Sevens (LN) - Volume 6 - Chapter 72

Chapter 72 – Contract
──Novem was preparing a lot of paper.

Table and chairs were prepared outside. Aria and Sophia were also sitting side by side. The hands of the two of them were dirtied by ink.

Sophia was making a tired face.

「I, I’m not used to it, preparing paperwork like this.」

Novem was making a written contract. The terms of being hired by Lyle were written there.

Aria was also completely tired.

「No more. I hate this kind of work. You can just tell Monica to do this. And Clara is going somewhere to prepare the contract……」

Novem sighed slightly.

「Clara-san isn’t good with talking to people. It will be just us dealing with the people. Also, both of you, please learn this kind of work too. Now, people will come soon.」

Shannon was standing beside the three of them holding a signboard while speaking out.

「People who want to fight, please line up over here.」

After Lyle’s speech was over, a wave of people began surging in all at once.

The first one to come was a knight wearing armor.

「Oi. Even knights will be paid with the reward right!?」

Novem smiled in response.

「Yes. No matter what kind of monster it is, it will be one gold coin if you defeat it.」

「I’ll do it! I’ll sign the contract!」

「Then, please sign on the contract that you will follow Lyle-sama’s order.」

「I’ll sign. Right away. It’s far better than working under that Norma!」

A middle-aged auntie came to Aria’s place.

「Hey, even woman will also be rewarded won’t it?」

「E, err……there is other work, if you’re helping with that then we’ll pay around this much──」

「I’ll do it. Wait, what about my son and daughter? They’re already ten years old, so they can also help.」

「Ye, yes, in that case」

People were also coming to Sophia’s place one after another.

「Ple, please wait. Err, in such cases like that──」

「Lady, be quicker about it!」

「No, that’s why」

「We’re still waiting over here!」

Sophia was explaining the terms to those who couldn’t read and then making them sign the contract. She was doing her best even though she was overwhelmed by the work that she wasn’t used to──

.

──Lionel and his friends were some distance away from the plaza.

Lyle ended up taking the command. After being told that, Lionel was unable to endure it.

「Why is it that guy? Why……」

Since when he saw Lyle’s figure defeating monsters during the march, Lionel was feeling impatience towards Lyle. He was stronger than him. Besides, his comrades were also strong.

He was also irritated that Lyle was being surrounded by pretty comrades. He was riding on a vehicle he had never seen before, and it was also irritating how everyone’s gaze was focused on him.

Lionel was jealous of Lyle who had things that he didn’t have.

When it came to him, he lost his comrades, and he could only look down in depression.

And then amidst that, one of them stood up.

「My bad, but I’ll join over there.」

「Haa? You’re going to fight under that kind of guy? That guy isn’t a noble.」

「……Is that relevant?」

Lionel was dumbfounded.

His friend expressed his honest feelings.

「It’s not like it’s matters who I’m working under. If I can survive and receive money then I’m fine with that. Besides, I won’t be able to receive money even if I stay with you.」

「O, oi. Think about it again.」

「I have enough already.」

「……Eh?」

「I understand that the bunch in the palace are treating us like disposable pawns. But you know, why the hell do we have to go through something like this. Aren’t you vexed?」

「Tha, that’s!」

「In the first place……I hate you.」

「Wha-!」

「Because you cajoled a daughter of a Viscount house by yourself and you’re going to marry her right? Even if we work hard it’ll count as your achievement, I can’t stomach seeing you alone having a good time.」

It would be better to follow Lyle who would give him money, he said. When he left from there, another one stood up and left.

When Lionel noticed, he was alone in that place──

.

After finishing the speech, in order to carry the plan forward right away──I distributed food.

No, actually I wanted to get on with the work immediately.

However, everyone was hungry, so you know the rest.

The meal of the subjugation force was plain and wearisome, in addition the townspeople were also spending days of anxiety and they weren’t able to really eat.

Anyway, it began from emergency feeding.

Monica were preparing food together with the aunties of the town.

But…….

「You’re wearing strange clothes.」

「A maid uniform is strange!? I can only slightly doubt your common sense.」

「Besides, wearing that kind of frilly clothes will make it easy to get dirty.」

「It won’t get dirty. This Monica’s outfit is cutting edge──」

「Oh, the pot is boiling up.」

「Listen to me-!」

Seeing that Monica being handled casually like that, I thought that auntie was amazing.

