16. Who is your uncle?
I returned to the place just before sunset.
In Kariel’s eyes, though faintly, he witnessed the sight of the man he had seen earlier still standing.
That figure is an illusion that can only be seen by Kariel himself.
Or maybe it’s welcome.
“You know, all of this is an illusion. I don’t want it to be so immersive and confusing!”
A small barrier was set up in the middle of the street, and there seemed to be a suspicious ritual going on inside.
Sprinkle white powder to form a magic circle on the floor, draw a pentagon in a circle, and put unknown items on each vertex.
Carefully put down the old-fashioned sword that St. Kariel in the center of the star used while he was alive and wait for a while.
“Enough!”
There is a sense of tension.
Kariel himself was on the calm side, but the expectations the others felt must have been more than that.
As Filvar entered into long-term incantation, forming spells and modifiers a few times.
The world inside the barrier wriggles.
Combined with the darkness of the night, it creates a deep blue scene.
Then, the appearance of the streets inside the city disappeared without a trace.
the world lights up
However, all that stretched out in front of my eyes was an unsightly plain.
“here… .”
Was it a bit shocking to the Baronens brothers, including the Baron?
As they looked around, they were quite puzzled by the unexpected sight.
“Is that the old Carriela?”
The shacks that are hard to even call a village, located a little farther away.
There is no fence, and even the entrance is only a wooden sign.
A shabby boardwalk town.
Even that doesn’t seem to be working properly.
Read at noblemtl. com
Virtually a small mountain in the center of the small town of Carriela.
They are huddled together at the entrance, so it only looks like a village.
“As expected, it was true that the known place was misrepresented as Cariella expanded.”
As if it was a common occurrence, Pilbar said without emotion.
“More than we saw in the records… It’s miserable.”
Baron Loia was groaning while stroking his beard, as if he was shocked in many ways.
“Some things are hard to convey in writing.”
Perhaps it was because Alessia had no particular prejudice, but like Kariel, she accepted it calmly.
“Are you good at drawing? there! You know how to record the defense in detail, right?”
Filvar’s impatient scolding.
As if his servants were accustomed to this, they were recording the surrounding scene through letters and pictures.
“Look over there.”
Where Luke pointed his finger, a man on a horse and hundreds of men were just entering the plain.
Even the armor is messed up.
Helmets are also different.
Even the weapons in my hands are different.
However, each one is unusual as much as the physique.
The blatantly exposed forearm was thicker than the woman’s waist.
Wounds and scars are all over the place like a tattoo.
It’s a leather-oriented outfit, even though it feels very primitive in the current era.
There was something that could be called a sense of intimidation beyond the characteristic ferocity.
It was as fierce as would be seen in beasts of prey in the wild.
Hissing from his mouth, his breath spreads out like steam from hot water.
Among them, the one who rode a large brown horse was wrapped in thick leather.
The iron horned helmet he wore is particularly ferocious.
Even the helmet itself had all kinds of scars like a tattoo of glory.
Even the horns on its sides were thick and thick.
“The predecessors of Dabas, Banus, and the Metran Kingdom were the Ice Sea Sand People, right?”
Even though they were of the same human race, everything from temperament, language system, and religious books were distinctly different from humans on the continent.
Hundreds of years have passed and they have now become almost equal, but their unique culture and traditions still diverged from the current empire in many ways.
“The author over there must be one of the distant beginnings of the current Banus royal family. Although he was tricked into death by the Fierce King of Dabas, it is said that his reputation was great at the time. And, in the end, the fact that one of the author’s brothers opened the Banus dynasty is something to consider historically.”
As if he were a historian, Filvar started reciting an explanation.
“… I am not interested in that.”
When Alessia clears her ears and replies insincerely, Filbar’s expression crumples.
“Isn’t that your history?! What are you doing because you are inattentive?! Aren’t you ashamed to see your ancestors?!”
“Strictly speaking, I am from the Empire.”
“So expect more! St. Kariel is an opportunity and foundation to publicize knights and chivalry before the establishment of the empire, which they also acknowledge… .”
“It’s done. Is it because I don’t know?”
Alessia interrupted Filvar.
“In the end, they came all the way here after being tricked, lost their troops and lost their reputation due to St. Cariel’s fierce resistance, and retreated belatedly to their base… As if he had waited, he was counterattacked and died. Is that a story?”
“If you knew, you would say you knew!”
“Even if it’s a heroic achievement, I can’t happily accept the death of someone. Do you know what my job is?”
Perhaps that’s why Alessia is excited like the Baronens family and Filbar, but also confused.
“Hey me! Could it be that one?”
Along with Ludhi’s question, a man walked out from the village.
A plain outfit with no armor.
There was nothing extraordinary about what village men would normally wear.
Just the two swords he brought with him.
That part was uniquely special.
Luke narrowed his eyes.
“Two bags?”
“On the record, there was only one bag left at the end, so it must have been missed midway or there was an unavoidable problem. At that time, his smelting skills were lower than now, and if you look at his life, there was no record of him obtaining enchanted weapons or protected arms.”
Ludhi added additional explanations to Luke’s suspicions.
“Mister Ludhi is probably right.”
Filvar agrees.
Like this, so far really.
Nothing seemed different.
Although there are people who are watching this situation with their own expectations.
Even so, Kariel could neither join the ranks nor intervene.
What could be the reason?
‘I… .’
no matter how great he is.
I wonder if he’ll be as great as his father, honestly… I’m not sure.
Even if he is treated as an adult.
Whether he is worthy of being called a great and divine existence like his mother.
To be honest, I don’t know.
Even though they are such great heroes.
