[WN] Emperor's Seventh Son : 6 - 3 Part 1

6-3 Part 1

Rescue Operation

— Divine Punishment and Dig the Underground Tunnel —

Translator : PolterGlast

Heading south from the Imperial Capital of Bergelmir, there is a small resort area. According to Jii, Auntie's Detached Palace is located by the lake there. In terms of distance, it's half a day by shared carriage. We arrived at the site just past evening that day.

Now that I'm actually here, it's not bad at all. Being a somewhat prosperous tourist destination, it was a neat town with a large lake. The Detached Palace built on the lakeside was red and beautiful; setting aside the owner's personality, it was the town's perfect landmark.

There is a wetland on the opposite shore from the town. Perhaps because of that, if you look closely, this land is somewhat misty. However, the moist breeze from the lake was pleasant, and my imagination strayed, wondering if it would be comfortable here outside of summer.

Satisfied with the sightseeing, I approached the Detached Palace to check the security situation. Let me state only the result: it was hard to say they were entertaining a guest. The security was that strict. Patrols and guard soldiers were visible all over the palace grounds. It seemed as if they were rudely disturbing this peaceful resort area.

"Whew, whew... Shinza-sama, there is a limit to how rough you can be with people... Breaking into a warehouse is already a felony, yet now aiding a jailbreak—ah, Your Majesty, I am so sorry..."

This is the outskirts of town, inside the forest facing the lake. From here, we can monitor their movements while hiding from the palace guards.

"I intend to do something about His Majesty's sister's little prank. I'd almost want Father to thank me."

"T-That might be so... but!"

"Shut up, old people shouldn't grumble forever."

"Old people are creatures that grumble! Or rather, this time—absolutely this time—I will not help you!"

"You've come this far with me, don't say that now. Jii, did you find a spot?"

Before coming here, I bought skewered Massun Fish at a stall in town. I crunched into it loudly in front of Jii. I debated getting Ayoon Fish, but for fattiness, this is probably the one. Delicious.

"That's unfair, when did you get such a thing..."

"Then I'll give you half. Don't force yourself and get a small bone stuck in your throat."

"Do not make a fool of me. I have lived longer than you."

"That's why I'm worried. Stubborn old man..."

After putting about 40% into my stomach, I handed the Massun to Jii and observed the lake. This lake apparently connects to the sea, and when the season comes, Samone Fish return from the ocean.

I heard the smoked version is also delicious, but unfortunately, this wasn't the situation for that.

"So, back to the topic. Did you find a spot?"

"Fwai... Ngh, ngh. I rented a fishing hut for the night."

"That helps. Lead the way."

I left the miscellaneous tasks to Jii. I read in a book from the other world that a crime is closer to a perfect crime if there is an accomplice. With Jii gathering information and making arrangements like this, the threads leading to me, the perpetrator, cannot be easily traced.

"Jii...?"

"Kh... T-Throat, bone... Cough, cough... A blunder..."

"I have a little dried meat. Eat this and push the bone down."

"My apologies... Ngu, s-salty..."

After some trial and error until the small bone was removed from Jii's throat, we started walking toward the fishing hut for tourists.

---

We arrived at the fishing hut. It can't be called spacious, but it's enough for two people to sleep. Though I didn't intend to sleep here. From now on, I will use this building as a base and dig underground.

"Then, I leave the lookout to you. It's nothing, just make sure people don't get close to the hole. Also, when I get absorbed in digging, I tend to lose sight of my surroundings. Sorry if I don't notice you."

"I cannot think you are sane... What do you intend to do if it collapses?!"

"I'll be careful. Well then, Jii."

Thus, I began the tunnel construction. This is the great escape route connecting this fishing hut and my Aunt's Detached Palace. First, I will build the path and rescue the imprisoned Dulin from underground.

However, the circumstances are different from breaking into the Hyamar Company warehouse. This is right by the lake. If I mess up, I'll hit groundwater. Trying to go under the lake bottom would be truly reckless.

Therefore, detouring the tunnel toward the land route leading to the mansion, I worked diligently in silence. Even after the sun set and night arrived, relying on the light of the lantern hanging at my waist, I continued digging underground through the night. While picturing the kidnapped Dulin.

I switched the gold with fakes. That fact cannot be changed. As the idiom from the other world goes, 『When the wind blows, the barrel maker prospers.』

I had trouble grasping the meaning for a long time, but now I understand. It probably means that a small trigger goes around and leads to an unexpected result.

