Arc-7 Ch-60

“It failed?!”

『Strictly speaking, the ceiling collapse prevented the bomb from finishing off the Magic Beast. That would be more accurate.』

“There’s no real difference!!”

My excited shout alone echoed through the dark, needlessly spacious passageway of the ruins.

I knew I should keep my voice down. There was always a chance that some monster might be drawn by the noise and attack us. But I couldn’t help it.

Ever since we entered the ruins, it had been one battle after another. I was exhausted to the point of collapse, my mana completely depleted, and my body covered in minor wounds.

On top of that, ever since our fight with the Magic Beast, my right arm had been useless and in constant pain. Terrible, relentless pain.

The bone was almost certainly broken or dislocated. I hadn’t noticed it in the heat of battle, but once the fighting was over, the throbbing agony had set in and refused to let up.

Even so, I was still the better off of the two of us. Father, who had already been wounded yet forced himself to keep fighting to protect me, still lay unconscious on the floor.

The ruins’ inhabitant had claimed that the chances of Father dying were low. Which meant there was still a real possibility that he could die.

Looking at him lying there, his breathing faint and labored, the fear that he might simply slip away grew stronger with every passing moment.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I’d been so sure I could handle things better than this.

『Using a high-powered bomb in a dilapidated room backfired, didn’t it? Who would’ve thought the blast and flames would cause the ceiling to collapse, with the falling debris and earth ending up shielding the Magic Beast instead?』

“Then it should’ve just been crushed to death under a normal live burial!!”

『Yes, if it were an ordinary living creature. Do you truly believe a Magic Beast like that would die from something as simple as being buried alive?』

“…!”

I didn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to believe it for even a second.

The Magic Beast that had first appeared before us had been sealed away for who knew how long, yet it had still managed to put Father out of commission with a single devastating blow.

The next time we encountered it, it had grown into a giant that nearly reached the high ceiling of the ruins, transforming into a four-legged beast. No matter how relentlessly we attacked, it regenerated almost immediately and refused to die.

And that same Magic Beast was supposed to perish beneath a collapsed ceiling and a pile of dirt?

I wasn’t nearly optimistic enough to cling to such a convenient fantasy.

“…Tell me what I should do next.”

『You’re asking me?』

“Just answer already!!”

I had done everything I could, and I’d still failed to kill the Magic Beast.

If it continued to grow, there’d be no way to stop it. At the very least, humans or demihumans fighting it would only pile up more corpses for nothing.

The only methods that came to mind involved destructive power far beyond human limits, something like armored war machines or the cannonade of a flying ship.

『Under the present circumstances, I can state with certainty that the two of you have no viable options left. All that remains is to pray that the elves and humans living on this floating island, or that boy you sent away earlier, manage to pull something off.』

“…I see. Then that’s what I’ll do.”

『My, how unexpected. Judging by your usual patterns of behavior, I would’ve expected you to fly into a frenzy and insist on heading back to the surface this very moment.』

“You understand me well. If my body were uninjured and Father were safe, I’d be doing exactly that right now.”

With my still-functional left hand, I took Father’s wrist and pressed my fingers to his mouth.

His breathing and pulse remained steady and regular. His life wasn’t in immediate danger. Even so, the situation was far from reassuring.

His condition could change at any moment, and there were still any number of monsters lurking inside the ruins.

For now, the shock of the large chamber’s collapse and their wariness of the Magic Beast were keeping them from approaching us. But once they decided it was safe, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t come after us.

In that case, rather than forcing our way out of the ruins, waiting here with Father for rescue was the wiser choice.

“Neither Father nor I have any strength left. I’ll leave the rest to Mother and Lionel and take it easy while we wait.”

『You place a great deal of trust in your family. Well, your mother does possess the strength to drive off a genetically modified experimental subject, so I can understand.』

“Mother is one of the few people I truly respect. Strong, intelligent, and a perfect, noble lady.”

『Though at the moment, she’s been reduced to a cute little girl.』

“That’s your fault!!”

It was infuriating. This worn-out ruin really did have a talent for saying the most irritating things.

Between that round Lost Item and everything else, why did every machine with a will of its own have such a nasty personality?

I wanted to snap that this was probably why their masters had gone extinct in the first place.

I held my tongue, though. Upsetting it and inviting some petty harassment could easily get us killed.

