The Main Family Is About to Die Out, so I, from a Branch Family, Am a Seed Provider (WN): Chapter 42

 

Episode 42: Stupid Choice, Prince

 It had been a while since the head of the Fregrance family burst into the room.

 Everyone, including myself, Elfie, and Armes, was now in the largest house in the center of the city.

 On the other side of the old table was the slightly gaunt-looking head of the Fregrance family, and Prince Lim was sitting on a chair with his legs crossed arrogantly and irreverently by his side.

 Incidentally, a man from the Bajirian family is also present. I could see from the side that he, too, was nervous, due to the unusual situation of being in the same place as the head of the Fregrance family and the prince.

"He's alive, huh?"

"Don't kill him off without permission. He's not dead yet."

 I muttered a few words, and the head of the Fregrance family sighed.

 No, I knew that the two of them had escaped somewhere, but considering that he was a member of the royal family and one of the heads of the five great noble families in the kingdom, there was no chance that they would have died in the field, considering their ability to live on their own, which usually leaves everything to others.

 They don't appear to have any knights by their side, so it seems that they really did escape from that place on their own.

"Fortunately or unfortunately, the horse His Highness was riding was hit by a stray arrow and died. It was dangerous to walk around at night, so we spent the night in a nearby hut."

 There was a nomad in the hut who helped them with food, shelter, and other things. Then, when they went outside at dawn, they saw a line of carriages with the young lady in the distance, and they frantically chased after them.

 ......But I'm surprised he didn't attack them on the spot. From a nomad's point of view, it would have been more valuable if he had avenged the people of this country and presented their heads to the empire.

"He said he's from Albia. If I tell you that much, you will understand, right?"

"Oh, I see."

 The people who live in Albia, a settlement that has developed along a mountain stream on the outskirts of imperial territory.

 The main inhabitants are the so-called people of color, almost all of whom are brown-skinned.

"......"

 And that is where Armes was born.

 The master probably told me that if I have a brown-skinned person like Armes, I must know the discrimination that the empire is doing, right?

 Even if they bring the head of an enemy general, they will just say, "Oh, good job," and give you a little money. No, it might be better if they just give them some money. Worst case scenario, he might even be killed in secret to steal the credit.

 If you think about it, it would be better to help the people of the kingdom, because they would reward you for helping.

"What were you doing? Why kill one of our own?"

 The master glances at the man shivering in the corner of the room. Prince Lim, too, turns his gaze toward him. The man who had suddenly become the center of attention, the man from the Bajirian family, shook.

"I was on my way to punish him at my discretion for looting."

 When I told the truth, he glared at me and finally opened his mouth.

"I-I have something to say to His Highness too."

 The prince, sitting with his legs crossed, nodded silently and urged him to go on.

"He said looting, but I merely asked the citizens of this place to provide supplies. I swear to his highness, that I didn't do such an evil thing......."

 Not only me, but even Elfie and Armes, who are standing behind me, are sighing in dismay at the sight of the man tearfully pleading.

 Of course, I feel the same way, but in another sense, I'm amazed at how he can talk so well. Maybe he should work in Royal Capital as a civil servant instead of a military officer?

 No, but if he is a lowly rootless noble, it is possible that he was originally a civil servant. To be honest, I am horrified to think that the capital is crawling with such people. Shouldn't we take this war as an opportunity to deal with these rootless nobles?

"Really?"

"Y-yes! It's true!"

 However, the fact that the top easily believes him is the best foundation for such a guy to exist.

 In fact, Prince Lim listened to what the man had to say, and his scarlet eyes, which had been closed, turned toward me.

 Come to think of it, we haven't met face to face like this since his birthday party in Royal Capital.

"It's been a long time, stallion-dono."

"Haa...... it's been a long time."

 The sound of his voice is no different from that day. However, the impression is somehow different.

 It was a little more frightened than when we first met.

 If you look closely, you will see that his scarlet eyes are not fixed on me, but are moving slightly to the left and right, restlessly. I mean, I'm used to being called "stallion", but he's calling me "stallion" in a slightly more reverential manner. I'm a little annoyed that my name is becoming fixed as Stallion.

"I don't think that my subjects should strike the others for any reason, but what do you think, stallion-dono?"

"I still think we should kill the man immediately."

"You!"

 The Bajirian's underling barked at me when I answered immediately. But as for me, such words from the prince that a retainer should not kill a retainer are foolish in light of the current situation.

"You mean you can't entrust him to me?"

"Well, to put it simply..."

 If you don't want me to take care of him, you're the only one who can judge him. You took away my right to decide, and now you're telling me what to do.

"But I still want this man executed, and his head placed in the plaza......"

"Hold back."

 I was about to say, "I think it should be exposed", when the head of the Fregrance family stopped me, I kept my mouth shut.

"Stallion-dono has a good point, but now is not the time to be bickering among allies. Let all sides drop the matter at this time."

"What!?"

 Surprisingly, it was the member of the Bajirian family who complained about the prince's decision to skip all discussion and simply make a decision.

 Apparently, he didn't like the part about making everything a non-issue. If everything he claimed was true, then killing an ally was a serious violation of military regulations. I had just cut off one person's head, but it was a felony, and I could not complain even if I was killed right here and now.

 Even so, I don't agree with the fact that the decision was painstakingly made, or perhaps it was a mistake in judgment. That man should be killed right now, but if Prince Lim made that decision, it is a decision that cannot be resisted.

 The man may not have thought the same way I did, but I guess he felt the same way. He seemed somewhat reluctant to retract his words.

