Sevens

First Generation, Basil Walt

Clad in animal pelts, a wild… barbarian.

His unkempt and long hair parted to show the violet eyes of the savage Walt House’s Founder.

He was the third son of another prestigious noble in the imperial capital.

But as he wasn’t succeeding his own house, he went and raised a village in remote lands to support himself.

He became independent from the Walt House in the capital, and he cut open the forest paths to the remote land where no one set hands on before.

At the same time, there were tribes of what people would call actual barbarians living near his territory. He even took those sorts of people under him and founded the Walt House.

Of course, the reason he became independent was…

『My first love was from a Baron House. To marry, you’d need quite a bit of status, right? So I was going to reclaim some land and become a Baron of the same level before coming to get her…』

At some point after I collapsed, I found myself in the conference room.

The First Generation told his story, and everyone around us held a complicated expression on learning their origins stemmed from the First’s first love.

『So it’s pretty much that, right? You were smitten with a woman, so you volunteered for the pioneering corps, and like that, you raised the provincial noble Walt House? … No wonder things were still dicey even after you got married!』

The Second started talking about the First’s wife.

It seems that their relationship wasn’t the best at the start.

『When I tried returning to the imperial capital, my first love’s already been married! Of course I’d be sad!』

The First gripped the Second, but as they both had much to think about, they took a step back.

『Could it be the conditions in the precepts… that Alice-san was the source?』

As the Third Generation said that, the First seemed a little embarrassed.

『Hehe, if I wasn’t going to marry her anyways, I might as well just throw those qualities I liked about her out there and marry the one who cleared them. I said that at a party once. That would be the Walt House Family Precepts, I said, and everyone drew away from me. Never thought that’d really become our Precepts, though. I’m even more surprised I actually found someone who fit them.』

To the smiling First, the Second screamed.

(That drains my Mana, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t shout. And wait, that truth’s something I never wanted to know.)

『You bastaaaard!! Just how much trouble do you think I went through because of that!? Each and every one of them kept saying precept this and precept that! Because of you, I got married late, and because you just went out and thoughtlessly expanded the village, the after effects were… ARRRRGGGHH!!』

As the Second Generation fell into madness, I called out to the Seventh Generation who was seated near me.

“Um, so why am I here? And wait, what happened after I lost consciousness?”

『Y-yes… the truth is…』

According to him, the one who opened this urgent meeting was the First Generation.

Of all things, having heard of the Lockwarde House’s crises, he wanted to make a request to save them.

The Sixth spoke up to him.

『Yeah, but that’s not happening. Lending out the adviser Zelphy is out of the question. Do you want to be wasting the money Novem earned by even selling her dowry?』

Being told that, the First folded his arms and made a strained expression.

『No, that’s true as well. But there’s a girl that’s the exact replica of my first love, and she’s asking for help… can’t you guys understand my feelings?』

The Fifth was composed.

『No, I can’t. We never had such freedom in love, and we pretty much married for the sake of the territory.』

『What a cold bunch! And you guys still call yourselves human!? Who do you think you owe to being born into this world!?』

Starting from the Second Generation up…

『My mother.』

『Mom.』

『Right, mom.』

『Mama.』

『My mom.』

『I owe my mother.』

(Uwah… their opinions align for once.)

『C’mon guys!!』

The First continued to cry out, but the Second let out some cold words.

『And, like, you know, how about my feelings after seeing you get so worked up to save your first love when you already have mother? Also, Novem-chan was angry.』

“Eh? Is that so?”

The Second looked at me with a doubtful expression.

『… I mean, you lost consciousness after that Aria girl started shaking you, right? She looked like she was about to cry.』

(Ah, I can imagine that.)

After I was carried away, they checked my condition at the house.

The ancestors were able to confirm that to some extent.

I imagined Novem’s flustered state. When we were young, she was much less reliable than she is now.

“Also, when you say save, specifically, what would I be doing?”

It looked like the First Generation was waiting for me to say that.

『The truth is, the ones who stole the treasure are a bandit troupe. They’re living in an abandoned mine somewhere around the city of Dalien. So you’ll sneak in and regain the treasured 『Gem』 before returning. Think you can handle it?』

He kept glaring at me as if to tell me to do it, but the Second and the rest of them were opposed.

『Impossible. A bandit troupe, you say? Even that Zelphy adventurer girl would be in a pinch there. And wait, there’s too little information, so it’s too dangerous.』

The Third Generation was of the same opinion.

『I think she should just bring it up with the Knights or Dalien’s soldiers. Also, that’s a matter the lord here should be dealing with himself, right?』

The rest of them said pretty much the same thing.