『But are you certain it’s all right to place your hopes on that boy? From what I observed, he looked like the unremarkable younger brother who stays in the shadow of his father and older sister.』

“I understand what you’re trying to say, but I demand a correction. First of all, Lionel isn’t my younger brother. He’s my twin older brother.”

『My apologies. Still, if he’s the older brother, wouldn’t it be more typical for him to take the lead and fight of his own accord?』

“I understand the feeling, but Lionel simply judges situations calmly and acts with caution. Well, I won’t deny that he also tends to underestimate himself and lacks confidence.”

『Is that merely a sister’s bias?』

“Lionel and I have known each other since we were together in Mother’s womb. No one in this world understands him better than I do.”

Somehow, I’d always felt that way.

No matter how recklessly I behaved, the one who complained the whole time yet still cleaned up after me was always Lionel.

Even today, without his support, there were more than ten occasions when the monsters might have inflicted serious wounds on me.

He carried out whatever was asked of him, no matter how difficult, and I’d always trusted my earnest, level-headed older brother.

Well, the argument he’d had with Father earlier was probably because today had been his first real battle.

Ever since awakening to magic, I’d been restless and unsettled. Perhaps that mood of mine had affected Lionel as well.

As long as he acted as he normally did, the eldest son of House Bartfort never made any major mistakes.

“I’ve left the surface to them. More importantly, we need to hide and start treating Father at once.”

『Shall I prepare a treatment pod for you?』

“Absolutely not!!”

『What a shame. It could heal not only his current injuries but even his old scars as well.』

“That’s a decision only Father himself can make.”

『Right now, I could turn him into a very cute little boy, you know.』

“That makes me refuse even harder!!”

✦✦✦✦✦

The sudden tremor that shook the ground was clearly abnormal.

Earthquakes on a floating island were exceedingly rare to begin with. In the worst-case scenario, they were a harbinger that the island itself was about to be pulled down by gravity and crash.

But the worst-case scenario I was imagining right now was nothing like what most people would picture.

I was certain this earthquake had been caused by Father.

The rough outline of the plan Father had devised was to confine the Magic Beast somewhere inside the ruins and finish it off with a bomb.

I had to determine as quickly as possible whether it had succeeded or failed. While desperately suppressing the worst-case scenarios that kept surfacing in my mind, I sprinted through the forest.

The spherical Lost Item flew ahead of me without making a sound, gliding silently through the trees and undergrowth as though they weren’t even there. The sight was utterly surreal.

I wanted it to slow down, even just a little, but the words of entreaty never left my mouth. Even with my limited combat experience, I understood that this wasn’t a situation where I could make such a request.

My frustration didn’t last long.

I nearly collided with the Lost Item when it suddenly came to a stop in mid-air, but I managed to halt as well.

What stretched out before me was a massive depression in the ground, like the footprint of some enormous creature.

It was wide enough to swallow the entire Bartfort County mansion, and its depth appeared to be roughly equal to the height of the emergency stairs I’d desperately climbed earlier.

In other words, this was unmistakable proof that something had happened inside the ruins.

For a while afterward, I simply stared at the enormous hole in a daze.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t thinking. Quite the opposite. My mind was working at a feverish pace.

I was desperately trying to comprehend the situation while simultaneously wracking my brain for whatever options might still remain.

Yet the only conclusion I could reach was despair.

Was Father safe?

What had become of Ariel?

What kind of report was I supposed to give Mother?

Had the Magic Beast stopped moving?

I didn’t know. I didn’t know anything. I had no idea what I was supposed to do.

It felt as though I’d been forced to solve an impossible riddle while my mind was working harder than it ever had in my entire life.

It was said that a lord, even if he lacked personal talent, still possessed the right to govern his territory so long as he was willing to shoulder the responsibility.

Perhaps someone like me, who could do nothing but panic even in a situation like this, truly was unfit to become a lord.

Even so, I still had to keep thinking.

Now that Mother’s body had been rejuvenated, a single wrong decision could genuinely bring House Bartfort to ruin.

Then I suddenly realized that the Lost Item that had been floating nearby was gone.

Assuming it had moved somewhere, I looked around and spotted a small, grain-sized spherical object floating in the air.

That’s right. Even while conversing with Father, that Lost Item had always observed its surroundings in meticulous detail.

If it was observing the hole from a high vantage point right now, I might be able to extract some useful information from it.

There was nothing shameful about borrowing someone else’s strength. A lord also needed the skill and broad-mindedness to make proper use of subordinates who were more capable than himself.

“Hey! Can you come over here?!”