「Lyle, you were cool just now. It’s okay for you to act boldly all the time like that you know?」

It was Miranda-san’s voice. I turned my face towards her, but I immediately covered my eyes with my hands.

Miranda-san was still wearing Eva-san’s outfit.

「Please change. I don’t know where to look.」

「You were acting normally before this weren’t you?」

「……That was acting.」

「H~m, even though I thought that you liked this. Putting that aside, what do you plan to do from here?」

Her tone and expression changed into seriousness, so I talked while keeping my gaze away from Miranda-san.

「I’ll split the labor for some to work and some to train. After that, I’ll asking people to create weapons.」

The repair of the wall and the manufacturing of weapons. I especially wanted arrows.

There was also the minimum necessary training, but before that I had to think about the troop composition.

──In addition.

「I asked Aria-san and Eva-san to leave for scouting.」

「Aria and Eva?」

.

──Outside the town.

Aria and Eva got down from their horses and surveyed the surroundings.

Their hand was holding a map of the place where the monsters were lurking.

They were riding horses until midway. They found a destroyed house and tied their horses over there.

Eva was preparing water for her horse.

Aria watched what Eva was doing.

「You’re really used to that work.」

「I was together with a troupe of traveling performers after all. I had to learn this even if I didn’t want to.」

「You were also good at riding a horse. You also have experience in riding don’t you?」

「I have. When I was small I rode on a horse and imitated a hero. I did that second after singing practice.」

Elves were tough in various aspects.

She was asked to scout because she was a good walker and her knowledge regarding forests.

Aria shrugged.

「I don’t get it. You look like you will refuse if you’re requested to do this kind of dangerous work.」

Eva grinned.

「Oh, isn’t this a valuable experience? Besides, just this much is cheap if I’ll be able to watch a Griffon subjugation directly.」

For the sake of her songs, for the sake of her desire for a tale that no one but her knew. Aria found it hard to understand when she heard about the reason Eva was helping.

「An elf is a strange creature huh.」

「That’s rude. It’s humans who are strange. More importantly, should we go already?」

Aria nodded, then she took slightly dirty brown robes from her belongings. She handed one down to Eva and wore one herself.

A hooded robe.

Eva also didn’t complain and wore it. The two of them then entered the forest.

Aria was impressed by the strength of Eva’s legs and waist. It made her thought as expected from an elf.

(This person, she is composed after entering the forest.)

They didn’t talk.

They were already inside the forest that was like the living place of monsters.

When Eva found a tree, she signed with her hand for Aria to stop. Aria looked at the tree that Eva showed her.

A deep claw mark was carved at a position that wasn’t visible from Aria’s position.

Besides, the ground was also gouged.

(Is this, a Griffon’s claw mark?)

The two of them carefully advanced forward, then they found monsters acting vigilant to their surroundings.

Eva frowned.

There was no leeway to talk so they continued the scouting. Then they found an open space that was made from the forest’s trees being violently knocked down.

There, they found large monsters like Orcs and Ogres to small monsters like Goblins.

There was a Griffon at the center. The Hippogriffs were gathered around it.

It looked like the monsters were feasting on the gathered food.

The two of them slowly left that place.

Inside the forest there were also several other small groups. They were unable to accurately count the number of the whole, but it was certain that the forest had been greatly devastated.

The two of them sneaked out of the forest and returned until the house where their horses were tied. Then they conversed about what they had seen.

「This is the worst. The wild animals are mostly gone too. Those guys ate everything.」

「Now that you mention it I didn’t see any animals.」

「The forest is also laid waste to a terrible state. Even so, it will be fine for a while if their condition is like that.」

「You understand that? They didn’t look like they’ll be able to move right away but……」

「Well, you’ll get used to guess that. If they’re going to move right away, they’ll look more murderous.」

Aria thought that it was correct to bring along Eva.

(……I’m beaten. I’m losing even in scouting.)

Even though she had especially polished her skills as a scout in Arumsaas, she lost against a traveling performer elf. Aria felt frustrated.

