guild were related to the academy……the majority came especially from the students. Among them there were also requests from people who were called professor, but those requests were carefully put up at a different board. Those who accomplished the request from a professor would definitely obtain favor from the academy.

But, I heard that all of them were terrible requests.

When I tried looking due to curiosity, my face cramped.

「A whole skeletal structure of a wyvern? And then a dragon……the fresh stomach of a fire dragon? This one is……no way.」

The request that I thought to be the easiest to accomplish was to enter Arumsaas’s underground dungeon──and obtain the magic stone of the boss at floor 40.

However, we couldn’t enter the dungeon in the first place so we couldn’t accept it.

The Third was also surprised.

『This academy professor bunch aren’t right in the head. I also can’t understand this request for a dragon’s fresh stomach. In other words, they’re asking us to catch one alive?』

The Seventh spoke with a conflicted tone.

『……I’ve never fought a dragon. I heard that in the past there was also a dragon in our territory though?』

The Second lightly replied.

『Ah, there was. But you know, Oyaji defeated it……that guy was the boss of that area, and then nothing like that guy appeared anymore after that. ……I also wanted to fight one.』

I couldn’t understand the feelings of the Second who was sounding a bit disappointed.

It was said that you had no luck if you encountered a monster like a dragon. The First──Basil Walt defeated a land dragon which was said to be relatively easy to defeat because it couldn’t fly, but since then it seemed none of the ancestors had even fought any dragon.

The Sixth also spoke in disappointment.

『Dragon huh. Just once is fine, I wanted to try fighting it. Why won’t it appear in our house’s territory? No, I understand that the territory will be devastated if one appears, but……even so.』

Putting aside whether he was just acting tough or actually serious,

From the beginning I had no intention to accept a request like dragon extermination so I moved and checked the requests from academy students.

However, there was no request that could lead to obtain trust.

「House cleaning? Doing homework in their place? ……What’s this?」

Among them there was also a job like wanting to investigate information about a girl they liked.

All of them were chores, and the request reward was also not really much. Besides, it was also unknown whether the client was a noble or not.

The Third criticized me while I was reading the request papers in deep thought.

『In the first place haven’t we decided not to get involved with nobles before coming to Arumsaas? So why are you coming here to get involved with them instead? It’s appalling how you willingly stuck your nose into troublesome thing like this.』

……It wasn’t like I stuck my nose into troublesome thing because I liked it.

This was only because it would be more efficient using this method.

I rolled the Jewel with my fingertips, but the Third didn’t stop talking and continued picking on me. Even though I signaled him to be quiet, today he kept picking on me.

『Isn’t it also fine to work hard outside? It’s better to go through hardship when you’re young. Besides, there is also no need to be fixated on the dungeon right?』

I was irritated at the Third who wouldn’t shut up, but the Third seemed to find that amusing.

The Fourth was exasperated at the Third who was like that.

『That’s some bad taste. However, it’s a fact that the efficiency will be different. The earning will be in a different league after all. As expected here you should be more──』

In the middle of the Fourth’s talk, my gaze turned towards a person who entered the guild.

That person threw open the guild’s door roughly and entered. He was wearing a white shirt and black tight trouser. His leather shoes were somewhat dirty. It seemed that was bothering him.

He covered his mouth with a white handkerchief and furrowed his eyebrows.

With how rudely he entered, the gazes of the staff and adventurers inside the guild gathered on him. It seemed he was a student of the academy.

His first sentence was terrible.

「……It stinks.」

Then the guild’s staff rubbed his hands while approaching the man──an academy student.

「What could be your business here today?」

The man’s fingertips played with his long front hair while talking in irritation.

「That’s obvious. I came to make a request. Quickly choose an adventurer for me.」

Even the guild staff was bewildered at his high-handed attitude. It seemed the man was undoubtedly a noble.

I could see something like a house crest on the expensive looking ornament he was wearing.

「I, if it’s a request, then after young master fills the necessary paperwork I would be able to dispatch an adventurer that meets the requirement tomorrow so──」

The man seemed to be displeased by the staff member’s explanation and his mood became worse.

「So you’re saying that you can’t accept my request right away! You, I am from a Count house──」

There the guild staff member rubbed his hands while nodding his head many times to the man who was starting to boast about his pedigree.