"Is that you, Jii? You don't have to push yourself, you can sleep."

"Haa, finally words get through to you... You should rest too, Ashley-sama..."

"Not Ashley. Here, I am just Shinza."

"I do not like that name. It feels as if... you might go far away..."

Jii said it so somberly that my hands stopped working. If Father dies, I will have no choice but to leave this Imperial Capital, no, the Empire. Even Jii must know that.

"It can't be helped. Is it about time? ...By the way, did you hear about Father?"

Stopping my work, I turned back to Jii. Good work, even if I say so myself. I made it this far without collapsing the crumbling river sand ground.

"Yes... His health doesn't seem very good, and I tried to visit—n-no! His Majesty must actually want to see you, Ashley-sama!?"

"If so, he wouldn't have pushed me onto you, his confidant."

Assigning such a capable old man to the likes of a deformed seventh son, was that Father's idea of atonement? Jii is a loyal retainer. A man Father places his trust in. Did he think that if it were Jii, he would watch over me without leaking my existence to the outside, without betraying me?

"That is wrong! Because he is worried about you, His Majesty entrusted you to me!"

"It's fine. Knowing the outside world, I've come to see many things. Father's path and mine will not cross. It is happier for both of us not to meet anymore."

"Please stop! If you say such sad things, I will, I—"

"Wait."

Stopping Jii's objection, I turned back to the tunnel's path once more. Looking closely at the underground, which had been mostly river sand, wood was mixed in. Scraping off the slightly damp sand using the side of the Shovel, it revealed a stake driven deep into the ground.

"Seems we've arrived. I might have nearly gone too far and connected the lake to here."

"Please don't say scary things so casually!"

This is probably to stabilize the foundation of the Detached Palace. After all, it's a lakeside palace. Originally, it wasn't land suitable for construction.

"However, are you really going to do it...?"

"Yeah. It's fine, I prepared disguise tools too. Unless I get caught, my identity won't be revealed. ...We'll execute the plan when Sister arrives."

Sister Atomina is necessary for the plan after retrieving Dulin. I thought about asking Carral's Hez Company to let her escape to the coastal provinces, but it's not so easy to contact them.

Besides, more than anything, I wanted to reunite Dulin and Sister quickly.

---

- Table of Contents –

[Name] Ashley

[Lv] 16

[Exp] 1855 → 1870

[STR] 41

[VIT] 110

[DEX] 99

[AGI] 82

[Skill] Shovel LV 3.5, Scoop LV 1

The stage is set. Come now, save her quickly. Considering that little girl's personality, by now she is surely crying and begging Princess Atomina for salvation.

---

I know without being told. Don't rush me, Zirant.

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[WN] A Hero From a Remote Village : Chapter 151

Chapter 151

Excitement

Translator : PolterGlast

Buying food and drinks on the way to the house, we arrived at the former residence of the Greatest family. As expected, no matter how many times I look at it, its size is overwhelming, and I don't feel like I'll get used to it yet.

"This is the house where I'll have you live starting today."

"............Huh? W-We are going to live here?!"

"Yeah. Together with me, though."

"A-Amazing! It's big and spacious! I've never even seen such a big house!"

"I-Is it really okay? We aren't being tricked, right?"

"Tricked? Tricked into what and how? Anyway, let's go inside."

"We're going in, we're going in! Yay!"

"Going suddenly from a tent to a mansion... my head can't keep up."

Gree is confused, and Anne is honestly happy. Both reactions are fresh and fun just to watch.

Grinning at their reactions, I unlocked the door and entered the house. Well, even though I'm grinning, I've only visited a few times myself, so there are more things I don't know than I do. For now, I'll guide them to the living room and have us eat the food I bought before deciding on rooms.

"Whoa! It really is too wide!"

"Big Brother, look! It has a garden attached!"

"It's true. The garden is too wide too!"

"You can use the garden freely too. Before that, let's eat."

Seating the excited pair, I lined up the food I bought on the table. Then, after finishing the pre-meal greetings, we ate the food.

"So yummy! A huge house and delicious food! It's really like a dream!"

"Really... I'm starting to think it might actually be a dream."

"It's not a dream, so hurry up and eat. It'll get cold. Also, after eating, we'll decide on rooms."

