novelraw Chapter 98 : Chapter 98
Chapter 98 : Chapter 98
Chapter 98: The Old Soldier Dies, He Does Not Fade Away (2)
The air in the basement was damp.
A foul smell emanated from the cracks in the old stone walls.
It wasn't to the point of being offensive. In terms of being disgusting, the people gathered here were worse. After concealing their appearance and scent with makeup and perfume, the family members gathered in the basement of the cathedral, gossiping. Ernst was sitting among them.
- She's finally gone. That nasty old hag. I was about to go to the Underworld before her.
- It was ridiculous. That bold woman became a gentle lamb when she was on her deathbed. Humans are so weak.
Someone badmouthed Brunhilde.
The more they had groveled, the more they did so.
- Anyway, the second brother will inherit the title. Look. That damn guy is grinning like a brat who got a chocolate gift.
- Calm down, brother. Mother would have seen through the second brother's true colors. To think that a cunning snake like him would be given the Tresckow estate. It's ridiculous.
Someone had expectations for Brunhilde.
The more they hadn't groveled, the more they did so.
- Look over there. Ernst has come.
- He looks like a drowned rat.
- I saw him earlier. He ran out in the middle of the funeral.
- Ah ha! Funny. He probably went somewhere to cry.
There were also many voices directed at Ernst.
His cousins were insulting Ernst.
‘They're throwing a fit.’
Ernst thought, with his chin propped on his hand.
It was a ridiculous thing. To think that he could die at any time because of them. To think that he had lived his whole life in such a predicament.
Anyway, it was a sword. The sword held by stupid and vulgar people was also a weapon. It wasn't just the gear of a knight skilled in swordsmanship that was a weapon. On the contrary, the more stupid and vulgar they were, the more they would brandish it without hesitation. Countless glares were piercing Ernst.
“Well, then……”
Meanwhile, an old cleric opened his mouth.
Standing facing the podium.
“I will speak. Brunhilde von Tresckow. The hero who contributed to the empire's military power has passed away. The White Eagle Medal, the Martyr Ludovica Medal, and even the 1st Class Sun Medal, which the Emperor himself bestowed. There would be no end to honoring her achievements.”
Here and now, he said,
the cleric held up a wooden box.
“Her will is kept here.”
Yawn.
Someone yawned, and,
“It's a box with an anti-forgery spell, an anti-theft spell, and Lady Brunhilde's fingerprint.”
Hey, that's enough.
Someone grumbled in a displeased voice.
“……To be brief. I will now open the box and read Lady Brunhilde's will.”
The content of the will was quite formal.
It didn't seem to contain any sincerity. Pride in the family, advice to her children, her heart for the empire. Brunhilde had filled the will with false sentences. Only Ernst, who knew his grandmother's writing style, could tell. It was not a text written by Altria Amnesia, but a text written by Brunhilde von Tresckow. His grandmother had wanted to live as Altria rather than as Brunhilde.
“Finally──.”
And so, while Ernst was listening with a distracted mind,
“──I will designate the one who will inherit our great identity, the title of Tresckow.”
the moment the old cleric declared in a solemn tone,
“That person is none other than──.”
the moment everyone except Ernst was listening,
<──That's enough.>
<──That's enough!>
Thud.
The archway opened violently.
Silence fell.
Everyone's gaze tilted towards the archway.
Two men in mourning clothes were standing there, and both men had their faces covered with masks. Their voices were also concealed through a spell. One man was holding an old sword that had long passed the time for it to be discarded, and the other man was holding two neatly folded umbrellas.
The man with the old sword spoke, and,
the man with the two umbrellas shouted.
“Heh.”
Meanwhile, Ernst laughed hollowly, and,
“Who, who are you two?”
the old cleric asked.
The two men's answers were dramatically different.
It didn't matter either way. At the same time as the two men answered,
“──Guards!”
a commotion arose.
‘I'm seeing all sorts of things. What on earth is this?’
Ernst scratched the back of his neck.
A battle was taking place behind him. The two men and the guards were entangled. Clang, clang, clang. The sound of blades clashing bloomed, and occasionally, thump, the sound of an umbrella opening was also heard.
‘I can't understand it, really. What are those two thinking?’
Ernst put his hand on his forehead and let out a sigh.
Around him, the members of the family were screaming. The men and women of all ages who had been sitting arrogantly were flailing. Someone hid in a corner, someone had already run away, and someone else hid behind someone else's back.
‘No, in the first place, why is my life like this? The guy who's my friend is crazy about chivalry, and the person who's my teacher has just gone crazy.’
Ernst thought with his arms crossed.
The old cleric chanted an incantation. The two men also chanted an incantation. A red ray of light was fired, a white shield welled up, the old cleric was soon lying on the stone floor, and the two men ran away with the will in their hands.
‘……I don't know either.’
The moment Ernst came to that conclusion and smiled,
“Thief──! The will has been stolen──!”
the old cleric shouted with all his might.