The ancestors said this hearing that.

『Just what is going on with the youth today if this guy is really a young noble?』

『Haha~, this kind of idiot always exist whether it’s in the past or present. But, it’s amusing to watch.』

『This goes past being exasperating right into being funny.』

『I wish they will raise their other children properly too, not just the eldest son.』

『……The Fifth also didn’t do anything for us. However, this is terrible!』

『However, just what did this guy come to the guild for?』

Yes. What was on my mind was what kind of request this haughty young noble wanted to make to the guild.

If it was a request that I could accomplish then……I wanted to accept it.

While I was thinking that, the man started saying something absurd. It was to the degree that the guild staff also asked back in disbelief at the request.

「……Hah? I, in other words, you wish for someone to act as a scoundrel to harass a girl who you like?」

The man flicked his front hair with his finger and affirmed it. He showed not even a shred of shame.

「Exactly. That’s a fitting job for a filthy adventurer isn’t it? Let’s see. I’ll have them dressed slovenly and hit on the targeted girl. When he is pressing the girl persistently, I’ll make my entrance and save her! How’s that?」

Even the guild staff was bewildered being asked that.

「I, I think that’s good. The, then I will immediately write the document──」

「I’m saying that’s too slow! Do it within today!」

His attitude was really bad. There was even an adventurer around him who clicked his tongue.

But…….

I moved to approach the man, but a voice inside the Jewel stopped me.

『O, oi, Lyle! Don’t tell me, you……are going to accept that guy’s request!? Stop, that’s bad. My instinct is telling me to not do it!』

『Lyle, you can laugh at that kind of human because you are watching him from far away, but he is a type of human you mustn’t approach. It won’t be a laughing matter.』

『Why are you rushing like this? Never mind that, just leave immediately.』

『Lyle, don’t get involved with that. It won’t turn into anything decent.』

『Indeed. Lyle, you are a good boy so listen to what we said.』

Normally I would listen to the opinions of the ancestors and back away. But, right now I really didn’t want to do that.

There wouldn’t be any problem if I succeeded.

The Third spoke loudly but, I ignored him.

『Lyle, listen to us! What’s this, recently you’re being difficult you know?』

『……Now that you mention it, he might be in that kind of phase.』

The Fifth muttered and the Third spoke with hidden implication.

『──Well, anyone will have that kind of phase I guess. Isn’t it fine sometimes? In exchange, you’ll have to take responsibility for it.』

What were they worrying about? From what I heard, it was a request without any problem in it.

In other words, I just needed to hit on a girl and fail. I only needed to act the villain.

It was a simple job that anyone could do. After all, I only needed to fail.

「Say, that request……how about I accept it?」

.

And then now we return to the scene where the girl I hit on──Miranda Circy gave me treatment in her house.

Miranda-san carried a medicine box and checked my cheek and the inside of my mouth. She said that the injury wasn’t so bad and cast healing magic on me. After that she pressed on my cheek a cloth that was smeared with medicine which would slightly sting on the skin.

I twisted my body the moment I got punched, so obviously there wasn’t anything exaggerated like a wound on me.

In the first place, I had no qualification to receive this kind of courteous treatment.

「Tha, thank you very much.」

「You’re welcome. But, I’m sorry. To have an injured person carry my things for me.」

The paper bag that was filled with food ingredients was really heavy. That was why I carried it for her as my minimum atonement to her.

The smug young nobleman──his request had me hit on Miranda-san.

And yet, how did it turn out like this……how?

The Third was laughing.

『Just how are you succeeding even though you have to fail in it huh?』

……How did I succeed instead!

「What’s wrong? Does it hurt?」

Miranda-san who was looking at me seemed to be genuinely worried.

I was receiving treatment at the table that apparently was used for meals normally. She even prepared tea for me.

「No, it’s nothing.」

「I see, that’s good.」

She kindly smiled. Both her hands were holding a steamy cup towards her mouth. Her appearance looked really relieved.

That expression constricted my heart all the more. My heart felt painful that I was deceiving someone this kind.

「Hey, today is impossible but, let’s have tea another day.」

「Ha, having tea!?」

Miranda-san looked at the surprised me in a bit of exasperation.

