Interlude 6
My Name Is Erol
Translator : PolterGlast
When Erol awoke, he
found himself lying in a clean sickbed, his body bearing traces of treatment.
"So... I was
saved. No, I was rescued, by his subordinate... To think that I, of all people,
would come to rely on that Baron Solis."
Erol chuckled
self-deprecatingly from his sickbed. His face held no trace of resentment, but
rather a serene, almost detached calmness. He reflected on his past, on the
circumstances that led him to seek help from Baron Solis in his time of dire need.
He recalled that from
his childhood, his father and elder brother had instilled in him the pride of a
Kingdom noble and the duties he must fulfill. He had always aspired to support
his elder brother, who was destined to inherit the Viscountcy with his
intelligence, and to possess the spirit of a bulwark for the Kingdom.
However, at some
point, his father's demeanor shifted. He began to act arrogantly towards those
beneath him, and his words and actions became insidious and overbearing. Erol,
barely past 10 years old, mistakenly believed that this was the proper way for
a noble to be, and that it was noble pride.
At that time, he had
two uncles. They worked diligently as pillars supporting his father's rule, and
he admired them greatly. His uncles spent their days sweating through sword
training with the soldiers and toiled alongside the citizens in farm work.
"Listen, Erol.
The only reason we nobles can act so grand is because of the citizens and
soldiers. It's because they enrich the territory and risk their lives on the
battlefield that we can exist as nobles. Never forget this."
His uncles' words and
their actions were deeply ingrained in him, staying with him long into the
future.
However, concurrently
with his father's change, differences of opinion began to emerge between his
uncles and his father. His uncles sometimes vehemently opposed his father, who
had steered towards a harsh rule, but his father utterly refused to listen. And
then one day, his uncles, who had gone on an expedition into the Demon Realm,
disappeared and never returned.
Having lost his only
close relatives, Erol tried to win the favor of his father and elder brother,
who had begun to distance themselves from him. He imitated their actions,
believing that he still lacked noble pride. He convinced himself that if he
possessed proper pride and became a noble worthy of their respect, his father
would care for him as he once did.
"Now that I think
about it, my first encounter with the Baron was incredibly rude. And
considering my past, it's only natural that I wouldn't be trusted. It's my own
fault."
He could see the
guards patrolling outside this sickroom, monitoring him. Even knowing that, he
felt no anger towards the Baron's subordinates.
His encounter with the
Baron occurred when he was 13 years old. That year, an unprecedented flood
struck Hiyorimi territory. He heard that many citizens died in the
disaster-stricken area, losing their homes and fields, and that the place was
overflowing with those struggling for food. At that time, he remembered his
uncles' words and bravely approached his father.
"Father,
shouldn't we dispatch troops to aid the citizens? The people must be in
distress. Please, I beg you, extend a helping hand. I wish to save as many
citizens as possible, so please include me as a member of the relief unit you
dispatch."
He made that
suggestion, but his father remained unresponsive. Thus, no troops were
dispatched from the Hiyorimi Viscount family for relief, and time passed. As a
member of the Hiyorimi Viscount family, and even more so as a noble, he felt
that his father still didn't trust him.
But then one day, he
was suddenly summoned by his father.
"Erol, that
turnip Baron next door has offered to dispatch a relief unit to assist with the
flood damage. Furthermore, his second son will also be accompanying the relief
unit. As a member of the Hiyorimi family, as a Viscount family, you are to
respond appropriately and supervise their work. Understand this: we are a Viscount
family, and our status is superior to theirs. You are not to work alongside
them. Do not allow them to disrespect you."
Receiving those
instructions, he was granted permission to go to the disaster site. His
father's words felt somewhat unsettling, but more than anything, he was glad
that a relief unit would be dispatched.
However, when it came
time to depart, he was forbidden from taking relief supplies, such as food.
