Chapter 69 - The Desire of the Third Son of a Knightly House
Translator's Note: Hello, everyone. We have an announcement to make.
We have decided to change the schedule for our updates. Instead of daily updates, we will only be updating on Mondays from now on, but with 3 to 5 chapters.
See more details at the end of the chapter.
The march, which you could call peaceful, proceeded smoothly, and we arrived at the waterfall.
Climbing up the scree slope, we reached the upper section of the waterfall. From here, it was a place that could be called the Middle Forest. The location where we had endlessly set up the magic communication devices was deep within the Demonic Forest. The hut was also exceptionally sturdy, carved out of solid rock. Eventually, I hoped to use this place as a base to venture further into the Middle Forest.
As had been the case before, several magic birds circled overhead. The scouting magitech tool showed red glowing dots indicating a moderate threat level. However, they showed no signs of attacking us. One of them flapped its wings and flew off to the north.
“This is a beautiful place, isn’t it? Don’t you think so, royal guard staff officer?”
“Yes, Sir! Indeed, it is!”
“Come on, you don’t have to be scared all the time. The Black Force has secured the perimeter. In the Demonic Forest, there’s no one more reliable than these guys.”
The Prime Minister’s casual remark left the guy speechless. When you venture deep into the Shallow Forest, magical beasts beyond human comprehension begin to roam. Naturally, the scouting magitech tool should display glowing dots of corresponding size. While this was a common sight for the guerilla unit, for those setting foot in the Demonic Forest for the first time, it was nothing but terror.
Even considering that, I couldn’t help but admire the Prime Minister’s sheer boldness. And yet... he even mentioned the guerilla unit’s Black Force... How much had he investigated about the knightly family? A cold sweat ran down my back at the unfathomable depth of this noble’s insight. A different kind of fear, separate from the terror of monsters and magical beasts, threatened to bind my heart. But this was the moment of truth. I steadied my tone and spoke to the Prime Minister.
“This place is one of the most scenic and ideal camping spots within the Demonic Forest. The flowing water carries away excess mana, making the area less dense with magic than you’d expect for the middle layer. Moreover, the rapid currents mean monsters and magical beasts coming here to drink are fewer. As a campsite, it’s an ideal location within the Demonic Forest.”
“Hmm… This could contribute to the expansion of human territory.”
“Regarding that, I’ve had a change of heart.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. If we recklessly expand into the forest, we risk encroaching on the habitats of monsters and magical beasts. If we’re talking about living spaces, monsters have their own, and magical beasts have their own as well. If humans take over, there’s a strong risk that the ecosystem within the forest would collapse. Human ambition can easily lead to burning down the forest. If that happens, the forest will bare its fangs at us. Powerful monsters from the depths of the forest will undoubtedly emerge, leading to a great magical calamity that will threaten human settlements. This could result in the shrinking of human territory. The very expansion we seek could trigger the decline of human domains, and for a nation, even the possibility of its destruction would be within sight. This has happened many times throughout history, dating back to the ancient Estar era.”
“...You’re not just well-versed in military history, but ancient history as well? ...No, do you know what’s happening in the empire now?”
“A friend told me. ...Look, over there. My friend has arrived.”
Among flying-type monsters, it belongs to the larger category, a medium-sized flying-type sub-dragon species known as the Wyvern. When I first saw it, I was so startled that I immediately ordered an anti-air combat alert. It circled above before landing in an open area, kicking up a cloud of dust that didn’t reach us. We had cleared some trees to create a landing space for the Wyvern—something akin to a runway from my past life, I guess... She seemed pleased with it.
She jumped down from the Wyvern’s back as it landed.
“Hey! What’s the occasion? It hasn’t been that long since I last visited.”
She approached quickly. Her pale green skin, pointed ears, flowing jet-black hair, and the horn peeking through her hair left the royal guard staff officer and the Prime Minister speechless. Even the Prime Minister couldn’t have anticipated this. The opportunity to exploit their moment of shock had slipped into my hands.
Ah, I saw the chance for victory. It was clear now.
―――― § ――――
Her meeting with the Prime Minister ended quickly. She and her people, who lived deep in the forest, were once the same as humans, though now they dwelled in places humans could not yet reach. At first, the Prime Minister, taken aback by her appearance, rudely asked if she was a magic-born, but I quickly explained that she was a descendant of the ancient Estar, an Estarian.
The Prime Minister understood and the discussion continued.
Initially, the Prime Minister had criticized Eldest Brother and me for keeping this secret. However, after considering the danger of their (Estarians) existence becoming “widely known” among the nations, he came to understand our decision.
