The Main Family Is About to Die Out, so I, from a Branch Family, Am a Seed Provider (WN): Chapter 60

 

Episode 60: Last to Dropout

 I heard the words I couldn't forget.

 An old man with a partially missing limb and one eye was, of all people, telling the knight commander in a gleeful voice that she should capture Armes.

 The empire repeatedly discriminates against brown-skinned people like Armes without mercy. This can be proven by the words and actions of the woman with glasses who is now flitting about beside me, agitating me in a fit of rage.

 It was easy to imagine that if Armes was caught by them...... it would be tantamount to death.

 Elfie was killed, the enemy admonished me, and I even tried to give up at one point. But.

"ーーAh."

"You said it yourself, you've got to take out those who piss you off with your own hands. I knew you'd come close, you son of a bitch!"

 Besides, I'm not just going to give up and let Armes...... take any more of my family away from me.

 Aiming to take advantage of the woman with glasses who had approached close enough to put on the restraints, I pulled out the dagger that was still stuck in my right arm and stabbed it into her neck.

"ーー!?"

 Perhaps because I was lucky enough to stab her in the throat, the sound of liquid mixed with blood and breathing came out from the woman with glasses, and it sounded as if she was talking while drowning in the water.

 I then shoved the glasses woman, who crumpled on the spot, on the other side, and I picked up the sword that I had let go earlier.

 Whipping my staggering body, I ducked through the gaps between the surrounding enemies, stood at the entrance to the bridge, and held my sword at the ready.

"Fool... are you still willing to resist?"

 Seeing my behavior, the one-eyed man looked at me as if he were looking at a fool.

"Of, course."

 My voice was shaking as I answered him, so much so that even I could tell.

 But it was not a tremor caused by fear or any such emotion. It was something more physical.

 By pulling out the dagger that was stuck in my hand, my right arm was bleeding considerably. Damn, it hurts so much and my eyes are blurry, but it couldn't be helped.

 Still, I held the sword in my left hand and stood at the entrance to the only bridge leading to the other side. Then, the bewildered Knights of the White Rose, who had been so startled, regained their composure and immediately surrounded me.

"Surrender obediently. If you resist any longer, we will show you no mercy. I promise you that we will not be as rough as Frau."

"Yes. Depending on the kingdom's decision, there is a way for you to return to your country alive."

 The man with the one eye followed by the leader of the Knights of the White Rose also persuaded me. And I understood that it was a final offer.

 Kingdom and empire, or friend and foe. I feel that the gap between them is there.

 Then I will tell him.

"......I refuse."

"..."

 When I said that, only the Knight Commander seemed to bite her teeth with a somewhat sad expression on her face. Maybe the Knight Commander was trying to help me, to some extent.

 But now I can't choose to surrender. From the moment the one-eyed man gave the order to capture Armes, I no longer had a choice.

"Why."

"Ah?"

"Why do you resist so much? Bruises, a wound on your right arm, and a gunshot wound on your leg. Moreover, the amount of blood loss could even kill you if you don't stop it right now. So why do you continue to resist with such a battered body?"

"......Haa, you're asking a stupid question."

 I snicker at the one-eyed man's question.

"I don't care if it's futile or not. I'm just doing what I can do right now."

"What?"

"I would not go quietly into custody when my family, my sister, is about to be taken from me."

"...Even if it's the people of Vu'alheit who have been hated for a long time."

"It's obvious."

 That's your imperial side of the story, the girl behind me is my sister and my family. That's why I'll protect her.

"I see. But you're wasting your time, kid. You can't take on this many men by yourself."

"Well, that's true."

 I know. In the first place, I do not intend to suppress the imperial army by showing a one-hundred-thousandth strike. That is something that only heroes created in fiction are allowed to do. That's why......

"......I'm sorry, Ojousama."

 I gently touch the brooch around my neck with my right hand, which is constantly in extreme pain.

 I muttered to Lady Ritia, who is probably running to safety by now, for doing something that would break our promise.

 That's the only atonement I can do right now.

"What!?"

 The first thing I heard was the surprised voice of the Knight Commander.

"……You."

 And then I heard the one-eyed man grunting and muttering that. Furthermore, all the imperial soldiers who were surrounding me were letting out a startled voices when they saw me do that. Because.

