The Kingdom of Bahnseim.

Stationed at the center of the continent, it held the greatest landmass within it.

The Sentras Kingdom… Bahnseim’s origin point was the capital of the kingdom that once unified the continent, and by continually waging war on the parts of the empire that fell apart, it built up its current prosperity.

From the merits of defeating Agrissa of Sentras, the Bahnseim House took power as a new monarchy, their lineage carrying on to this day.

And our party having returned to that Kingdom of Bahnseim, we had decided to avoid the capital of Centralle.

It was inconvenient, but we would be avoiding Centralle as we headed west, and aimed for the Kingdom of Faunbeux.

That’s how it was, but the country of Bahnseim was vast.

Unlike the places where the roads were looked after, there were places where you’d have to tilt your head at whether they could really be called roads at all. Proceeding down painstaking roads like that we stopped by one of our waypoints, a village.

Disembarking from Porter, we stopped by the village’s head’s house to exchange the materials of the monsters we had defeated along the way.

It seems a governor had been dispatched, but perhaps he thought we were adventurers, as after handing over money, he permitted our stay for only a night.

Evening.

As the village children watched Porter from afar, I stretched.

“It’s more comfortable than travelling in a horse drawn carriage, but just sitting the whole way is a bit painful.”

At the head’s house, we were allowed to park Porter in a portion of the yard, and Monica was carrying out maintenance. She was checking every part, and the requested Clara to do tasks like moving the wheels.

The daughter of the house came out to the yard, and informed us a room had been readied. The brown-haired girl that gave off a simple air looked a little surprised as she looked at Porter.

“A carriage of steel that needs no horse. So it really did exist. I had been convinced the peddler was lying.”

In Arumsaas, through the use of golem magic, the baggage carrier Porter was spreading.

Because of that, there were a considerable number of people who knew of Porter in Bahnseim.

In regards to the girl, Aria gave a kind smile.

“It’s our special model. They’re probably producing loads of them in Arumsaas.”

Hearing the name of Arumsaas.

“Ah, he did say that! In Arumsaas, there are lots of human-shaped dolls moving around, and people driving horseless carts of steel, he said. Mister peddler had only heard the rumors himself, but it looks like they were true.”

Arumsaas was a city of scholars. In the past, we had stopped by to gather comrades, and there, we had met Miranda, Shannon, Clara and Damien.

Aria spoke a little happily.

“I wonder if Lyra-san’s alright… oh, that’s right. Have you heard any other strange rumors? We’ve only just returned to Bahnseim.”

There, the girl thought a bit.

“In Centralle, the crown prince got married. But there are plenty of strange rumors about that, and to be honest, I’ve no idea which story is true. I mean, Celes-sama who he married… it seems she’s gathered many men to wait on her. But there’s no way the future queen would be allowed to do such a thing, and the marriage was supposed to be to Faunbeux’s princess, so I really haven’t the slightest what’s going on.”

A Celes-esque action.

The rumors were so absurd, then perhaps those around thought there was no way they were true. I handed a few large coppers over to the girl.

“Anything else?”

Taking them, she counted them, and tried her best to recall. Truly a testament to the grand power of money.

“… Ah! There’s Beim! We’ve officially declared war on them! It seems they won’t be recruiting from this village, but even so, the governor said we should at least prepare for it.”

When Aria heard that, she nodded lightly.

“So are they dealing with it just in the east? I’m sure it would be hard to send people from the opposite side of the country for it.”

Bahnseim had Centralle at its center, separated from there into north, south, east and west. Each district could deal with its own wars. When we requested the aid of various feudal lords from the south, that would be the southern district. When invading in the east, they would put out troops from the divisions on the east side.

I tried asking her.

“Do you know how many will march?”

“I don’t know that much, but Beim is a strong enemy, so they’ll surely put out some hundred thousands, the adults were saying. The relations with Faunbeux in the west have grown worse, so I think that’s why we were told to prepare.”

Hearing that, I gave her my thanks.

“I see, thank you. We were planning to earn some change through the war, but… with those numbers, we’ll have no space on the stage. Let’s give up.”

When I sent a look to Aria, she shrugged her shoulders, and nodded.

“Right. If there are so many in it, there’s no profit left. It’s best to go at it steadily.”

We smoothly lied, and smiled off the situation.

–

–

–

… Adele’s unit dropped by a feudal lord she was acquainted with.