To Kariel herself, those two were just resentful parents.
“… … .”
It was then that something went wrong.
“uh?”
The landscape reflected is like paint in a painting being washed away by water.
Drenched in a mess, it was disheveled in an instant.
“what happened-?”
“What-?!”
“how-!”
Not a scream, but a cry of perplexity and bewilderment.
Like an echo resounding somewhere, far away.
finely sprinkled
—-
“Kariel. Join me in this damn world! Let’s turn it over! Let’s change the world!”
The man who hoped to become a knight met his lord that way.
Sometimes they drive out bandits, and sometimes they join the small battlefield and make their mark.
reputation began to rise.
… … .
The old woman rubbed her gloomy eyes and groaned.
“It’s strange.”
“What do you mean?”
The old woman in rags looked curiously at the man in leather armor and said,
“I had a spouse, but it’s gone. Is this so Did the woman who should have been that spouse make another partner?”
“… What a brave old man.”
The man, Kariel, agreed without much inspiration.
“what? Did you?”
A man who seemed to be a colleague tapped him on the shoulder and asked.
“… okay. It’s all a thing of the past.”
It’s been over 10 years.
To get one, you have to give up one.
To get firewood, you have to chop and break trees.
To get warmth, you have to burn firewood.
Just like drinking water when you are thirsty.
It’s like emptying the water in a bucket.
To be strong, I put down love.
To protect their home and their world.
Fortunately, both of them were more important to Kariel than family to the man.
“But when I looked, I saw a lot of your children, like the stars in an open night sky… I’m curious. I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life.”
Then, the man next to Kariel took the opportunity and smirked.
“Isn’t that because the old woman’s magical powers are slowly consuming? Quit your pastime and weave in front of the campfire?”
“Yeki! Do you know how easy that is?! Even if you curse, you do it like that?!”
“… … .”
Looking at that scene, Kariel only smiled.
“It’s comforting just to hear your words.”
“for a moment! I’m not done talking yet.”
“Is there anything else you want to say?”
The old woman clears her throat with a cough.
“One of those many, many stars will come to you. I’m only telling you what I saw, so you can take care of the rest.”
“… … ?”
“old woman. Then, what about my love luck? How’s your spouse luck?”
“It’s been a few more years, so be careful. Stop snooping around in strange places and die screaming!”
“No swear words like that!”
Watching Kariel’s fellow man and old woman raise their voices.
Kariel thought so, and laughed softly.
… … .
“Look at this!”
Frayed leather clothes.
Towards Kariel, who was fiercely arguing with a face covered in charcoal.
A middle-aged man in iron armor glared fiercely from inside the barracks.
“How dare you say safe! Do you have a temper with me!”
“The people who have no intention of resisting, let alone defense! Why did you touch it?! If you need food, don’t you just ask for it?!”
“But I won’t give them all away.”
“Aren’t they going to have to eat too!”
“They are not our people. Do I need to care?”
“So you’re saying they aren’t human?!”
“Kariel!”
bang!
A middle-aged man hitting the desk with his gloved hand.
He gritted his teeth with bloodshot eyes and stabbed his hand.
“Whose warrior are you?! Whose people are you! Who is your master?!”
“At least you can’t have someone who harms innocent people as your lord!”
“If only they were enemies! It would have been the same in our estate! Why didn’t you know that! Haven’t you seen it countless times already?!”
“you are! I believed it wouldn’t be like you. That’s why I gladly entrusted the sword… .”
“ha! I’m going crazy!”
The middle-aged man kicked the desk.
“I didn’t want to do this either! But the world is like this, so what are you saying to me?! If I don’t risk evil, my family! It looks like the people are starving! Are you condemning me for that?! A day like this?!”
“Are you saying there is no better way?”
“Tell me if you have! If so, I’ll try something!”
the middle-aged man said.
“If only we could protect ourselves if we gave up being human. Anyhow! If I don’t do it anyway, my enemy will, so I just open my eyes and take it?!”
“… … You have changed.”
“no! You didn’t know my true nature! In this hellish world, only the wicked survive! My sins will be settled by the Lord! That evaluation will be judged by history! If not! The Lord who created this world was wrong! Why did you make us so miserable! Is this an ordeal?! You should have allowed me to endure the trials!”
He was obviously a wise man.
He was indeed a benevolent man.
Rarely in this era, someone who knew how to sincerely take care of those below regardless of status.
Even if he was hungry, he was willing to give bread and meat to the child when he saw him.
… He was such a ruler.
But that too.
He succumbed to the cruelty of reality.
“This is the last kindness I can give you. If you don’t like it, at least don’t block my event.”
“… That’s not okay.”
“Then what about us who came all the way?! Go back empty-handed?!”
“… Even so, I… ”
… … .
What he witnessed when he returned home with a wounded body.
… It was a village scene almost in ruins.
“… … .”
Just like his master said.
me too
He thought the same as his master and practiced the same.
The result is this.
The village, which was relatively leisurely even if not prosperous, was left with nothing but ashes.
Sadness, lamentation, resignation and despair sit on the faces of the few people left.
He headed somewhere as if possessed.
“… … .”
And saw.
at the entrance to the forest.
In the place where there was a small log cabin that even Kariel herself had helped a friend to build over the course of several days.
… Only ashes were overgrown.
It hasn’t burned out yet, or only a few remnants remain.
A vegetable garden and a small warehouse.
Nothing was good.
“… … .”
When I looked around in dismay, a tomb made of small stones, about two, was built under a tree.
He sat down there, being blown by the wind that blew in silence for a while.
Just like that, by the time the small raindrops fall.
“Who is your uncle?”
A young voice was heard.