Sevens

Volume 1, Chapter 5 – An Entranced Person

Translated by: Reiji

The next day.

We departed from Remlraudt and headed to Bahnseim’s capital, Centralle. The connecting coach mentioned by the traveling merchant referred to a horse-drawn one that used a well-maintained and wide highway.

The coach was pulled by six horses. Each horse had an expensive magic tool hanging from their neck. Their stamina was strengthened, their speed increased, and their condition rejuvenated. Three Arts were carved on each tool. The coaches themselves stretched out in a row, and room was made for the passengers by placing the luggage on the coach’s roof. The expense that went towards creating the coach had to be really high. It was several times faster than walking, but the fee to use it is appropriately expensive.

Novem apparently had purchased the tickets. She handed one to me.

「Lyle-sama, if we use this ticket we can also stay in the inn at the city we stop at along the way. Please don’t lose it, no matter what.」

Novem emphasized that to me. I tried asking her something as I held on the edge of the ticket with both hands.

「Say, how much did this ticket cost?」

Novem’s expression became a bit troubled. Did I ask something that difficult?

「That one ticket, cost several pieces of gold coin.」

I looked at the ticket wondering if that was really the case. I couldn’t really understand the value of several pieces of gold coin. When I was living in the mansion, I didn’t exactly have any chances to use money. And then, as expected──

『Se, several pieces of gold coin! Eh, this vehicle costs that much? Just to arrive in Centralle within several days!?』

The First was bewildered. The Sixth politely explained the reasons to the First.

『Well, there are many passengers so it would be better to say that it only costs that much. The horse’s upkeep, the magic tool’s upkeep, the coach’s upkeep, the labor cost and then the cost for using the highway and the guard……just from thinking about it, it costs a lot of money.』

Even after hearing that, the First didn’t look convinced.

『Then it’s better to just walk!』

They were saying different things from yesterday. These people──they weren’t always saying the right thing. They were speaking from their own sense of values. The Seventh sighed.

『Please look at the surroundings. There are exclusive guards riding horses that also have magic tools equipped to keep up with the coach. This ride guarantees the safety of the passengers, and in addition it considerably shortens the time. Isn’t it actually cheap, if it only costs several pieces of gold coin?』

The Fourth listened to the opinion of the Seventh while pondering on it for a bit.

『I’m amazed Novem-chan has that much money. Even if she is a second daughter of a Baron house……』

I put the ticket into the pocket of my clothes. Novem looked relieved seeing that. After that, she began pulling me forward.

「Come Lyle-sama, the coach will depart soon. Let’s quickly get inside.」

The smiling Novem looked really happy.

.

Inside the connecting coach that was running through the highway.

The coach was designed to keep the bumpiness of the road to a minimum. The chair was made of good quality, making the fatigue in riding the coach smaller than expected. But again, it was only at just that. When I looked outside the window, the guards could be seen riding their horses besides the coach at the same speed. If we arrived at the next city today, we would decidedly be staying the night there.

Novem might be tired, since she was taking a nap as she leans on my shoulder. I could hear her quite breathing, which was kind of cute. Her hair was sticking on her slightly sweaty cheek.

I was feeling apologetic, since I might be the reason making her so tired. I had thought that I’d be able to manage by myself somehow, but if it weren’t for Novem, I likely would be no good.

While I was thinking about lending her my shoulder, the ancestors’ voices came from within the jewel.

The Second’s voice was surprised at the speed of the connecting coach.

『Magic tools really are amazing. In my era, we only had Gems, there was no concept of carving Arts on rare metal. The horses have been running for several hours at this crazy pace.』

Rare metal referred to metal that was tinged with mana. This metal could be discovered in places like the dungeons that adventurers challenged, it was that kind of rare metal. Whether it was copper or iron, if it was emitting mana, it was considered a rare metal. This would cause its price to jump dramatically. After all, anyone would be able to use Arts carved onto the metal. The convenience in being able to choose which Arts were carved is what made them different from Gems.

The First seemed to be displeased seeing the horse riding guards.

『What’s with these weak looking guards!? In my era, more amazing guys could be found all over the place. Every last one of these guys is damn scrawny.』

Then the ancestors began to boast about each of their era. Everyone said how amazing their era was. The Sixth also spoke along the same lines.

『In my era, the men were more menacing. Then again, it was a cruel time, so they’d die if they were peace-loving idiots like the ones in this era.』

The Seventh objected to that opinion. I wished these fathers and sons wouldn’t compete with each other.