These were essential supplies for the affected citizens. Hinder, the steward
who accompanied him, went around to various parties and managed to gather a
small but essential amount of supplies. That was the most they could do.
And upon arriving at
the site, there were several instances where he was utterly speechless with
surprise: at the scale of the disaster and its devastation, at the sheer size
of the neighboring territory's relief unit, at their disciplined movements and
tireless efforts, and at the abundance of relief supplies, such as food,
provided by the neighboring territory. He became deeply ashamed of himself, who
had only a small retinue of soldiers and meager relief supplies.
And when he learned
that the unit was being led by a child three years younger than himself, a
fierce jealousy welled up within him, surpassing his surprise and admiration.
This was because the boy possessed what he himself had longed for but could
never obtain.
Because of such
feelings, he did not approach the boy to greet him at the site. He was a
Viscount's son, and the other was a Baron's son. He thought at the time that it
was only natural for the other party to come and greet him, as dictated by
rank. Now, looking back, he was deeply ashamed of how foolish he had been,
unable to even comprehend that he was the one receiving help.
But after a while, he
grew impatient with the young boy who still hadn't come to greet him. He began
to think that he had to teach him a lesson about noble etiquette and the proper
order of things. And one day, he went to see him himself.
At the relief site
where the boy was managing the response, an astonishing scene unfolded. What he
had always wanted to do, the boy was doing. Like his uncles before him, he was
covered in mud, sweating alongside the common people. Furthermore, the adults
in the relief unit, who admired the young boy, younger than himself, followed
his commands in an orderly fashion...
"What? So the
Solis family, though nobles, even young children, work alongside commoners in
the mud?"
Those were words of
frustration, stemming from his own inability to be honest, despite his envy.
"It is truly a
great achievement that we could never imitate."
He envied the boy who
casually did what he himself could not, what was forbidden to him. To him, it
was a commendable feat. But contrary to his feelings, he uttered that the boy's
actions were unbecoming of a noble, disgraceful. The small boy, with a
frustrated look in his eyes, looked up at him on horseback, and he felt a
slight sense of relief.
However, he
immediately regretted his words and actions. He felt the intense killing intent
of those behind the young boy glaring at him. In particular, the cold,
contemptuous gaze of the red-haired maid sent shivers down his spine. I would
be killed if I stayed here! Feeling such silent pressure, he fled the scene.
"It's belated,
but I must formally apologize to the Baron. Not just for that time, but for all
my past impoliteness. I truly was a foolish and petty young boy. But that
disaster, it can also be said, was the beginning of the rift between my father,
my brother, and me."
Recalling those
incredibly embarrassing incidents, I once again laughed at myself and couldn't
help but mutter.
After that, upon
returning from the disaster area, I immediately met with my father and made a
request.
"Father! The
disaster situation is beyond imagination. The people are desperately waiting
for further relief troops and supplies. We cannot lose to the neighboring
territory!"
Perhaps driven by the
desire not to lose to that young boy, I desperately pleaded with my father at
the time. But my father brushed it aside and did nothing, but I didn't give up.
I proposed everything I could think of, including policies from the neighboring
territory that Hinder had told me about, financial incentives, the development
of new settlement areas, and proposals to aid the citizens, whenever I met my
father. All of it was met with indifference and continually ignored.
Thus, I spent my days
in gloom, growing increasingly jealous of the neighboring territory and ashamed
of my own inadequacy. I blamed myself, thinking that my immaturity as a noble
was why my father didn't acknowledge me.
Yes, I had always been
envious. Envious of the children of the neighboring territory who implemented
policies to aid the citizens, which I myself wished to do. Envious that while I
could never get my father's permission or the funds to implement aid policies
for the people, the Baron family next door, though of lower rank, implemented
various policies for their citizens, making them increasingly prosperous.
Because of this, I grew to envy, dislike, curse, and adopt an arrogant attitude
towards the Solis brothers.
