The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 71

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“He’s gone? What was that guy all about…”

The adventurer visiting Slein Magic Jewel Shop was dumbfounded.
Just when he thought a child with a woman had entered, the kid had started snatching up items at an astonishing pace.
Among the items the child bought was one the man himself had been planning to purchase, leaving him feeling distinctly displeased.

“That young man is the eldest son of the House of Aster.”

The shopkeeper said, his face beaming. It was no wonder; the coins Hein had given him earlier were worth about five times the total cost of the goods.

“Nobles, huh…”

The man had little fondness for the aristocracy. As an adventurer from the Duchy of Yggdra, he harbored a deep-seated aversion to nobles—or rather, to all those in positions of power.
He aspired to live a life of a true man: earning his way through his own skill and judgment, beholden to no one.
For someone like him, the Duchy of Yggdra felt a little stifling.

The Duchy of Yggdra strongly encouraged its citizens to practice the state religion, the Heavenly Teachings, and clergy held immense social status.
As a result, the duchy had been an uncomfortable place for adventurers—day laborers and rogues—until the current Guild Master, the “Heavenly Knight” Webster, a devout follower of the Heavenly Teachings, effectively granted them human rights.

However, the duchy still pressured adventurers to adhere to the Heavenly Teachings, a requirement that grated on the man’s nerves.
Perhaps it was his innate contrarian nature, but regardless, he had fled the stifling Duchy of Yggdra and now worked as a day laborer in the Gaines Empire.
Incidentally, the Empire also had an Adventurer’s Guild—in fact, every major city in the world did.

“Don’t make that face in front of the nobles, or you’ll be in serious trouble if they see you.”

The shopkeeper looked at the man with a troubled expression.

“I came to the Gaines Empire because I heard strength was what mattered here… but if brats like that are running around…”

The shopkeeper replied to the man’s words,

“Isn’t that precisely why they act that way?”

“Huh?”

“Nobles aren’t revered simply for their titles, at least not in this country. They’re respected because they wield power. Strength is what earns respect here.”

“So you’re saying that brat is strong?”

The man scoffed, as if daring the shopkeeper to contradict him. The shopkeeper nodded matter-of-factly.

“He’s the heir apparent to the House of Aster. Of course, he’s strong.”

Despite this explanation, the man couldn’t shake his skepticism.

“But hey, I’m pretty strong myself, right? Yet I’ve never been fawned over in this Empire.”

“Well, if customers can afford to shop here, they must be quite strong. But I doubt they’re risking their lives to defend this country, right? If not, then it’s fine… The nobles can act so high and mighty because they’re strong and lead the charge against the Empire’s enemies.”

The man couldn’t argue with that logic.

“Whatever. I’m looking for a few third-grade Magic Gems—”

The Slein Magic Jewel Shop was a high-end establishment, and the fact that the man was being treated as a valued customer meant he was a skilled adventurer.

“Yes, yes, we have plenty in stock. …By the way, you’re an adventurer from the Duchy of Yggdra, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, what’s the problem?”

“Oh, nothing at all. We’ve just seen a surge of adventurers from the west lately. Not just adventurers, but merchants and traveling performers too. I was wondering if there’d been some kind of political upheaval.”

The man tilted his head.

“Hmm, I don’t know… When I left the country, there was nothing like that going on. A political upheaval? I don’t think that’s likely in Yggdra.”

Yggdra’s political situation was stable.
While there were nobles and a king, the church effectively ran the country.
With the Holy Maiden absent, the Pope held real power, and the king was merely a figurehead.

“I see… Well, for us merchants, it might be a good time to make money, but… I’m not too fond of instability. The Empire is already being harassed by the Former Demon Lord’s Army.”

“Ah, those occasional attacks, right? The Dragonkin ones, roaring and all?”

“There was an attack just recently. Apparently, it was easily repelled.”

“Are there some amazing Adventurers around?”

“No, no, it was the nobles. You know, the House of Aster? They took care of it with a wham!”

The man was surprised.
In the Duchy of Yggdra, it was the adventurers who toiled and sweated, while the nobles were seen as pompous parasites.

“If they’re working to protect the country… well, maybe they’re entitled to be a little arrogant…”

“Yes, that’s about right. Though lately, the political atmosphere has grown rather ominous, and the old spirit of rugged simplicity has faded considerably… Still, the nobles of House Aster do protect us properly.”

The man replied with a disinterested “hmm,” but it seemed like his bad impression of Hein, or rather of the nobles of this country, had faded a little.

“It pisses me off that some brat like that gets to have all the good women, but if he’s actually doing his job properly, I guess I can’t complain… Those damn nobles in Yggdra could learn a thing or two. In that country, it’s always the adventurers risking their lives.”

The man shook his head with a sigh.
For him, adventurers were symbols of freedom, but ever since the “Heavenly Knight” Webster became Guild Master, Yggdra’s Adventurers’ Guild had been reduced to little more than a lackey for the Holy Authority.
That was another reason he’d fled the country.

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Meanwhile, back in Yggdra…

“Everyone! Get behind me! Caliburn’s flames, gather, swirl, and devour— Breath of the Flame Dragon!”