「Somehow you don’t look like you can accept it. I’ll tell you this, they really wouldn’t move for a while. This might sound bad but, from the Griffon’s perspective this is just a game. That Griffon, it might not have been long since it was born. It’s a really young Griffon.」

Even attacking a city was in the extent of playing around from a Griffon’s perspective.

And then, according to Eva it seemed that the griffon was young. Although she said born but it didn’t mean that it had parents. A monster was grown up from the first time it appeared. Not much time had passed since it was born, rather than vigilance it had stronger curiosity and its strong desire to play around was standing out.

「……It’s not like I’m dissatisfied. You’re also more knowledgeable than me, I have no dissatisfaction at all about that.」

Eva put her hands on her waist and peered onto Aria’s face.

「Then what is it?」

「I just hated my own worthlessness.」

Aria said that and held her necklace──the red Gem. The red Gem that could be said as the Lockwarde House’s heirloom was different from Lyle’s Jewel, it wouldn’t teach Aria its Arts.

p187

「That’s, a Gem isn’t it?」

Eva stared with great interest.

「I can’t use it though. Somehow, it feels like the Gem isn’t recognizing me.」

Aria immediately mounted her horse to return.

Eva called out to Aria who was like that.

「A strong feeling will be conveyed. How about you try wishing for strength more strongly?」

Aria slightly smiled with self-depreciation.

「I had tried that many times.」

Eva shrugged and mounted her horse. Seeing that, Aria made her horse run in order to return to the town with the two of them──

.

Things that seemed usable from the belongings of the subjugation force were only this.

Near the horse carts that brought the supplies, I was standing in front of tools that were lined up on a wooden box.

The lined up items were crossbows and bows.

「……There aren’t many.」

Morris-san was coming along with me in order to check the supplies. Norma-san was also beside me, but in the first place she wasn’t able to grasp the condition of the supply and she was useless.

This person, when I asked her how she would defeat a Hippogriff, she said 「I’ll slash it when it’s coming down, I guess」.

「At first, the commander planned to wound the Hippogriff with bows and arrows, and when it comes down she would defeat it then. The knights including me can also use some magic, so these things aren’t really needed.」

「What did you intend to do with the other monsters?」

「We would manage that somehow using numbers. In fact we heard that the threat wasn’t that high, so at first I even thought that with this number it might be a little excessive.」

From the information of the palace, it seemed they thought that they would manage somehow with equipment of this level.

The Fourth’s voice talked to me.

『Everything is lacking. Training is needed to use a bow, and when using a crossbow, it will take time to reload the arrow. Now then, what to do now.』

For some reason his voice sounded like he was having fun even though this situation was troubling like this.

Norma-san was looking uneasy.

「Will you really manage just with this much equipment? Won’t it be better to ride on the steel box you were using to come here and run away?」

Steel box. She must mean Porter.

「We cannot bring everyone to escape like that, and it’ll be dangerous if we get surrounded while escaping. Please don’t leave the city, because it seems there are monsters wandering around.」

Morris-san pressed his forehead.

「It’s troublesome. It’ll be great if we can forcefully break through while protecting the townspeople.」

The enemy was a Griffon. A monster that could fly.

We would be overtaken no matter what, and if we were attacked while running away there would definitely be victims. Besides, we didn’t have the option of running away.

「Even if we manage to escape, the palace will complain to us.」

「Yeah.」

Morris-san also understood that.

The outer wall surrounding the town wasn’t tidy but it had a rectangle shape.

There were gates in four directions. We had to place troops there.

Who had to be placed where. That was also a problem.

The Second was pondering.

『It’s also a problem that the number of people who can fight is few. Loading the crossbows also takes time, so it isn’t likely that it’ll be really useful. It will be great if there was more of it.』

The Second had a different opinion.

『Is that so? If we have this many people then you can just make those who can’t fight to reload the arrows and hand over the crossbows to the shooters. If you exchange the crossbows too after finishing shooting, in theory you’ll be able to fire continuously.』

The Seventh wasn’t energetic for some reason.

『……It’ll be faster if there were guns. Even though it’ll be great if it gets more popular.』

The Seventh loved guns and gunpowder. Because of that, the way he fought also specialized in using those. To put it another way, he was inferior compared to the other ancestors if those things weren’t available.

Well…….

