Episode 9

After finishing his morning training, Zeke (Hiroto) returned to the Lagias manor. He kept strict time—if he were late to breakfast, he’d get another scolding.

At the table, the Lagias couple’s conversation caught his ear.

“We’ll be dispatching troops to the Nordan Plains soon.”

“It’s about those monsters you mentioned before. How dreadful.”

The Nordan Plains referred to a vast stretch of land within the Lagias Domain. Because the soil was ill-suited for farming, it had received only minimal maintenance for years.

This time, soldiers were being sent because monster attacks had occurred. Fool had thought there’d be little impact so long as the creatures stayed out on the plains, but their habitat had spread toward the highway, and the domain’s people had been harmed.

He didn’t care what became of his own commoners, but if nobles or people from other domains were harmed, it would shame the Lagias Domain. He was bestirring himself now purely to save face.

“If the damage spreads, it could become troublesome later.”

“On such barren land, no less. What a nuisance.”

(It’s normal to maintain things routinely so damage doesn’t happen in the first place…)

Hiroto figured the longstanding bill had finally come due.

The lord of Lagias generally refused to do anything that didn’t make money. If the Fool was moving, there might be a fair number of monsters.

“Utterly infuriating. It galls me, but I’ll send a detachment. Needless expense.”

“That sounds fine—to the minimum necessary.”

(Even with casualties already happening, just a detachment? That’s not even ten men.)

Could a lone detachment cover such a wide plain? They might not even spot the monsters. If it came to a fight, they’d be outnumbered and wiped out.

“Father, what kind of monsters showed up, by the way?”

His tone changed in front of family. Business as usual.

“A pack of Breeze Weasels… It’ll work out somehow.”

(It’ll “work out” my foot! They’ll be target dummies!)

Breeze Weasels were small monsters that moved in packs.

They weren’t strong physically due to their size, but the troublesome part was that they could use wind magic.

Many monsters could use magic much like humans. Power and element varied by species, but Breeze Weasels excelled at wind magic.

Each hit was weak, but a pack’s coordinated wind spells were a threat. On an open plain with few obstacles, the monsters, being small, could also hide in brush or burrows.

Few allies and bad terrain—Hiroto sighed inwardly, sure the damage would only spread.

At this rate, he worried the house would be ruined before he could cut ties with it. In the original, the Lagias family existed, but the world might not follow the game. This was a problem even before trying to escape the scenario.

“Can I join that detachment too?”

“Zeke—you?”

“Why would you do something like that?”

To the couple, it made no sense that their son would join an unnecessary expedition.

“Noblesse oblige. It’s a noble’s duty. And if I take the field at this age, it adds to my luster, right?”

“—Zeke. Seems you’re starting to understand.”

“Children do grow quickly, don’t they, dear?”

Hiroto had no idea what he was “starting to understand,” but since it looked like the discussion would settle his way, he let it be.

“I’ll allow it. Fulfill your duty as the Lagias heir… but I’ll increase the numbers just in case.”

“Do your very best.”

It sounded like concern for their child, but it was merely a measure to raise the Lagias name and avoid being left heirless.

Their self-serving focus on advantage and appearances was plain—but that went both ways.

(No hard feelings. That balance suits us just fine, right?)

Zeke (Hiroto) was set to join the expedition.

Unlike last time, a melee was likely. If he handled it well, he’d be one step closer to survival, Hiroto thought, fired up.