Agreed.
Liselotte and Duke Huguenot reached a mutual understanding with an exchange of eye contact. They had already settled what topics to discuss in advance, so their plans were already laid out.
They actually wanted to use this chance to discuss the reward too, but it would have to wait for another time when Hiroaki wasn’t present. “Now that Haruto is here, let us get straight into the main topic at hand. What I wish to discuss with you is about the mercenary, Lucius. I know some things about that man’s background,” Duke Huguenot said.
“...Is that so?” Rio gazed in wonder at the unexpected source of information about Lucius.
“I have heard that you have a certain past with this Lucius man. There may be information useful to you among this.”
“I am most grateful.” Rio bowed once and waited for the conversation to continue.
“I do not know where Lucius conducts his activities now, but he was originally from a lower class noble family in our kingdom. His family name was Orgueil. The house fell a long time ago, though,” Duke Huguenot explained.
“Haruto, were you...”
“I was unaware.” Rio shook his head slowly.
“Which means you only know of Lucius as a mercenary, then. It is most likely that you met him after his family had fallen out of grace, then. On the other hand, I only know of what he was like before that...” Duke Huguenot said, examining Rio closely.
“...I only knew him for a brief period of time, when I was a child. I do not have any direct knowledge of what he was doing as a mercenary.”
“I see... Then let me fill you in a little on what he was like when he was a noble. Lucius Orgueil was a former candidate for the position of the King’s Sword, competing neck and neck with the current King’s Sword, Sir Alfred Emarle,” Duke Huguenot explained.
“That means his ability as a swordsman was fairly high, then,” Liselotte confirmed.
“Yes. If I recall correctly, there were some who believed that he would have been selected as the King’s Sword if his family status had been more favorable. I personally didn’t find Sir Alfred’s abilities lacking in any way, but our kingdom values more aspects than just ability,” Duke Huguenot said, huffing in a self-mocking sneer. His gaze was directed at Aria, who was formerly a lower class noble of Beltrum. Aria received Duke Huguenot’s gaze with her usual unconcerned look.
“The reason why Lucius wasn’t selected as the King’s Sword was because his family fell before the selection. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that the fate of the Orgueil house rested on Lucius’ shoulders at the time, but the house reached its limit before anything could happen. Although, there are rumors suspecting that their ruin was directly caused by certain circumstances where exterior pressure was being exerted. Well... Who knows what the truth is,” Duke Huguenot added in his eloquent way of speaking.
“...What kind of path do nobles that lose their house normally pursue?” Rio asked.
“Falling into ruin is an extreme disgrace for a noble. Not all doors are closed to them afterwards, but their lives have basically ceased to exist. There are many cases where the whole house commits suicide or are never seen again. Of course, there are those among them like Aria, who distinguish themselves instead. Lucius belongs to that select group,” Duke Huguenot explained.
“Considering the incident this time, it may be possible that this Lucius man holds a strong grudge towards Beltrum Kingdom,” Liselotte said, offering a hypothesis.
“You think that may be the motive behind Princess Flora’s abduction?” asked Rio.
“Yes. Of course, there may be a motive beyond personal reasons, but I’d like to hear what Sir Haruto thinks after actually fighting this Lucius,” Liselotte said, seeking Rio’s opinion.
“...I’m not sure. However, I believe he prioritized his own pleasure when it came to the fight with me — someone he was connected to — over the abduction of Princess Flora.” Rio offered his impressions as he looked back on the series of events up to their fight.
“What kind of a person did this Lucius seem like to you, Sir Haruto?” Liselotte looked at Rio and asked.
“He was a monster in a human skin. Cunning and calculative, he seems to move in a logical manner, but actually takes illogical actions in pursuit of his own pleasure. A savage and devious man,” Rio stated bluntly.