『My era was even more harsh. Well, we were surrounded by hostile countries, so I’d say that’d make my generation even more amazing.』

The First also didn’t yield even by an inch.

『What did you say!? We were different from snobby nobles like you guys! Back in my time, we really were depending on only our own strength──』

I stared outside the window, thinking that they were being annoying while also feeling just a bit happy that this journey would continue for several days. I’m actually able to see the outside world. The mountains, the rivers, it was so different compared to just looking out the window of my room that I wouldn’t get bored no matter how long I kept at it.

If I had to be frank, I wanted to see the sights in a bit more different of a situation. Like, without the noisy voices of the ancestors from inside the Jewel like now…….

『My era was the most amazing!』

『But we had it the hardest in my era.』

『I understand. The Second had it rough too, huh, for the sake of me and the First.』

……It seemed I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the trip silently. Because of the noisy Jewel, my mana was heavily consumed. I looked up to the ceiling and ended up taking a nap.

.

A few days after that.

We arrived at Centralle. I got down from the coach and carried Novem’s baggage. This was my first time visiting Centralle. Thinking that…

「……It’s, messy.」

Then the First muttered nostalgically. The First was born in Centralle. His house was a capital noble──the lowest rank of house among the heredity nobles, and he was the third son of such a house.

『Good grief, various things have changed, but the atmosphere is the same. Even after two hundred years passing, there are things that won’t change.』

I felt that the townscape I saw when leaving the Walt House’s territory was neater. The pedestrian traffic was lighter compared to Centralle, but it felt less desolate and felt more full of life. In centralle, how can I say it? There’s people everywhere.

Because there were so many people and horse carts near the gate, the dust cloud was also awful. Sand stuck onto my sweaty skin and felt gritty. It even felt like I’d inhale some of it if I breathed normally, so I covered my mouth. The Fourth gave me instructions in this kind of situation.

『Lyle, how long are you planning to stay in this kind of place? Move on quickly and secure lodging. Also, it was a long trip, so let’s arrange for a slightly better inn today. Also, don’t forget to buy the ticket to go to Dalien tomorrow.』

Hearing that, I pulled the Novem’s hand and headed towards the place that sold tickets. People are forming lines there, so we wasted our time there until our turn finally arrived. After purchasing tickets for a connecting coach to Dalien that departed tomorrow morning, Novem and I started looking around for an inn.

It was crowded, so we held each other’s hand in order to not get seperated. I suggested that we stay in a slightly better inn.

「Novem, we have bought the ticket already so let’s stay in a slightly better inn today. We will also travel tomorrow……that is, you have to be slightly more restful.」

Actually, I too also wanted to rest and relax some, but this felt like we were doing it for Novem’s sake. But, Novem replied with a smile.

「Thank you for your consideration. I’ll be the one paying this time.」

「Eh, no……this time I’ll…」

When I was going to say that there was the money I received from Zel, Novem shook her head.

「Just Lyle-sama’s feeling is enough. Besides, right now I’m the one with the money. One day, when Lyle-sama is able to pay by yourself, please allow me to accept it along with Lyle-sama’s feelings.」

I could only nod. There the exasperated voice of the Fourth came.

『Lyle……zero points.』

And then the Third, feeling moved by Novem, added on.

『Novem-chan really is a good girl. I’m giving her 100 points. It’s full score, a full score. I wonder why a good girl like this is coming along with Lyle. As I thought, is it because of the face? But, Novem-chan doesn’t look like someone who will go this far just because of that……it’s puzzling.』

I’m also puzzled. But, before that. Someone, anyone, please console me? Because Novem’s radiant smile was stabbing into my heart, and the exasperated words of the ancestors were gouging it out. Am I really that terrible?

.

We took a slightly more extravagant meal than usual, entered the bath, and lied down on a soft bed.

Even though that should be the case, I was facing the First in the room inside the Jewel, with just the two of us. I sat down on a chair while the First was sitting cross-legged on the table in front of me, looking down on me.

『You’re so pathetic, tears are coming out. You, are you really my descendant? You’re causing problems for Novem-chan by being so weak and unreliable.』

From his voice I understood that he was irritated. Recently, I was also coming to realize that I was a disappointing person, so I couldn’t really say anything back. That made the First even more aggravated.『Talk back a little! This unreliable bastard!』

「……I know I don’t really have anything to respond with. That’s why, can I please go back if you don’t have any other business with me?」

When I said that, the First looks increasingly aggravated.