However, there was one
thing that saved me. Through the arrangement of Steward Hinder, who accompanied
me during the disaster and with whom I became close, I was secretly able to
imitate my uncles within the territory. Every day, I would sneak out of the
mansion and sweat alongside the citizens, and sweat with the soldiers to
protect the citizens. For me, these times were the happiest of all.
But one day, my
actions were exposed to my father through my brother, and I received a summons.
"Erol, you still
have much to learn as a noble. Go learn it at the Royal Capital Academy.
Furthermore, you are forbidden to return to the territory until your
graduation."
I was happy. That I
was given the opportunity to study in the Royal Capital, when I had expected to
be reprimanded by my father. Now that I think about it, it was probably just a
way to get rid of me, nothing more.
Perhaps worried about
me, my brother, who had been estranged for a long time, also accompanied me to
the Royal Capital. I felt very guilty about attending the academy alone,
leaving my brother behind. But my brother didn't seem to mind. He stayed in the
Royal Capital for a while, showing interest in the academy's affairs, the
status and positions of the students, and their movements, and asked me for
daily reports. I secretly took my brother to the academy several times. After a
while, my brother silently returned to the territory.
However, one day, my
brother suddenly arrived in the Royal Capital and told me about the appearance
of bandits in the territory, and that my father had ordered me to subjugate
them. My father ordering me! I was overjoyed. Thanks to my brother's mediation,
I must have finally been acknowledged by my father. That's what I thought at
the time, and I thanked my brother.
After that, I left my
brother in the Royal Capital and hastily returned to the territory. Upon
arriving, I departed for the border with the soldiers entrusted to me, and
following my brother's prior instructions, headed for Teigun in the neighboring
territory.
At that time, I
resented the Solis brothers even more than before. The elder brother, Darek,
who was the same age as me, had already achieved military distinction and held
the rank of Baronet. And the younger brother, Takuhir, three years younger, who
had ingratiated himself with the Margrave, received enormous investments, and
acquired his own mine.
My heart was torn
between two feelings at that time. Half of me genuinely felt I had to save the
innocent citizens who would be attacked by bandits. The other half felt this
was an opportunity to get back at the Solis younger brother and acquire some of
his vast funds.
It was also true that
I intended to exploit their gratitude for being helped, collect expenses for
dispatching troops, subjugation, and stationing, and use that as funds for
internal affairs in my own territory. I also intended to get involved in the internal
affairs of his territory and acquire funds that my father would never grant me.
But he, perhaps
knowing my wicked intentions, cruelly refused my intervention... Later, what
struck me as odd was that my brother had accurately predicted the location and
time of the attack.
The following year,
after returning to the Royal Capital, I heard that the Cadet Knights were being
formed to respond to the Kingdom's crisis, and I immediately volunteered.
Strangely, despite being a later addition and the second son of a lower-ranking
Viscount family, I was in a relatively privileged position among the nobles as
one of the initiators.
That battle... Looking
back now, I understand all too well.
How foolish they were,
including myself, at that time. They were merely ignorant and reckless
youngsters, incited to inflate their self-esteem, filled with overconfidence
and complacency. Their actions were like those of someone suffering from a
fever, utterly deranged, and as a result, they spectacularly self-destructed,
dragging their allies and comrades down with them.
But at that time, I
was confined to the fort by my father and brother, reprimanded for my selfish
participation in the First Cadet Knights, so I escaped harm. Thanks to being
confined by my brother, I survived. On the day I was released from confinement,
I saw the Solis brothers, who had returned from the battlefield, clinging to
the bodies of fallen soldiers, distraught and weeping.
It was a heartbreaking
sight to behold. I had never seen my father or brother mourn fallen soldiers in
battle before. That was the moment something shifted within me.
After that, due to the
dishonorable blunder and rumors surrounding the First Cadet Knights, I lost my
place even in the Royal Capital Academy. Thus, I dejectedly withdrew from the
academy and secretly returned to my territory.