 ...Or rather, that prince is making my head hurt in various ways.

 Not only is the line of sight unsteady, but also the words, actions, and thoughts are not as they should be. It seems as if he has somehow given up on thinking.

 While I was wondering about the prince's condition, I noticed that the head of the Fregrance family beside him was staring at me.

"Well, then, I think we are done here. Please take a rest, your Highness, I will discuss the rest with this man......"

"Umu."

 With a clatter, the head of the Fregrance family urged the prince to stand up, and the rootless nobleman follows behind him out the door. Oh, he took the trouble to look at me and smiled! I'm going to kill you.

 Well, aside from that guy, the prince seemed to be unsteady in his steps as he walked out of the room, and I wish he would stop, because I was getting somewhat nervous watching him.

"So what really happened?"

 After they had completely left, the head of the family starts to speak.

"As I said. I was going to present his head in the city because of the looting."

 In fact, I did not see the scene of the crime, but more than one person witnessed it, and more than anything else, the bizarre and dark atmosphere in the city had told the true story.

 Besides, I absolutely had to kill that guy.

"...It's been very rough."

"Huh?"

 But the master came at it from a totally different angle. Um, did you hear what I said?

"It is unusual for you to be so militant in your dispositions. So it is not only his Highness who was disturbed by this battle......"

"No, I'm calm... wait, what did you say?"

 I felt like I was being told something I shouldn't hear, so I asked him what it was. The master looked exhausted and threw his gaze out the window.

"In front of His Highness, that Be'mond guy was killed. With a sword."

 To summarize the story briefly, it seems that on the day of the night attack, Prince Lim and General Be'mond were inside a tent in the main camp, and they were discussing the plans together.

 At that time, they heard the shouts of the soldiers standing at the entrance, and General Be'mond, realizing something was wrong, was quick to flee with the prince.

 However, a blade attacked the prince as soon as they escaped from the main camp, and General Beymond was apparently killed and decapitated while protecting him.

"Apparently, he was traumatized by the scene. Last night, while he was sleeping, he had nightmares and went berserk."

 I see, the prince, who is so sensitive to the sight of people dying, is so emotionally unstable.

"Is that the same for you? So what happened?"

"No, nothing of the sort......"

 Even as I said that, the master stared at me intently. Ah no, I can't help it if he stares at me like that......

 I wonder if he will give up while I am joking around in my head. I try to hope, but the master quietly urges me to go further. Well, what shall I do?

"Ah, by the way, Ojousama is pregnant, you know?"

 I ran my mouth with something that popped into my head at random, and I realized belatedly that this was not only another bad move, but also a defeat.

 But it was already too late. Almost at the same time I said that, the master stood up on the spot with great energy and came towards me, closing the distance. Ah no, I'm scared. An old man coming towards me energetically, that's purely scary!

"Is that true!?"

"Y-yeah. Yesterday...  no, it was the day before yesterday when I last saw her."

 I step back and answer as the master, gripping my shoulders, asked me while his saliva is flying around.

"I see, I see, I see! That's great!"

 However, the master didn't care about such thing, and was pleased from the bottom of his heart with the report of Lady Ritia's pregnancy while shaking my body.

"N-no, but it hasn't been positive yet that it's a man......"

"I understand that. But I'm afraid that Ritia-tan will not be able to have a child...... Umu!"

 It doesn't matter, but Elfie and Armes are still in the room beside me and the master, right? He's in full-on parental stupidity mode, but I wonder if it's okay?

"Have you not met Ojousama yet?"

 In a manner of speaking, the master cares about his daughter as a parent. I would think that he would try to see her right away, but the master shook his head from side to side and said, with a bit of reluctance on his face.

"I can't leave his Highness's side right now."

"I understand that, but......"

 Right now we, the Kingdom Army, are like a bird with one wing missing. If we lose even one of our superiors, we will not be able to stand.

 But the master shook his face from side to side again and slowly moved to the window, removing his hand from my shoulder.

"At times of such instability, there is a possibility that some irreverent person will approach His Highness and spread rumors about something that is unnecessary. Much of it is envy and jealousy among the nobility."

"……I see."

 In other words, the royalty who are mentally and physically weak and incapable of making sound judgments will be taught false information and half-brainwashed to bring down the opposing nobility.

 For example, the Bajirian underling just now would say, "The Fragrances have been on a roll lately, haven't they?" and have the prince would give the order to take it down.

 If the royal family, who believed the prince, were to become hostile to the master and gave the order to destroy the house, it is a situation where the downfall of the house of Fregrance would be imminent.

 In order to prevent that from happening, the master must stay by the prince's side at all times and in all places, and he will inevitably not be able to see the young lady.

 Well, if the kingdom and the Fregrance family, one of the five great nobles of the kingdom and the kingdoms' most powerful family, were at war, not only the empire but also the neighboring countries such as the western federation and the northern principality would not just stand by and let it happen, so it is an impossible analogy.

"Well, I will let Ritia see His Highness later. We can at least talk a little there."

 Or maybe he is the one who abuses his authority the most. Isn't this old man the most dangerous, going out of his way to set up a meeting with a prince just because he himself wants to meet his daughter?

"Um, it's about Ojousama......"

"Hmm? What is it?"

 But that plan will never come true.

 Because the order that was given by the prince earlier to "make everything a non-issue" is a major obstacle to our future operation, and the young lady must get out of here right away.

 And this is also the reason why I really wanted to execute those guys.