From the subjugation of Agrissa, to the founding of the Kingdom of Banseim and the division of the continent—.
The Third Generation's voice echoed quietly within the Jewel as she listened to the chain of events and heard about the relationship between House Walt and House Foxes.
"Wait, you're missing the most important information? What do you mean? You need to know how Agrissa was defeated, after all... Banseim and all that doesn't really matter, does it?"
The Third Generation's disappointed expression was an unexpected reaction even from Mireia and me. No—for someone like her, that might have been the most natural response.
The Fifth Generation was seated at the round table, gazing up at the ceiling with her arms crossed.
"Close in and cut them down, huh. So the ancestor of House Walt did exactly that. If the ancestor of House Foxes, who excelled at magic, was acting separately, perhaps they specialized in magic. That might be why the yellow Jewel's recording was of a backline-type."
However, the Seventh Generation stroked her chin, her expression serious.
"Then Ceres is a monster in close combat too. I'm not sure how useful this will be as reference. But whether it truly matters or not—it was rather a lukewarm story."
All three of them described the tale of the Walt ancestors as "lukewarm." I was the one worrying about House Foxes, yet none of the three seemed the least bit concerned.
"Um, about House Foxes—"
The Third Generation smiled.
"Hm? It's fine, isn't it? The reasons are a bit heavy, but we've now learned why they served House Walt. Well, Novem is a memory-bearer with such strong feelings toward House Walt that it's hard to tell whether she's seeing Lyle as an individual, but that's something Lyle himself will have to work out. Also, our ancestor's carelessness was just absurd."
The Seventh Generation agreed with the Third Generation as well.
"Even if House Walt were to spread the word now that they defeated Agrissa, if it couldn't be proven true, it would just be a lie. And even if they proved it, people would only say 'So what?'"
The Fifth Generation looked at me and Mireia with a troubled expression.
"Our ancestor must have been frustrated too, and I'd like to make it right somehow... but the only way would be for Lyle to rule the continent and then frame it as Banseim being at fault all along, restoring their honor. But doing that would be..."
The three exchanged glances, and all three nodded. Speaking on their behalf, the Third Generation opened her mouth.
"Honestly, it would just be seen as a lie to boost prestige. I mean, people in power always put on appearances to some extent, and that kind of thing does matter, but still. People would wonder why bring it up now. Besides, even if we did destroy Banseim, it's not like our consciences would be entirely clean about it. It was three hundred years ago, after all."
In the past, it might have been possible to reclaim and restore their ancestors' honor. That could have been the main objective. But now, Banseim was far beyond defending. House Walt was terrible too, for that matter. Even if House Walt had a righteous cause, Ceres's actions had ruined everything.
The Seventh Generation, letting out a sigh.
'Here I thought it would finally prove useful at the very end, but it ends on such a lukewarm note...'
The three of them looked dejected, and Mireia, seeing their reaction, was trembling.
'What is wrong with you people! We were able to learn about House Walt's legitimacy and about House Foxes, weren't we! At least try to think about it. The continent split apart and ended up like this because House Banseim stole our ancestors' achievements!'
However, the Third Generation's opinion remained cold.
'No, I don't think the continent split solely because of Banseim. They probably wanted independence, and there were surely grievances too. Besides, being unified doesn't necessarily mean you'd be happy.'
The Fifth Generation looked my way.
'Well, you know. Lyle... if you can personally feel that it's only right for House Banseim to fall, while also clearing our ancestors' regrets, then you'll feel a lot more at peace, right? That should be fine for now. Oh, and Lyle's name—could it be that—'
The Seventh Generation clapped her hands as if suddenly remembering something.
'When my son and his wife were struggling with names, it was a couple from House Foxes who helped them out! Well, it's no big deal. Over such a long history, name overlaps are bound to happen.'
The Third Generation, smiling.
'That's true, but... it's heavy. That's a heavy one, House Foxes! But they did look after us, so something like that should be fine, right? Lyle, that's why you should take care of Novem, okay?'
What a mess. My response to House Foxes, who had devoted their entire clan—not just their lives—to House Walt, was far too casual.
"Um, what should I say to Novem?"
The Fifth Generation addressed me.
'Figure it out yourself. I mean, if you're smitten, then just accept it. Though I don't know whether Novem is looking at you as an individual, or looking through you at House Walt and the heroes of old.'
Now that he mentioned it, there were indeed differences in values—like how Novem was willing to accept a harem situation on my behalf. No, if she sees me as true royal bloodline... then I'm curious what she thinks of me as a person.