「Why are you surprised? That’s your objective in the first place.」

That was right but, my true objective was to get hated by Miranda-san and then the smug man would punch me. That was the plan, but I couldn’t say that.

I hit on you planning to fail, if I said something like that…….

Then, there was a sound from near the door of the room.

「Onee-sama? Is there a guest?」

When I turned my gaze to the door, there was a girl on a wheelchair there. She was in a posture of leaning on the door knob while asking about me──

In that instant, the Fifth and the Sixth──and then the Seventh reacted.

Miranda-san stood up from her chair and walked towards the girl.

「I’m sorry Shannon. This guest──err~, what is your name again?」

Come to think of it, I still hadn’t introduced myself.

「It’s Lyle. Lyle Walt──」

Then, Miranda-san moved behind the wheelchair of the girl called Shannon while making a slightly surprised face.

But, the most surprising thing was──

「Lyle-san is it? Nice to meet you, I am Shannon. That……as you can see, my eyes are impaired.」

Miranda-san looked down on Shannon-chan while making a slightly sad face.

「It’s from an accident you see. It resulted in this. I’m sorry, I’ll keep Shannon company for now so please wait for a bit.」

Miranda-chan pushed Shannon-chan out of the room.

I saw off her back and then recalled the sight just now.

「Her yellow eyes shined? Did I see wrong?」

When I said my family name, Shannon-chan’s eyes shined from yellow to golden just for an instant and her gaze turned towards my face.

I was thinking whether I was seeing wrong while asking the ancestors. Then the ancestors starting from the Second until the Fourth gave their affirmative.

『Yeah, it was just for an instant though.』

『That girl, is it really true that she can’t see? The moment her eyes shined……she was looking at Lyle’s face.』

『She reacted at the Walt family name. Are they relatives?』

The Fifth admitted it when the Fourth said that.

『……My daughter married into their house. It’s obvious from their family name. Besides, those two also look similar.』

『The Circry House. If they’re still the same like in the past, then they’re a Viscount house in the capital. They were given a really important post there.』

『It was also the same in my era. It was the house Oba-ueaunt married into, so we were associated quiet closely. In that case……Lyle, by any chance, that girl called Miranda is a girl who might have became your wife.』

It was bewildering to be told that so suddenly but, how would that happen?

The Fifth’s daughter. The Sixth’s little sister. The Seventh’s aunt. I understood that a woman from the Walt House married into the Circry House.

But, the Fifth said that there was something even more important than that and opened his mouth gloomily.

『We called those eyes “Mystic Eyes”. Because they are eyes that can see mana.』

The Third was impressed.

『Hee, that’s a splendid name. And, you said those eyes were shining because of that?』

The Sixth’s voice was different from usual, the feeling of great reluctance……of not wanting to say it, but he helplessly spoke because it had to be said. Such feeling was oozing from his voice.

『Lyle, the eyes of that girl Shannon, perhaps you will have to──crush them.』

Those were words that were really harsh to be said towards a girl. They were also words that I never thought would be spoken by the Sixth.

Normally, no matter how frivolous the Sixth was, he was kind somewhere inside. I couldn’t believe that he would say something like that.

After that, I who was bothered by the Sixth’s words made a promise with Miranda-san to meet tomorrow and left.

I thought that I had to return quickly and listened to the circumstances.

.

──Shannon was looking at Miranda in the kitchen.

Miranda started preparing dinner after Lyle went home, but Shannon really didn’t feel amused.

「Onee-sama, you seem to be happy.」

Miranda turned towards Shannon.

「I, is that so? But, to think that he is a Walt……does Shannon not like it just as I thought?」

Miranda was looking happier than usual even while looking embarrassed. Shannon felt it even without using her eyes’ power.

Her tone, and then her footsteps. Various things were teaching her that Miranda was happy.

「I’m not feeling bothered by that person. But, perhaps this is fate.」

Miranda who didn’t notice Shannon’s slight exasperation said「That’s right, that’s right isn’t it!」 happily.

(Onee-sama really likes him. Well, he isn’t worthy for Onee-sama so I’ll have him disappear right away though. Onee-sama, I wonder what kind of sad face she will make.)

