Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Outsiders seemed to be beings bringing misfortune. At least to Rickart, it felt that way.

When the cavalryman with a red flag came to Heiden, didn't life go wrong from then?

But the person from the main family seemed far from things like misfortune or happiness. Just, looked like a strange person.

Having some bulk, his gait waddled, and above all, his clothes were colorful like a clown. Beard grew down to his chest, making it hard to guess his age.

And he was wearing something like a sleeping cap. Do all people who studied at university have such unique tastes?

He took off that hat swiftly and bowed his thick waist to Abelich, and he was bald. The sparse bush only around both ears looked pathetic.

In Rickart's view, sticking out a shiny crown looked similar to swearing with a finger.

Straightening his waist again, he said with a pleased impression.

"It's been a long time, Lord. Congratulations on your son. Although sorry for being distant meanwhile, I don't know what to do with such hospitality. Sir Graut is also dashing as ever. Oh, Lady Eileen is also long time, oops, should I call you Madam Stormhearts now? Hohoho, you've done a great job."

The person from the main family pretended to know Rickart's sister-in-law too. Because he was Eileen's writing teacher.

"Thank you for coming in the cold. Dr. Reno. Is the Count well?"

"He is on the well side, but I'll tell you this later."

"Hmm, understood. And this child is my second son Vilter, the youngest Rickart."

Dr. Reno looked at Vilter and Rickart with a pleased smile. He wasn't here to play, but to discuss the two boys' future.

"Young Master Vilter, and Young Master Rickart. I am Reno. It's the first time seeing you since getting a glimpse at the wedding for both of you. I'm extremely glad you seem to have grown up healthy. Hohoho."

Dr. Reno was a retainer of the Count Caldebern family, doing this and that big and small work.

Tutor, or delivering the Count's words to other lords as an envoy, or providing necessary knowledge. In other words, an administrator, diplomat, and staff officer.

If a vassal served a noble family for generations as a kind of regular employee, a retainer was similar to a contract employee.

And if their ability was recognized, they stayed in the noble family long-term, and Dr. Reno had stayed in the Count Caldebern family for 20 years, so his ability was guaranteed.

The reason he was treated with respect despite being a commoner was because of such background.

"By the way...... is the boy hero who caught the wild boar this person? Rumors are widespread even in the Count family. Indeed, just looking at the appearance, the spirit is alive. Amazing. Hohoho."

Whether the rumor wasn't delivered properly, or he didn't really know looking right in front, Reno said looking at Vilter.

"No. Him. He caught it."

Vilter said pointing at Rickart next to him. Then Reno initially showed an expression of cognitive dissonance and looked at Rickart.

A boy whose baby fat hadn't even left yet was staring up at him blankly with eyes like watching something amazing.

Reno blinked his eyes and soon considered it a joke.

"Hohoho, although my head is a bit bad, I still have a little discernment."

"It's correct that Ricky caught it."

Abelich confirmed with a serious expression. Then Dr. Reno looked back and forth several times between the stuffed boar head hanging on the wall and Rickart.

Judging the entire body size when alive just from the head size, it was unbelievably unbelievable.

"......Eh? Did he finish off what was all captured?"

When hunting in a noble family, the Lord took general command, and actually tracking, exhausting strength, and cornering the game were all done by subordinates. And, delivering the final blow was the Lord's role.

Often the glory of finishing was given to another person, and Dr. Reno thought it was something like that.

"No. It was a kind of accident. Facing a charging boar, he accurately pierced the forehead without backing down."

"Uh......"

"Heavenly luck followed. But that courage was real. Anyway, since the season is like this, although not much prepared, there is alcohol and meat. First, melt your body and warm your stomach. You guys don't go far but wait in the room."

"Yes, Father."

Abelich took the still bewildered Reno to the dining room. While going to the dining room, Reno kept looking back at Rickart.

Vilter and Rickart waited in the room. The two brothers had no particular words. Well, the person named Reno looked cheerful and nice, but the atmosphere wasn't for playing jokes.

Only, Vilter, who had been nervous all along, had little agitation when someone actually came from the main family. He just stared calmly at the frozen world outside the window.

A winter migratory bird flew far away in the chilly sky, occasionally a person came out to take firewood and went back into the house, and white smoke rose softly from chimneys of a few houses. When wind blew, bare tree branches trembled as if shivering in cold.

It was a static landscape, but why did it feel so interesting today? On one hand, even roadside stones or dry grass that were nothing felt regretful.

Then around the time the sun moved and the color of the sky gradually changed, someone opened the door and entered the room. It was Dr. Reno.

"Is it okay to talk for a moment?"