She explained to the Prime Minister that the Estarians had no intention of deeply engaging with humans until they reached the Deep Forest. As she had told me, she conveyed to the Prime Minister that this decision had been made by the council of elders, as the wisdom and technology of ancient Estar passed down through the generations were deemed extremely dangerous.
They were afraid.
Without that wisdom and technology, they couldn’t survive in the Deep Forest. But it was also undeniable proof of their sin of spreading the Demonic Forest across the world. Thus, they still considered themselves sinners.
The elders believed that sharing their wisdom and technology with humans who hadn’t surpassed the Estarians would only compound their sins.
They feared that until humans—who could reach the deepest parts of the Demonic Forest despite knowing its dangers and threats on their own—appear, and until they could engage in meaningful dialogue with those humans, deep interaction would be too dangerous. She said that the moment humans could control the Demonic Forest on their own would be when they become an existence beyond the people of ancient Estar. By passing on the wisdom and technology of ancient Estar to those people, they would achieve atonement, or so the elders had said.
She explained that while personal interactions weren’t restricted, as descendants of those who had plunged the world into the Demonic Forest, they couldn’t share their knowledge, wisdom, or technology with humans who hadn’t reached the deepest parts of the Deep Forest.
――― The moment humans reach the deepest part of the Demonic Forest and mutual recognition is achieved, the Estarians’ atonement would be considered complete.
She told us that, from the present perspective, this wasn’t a distant future. Then, with her black hair fluttering in the wind, where a horn peeked through, and with her clear eyes, she said:
――― I mean, it’s already begun.
She smiled sweetly. The Prime Minister, with a thoughtful expression, gazed at her smiling face. In a deep, dignified voice, he spoke as the representative of the King of the Kingdom, weaving words of assurance to maintain the status quo. The words of the Estarian elders, as conveyed by her, must have deeply moved the Prime Minister.
“It’s not yet time.”
...They said.
The meeting concluded. She waved her hand, mounted the Wyvern, and disappeared into the northern sky. The Prime Minister remained silent for a while, staring at the northern sky where she had vanished. The other guy seemed confused, unable to keep up with the sudden turn of events. It was easy to imagine why. Well, seeing that would do that to anyone.
But the Prime Minister, with his nerves of steel, was different. He gazed at the distant northern sky, arms crossed, lost in thought. I couldn’t fathom the mind of such a noble. But I believed that involving the highest political authority of the kingdom in the secret my elder brother and I had kept was the right move.
By eliciting the Prime Minister’s words of assurance to maintain the status quo as the representative of the King of the Kingdom, I had won the gamble. There was no turning back now. The Prime Minister’s words, akin to a vow, would undoubtedly reach the Estarian elders.
The Prime Minister, having reflected on and understood the words of the Estarian girl, and made his decision, quietly gazed at the northern sky and spoke to me.
“That’s an impressive reason. ‘It’s already begun,’ she says? Indeed, it’s a sufficient and world-important reason to keep you from leaving the frontier... the territory of the knightly family. Very well. Your summons to the royal palace is hereby canceled. ......As a result, the military achievements of the ‘third son of the knightly house’ that we prepared for this campaign will also be erased. If we’re to keep this secret, the cause must remain hidden as well. If we hide it...... you won’t receive any decorations (record of honor) for your true achievements. Are you really okay with that?”
I quietly turned my gaze to the vast and deep Demonic Forest and spoke:
“I’ve only done what I must. External recognition and evaluation are unnecessary. My actions are for the sake of my family, region, territory, and kingdom. As the commander of the knightly family’s guerilla unit, I have no need for excessive honors. A foundation for the future—that is my wish.”
――― And so.
Rather than leaving a name for posterity, I sought a light for the future. That’s what I declared to the Prime Minister.
――― ☆ ―――― ☆ ――――
This was what the old man, who had accomplished nothing in his past life, discovered...
The true reason I was reborn into this world.
―― That must be it.
I realized that what I think and what I do are all manifestations of my heart. Having given up on everything, thrown it all away, and lived aimlessly, I came to know family love, compassion, anger, mourning... and with that knowledge, I began to strongly desire “the future of this world.”
That is why I was reborn in the frontier of this world...
It was the Desire of the Third Son of a Knightly House.
End of Part One.
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Thank you for reading.
The Desire of the Third Son of a Knightly House concludes its third act here.
If you enjoyed the story, there is no greater joy for me.
To all who read to the end, my deepest gratitude!!!
As I listen to the New Year’s bell, I lay down my pen with a heart full of emotions.
I am deeply grateful for any typo reports.
May all who read this be blessed! Wishing you a wonderful New Year!
Respectfully,
Ryuusou Wan.
Thank you for hard work, it was fun ride
ReplyDeleteHope you get best of life forward