After calling out several times, the Lost Item seemed to notice me and slowly descended.

While desperately suppressing my impatience, I organized the things I needed to do right now.

Regret could wait. Acting and failing would still give me a greater sense of accomplishment than doing nothing out of fear of failure.

“How did the hole look?”

『After comparing the collapsed area with the surrounding ground, it is definitive that this is not a natural phenomenon caused by groundwater veins or shifts in the strata, but rather an artificially induced land subsidence.』

“So Father caused it after all?”

『Whether it was an intentional result or an accidental occurrence remains unclear, but there is little doubt. Leon Fou Bartfort is not a man who hesitates to devise plans that put himself at risk.』

“Can you tell if Father and Ariel are safe?”

『Measurement is impossible due to the large quantities of earth and trees.』

“…ngh.”

So we still didn’t know.

A mixture of impatience and resignation quietly settled over me as I accepted the result the Lost Item had reported.

Part of me wanted to believe that the two of them were alive, while another part felt like crying over how utterly hopeless the situation seemed. That feeling kept growing stronger.

But it was still too early to give up. For now, all we knew was that their status was unknown. However faint it might be, the possibility that they were still alive remained.

All I could do right now was believe in their survival and do whatever I was capable of doing.

“…Rescue is impossible, isn’t it.”

『If you return to the ruins now, confirmation of life or death would be possible, but I do not recommend it.』

“I know. I was just asking. What about the damage to the ruins? Especially around the central section. Does it look like there’s any problem?”

『Cross-referencing the positional data downloaded from the ruins confirms that this location is distant from the central section. The impact on the bio-modification facilities is judged to be minimal.』

“That’s a relief, then.”

There’d be no point in fighting for our lives if Mother couldn’t return to normal afterward.

No matter how the situation changed, accurately assessing gains and losses was one of the principles of action Mother had drilled into me.

Even if the order of priorities shifted, the ability to make ruthless decisions to avoid the worst-case scenario was what made someone a true head of house. Or so Father had always said in his study.

It was ironic that the results of the heir education I’d taken so seriously were only beginning to show in a situation like this.

“And the Magic Beast? There’s no way it came through something like this unscathed.”

『…………The life response of that abominable monster that must not exist in this world for even a single instant is still active.』

The Lost Item’s red eyes glowed, and an image was projected into the air.

The black schematic composed of white lines and curves was probably a diagram of the hole’s structure. At the center of the enormous sunken area was a faint red light whose meaning needed no explanation.

I couldn’t make sense of the finer details, but surviving a collapse on this scale… could that really be called mere luck?

Or was it something closer to a mythical monster that couldn’t be killed without some special means?

『Although faint, I have detected the Magic Beast’s life activity. However, this is……』

“What is it?”

『Compared to when we first encountered it, its body has clearly grown enormous. Measurements indicate its volume has increased by more than eight times.』

“Could it be a malfunction of the instruments, or that the rubble is interfering with accurate observation? Something like that?”

『Impossible. All instruments are functioning normally.』

This was too much, far too much.

Surely the gods must hate us.

The magic-clad beast being eight times larger in volume wasn’t even remotely funny as a joke. No matter how I looked at it, this was no longer something humans could handle.

Father and Ariel’s chances of survival were hopeless. The far more likely outcome was that they’d taken the beast down with them and been buried alive.

My vision swam, and I wanted nothing more than to stop and rest for a moment.

『And the magic beast’s volume is continuing to expand even now.』

“That’s wrong!! It’s absolutely wrong!!”

『No matter how much you deny it, you cannot change reality.』

A scream escaped my lips before I could stop it.

Of course it did. The thought of a monster Father and Ariel hadn’t been able to defeat growing even larger was the stuff of nightmares.

This had already gone beyond anything I could handle. I desperately wanted to ask Father or Mother what I should do next.

That’s right, Mother.

As a combat commander, her abilities currently surpassed mine.

It was pathetic for the heir to admit it, but if it meant saving as many lives as possible, my pride and dignity didn’t matter.

“…Will you answer my questions accurately?”

『So long as you do not interfere with my purpose, I will cooperate fully in the extermination of that detestable, abhorrent monster.』

“Thank you. Then, roughly how long until the magic beast can start moving?”

『It will take approximately one hour for its vital signs to reach a level capable of movement. The time until it can engage in combat will vary depending on its energy supply, so it is currently difficult to determine.』

“Why is the calculation difficult?”

