The procession that set out to meet my future sister-in-law was splendid.
Just look.
“I will do my utmost to serve you.”
“At your service.”
Zeke and Milo.
The two of them had donned their armor for the first time in quite a while.
Their equipment was shabby for knights or men-at-arms, but it was still enough to make one think, ‘Oh, do those fellows know how to handle themselves?’
Other knights should have joined us, but House Merlin's message had arrived too suddenly, so there was no helping it.
We had to leave at least a minimum force behind in our territory.
And behind them.
“Heh heh. Let us be on our way, Young Master.”
Twenty standing soldiers led by Veteran Herben.
For reference, Veteran Herben was a scrawny old man who looked as though he might not even be able to swing a sword properly, but apparently, he was quite skilled.
‘No, perhaps it isn't his skill.’
According to something I had heard in passing from Zeke and Milo, the two new recruits(?), there was no demon more fiendish than that old man.
[It is common for an old soldier to torment novice knights. Well…… tormenting men as thoroughly seasoned as Zeke and Milo is another matter.]
In any case, the point was that our territory had sent a force composed of its elite.
Of course, even this was nowhere near enough to save face before House Merlin.
[A count's house…… If they wield any measure of power in this region, someone on Milo's level would be laughable to them, even if Zeke might be another matter. They could probably find someone on Zeke's level without much difficulty as well. In terms of sheer numbers, your party will look pitiful.]
So, what solution had I chosen?
Simple.
“Golgol, Tiktak.”
CLACK-CLACK!
TICK-TOCK!
I set out with Golgol and Tiktak in tow to make up for our lack of numbers.
For reference, Tiktak's Miniton unit looked far too unimpressive to parade around as they were, so I put robes on them.
‘Then what about Golgol and Tiktak?’
Tiktak wore a robe as well.
‘Golgol gets armor.’
Once I put it in armor and draped a robe over it, even Golgol looked like a proper knight.
CLACK-CLACK!
[It is teasing Tiktak. It is saying Tiktak does not have anything like this.]
“Well…… it cannot be helped.”
Losers have nothing to say.
And according to Confucian principles, it was only natural that Golgol, who had been born(?) first, was the elder brother.
That aside.
‘That bastard Tiktak…… It's an F, right?’
I have my doubts.
Well, in any case.
Like Ali Baba and his band of one hundred thieves, I marched onward with seven soldiers and fourteen undead in tow.
No group dared to trouble us.
What? Is public order in our territory that good?
‘No, it's fairly ordinary.’
This made sense once one understood the ecology of bandits in this world.
I don't know how things were in the medieval era of my previous life, but the bandits of this world are, how should I put it…… mostly people with two jobs.
They ordinarily work their main occupations. When they grow bored or business goes poorly, they pass the time on a woodland path and empty the pockets of passing adventurers or peddlers.
That is why villagers from the same territory suffer no harm from one another.
Why?
‘They all know one another by sight.’
Even if they were from different villages, you know? They had all seen one another in passing.
In any case, this isn't a matter of public order. It's because I'm the second young master of House Palaon, and moreover, our procession is traveling beneath the house banner.
No one short of a madman would rob the lord's procession.
If they did, the villages in this entire area would be razed to the ground.
In any case.
After traveling for about half a day, we reached the appointed village.
‘Half a day…… How far is that?’
I don't know.
The roads were not laid out straight and well paved like modern ones, and I had never spent half a day walking along such a winding road.
In any case.
“It appears the young lady of House Merlin has not arrived yet.”
I nodded at Zeke's report after he returned from looking around the village.
“Yes, it seems so.”
“Shall I find somewhere for us to wait?”
“Yes. Ah, and please be polite.”
“Yes, understood. Just in case, I will also ask whether we can stay the night.”
Before long, Zeke returned after finding us accommodations.
Perhaps because the village bordered House Hadion's territory, it had a well-appointed inn despite its small size.
“O-oh my, what brings such an honored guest to a place like this……? Please wait just a moment.”
The innkeeper treated us with utmost hospitality as we took our rooms.
That was when Veteran Herben approached me.
“Heh heh, Young Master.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“Heh heh. Why would an honored person such as yourself speak respectfully to someone like me……? I cannot thank you enough.”