Vilter finally turned his gaze from outside the window to look at Dr. Reno. Unknown to him, Rickart was sleeping soundly lying on the bed.

"Sure. Ricky, Ricky. Wake up. You really have no worries."

"Uh, uh? Uh...... uh? Clown Mister."

"Clown. This is the attire worn by citizens of the heavenly city Bariselli."

"Is that so? Doesn't look very good for stealth."

"Why would I do stealth...... Now now, let's see this anyway."

Dr. Reno sat on a chair and spread a large parchment on the table. When the two boys approached closer, some strange picture was drawn.

"Do you know what this is?"

"Well, I don't know well. What did you draw?"

"Hohoho, this is exactly what's called a map. It's a drawing of the land of the whole world we live in."

"This is a map?"

Maps were precious in this era so the two boys couldn't recognize what picture it was immediately. Moreover, world maps were even rarer.

Reno's map also had many fantastic drawings besides terrain.

Dragons breathing fire, serpents swimming in the sea, the Emperor wearing a crown, various bizarre monsters and legends, treasures. Magnificent mountain ranges and deserts, plains, forests, and many cities.

Rickart had roamed the Empire committing murder in his past life, but since he just visited and destroyed those who tried to kill him and groups, he didn't know geographical things well.

Reno smiled pleasingly seeing the two boys whose eyes sparkled. And threw a question like a quiz.

"Would you like to find Stormhearts here?"

It was a question to arouse interest, not to trouble people. So Vilter and Rickart sparkled their eyes even more finding the land they grew up and lived in.

But no matter how they washed their eyes, they couldn't find the word 'Stormhearts'.

"Adelorn is...... Ah, here! It's here!"

"Oh! You found it quicker than I expected. Here. This is the capital of the Adelorn Kingdom. And going a bit north...... here."

"Here?"

"Yes."

"Why doesn't our territory have a name?"

"Even the County don't have a separate name. Then we have to infer direction and location finding the Duchy. This is Duke Brumbear's land. Count Caldebert's land is in the southeast so probably here, and finding Stormhearts from here would be around here."

Also in the map, the Duchy was very small. The boy felt a sensation as if his sense of space was twisted. But the feeling wasn't bad. It was a fresh shock.

"It's this small? Here? Seems smaller than an ant?"

"From the world's perspective, yes. What do we commonly call the Empire's territory? From Polypus Coast to the Black Forest east-west, from Cementa Peninsula to the World's Roof Mountains north-south, right? From here to here, from here to here, this is the Empire's territory."

Even the Empire was only a quarter in the world map. At this point, not only Vilter but also Rickart thought it was nonsense.

That showed on their faces, and Dr. Reno smiled as if cute seeing the two boys.

"Outside the Empire's territory, Salamans live. They believe in a different god from us, and so don't hesitate to kill each other. On the other hand, they trade silk or porcelain, spices, meteoric iron, such things. Although pagans, they are bright in calculation numbers and have excellent dexterity. According to legend, they received technology from dwarves. And this is where the Holy Emperor received the holy sword from an angel. Also, this is where the hero Siegfried died in battle, and where the hero Ilya who killed a dragon was active. And......"

Reno pointed to legendary and mythical, or historical places continuously with his hand. Just as the map itself mixed imagination and reality, what people believed mixed reality and fantasy.

"Knight orders aren't all the same knight orders either. For example, in the case of the Flame Knights, the headquarters is here. They serve keeping celibacy all their lives to protect the Empire's southwestern border from pagans. It is certainly a noble work but not easy. On the other hand, the Lily Knights headquarters is here, they have a lot of money through trade and moneylending. Although criticized for being too secular, life in the knight order seems to be on the easy side."

Dr. Reno continued telling stories. Those were stories connecting history and legends that children would feel interested in.

"This place was occupied by the famous Conqueror Emperor Marcellus II 100 years ago, Fernland. Formerly called the Eastern Expeditionary Land. The very famous demon among demons, or the one chosen by God, unprecedented murderer and Sword Master, Ricky is said to be from here. come to think of it, Young Master Rickart's nickname is Ricky right? Hohoho, maybe that's why you are so brave."

"......"

When a story related to his past life came out of another person's mouth, Rickart felt strange. It felt like his heart was heavy and his head cooled down.

Although not intentionally ignoring that memory, it certainly wasn't pleasant either.

"Where is the Heiden fields?"

Rickart asked.

"Heiden fields? Well, was there such a region? Ah, I think I heard it once. Not exact, but heard somewhere in the north, something about wool...... If it's a place to herd sheep, probably one of here and here, here."

