Episode 03: To the Academy

In the end, no matter how much Al worries, the day will come when he will go to the academy. Reality will not wait for him.

“Master Al. Please take care and go. Even if you get a job at the academy, please come back to the Falconer territory at least once and show us your good health. …… ……”

The old Hobbs wiped his eyes blankly. It was refreshing to see so much false crying.

However, Al feels grateful that they are coming to see him off. His father, Brian, and his two older brothers are already rampaging in their own war zones.

“With Al going away, common sense will become even less common in the Falconer family. ……

“Sister-in-law, Aneue. Please don’t be so pessimistic. sister-in-law has already become a Falconer to a large extent…..”

With a bang, something cut through the air and crossed the spot where Al’s head had been. Al crouched down as if he was used to it, and ducked neatly.

“…….Sister-in-law, that’s the way it is, okay?”

“Fufu. Al is a real cutie.”

Melissa Falconer, the wife of my oldest brother Calvin.

She may look like a young lady of the inner city, but in her hand she holds an iron club that has been used in actual combat.

Those who belong to the nobility are fighters. There is no difference between men and women. And those who come to the Falconer family are straightforward.

“Well, well, well. Both of you can leave the playfulness at that and …… Al. Let me see your face more closely at the end. If you’re not careful. You have to be prepared for this to be your last goodbye in this life..”

“……Mother……”

Baroness Clara Falconer.

Baroness Clara Falconer, mother of Al and the others, and wife of Brian. She is the woman who practically runs the family, both when he is away and when he is around.

She gently touches Al’s face with both hands, as if to wrap it. The knees at the same time as …….

“Agh! ?”

Clara’s knee beautifully stabs Al in the stomach.

Al collapses.

Clara looks deeply disappointed.

“…… Huh. How inert …… Al, have you forgotten how to be a Falconer in a constant battlefield? You have not strengthened your body yet?”

“I’m sorry …… for …… you, too. (Damn it! That’s why I hate this place!)”

Albert Falconer, Baron Falconer’s son.

Fourteen years old. He has memories of his previous life. A reincarnator.

He was born as the third child of the Falconer family, but he vows to leave the Falconer family.

……

…………

………………

“Ha-ha-ha! Master Al! That’s just the way Clara and the others hide their embarrassment!”

“…… It’s no laughing matter. …… ouch!. ……”

Rocked by a carriage, Al and Colin, his guardian, made their way to the royal capital.

Colin is an apprentice horseman in the Falconer family. He is close in age to Al, and is a relatively “sensible” member of the Falconer family, and despite the difference in status, they recognize each other as friends.

“You can say that because you don’t know …… Colin. Mother was serious about that knee. If I hadn’t strengthened my body a little bit later, I would have gone to my organs. …… Totally ……Musclebrains. ……!”

“Haha. Even so, Clara-sama and the others will miss you. Al-sama was kind to Clara-sama despite what he said. He was a precious person of care in the Falconer family. No~ I’m going to miss Al-sama too~”

However, Colin was also a magician with noble blood, albeit a thin one. As a servant of the Falconer family, he is accustomed to parting. For better or worse.

“……,” huh. What is that light-hearted feeling? You don’t feel lonely at all, do you? …… Colin is just another Falconer, isn’t he? You don’t understand how much I regret parting with Colin, do you? …… Haha. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get along with a classy noble family outside of the …… frontier, though I’m tired of Falconer. …… I’m depressed about a lot of things.”

“Master Al is really sensitive, isn’t he? On the other hand, why can’t it be Falconer? Al-sama can fight demons with his amazing magic, right? It would be a shame to serve a classy city nobleman!”

“It’s not that I don’t like fighting demons! It’s just that serving a central noble family keeps me away from fighting for a bit! …… Haha. I know you don’t understand me when I tell people from Falconer. ……”

A falconer with a brain. Even among the servants who don’t fight directly, this value has permeated their minds. No, even the people who are supposed to be protected by him have a Musclebrain temperament. Unfortunately, there is no respite for Al in Falconer’s domain.

“…… At any rate, take good care of me all the way to the royal capital, Colin.”

“Yes, Master Al. …… haha. This journey may truly be the last time in your life, and I will do my best to accompany you all the way to the royal capital. You must make sure that Al-sama gets a good look at Colin and his work.”

“…………”

Al thinks. It’s not fair.

The people of Falconer territory are Musclebrains and often disgusting.

But none of them are evil, and their nature is pure. And whether they like it or not, their feelings are straightforward.

A remote area where people spend their days fighting demons. There is no guarantee that the people you laugh with today will be the same tomorrow. One life, one meeting. Morning life, night death. Electric light, morning dew.

Colin is certainly not sad about his separation from Al. But he does care about that farewell.

“Colin. Thank you. I’ll never forget you.”

“Haha. Master Al. You should save that kind of dialogue for when you arrive at the royal capital safely.”

“…… You’re right. It takes 20 days to get to the royal capital.”

Al is going.

If the game’s story really begins, this road is a one-way ticket to hell.

Even if Al is able to return to Baron Falconer’s territory, the country will probably not be in a proper shape at that time. After the all-out war with the demon tribe has broken out.

It’s a story I hazily remember, but I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a scenario in the canonical story that would have taken place in Falconer territory. I know the truth. The truth is, I know the right thing to do is to stay in Falconer’s territory.

