Looking around, I couldn't tell whether the people here were truly alive or merely summoned from records...
The area had grown dark, but the moon was beautiful tonight. Bonfires had been prepared as well, though they may not have even been necessary.
Gazing at the scene around me, I spoke.
"Hard to tell which is which."
There were those embracing each other in tears, and those laughing together. The rubble had been blown away, and Monica and the Valkyries were bustling about preparing a feast.
I had made the declaration of victory, but the other armies surrounding Central were in utter chaos due to the phenomenon that had occurred.
Still, we had won. — And I had declared it was over.
The former king of Fonbeau had looked at me with indignation, then brooded, and after asking me to look after Lianne, he'd headed back to the Fonbeau main camp to blow off steam.
Looking at the results alone, the surrounding armies had suppressed the dead soldiers pouring out from within, and my main camp along with some units had charged into Central... or so it seemed, but the ones who had charged were mostly people resurrected from the memories held within my Skill, Seventh.
Those who had come to me seeking various explanations were General Broa, Baldoa, and Maxim. Maxim was with a knight in black armor — perhaps a close friend? The two of them were talking quietly together.
"Seriously, you still haven't confessed? You're the deputy commander of an army this size. You shouldn't have to worry about being a retainer anymore."
Maxim looked both happy and pained in response to the black knight's words.
"Yeah, you're right. I know... but, I... right now I wanted to apologize to you. Back then, I couldn't even make it in time..."
The black knight smiled slightly at the remorseful Maxim.
"You've always been too serious. But you didn't need to come. I understand now — you weren't wrong. Taking Lady Adele and trying to stand up to Ceres was the right call. So stop crying already. It's not a good look on a man."
"I know that! But I had to say it. All this time, I... I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry!"
The black knight gently patted the sobbing Maxim on the back to console him. Just then, dishes began arriving one after another at the makeshift table in front of them.
The spread was mainly meat dishes, some of which used provisions they had brought along. Well, everything had wrapped up earlier than expected, so there was no harm in using them up.
As I watched this scene unfold, those around me...
"What!? Over ten concubine candidates!? What on earth did you guys do to make that happen!?"
"I'm genuinely surprised too. Why did it increase that much? Lyle's going to be completely drained."
"Well, I miscalculated too. I thought there was still room, but that lineup is pretty rough. Still, I think it'll keep growing."
"More than envious, I'm getting worried. Just like the Second Generation said, he'll be drained dry."
"...Cause of death: women, without fail. Nothing to laugh about. Even the First Emperor can't laugh."
"So Lyle's the same as me, huh?"
"I don't think that's the same as the Sixth at all? Besides, we've been attracting stares this whole time. You really don't need to force yourself to stay here."
When the Sixth Generation protested to the Seventh Generation's words with "Don't abandon me!" everyone burst out laughing. They'd been fired up over the topic of me for a while now.
Just then, the overworked Aria came over to our table carrying dishes. Behind her stood the formidable woman who was the First Generation's wife.
—I can't help but wonder. Was it because this woman became the First Generation's wife that all the subsequent wives ended up following the same pattern? I think they could have gathered more refined women instead.
Then, the First Generation's wife spoke up.
"Hey, stop making a racket and look over here. She's too shy to even hold a conversation, so I brought her along. Make sure you say something proper."
Asking "What about?" would be crude. The First Generation's wife had brought Aria along. She seemed to understand everything perfectly.
The First Generation stood up, blushing in front of Aria.
"H-hey! You doing well, Aria?"
Aria, who had been dragged over and put to work in the process, looked troubled. After all, she had never met the First Generation before.
Then, the Fifth Generation stepped in to help.
"This old man is the First Generation of House Walt. He's Basil—the one from the story about the red Jewel of the Lockward family that I told you about. Aria... he's had his eye on you ever since he first met you. Won't you keep him company?"
Aria looked troubled, but she nodded. She must have understood.
"Now that you mention it, I had a similar conversation with Lyle in Central... Um, I'm Aria."
"B-Basil. As for my ancestor, it's, well... Huh? Wait, what's this about a red Jewel?"