The Third Generation let out a sigh.
'Aaah, and here I thought we'd finally get to learn about Agrissa's weaknesses or something. Talk about a bait-and-switch. What the heck, building up our expectations like that.'
Mireia, who had been trembling, moved—and in a flash, she had drawn her gun and fired. The bullet was aimed at the Third Generation—it didn't land. The bullet embedded itself in the chair the Third Generation had been sitting in, and then vanished.
Inside the Jewel. Only the Third Generation's voice could be heard from between the Round Table.
"Oh come on, don't be so mad. I never said Mireia 'chan' was useless. I mean, she was useless in the end, but she's cute, so I'll let it slide. Besides, she's my great-granddaughter, you know."
The provoking words of the Third Generation left Mireia with a bitter expression on her face.
—The Landberg family.
They were a lineage of knights who had risen to knighthood during the Third Generation's era.
A family of vassal knights who had served House Walt for generations, though a daughter from House Walt had married into their ranks. They were a solid household even by House Walt's standards—so dependable that after House Walt relocated its estate to manage newly expanded territory, the Landbergs were entrusted with overseeing the lands left behind.
The knight that Rael had admired, Baile Landberg, was the second son of the current head of this family. He now served at House Walt's estate, which placed him under Ceres's influence.
The head of the Landberg family was speaking with Novem.
This was an important territory for House Foxes—even Ceres had refrained from making a move here, wary of Novem.
There was no way the head of this family could be under Ceres's influence.
"—This is the current situation, Lord Landberg."
The man, past fifty, bore visible wounds across his body. Injuries sustained in battle had accumulated to the point where he could no longer move as he wished and now walked with a cane.
"I visited the estate, but was given no audience. I never imagined things had gone that far."
Covering his face with both hands, the Landberg family head was visibly disheartened.
"Something was clearly off about the estate—that much is true. I've confirmed it myself. But for this to happen while my brother was there…"
For Novem, the Landberg family was a household known for its loyalty and trustworthiness. She had even considered this land, once established by the First Generation, a fitting refuge for Rael.
That was why Novem had come here—certain that Ceres had kept her promise and left the territory untouched.
Novem bowed her head to the Landberg family head.
"Lord Landberg, please lend me soldiers for Rael's sake. Right now, Rael has far too few forces she can command on her own."
The Landberg family head nodded. But at the same time, he called a young man into the room.
"Very well. The Landberg family owes a debt of gratitude to House Walt. If Lady Rael is to take the field, I'll send soldiers. However, my body won't obey me anymore. Baldoa, come in."
The young man called Baldoa entered the room. He was tall, with silky brown hair that reached down to his back.
His green eyes were sharp, and his body was well-trained.
"Baldoa, you've been listening, haven't you? You will serve under Lady Rael. We'll send men from our territory. Take at least three hundred with you."
At the Landberg family head's words, the young man called Baldoa was somewhat surprised.
"Three hundred!? Father, in our current situation, even two hundred would hinder the management of our territory—"
The Landberg family head, addressed as Father, raised his cane slightly and struck the floor. At that, Baldoa fell silent.
He then turned to Novem.
"I apologize. He doesn't seem to grasp the gravity of the situation. But Baldoa has already seen his first battle, and as his parent, I can say he's exceptional. He may lack experience, but he'll be useful. That said, three hundred is our limit. I'll make sure to send capable young men, but we simply can't provide more soldiers on our own."
From Novem's perspective, she had been expecting around two hundred. That alone would represent more than ten percent of the territory's military forces. Three hundred would be a number that could cause problems for the territory's governance.
But right now, she needed every soldier she could get.
"Thank you very much. Then, please head south, enter Janpea from there, and travel by ship to South Baim."
Baldoa was somewhat surprised.
"From Janpea to Baim? Things are getting hectic on the eastern front — so that's where the war is going to break out. Understood. I'll make preparations."
Baldoa left the room with brisk, energetic movements.
Watching Baldoa's retreating figure, Novem recalled the Fifth Generation's daughter, who had once been sent to the Landberg family as a bride.
(...It's all for Lady Rael's sake.)
The Rael that Novem was referring to — no one knew which Rael she meant.
——Adele, upon hearing the report from the Valkyries she had brought along, held her head in her hands.
Rael's party had secured cooperation with Fonbeau and had even recruited Border Count Lezno, who shared the frontier with them.
Novem and the others had secured cooperation with Jampea, and its neighboring nations were being negotiated by Jampea.