While Miranda was looking at the state of the cooking, Shannon was watching her back and smiled meaningfully with shining eyes──

.

Night.

I who sent my consciousness into the Jewel arrived in the round table room.

A round table was placed at the center of the round shaped room. Chairs were prepared there for the ancestors and me.

At the location right in front of me, a silver great sword was floating in the place of the First’s chair. It reminded me that the First was there in the past.

The ancestors were creating a dark atmosphere inside that room.

The Second opened his mouth with my arrival.

『You are going to explain aren’t you? You said to crush the eyes of a girl who is in that state, so I believe that you will have a fitting reason for that.』

There was no way that the Sixth would say something like that just for fun, so he looked disgruntled.

『Could it be, it’s that story? Even I am not recommending that but, it’s true that’s a dangerous object.』

The Seventh folded his arm and agreed with the Sixth’s opinion.

『Mystic eyes, you all must think what’s the deal with such an exaggerated name but, there is no doubt those eyes possess considerable power. Well, I don’t know if that girl is able to use it as skillfully as Oba-ue──as Milleia Walt could.』

The name of the woman who married into the Circry House was Milleia Walt. No, should I call her Milleia Circry?

The Fourth turned his gaze towards the Fifth.

『I’ll have you explain it properly.』

The Fifth looked down and folded his hands while talking.

『Milleia was one of my daughters. She couldn’t see since she was born, and her eyes were yellow. Her appearance is similar to Miranda but, the color of her hair is similar to Shannon. No, perhaps in this case I should say that two of them are similar to her……well, anyway her eyes couldn’t see.』

The Third narrowed his eyes.

『Hmm, I’m curious how the Fifth was treating her. In my time it wasn’t unusual for that kind of child to get locked up. I also often heard how they suddenly died from sickness.』

The Fifth slightly smiled.

『She was married. Guess it from that. I kept her importantly in the mansion. I was wondering whether to wed her to a retainer who knew the circumstances. But, the talk was canceled after Milleia’s eyes became mystic eyes.』

It seemed that Milleia-san wasn’t shunned by the Walt House.

……I felt, a bit relieved. Perhaps because my life was like a house arrest, I overlapped my circumstances with her.

『According to Milleia, mana seems to be really small red light particles. Well, she said that living things circulate mana inside their bodies and also emit it to the surroundings.』

The Fifth said「The problem is」 with stronger tone.

『It seems that the drifting mana will move due to the movements of a human’s heart. Milleia who possessed the eyes that can see that was able to read people’s emotions. If it’s only that then I can just say amazing and that’s it. But, there is a continuation. Milleia used her eyes and experimented repeatedly. And then, she reported to me. If she forcefully manipulated someone’s mana, she could manipulate even their emotions.』

That was……certainly, more scary rather than amazing.

In other words, she was able to manipulate other people’s emotions.

The Fourth’s expression turned complicated hearing that.

『That’s certainly more scary rather than amazing. Depending on how it is used then troublesome──』

『You think so right? But, the problem isn’t there. It’s how Milleia was able to manipulate the magic power she could see. Something like emotion manipulation is only a part of the whole. If she felt like it, she could control humans as she pleased. She showed how she used difficult magic just by manipulating mana slightly. There was someone who was really good at hiding using his Art but……Milleia saw through him at a glance.』

The Second’s expression turned serious.

『Was it done in an arranged experiment? If you told her, search for someone hiding now, then it would be easy to find him.』

The Sixth grinned.

『The person Milleia discovered was a famous assassin at that time. It was said that it was impossible to discover the guy. Other than that she once also discovered poison and even the maid who mixed it into the food.』

The Third whistled.

『That’s indeed super convenient. It completely outshone my Art.』

The Sixth folded his arms while letting out a deep sigh. And then, he talked about Milleia-san’s character.

『Fortunately, me and pops──the Fifth treated her well. We didn’t shun her because she was blind. Besides, she was a kind child. It would have been a relief if only she could stay at my side.』

The Fifth made fun of the Sixth.

『Milleia was different from your other little sisters, she was obedient so that was why you doted on her. It was disgusting watching that. When you cried harder than her parents when she married it made us calm instead. That was also unsightly.』

The Sixth glared at the Fifth. The Seventh cleared his throat during that.