The Third Generation said, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Actually, it turns out Alice was interested in the First Generation too. But she couldn't bring herself to talk to him, so she bought a red Jewel as a gift. But then she couldn't even give him that either — and it turns out in the Lockward family, the Jewel was passed down through the women of each generation. Amazing, isn't it, the First Generation? Just like he said — it was all fate."
The Third Generation explained with a smile, but the fact that he clearly already knew all this while saying it made him awfully calculating. Sometimes I think it's better not to know certain things.
"Heyyyy!! Then what if — what if she had spoken to him?!"
The Second Generation said, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
"There was a possibility. A possibility, I said."
I called over to Aria, who looked troubled.
"Go pour him some sake. He may look like that, but he's actually pretty sensitive."
"O-Okay, but... what exactly is going on here?"
Watching Aria go to pour sake for the First Generation was the First Generation's wife. She had her hands on her hips and was looking toward her husband with a slight smile.
I spoke up to the formidable woman.
"Um, is that alright?"
"It's fine. He worked that hard when he was alive. Record or no record, a man deserves a little reward."
Just then, May — who had lost one arm — came over with Marina, carrying sake. She was waving to the Fifth Generation, though her face was a bit redder than usual.
"Fredericks!"
"May!"
The Fifth Generation immediately sprang to his feet and rushed over to May. He took the luggage she was carrying and headed back with her.
The Sixth Generation watched the Fifth Generation with a complicated expression. Then, the formidable woman looked at Marina.
"All right, you come too. I don't know why, but I like you!"
"Huh? I was just about to have a drink! Who told you to—hey! What's with that grip strength! L-let go of me!"
I watched from afar, waving, as the mighty Marina was hauled away by the formidable woman. Just then, the Second Generation's wife came over to our table.
"Come on, everyone! I figured you'd be sick of dishes that are nothing but strong flavors, so I made all sorts of things! Clarsell, I even made your favorite soup. Sley, your big brother Dewey is here helping out—so how come you're just sitting around relaxing?"
Sure enough, Dewey stood beside the Second Generation's wife, holding plates for serving.
The Second Generation accepted the soup while keeping a wary eye on the First Generation's wife.
"Ah, this is a relief. Having nothing but rich dishes gets rough. This was always my favorite."
The Third Generation looked away.
"There's something I need to talk about, you know. Like teasing Lyle who went to all that trouble to look after things, or teasing the others. It's just not fair—I'm the only one who died in battle and never got to enjoy life."
Dewey was laughing.
"You worked hard, Sley. It's fine to just sit and relax."
After seeing the gentle young Dewey like that, everyone turned their gazes back to the Third Generation. He was frowning, clearly troubled. He was sweating too.
"…Couldn't you at least lend a hand with serving too, brother? I'm starting to feel really bad about this."
Right after that, the Third Generation's wife came carrying food as well, with Vera in tow.
"Well, we've got plenty of hands here, so just take it easy."
Vera, who'd been caught by the Third Generation's wife, looked over toward me.
"I'm not really sure what's going on, but I'm going to go help out… See you later, Lyle."
"U-uh, yeah."
We watched the group of women and Dewey head back and let out a sigh. The First Generation was the only one who just sat there grinning at the cup of sake in his hand. Simple and enviable.
The Fourth Generation took off his glasses and wiped them with a cloth. It was the same sight I'd grown used to seeing inside the Jewel.
"Still, it's a good thing only family witnessed all this. Well, from an outsider's perspective, it probably looked like something popped up after the fight and it all ended in a lovers' quarrel. In the end, they'll just say we slew that dragon and call it a day."
The Legend Dragon was officially designated as a great enemy for the ages — the fearsome foe who had stood before us. A small weight lifted off my chest. Honestly, we'd treated the Legend Dragon pretty badly, so I figured the least we could do was let it go down in history as a worthy adversary.
That was when I spotted a small-statured woman running toward us, golden scales in hand. Behind her came the Fifth Generation's wives, along with a large group of men and women — the Fifth Generation's children.
