Reunion (2)

Viscount Baker Leze is humane.

Yes, humane and ordinary.

Like other nobles, he’s quite interested in elevating his position and takes care of himself before others.

But because he’s humane and ordinary, he’s also someone who knows how to look after those around him when he has the means.

“What?”

“A high-ranking priest from the Pantheon Temple has stopped by during a pilgrimage journey. How would you like to handle this?”

“Bring him here immediately! Right now!”

Viscount Leze, who had been glancing at documents with bleary eyes in his office as usual, twitched the corner of his mouth as he looked at the butler who had come to report.

A high-ranking priest. And from the Pantheon Temple, no less. There are many ways to use such a connection.

“And prepare a banquet too!”

“Yes, my lord.”

Viscount Leze stroked his beard with a greedy expression.

“Be as courteous as possible. That way, it’ll be harder for him to refuse.”

Yes, he’s not the kind of talent who should be wasting away in this backwater.

This opportunity would be a stepping stone to elevate his standing within his domain.

“Hahahaha!”

Viscount Leze laughed like a villain, dreaming of the future to come.

*     *      *

This is my first time visiting the Viscount Leze domain. Considering I was a heresy inquisitor who traveled to many places, this is quite unusual.

The reason was simple.

It’s a small domain with little human traffic and minimal scale.

When I passed through this area before my regression, it had already been destroyed.

Even before the war intensified.

Whether it was the work of half-demons or an attack by large-scale magical beasts was never clearly established.

That’s how isolated this domain was.

So it would be a lie to say I’m not tense.

However…

“Priest! I’ll escort you. Come along! And your companions too. Oh! So many children! No need to worry. We have plenty of empty rooms for the children to stay! Hahahahaha!”

The high-ranking priest’s credentials I received from Cotinus were certainly useful.

I didn’t expect them to invite us to the lord’s castle within the domain without any suspicion.

What’s even funnier is that this all happened just by confirming my identity.

The plump middle-aged man jabbering in front of me still doesn’t know who my companions are.

His handling of matters is sloppy.

Or perhaps he hasn’t had much interaction with other high-ranking figures?

Well, it might be his first time welcoming a high-ranking noble, a high-ranking priest, and royalty all at once in this backwater.

“Oh! I haven’t introduced myself yet! I am Viscount Baker Leze, who rules this domain. Today, I’ve prepared a banquet for you, Priest, and I hope you’ll enjoy it.”

“Thank you for your hospitality. I am Lost, a priest affiliated with the Pantheon Temple. I’d like to impose on your domain for a few days, so I appreciate your understanding.”

“Of course! Of course! Absolutely! Feel free to stay for days!”

Viscount Leze stroked his mustache and smiled blatantly.

With such obvious greed on display, it almost removes any suspicion.

“Hmm, hmm. The banquet hall? What? It’s not ready yet? I told you to prepare it earlier! What? It’s taking longer because there are more companions than expected? Hey! You idiot!”

Despite having guests, such obvious exchanges are taking place.

He probably intended it to be a quiet whisper, but as he continued speaking, his voice grew louder, making it impossible not to hear.

“Hmm, hmm. It seems a bit early for dinner, so would you mind waiting a moment? Come to think of it, I haven’t asked for your companions’ names. Nice to meet you. I am Viscount Baker Leze.”

“Ah, yes. I’m Línea Spirin.”

“…Spirin?!”

Viscount Leze’s expression twisted instantly. It wasn’t displeasure, but rather anxiety from realizing his mistake belatedly.

“I-I didn’t recognize such a distinguished person! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Línea Spirin.”

The Viscount bowed again with a much more respectful attitude.

I’m starting to like this person more and more. In a sense, he’s quite honest. The fact that it’s only in front of power is a bit of a drawback, but still.

“I am Titan.”

“…Ah, yes.”

What’s surprising, though, is that he didn’t seem particularly shocked by Titan’s appearance. He’s quite bold.

It’s remarkable that he becomes weak only in front of power, not physical appearance. Does he have some other source of confidence?

