TL: This is the start of volu two, so it begins with a recap. Don’t get too annoyed by it.
Sevens: Prologue
Having lost a duel with my sister, 【Celes】, and having been kicked out of my own House, I, 【Lyle Walt】, was sitting around a table with two won.
(I-I can’t taste anything.)
While we ate a slightly-late dinner, I started to worry about just how we got into this situation.
By the heir of the Count’s House, I was thrown out with nothing.
I lost everything, and so, I thought I would beco an adventurer for the ti being, and left my holand.
My forr fiancée,【Novem Forxuz】, had continued to follow after I had lost my worth. She was the second daughter of a Baron House and an acquaintance from my childhood.
She was a well-put-together forr fiancée, and also one I couldn’t think of myself as on equal terms with.
It wasn’t that she was scary, or evil, or anything.
She sold off all the furnishings she had prepared for her wedding to and used the funds for my sake.
She even looked after when I proved too oblivious to face the world.
She was kind, and yet, so beautiful.
Her bright-born hair was done in a side ponytail, and right now, she was quietly eating. The spoon touched her light pink lips.
Her violet eyes were locked on the food she made herself. Soup and bread, as well as so cheap grilled at, was set atop the table.
“Lyle-sama, is it not to your taste?”
Perhaps noticing staring at her, Novem directed a worried look.
“T-that isn’t the case!”
Saying that, I returned to my al.
And I also looked at the woman sitting across from Novem.
Red hair that grew to her back, where the tips of it curled out of habit. Her violet eyes didn’t seem to be able to settle down, as they incessantly moved around.
【Aria Lockwarde】 was a woman driven out of her ho.
Of course, her reason was fundantally different from mine.
It was because her father had connections to a bandit troupe. The bandits that drifted into Dalien made a stronghold in a nearby abandoned mine, and a few of them infiltrated the town.
The one who aided them in all of that was her father.
She was from what was once a Viscount House, and a notable family which held a managerial position in governnt.
This girl... Aria’s father was able to crush all that history in his single lifeti.
What was more, he even sold off the family heirlooms.
Having been tasked with subjugating those very bandits, I played the part of a foolish son driven out by his family and received funding from Dalien’s lord before venturing out to reclaim that heirloom.
“Ah, this is good.”
As Aria said that, Novem looked happy.
With a smile, she went into an explanation about the dish.
“I used sake when I tenderized the at. I’m happy it is to your taste.”
Take it from , by no ans did I assist Aria because I had fallen for her.
That was definitely wrong.
There was also a deep reason as to why she was in my and Novem’s house.
Aria’s father, who sold a 【Gem】 that contained multiple Skills to the bandits, was currently in the feudal lord’s custody.
And she was forced to vacate the house she was using.
Originally, the path of a harlot had been prepared for the girl. But sohow, it ended up that I had defeated the bandits because I had fallen for her...
“It’s better than when I make it...”
When Aria looked a little sad, Novem consoled her.
“If you’d like, I’d be more than happy to teach you.”
“I-I’ll leave it to you.”
... The feudal lord Ventra-sama didn’t want to deal with her, so he pushed her onto .
(Like this, aren’t I looking like trash!?)
Novem prepared the necessary funds to turn into a first-rate adventurer and even looks after now.
Even so, the situation suggested that I had found another girl I liked and let her live in our house.
Of course, I didn’t save Aria out of a guilty conscience or anything.
I had a prim and proper reason.
When the situation ca down to this, I confessed my feelings to Novem. But it wasn’t just Ventra-san who recomnded that I take Aria in.
Novem also expressed her approval.
Right after I had finally resolved myself to confess...
“I am truly grateful for your feelings. But if I were to get married to Lyle-sama, I do not think this will beco a comfortable place to live for Aria-san. By the ti Lyle-sama becos a first-rate adventurer, if you receive us both...”
... She said sothing like that.
(Even when my confession succeeded, why am I back at the starting point? And wait, I never imagined Novem would be recomnding a Harem!)
It looked like that trigger for that were my words as well.
When I was leaving my holand, I said them to make Novem return to her ho.
【I’m going to beco an adventurer, make a harem, and live a life of leisure.】
I ended up saying sothing like that.
And from that, Novem derived that 『An adventurer that can properly manage a harem must be first class. And to live a life of leisure, they have to be the very best of the best.