『I only have ideas for several traps. Lyle, go ask for bombs from Miranda. I want the type that will explode flashily.』

It couldn’t be said that he was useless though.

Morris-san observed my expression.

「Ca, can we win?」

I declared.

「We’ll win. I’ll win and protect the town.」

.

──Clara was watching the town’s condition.

After Lyle’s speech, the town was coming alive bustlingly. People were filled with liveliness.

The subjugation force and the townspeople who were disunited were divided into groups to do work or training.

Nearby, Sophia was standing with a nervous look.

「What’s the matter, Sophia-san?」

「……I was told by Lyle-san to fight while leading people. I, don’t have that kind of experience.」

The reason for her nervousness was because soldiers, knights, and also volunteering townspeople were assigned to her.

In order to protect the four gates, a commander was assigned to each of them. Morris, Miranda, Aria, Sophia, these four. Lyle was the top who commanded the whole troops.

「Norma-san should be the one placed here.」

Sophia complained. She was flustered from suddenly being placed as a commander.

「It’s because the command has been handed over to Lyle-san. Perhaps he thinks that the scene will fall into disorder if Norma-san comes out?」

「Even so, I think it’ll be better than me doing it. There is also Novem-san.」

「Novem-san will be in the rear support together with me. Novem-san who can use healing magic is a precious existence after all.」

Novem who could heal and Clara who was the driver of Porter would be in rear support. Monica and Shannon were also the same.

Lyle was also considering sending Monica to the front line. However, to move this many people, it was difficult to prepare the necessary food and many other things with human labor.

Monica could do it, so Lyle could only put her in charge of the rear support.

「I understand that we don’t have enough people but, me leading people is unthinkable.」

Sophia was holding her head at her wits’ end. Clara gave her a follow up.

「Does Sophia-san think that Lyle-san placed you in command because he had no other choice?」

「……Perhaps. Because I’m inferior compared to everyone.」

「I am weaker than Sophia-san you know?」

「Clara-san can drive Porter. I can’t do that.」

「The right person in the right place. Sophia-san should be confident. Lyle-san should be thinking that if it’s Sophia-san then you can do it.」

Sophia raised her face.

「Is that so?」

「Yes. There is no doubt.」

It wasn’t like Lyle had said that directly. But, even from Clara’s perspective, Sophia who was specialized in battle could only be placed here.

She was far stronger than even the average knight.

「The, then, I’ll try doing my best.」

「If it’s Sophia-san you can do it.」

Clara thought that if even Sophia couldn’t do it, then this battle was already the same as lost.

(Even so, Lyle-san is really good in arrangements. He quickly took away the command, and he’s also thinking of the positioning. Really, why was someone this capable driven out of his house? I can’t understand that.)

Clara was questioning Lyle’s actions that was like someone experienced──

.

『Prioritize repairing the outer wall. Dig out moats around it.』

I listened to the Second’s statement while explaining in front of the prepared map.

The place was the inn.

I gathered the appointed supervisors and explained what to do from here on.

It was a group that was nothing more than a ragtag band with few training.

I had to speak simply and clearly.

「We’ll repair the outer wall while creating moats around it. With this we can deal slightly better against the monsters clinging on the wall.」

The knights including Morris-san and the representative of the townspeople starting from Patto-san nodded.

The town was located on a level ground.

The visibility was good, and there was also no obstacle in the four directions. The difficulty level was high for the defender.

『Place traps before the gate. When the enemy’s momentum is strong, lure them inside into the trap.』

「After that, we’ll create traps inside the town. When the enemy’s momentum is strong, lure them in and use the trap to repel them.」

There wasn’t a lot that we could do. I heard from Aria-san and Eva-san’s information that the Griffon still wasn’t moving. However, there wouldn’t even be one week before they started moving.

One of the knights who was listening pointed at the map while expressing his opinion.

「In that case we should prepare more traps. Let’s create a watchtower here, and then let’s also place a trap here. If we destroy the building──」

The townspeople who heard that opposed that suggestion.

「It’ll be troubling if you create something like that there! The damage there is few. If you destroy the building, we won’t  be able to live there!」

「The enemy will be attacking! This isn’t the time to say that!」

「This is concerning our livelihood!」

It was getting rough so I clapped my hand to gather everyone’s attention.