A Baronet House not too large in scale, but it was a house they were familiar with, so they couldn’t help but want to stop by.

When they stopped by, the Baronet courteously welcomed Adele and Maksim. Holding only a town, and some villages around it, the Baronet could put out two hundred troops at most.

That definitely wasn’t big, but as he could be trusted, he was the first House Adele stopped by in Bahnseim.

The Feudal Lord’s mansion. In the parlor, Adele inquired.

“How is Bahnseim’s present state?”

The Lord shook his head.

“It feels it’s getting worse by the day. Our food stock has dwindled greatly by the war, and there are many places the fields have been ravaged, as if they’re just rampaging about as they please. If you oppose, Centralle’s standing army and the Walt House will move. It’s a nightmare.”

The Walt House.

In Bahnseim, that name was the name of the strongest. Saving the country from crisis time and again, and growing larger with every generation.

“… The Walt’s eldest son in Beim. Have rumors of Lyle Walt’s movements reached this land?”

He nodded.

“The matter of Fort Redant has reached. But whether the information beyond that is truth or lie… a four-nation alliance, and something of ensnaring the Queen of Cartaffs? They really are siblings.”

Maksim holding himself behind Adele’s face cramped up. It’s true the information wasn’t wrong, but he felt some malice had been put into it.

Adele felt her head ache at the rumor, as she offered a correction.

“Seen from the outside, I’m sure that’s the case. But the truth is different. I’ve actually met with Lyle-san. He built up power in Beim, aiming to take Celes down. There’s……… no way he would ensnare women as the rumors go. Concerning the result, it did come to that, or how should I put it, he wants to do something by himself, or rather… A-anyways, he isn’t as dangerous as Celes.”

The Lord looked not at Adele, but at Maksim, who was looking at Adele with some slightly worried eyes.

Maksim spoke.

“It’s alright. Milady has not been ensnared, I assure you. If he had made use of such vile means, then I would have personally defeated Lyle.”

Maksim was a famed knight. The Lord trusted his words, and continued on.

“Understood. I’ll believe it. So from your eyes, what are his prospects of victory?”

The other party was a feudal lord. And Baronet Class scale was the hardest feudal lord to handle, as Adele was aware.

Their scale was more abundant than a knight house. But they didn’t have the size of a Baron. Still, they had a level of ability, and it was an exceedingly troublesome position to do anything to.

The source of so many doing well in the world was that dubious standing. So Adele said this.

“Just barely. He may just barely win, is the current situation. He has already gained the cooperation of the four-nation-alliance and Cartaffs. In Beim, he received the backing of the Trēs House, and merchants of their faction.”

The Lord nodded.

“The Trēs House of Beim, is it? Quite the famous names. There are many Lords of the east who know of their House. I see, so they are backing him.”

Adele thought in her head.

(… I didn’t lie.)

Right, she didn’t lie. In Beim, the Trēs House was divided into two, and the one driven out was the one supporting him.

Based on how you put it, it sounded like a famed merchant house of Beim was behind him, so it was as if saying the city of Beim was on his side. If he was more knowledgeable on the inner dealings of Beim, then his response should have been different.

“Baronet, please lend your power. Lyle-san… Lyle-dono has mind to reward the lords who will assist him for their services.”

The other party crossed his arms upon hearing that. Continue to play blind to Celes’ violence, or risk cooperating with Lyle.

He opened his mouth.

“… Guarantee the safety of my territory. And I’ll have you prepare a reward.”

Adele thought it a bit strange.

“Baronet, you shall assist me in persuading other lords from here. Will the fee be so great? Don’t you think it a chance to expand your territory?”

The Lord shook his head.

“Adele-dono, you understand not the sentiment of a Feudal Lord. It’s true that expanding territory is important. But there are many who don’t think to do it. If your scale increases, so too does your responsibility. A majority of those watching and waiting do so because they are satisfied with the current situation. Therefore they do not move.”

Adele thought, I see, and nodded.

“And if you’re handed a change of territory, it becomes a pain. For me, it would be better I just take a monetary reward. Ah, I’d like proof my house is assisting Lyle-dono as well.”

Within that, Maksim to the lord.

“May I ask something?”

“What is it?”

“Please state the reason you believed in us. It will influence how we go about things here on.”

The talks were going so smoothly, Maksim was mindful of that. No matter how good acquaintances they may be, it felt as if he was trusting their take way too much.