『Well, if Oba-ue was shunned and she held a grudge against the Walt House, then all of us won’t be here. That was how amazing Oba-ue was.』

Why was someone that dangerous married into another house?

While I felt bothered by that, the Fifth talked about the circumstances regarding that.

『That child was kind. At that time there was fierce war everywhere. There were also a lot of guys who broke mentally on the battlefield. Milleia started treating those guys. At first it was just relatives. Then the people inside our territory……the rumor spread and then the next head of the Circry House who went onto the battlefield and got traumatized relied on his connections and came to us.』

The next head of the Circry House stayed in the mansion and he talked with Milleia-san during his treatment.

The Sixth continued the talk in irritation.

『That damn brat. He came to me after his treatment was finished and said, give me Milleia. When I socked his face Milleia covered him……even my mothers turned into my enemy……shit-!』

It seemed he got into a good relationship with Milleia-san without anyone noticing.

With the surroundings also supporting them, Milleia-san ended up marrying into the Circry House.

The Second hid his eyes with his hand and summarized the story until now.

『In other words, you’re saying that this Shannon girl inherited that mystic eyes?』

The Fifth nodded.

『I don’t know how far she can do the same things but, that shine was the same as Milleia. Though if it’s only appearance then Miranda looks more similar to Milleia.』

I heard Miranda-san’s name and looked at the Seventh.

「Now that you mention it, at Miranda-san’s house the Seventh said about me and Miranda-san, that’s──」

The Seventh told me about the talk before this──that there was a possibility of Miranda-san becoming my wife.

『Ah, that’s right. I said it before right? There was an arrangement to have the Walt House raised to a Duke house in your or the next generation. In case there was no girl of matching age as Lyle in the royal family, the plan was to move forward with marriage to the daughter that was born in the Circry House. After all the cooperation of a capital noble in the royal capital will be essential if we’re going to aim for advancement to Duke rank. For me it didn’t really matter who the other party is but……Oba-ue had died at that time, so that marriage would also give the nuance of reforming our connection with them.』

It seemed there was quite a deep relation between both houses. Even that relation became something terrible due to my fault.

The Third looked at the bewildered me and laughed.

『To think that Lyle would call out to such a fateful partner due to faking hitting on a woman. What’s more, you did that even though you already have three lovers. Aa~aa, Miranda-chan is really pitiful~』

The lenses of the Fourth’s glasses glinted eerily.

『Truly. That’s why I told you to stop……in the first place, don’t you think that doing this is rude to the woman?』

The surrounding’s gazes was criticizing me.

I could only endure it while feeling ashamed. This was the result of going against the ancestors. It really wasn’t funny at all.

The one who sent a helping hand to the troubled me was unexpectedly the Fifth.

『Just leave it with that. Well, the meeting was the worst but, it’s fortunate that we can meet with Milleia’s grandchildren or great grandchildren here. We also discovered the mystic eyes after all. The problem is……now it becomes necessary to ascertain the character of this girl Shannon.』

Everyone made a serious expression. No one wanted to think about something like this because they liked it.

The Seventh asked the Fifth.

『Even though she inherited the eyes, it’s doubtful that she inherited all the abilities. Do we have to remove her eyes even then?』

The Fifth asserted coldly.

『We have to. Depending on Shannon’s personality, do it no matter how weak her power is at the present. If we leave this alone, it will really become dangerous. It will become exactly like what the First said……like the existence that is possessed by the Evil God. I don’t know about Celes but, I’ll believe it if I’m told that Shannon is possessed by an Evil God. Ain’t no way we can just leave this matter alone. ……I won’t let that child’s eyes to be used for bad things.』

The words of the Fifth was oozing with the feeling of not wanting to let the eyes that were inherited from Milleia-san to be used for bad things.

The Sixth also folded his arms and didn’t say anything. He seemed to feel the same.

Even so, an existence possessed by the Evil God……I never thought that I would hear about it again like this.

Once, the First heard my story and said that Celes was an existence possessed by the Evil God. I remembered how the other ancestors didn’t believe it.

But, the Fifth said that he would believe it if it was in Shannon’s case.

……Though, I was unable to feel that Shannon-chan was an existence that was even more fiendish than even Celes.