『You! Aren’t you feeling irritated in the slightest!? There are various things you can do, like trying to talk back. I don’t know, give me a glare! Why are you acting like such a good kid, huh?! It’s not interesting at all!』

I’m troubled, even if I’m being told that I’m not interesting.

「Err, what is your business with me?」

Then the First, staying quiet at first, eventually shifted his gaze from me and mumbled some. Even though he didn’t like talking with me, he was still quarrelling with me. He was a type that I wasn’t good with. Actually, no, I don’t really have any type that I’m good with.

『……I couldn’t say it before, so I’ll say it here. No one believed me, but…I was born around the fiftieth year after the kingdom’s founding. At that time, there were still some old soldiers alive, so I was able to hear the story from those gramps.』

Before the Bahnseim Kingdom was created approximately 300 years ago, the Sentras Kingdom had ruled the continent.

However, apparently at that time the corruption in the kingdom’s royal family, stuff like bribery or embezzlement, was becoming more and more severe.

The Bahnseim royal family──at that time they were a feudal lord. In order to defeat the Sentras royal family, the country was split into two different factions – the kingdom and the nobles. It turned into a fierce battle.

『From what the gramps said, it felt something like a dream. The reasons they fought, the reason for the faction split and so on, they didn’t really get it. Why do you think that was?』

The First looked at my expression with a serious face, so I answered.

「Their zeal had cooled down by that time──」

『Wrong! It was the fault of the Evil God’s Child!』

The First mentioned the Evil God’s Child again. But, I kept my mouth shut so I could listen to his story.

『The country toppling beauty──Agrissa, do you know of her? They were entranced by her, that really happened. A lot of soldiers fought for that woman’s sake. But, when everything was over, they said that they didn’t understand why they were fighting for that woman’s sake, can you believe that? At that time people like them were all over the place. The punishment for them was also lenient. Even the winning side also noticed that it was Agrissa’s fault.』

Based on what I felt from the story, the Bahnseim Kingdom, after defeating the Sentras Kingdom, was exhausted. Maybe they didn’t have the leeway to deal with the soldiers one by one? I had also heard the story of a country toppling beauty before, but at the present that could only really be considered as a small thing occurring within the large flow of events.

The country hadn’t degenerated because of the beauty, but it was because the country degenerated that such an existence came out. I believed that was how it was perceived at the present time. That was how it was written in the books.

「Isn’t that only one of the reasons?」

『Even I don’t want to believe it. But still, that era was seriously messed up. It wouldn’t be strange no matter what happened. Inside the same country, several million…no, tens of millions of people seriously went at each other’s throats, killing and dying…you know? If you considered deaths other than casualties from battles, it’d probably even higher. The one who created that mad world was──』

「──The Evil God’s Child, is it?」

Because of the selfishness of the country toppling beauty, a lot of people were killed, and then she died. That was the story I heard.

『It wasn’t just the country toppling beauty. A mighty general that was a match for an army of tens of thousands. A great magician who lifted an island. Those guys appeared in the critical juncture of the era and stirred up the world. It was as though the world was revolving around that person alone. An era where a great number of people would die came……that is the Evil God’s Child. Your little sister, Celes, might be that Evil God’s Child. To think a child entranced by the Evil God will be born from my lineage…I never even dreamed of something like that happening.』

The First folded his arms and closed his eyes with a groan. I shook my head hearing such a story.

「No way. Such a thing is impossible.」

The First pointed at me.

『You are the proof. Will anyone drive out the only male son from the house when they only have two children? Even if it’s someone no good like you, normally you’d still be trained to be the head. But see, you’re lucky.』

「Lucky?」

I tilted my head. Seeing me the First roughly tussled his hair.

『Notice it! Inside that kind of mansion that is centered on your little sister, they still raised you even if it was only at the bare minimum. Even more, you were actually able to make it out of that kind of house alive! If you were unlucky, it wouldn’t have been strange for them to just kill you off. If they’ve got no more business with you, wouldn’t that just be easier? Following me? 』

Now that he said it, I recalled that certainly it was a situation where it wouldn’t be strange even if I was killed. Hearing that I pressed my head.

「Bu, but……e, eh?」

My mind had fallen to a state of chaos and I wasn’t able to gather my thoughts together.

『Now you noticed? It’s amazing you survived such an environment. You were lucky. No, it might still be bad luck though. After all, the Evil God’s Child appeared right near you. Those guys, they even twisted the environment around them. Can’t really use common sense against humans entranced by the Evil God, you know? Get it? You, weren’t you awfully accepting of your circumstances being like that?』

Now that he said it, that was right. I thought that I was the one in the wrong, and that if I improved, I’d be recognized. I thought nobody ever looked at me because I was no good.