The Lord spoke.

“… If we leave Celes as she is, we won’t get anything decent out of it. But my power isn’t enough to do anything. If it was an envoy of Cartaffs, or the four-nation-alliance, then I wouldn’t have lent a hand. Not to Beim either. But, the truth is, there are various rumors spreading within Bahnseim.”

Adele recalled something, and pressed the Lord.

“About Dalien and Arumsaas? Or perhaps the slaying of the Gryphon at Centralle?”

The Feudal Lord spoke.

“All of it. Within the country of Bahnseim, when rumor of Lyle-dono flowed in from Beim, we put up our expectations just a bit.”

When Adele learned her opponent had an extent of information from the beginning, she felt she had been played around with.

But the Lord spoke.

“Leave persuading this area’s Feudal Lords to me. What I seek is the peace of my territory, and a reward. I’m sure there will be some requesting different things among them, so what shall I do with that field?”

Adele corrected her seating, and answered the Lord.

“I have been granted an extent of authority. I shall deal with it. And if it is Lords above Baronet Status, do you know where might assist us?”

The Lord crossed his arms. Looking down silently, after a while, he stared at the ceiling.

“Will it be difficult?”

He spoke.

“A little while back, all Feudal Lords above Baronet Status were ordered to present a hostage to Centralle. Not only heirs, but wives and fiancées… anything they could lay their hands on. I’ve heard talks of even lovers being carted off, and in the current panic, I cannot say any specific where.”

Adele thought Celes’ actions had grown quite troublesome…

–

–

–

Departing from the village, we drove Porter towards our next waypoint.

There was a place we wanted to reach within the day, and to hurry on, I operated Porter on rotation with Clara.

Monica, Clara, and Aria were lying down in rest, while Shannon was sitting on my lap.

“… You’re heavy.”

When I said that, Milleia-san in the Jewel.

『Lyle, aren’t you too cold to Shannon? Treat her kindly.』

Hearing that, I looked at Shannon on my lap again.

“You’re heavy.”

I said. Shannon turned, and stuck her tongue out.

“They’ve taken up all the seats, so you’ll just have to put up with it.”

She said. Down in the loading tray, not only Clara and Aria, even Monica was lying down, so the space was quite narrow.

Milleia-san sounded lonely.

『Oh Lyle… where has the meek Lyle gone…』

The Seventh laughed.

『Isn’t that your fault? And besides, I’m sure you’re heavy too.』

I heard a gunshot, and silence. It was really, just the same as usual, so I ignored it. Shannon was facing forward on my lap.

A scenery expanded before her, but what she was looking at was a book Monica had prepared. It had letters written in, a picture book geared at children.

“Can you see it?”

Shannon sounded delighted.

“I can. But there’s only this one and two more, so it’s gotten boring. I did learn a bit from Clara, thought.”

The specially-made picture book was colored, and extremely easy to understand. Having Shannon learn lettering was an extremely important thing to us.

Porter rolled over a bit of a large rock, and as its body swayed, I held Shannon’s body in place.

“Drive properly!”

Seeing her pouting in anger, I pulled her cheeks, and made her teary.

“It’s quite difficult. There’s no way I could do it like Clara.”

She didn’t stand out among my comrades as support, but she was truly proficient in that support. Operating Porter, and assistance by magic.

Her knowledge was abundant, and she was reliable in various fields. There, Shannon returned her eyes to the picture book, and spoke.

“Why don’t you tell her that? You’ll forget it before you know it. That’s called not feeding a fish you’ve already reeled in.”

“Where did you learn that phrase? Well, I’ll tell her in the near future. More importantly, why did you come on this side? I was sure you’d go with Miranda.”

There, Shannon closed her book, and turned to me.

“I’m here so make sure you don’t stick your hands into strange games overseas. Rejoice, your cute Shannon has an eye on… ow! That hurts!”

Grinding a fist against her, and seeing Shannon tell me to stop, I smiled. There, with her teary eyes, Shannon looked at me.

“… You should really smile more. These days, almost all your smiles have been forced ones.”

And she opened the book again, and restarted her studies. Hearing of forced smiles, I tried to respond, but I got the feeling there really were a lot of them these days. Perhaps she was paying mind to me.

“Right. Maybe you’re right.”

I looked at the unending scenery, as I held Shannon to make sure she didn’t fall from my lap.

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