"You guys can't go over there now, can you?"

 As soon as I told them that, the suspension bridge behind me rattled and collapsed with a sound.

 The dust and dirt that rose up in the air revealed a battered suspension bridge that had lost its function as a bridge, like a hanging banner along the cliff on the other side.

"The bridge, you cut it off..."

 Instead of answering the shivering Knight Commander of the White Rose, I simply smiled in silence.

 All I did was simply cut the rope connecting the suspension bridge, the only way to cross to the other side, with my sword. In other words, I made the suspension bridge itself unusable.

 With this, the enemy lost the means to cross to the other side. At the same time, it became impossible for the enemy to pursue Armes further. And then.

"You cut off your own retreat."

"......I suppose so."

 As the one-eyed man standing in front of me says, I too have lost my only avenue of escape.

 But this is still the next best thing I can take right now. Originally, we knew that none of us would make it back alive.

 But I got greedy and stayed here instead of quickly crossing the bridge as the man with the one eye said.

"You are not fit to be a commander. You are just a fool who is intoxicated by barbarism."

 Looking at me like that, the one-eyed man told me from the bottom of his heart that this was an abhorrent behavior.

 But you can curse me as much as you like. Even that time is fortuitous for me.

"For what purpose did that knight risk her life to protect you? For what purpose did the men lying there fight? If you don't know that, you have no right to call yourself a commander."

"..."

 I just look at the one-eyed man who continues to talk endlessly. Yes, this is good.

"I'm sure they all wanted you to escape alive. As long as you're alive, you'll have plenty of chances to start over. That is what these men gave their lives for. But you threw even that away so easily."

"..."

 I know that. I know what the soldiers were thinking when they were with me, even if they didn't tell me that in the first place. But.

"You are no longer worth capturing, and right nowーー."

"...You're noisy."

"What?"

"I know that much!"

 I can no longer receive his thoughts, his wishes. Because the man in front of me and I have different assumptions to begin with.

"But if I stop resisting here, who will protect them!"

 I pointed to the survivors who are staring at me with worried eyes, and to Armes, who is still unconscious.

 Beyond them are Glass, the head of the Fregrance family, and the next head of the Croche family.

 Above all, on the other side, Lady Ritia.

"You only say that because you still have a wall behind you! Because you have a shield that can protect the people you need to protect! But not me!"

 Of course, I don't want to die. I want to flirt with Mashiro when I get back, and I want to watch over Armes until her injuries heal. And even with Lady Ritia.......

 There are so many things I want to do that I can't even fit them all on my fingers. To die here would be mocked as a dog's death, and frankly speaking, I hate it too much.

"But there's no one behind me now! So if I don't fight to the end, who's going to protect them!"

 Just imagining the future of Armes alone in the hands of the enemy is enough to make me want to vomit, but if I think beyond that, the only thing left to do is to lay down my life along with their thoughts and Elfie's legacy lying at my feet.

"Haa, haa."

 My throat is dry as if pulled outward by too much talking in one breath, and my breathing is erratic. Come to think of it, I still haven't eaten or drank water. I'm not sure how I'm keeping it together, really.

"All troops, get ready."

 The air trembled at the sound of his voice. A voice came out from the bottom of his stomach, and the soldiers and knights of the Imperial Army straightened their backs.

"Lieutenant General!?"

 Only one person, the Knight Commander, turned around and raised her voice.

"Knight Commander. No more mercy. If we don't do everything in our power to defeat this man, our victory will be tarnished."

 The one-eyed man was right. There is no need for her to show any more mercy to me, her enemy...... I guess she really is a good person at heart.

"I'm glad to know that there are people like you in Armes' hometown."

"Eh?"

"No, it's nothing."

 I responded to her reaction to my comment by shaking my face from side to side.

 And once again, I took a stance on the spot and thrust the tip of my sword at the imperial army.

 My right hand is useless and my vision is hazy. I take several deep breaths, but my lungs ache as if I am not getting enough air.

 Still, irreverently, fearlessly, nastily. I smiled and said my last words to them as I face them.

"Well. Who wants to be my companion in hell? If there are idiots like that glasses girl who say they'll come...... feel free to come at me!"