“And this young lady is…”

Since he doesn’t seem to know that Titan is royalty, the conversation was shorter than with Línea. I didn’t feel the need to point it out, so I let it be, and Viscount Leze greeted each member of our group one by one.

Claire is understandable, but the children who had been child soldiers look quite shabby. The fact that he maintains proper courtesy even with such children suggests he has decent fundamentals.

“Ahem! So I…”

It also seems like he’s simply trying to buy time until the banquet is prepared.

That level is just right.

“Ah! It seems the banquet preparation is finished! Come, come this way!”

At this point, I’m genuinely curious.

I wonder what favor Viscount Leze is trying to ask me that’s making him act like this.

If it’s an unreasonable request, I’ll refuse, but it’s worth hearing at least.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Of course! Of course! All the specialties of our domain are ingredients for meals!”

What request will this contradictory noble, who appears both naive and greedy, make of me?

*     *      *

Children who slept on the streets, who ultimately became half-demons in the face of survival threats, can’t be expected to know table manners.

So it’s only natural that the banquet table becomes a mess.

The corner of Viscount Leze’s eye twitched as he watched, but fortunately, it didn’t escalate into a problem.

His feelings might be hurt, but he’ll endure it. That impression is palpable.

Blatantly so.

“Hmm, hmm. By the way, Priest. I believe I heard you’re affiliated with the Pantheon Temple, but may I ask what kind of holy magic you can use? Haha! Living in this backwater, it’s rare to witness miracles of the gods!”

And the reason for all of this is to ask me for something.

Just as I thought it was about time to start, he’s testing the waters to see what I can do.

It’s surprising. I can clearly sense his intention to make various requests based on what I can do.

How blatant. If this person were to venture into central politics, he’d quickly fall from grace.

One wrong word, and he’d be dragged to the execution ground.

“As a priest of the Pantheon Temple, I’ve received considerable blessings. If there’s something you’d like to ask of me, please feel free to speak without reservation.”

“Is that really okay?!”

“…”

Does this person not even bother with pleasantries?

One would expect at least one token refusal, but he’s quite the character.

With permission granted, Viscount Leze gleefully said.

“Then…!”

His request was somewhat.

Unexpected.

*     *      *

I decided to grant the visibly obliging Viscount Leze’s request.

Well, I had planned to grant it from the start, as long as it was reasonable.

After all, he’s looking after me, my companions, and all the children we rescued from the forest.

I considered it a fair exchange.

However…

“Look at that? It seems he’s not entirely without skill… Or is it just a coincidence?”

I never imagined that Viscount Leze’s request would be to care for the long-standing ailments of his domain’s residents.

What’s more, he had soldiers gather the injured and sick people at the church even before I agreed to his request, so this wasn’t spontaneous.

This means that as soon as he heard of my existence, he thought of using me, and the first action he took was this.

Compared to his openly displayed greed, it was quite unexpected.

This is something I can’t refuse.

Even if Viscount Leze had been rude to me, this would have been difficult to decline.

As a priest representing the Pantheon Temple, I can’t turn away the sick and injured.

“Our lord is a bit of an odd person.”

“And you are?”

“Ah, I apologize. I haven’t introduced myself yet. I am Rectus, a knight serving the Viscount Leze household. Consider me a bodyguard, if you will.”

He was a middle-aged knight with a somewhat solemn impression. He’s probably the military force the Leze household relies on.

This must be why the Viscount wasn’t afraid when he saw Titan.

Of course… if this knight before me were to fight Titan, Titan would win.

He just doesn’t know that.

In a backwater like this, most of what they’d face would be magical beasts, and among them would be monsters even larger and more terrifying than Titan.

If a knight has defeated such monsters, such faith isn’t entirely unfounded.

“More importantly, you said he’s an odd person. I’d like to hear more.”

“Well, there are many ways to describe it, but this would be most accurate. He’s overflowing with ambition, but he’s a coward.”