And yet, Adele's side had been trying to chip away at the opposition in small increments, with little to show for it.
"...I should have gone after a bigger house."
The one to comfort the disheartened Adele was Maxim.
"My lady, it's not all bad news. In the end, several thousand troops have rallied to our side."
Those several thousand troops were, to be precise, not even five thousand. There was even a risk that the actual number might fall short of three thousand.
How much cooperation the feudal lords would actually provide was something even Adele couldn't say. Some among them might even be considering betrayal.
When she reported this to Rael, the Valkyries relayed his response with expressionless faces.
"It's quite all right. The trustworthy lords have been given 'that item.' Even if a traitor emerges, it won't be a problem. Lord Rael is also pleased that preparations are complete. Ah, I wish I could have stayed closer to Lord Rael..."
Thinking that last part was unnecessary, Adele continued making preparations to return to South Baim. Lately, she had been swamped with troubles—complaints and consultation requests from minor lords piling up left and right.
Understanding why Rael had gone after the major feudal lords, Adele consulted with Maxim on what to do next.
"Maxim, with the rising prices in the east and the signs of troops being gathered, what's your take on it? What's flowing into Baim is—"
"—The harvest will end soon, and winter will set in. Give it a little more time, and they'll have everything in order and march on Baim. It won't take more than two months to reach Redant Fortress."
Maxim spoke with such confidence that Adele nodded with a measure of relief. If it truly took that long, she could relocate to Jampea, board a ship there, and return to South Baim in time.
"So, how long can Redant Fortress hold out? I'd think that with Baim reinforcing and their numbers growing, they could hold for more than two months—"
But before she could finish, Maxim spoke to Adele with a grave expression.
"My lady, Redant Fortress will hold for a matter of weeks. At best, they'll break through in a single week."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Still, Maxim was a man of considerable experience in warfare and an exceptional knight. Adele trusted his words on matters like these. And she trusted Maxim himself.
"They must have reinforced it thoroughly, and their numbers should be greater than when we were there. Even so, only a few weeks?"
"Yes, that's right. Lord Raier might be able to repel them, but even so, the most likely outcome would be a stalemate with both sides taking losses."
Adele wanted to know the reason. Simply put, Baim had strong adventurers. If those adventurers were deployed, they should have been able to put up a decent fight. That was what Adele thought, having seen Raier in action.
"I hear there are quite a few exceptional adventurers, though?"
"That's the tricky part. Exceptional in the sense of excelling within a small squad is not the same as being capable of leading a large army. Besides, you can hardly say their forces are well-organized. I believe even an ordinary commander at Banseim could break through in a matter of weeks."
Adele tilted her head.
"When it was Raier, we managed to annihilate the army of Monsters, though it was a terrible fight."
Maxim looked troubled and scratched his head.
"That's the thing. The Monster army was certainly a threat, and sheer numbers do translate into strength, but… well, humans are just more troublesome to deal with. And since you seem to have the wrong idea, let me correct you — Lord Raier is terrifyingly powerful when he leads troops."
Adele understood.
"It's the Skills, isn't it? The successive heads of House Walt have left those Skills recorded in the Jewel, and that's why—"
Maxim smiled. Then he shook his head at Adele.
"The talent to wield them to their fullest potential is what makes him a threat. On top of that, for someone his age, his composure is beyond belief — he moves with a calm detachment that secures the area around him. Sometimes with warmth, sometimes with ruthlessness… I have never known a teenager capable of operating like that to achieve his goals. He carries the aura of a veteran general, and he is someone I would not want to fight."
Raier, highly praised by Maxim. Yet if Raier himself heard this, he would probably make a wry face. And the successive heads within the Jewel would surely praise Maxim in return — something about how he had evaluated them.
Adele understood Maxim's explanation on a surface level. But it was clear she had not grasped the deeper essence of it.
Still, if Maxim said so, then so it must be. She nodded in agreement and rose to her feet.
"Well then, we need to get started on preparations right away. Things are about to get busy, Maxim. I'm counting on you."
Hearing Adele say this, Maxim flushed red and lightly rubbed the area just beneath his nose with his finger.
"I-leave it to me, my lady."
Nearby, the Valkyries watched him as he did so.
"What a shame. That serious atmosphere he had going."
"Isn't that age gap a problem?"
"Well, he was every bit the chicken our master is. We gave them plenty of chances to be alone together, and not only did he not make a move, he didn't even confess."
"If... if he had confessed, it would've feel like a death flag."
Unaware of the chatter around them, Adele and Maxim were all smiles, talking about the future—