"......Extremely far......"

Rickart meant the distance from Heiden fields to the Eastern Expeditionary Land, but Dr. Reno understood differently.

"That's right. It would take a full month to go from here to Heiden. But where did you hear Heiden?"

"Just. Seemed I heard it somewhere glancingly. But why did that Conqueror Emperor go to this far place to wage war?"

"That is not exactly known. According to one theory, I understand it's because of a document called Codex Orient."

"Codex Orient?"

"Yes. A document discovered by an adventurer named Grunwald. Should I say forgotten secret arts of the ancient empire? They say if one cultivates a certain power inside the body, one can walk on air, or strengthen a blade to cut pig iron like cheese, such superhuman abilities can be obtained. They speculate perhaps Sword Master Ricky wielded that power."

Eh? Not something like that, Rickart thought inwardly. Because he had never read writing in his past life. Since he didn't know letters.

"Recently that theory is becoming almost certain. There are spellcasters in the world, so wouldn't that also be possible. Actually, several Codex Orients were discovered, and among them, there are people who really obtained superhuman abilities. Most circulating in the market are fake, but according to information obtained through a few adventurer guilds, they say it's real. In the first place, why would the Imperial family sponsor adventurer guilds and train adventurers? In the old days, speaking of adventurers, they were just hooligans."

Wait, spellcasters? Ah, wizards.

"Besides the Codex, there are also relics imbued with magic. Most are useless junk, but there are quite a few useful ones. Like this."

Dr. Reno took out a short stick from his bosom. A fist-sized bead was embedded at the end of the stick, and when tapped on the table, it shone faintly.

"Oh?"

Vilter's eyes widened. On the other hand, Rickart seemed a bit surprised at first, but soon lost interest.

"Hohoho, with just this, no torch is needed at night. It's my treasure."

"But what happened to the people who originally lived there?"

Rickart asked.

"The people who originally lived in the Eastern Expeditionary Land, I mean Fernland."

"They all died. Or surrendered and assimilated into the Empire. Well, would a few tribes remain? But the one who ended that war was none other than the progenitor of the young master's family, the hero knight Lord Caldebert. The Empire's best military commander, Breaker Caldebert. It's a famous anecdote that one day blood filled up to ankles inside the fortress because he killed so many barbarians. According to records, even people of the Empire at the time were quite shocked so there were evaluations that it was too severe, but anyway, since he received a territory from His Majesty the Emperor and even obtained the right to found a new family, it wouldn't matter. Counting only by numbers killed, probably more than that Ricky?"

"Is that so......"

Rickart recalled Caldebert. He had an impression like a scholar rather than a knight.

And he was the only person Ricky could call a friend, and apart from being a capable commander, he was a very warm-hearted person.

To think such a person did such terrible things. It was hard to guess what feeling it was. If I hadn't left the battlefield and we were together all along, would my or his fate have been different?

I still clearly remember that complicated expression when I applied for discharge. What was he trying to say. Seemed he was trying to say something.

It didn't seem like simple regret. I remember the eyes were very sad.

Back then, I was so sick of war that I had no energy to look after even myself.

But the thing waiting when returned to hometown was......

"It's getting dark. It would be good to stop today's story here. Since there is tomorrow. There are many interesting stories, so you can look forward to it."

Dr. Reno said smiling. As he said, the day darkened and the map wasn't visible well without lighting a lamp. Unknowingly fell into his story losing track of time.

"I'll leave the map here. I'll take it the day I leave."

Dr. Reno left the map on the table and stood up. walked to the fireplace, put a few logs on the dying flame, and poked with an iron poker to revive the fire.

"Have a good dream."

Dr. Reno said leaving the room. Closing the door very gently seemed to reveal his character.

Vilter seemed to have all interest in the map. He took the map to the bed and lay down, looking carefully at each picture, each region name in the dark room.

Rickart watched the map beside his brother, then fell asleep. Moonlight coming through the window was bright, so Vilter looked at the map until late at night.

From the next day, the two brothers ate with Dr. Reno, took walks, and talked a lot.

He was a truly excellent person. Because he didn't simply inform that there are such and such paths, but made boys have dreams and hopes.

But unexpectedly, Vilter wanted to join the Flame Knights. A knight order guarding the southwestern border of the Empire swearing celibacy for life. Famous for being the most dangerous and difficult among many knight orders.

When asked why he made such a decision, Vilter answered 'I think I can cultivate patience and perseverance.' Probably kept the words Father said to him in his heart.

And Rickart wanted to become an adventurer, and when asked the reason, everyone was puzzled.

"Because I want to know if it was worth waging war......"