Chapter 97: Save 51 – The Six Great Nobles

After the beating that Derrick's trash gave me; we returned to Erselica's mansion in a cab. A cab is equivalent to a limo, but a different color and very expensive.

"What do you mean Ixion betrayed you?"

Allen would open the door for us and the idiots came to our aid.

Cana went to get some healing elixirs that were stored in the kitchen. Chlust was using them for his training it seems.

After my face and body had recovered just like Liam's. I told them what happened.

"It's just as you hear. Ixion... that bastard left me for Derrick's trash. What's worse, my airship is now of his property and who knows what he's capable of doing."

Everyone was anxious about what I told. Liam looked in the direction of the ground.

"Bradford... I'm sorry. It was all my fault... if only... I wouldn't have agreed to any duel..."

It seemed to affect him quite a bit.

"You're wrong, you idiot prince."

"It's the fault of that bastard Ixion who didn't defend me."

That's right, that good-for-nothing scumbag shouldn't have bothered with me at all. When it's all his fault, if he was a good servant, he would never have insulted him.

"What shall we do now?" Frey asked.

"We can't just go back to the kingdom. I don't say that because we were robbed of the transport we came in. But rather because to cowardly return for what was done to you would be a disgrace to the kingdom." Chlust added.

"You idiot boys!"

Erselica after wiping Liam's blood, stood up to yell at them.

"Right now the important thing is to go back home and call for help! We don't know what that guy does with my onii- lost item from Rudel-kun!"

Hearing that, I laughed a little.

They noticed my laughter. I showed them my face.

"That's where you're wrong, Reinfield-san."

"Reinfield-san?" she looked at me with a terrified face.

"That's right. To go back with my tail between my legs now would be insane. Therefore, there is only one option left."

I flashed a heartwarming smile since I wasn't upset.

"We'll give them a week to return the airship to us. Or else... I'll do it my way."

With those words, I walked out of the mansion.

In a week, that bastard Derrick will learn what it means to beg for forgiveness.

◇◇◇

Just at the moment Rudel left, Erselica broke out in a cold sweat.

"That Bradford... he's really grown up hasn't he?" Frey wondered in surprise at what had happened.

"Has he? Maybe the war made him grow up emotionally, unlike his height." Chlust replied.

Liam got up to want to take a bath for what happened, but his eyes stopped on Erselica who was trembling.

As he approached her, she grabbed his shoulders.

"Liam, we're going to the embassy early tomorrow morning!"

"What's wrong with you? It's obvious we're going to do that."

"You don't understand! None of you! You don't have the slightest idea what those words meant!"

They all stared at Erselica in confusion.

But in her head she knew the reason.

(He specified one week, that means that next Tuesday, this country and Derrick will meet their end...)

Erselica clutched her arms in fear. A fear related by a memory.

(Onii-chan is a man who won't forgive unless you show him regret.)

(Her smile. That calm smile he made is proof that he's really angry at Derrick and Ixion.)

(Stupid idiots! Why do you seek to anger the person with the worst thirst for revenge in the world?)

(If he called me by my last name as if we were strangers. It means that their desire to kill him is really intense.)

Erselica gritted her teeth in fear.

(Tomorrow at any rate we must retrieve his airship.)

◇◇◇

The next morning on the Altfode descent.

Liam and Erselica arrived bright and early and were met by a random diplomat.

"A protest! Let's lodge a formal protest! This act is completely unfair and oppressive!"

But the diplomat who still had a sleepy face replied to them.

"I am very sorry. We will report this upon our return, but I don't think it will bring the result I wished for, Erselica-sama."

"Why? I just want the airship back!"

That was all she needed. She could somehow manage to calm Rudel down.

The diplomat was shaking his head, despite hearing what was done to his prince.

"Currently, the kingdom is importing magic stones in large quantities from Aster."

"Huh? ... Ah!"

Erselica recalled their conversation on the airship before arriving in Aster supreme kingdom. Aster was a strong country with abundant resources that could export magic stones. Even the kingdom would want to avoid coming into conflict with that country.