As such, 『my goal must be to beco one of the greatest adventurers.』 was how she understood it.
That was a mistake.
She was usually quite a perceptive girl, but I can’t even comprehend how she made a mistake there.
(I thought that if I made her think I was a useless man, she would give up and go ho. Even so, she followed ... served , and took my words to heart.)
Even when I had forgotten them, she faithfully rembered.
But if I may, I’d like to say it...
I really have no such intentions.
(Right, I have these guys... this 【Jewel】...)
A Jewel was what could be called the complete form of a Gem.
A gem was a tool that recorded the Skills which individuals only possessed one of.
They weren’t the main trend nowadays, but it seed that by recording Skills like that, they would beco complete upon recording eight.
From a gem, it would beco a Jewel.
My own Skill, whose effects I have yet to determine, and the seven other ones from the past mbers of the Walt House were recorded over the ages by the blue Jewel .
However, the problem was...
『Aria-chan sure is cute... She was tornted by her shitty old man and driven out of shelter. What a poor child.』
An audacious voice emanated from the Jewel.
It was the voice of the Walt House’s founder, 【Basil Walt】.
『How about you look in a mirror! You’ll see the face of another shitty old man reflected right back!』
A voice as if to pick a fight with the First Generation Head rose up.
It was the Walt House’s Second Generation, 【Crassel Walt】.
Wearing the garb of a hunter, the Second Generation was quite a plain existence in the Walt Family history.
The First Generation led a force to reclaim land and raise a village, where he beca a feudal lord and a provincial noble. Thus started the Walt House.
Then the Third Generation spread his na by letting the retreat of the king’s army succeed in a war with foreign powers.
What was more, he even died in the process, so even now, when stories about those tis were brought up, the Third Generation 【Sleigh Walt】’s na often pops up.
Being stuck between the two of them, the Second Generation was inevitably quite plain.
... But the truth differed.
Haphazardly expanding his land, the First Generation persuaded barbarians to join him with his fists.
And the Second’s unreliable-looking, aloof son only gave a light reaction to everything.
Forced in between the two, the Second Generation went through quite a bit of trouble to harden the foundations of the Walt House.
Even so, it was a little pitiful that he was never evaluated by history for that.
(... The Second’s being especially hard on the First today.)
When it beca a Jewel, the recorded Skills developed a personality.
Those were based on the recorded mories of the ancestors that used them.
When my own Skill manifested, and the gem turned Jewel, the ancestors also opened their eyes as Skills for the first ti.
But, this Jewel was...
『They sure are energetic today, that First and Second Generation.』
The one who happily looked over their quarrel was the Third.
But the fact that I could hear them ant the Jewel was being put to use.
... aning my Mana would be expended.
Even when I couldn’t use their Skills!
(Can’t you guys just be a little more docile...)
Perhaps because the Skills had developed wills, the Skills could put restrictions on themselves.
Because of that, I had listened to Aria’s request in order to beco able to use one of them.
Why was there a need to help Aria, you ask?
It was because Aria resembled the First Generation’s first love.
What was more, he kept calling her that girl’s living likeness.
That led to defeating a Bandit Brigade.
I beca able to use the First Generation’s Skill, and while it may be temporarily, I was able to use the other ones as well.
However, the Third’s and Seventh’s were still impossible for .
Because of the reasoning that my body wouldn’t be able to handle it, they were restricted.
(These guys definitely aren’t a family treasure. This has to be a cursed item or sothing.)
Even if I thought that, the things that I couldn’t do anything about just keep coming, and gradually, my evaluation of the Jewel continued to fall.
–
–
–
I did end up accepting Aria, but naturally, what we needed on our team was fighting power.
For that, we ended up having her beco an adventurer.
The individual herself said that she would feel bad if we just supported her, so she gave her acknowledgent.
She gave it, but...
“Well then, your party registration has been completed. While you have added Aria-san to your forces, you cannot extend Zelphy-san’s contract, so please keep that in mind.”
Shaved red hair, brown skin, and a muscular build. The guild receptionist... Hawkins-san, spoke to us, and Aria seed nervous.
His appearance was grim, but his work was done tidily and politely, so he was quite a proficient one in Dalien’s adventurer guild.
“Y-yes!”
After Aria accepted her guild card, our advisor Zelphy-san called out to her.