“That does sound like an accurate description. So that’s why he…”

Viscount Leze wasn’t just foolish. It seems he had planned to elevate his position by asking me for a favor, but his approach was rather cheap.

This indicates that despite his intention to use me, he didn’t want to antagonize me.

Anxious about offending me, he found a way to use me legitimately—this request.

If his goal is to elevate his position, then gaining the trust of his domain’s residents to be seen as a ‘good lord’ is part of that.

The practical benefits might not be much, but at least he could be praised within this small domain.

That’s all there is to it.

Just receiving praise, nothing more.

It’s quite a simple desire.

“I thought he wasn’t a fundamentally bad person, and I’m glad that seems to be the case.”

He’s truly humane.

“Isn’t he? So please don’t frighten our lord. As I said, he’s quite faint-hearted.”

“Is that why you came to tell me this?”

“Though the lord probably attached me to you as some form of surveillance, you don’t seem like someone who would fall for such tactics.”

Sir Rectus appeared wiser than Viscount Leze. And he’s a knight who has devoted his life to training.

This is quite rare.

Which makes me suspicious.

“Sir Rectus, you’re clearly not originally from the Viscount Leze domain. Were you invited from outside… or did you happen to pass by and decide to settle here?”

Clearly an outsider with some connection.

Probably a fallen noble or a soldier who violated military law.

Either way, it’s plausible.

At least, he doesn’t seem like someone who would naturally belong to a backwater like the Viscount Leze domain.

So why is he living as a knight in the Viscount Leze domain?

“Viscount Leze probably didn’t even think to be suspicious of you. To put it bluntly, because he’s not very bright.”

“That’s correct. Well, the lord seems to think he recruited me through his smooth talking, but that’s not the case.”

“It seems the one I should be troubling is not Viscount Leze, then?”

“Please don’t trouble me either. I just want to live peacefully here. I’ve had enough of bloody battlefields.”

“I see, I understand.”

Sir Rectus is not a fallen noble but a deserter from the military.

He implicitly revealed this fact to me, essentially asking me to leave him be.

Indeed, just a few years ago, the empire was expanding its territory through war. Most were conquest wars, so civilian casualties must have been enormous.

No matter how it was justified with noble causes, the soldiers who directly wielded weapons on the front lines would have felt differently. Sir Rectus felt disillusioned by that and left the military.

This is the accurate picture.

A common story.

A story that wouldn’t benefit either of us if I pried further.

“Sir Rectus.”

Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but speak to Sir Rectus.

The landscape of the future. What did he think when he saw the Viscount Leze domain ultimately destroyed, despite his presence?

How would the battlefield appear to someone who had left it, seeking peace, only to face it again?

“You’re putting too much weight on your shoulders for someone who wants peace.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I know Sir Rectus is strong, but that doesn’t mean you need to try and solve everything alone. Viscount Leze might be dim-witted, but he’s not thoughtless. Look at how well he’s using me.”

I understand the deep-seated imagery in Sir Rectus’s mind.

I comprehend the landscape that’s disturbing his heart.

He must have achieved countless victories on the battlefield.

And to a comparable extent, he must have etched the fate of countless defeated opponents into his eyes.

Then, how would he act in the face of defeat, having been anxious about when it might engulf him?

“Do you perhaps think that the defeated can only express blame? Because this world belongs to the strong?”

I remember.

Right before my regression.

The appearance of the unnamed demon official who pierced my heart and delivered death.

Now I know his name.

His name is Rectus.

“Let’s not resign ourselves to defeat. Let’s struggle until the end, and if all else fails, let’s at least try to escape and look for the next opportunity.”

The destruction of the Viscount Leze domain and the fate of the knight who couldn’t protect it.

A knight who fought valiantly but ultimately was the only survivor as the domain burned, despite being on the front lines.

If his destiny is to become a monster who sought power due to feelings of inadequacy about his own strength, ultimately becoming a demon…

“So please set down some of the burden you’ve taken upon your shoulders. You don’t need to protect everyone.”

I wanted to tell him it’s not too late yet.

Because everyone makes efforts to become stronger.