Mireia was there too. She was getting an earful from the sisters around her, but she wore a cool, unbothered expression on her face.
"Playing the dignified one, are we?"
"Show your true colors already, you schemer."
"Oh my, whatever could you mean? Ah, Lyle~ You did great out there!"
Mireia caught my eye and waved. Then the small-statured woman — the Fourth Generation's wife — came up to me.
"Lyle! Look! Look at this! It's from that dragon's scales, and they're absolutely incredible material! I made sure to grab a decent amount since they regenerate, so we have plenty. One full set will be properly preserved, and I'll use what's left to conduct thorough research. And then... release a small amount onto the market. Once people around us catch on to the value, the price of this material will skyrocket. It won't be obtainable for a good while, after all."
Only the Fourth Generation's wife could be this shrewd about money. The Fourth Generation was grinning happily as he watched her clutch the scales lovingly. What a couple — both crazy about anything that gleamed.
Then the Fifth Generation's children surrounded me.
"So this is the heir of the main line?"
"What's with this guy? Doesn't look like much."
"Well, he's fine, isn't he? Besides, he's apparently going to become Emperor."
"Make sure you promote our grandkids and great-grandkids too."
"Poor thing, having to deal with Mireia. She was brutal to you, wasn't she?"
My surroundings grew increasingly noisy. Meanwhile, all eyes also turned to the Fifth Generation, who had May seated beside him.
"Dad, at least rein in the animal thing by now, would you?"
The children had spoken as one. I looked over at the Fifth Generation and saw that the animals he'd been keeping had, at some point, gathered at his side as well. Surrounded by fluffy creatures, the Fifth Generation looked blissfully content.
"No."
He answered immediately. Around the Fifth Generation, the wives were bustling about, setting out freshly prepared dishes and sake.
"You really haven't changed one bit, have you?"
Having been told that, the Fifth Generation blushed and looked away. In contrast, when I looked over at the Sixth Generation—
"Did you hear? Apparently she has more than ten great-grandchildren. Broa, say something too."
"I wonder whose influence that is?"
"Feinz... won't you look over here?"
The Sixth Generation was being relentlessly badgered. The contrast with the Fifth Generation was just too stark. How had it come to this... Well, she'd brought it on herself.
Just then, the Seventh Generation spotted Grandmother Xenoa bringing my father and mother over.
"Oh, they're here."
"I've brought them. The Eighth Generation couple who caused all that trouble, you know. Lyle, come here."
Looking at my father and mother being bossed around like that, I felt a complicated mix of emotions. Part of me wanted to help, but neither of them even wanted that.
When I faced my parents in front of everyone, both of them were in tears. Father was hiding his eyes with his hand.
"...I'm sorry. I caused you nothing but trouble, Lyle."
Hearing that while he stood there in an apron... Well, I held no grudges anymore, so I gave him a smile.
"It's all right. I understand the reason, too. So I'm fine. Please, both of you, don't worry."
Mother was looking at me, clutching her skirt with both hands as tears fell one after another. Even though both of them had come out, Ceres hadn't appeared. She must have truly hated me.
"I'm sorry. For being such terrible parents... for being such a terrible mother, I'm sorry."
Being embraced by both of them, my tears began to fall. Looking around, my companions had gathered as well. Baldoa was there too, standing alongside Beil—the knight I'd always admired—watching the scene.
"Lord Lyle, I'm glad."
"...I wanted to make this happen while she was still alive. But if she had been alive, Waka... no, Lord Lyle would have suffered."
And then, General Broa rose to his feet.
"I'll go summarize the details and inform the surrounding forces. Well, I can't exactly tell them the truth, though. It really does feel like we've gotten involved in a legend — almost like I'm dreaming. Besides, I'll need someone to keep watch for any troops who might get... strange ideas."
I watched General Broa walk away. He was a reliable man.
Right — a dream. This was an illusion. An illusion created by my Skills. But when I looked at the Jewel...
The Jewel's glow had dimmed considerably.
The First Generation clapped his hands together.