Upon my return to the
territory, my father and elder brother remained as cold as ever. However,
living a life almost like being a kept pet in the territory, and incurring
their displeasure, no longer seemed to matter.
This was because I had
secretly teamed up with Steward Hinder and resolved to act in order to provide
even a little support to the citizens suffering under my father's and brother's
tyranny.
When monsters appeared
in the territory, I would lead a small force on expeditions to the frontier
countless times. I desperately worked to subjugate those who threatened towns
and villages, to save as many citizens as possible from monsters. Even for
minor disasters, I would rush to the scene with a small number of troops,
sweating in the mud for recovery efforts. The supplies, such as food, that I
brought on these expeditions were secretly distributed to the impoverished
citizens in the affected areas. Hinder, the steward, expertly handled this
part, processing it as necessary expenses.
As these days passed,
I finally came to recognize and overcome my own ignorance towards the
neighboring territory, and my ugly jealousy towards the Solis brothers. I
realized the folly of envying the neighboring territory and resenting the
brothers. I abandoned the self-satisfaction of wanting to do something for the
citizens, understanding that I was not the protagonist, but the citizens who
sought help were.
With that thought, it
seemed there was much I could do even in my current position, and strangely, my
impatience vanished.
"Hmph, I suppose
I took quite a detour myself. But precisely because I took a detour, I gained
much. Yet, just when things were about to begin... my own incompetence has
caused the citizens to suffer."
Erol bit his lip in
frustration, unaware of the trickle of blood from his mouth.
※
For the past two
years, Erol had been working tirelessly with the steward, even sacrificing
every spare moment, to support the citizens in the territory. As a result of
his efforts, despite the Lord's harsh and cruel rule, the territory somehow
managed to hold its own.
Compared to his father
and elder brother, Erol, who had always had a good reputation among the
citizens, was called "Young Master" by the citizens and soldiers, and
his popularity spread, leading him to be admired even more than before.
However, he was unaware that this only worsened the impression of his elder
brother, Lugner, who always envied his popular younger brother among the
citizens and soldiers, and impersonated him using Dark Magic to plot and
incite.
The history altered by
Takuhir had a profound impact on Erol since his childhood.
Originally, or in the
previous timeline, he would have grown up twisted, completely disregarding the
neighboring territory, and would have succeeded his father and elder brother,
who were supposed to die from this plague. Of course, he would have received
the Dark Baptism from the old man in that process. Subsequently, he was supposed
to meet Baron Solis (Takuhir), who had also lost both parents to the plague and
become a lord, and the two were destined to deepen their animosity.
However, the gears of
fate surrounding Erol had greatly changed due to Takuhir's alterations. The
damage sustained in the Southern Gate Annihilation Battle, the damage from
floods and monster outbreaks, the various exchanges that occurred amidst all
that, and then the Monster Disease that emerged through a different route,
along with his father and brother surviving because they knew how to deal with
it. Besides these, there were many other small changes. These would further
transform his way of life in the future, no, completely change it.
※
Reflecting on the
events so far, Erol reaffirmed his resolve.
To wield the sword of
punishment himself against his father and elder brother, who had used the
citizens as tools and plotted rebellion. To protect as many citizens as
possible until the day he himself would be punished as a relative of a rebel.
To persuade the soldiers caught up in the rebellion and save as many as
possible from a futile battle.
I hereby abandon the
name Hiyorimi. I must protect this land, where my people have fled, alongside
them. It is by being in this land, where the soldiers are invading, that I must
convey the truth to them, correct their mistakes, and guide them.
"Yes, my name is
Erol! Nothing more. I am one who has prolonged this life to pledge loyalty to
the Kingdom, to protect its suffering people, and to aid soldiers who have
fallen into darkness. I need nothing else beyond this mission!"
His renewed cry of
determination echoed beyond the room where he was sheltered.
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