“It is the principle that elders come first.”
“Elders…… come first?”
“Hmm, it simply means that you have devoted far more to the territory than I have, Herben, so it is only proper that I treat you accordingly.”
“Ah…… How can I ever thank you? I am deeply moved that you recognize our efforts……. To think the Baron, the first young master, and now the second young master are all such fine people…….”
Herben's eyes grew moist, as though he were deeply moved.
Come to think of it, was this my first time speaking separately with the five standing soldiers, including Herben?
In any case.
“What brings you to me?”
“Ah, it is merely that something concerns this old man, but with this foolish mind of mine, I cannot tell whether my judgment is correct…….”
I used my wits to make a rough guess.
‘So there's a problem, but he wants to tell me without upsetting me.’
[Indeed. There is a reason he survived to such an age.]
Then it was only human decency to hear him out.
“Please speak freely. There is much I do not know.”
“Oh my, Young Master. Please do not say such things. If you do not know much, then this humble old man ought to die.”
“So, what is the problem?”
“Heh heh, well…… In this humble old man's brief experience and foolish…….”
This is driving me insane.
“Um, Herben?”
“Yes, please speak.”
“Please just tell me. I really don't know fXck-all.”
“Heh heh…….”
Herben seemed to study my mood, but once he realized I was sincere, he nodded.
“Very well, then I will tell you. In my opinion, some mishap has undoubtedly befallen the young lady of House Merlin.”
“A mishap?”
“Yes. I do not know what kind. She may simply be late because the road was blocked, or she may have been attacked by monsters, or perhaps some ill-bred bandits caused trouble. Ah! Of course, the young lady may simply have overslept and fallen behind schedule. However…….”
“However?”
“If she departed according to the letter that reached the Baron, she should have arrived at roughly the same time as we did.”
“Hmm.”
In other words, this was Herben's point.
‘She's a little later than her expected arrival time. He's worried something might have happened.’
Then I had a question.
“Could Father not have sent us a little early? We could hardly make our guest wait…….”
“That was already impossible by the time the letter arrived.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Then what happened?
Did something truly go wrong?
As I considered it, Herben added something.
“Young Master, what I told you is only a possibility. In truth, unexpected complications are bound to arise during any journey. Therefore, please pay it no mind.”
“But that means the possibility still exists, does it not?”
“That is true.”
Then what am I supposed to do?
I tilted my head at the subtle look Herben gave me, then gave up on using my brain altogether.
“Then let us take a leisurely stroll.”
“A stroll?”
“Yes. We cannot go very far, but we can at least head a little way down the road and see what is happening, can we not? If something seems seriously amiss, we can send out scouts.”
“Hmm.”
Herben appeared to contemplate my words before nodding.
“Young Master, you truly are…… a wise man.”
No, I just don't want to think.
One might say we were making too much of a fuss over a delay of only a few hours, but given who the other party was, caution was better.
Either way, there's no harm in scouting only a short distance down the road, is there?
“Then shall I have them prepare?”
“Yes, let us go.”
“……?”
“Why?”
Herben tilted his head as he looked at me.
“Are you saying that you will accompany us, Young Master?”
“Of course. Why?”
I had to go with them. What else would I do, send the soldiers alone?
In truth, I would have done exactly that if even one commander of knightly caliber had been present.
However, Zeke and Milo were knights only in terms of skill. In rank, they were still soldiers who had not even received knighthood.
It was right that I, the sole person responsible, should go.
“He-heh heh…… Understood. Then I will make preparations. Please come out at your leisure.”
“Yes, I will be out shortly.”
Still somewhat bewildered, I waited while wetting my throat with the beer on the table.
But then my ancestor spoke in admiration.
[Was that calculated?]
“……Was what calculated?”
[I am asking whether you contrived this behavior to win the hearts of your subordinates.]
“……? Why would I?”
It was not that I did not respect Herben or the soldiers.
But do I have any need to win their favor?
Strictly speaking, Father is their employer. I'm only borrowing his authority, aren't I?
In other words, we're strangers.
[Huh. Then were you born this way?]
“……?”
Is this disconnect caused by the difference between medieval and modern perceptions?
I don't know.
In any case, this is what matters.
‘Something might have happened to my future sister-in-law?’