‘By the way…….’
Ernst, who had finished his thoughts, stood up from his seat.
The old cleric and the members of the family were gone. They had all rushed out in a hurry. To catch the culprits.
‘Why would they do such a thing…….’
There was no need to harbor such a question. They must be people that Ernst could not dare to understand. The old cleric and the members of the family would wonder about the identity of the culprits, but for Ernst, it was not a problem worth contemplating. Because it was clear that it was Abel's and Demian's doing.
And so, Ernst,
‘The acacia leaf stuck on the wall.’
saw the acacia leaf stuck between the stone walls, and,
‘They fought with seven guards but only knocked out four.’
he counted the number of fallen guards, and,
‘They've left six sword marks.’
he traced Abel's sword marks engraved on the stone floor.
‘Are they telling me to come to 46 Acacia Street?’
For two people, they used their heads quite a bit.
Ernst thought, nodding his head.
‘If there's one thing I'm disappointed about…….’
Ernst took a step.
He smiled, walking slowly.
‘They didn't know.’
That I would pretend not to have noticed.
* * *
The next day, everyone learned through the ‘Daily Watcher’.
That Brunhilde von Tresckow's will had been stolen.
It was a ridiculous thing. A prestigious count family had been thrown into chaos by two mysterious men. It was a story that would be good to be performed as a comedy in a corner theater of the capital.
The members of the family were thrown into chaos.
Some were eager to track down the thieves. Some wholeheartedly wished for a perfect crime. Those who needed the legitimacy contained in the will and those who feared the legitimacy contained in the will were in conflict. A chaotic power struggle had begun.
Of course, it didn't matter either way.
Ernst spent the weekend and returned to CIAR immediately. No one stopped Ernst. In the current situation, Ernst was just a slug-like existence. Just a small being that could be disposed of at any time.
That was why.
Ernst did not take an interest in the ‘Tresckow Family's Will Theft Incident’ that filled the front page of the ‘Daily Watcher’. Instead, he read another article.
「Altria Amnesia's New Book, ‘The Vile Adventures of Sir Abraxas’, Scheduled for Publication」
- The new book by the renowned author selected by the Imperial Knightly Literature Association, Altria Amnesia, will soon be published.
There is probably no subject who does not know Altria Amnesia. Everyone must have read ‘The Merry Adventures of Sir Abraxas’ in their childhood. ‘The Merry Adventures of Sir Abraxas’ is the second best-selling knightly literature in the past 5 years, and ‘The Vile Adventures of Sir Abraxas’ is the sequel after 10 years.
Meanwhile, Altria Amnesia's identity is still unclear…….
‘It's finally coming out.’
Ernst thought, with the ‘Daily Watcher’ open.
He had never once liked knightly literature, but ‘The Vile Adventures of Sir Abraxas’ must be his grandmother's true will.
“Er.”
Demian spoke with a displeased expression.
“Why didn't you come? We waited for you at 46 Acacia Street until dawn that day.”
“I'm also curious about the reason.”
Abel was standing next to Demian with his arms crossed.
“Tell me. You would have been able to notice the traces we left.”
“What are you talking about?”
Ernst tilted his head.
He adjusted his glasses and had a faint smile.
“I can't understand what you're saying.”
“Don't pretend you don't know. You know it all. The fact that me and Professor Argento were the culprits.”
“Culprits? Did you get into some kind of trouble?”
“Ernst, you're quite a pain in the ass.”
“Why are you being so new, Professor?”
“There's no way you didn't know. The fact that we stole your grandmother's will.”
“Oh, I see. I just found out.”
Ernst shrugged his shoulders and looked around.
The campus of Cia-Harphe Academy. Abel and Demian were standing around Ernst, who was sitting on a bench.
Ernst liked the scenery of CIAR. He liked the fact that it was located on a floating island, isolated from the ground, and he also liked the school rule that he had to wear a school uniform without any need for dressing up. Then, did he like Demian and Abel? If he were asked such a question, he would definitely answer no, but it was true that he was glad to see the two of them right now.
Therefore, he opened his mouth.
“Since you'll come looking for me anyway, why should I go looking for you?”
It's just a bother.
Ernst muttered so.
“That makes sense.”
“Did we lose, Professor?”
“It seems so.”
Abel and Demian looked at each other and gossiped.
“Ernst.”
And so, Abel rummaged in the inner pocket of his formal wear coat.
A neatly folded piece of paper was revealed. There was no need to ponder the identity of the piece of paper. Brunhilde's will was held out to Ernst.
“Read it.”
“Alright.”
Ernst unfolded his grandmother's will.
He didn't bother re-reading the content that had already been read. It would all be useless writing anyway.
There was only one important sentence at most.
Ernst read the phrase written at the end of the will out loud.
“I will designate the one who will inherit our great identity, the title of Tresckow. That person is none other than──.”
Of course, I was expecting it.
“──my eldest grandson, Ernst von Tresckow.”