『Because it is unclear how much material the magic beast will ingest for recovery.』

“In other words, it’ll depend on whether the beast starts eating humans or elves once it begins moving.”

『Yes.』

“Can I defeat the magic beast with the weapons I have now?”

『Impossible. If you fire every magic bullet you currently possess, there may be a slight chance, but while you clear away the enormous amount of earth and rubble, the beast will recover.』

“Got it. Then I’ll hurry to the elven village!”

First, I had to regroup with Mother and the others, then make for the airship owned by House Bartfort.

The airship was equipped with several gun ports for driving off sky pirates and monsters.

The difference in firepower between a personal weapon and an airship’s cannons was like night and day. If those cannons hit it, even the magic beast wouldn’t escape unscathed.

No, should I prioritize evacuating everyone first?

If the beast started moving earlier than expected, there would be casualties. And even if it recovered and grew stronger, I had no idea whether the airship’s cannons would still be effective against it.

Maybe it’d be better to head for the airfield where the airship was docked before regrouping with Mother.

Ah, but how was I supposed to get past the floating island’s soldiers guarding the airfield?

And if the magic beast targeted the elven village, Mother and the others would be in danger.

Think. Think, think.

『You seem troubled.』

“I am. I can’t decide whether I should regroup with Mother first or secure the airship at the airfield.”

『Understood. In that case, let go to the airship here.』

“Huh?”

Just as I was about to ask what it meant, the lost item’s large red eyes began to blink.

It emitted a series of faint mechanical sounds while continuing to hover motionless in the air.

Even with such a caustic companion, being left to my own devices in a situation like this made me uneasy, especially since I had no way of checking the magic-clad beast’s condition myself.

『Communication complete.』

“With what?”

『I established contact with the airship owned by Leon Fou Bartfort and requested that it rendezvous with us.』

“…You can do that too?”

『Yes. And there is no longer any need to visit the elven village.』

“Don’t tell me Mother and the others got caught up in the chaos?!”

『It appears so, but the situation has already been resolved.』

“…Hah.”

『Angelica Fou Bartfort, the children, and their escorts have already evacuated to the airship. They replied that they are now making their way to the landing site I designated for the rendezvous.』

“…………”

『Is something the matter?』

Relief and the crushing weight of my own incompetence tightened around my heart at the same time.

In the end, all I’d done was panic and fail to properly fulfill my role.

Compared to that, the lost item’s sheer versatility was staggering. It could scout, calculate, communicate, and handle everything necessary before I even had the chance to think of it myself.

It made perfect sense that Father had sent the lost item with me when I escaped the ruins.

At the same time, I was crushed by an inferiority complex. Wouldn’t it be more effective to simply let the lost item take command and draw up a proper plan?

Had I actually been useful even once since coming here?

『I propose swift operational action.』

“…I know. I was just feeling a little down.”

I somehow forced myself to my feet and started moving toward the location the lost item had indicated.

Right now, defeating the magic beast and ensuring that there were no casualties was the top priority. Repeating that to myself over and over, I raced through the densely overgrown forest.

At the same time, I wondered how I was supposed to tell Mother that Father and Ariel’s fates were still unknown after they’d remained behind in the ruins.

Just imagining Mother raging like a wildfire and tearing into me, or descending into hysterics and screaming while I desperately tried to calm her down, was enough to drag my mood even lower.

✦✦✦✦✦

Knock knock knock.

The sound of knocking echoed through the cabin.

It was faster and harder than usual, loud enough to carry through the entire room.

I was the only one here at the moment, which only made my anxiety worse.

The four children were waiting in another room. Leah, in particular, was still injured from his fight against the village chief’s subordinates from the elven settlement.

Under normal circumstances, I should have been on the bridge, commanding in Leon’s absence, but various circumstances made that difficult.

Fortunately, the soldiers Leon had selected for the visit to the elven village were excellent, so no major problems had arisen so far.

“I’m coming in, Mother.”

Without waiting for my reply, the door opened, and my eldest son, Lionel, entered.

Ordinarily, I would’ve scolded him for barging in like that, but given the situation, confirming his report and determining our next course of action took priority over minor points of etiquette.

Lionel’s adventure clothes were scuffed and dirt-stained here and there, but I couldn’t see any serious injuries.

That brought me a small measure of relief, and a sigh escaped my lips before I could stop it.

From Lionel’s deeply agitated expression, however, it was impossible not to sense that the situation was far from favorable.