"Deciding rooms?! I'm looking forward to it!!"

"Um... what kind of work will we be made to do? Since we are living in a house like this, surely it isn't ordinary work, right?"

Gree seems paranoid. Since he was living in that environment, it's unavoidable that he'd become suspicious, but I'd like him to trust me by now.

"The work is normal stuff, too. I want you to do cleaning of this house and such, and since I plan to accept children with no relatives, I want you to support them together with me."

"Is that... all? You're not gonna make us help you sell off the kids you take in—"

"There's no way I'd do that. Stop thinking stupid things and eat your food."

I made Gree, who had stopped his chopsticks to say stupid things, eat his food, and once we finished eating everything, we explored the house to decide their room. Currently, no one lives here and there are many rooms, so I want to let them use them freely, but the number of necessary rooms will increase as people increase.

In the near future, I have to prepare rooms for Ria, Tricia, and Maud as well, so although it's bad for Gree and Anne, I'll have them use the same room. Based on that thought, after looking around to see which room was good, their room was decided to be the one furthest back on the second floor.

The size of the room is decent; a room that feels a little big even for two people living in it. They didn't seem dissatisfied with living in the same room, so for now, this room is decided.

"Feel free to use this room however you like. It's all yours."

"Freely use such a wide room? Is it really okay?"

"Of course. Sorry that the two of you have to share the same room, though."

"It's totally fine! We used to live together in a tent smaller than this room anyway! Graham-san, thank you truly!! ... Thank you very much!"

"I don't need thanks. I'll have you work properly for it."

As expected, both Gree and Anne look happy. I haven't been able to prepare futons yet, but there were plenty of towels, so spreading those out should serve as a substitute for futons.

"You two must be tired today, so I'll have you work starting tomorrow. You can rest for today."

"Yeah. I'll work properly. Tell me anything, Graham."

"I'll do anything too!"

"Don't strain yourselves so much; just think about getting used to things first. Also... you can use the bath freely too. I'll come back with food again at night, so try not to leave the house."

"Got it. Graham, thank you truly."

"We'll take it easy! ...Is it okay if we go to the garden?"

"Yeah. The garden is within the premises."

"Yaay! Big Brother, let's play a little before taking a bath!"

"Anne, it's embarrassing so don't get too excited!"

Even Gree's expression as he said that couldn't hide his smile, and I feel like I saw a happy expression appropriate for his age for the first time. I left the room glancing at their happy expressions.

Truthfully, I wanted to relax together with them, but I have to go to Ria and the others now. I've probably worried them, and I want to let the three of them live in this house soon too.

---

And so, after returning to the inn and checking in on the three of them, I would have to sit down for another discussion with Ginia and Aoi. This is the heaviest burden... but if I explain the circumstances, surely they will understand. Telling myself that, I left the house and headed toward the inn where Ria and the others were.

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[WN] Jitsuwa 3-Domedatta : Chapter 249

Chapter 249

Southern Front ⑤ — The Planted Mistletoe

Translator : PolterGlast

Under the fierce onslaught of the Griffonia Empire, the fall of the Southern Gate Fortress had become only a matter of time. Then, a situation arose that astonished and confused the generals.

One part was the news of the death of their supreme commander, Margrave Hastburg, but another piece of news invited great confusion.

"Attention all forces of the Kyle Kingdom Army. Margrave Hastburg has fallen in battle! By the final words entrusted to me by the Margrave, I order all forces to cease fire immediately and surrender!"

This unbelievable command was issued to the generals by Viscount Kyrias, who claimed to have been entrusted with the aftermath by the Margrave.

"That cannot be! The Margrave ordered a retreat to the Southern Gate Fort!"

"Surrender to the enemy at this juncture? That is completely different from the previous order!"

"The Margrave has fallen? He was wounded, but he should have been fine until just moments ago!"

Voices of opposition rose from the generals. In fact, the Margrave continued to send messengers until just before his death, and his orders had reached the generals, so everyone found Viscount Kyrias's words suspicious.

"This is out of the question! We will follow the Margrave's direct order, force a breakthrough through the enemy lines, and retreat! Everyone, follow me!"

"To begin with, we bear some responsibility for the breach of the left wing castle wall, but there are reports that the castle gate was opened on the right wing, inviting the enemy army in! As long as such suspicion exists, I cannot obey that order!"