The Seventh said that my safety was the most important, it seemed.

『In the first place, It’s out of the question to have Lyle dispatch foes at the moment. There’s too much of a limit on his Mana usage, and on top of that, would their party be just Lyle and Zelphy? Even if you bring Novem along, how much of a fighting force does that girl offer?』

The enemy was a troupe, so their numbers were likely to be high.

Against an unknown force, just how large of a number can we muster? There were many uncertain factors, and the ancestors were opposed to it.

『I want to save her! I couldn’t get my feelings across! Also, she’s seeking help from Lyle at the moment… this has to be fate!』

『No, it’s just a misunderstanding.』

As the Fourth Generation said that with resolution, The First Generation fell back into his chair. I did feel sad when looking at him, but if you told me to take out a thief troupe, it was a little troubling.

And wait, the only time I went up against humans was that match with Celes.

I doubt that it would serve as good reference.

But there, the First Generation started muttering to himself.

『Of course. I mean, it’s my blood. Even if you get it to Count status, the contents are still the same.』

Snap… it was like a sound like that resonated through the room.

『No, I’m sorry. I was an idiot for placing expectations on you guys. I just had some light expectations that Lyle over there, who carries some royal blood would take some action or another, but that’s right… when it comes down to it, you’re all just my descendants. You know your caliber.』

On the First’s transparent display, everyone seemed rather irritated.

“Eh, um… e-everyone?”

『… W-we can totally d-do it. There’s just no merit.』

As the fourth said that, the Second agreed.

『Don’t group us together with you. If we get serious, than a mere bandit brigade or two would be annihilated before you know it!』

The Third spoke quietly in an angry voice.

『This guy’s definitely looking down on us. Even like this, I’ve led troops, and crushed plenty a bandit hold myself, you know? The times have changed from when you were around, Founder. 』

The First Generation stirred it up even more.

『No, no, don’t worry about it. In the end, you can’t do anything, right? You guys all say you’ve experienced war, but generally, you just watched from the back, and left it all to your subordinates, right? No, since you’re all nobles, I don’t think that’s bad. If you pushed yourself and stepped out on the front, you’d just trouble the others.

Hearing that, the Fifth glared at him.

『What? We were commanding on the front lines, not that you need to know. And wait, it’s not us, but Lyle that’s going to be fighting them, right? Also I haven’t said a word about him not being able to do it.』

The Sixth Generation was the same.

『It’s quite a novel feeling to be called a coward. But this time, Lyle is going to be the one doing it. Like he is right now, I think it will be difficult. Oh, I never said he wouldn’t be capable of doing it.』

The First added more onto it.

『It’s not my problem, so don’t look so menacing. And wait, so it was true when they said you were weak. Oh my, I’m not talking about you guys, please understand that.』

While saying he wasn’t talking about us, he surveyed us all with a grin.

The Seventh, who had risen from his chair, pointed his finger at the First and spoke.

『Even if we were doing it, you wouldn’t be lending a finger! On top of not cooperating with Lyle, you’ll order him to save others!?』

The First lowered his fist onto the table.

A bang reverberated, silencing everyone.

『If it’s to save that Aria girl, then I’ll lend my all! The Skill I have, and how to use it, I’ll give it all to Lyle! But that’s only if he’d do it, of course!』

Hearing that, the irritated faces of those around returned to normal.

Looking at that scene, I was quite shaken up.

The First was also opening his eyes wide with surprise. And there, the Fourth Generation took the lead.

『Well then, the First Generation will be lending Lyle his assistance. With this, we’ve finally managed to resolve one of our major problems.』

『… Eh?』

The First Generation had been left behind by the conversation. Within that flow, the Third Generation directed a smile at me.

『Isn’t that fabulous, Lyle? With this, you can finally use a Skill.』

“Y-yes… u-um… what was that just now?”

As I inquired about the situation that had just occured, the Fifth offered an explanation with a tired tone.

『No, it’s just that he was trying to provoke us, so we used that to get the First Generation to concede. No matter the case, I doubt he’ll take back what he said just now. And wait, you’re not the sort of wimp who would do something like that, right First Generation?』

『A-a man doesn’t go back on his word!』

After hearing that, everyone stood from their chairs and started off towards their personal rooms.

The Sixth Generation called out to me regarding my future.

『Lyle, when you wake up, make sure to get some information out of Aria. Also, make sure you ask the First about his Skill. Things’ll get busy for you.』

The ancestors returned to their rooms with smiles on their faces.

Only the First and I remained.

“… U-um…?”

『S-so they got me…』

As I looked at him make a truly regretful face, I began to get curious about just what the situation was in reality.