In addition, they were also a militarily powerful enemy that was undefeated in defensive and offensive battle.

"We will file a complaint towards the assembly of the six great nobles. We will also report this to the kingdom. But I don't think Aster will treat it seriously."

"Why~!!!"

Erselica felt like crying.

Liam walked her here so she wouldn't cry. He took it upon himself to talk to the staff.

"You can't do something? No matter how it look at it, they've gone too far."

"... Your highness, this is the kingdom of aristocratic supremacy, don't forget that. However, to think that you would be the target of Herring Household."

"Is the reputation of that house really that bad?

"They are the worst house among the six great nobles."

Erselica was anxious inside.

(W-what do I do now? At this rate, my big brother will really destroy this country!)

Erselica immediately planned her next move after discovering that it would be useless even if she complained to the embassy.

◇◇◇

In the same morning, Lucy discovered that the classroom atmosphere was strange when she arrived at the academy.

"Good morning~"

She made her greeting, but received no response.

Far from that, her classmates were avoiding looking at her.

"Huh? What?"

Lucy was shocked, but she noticed something else strange.

"Huh? Why are there fewer desks?"

Desks and chairs littered the classroom. Some of them were removed, so now there were two empty places inside the classroom.

Those places were where Rudel and Liam were sitting before.

Her gaze roamed around the inside of the classroom. Most of her classmates were looking awkwardly.

Besides, she couldn't find the foreign students either.

"... What's going on?"

Lucy approached a nearby friend, but the girl began to fidget and her gaze wandered suspiciously.

"Did something happen?"

"E-Emm."

The girl looked worried. It was a boy Lucy was close to who gave an explanation instead.

"The foreign students in our classroom were victims of Derrick, something big happened yesterday they say. Rumors had been going around since morning that they had been eliminated according to onlookers from different areas. Lucy, you were going to be attacked too, what did you do?"

"W-Why are you asking me? I didn't do anything! Forget about it, are you going to obediently follow the words of those kind of guys!?"

Her classmates averted their gaze from her.

The position of the six great nobles was absolute in Aster. The nobles who were chosen by the sacred tree not only had influence, but they could also use a portion of the sacred tree's power.

They would be unable to live in this country if they defied the nobles.

Lucy immediately ran out of the classroom.

However, she ran into Jude, who was waiting for her in the hallway.

"Good morning, Lucy."

Jude greeted her with a smile. Lucy felt a chill as she saw him this morning.

"... Jude."

"Do you feel like accepting my love now?"

There was no doubt that this individual was involved with the situation inside the classroom.

(Would this guy go that far? Besides, why is he wearing a necklace with him?)

Jude was flashing him a refreshing smile, but his hands were holding a chain and necklace for some reason.

"Isn't this necklace pretty? This will be the proof of our love. If you're going to run away from me, then I have no choice but to tie you with this so that you can't run anywhere."

(He's lying isn't he? What's wrong with this guy?)

It was a scene straight out of a horror movie just in the morning. Lucy immediately ran away from Jude.

Jude didn't chase after her.

"Soon you will learn reality and come back to me. I'm looking forward to that, my beloved."

Lucy's brain couldn't comprehend what was going on.

But there was only one thing she knew. It would be bad if she didn't run away from here. Lucy's sense of danger was ringing loudly inside her.

(This is bad. That guy right now is really a sign of bad news. I need to do something, otherwise...)

Lucy went to ask for help on behalf of her younger sister, Diana.

◇◇◇

Around that time, such troubles were happening in the academy as there was also a commotion in the port.

"Hyahyahya!"

Derrick was piloting Battler to fly through the aircraft coming and going from the port.

The armed unit flew past at high speed right next to the aircraft. The shock wave from that movement shook the hulls of the ships.

The crews and passengers on the decks of the ships panicked from the shaking. Derrick opened his mouth wide and burst out laughing at the sight.

"This thing is amazing! It has a poor appearance, but its power and speed are the best!"