“Don’t be too nervous. You’ve got your standin’ to worry about, so I’ll be droppin’ the honorifics on work ti. Are you fine with that, Lady Aria?”
Having forrly served the Lockwarde House, Zelphy-san acted as our advisor under a request from the guild.
For us, who had left our hos, and were lost and confused, she taught us the foundations of being adventurers.
In preparation for her impending marriage, she left her own party and was currently taking guild requests to train adventurers.
... Was her public facade.
The marriage part was apparently true, but in the back, she was an adventurer with ties to the feudal lord Ventra-sama.
In Dalien, a town nice on newcors, she was also one of considerable skill.
“Now then, you’ve got three mbers on you, but it looks like I have to teach your recruit from the basic stuff. I’ll be training Lad... Aria in the guild conference room, so I’ll be havin’ you two take on so odd job requests.”
Hearing that, I put on a blatantly reluctant face.
“W-we’re still doing that?”
Novem looked at my face with a slightly troubled expression.
To encourage , she spoke up.
“Lyle-sama, let’s do our best.”
Zelphy-san was all smiles as she looked at .
I an, we tricked a bit of money out of her employer. It seed he worked Zelphy-san quite hard, so perhaps she wanted so revenge.
“Naturally. Well, they’re requests you should finish by the end of the mornin’. Once you’re done, Lyle’s goin’ to have to get his equipnt in order. Your reserve sabre beca unusable, right?”
“... Yes.”
When I was fighting the Bandit Leader, I ended up ruining my own weapon of choice, my sabre.
The enemy had a red gem... one that contained Skills that specialized in close quarter combat with him, so my spare sabre ended up no good as well.
I thought they would be reusable with a bit of repair, but the blacksmith I brought up the request with told to buy another one.
“You got so money on you. You’ll probably be able to get quite a nice one. Well then, Aria and I are goin’ up a floor. Boss, I’ll leave the request explanations to you.”
Zelphy-san led Aria off.
Hawkins-san took out the request forms for the jobs we were scheduled to take.
“... Odd jobs again?”
As my shoulders dropped, Hawkins-san tried to cheer up.
“Lyle-kun, don’t feel so down. It’s important to accumulate these sorts of requests as well. If you change your ho, they look at records like these to determine your disposition.”
Dalien is only our temporary stay.
Once we build up our abilities, I think our ho... the town we’ll use as our area of operations will change.
“That’s right, Lyle-sama. Honest effort is important. Let’s try our best together.”
Novem directed a smile at .
And Hawkins-san spoke.
“Ah, Novem-san has secretary work in the guild until noon. Lyle-kun has physical labor outside, so you’ll be separated.”
“T-that can’t be! Please put on physical labor as well!”
As Novem said that, voices ca out of the Jewel.
Having been heavily cared for by Novem’s family, the Forxuz House, the First through Fourth Generations showered the girl with favoritism.
『Novem-chan on manual labor? You’ve got to be bloody kidding !』
As the First said that, the Second continued on.
『Lyle, it’s ti to show your manliness.』
The Third as well...
『Novem-chan’s a good girl. Now Lyle, go say sothing.』
The Fourth was...
『You won’t let Novem-chan do sothing like that, right, Lyle?』
Threatening in a low voice.
(... These guys... I’ve had it...)
Fifth Generation onwards didn’t have any special feelings for her.
Of all things, they thought of her as nothing but one from a vassal household.
『Putting a girl on manual labor is none too efficient.』
As the Fifth said that, the Sixth as well...
『Right. Well, she’ll probably be in the way if she was there.』
The Seventh Generation... My Grandfather was...
『Making Lyle do physical labor or the like... even when he’s supposed to be one with royal blood.』
Quite sad for . He was a grandfather quite soft on his grandchildren.
I looked at Novem.
“I-I’m fine. Let’s go shopping together in the afternoon.”
Hearing that, Novem still seed a little worried as she spoke.
“Please don’t push yourself too much, Lyle-sama. Then, let’s finish the paperwork.”
Because the Jewel used up my Mana like there was no tomorrow, those around were under the belief that my constitution was quite weak.
The reason for Novem’s worry was that fact that I’ve collapsed nurous tis.
(... For so reason, this doesn’t sit right with .)
I wanted to shout out that none of that was my fault.
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