"Now it makes sense why the enemy army did not attack the right wing! There is no way we can listen to Lord Kyrias's orders."

Baron Kreitz, Baron Bold, and Baron Herald verbally abused the messenger from Viscount Kyrias, promptly reorganized their armies, forced a breakthrough through the enemy army, and retreated to the Southern Gate Fort. Amidst fierce fighting, their forces were reduced by nearly half.

"Now that the Margrave has passed, we shall accompany him! All forces, charge to secure a retreat route for our allies!"

Following the Margrave's final order, there was no end to those who voluntarily joined the rearguard, fighting as soldiers prepared to die and meeting heroic ends one after another. It was precisely because of their desperate struggle—wagering their very lives—that so many of their comrades were able to make their retreat.

Consequently, with the exception of the Right Wing defended by Viscount Kyrias, fierce battles continued to rage even after the fortress had officially fallen. The Imperial Army found themselves unable to occupy the stronghold with any ease.

From the direction of the Right Wing—where Viscount Kyrias had held command—First Prince Glorious entered the fortress, gazing upon this chaotic situation with visible bitterness.

"Lord Kyrias, I accepted your surrender as per our prior arrangement, but what is this unsightly spectacle? I acknowledge the merit of your betrayal in capturing the fortress. However, if you cannot even control a mob of defeated remnants, then the guarantee of your status after the occupation—which you so eagerly requested—may well be in jeopardy."

"First, I apologize for the blunder. I will now eliminate the fools who do not follow Your Highness's benevolence and will. Would that be acceptable?"

"Umu, changing one's stance is difficult. One must make enemies of those who were friends until yesterday. If you cannot do that, we cannot trust you either. You understand quickly, which is excellent."

Placed outside the battle and remaining almost unscathed, the Viscount Kyrias Army attacked all at once toward the Kyle Kingdom Army they had been fighting alongside until moments ago to retreat. Raising the justification of punishing the crime of disobeying Margrave Hastburg's orders and chastising military insubordination.

As a result, all resistance forces remaining within the fortress were eliminated, but simultaneously, within the Kyle Kingdom Army, the betrayal of Viscount Kyrias changed from suspicion to certainty.

---

Through this sequence of events, the Southern Gate Fortress fell. Once the battle had been decided, Viscount Kyrias stood alone in the command post that Margrave Hastburg had designated as his headquarters.

This area had been left unattended after Kyrias killed the Margrave. Amidst several lying corpses, he advanced to the corpse of the notable figure and straddled it.

"I have fallen as far as I can fall. There is no way to make excuses now. This is all your fault, Margrave."

Tears overflowed from his eyes as he spoke to the Margrave's corpse.

"You asked 'Why?' at the end, did you not? That is a question I share as well. Why... why was I not chosen to be your successor? Why him? Why that upstart brat (Darek)? Why were the path for me to achieve military exploits... deliberately closed off?"

Yes, Kyrias had feelings of helplessness that had piled up endlessly.

"All I ever lived for... the only dream I ever harbored... was to restore the Count Kyrias family, which had once fallen into ruin, smeared in disgrace. And yet... your treatment of me was simply too much. In this battle, stationed on the Right Wing, I was not granted even a single opportunity to achieve military merit. Furthermore, my territory is trampled by the enemy army, and I was left here to defend this fortress as nothing more than a sacrificial pawn. Tell me... in exchange for all that I was forced to lose, was I to gain absolutely nothing in return?"

Kyrias had spent his childhood in a position where his future was promised as the heir to the Count Kyrias family, which served as Commander of the Royal Capital Knights. That fate changed abruptly over twenty years ago when the Kyle Kingdom Army suffered a crushing defeat due to his father's blunder during the first invasion by the Griffonia Empire Army.

Kyrias's father was stripped of his post as Commander of the Royal Capital Knights, and his family was punished by demotion from Count to Viscount. It is not that Count Kyrias was blameless for this defeat, but it is said the biggest cause was that the elderly clinging to central power and the previous King underestimated the enemy and the severity of the war, and were reluctant to authorize the deployment of the Royal Capital Knights until it was too late.

Yet, only his own father was made to bear the responsibility, branded as incompetent by noble society, and the Kyrias family came to bear the disgrace eternally.

Since then, regaining the honor of the Kyrias family became his purpose in life. That ladder was not easy, but he progressed smoothly to a certain extent. Until the two brothers from the Solis family appeared in the world...