『Lyle, the material and manpower is limited. Tell them that even just this much is the limit. Anyone can speak about the ideal. Teach them that we can only do what we can.』

「Our materials aren’t sufficient for more than this. Besides, both time and manpower are also limited. I’ll judge that this is the limit.」

The knight fell silent. Even I wanted to harden our defense and arm everyone as much as possible to feel a peace of mind. But, what we could do was limited.

The townspeople questioned me.

「Err……the moat will also take time though?」

「We won’t dig too deep, it’s fine to just do it as much as possible. Besides, we have a skilled magician among us. I’ll ask her to help.」

I ended up relying on Novem. One of the knights muttered.

「It’s not like in “Magician’s Village” but, is it okay?」

His fellow knight laughed teasingly at him.

「You’re believing that kind of fairy-tale?」

There were also quarrels breaking out in the middle, but the meeting ended safely.

.

──Shannon was together with Luka.

Shannon who was useless to begin with could do nothing except staying quite. Even if there was something that she would be able to do, it would be for later.

Shannon was reading a picture book together with Luka who was like a little brother.

「Shannon-sama, what is “Magician’s Village”?」

「Oh, you don’t even know that? Very well, I’ll teach you.」

Shannon was obtaining the feeling of superiority as the older one while talking to Luka about Magician’s Village.

(Fufu, I know because I asked Onee-sama to read me the picture book. Good job, me!)

Inside her heart she praised her past self who listened to Miranda’s story in the past.

「In the past, there was a small village. That village was poor. There was also little food so everyday was hard. A magician came to that village then. Anyway the magician was amazing. When he came to the village he created houses and farming fields. He prepared large houses and large fields for all the villagers.」

「He was a really kind person!」

Seeing Luka happy made Shannon felt proud.

「The magician also felt happy at first. And so, he worked even harder for the village’s sake. The village became bigger and really prosperous.」

「How nice.」

「But you see, before long the villagers were gradually becoming reliant on the magician. They said things like, I want a bigger home, or I want a large field and servants. The villagers who tasted luxury became lazy to work. Because the magician granted all of their wishes, they became spoiled.」

「A, and, what happened next?」

「……The magician died. From the beginning he was an old man I think? Rather than grieving, the villagers were thinking of who to rely on next.」

「That’s terrible.」

「That’s right. Because they were terrible they got punished. The village that got big due to magic caught the eyes of an evil god. The evil god came and destroyed everything. The remaining villagers had never worked until then so they found it difficult to even cultivate the field. Because they had known luxury they lamented living in poverty. In the end the village became even poorer than before the magician came. This is the story of the “Magician’s Village”.」

Luka got scared.

「An evil god came? Lyle-sama ordered to prepare the moat using magic. Then the evil god will come?」

Shannon was amused by that purity that came from his childishness.

「He will come. Luka, you might get eaten when the evil god comes.」

Shannon was having fun looking at the scared Luka, but there Novem came. She spoke to Luka with a smile.

「It’ll be fine.」

「Ah, Novem-sama!」

When Luka looked happy with Novem’s arrival, Shannon felt like her little brother had been taken away and got miffed.

Novem talked about that fairy-tale.

「The evil god destroyed the village that the magician created because the villagers were haughty. The evil god won’t come to the place of someone who is working hard to protect a town like Lyle-sama.」

「Really?」

「Yes, it’ll be fine. Besides, the “Magician’s Village” would have been destroyed even if the evil god didn’t come.」

Shannon tilted her head.

「Is that so?」

Novem nodded.

「After all this fairy-tale is a story of warning that you will become unable to do anything when it’s time if you’re relying completely on magic.」

They nodded in understanding, even Shannon.

「……Eh? Then, isn’t the entrance of the evil god unneeded?」

Novem chuckled.

「You’re right. But, this kind of story sometimes is based on a true story, so perhaps the people of the past might have really gotten their “country” destroyed by an evil god.」

Luka was getting scared again, so Novem told him it would be alright once more to calm him down. Novem was always kind, but she was interacting with Luka even more kindly than when she was treating other children.

Shannon who was watching that felt something tugging on her mind.

(Novem is strangely kind to Luka. Even so, why did she say “country” and not village? Even though it’s a story of the magician’s “village”……I don’t understand the meaning. ……Well, it doesn’t matter.)

