Demon Beast Nostetta.
It is a mature demon beast that once appeared near Evermill City and was subdued by my grandmother Cassia. Its threat class is the third-rank, and it is also adopted as the local standard of the Quordenze family. If a mature demon beast equivalent to the third-rank is born, it will be called a Nostetta-class demonic beast.
[...Why does the story of the demon beast Nostetta come up all of a sudden?]
It was a voice that gave a strong hint of displeasure rather than a question.
I don't know the details, but it seems that my grandmother became weakened and died after being infected with a strange disease that eroded the spirit, spread by the dem on beast Nostetta. For my father and grandfather, it must be a past that they don't want to remember.
[I had a brief conversation with Magnis-dono on the battlefield.]
The one-on-one fight against Magnis, no, it might be more accurate to describe it as a meddling rather than a one-on-one fight, but I compiled a report about that fight and submitted it to my father. It wasn't just me, but the soldiers around me as well.
[I confirmed that in the report. But, I recall you wrote that you couldn't hear what he was saying when he was in his last breath.]
My father asked if I made a false report.
If I openly stated the reason for my desire for dialogue, people would think I was doubting the Quordenze family, and by extension, my father and grandfather, so I made so me adjustments to my wording, but I did not report any lies.[I couldn't understand what he was saying because it was choppy.]
[Was it now?]
[However, as I was talking to my father and grandfather this evening, I suddenly thought to myself,
"Maybe he was talking about the Demon Beast Nostetta?”
.]
Nothing is certain. Magnis's own voice was small, and his last words were barely audible as they were drowned out by the cheers of those around us. The only things that r emained in my head were things like the strength and weakness of the voice and the sense of rhythm.
Ever since then, I've been thinking about it, wondering,
[What was he trying to say?]
. But I couldn't come up with a suitable answer, but the piece "Demon Beast Nostetta" that suddenly came to mind just now fit perfectly. I felt it.
[So, what do you want to ask?]
It's quite rare to see my father not even trying to hide his moody mood.
I'm sure it's not very fun to be asked about his mother's death, but that was over 20 years ago. Even now, I can't help but feel like there's something behind the fact that he so blatantly hates it. ṙÁ₦ȎꞖÈS
[Anything that father can explain to me. I haven't had a chance to learn much about the Demon Beast Nostetta until now.]
Implying that I don't know the details. Then, I dared to entrust the ball to my father. I felt that this was the most appropriate way to get him to talk about things he didn't want to talk about.
My father remained silent, and I kept my mouth shut, waiting for his next words, as if trying to hold back.
[ Luxus, I don't mind.]
It was my grandfather who answered on behalf of the parents and son.
My grandfather was looking down and clenching his right fist tightly. The left hand seemed as if he was strongly suppressing something within his heart.
[Father...]
[You probably intended to tell Wilk everything eventually.]
If that's the case, my grandfather said that there's no need to worry.
After thinking for a while, my father slowly opened his mouth.
[...Has Wilk ever had any doubts about the Demon Beast Nostetta?]
[Well, to some extent.]
It’s mostly because I haven't learned deeply enough, but I do have some doubts.
[Such as?]
[...I don't really understand why grandmother went on a subjugation battle alone even though it appeared in Evermill City. It's not far from Newnelly City... Well, she could'v e brought father and grandfather together. I thought it wouldn't be strange if she did...]
In a sense, this is a question that could criticize my father and grandfather.
There are no rules that require you to fight in a monster subjugation battle as a leader. Rather, it would be more efficient to subdue them if they gathered as many Highlords as possible and attacked it all at once.
[You see, at the time the Demon Beast Nostetta appeared, the preparations for leaving the Empire were being made behind the scenes. Father was in the Imperial Capital, a nd I was coordinating with the Sylopea and the Evenafis.]
