The Banished Villainous Noble Son Who Was Used as a Stepping Stone in the Original Work Awakens to Combat and Destroys the Laws of the World - Episode 69: The Aftertaste and What Comes Next

Episode 69: The Aftertaste and What Comes Next

――Its figure melted into the white haze.

The moment its presence vanished, the air that had been drawn tight loosened. The rustle of the forest slowly returned.

Birdsong, the sound of leaves swaying in the wind――yet the chill still remained in the depths of my chest.

“……h, haa……”

Linea finally let out a big breath. Her shoulders rose and fell. Sweat ran down her stiffened cheeks. The trembling had not completely settled.

“……Are you all right?”

I asked shortly. I felt my voice naturally lower.

“Y-yes, I’m fine.”

She nodded. But her fingertips still trembled faintly.

(So, putting on a brave front. But she did not collapse.)

That declaration just before――the words “I won’t run,” must not have been a lie.

But behind it, I had certainly seen both fear and hesitation.

Even so, since she kept standing, that must be her resolve.

We began retracing the path. Our steps, as we left the forest and returned to the dirt road, were a little slow, a little stiff.

I slightly eased my pace. Without a word, I matched her stride. That alone was enough. To lend a hand would wound her pride. But I was not cold enough to leave her be.

“……I must have been scared.”

Before long, Linea muttered softly. Her gaze was cast down to the gravel at her feet.

“And yet, at that moment…… I really wasn’t scared. Strangely enough.”

I did not interrupt.

“But afterwards…… now that I’m walking like this, I really am scared. I can’t stop trembling……”

Biting her lip, she twisted her face as if to smile.

I returned quiet words.

“……When you’re afraid, yet even so decide ‘not to run,’ that’s what’s called resolve, isn’t it?”

Linea stopped walking. She looked up at me in surprise. And――it seemed, just a little, that her shoulders relaxed.

“……Thank you.”

Her voice was small, but straight.

Soon, when we emerged from the forest, the lights of the town came into view. Red light swayed in the dusking sky. The bustle of stalls could be heard from afar.

I could tell Linea’s steps grew heavier. Fatigue must have been pressing in. Without saying anything, I slowed down even more. Nothing further was needed.

We passed through the town gate. We walked over the stone pavement. When we arrived at the inn, Linea bowed her head deeply.

“……For what happened today, thank you very much.”

“It’s too early for thanks.”

I exhaled lightly. I turned my gaze aside.

“The real thing starts from here.”

Linea blinked. She then smiled faintly. Not bravado, not made-up――for just a moment, it was a genuine smile.

Watching her enter the inn, I kept my eyes on her back.

(The trial is hers. But――I too will be caught up in it.)

That being had once fought alongside me. And it had spoken words as if it perceived something of my skills.

There had been no sign of a skill being used on me. But perhaps it had something that could even slip past my notice.

Thinking that way, it went without saying that I could not let down my guard.

The wind brushed my cheek. I wiped away just a little of the lingering chill I had felt in the forest.

◆

I walked on after parting with Linea. The main street of the town was bathed in the afternoon light. It was wrapped in bright bustle.

Voices of peddlers flew about. The sweet smell of baked goods tickled my nose. Children shouted in play. Adults raised their voices bargaining. Yet even within that clamor, the depths of my chest felt strangely still.

(……I must think this through after all.)

The ice monster’s appearance earlier, and the word “bloodline” it had directed at Linea. Both of them weighed on me. But at the same time, what remained even stronger in my mind was――Reinhardt Glanz, that man’s existence.

Just recalling him made a chill run down my spine. Without even grasping a sword, just by standing, he controlled the surrounding air with his presence, his pressure.

That was a level, a “rank,” that could only be reached by piling up both training and real combat.

Remembering it, a bitter laugh escaped me. I too once knew well what “pressure” was.

When I held a noble’s seat, backed by rank and wealth, silencing those around me was a daily occurrence. With just a word, with just a glance, I made others submit. I had grown up in that environment as if it were natural.

But――Reinhardt’s was different. His was pressure built by one sword alone. It was backed by living strength.

No trappings, no authority. A weight born of pure ability.

That difference had been thrust at me so sharply that now I could only laugh.

(How flimsy I was, back in my noble days…… No, I should rather think that it was that very flimsiness that has driven me this far now.)

Without stopping my feet, I continued the monologue in my head. Compared to Reinhardt, there was a gap that could not be filled.

But that was not despair. On the contrary, the existence of a wall was something to be glad of.

(The Glanz Ducal House…… huh.)

A great noble house responsible for the military of the Kingdom of Luxteria. As the second son, Reinhardt would not inherit the title. But that did not make him a “light existence.”

Rather, because he would not inherit, he could fully devote himself as the Knight Commander, letting his house’s influence permeate the army.

He was both the Knight Commander standing at the top of the army, and of ducal bl00d. His influence, in terms of both rank and military power, was overwhelming. In other words, if my identity were to be known, there was a possibility it would immediately spread throughout the entire kingdom.

(I can no longer act on the premise of “not being found out.”)

Such a conclusion sank heavily in my chest.

All around, the lives of townsfolk were being carried out. Farmers with baskets of fruit, merchants spreading spices, girls selling flowers. Laughter, scolding, bargaining voices. All mixing together. The midday town shone dazzlingly with life. That contrast with myself stood out all the more.

……Even if the ducal house or the knights were not moving openly, they could easily investigate adventurers’ movements. Who I was, what requests I accepted, who I was involved with――I might need to act under the premise of being watched.

Earning funds to raise daily-life skills.

The connection with the ice monster, the matter of Linea.

And, contact with the knights and noble society.

These three problems seemed independent. But in fact, they were entwined. A single misstep could cause them all to collapse.

If I prioritized earning money, response to the ice monster would be delayed.

If I worried too much about Linea, I would expose a gap to the nobles.

And if I carelessly got involved with the nobles or the knights, I might immediately lose my freedom.

(If I mistake the order, I could lose everything.)

The breath I let out felt strangely heavy.

Each step on the stone pavement piled weight onto my heart. Even so――my feet did not stop.

Raise daily-life skills. Solve the riddle of the ice monster. Prepare so as not to be swallowed by the knights. There was much to do. But in the end, all I could choose were my own sword and my own steps.

Before long, the Adventurers’ Guild building came into view. The same appearance as always. Yet now, it felt like one branching point.

(The next step――which one will I choose?)

Murmuring softly in my chest, I reached out to the guild’s door.

(Note: There is one Interlude after this chapter that you can buy with coins.)

Original Author’s Comment:

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Thank you very much for reading up to here!!

The next episode will be an interlude!!

And, to those who sent gifts, truly, thank you so much……!!

My heart is full with joy, and once again I feel, “I want to deliver an even better story!!”

And also, to everyone who gives stars, reviews, and daily support, I give my heartfelt thanks……!!

With this strength at my back, I’ll give my all in writing Chapter 3!!!

(Here’s the link if you want to support the Author: https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818622176303375188.)