But if there is anything I can do to help,……, I have a faint feeling that I can. I don’t think it’s possible to avoid war. But if his intervention can change the story of the game for the better,……, then of course he knows it can change for the worse.

Al makes his way to …… the royal capital, hoping that the game’s story will not start.

……

…………

………………

To the south of the Kingdom of McBrine, there is an area called the Great Forest, which is both a den of demons …… and a place of great benefit.

The Falkoner territory is placed like a bulwark between the Great Forest and the living area of the human race, and it is the same for the neighboring territories.

Incidentally, the five main families of the southern frontier aristocracy, such as the Barons of Falconer, Ambler, Dennett, Dixon, and Hume, are described as the five southern frontier families and the southern guardians.

In reality, there are other noble families and territories, but their achievements are not so prominent. In other words, they are a step or two inferior to the five families in terms of fighting ability.

Al and the others’ path. In order to get to the capital, they will have to head north from the southern frontier territory ……, which means they will be moving away from the Great Forest.

This is the experience of many untraveled people living on the frontier, but when they go from their own territory to the royal capital, the demons gradually weaken and the roads become wider and better, so the speed of the carriage increases and the travel schedule gradually becomes faster than expected.

Originally, they were looking at an itinerary of about twenty days, but by the time five days had passed, the roads were more spacious and better maintained than in Falconer’s territory. Al and the others were impressed with the roads, but their journey was still quick.

When the demons appeared, they were not as tense as in Falconer’s territory. They are weak. If anything, Colin was fine on his own.

For example, Al, who only knows Falconer territory, said, “I never thought I’d be able to experience the excitement of a powerful new game like ……! Colin couldn’t understand what was going on.

Whenever there is room in the itinerary, human beings have a bad habit of wanting to take side trips. Al and Colin could not escape this curse. There’s a place with a nice view over there, and there’s a mountain village over there that’s for it’s famous meat dish. And so on.

The fact that the demons are weaker and there is less danger compared to the remote areas further adds to their vices.

But they don’t know.

Outside the frontier, demons are indeed weak. The people who have been holed up in the frontier do not know from experience that in places where there are well-developed roads, there are human tribes that attack travelers and vendors.

The demons are too strong to be found almost anywhere on the frontier. Bandits and brigands, as they were called, were not on the minds of Al and the others.

And there is no conspiracy on the frontier to mimic such bandits and eliminate their targets.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

“We’re surrounded! Damn it! All of you! Protect Lady Sirmes!”

“””””Ooh!””””

We were in the middle of the forest leading to the settlement village, off the beaten path. There is a road, but it’s not enough for a carriage to pass.

A stranded wagon is surrounded by bandits.

The carriage has a simple shape, but if you look at it, you can clearly see its quality. In other words, even the use of …… by a nobleman in secret is known.

Around the carriage, on the guards side, there were three knights on horseback and about ten foot soldiers and squires. The number of people in the carriage alone indicates that the owner of the carriage is a noble or important person.

In contrast, the side attacking the carriage. There are six people on horseback, but there are quite a few infantrymen, archers and …… soldiers. You can find a lot more than 20 people at a glance, and you can also expect to find ambushers.

They appear to have dirty bodies and shabby clothes. However, the weapons in their hands are somewhat disguised, but they are all decent. On top of that, the fact that the bandits are moving in a coordinated manner.

The guards don’t think that this is just an attack by bandits. They are prepared to fight to the death.

“(Damn it! Where did the information leak from? Those old noble snakes! I’m willing to risk my life to let Lady Silmes go!)”

Clash.

The bandits and the guards of the nobles meet each other.

……

…………

Al and the others were resting by a stream when they heard the sound of a battle. The sound of battle was coming from the forest.

Colin immediately got into a fighting stan. A glimpse of a Battle maniac.

” …… Master Al. There are some people fighting in the forest. Weapons clash. …… It doesn’t look like a demon, but ……”

“…… bandits? That said, I’ve heard of such people appearing on the streets,……, but they’re really here.”

Al and the others determined that they were not in immediate danger, but ……

“Master Al. Let’s go check on them. If they are bandits, it is the innocent people who are being attacked. We have to help them. ……!”

Falconer’s blood. It has permeated even the servants. It’s not wvwn a blood family,……, and Al has always wondered why.

However, for those who live in remote areas, it is common knowledge and there is no question.

The powerful help the powerless.

In Falconer’s territory, even the citizens embody the correct way of being a nobleman.

(…… I feel fiercely uncomfortable. On the way to the academy, we come across the scene of someone being attacked by bandits. …… A sticky unavoidable event? ……)”

“Come on! Master Al, let’s go!”

Colin burned incense to keep the horses from being attacked, packed his things quickly, and grabbed his weapon. The spirit of the ever-present battlefield is alive and well.

“Why are you so motivated? …… Well, it’s good to kill bandits, but …… obviously the people being attacked are making a good noise and fighting back, too. ……”

That being said, Al is already on the warpath. Falconer blood is definitely flowing in his veins. Or is it a conditioned reflex from when he was an infant? The lights in his eyes disappeared.

(For God’s sake, let it be just a bandit. The opening of that game is supposed to be an academy. I think it’s safe to say that the main character had some sort of trouble with the third prince or something ……, but I don’t think there was such a goofy attack event ……).

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