Ixion's voice sounded inside Battler's cockpit.

"Good to know you're having fun, Master Derrick."

"Hey, one eye. Tell me more about this thing, is there anything else interesting I can do?"

He had been testing Schwert and Battler's performance since early in the morning.

The result gave Derrick a good mood, which led him to riot wildly in the harbor.

"Even if you say that, the guards are headed this way right now."

"There's no way those idiots are going to go against me! The great Derrick of the Herring Household. I'll tear them apart if they have any complaints."

"I see. So, a member of the six great nobles has a stronger influence than even a government official."

"Don't ask me about something so obvious. More importantly, this made me want to test it in actual combat. Isn't there a useful enemy somewhere that I can use to test this baby?"

"In that case, I think the Altfode Kingdom would be appropriate."

"What. You want to kill your previous owner? You're a dirty bastard too."

"... Maybe that's true."

"But, the Altfode Kingdom is quite large. It's the right opponent for me to accumulate achievements. Should I send them their prince's head to provoke them?"

"Are you planning to create a situation where the kingdom is forced to attack so that it becomes a defensive battle for Aster, Master Derrick?"

"They will come only if I provoke them. This place is Aster. There will be no chance for us to lose as long as the divine protection of the sacred tree is with us."

Derrick seemed to be enjoying himself. He presumptuously continued speaking without taking care in what he said.

"... I see. I understand. In that case, it might be better to target someone else."

"Aah?"

"Rudel von Bradford, he is a hero in the Altfode Kingdom. If you take his head, Master Derrick, not only will it become an achievement for you, but the kingdom won't be able to keep quiet either."

Ixion showed a hologram of two girls.

"His betrothed, the one on the left is a commoner who makes up for her lack of status with her charming personality while the one on the right is the daughter of a duke in the kingdom. The royal family won't be able to keep quiet either. Best of all, they're both untouched flowers."

"Hee~, that's great. I'll kill that hero and take his women will be interesting, gyahaha."

Derrick's thought as he stuck out his tongue was vulgar to the extreme.

"Yeah, Rudel should become a good target."

In that way, Ixion was leading Derrick to attack his former master.

◇◇◇

At the academy.

Diana was in a bad mood because Lucy had been calling her since morning. She didn't even try to hide it in her expression.

"Why do I have to skip the first period like this?"

"I'm really sorry. But, the situation is really bad, so I want to ask you for help."

They were twin sisters, but their personalities were completely different.

If Lucy was a frank and lively girl, Diana was a firm and intellectual girl.

Diana let out a long sigh and listened to Lucy as she crossed her arms.

"What did you do?"

"It wasn't me! Derrick is hunting Rudel-kun and the other foreign students. What's more, it looks like Jude is helping him too. He told me several scary things in the morning."

Lucy was also confused at this moment. She could not explain herself well.

Diana showed no concern on her face.

"I know about the thing with Derrick. But putting that aside, you just need to go out with Jude to avoid all this trouble."

"... I told you before. I hate the current him. This is because you're instigating it."

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"You mean this is my fault? It was you who said you didn't dislike him, so I advised him on how to get along with you. There shouldn't be any problem. He's handsome, rich, plus he's heir to a great noble house."

"I won't fall in love with someone like that for that sort of thing!"

In the past, Jude was nicer. Lucy didn't hate him then.

But, unnoticed by her, his desire to monopolize her grew stronger. He would interfere with everything Lucy was doing.

It was Diana who was nudging Jude in the back.

"That sort of thing? You want to talk about childish things like love or whatever? Grow the fuck up already."

"Diana, what's wrong with you? You're not normally this cold to me."

They were twins, but their thinking was different.

Lucy couldn't accept this part of Diana.

"... Anyway, I hate Jude."

"Ah, it's like that. Still, I wish you wouldn't make me uncomfortable. I'm busy with my own affairs, too."

"S-sorry. But this time the danger is really real. Help me."