"...! Attack!"

 Immediately after. The imperial army swept in like a dam.

 Fueled by their dying prey, enemy soldiers, turned into hungry beasts under the Lord's command, rushed in from all directions.

 I kicked them away, fought them off, and cut them down.

 My body no longer moves the way I want it to. I feel as if I'm drunk, but I still swing my sword, bathed in blood.

"Switch with me!"

 The Knight Commander, who suddenly appeared as if weaving her way through the crowd, shouted so briefly, then jumped up and swung her sword down with great vigor.

"......Guh."

 I tried to catch it but failed.

 I know the cause. It's the gunshot wound in my leg. I tried to hold on, but the blood seeps out from here, and at the same time, my strength is leaving me.

"...Damn, it."

"It's no use. There is no way you can turn this around with that wound."

"You won't know unless you try......!"

 In fact, I don't have enough power to push it back. But.

"What!?"

 I slid the blade, making an unpleasant metallic sound as I swat away the Knight Commander's sword. This was another swordsmanship technique that Elfie had taught me when I was a child.

 From there, it's a fierce battle again. However, I just swing my sword and slash the enemies flocking to me alone.

 In the midst of the blood splattering scene, I kept adapting to the enemy's position and the situation in my mind while moving left and right so as not to be surrounded.

 There is no time to spare.

 As I grit my teeth desperately and hold these guys off here for as long as I can, even a minute or a second.

 Even though the bridge is destroyed, it would be worthless if it was repaired immediately.

 I looked over to the other side and saw the medic still standing by Armes and the wounded.

 I told them to "run away" without uttering a sound as they watched with bated breath. Then one of the soldiers among them began to urge the people around him to retreat. Okay, with this.

"Musketeers, forward."

 A shiver ran down my spine.

 I looked back and there, under the command of the one-eyed man, I saw the Knights of the White Rose had finished preparing to fire. Moreover, the muzzle of their guns was not aimed at me, but at Armes and the others on the other side.

"Not good."

 Quickly, I threw a bloody sword that had fallen at my feet. One knight was hit by the sword's hilt and groans as she staggers back, but the others do not seem to be alarmed.

 Then I have to stop them directly...!

 The moment I started running.

 An enemy soldier suddenly attacked me from my blind spot. I tried to dodge, but the distance was too close and I couldn't respond fast enough.

"Gah...!?"

 I barely escape the attack. But the tip of the sword slashed my right cheek, and the area burned up. It might be deeper than I thought. It's a little late for that.

 But the enemy, who I had kicked, rolled in the direction of the musketeers, which gave them a few moments of hesitation. This way, they can get away before the enemy shoots them, right?

"Ah."

 At that moment.

 While the impact of the kick makes me wobble, my whole body suddenly feels suspended.

 I realized that I had been driven to the edge of the cliff, and the sensation was more than enough for me to realize that I am falling into the canyon.

"ーーーー!!"

 The Imperials in front of me were moving further and further away, and I heard the Commander of the Knights of the White Rose, whose skin color was the same as Armes', yelling something. This means that.

 ......Is this the end of my curtain?

"Haha."

 I couldn't help but smile dryly at the thought of this situation, of having my feet taken off the ground and my last moments being at the bottom of a canyon. But it was probably a better way to die than I had thought of.

"Ahh... shit."

 I am falling. But the speed seems surprisingly slow, and I'm still talking to myself.

"I really don't want to die."

 I was going to flirt with Mashiro as much as I could when I got home, and I wanted to watch over Armes' injuries by my side until she healed.

 Besides, even with Lady Ritia, I was very happy to know that a new life had sprung up in her belly.

 There were so many places I wanted to go, so many things I wanted to do, but I'm sure Lady Ritia would be angry with me for leaving her like this, no matter what excuses I gave her.

 But if I won't be able to see her anymore.

 If this situation where there is no one and only me.

 I had to deceive myself that day...... when Lady Ritia asked me, if only I could speak this unworthy thought at that time.

"...I like you too, Ojousama."

 And then the intense pain.

 I spelled it out in my mind as my breath is taken away and my consciousness is reaped at once.

 I love you, Ritia Ojousama.