The Silver-Rank Adventurer “Flareweaver” Flarela pointed her staff at the Dullahan and unleashed a triple-chant spell.
A torrent of ferocious flames erupted from the staff’s tip, so intense that her companions involuntarily gasped.
Normally, unleashing fire in a forest would be utter folly, but this was no ordinary situation.
Yet the Dullahan, wielding its longsword in its right hand, cleaved the entire stream of flames in two.
In swordsmanship, cutting through tangible objects marks a second-rate swordsman, while slicing through intangible forces earns one first-rate status. This black-armored knight clearly possessed first-rate skill.

“W-what kind of swordsmanship… To sever those flames…!”

As one adventurer recoiled in terror, a cursed voice emanated from the Dullahan’s severed knight’s head.

(A Curse incantation?! Damn it…)

Instantly, Flarela and her companions froze in place.

“T-this is bad…”

Flarela remained frozen mid-spell, her legs not buckling, nor anything binding her, yet her body refused to move.
Flarela wasn’t the only one; her companions were similarly paralyzed, their bodies locked in place as if bound by an invisible force.
Yet the Dullahan made no move to finish them off.
Instead, footsteps, or rather, a dragging sound, echoed from the depths of the forest.
The creaking of bones, the sickening squelch of rotting flesh clinging together.
These were the sounds of the Undead; they had barely managed to hold off moments before.
The moans of ravenous zombies, their hunger still unsatisfied, and behind them, the swords and spears of skeletons closing in.
Flarela and her companions could only watch helplessly as the horrors advanced, unable to tear their eyes away.

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At the Duchy of Yggdra’s Adventurer’s Guild headquarters, an uneasy atmosphere had persisted for days.
The central hall teemed with adventurers, ominous rumors swirling through the crowd.
A massive outbreak of the Undead.
The devastation grew daily, and grim news had begun to reach the farming villages near the Royal Capital.

“Hey, is it true the Red Knight’s Sword still hasn’t returned?”

“You’re kidding, right? Weren’t they our trump card against the Undead?”

The Red Knight’s Sword was one of the Adventurer’s Guild’s elite teams.
But they, along with several other adventurer teams, had vanished without a trace after venturing into the forest to investigate the source of the miasma emanating from within.
Ignoring the murmuring atmosphere, the Guild’s executives had gathered in the boardroom for an emergency meeting.
The Heavenly Knight, Webster, sat on the edge of his desk, idly fiddling with an envelope.

“…No survivors,”

Webster said, his voice heavy.
One of the executives shook his head, a stack of documents in his hand.

“Dealing with the Undead falls under the Holy Authority’s jurisdiction. Can’t we get them involved somehow?”

Another executive glanced sideways as he asked.
Webster sighed softly and gazed out the window.

“I just received word. They lack the resources to spare for this. We’re instructed to buy time.”

“What good will buying time do?”

It was only natural for the executive to question this.
The Duchy of Yggdra was surrounded by forests on all sides.
It was reasonable to wonder if those who could still escape would eventually be trapped.

“The Clerics are pooling their strength to erect a barrier around the Capital.”

“What about the other villages, then?”

“Don’t ask.”

Webster’s expression turned grim.

“But the barrier can’t hold forever. What’s the plan?”

Another executive pressed.
Webster had received instructions from the Holy Authority on this as well.

“They’ll send birds to neighboring countries to request aid. Naturally, the Adventurer’s Guild must also seek support from guilds in other nations. Until then, we must cooperate with the national army to buy time. Even erecting the barrier requires preparation.”

The Adventurer’s Guild wasn’t a monolithic entity.
In reality, the only thing these organizations shared was their name; they were entirely separate entities.
Each country had its own Guild, loosely united under a set of shared principles. While mutual aid was their primary focus, fostering a spirit of cooperation, it was entirely possible for a Guild in another country to refuse assistance.

“So, we can’t afford to be picky… But facing such a massive horde of Undead, other nations will likely hesitate. And even if we do secure support, the price afterward will be steep.”

“That falls under the purview of the state. It’s beyond our jurisdiction. Still, if money can buy lives and the fate of a nation, it’s a bargain. If only the Gaines Empire would take action.”

Webster massaged his brow, gazing out the window at the gray sky.

“The area around the Olkenstein Mountains in the east used to be the territory of Duke Caliste’s House, one of the Gaines Empire’s renowned Twelve Noble Houses.”

“Hmm. I’m acquainted with Duke Calliste. I’m hoping to secure his support somehow…”

Webster’s words lacked conviction.
It wasn’t fear holding him back.
Just a nagging premonition.
Undead like Dullahans and Liches shouldn’t be spontaneously appearing in droves.
If that were the case…

…then it had to be the Undead King.

That was his gut feeling.
If the Undead King had stirred, it would be the worst possible scenario.
The Hero who had once clashed with the Demon King had several companions.
Maricia, revered as the Holy Maiden by the Heavenly Teachings, was one of them.
It was this Holy Maiden Maricia who had barely managed to seal the Undead King Fabian, at the cost of her own life.

…Yet the Holy Maiden remained missing.

That’s right—neither the Holy Maiden nor the Hero has been found to this day.

“May the Order God Arne protect us,”

Webster murmured, letting out a heavy sigh.