At that time, my uncle Gardacle had already passed away, and the Quordenze family had decided to go to war with the Spierzeig family. It wasn't until my father's generatio n that the family actually left the Empire, but preparations had been going on behind the scenes since my grandmother was the head of the family.
Apparently, while my father was visiting the Evenafis territory as the next head of the family, he heard the news about the appearance of the Demon Beast Nostetta.
[That's why grandmother, who remained in Newnelly as the head of the family, went to subjugate it alone?]
[That's the thing... Well, in any case, mother would have taken the lead. At that time, we were also in the process of entering the Kingdom.]
I didn't understand what those words meant right away, but my father quickly explained to me.
[There is a matter of unification of the five realms, and my mother has a very bad reputation with the Adellahan family. She can't afford to make any visible mistakes in the a rea of subjugating demonic beasts.]
From the perspective of the Adellahan family, my grandmother who carried out a large-scale purge of collateral relatives is a very dangerous person. To be more precise, fr om the perspective of the Adellahan family's relatives.
That family has not yet been able to achieve centralization because they are making full use of the power of their relatives to unify and govern the Adellahan region. Thus, t he relatives also have a strong voice outside the main family.
If we were to become a Royal Nobles, grandmother would want to leave a good impression on the Adellahan family. My grandmother stood at the forefront of subjugating monsters in order to prevent her from being ridiculed, saying that she could only kill her relatives but not the monsters.
[Did father remain in Evenafis territory the entire time?]
Regardless of my grandfather who was on a business trip to the Imperial Capital, he should've been able to return from Evenafis territory in a short period of time. I don't thi nk it will take much time to pass through Sylopea territory.
[I decided to return home as soon as I heard the news. I heard mother went to the front with her trusted soldiers, but the more hands you have, the better.]
My father let out a big sigh.
[...it was around Gatoren City. I received instructions from my mother, who was fighting in Evermill. She told me to wait in Newnelly and never to go into battle...]
The atmosphere became even heavier, as this was probably the point of the story.
[Do you remember the demon beast commotion in the Royal Capital? It's just likely, but the Demon Beast Nostetta was a mature demon beast with the same characteristics as that one.]
[ a monster that possesses magic power?]
[That's right. Those who participated in the battle to subjugate Nostetta unanimously testified that it was a mature monster that possessed magic power and fired magic att acks. And the total amount of magic power was estimated to be equivalent to the third-rank.]
No one had ever heard of a mature demon beast possessing magic power. After the subjugation of Nostetta, my father and his subordinates researched the history of dem on beast subjugation, turning over the archives in the Quordenze territory, but apparently they were unable to find any useful information.
[During the subjugation battle, my mother was attacked by the Demon Beast Nostetta.]
[That's...]
It depends on the fighting type, but mature demonic beasts that rank third in the threat-class often have the fighting ability to go toe-to-toe with Highlords. And attacks usin g magic power carry the risk of inflicting residual magic power.
[Cassia feared losing Luxus more than anything.]
As the Head of the Quordenze family and as a mother, she probably couldn't afford to lose her eldest son Gardacle and then her second son Luxus. It may be natural that m y father was kept away from the Nostetta subjugation battle, where there was a concern about residual magic.
However, my father still seemed to regret not being able to fight alongside my grandmother.
[People at large only know that she died from a strange disease caused by a demonic beast, but the truth was that she was injured in the subjugation battle.]
My father's expression became the most severe today.
[...Yes, that's right... The wound was deep...]
[Luxus]
, my grandfather’s voice rang out. It was a quiet voice that sounded either accusatory or comforting.
My father looked at me with a strong gaze, as if he had made a decision.
[...the residual magic was deeply engraved into her body.]
When I nodded in agreement, my father shook his head.
[Wilk doesn't know the horror of residual magic. Those with the bodies of the Highlord are extremely strong, but their spirits are not the same. How cruel is that...]