Lucy felt she was in danger after meeting Jude in the morning. She hugged herself in fear.

But even seeing her older sister like this, Diana didn't do anything but look at her with a cold stare.

"You just need to go out with Jude to make the problem go away. You'll be able to help those foreign students too by doing that."

"Diana, you're not listening to what I'm saying!"

Diana turned to leave. Lucy clung to Diana's arms, but she shook her off roughly."

"Kyah!"

Diana was glaring angrily at Lucy, who fell backwards.

"You really are a nuisance, sister. I told you I'm busy now. I'll try to talk to Lugh about Derrick, but settle the Jude matter yourself."

Lucy watched Diana leave and looked down trembling.

"But... what should I do now?"

◇

It was evening and raining.

I was returning home after doing some shopping. At the gate I found a surprise waiting for me.

It was the opposite of a cute little stray animal, but the thing is, the girl sitting with her head buried between her legs, yes she was cute.

I stood to a position where I could place my umbrella over her.

"What brings you out at this time of night? I don't think it's to lend me your notes."

Lucy lifted her face.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to go home today, I don't have anywhere else to stay either."

There was no vivacity within her smile. It was pretty clear she was forcing herself to smile.

"I went to the place where I work to ask for help... but they all turned their backs on me, even the manager. None of them would give me a look, I understand their reasons well... but, still, it hurts."

"Do you want to come in?"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I came here even though you must be in a lot of trouble yourself right now."

It seems like she knew about our situation.

"How was the situation at the academy?"

Lucy scratched her head with her right hand and laughed as she said to me.

"It was the worst there."

"I see."

I walked inside with my shopping bag in my hand. Then I told Lucy to go inside.

◇

Lucy was petting Lucy-chan. It was a mysterious sight.

I asked her about many things while doing that, but there were many differences in her story from the story I heard from Erselica.

Jude's attitude and words were really unthinkable for a capture target, let alone that of a sane guy.

Besides, Derrick was causing trouble for us instead of the heroine. No, I think the event was going correctly, but in the wrong way. Could it be the same as what happened on the cruise ship? A mysterious possibility was activated that somehow triggered this?

Lucy was being cornered by Jude while, conversely, Diana was being protected by Lugh.

(So I can't determine who the heroine is.)

I arranged the table and wrote a letter on it. Lucy was looking at me.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm writing a letter for my house. I also have to send souvenirs soon, otherwise my family will become upset. I also have to report what happened recently."

I needed to inform that trash king, aka shitty bastard, aka son of a bitch who owns a beautiful wife, aka my sworn enemy, from Leonis, that Aster was about to fight me.

I was really looking forward to seeing what kind of face he would make when he read my report.

I was eagerly writing several letters.

"I'm sorry, you're going through something like this even though you came here to study abroad."

Lucy was apologizing to me. I said, "It's okay. I was the one who decided to come here in the first place." I came to nip a future concern in the bud.

She didn't need to apologize to me, it wasn't her fault.

"Will you and the others go back to your country?"

"That's also a possibility. But, I don't think I can go back until I get my aircraft back from that rat- Derrick."

"... It's impossible. You won't be able to get it back easily after the oath to the sacred tree has come into play like this."

"You know a lot."

"W-well, sort of."

I looked at Lucy who was hastily trying to gloss over her knowledge as I considered my plan from now on.

"Although it may not seem like it, I'm a minister at my age. It will become a political problem if I flee to my country with my tail between my legs. Besides, I need to collect considerable compensation from this country that won't apologize even after your nobleman came this far."

I am a very spiteful man, even if no one believes it.

I was planning to put up with things to some extent, but Derrick had crossed the line.

As expected, I can't stand these events that have nothing to do with me and involve me in any way.

"Really?"

Lucy asked me in surprise. I nodded toward her.

"The problem is how to drag Derrick into a duel to use the oath. Is there a treasure, one so extraordinary that anyone would jump at it even if it's a trap?

Lucy looked a little surprised.