"Line up, all of you! Drinks have been distributed, right? Food too? Then it's time for a toast!"
The Seventh Generation looked at me with concern.
"Lyle, how about tea or something for you?"
Given the atmosphere, even I couldn't resist.
"I'll have sake. I can handle more than before now, you know."
When I returned to my seat, everyone was there — starting with Novem. It looked like the First Generation would lead the toast. Looking around, I could see knights and soldiers forming large groups of their own with food and drinks spread before them. Some had already started celebrating.
No, our group was probably the last to begin.
"Well then... what exactly should we toast to? Lyle's victory, or maybe..."
The Third Generation grinned.
"There's Lyle's marriage, his victory, and all sorts of things to celebrate, but I think we should just toast to Lyle himself. He's a prodigy born of House Walt — a Kirin child, if you will. It's going to be hard for anyone to surpass Lyle from now on."
What was he implying by that? Well, this was the Third Generation, so he was probably just teasing me.
The Second Generation gave a weary look but nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. A toast to Lyle, then."
The Fourth Generation adjusted his glasses as well.
"Absolutely. You've worked so hard. Truly..."
The Fifth Generation was also smiling, which was rare.
"Indeed. Maybe it's because I've watched you all this time, but you did well. Lyle, you really did your best."
The Sixth Generation looked a little unsatisfied.
"I wish I could've taught you more about drinking and having fun, though. Lyle, remember to let loose once in a while."
The Seventh Generation looked at me and nodded.
"As expected, you were always my pride and joy. Now then, Lyle."
When the First Generation raised his cup, everyone raised theirs. Novem brought me a cup filled with alcohol. I took it, feeling a little embarrassed. Novem noticed that and smiled.
"Then, to Lyle Walt—cheers!!"
Everyone shouted "Cheers!" and drank. I downed my drink in one gulp—and, thoughtful as always, Novem had watered it down. It went down easy.
"…Whew."
I collapsed into my seat. Then, I was enveloped in a soft blue light. The blue light broke into tiny particles and drifted upward into the sky, glittering as they rose. Watching that sight, tears streamed down my face. They overflowed and I couldn't stop them.
It wasn't just Central. Blue lights were rising from all around as well. I looked up and the moon was beautiful. The lights drifted upward as if heading toward that moon.
From all around, I heard the sound of cups being set down.
The last words I heard were—
—you did well, Lyle—
That's what they said. Setting my cup down, I covered my face with my right hand. There had been people watching over me all along. And so many people who had helped me.
I was here because of those people. So many people had been involved in my life, and I—one person—had come to be. I would surely continue reaching out to those around me… and become just that kind of person.
And by connecting with others, I would pass the torch to the next generation…
I heard footsteps approaching. It was Novem.
"Lyle. Everyone has already—"
Clutching the Jewel tightly, I lowered my head as the light faded from view, fighting desperately to hold back my tears. There was no response like before. The light felt like it had vanished. It had returned to nothing more than a simple stone. I gripped that stone tenderly in both hands and let out a choked sob.
"I know... I know, so... I'm sorry, just for now... I'm sorry. I'm still a crybaby."
Miranda and Shannon rubbed my back. Aria brought me a towel. May was gazing up at the sky. She seemed to be crying too. Vera was issuing orders to those around us, telling everyone to stay where they were.
Monica was carefully collecting the drinking glasses. Clara helped her. Ludmilla, Gracia, and Eliza all wore exhausted expressions, but when they looked around, they seemed lonely.
Eva drank some wine, then sang for me. It was a song of sorrowful parting. But it was also a song that spoke of new encounters.
That's right.
It was time to move forward. Time to stand on my own.
I would live so as not to be ashamed. I had inherited their blood — I would live in a way that would never bring shame to it. I would hold my head high and be able to say I gave it my all.
So just for now... would it be alright to cry? I would pick myself up again and press forward soon. Just for now—
"Lyle, it's all right. Everyone around you is crying too. Besides, the Valkyries are surrounding you... so it's perfectly fine to cry as much as you need."
I wept like a child, and the women around me comforted me. Even so, the tears would not stop.