『The Evil God’s Child really exists. In my era I was raised hearing that from everyone.』

My hand let go of my head and then I looked at the First’s face.

「Then, I wasn’t in the wrong? Everything was Celes’s responsibility──」

The First immediately answered.

『Don’t know. I’m irritated looking at you, a lot of your actions even make me think that it couldn’t be helped if your heirship was taken away like this. Besides, I don’t really know anything about this Celes. I can talk with you like this because of that old man Zel carrying you into his house and you manifesting your art. Before that, I didn’t have any awareness.』

「I, is that so……that’s right, isn’t it.」

When I got dejected, the First looked at me and got irritated again. He folded his arms and spoke with a rough tone.

『You, what are you planning to do from now?』

I looked at the First’s face while tilting my head.

「Eh, no……I plan to become an adventurer though?」

『That ain’t it! The country might fall to ruin because of Celes, or that war might spread across the whole continent. What’re you gonna do about it, that’s what I’m asking! After all, Novem-chan’s life is involved with you now!』

Overwhelmed by the First’s menacing look, my mouth opened and closed and then I fell silent. After a while, the answer that came out from my mouth was──

「……I don’t know.」

That kind of pathetic thing. What does he want me to do?

What should I do? I couldn’t make a decision. The First was also enraged and stood up, then he turned his back to me so he wouldn’t have to look at me.

『Looking at you irritates me. Think about it by yourself for a bit!』

I reached out my hand out to the First’s back, but I couldn’t call out to him. The door behind the First’s chair was opened roughly and slammed. I was left all alone inside the round table room.

「Because, I really don’t understand. What should I do…someone please tell me.」

──Tears came out.

.

「We can see it now, Lyle-sama!」

The next day, Novem and I rode the connecting coach. The city near Centralle, Dalien, was right before our eyes. It took fewer days to arrive here when compared to the trip to Remlraudt, making the trip easier. Novem’s expression was bright, but I still wasn’t feeling great due to my conversation with the First from a few days ago. Concerned about me, she looked at me, but when she did that──

『Pull yourself together, this bastard!』

──The First’s yell came.

「Lyle-sama? You have been strange since Centralle, did something happen?」

I shook my head at the worried Novem.

「I, it’s nothing. Look, we won’t be able to go on a trip for a while after this, we also won’t ride a connecting coach again…..I liked seeing the scenery, so I’m feeling a bit regretful, that’s all.」

Then Novem smiled.

「One day, we will depart again towards another place for Lyle-sama’s sake. Dalien is a place where beginner adventurers gather. Conversely speaking, it’s a place where people aiming higher will leave. It seems like something like that happens a lot.」

I felt doubtful. Before this, both Novem and I didn’t know anything about Dalien. And yet, Novem had suddenly became knowledgeable about Dalien.

「How? You didn’t know anything about Dalien before right?」

Novem looked a bit bashful and answered.

「I asked around when I went shopping in Centralle. Dalien seems to be famous. I was able to ask a few things from someone who sold me something, as a form of thanks for purchasing items there. Although, it was only to the extent of common knowledge that anyone knew.」

The Second was impressed at Novem, but even so he sounded a bit dejected.

『Novem-chan really has it together. But compared to her Lyle is……』

In order to show my motivation somehow, I spoke to Novem.

「Novem!」

「Yes?」

I grabbed both of Novem’s shoulders and pulled her closer. And then I conveyed my feelings to her.

「Right now, I’m hopeless……really hopeless but, one day I will become splendid without fail, that’s why…」

Then, Novem smiled to me and nodded. She placed her hand on my arm and,

「I understand. Lyle-sama will surely become a very successful person. Until that time, I will be by your side and watch your growth. Let’s work hard together, Lyle-sama.」

「Ye, yeah!」

The other passengers of the connecting coach and the ancestors inside the Jewel were watching us acting like that. Novem was too much of a good girl that my uselessness was standing out. The surrounding’s gaze stabbed into me. A man around his twenties sitting on the seat behind us clicked his tongue frankly.

「Chih, god-damned show off.」

Then at the same time with that tongue clicking, inside the Jewel the First was also,

『Chih, you kept spouting nothing but unreliable things. If you’re a man, let your back speak for you.』

──No matter what I said or did, I still got scolded. Just for a bit, I felt like chucking the Jewel out the window.