"I heard that Altfode people are brave, but this far surpassed my imagination. To think that you still want to try to challenge Derrick even after what he's done to you. He has the divine protection of the sacred tree, you know."

"That doesn't matter to me. I'll crush anyone who mocks me, female or male."

The legend of invincibility of Aster's Supreme Kingdom, was clearly related to the sacred tree. That was our hypothesis.

In fact, that hypothesis was correct.

"Well, now I will take my time to prepare for the other week. Lucy, if you have nowhere to go, and if you want to, you can stay here living as long as you want."

"... Huh?"

Lucy shivered when I told her that. I calmed her down so she wouldn't think I planned to do anything to her.

"Don't worry. I won't do anything strange to you. I'm harmless. You can't go home can you?"

"...Y-Yes."

It seemed like she had a fight with her younger sister, Diana, but this house had some empty rooms, so there wouldn't be any problem even if she stayed here for a while.

Because Ixion wasn't by my side, it would be scarier not knowing where Lucy would be.

◇◇◇

The assembly of the six great nobles was the location.

An important meeting was taking place on the territory of the extinct Vermillion Household. The building was in the shape of a temple and was under one of the great roots of the sacred tree.

The current heads of the six great nobles gathered there.

Unimportant agendas were taken care of by their subordinates, but there were matters that needed their permission to take place. They were holding a discussion on such matters today.

The current chief, Randolf Ciel Rozenberg, was reading aloud from a report.

"In the harbor the soldiers have found traces of a drug called 'angel dust,' which lately has been spreading in different places in the Lunor, Herring, Wayne and Rosenberg territories."

He was a tall, stocky built man in the game, but in his current appearance he doesn't even look like that. His body is the same, but he is thin, his blond hair was dry and white hair was showing on the left side of his head. His bright green eyes like his daughter's were showing an emptiness like those of a dead fish.

His beard connected with his sideburns, it was scruffy like his thin mustache.

He looked like he hadn't slept much because of the bags under his eyes. It was almost like seeing a different version of Rudel.

"There have also been strange rumors reported of seeing the Cashmiro Family hanging around the harbor. Baltort, pass them the documents."

"Yes."

A man in armor with a cloak approached other knights standing behind their respective great nobles.

The man, Baltort, was a tall, stout knight who was not marked in his armor, but in his arms. His hair was blond, his eyes brown and he had a long chin with little facial hair.

He was an antagonistic character in the game, as he was a chevalier. A chevalier is what the great knights who are chosen as the right hand of one of the great nobles are called.

All the great nobles reviewed the documents.

One of them, Wenz Eliol Lunor, Lugh's father. A man of short stature, split beard, brown hair with a moustache that reached to his sideburns was reading the document with great intensity.

(I don't get it!)

He was in a cold sweat.

(I don't understand anything it says here. I understood that there were problems in my territory, but after that everything is so confusing.)

He was touching his chin trying to pretend how crucial the document was in his hands.

(I'll have my younger brother, Elijah, read it for me. I hope Randolf-dono doesn't ask me questions. I'm no good at this. I want to go eat.)

At his side stood a man watching him, it was the head of Wayne Household, Lucian Noctis Wayne. A tall, thin man, eyes as small as his nose. Big lips, long sideburns and black hair combed to the sides.

(Looks at that useless Lunor, trying to look like he understands what he's saying. I agree with you, your younger brother would be a better head for your house than you are. But if you did, that would mean my house being beneath yours once again.I can tolerate the other three, but I will never tolerate you two old incompetents.)

This man was the father of Zack, one of the game characters and a capture target.

(Certainly there are strange rumors. But Rosenberg, what do you want me to do? I'm doing everything I can to make my house try to outdo the pretty boy's.)

His eyes focused on a man at the other end of the round table.

Behind him was a window that showed the outside, light streaming in and touching his back. The glare made his figure look like that of a beautiful angel.

He read the document with intensity.

That man was Linus Ian Exner, a character in the game, Tom's older half-brother and, above all, a capture target.

He was the youngest of them all, having just turned 24.

