Chapter 41: To the Axel Territory

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“Hermina, even if you have no memories, we still have those cherished memories of happier times. I don’t expect it immediately, but take your time. And, one day, please call me ‘Father’ again.”

“…Yes.”

The person most shaken by this shocking revelation is Mother. Since yesterday, she’s been unusually quiet. Maybe she’s trying to recall the past she forgot, or maybe she has a lot on her mind, or perhaps it’s both. There must be a struggle within her that I can’t even begin to understand.

It seems the kidnapper who put Mother through such suffering is already dead. But where do I direct my anger?

“There’s… also something I need to ask…”

The Duke hesitated, and Lord Alexander took over.

“Mother doesn’t have much time left.”

“What?!”

Mother and I both cried out in shock. Lord Alexander’s mother, meaning Mother’s mother, and my grandmother.

“From the day Hermina was taken, Mother lost the will to live… For about a year now, she has been bedridden.”

“The physician says she has about six months left. Before the end, I want her to see Hermina, Toma, and Siegvalt. The three of you—or rather, the four of you, including Lord Roxfall—could you come to Axel Territory?”

The Duke’s voice grew heavy with sorrow as he continued. There was no way to refuse. But if I go to Axel Territory, I wonder what the temple will say. No matter what they say, there’s no option but to go. Time is running out, and we must go, regardless of any complaints from the temple.

“Mother, let’s go! Please, go and let her see your face.”

“Yes… Husband, may we go to Axel Territory?”

“Of course, even if you had refused, I was prepared to bring you there by force if necessary.”

When we informed the temple that the four of us would be heading to Axel Territory, Lord Dardell arrived again. This elderly lady certainly moves quickly.

“Hmph. Don’t start fussing, old woman.”

“When I saw Lady Alyusha’s face, I felt a sense of déjà vu. Then, meeting Duke Bayerlein reminded me of Lady Brunhilde’s face. Even someone as out of touch as I am can deduce as much.”

Brunhilde was the name of the Duchess. It seems Lord Dardell had met her before and pieced together that Mother was the Duke’s daughter.

“I’ve heard she doesn’t have long. I’ll handle the temple, so you’re free to spend as much time as you’d like with your grandmother.”

Lord Dardell might be a good person at heart. As long as gods or the temple aren’t involved, it seems she has compassion. The way she hurt Grandfather with her words was likely due to the gods’ influence. When the gods are involved, she becomes obstinate and inflexible. That’s the downside of being a clergyman.

We left the manor in the Duke’s luxurious carriage, descending the mountain. Father rode his horse alongside, guarding us. None of the Duke’s retainers were on par with Father in skill. No matter what enemy appeared, I felt safe.

When the Duke came, he used a high-speed ship that docked beside the manor, but apparently, that ship had terrible ride quality.

“After a night on that thing, my back was killing me,” he’d said.

So, the Duke’s more comfortable flagship was positioned nearby, but it requires a certain depth and width of the river to operate.

Incidentally, the high-speed ship moves like a hovercraft, gliding over the water’s surface, so it can navigate rivers as long as there are no waterfalls, and it can even run on flat land. However, it’s quite fuel-intensive and costly to operate.

Although glass is a rare resource in this world, high-tech ships like hovercrafts exist because of magic. The ship itself is fully enchanted, so the cost of constructing it is comparable to the Duke’s flagship.

We traveled from the manor through the village, gradually descending. There were no steep slopes, but the road, carved through the forest, wasn’t very wide.

After about an hour, we emerged from the forest to a flat area. This was still part of our territory, but the rocky ground made it unsuitable for farming.

Not far from there, we reached the River Liber, where we could see the grand flagship. It was enormous, about fifty meters in length, with two square sails and two triangular ones, allowing it to sail even against headwinds.

After boarding a small boat from the shore, we were greeted by the crew as we climbed aboard the flagship.

“Salute the Duke!”

At the captain’s command, the crew snapped into a perfectly synchronized salute. Even to a layperson like me, it was obvious that the crew was highly trained.

The journey downstream on the luxurious ship was exhilarating. The boat barely rocked as it sliced through the river’s surface. It was still a cold season, but today was sunny, and the breeze felt refreshing.

“Lord Toma. If you stay in the wind too long, you may catch a cold.”

Temple Knight Captain Suzanna Kolrausch and her two subordinates stayed close by my side. I wondered if the cold was getting to them, as their lips were turning blue.

“True.”

I didn’t ask for their protection, but they can’t leave my side since it’s their duty. When given an order in this world, you must fulfill it, even at the cost of your life. If I didn’t show understanding, it’d be too harsh. Let’s head inside the ship.

Just as I thought that, a harbor with numerous ships docked along the riverbank came into view.

“What harbor is that?”

“That’s Urm Port in the Jadose Territory, governed by Baron Rittenheim.”

Baron Rittenheim’s family took in Talia. I wonder how she’s doing. She’s probably grown even prettier and lovelier. I’ll pray to Lord Deuro for her happiness.

▽▽▽ Side Story: Duke Karl Axel Bayerlein ▽▽▽

In a room on the flagship, I sat across from the head of the dark department.

“Do whatever it takes to expose Lightstar.”

“We will avenge our past humiliation.”

When Hermina was taken, the entire dark department mobilized to search for her. But Hermina was never found.

As the department overseeing this kingdom’s information, it must have been a disgrace for them. At the time, I had harsh words for them as well.

“Very well. Do not fail this time.”

“Yes, sir!”

Overthrowing Lightstar is not a difficult task. The difference in both the quantity and quality of soldiers between Lightstar and our house is worlds apart. But if we were to do that, the people would suffer. That is not what I desire, nor would Hermina wish for it.

However, those scum will pay. There’s no need to even use soldiers to deal with them. That household has countless skeletons in its closet. Simply exposing them will suffice.

“By the time Toma comes of age, I will have brought down that house. Just wait, Lightstar!”

The silver goblet I held was crushed in my grip, spilling wine. Sebas deftly removed the goblet from my hand and wiped away the spilled wine.

“There’s a slight stain on your sleeve. I’ll prepare a change of clothes immediately.”

“It’s fine. But, what is Toma up to?”

“He’s out on the deck, admiring the river.”

“I see… In the future, Toma will… no, never mind.”

Without a word, Sebas quietly withdrew.