–

–

–

『Then I’ll be giving you a Skill explanation, okay?』

After everyone else returned, I was dragged off to the First Generation’s room.

The room took the form of the estate he lived in. But from my point of view, it was more like a hut.

“Yes. Well, skills are generally one per person, right? How would I put it to use…”

I received an explanation from him.

『It’s originally a single Skill. When it’s sealed in a gem, then Skills that aren’t yours can generally only be used at their basic levels. If you’ve got talent, perhaps it’s possible otherwise. In your case, I’m going to be teaching you.』

While stored in a gem, it was impossible to draw out the performance of the Skill the original wielder was able to wield, apparently.

However, Jewels have different circumstances, it seems.

『You know my Skill, right?』

“I heard it was called Full Over.”

The First Generation’s Skill was, by its pure simplicity, an effective one.

『Ability-wise, it raises your basic abilities by ten to twenty percent. Just think of it as becoming ten to twenty percent stronger.』

“Yes.”

The First Generation told me about his own skill, but with just that, it seems he understood it was impossible for me to take out the Bandit Troupe.

Even if he was rotten, he was once a feudal lord, and he felt that it won’t end prettily.

Even so, he was trying to get his descendant to save the one who was the spitting image of his first love.

『One if its applications is called 【Limit Burst】. It lets you remove your body’s limiter, and strengthens it, umm… it recovers you as you fight.』

“Recovery, is it?”

『Yeah, I don’t know the specifics, but apparently if you go over the limit, and overuse your body, then normally, you’d break yourself.』

As he talked about what was normal, it was as if he was implying he wasn’t normal.

(No, well… I guess he doesn’t look like a normal person, at least.)

The savage-styled First Generation glared at me.

『You were just thinking something strange, weren’t you?』

“N-no, not really!”

『Then I’ll continue the explanation. Pretty much, I’ll be letting you use that enhancement Skill that lets you break your boundaries. However, with your body, what you can stand is probably… about three minutes?』

“Eh? Isn’t that an important point!? Please don’t just vaguely throw out three minutes there!”

A restriction was applied to the Skill’s use.

The reason seemed to be that my body wouldn’t be able to handle it.

『Listen here, if you use this one on yourself, it’ll strengthen you, but if you use it on an injured person, it can speed up their recovery. It’s ‘cause it even strengthens regeneration!』

It really was an amazing Skill.

It was quite simple, but if you thought about it, those were some extraordinary abilities.

『Now try using it, why don’t you?』

“… Um, how?”

And like that, my training under the First started.

–

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–

When I opened my eyes, what stretched out before me was the ceiling of our rented house.

I rose from the bed and felt that my body’s movement had dulled.

Nearby, Novem was nursing me.

“Lyle-sama!?”

“Novem… how many days has it been since I collapsed?”

I want as much time as possible.

“It will be morning soon. I won’t say it was a full day, but you’ve been out for that long. I was truly worried, you know.”

“Sorry about that. Also, Aria Lockwarde, was it… please call her over. Zelphy-san too. They haven’t went to subjugate bandits yet, right?”

I think Zelphy-san and Lockwards-san were likely still in town.

From her reaction at the café, Zelphy-san wasn’t interested in her proposition.

And no matter how much of a tomboy she looked, I doubt that noble Lady would go charge a bandit stronghold alone.

“… Lyle-sama, subjugating bandits falls under the job of the Feudal Lord. Or perhaps the vigilante corps will deal with it.”

I understand what she wanted to say, as she tried stopping me with a serious expression.

But I have a reason.

(It’s a chance for the First Generation to recognize me. Also…)

『She sure is a nice girl, that Novem-chan. She firmly understands that it’s the Lord’s job. Now then, Lyle… it’s time for our field of expertise.』

The Third Generation spoke to me.

Right, dispatching enemies was one of the larger worries of a feudal lord.

The family heads of history… mostly Third Generation onwards, were quite tormented by such problems.

“Novem, this is something I’ve decided. I’m sorry, but I’ll be helping them reclaim the Gem from the Bandit Brigade. Can I have you wait in the house?”

“I cannot do such a thing. Even if you’re to lend your aid, I’ll accompany you. However, we don’t even know the scale of the bandits.”

Right, we don’t know.

Their scale, their equipment, or their ability…

Then we just have to learn.

『Let’s investigate about the brigade first. Their stronghold’s already been located, so they don’t seem to be anything special, anyways. You’ve also to learn the reason the feudal lord hasn’t sent out a force to subjugate them yet. You’ve got plenty to do.』

I spoke to Novem.

“Novem, please lend me your strength… also, this is a war we can win.”

Hearing that, she silently nodded.