His features were those of a very handsome man with fair skin, slim but muscular, corn silk blond hair falling down the nape of his neck and cold blue eyes. He is extremely tall, but not as tall as the man next to him.

He was very burly, he was almost like a mass of muscles like Chlust's father. His skin was tanned from his training in the sun. His eyes were green and his red hair combed back with four hairs in front marking a sort of shark mark on his forehead. His hair was tied back in a thin ponytail that was tied from the nape of his neck to the small of his back.

His muscles were so big it looked like the buttons on his suit were going to pop.

"Randolf-dono, let's not waste time on these things."

Spoke the burly man who was Jude's father and the head of Banfield Household, Cliff Gaia Banfield, as he lit a cigar.

"If there's only increased vigilance to be had then so be it. Besides, they are in territories where the lack of political organization is to blame. Sorry, I don't mean yours but that of others."

Despite apologizing, Cliff was showing his obvious mockery of Randolf.

He made light of it.

"If that's all. So you all agree?"

"Agreed!" Five voices shouted in unison.

"Good. Let's move on to the next business of the week..."

Randolf's eyes widened at what he was reading. He turned to the last of the six great nobles.

"Would you care to explain the significance of this to me, Herring-dono?"

A man of medium height like his belly was eating fried chicken until he was called.

He was wiping his mouth with a handkerchief that was already greasy. The man had messy green hair; he had it that way because he was balding in one area and was trying to hide it. His eyes were brown, some of his teeth were missing and they were also yellow.

He belched before speaking Derrick's father, the head of the Herring Household. Randy Zaja Herring was.

"You had to read it already, didn't you? My son told me in advance about that business. But you know Acting Chairman, is it really that big a deal?"

They all looked at him with repulsive eyes, not only because of his unpleasant appearance nor his bad body odor, his words were much worse than what they saw or smelled.

"Are you saying that stealing a foreigner's airship and tormenting them is a small matter?"

"No, no, no. I mean he's a nobleman from a small country, isn't he? It's really worth making a fuss. Besides, my son swore it by the sacred tree before he started all the trouble."

"Hmph, aren't you ashamed to use the name of the sacred tree for something as vulgar as that?"

Whoever said that was the head of Wayne Household.

Randy looked at him with a smile of confidence in his words.

"I'm not using the sacred tree's name in vain. I'm simply saying that my son won it fair and square."

"If that's the case, there should be no problem."

Backing Randy up was Cliff.

"Aster is a country that takes pride in its land, what does it really matter if a peasant from a small country complains. Let's just give them a few magic stones as compensation and they'll shut up. Or, if they prefer war, the Banfield Household will take care of them like they did during the war twenty years ago, hahaha."

Twenty years ago World War II broke out. It engulfed Aster. The republic was trying to attack them, but back then the young heir to Banfield Household went out to defeat them.

"I don't think we should waste any more time on it. One of Aster's unwritten rules is never to grovel before a loser. Acting Chairman, matters of no importance are few, please continue matters of vital importance."

Randolf looked at them all with a tired look, but one that exuded his contempt.

(These guys are really the worst, every one of them thinks only of themselves. This may be an international problem, but I hate to admit it, Cliff is right about one thing. And that is that Aster is a country that never humbles itself. I wish he would stop thinking that way since his children will inherit that way of thinking.)

Randolf exhaled for a brief moment.

(Aster's future is dark if they continue with that mindset. But I can't bow down to a country by apologizing while being the Acting Chairman of an entire nation either.)

"Good. If everyone agrees to the reward of magic stones towards the Altfode Kingdom for the trouble."

"Agreed."

Before turning the page, Randolf was curious about a name.

"Rudel?"

Linus asked him curiously.

"Something wrong, Acting Chairman?"

"No. Nothing in particular."

"Very well. The next topic is about the sapling. This year it also seems to be impossible to go deeper into the cave because of the Jaggerjarck..."

The topic of discussion about Rudel's airship was ignored as if it were a non-issue.