Shannon was feeling something out of place seeing Novem being affectionate to Luka like this, almost like how she was treating Lyle, but from the beginning Shannon’s disposition wasn’t good at thinking deeply. She immediately became unconcerned──

.

The town started working the next day of the meeting.

Because I was taking command of the whole operation, I was looking over the town from a building’s roof. Certainly I thought that it was a small town, but when I looked over it now thinking of “protecting” it, it looked really big.

I got worried whether I would really be able to protect this town to the end.

「Lyle-san, the workers who drank the water I prepared collapsed from stomachache.」

I looked at Clara-san who came reporting.

I held my head.

「I told them already not to drink water that was created by magic! I told them that clearly didn’t I!?」

「It seemed those people thought that it would be alright. They said that their body isn’t that soft and drank the water. Please send Novem-san to them.」

I asked Clara-san to prepare water and hot water for people to clean their bodies. I had told the workers thoroughly that water created from magic would break the stomach so don’t drink them.

I couldn’t help from yelling my dissatisfaction to the workers.

Next, Aria-san climbed on the roof.

「Lyle, there was a dispute and someone got wounded.」

「Why are they fighting!?」

「No, they said something about running away at the middle or cutting corners in the work.」

I covered my face with both hands.

「……These kinds of reports keeps coming.」

……It made me anxious whether we would really be able to protect the village and defeat the Griffon.

This kind of report was coming in one after another.

「……Novem is in the middle of working, so wait for a bit more.」

Novem was working with magic in order to create moats. That work was the priority. If they weren’t in a situation where they would die soon, then I could only ask them to endure.

Clara-san made a troubled face.

「Then I’ll treat them normally, but their return to work will be delayed. The work efficiency will fall.」

Just what should I do?

While I was feeling troubled, the ancestors were talking.

『It’s nostalgic. It was also difficult in my time.』

『It’s funny. It’s real funny. It’s amusing when watching this as a third person! I couldn’t laugh in the slightest when going through this hardship on my own though.』

『They’ll do it even when told not to. I also had it hard.』

『……If it was me then I might yell at them.』

『If it was in my time then anyone will get angry. However like this……it’s funny!』

『It’s funnier than the average comedy. It makes me laugh even louder exactly because I can understand the feeling.』

Perhaps because they were in the position of only giving advice, the ancestors were laughing.

I couldn’t laugh at the slightest.

「If it’s like this should I go out to work making the moat?」

Clara-san stopped me from doing that.

「It will be troubling if another report came and Lyle-san isn’t here. If possible I wish you will stay here.」

Aria-san was also troubled.

「Also, it’s also terrible at Sophia’s place. I also have no leeway, so can Lyle cover for her? You know, that girl is too serious so she’ll force herself to manage somehow.」

Even I wanted to cover up for her. However, the reports kept coming. Or rather, problems were occurring one after another that I couldn’t move.

「Monica is also busy, and it’ll be no good if I don’t have Novem do her best. Someone who is free……no good, there is only the useless Shannon left.」

Even while at my wits’ end, I gave the two their instructions and they left. I sat down on the spot.

「……Why isn’t things going well?」

The Third spoke happily.

『Have you learned slightly from this? It’s great that the girls around Lyle are all capable isn’t it?』

Could it be, the ancestors were telling me to accept the request this time was in order to teach me this reality?

The Fourth was also laughing.

『It’s great that you properly had each person sign the contract. If only you had the right of command transferred to you, there also will be people who complain and won’t work. As expected, the power of money is mighty.』

The big reason we purposefully made people signed a contract was in order to make it clear to them of who to obey rather than the matter of paying money.

It was done in order to make them think that they would be able to receive a reward if they listened to my orders.

「More importantly, our spending is really big. Will it be alright?」

『There is no problem. It’s cheap if you can obtain the fame of a Griffon subjugation with that¸ is not something that I can say but, if there’s a method to compensate for the spending.』

Surely he was making a bad face right now. The Fourth who was laughing eerily was scary.

I stood up to think about the matters from here on.

「Lyle~, the craftsmen are angry and stopped their work though~」

Eva-san climbed on the roof with a tired face.

……Enough, spare me already you all.