“How did it come to this…”
At the entrance of the devastated city, I buried my face in my hands.
As the fifth son of a count, my hope was to live my life using the knowledge from my past life to carelessly create a harem…
I looked around the perimeter of this European-style city once again, and there were no intact buildings. Every structure had holes or cracks in it. The castle towering in the center, where I was supposed to reside, was no exception. In fact, one could say the castle was in the worst condition of all.
I sighed again.
“How did it come to this?”
A few weeks ago…
I had been receiving sword training from an elderly knight I referred to as “Gramps.” More than training, it was just plain tough love.
Initially, when I was reincarnated in this world, I was eager to become a master swordsman, but it turned out I lacked that talent.
In fact, one of my friends, who is also my subordinate, was more skilled than I was. By the way, this is a world where magic exists, but I had no talent for that either.
Well, being born a noble instead of a serf was already a stroke of luck.
Still, as a noble, I continued my sword training. As the fifth son, I had no hope of inheriting the family estate, so it was better to make the most of my time.
As I completed my usual training, an old butler visited me.
“Lord Ainzich, the head of the family has summoned you.”
“…Father? What does he want?”
The old butler said nothing, seemingly unwilling to answer. It was a cue for me to go meet him and find out.
“Understood. I’ll head there right away. Is my current attire acceptable?”
The butler replied that it was fine, and he guided me to the head of the family’s office. This mansion, where I spent my days, was a sturdy two-story building made of stone, a testament to the power and grandeur of our noble lineage.
After a short walk, we arrived at the office.
I hesitated in front of the door. It had been 16 years since I reincarnated into this world, yet I had met my father only a handful of times. As the head of the count family, he was always busy flying around here and there.
This was the first time I had been called to him directly. I steeled myself and knocked on the door.
“Father. It’s Ainzich. I’ve come as summoned.”
“Ainzich? Come in.”
I opened the door and faced my father after a long time. His short, sharp blonde hair framed a pair of fierce eyes. He certainly looked the part of a final boss. In reality, he possessed the strength to match that appearance. He was a master-class swordsman, able to imbue his sword with an aura that only a handful of swordsmen could achieve.
“You’ve come well. Have you grown a bit taller? It seems you’ve continued your training.”
“Yes. I am striving not to bring shame to our family name.”
“Good. Keep pushing yourself. Now, regarding the reason I called you, since you’ve turned 16, I thought it was a bit early, but I’d like to introduce you to a potential bride.”
“Ha! I would gladly do anything for you, Father!”
While 16 is somewhat early for a noble, I would likely be getting a bride from a baron or knight family. There was also a possibility I might marry into a noble family without a head. Either way, there was little desire to marry off a powerful noble’s daughter to someone other than the firstborn son to avoid family disputes. By the way, my older brother, who is three years my senior, has given up his claim to the baron family estate to marry into it.
“Indeed. It’s a rather good match. After all, the other party is from a ducal family.”
“Huh? A ducal family?”
My mind went blank for a moment. Wait, wait! The fifth son of a count? Did a princess from a ducal family fall in love with me at first sight? No, that can’t be. Given that I’m the fifth son, I have hardly been in the public eye… Wait, a son-in-law? There’s no way a ducal family would only have daughters…
My father smiled slyly.
“It’s the Baltia ducal family.”
The Baltia ducal family? They were the ones we had been at war with until recently!
And the reason the ducal family has no heirs is due to my father having defeated their head.
“Well, don’t make that face. I don’t intend to cut you off just yet.”
“…Can I really trust you on that?”
“I’ll assign about 300 soldiers to you. Also, if you have a few loyal subordinates, take them with you. We’ll cover all their food and expenses. You can manage the territory as you see fit.”
Given my weak position as the fifth son, I had no backing, so it was simply a relief to receive soldiers directly from my father.
Well, it was clear that I had no right to refuse since he had summoned me directly. A son with low inheritance rights is merely a spare piece, useful for the family.
“I will gladly obey your command, Father.”
“Ah, and if anything happens, feel free to come back to us at any time.”
“I understand.”
Well, in a sense, this meant I could live independently and freely, right? Thinking about it that way, it didn’t seem so bad.
As I exited the room, saying I had preparations to make, the old butler turned to my father.
“Is that acceptable? It seems a bit heavy for young Ainzich.”
Gilbert Gad Waivarl, the head of the family, took a sip of tea and sighed.
“There’s no choice. We don’t have anyone else to send.”
His eldest son was already engaged to the daughter of a marquis with whom they had formed an alliance.
The second son had also taken the daughter of a noble family, and the third son had been married off as a foster son.
“Baltia is still a ducal family. Even though it’s just a façade without substance, there are many who value authority and tradition. As long as a name remains, it holds some value.”
“I see… It sounds like a lot of trouble for young Ainzich as well.”
Gilbert wore a malicious grin.
“Yes. Though it’s a marriage made as a sign of reconciliation, the territory is in ruins from the war. As long as there’s no rebellion, it’s fine.”
Though Gilbert regarded authority and tradition as worthless, they were still significant in noble circles.
“The pacification of the Silria region isn’t finished yet. The surrounding noble families are also becoming suspicious… If we destroy the ducal family, they might be on guard and send troops.”
Of course, for Gilbert, a master-class swordsman, they weren’t opponents he couldn’t defeat, but the prolonged war with the ducal family had exhausted his territory, and he genuinely didn’t want to take on too many enemies.
“For now, we must pacify the Silria region. I’ll send troops shortly.”
The Silria region refers to a part of the western kingdom to which the Waivarl territory belongs. For the family that has inherited this land for generations, unifying this area has been their long-cherished wish. That aside…
“Understood. I’ll relay the message to prepare.”
“Yes, I’m counting on you.”
The old butler exited the room.
Gilbert stood up and gazed out the window.
“The turmoil of war shows no signs of abating… I wonder what will happen next.”
The lament of Gilbert, head of the Waivarl family, disappeared into the air without being heard by anyone.