“If you think that of him, then...” Liselotte’s eyes widened faintly. From what she had heard so far, he seemed like a terrible person. Even though he didn’t seem like the type to openly speak ill of others, Rio had gone out of his way to say just that, so he must have a particularly deep connection with Lucius. This meant that in order to support this personal criticism, there was a need to know how Rio and Lucius were related, but the topic was rather delicate and made it difficult to ask. If it was just a matter of asking and being refused, then it would be fine, but she wanted to avoid upsetting him. That being said, as reluctant as she was, she had no other choice but to ask right now. She’d just have to prepare herself for the worst.
With that thought, Liselotte opened her mouth, when —
“Excuse me. I apologize if this is an intrusive question, but may I inquire as to what kind of connection Sir Haruto has with this man called Lucius?” Roanna, who had been listening silently until now, suddenly asked. Perhaps she had read the mood in the air and realized it would be safer for her to ask than Liselotte or Duke Huguenot, who were in positions of negotiation that could potentially occur in the future.
Rio kept an uncomfortable smile on his face as he answered. “...My mother was killed before my very eyes.”
It wasn’t a past he wanted to tell people, but he couldn’t refuse to answer considering the situation they were in. However, the past that he revealed was so tragic, Roanna turned white as a ghost and apologized in a panic. “...I-I am so very sorry.”
“No, there’s nothing to apologize for,” Rio replied immediately.
“Ah... Well, like Liselotte said, if he’s doing this out of resentment for the Kingdom of Beltrum, then he must be quite the petty man.” Even Hiroaki felt pity for the awkward question Roanna had asked and tried to change the topic.
A-Are you one to talk, acting all jealous over Sir Haruto mere moments ago? Liselotte thought tiredly, but didn’t say anything out loud. Humans were terrible at objectively looking at themselves, after all. Anyway, if Hiroaki hadn’t supported Roanna there, Liselotte would have spoken up herself.
Instead, Liselotte looked at Duke Huguenot and proceeded with the discussion. “That still isn’t certain yet. I’m also interested in this man called Reiss that Sir Haruto and Princess Flora mentioned...”
“I’ve also heard of the name Reiss before. It’s the name of the Proxia Empire diplomat who was secretly communicating with the house of Duke Arbor. Or course, it may just be two people with the same name...” Duke Huguenot murmured, and Liselotte turned to address Rio.
“Princess Flora said that his face was hidden by a hood, but were you able to catch a glimpse of his appearance at all, Sir Haruto...?”
“No, I couldn’t see anything either. Even if I had seen the face of that Proxia Empire diplomat, there’s no guarantee they are the same person,” Rio shook his head apologetically. He could make a presumption based on stature and voice, but there wasn’t enough decisive evidence to prove it.
“Which means it would be more reliable to pursue Lucius’ tracks, whose background we understand,” Liselotte suggested.
Duke Huguenot seemed to have no objections. “I will gather my forces and investigate to see whether anyone among them has had any points of connection with him in the past or present. It will require a trip back to Rodania, though.”
“Thank you for your efforts. I will put an inquiry in at the adventurer’s guild just in case, but if he has suspended his mercenary activities, I don’t believe there will be much chance of success.” Liselotte bowed her head deeply in request.
Various discussions continued after that
, and another hour passed before they dispersed.
◇ ◇ ◇
The next morning, Rio was once again summoned by Liselotte. Instead of the meeting room from last night, he was led into a drawing room.
“Thank you for coming, Sir Haruto. Please, have a seat,” Liselotte welcomed Rio brightly. Present in the room was the head attendant Aria, Duke Huguenot, and Flora. There was no sign of Hiroaki or Roanna.
“Excuse me. What is everyone gathered here for, if I may ask?” Rio asked, then sat down on a loveseat. They should have concluded all discussions about the monster attack and Lucius last night.
“If it isn’t too much of a bother to you, we wanted to ask what your plans are for the future, and also discuss various things relating to your reward.” Liselotte sat on the single-seater sofa opposite to Rio and stated their business. Flora was seated on the sofa next to her, while the one beside that sat Duke Huguenot.
“I’ve actually had some urgent matter suddenly come up, so I was thinking of leaving Amande within the next few days,” Rio informed.