I wanted to at least stroke his head or pull him into an embrace to calm him down, but with this rejuvenated body of mine, even something so simple was difficult.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Lionel. I’d like to tell you to rest first, but it seems the situation won’t allow us that luxury.”

“…Yes, Mother.”

“What about Leon and Ariel?”

“That’s…”

“I understand it’s difficult to answer, and I have no intention of blaming you. Right now, sharing information takes priority over personal feelings.”

“Understood.”

What my son told me next was a series of shocking revelations.

There was a facility for modifying living beings in the central section of the underground ruins. Elven radicals were plotting a rebellion against the Holfort Kingdom. Monsters had been created using ancient technology that had abandoned all ethical restraints. And the true purpose of the ruins was tied to the Old Humanity.

There was so much more I wanted to hear, about the battles Leon and the others had fought on their way to the ruins, about Ariel suddenly awakening to magical power, and so on.

But the matters demanding the highest priority were the existence of the magic beast and the safety of Leon and Ariel.

“As the heir, I couldn’t even protect Father, and I left the fighting to Ariel. It was an utterly pathetic and shameful performance.”

“It was your first real battle. Don’t take it so hard.”

“But Father!”

“That’s enough. Brooding over it won’t improve the situation.”

“…!”

Lionel bit his lip in frustration. He was probably agonizing over the fact that he hadn’t been able to perform as he believed the heir should.

That sense of responsibility would serve him well as the future head of House Bartfort, the man who would one day govern the earldom. But right now, there was no time to praise him for it.

Leon had poured everything he had into trying to finish off the calamity born from that terrifying Old World relic known as the magic beast, and even then, he hadn’t managed to bring it down.

That fact alone was enough to show just how desperate the situation had become.

“Don’t worry. Leon is the most stubborn man in the entire Holfort Kingdom. There’s no way he’d die from injuries of that level.”

“Is that true?”

“Of course it is. This is Earl Bartfort we’re talking about, the man who treated two wars against the former Principality of Fanoss like casual outings and racked up countless military achievements.”

It was a lie. I knew perfectly well that these were empty words spoken only to reassure myself and my son, yet I had no choice but to say them.

Leon was neither a superhuman nor an immortal.

He was an ordinary man who had simply managed to survive this long by making the most of his innate talent and extraordinary luck.

I desperately suppressed the urge to rush to the ruins that very instant and stay by Leon’s side, forcing myself to think at full speed so I could regain control of the situation.

But no good ideas came to me. No clever schemes, either.

In the first place, while I excelled at political intrigue and social maneuvering, when it came to commanding troops or devising battlefield strategies, I was little better than an amateur.

The soldiers accompanying us made military operations their livelihood, but the tactics a combatant could devise were ultimately designed for human opponents. Against a monster created by a lost item, they were of limited use.

『Angelica Fou Bartfort. I have a proposal.』

The lost item, which had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke from somewhere I couldn’t even see.

From past experience, I could already guess that whatever it proposed would be questionable at best.

This inorganic machine had urged Leon into dangerous situations more than once for the sake of accomplishing its own objectives.

Deep down, I wanted to refuse. But the situation left no room for hesitation. A single misjudgment could send everything straight toward ruin.

It was galling, but at this moment, any effective means had to be used, even if it was the devil himself whispering in my ear.

“What is it? Speak.”

『I will activate Arrogance.』

┳⁠━━━━⁠━⁠⁠━⁠━⁠━━━⁠┳

Authors Note

┻━⁠━━━━⁠━━⁠━━━⁠┻

The various situations and emotions of the characters have become intertwined in this chapter, and we’re about to enter the climax.

Luxion’s relationship with House Bartfort remains a tightrope walk, but having Luxion be too cooperative would make things feel excessively one-sided.

Season 2 of the anime is also approaching its climax and final battle, so this work will likewise enter armored combat to match. (If the writing pace stays steady—)

Addendum: At the request of many patrons, illustrations were drawn by Emit-sama, Okome Tsubu_Ver.2.0-sama, Yureikaigan-sama, and Orimiru-sama.

Thank you so very much.

Emit-sama: Pixiv (adult content warning)

Okome Tsubu_Ver.2.0-sama: Pixiv (adult content warning)

Yureikaigan-sama: Pixiv (adult content warning)

Orimiru-sama: Pixiv

I’d be grateful for any thoughts or impressions you may have. They’ll serve as encouragement for the future.