Kyrias was chosen by Margrave Hastburg as a son-in-law and accumulated reputation and military exploits commensurate with that. He was seen as the likely candidate to eventually succeed the position of Margrave, and he himself dreamed of it as an established course.

And that dream had come one step away from realization.

But it crumbled in a cruel form. Still, he made efforts to accumulate military exploits, be promoted, and regain honor.

However, that honor always flowed to others. No matter what he did, he could not match those brothers.

Kyrias actively gathered information on the policies they implemented and willingly adopted what seemed to be merits into his own territory. But as a result, the gap with them only widened. It could be said he was tormented daily by the impatience of being left behind.

"Even in this battle, even if we won, I would not be able to advance, only eating the dust of those brats again. You probably could not understand such miserable feelings of mine."

Darkness had sprouted in Kyrias's heart before he knew it. It grew in places he wasn't conscious of, and the darkness deepened.

The late Viscount Hiyorimi discovered that darkness in him. Precisely because he possessed an earnest and straightforward heart, he was deemed valuable—a perfect 'Mistletoe' to host the denizens of darkness.

Treatment that should have been considered fair and appropriate for his abilities was twisted by their whispers, transforming into fuel for jealousy and resentment. The tiny sprout of suspicion born in his heart was carefully nurtured by them. Thereafter, at the hands of the Viscount Hiyorimi and his eldest son, Lugner, the darkness lurking within him was amplified further.

And a few months before this battle, when he received a visit from a suspicious old man, he finally fell completely to the dark side. Into deep darkness swirling with jealousy, suspicion, and misplaced resentment...

The questions he threw at the Margrave were ones for which he, in his calm normal state, could have found clear reasons himself. There were several reasons why the Margrave did not choose Kyrias as his successor.

Kyrias disciplined himself strictly to achieve big goals. He demanded the same of his colleagues and subordinates, being a man who was extremely detailed and strict about everything.

His personality, excellent but concerned with trivial matters due to his seriousness, tended to make subordinates shrink. Being a man of few words and poor at speaking, his heart caring for his subordinates was not conveyed, and some even evaluated his seriousness as suffocating.

Therefore, Kirias was decisively lacking in the one quality essential for leading commanders and the masses: charisma. Earnestness, rigidity, and strictness... these traits alone are not enough to make people follow. Because he conducted himself flawlessly at all times, those around him felt nothing but a sense of suffocation.

In fact, even Takuhir unconsciously kept a certain distance from him.

On the other hand, the affable Darek was sometimes broad-minded yet full of human warmth.  He never hid his flaws, making him a figure whom many felt a deep affinity for. Moreover, Darek was especially popular among those of lower status. And thanks to his rapid advancement in recent years, the number of those higher in status than him had become significantly few.

Actually, setting aside direct subordinates, there are more people who believe in Darek than in his younger brother, Takuhir, who advanced even more. That was a fact that even his brother Takuhir admitted himself and declared without hesitation.

Precisely for this reason, the Margrave chose Darek—a man possessing both charisma and generalship—as the successor to lead many generals.

To begin with, the reason Takuhir and Darek were blessed with military exploits and advanced was the result of surviving predicaments, and Kyrias himself has not exposed himself to the danger of death as much as they have.

Because they overcame many hardships and advanced, they obtained great power. As a result, they were merely given the opportunity to wield that power, and the two brothers always fight bearing that expectation and the pressure of responsibility.

Kyrias himself possessed neither the strength, the manpower, nor the caliber required to fulfill such a heavy responsibility. To be fair, he was an exceptionally competent commander when it came to managing a single sector of the battlefield. However, when it came to maintaining a bird's-eye view of the entire war situation, leading other generals as a true leader, and thinking strategically rather than merely tactically... he was far inferior to the two.

If he were calm, Kyrias should have been able to accept these facts as perfectly natural. However, his heart was gradually distorted, and as a result of expanding only suspicion and jealousy, the small darkness in Kyrias's heart had come to dominate him.

"Margrave, watch me. Whether I become one who restores the honor of the Kyrias family and opens a new path for this country, or one who adds the new name of traitor to the disgrace so far and is erased by history... Watch my figure as I advance hereafter..."

After declaring that, Kyrias left the command post scattered with rubble. His eyes were already cloudy, expressionless like a Noh mask, and simply hollow.

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