“Urgent matter, you say?”
“Yes. I plan on heading to the Galarc Kingdom capital, Galtuuk, first.”
“...Is that so? In that case, we must prepare our tokens of gratitude for you with even more haste.” Liselotte had wanted Rio to remain in Amande so that they could deepen their relationship, but she couldn’t make demands in this situation.
“I’m sure your hands must be full with the aftermath of the monster attack on Amande, Lady Liselotte. There’s no need for you to push yourself.” Rio shook his head gently.
“I cannot allow things to settle like that — We are only here now because of your efforts. Rewarding you should be my highest priority,” Liselotte said.
“Is there anything you desire? To be honest, your merits have been so great, we’ve been having a little trouble determining how to reward you. Of course, Liselotte and I fully intend on rewarding you separately. Whether it is status or money, we will gladly prepare whatever is within our abilities for you. If you have any requests, I’d like to hear them,” Duke Huguenot said smoothly.
“...” Flora stared at Rio’s face fixedly.
“I... see.” Rio contemplated for a moment, before speaking up. “In that case, there is one thing I would like to request of Lady Liselotte.”
“Yes?” Liselotte returned Rio’s gaze directly.
“If it is possible, could you allow me to participate in the banquet where the heroes are to be introduced?”
“The banquet where the heroes are to be introduced... The banquet being held at our kingdom’s royal castle. Is that correct? And you want to attend yourself, Sir Haruto?” Taken aback by the unexpected request, Liselotte looked at Rio carefully as she confirmed what he’d said.
“Yes. I wish to meet Lady Satsuki Sumeragi.” Rio nodded, stating his objective shortly.
“...May I ask why?”
“I’m sorry. I know that this is impudent of me, and for that I am most ashamed, but could I ask that you refrain from asking my reason as part of my reward? Of course, I have absolutely no intention of harming the hero in any way, and will explain the situation properly when the right time comes,” Rio said, bowing his head deeply to Liselotte.
Liselotte paused for a long moment before resolving herself and accepting. “...I understand. It should be possible for you to accompany me when I go.”
If a person of unclear background was taken to the banquet hosted by the king and queen themselves and caused an issue, everything would fall on Liselotte’s head, which was why requests like Rio’s would normally be out of the question. However, her debt to Rio was equivalently as large as his request was outrageous.
“Thank you very much.” Rio bowed his head deeply to Liselotte once more.
Liselotte shook her head with a cheerful smile. “Not at all. I will eagerly await the time when we can talk more about this.”
Duke Huguenot, who had been watching the exchange between Rio and Liselotte silently, finally spoke up. “...Hmm, it seems like the reward from Liselotte has been decided. Now, may I hear what you request from us?”
Flora seemed nervous, as her expression was rather stiff as she stared at Rio.
Rio looked between Duke Huguenot and Flora. “...To be honest, I cannot think of anything at the moment.”
“Hmm. So you’d like hold onto the request for later. Is that correct?” Duke Huguenot asked, confirming the gist of Rio’s statement.
“Yes. I would be grateful if you could lend me your assistance if I were to need it in the future.”
“...Understood,” Duke Huguenot nodded with a wry smile, surprised at how indifferent he seemed. Meanwhile, Flora seemed to have an opinion about that, as she was watching Rio with a vexed expression.
“My reward is also lacking with just an invitation to the banquet. When you need assistance, please rely on what power I have too,” Liselotte offered immediately.
“I would appreciate that greatly.” Rio smiled warmly.
◇ ◇ ◇
Two days later...
It was morning when Rio departed from Amande with Aishia and Celia. At present, they were standing outside the mansion entrance and being sent off. The ones seeing them off were Liselotte, Flora, and Duke Huguenot, along with Hiroaki and Roanna. Furthermore, Aria, Natalie, Cosette, Chloe, and all the attendant ladies of the estate had lined up.
“Thank you all for everything. To be sent off by so many people is an honor.” Rio bowed once, facing Liselotte and the rest. Behind him, Aishia and Celia, who had their faces hidden by their hoods, bowed similarly.