I can't stand by and let that happen.
Of course. Absolutely.
“Young Master, the preparations are complete.”
“Yes, let us go.”
I set out with the soldiers.
I don't know.
Would this excursion end as a stroll, or as the opening to some other incident?
In any case.
“Golgol.”
CLACK-CLACK!
“Tiktak.”
TICK-TOCK!
Hmm, how reassuring.
Yes, this is enough.
***
At the entrance to Palaon Territory.
In a mountain valley blanketed by an untimely, dense fog.
Lina crouched down, struggling to catch her breath.
“My Lady, My Lady, please do not be afraid. E-everything will be all right.”
Who did she think she could protect with that tiny body of hers?
And yet, Lina desperately shielded ‘My Lady’ as she hid in a narrow crevice between the rocks and whispered.
Do not be afraid.
Everything would be all right.
But the response from ‘My Lady’ was cold.
“Lina. Do you think I'm a fool?”
“My Lady, what are you saying? How could you possibly be a fool? You are the smartest and most beautiful lady in all of House Merlin.”
“Yes, that's not incorrect. Then do you think someone as intelligent as me can't understand our present situation?”
“Uh, well…….”
Lina tilted her head.
Yes, her lady was clever.
Was that not why she enjoyed the Count's favor despite being his third daughter?!
That only made Lina angrier.
‘To think someone like her is marrying into House Palaon!’
What was so important about those damned mana stones?!
Her lady might have chosen it herself, but to Lina, who sincerely cared for her, it was truly infuriating.
In any case.
“Lina, we were attacked by a group of unidentified undead. Judging from their disorganized movements, they must either be remnants that lost their caster or naturally occurring undead. But I've never heard of land in Palaon Territory being corrupted enough for undead to arise naturally, so they must be remnants that lost their caster. Correct?”
“Uh…… I suppose that’s true?”
“That means the only goal of the undead wandering outside is mindless slaughter. Correct?”
“Uh…… I think so.”
“Then what hope could there possibly be in this situation?”
“Uh…….”
After thinking deeply, Lina eventually conceded the point.
Then she spoke.
“I-I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
“Uh, just because?”
“Ha ha.”
Lady Ellie burst into rare laughter.
“Lina, you don't have anything to apologize for. This is simply…… Yes, it's my fault for volunteering for a political marriage to escape my siblings while still refusing to relinquish power. If I hadn't insisted so stubbornly, nothing like this would have happened today.”
“B-but…….”
Lina looked ready to cry.
She needed to offer some comfort, but she could think of nothing to say.
Why?
Because not a single word her lady had said was wrong!
“B-but you never know! Someone from House Palaon might come and save us……!”
“Lina, I don't know everything, but I know this much.”
“W-what?”
“The knights of Palaon won't be capable of it. Beyond that fog is an entity even our knights couldn't handle.”
“Ah.”
Yes, that was right.
During their escape, the knights had thrown themselves at the enemy beyond the fog to protect Lady Ellie.
Contrary to the expectation that they would soon return, they had yet to come back.
Even the knights of House Merlin had lost their lives.
And yet.
‘Could anyone from Palaon come here and survive?’
GROOOOOOAN―.
GRRK, KRRK!
The cries of the undead echoed from beyond the sinister fog.
As she listened to those cries, Ellie calmly steeled herself.
“M-My Lady. Still, still, you never know! A knight might appear, like a prince on a white horse, right?!”
“Ha ha, Lina. Even if one appeared, he'd be your prince.”
Ellie knew.
No such stroke of luck would come.
Even if ordinary undead could be dealt with…… ‘that bastard,’ the creature that had lured the knights beyond the fog one by one and hunted them down, would be beyond the knights of Palaon.
But she wished for it.
“He'll c-come. I'm sure of it!”
At least for that poor child.
But would there truly be a chance?
Ellie gripped the dagger she had kept tucked against her chest.
‘Rather than meet a miserable end at the hands of the undead, I'd sooner…….’
Take my own life with this hand.
It was only after a long time had passed that a human voice came from beyond the fog.
“M-My Lady?”
“……I heard it too.”
Fortunately, it wasn't too late.
But.
―VALHAAAL―LAAAAAAA!
What in the world is that sound?