Liselotte gave her cheerful words of parting on behalf of everyone present. “We should be the ones thanking you. We shall look forward to seeing you again in a month and a half, on the date that we agreed on.”
“Yes, thank you very much,” Rio replied with a smile.
“I would love to talk to you two some more as well, if that is to your liking!” Liselotte said while looking at Aishia and Celia.
In the end, Aishia and Celia had been shut away in their rooms the entire time so that most of the people in the mansion, including Liselotte, never interacted with them during their stay. There was the fact that Rio hadn’t tried to put the two of them in the spotlight, but with Aishia having close combat abilities on par with Rio and Cecilia being such a remarkable sorcerer, Liselotte’s curiosity was piqued. At the very least, she thought she could venture with a little greed and ask for another opportunity to make contact with them.
“Yes. If the opportunity arises, then gladly.” Celia nodded amiably with a charming smile. Aishia was silent, but nodded too.
“...” Most of the men and women standing on Liselotte’s side found their gazes captivated. After all, from what they could see, both Aishia and Celia had beauty that couldn’t normally be seen on an everyday basis. Liselotte and her attendants were also a gathering of beautiful girls, but most of them accepted the fact that they came in second in terms of appearances. The only attendant on par would probably be Aria. Otherwise, there was Flora and Liselotte, followed by Roanna as runner-up. Hiroaki’s mouth was open as he stared at Aishia and Celia in a daze.
...Huh, she looks familiar for some reason? Aria tilted her head in suspicion, watching Celia’s face. Celia seemed to notice her gaze, and her expression grew a bit awkward.
When Rio realized that too, he urged for their departure. “We will be going now, then.”
“Yes, please take care. Thank you for everything you have done,” Liselotte said, clutching her skirt gracefully and bowing her head. The attendants behind her all lowered their heads, seeing Rio and the others off.
Chapter 4: Your Shadow
Once Rio, Celia, and Aishia left Amande through the east gate, they proceeded walking east down the main road. After some time passed, they confirmed that no one was around them before taking off into the sky. They continued through the air towards Galtuuk, the capital of the Kingdom of Galarc, and
arrived at the outskirts of the capital before sunset. After they’d searched the rocky areas of the outskirts for somewhere isolated, they set up the rock house.
Celia sat down on the living room sofa and stretched. “It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve lived in this house.”
“We only stayed for a few days, but a lot happened in our time at Amande.” Rio placed the tea he had prepared down on the table and agreed with a smile of amusement.
“...Yeah. It feels kind of strange. I’ve only lived in this house for a short time, but it feels like I’ve come home,” Celia said keenly.
“Thank you for saying that. Maybe it’s because there’s no one else around, so you can mentally relax,” Rio guessed.
“Yeah, that must be it.” Celia nodded bashfully.
“Also because we can start taking baths again, and eating meals together with Haruto,” Aishia interrupted. Celia giggled, agreeing along happily.
“Ah, that’s true — you’re right there. I look forward to that.”
“I have to leave for a while starting tomorrow, so we’ll only be able to eat together tonight and tomorrow morning, but I’ll put my everything into cooking tonight. Professor, Aishia, you can relax and take a bath in the meantime,” Rio suggested to the two of them.
“...Mm, that’s a tempting idea, but could you teach me how to cook tonight? You promised me before, remember?” Celia asked, her cheeks turned a faint shade of crimson.
“Of course. I don’t mind at all, but wouldn’t you rather we do it at a less rushed time?” If she was cooking for the first time, it’d be better to learn continuously for a few days in a row. Rio would be leaving tomorrow, so there wasn’t much he could teach in just one lesson.
“Nope. I’ll be living together with Aishia while you’re gone. Aishia can cook some simple foods, but I should be able to make at least one thing myself, right? And I can practice while you’re gone too,” Celia said in slight embarrassment.
“...I understand. Then, let’s see if I can teach you some simple recipes,” Rio suggested with a gentle smile.
Beyond Memories Page 5