A Highlord will not die unless something extreme happens. No matter how serious the residual magic is, it won't kill you, and you can't die from it. Therefore, you have to en dure endlessly the severe pain caused by the residual magical power that never heals. Until the day you reach the end of your life.
My father briefly described in a low voice about how much my grandmother suffered from the residual magic power.
That is the fate of a Highlord that we are afraid to talk about. I was at a loss for words when I saw the reality of how never-ending pain can change a person and break their heart.
[ Father, I understand now.]
I already know where this story will end up. It is clear from the expressions on my father and grandfather's faces now that my grandmother was met with a painful end.
[But, it doesn't end there.]
[Wilk must hear the truth.]
Even though I feel like I'm going to be crushed by the weight of the air, I didn't look away and wait for the continuation.
My grandmother was still alive after the subjugation, although she was inflicted with serious concentration of residual magic power. Since there were probably knights and military officers around who could use healing magic, it can be assumed that my grandmother was in a situation where she wouldn't die unless there was something cause d by a monster, such as a strange disease.
In other words, the direct cause of my grandmother's death was not due to the Demon Beast Nostetta.
[...I took care of Cassia.]
Was it my grandfather who laid her to rest with his own hands? ...I see, that's why my father has difficulty speaking about it.
Upon hearing my grandfather's confession, my father silently nodded and told me that he was the one who had given permission. I don’t think they're trying to protect me, and I can tell that the two of them aren't lying.
[Wilk, your father...]
His tone was somewhat frightening, so I turned my hand over to interrupt my father's words.
In order to save grandmother from suffering, grandfather took his beloved wife, who is also my father's mother, and ended her himself... I wonder how much sadness and s uffering the two of them have overcome. This is not something that someone who was not involved in the incident can criticize lightly.
[There is no change in my respect for father and grandfather.]
There's no way it’ll make me disillusioned. I am in awe of my father and grandfather, who faced despair without running away.
[...Normally, this isn't a story you'd want a pre-adult child to hear.]
My father said, mocking himself. I'm only 13 years old after all.
If you think about it, wouldn't it be even a good thing to talk like this to a child who is at an impressionable age? They may take it in a strange way and may even throw hars h words at their father or grandfather. The family is on the brink of collapse.
I think my father probably intended to tell me the truth much later...after my grandfather died due to his life expectancy. It would be safer not to mention this truth while my grandfather was alive.
In any case, even though today is the auspicious day of bringing the Spierzeig family to its knees, the atmosphere in the room is completely mournful. It's completely my fa ult, but I can't help it.
[When I heard that the second demon beast, the Demon Beast Chramitis, possessed magic power, I thought my heart would stop. I can’t help but remember my mother's la st moments.]
It was after my speech that he received information about the demon beast from the Levios family. It seems that my father was trying to figure out if he could somehow rea son with me and stop me from leaving. I'm really sorry for that.
[So, father believes that the Demon Beast Nostetta, the Demon Beast Chramitis, and the demon beast Garnarin are mature demon beasts with the same characteristics...]
[Umu. There is no example of a demon beast with magical power in the past. As far as I know, there are only three of them. And...]
[Is there any other basis?]
[There is still no report from the Levios family that they have found the monster cores of both demon beasts. No monster cores have been found for the Demon Beast Nost etta either.]
[...I remember that father showed me the monster core of the Demon Beast Nostetta some time ago.]
[That's a fake. People from Sylopea and Evenafis came to my mother's funeral, so I can't afford to show that there is no monster core.]
Many monster cores are kept in the Quordenze family treasury. As expected, the only monster cores that are worth the second-rank are those of the demon beast Charybd is, but there are some monster cores that are equivalent to the third-rank that are not available to the public. It seems that my father chose an appropriate one from among t hem and decided to call it the monster core of the Demon Beast Nostetta. Well, there's no name plate on it, so you can fool around with it as much as you like.
[In that case, will the Levios family also fix up a suitable monster core and release it to the public?]
[Probably so. However, it is not possible to determine whether the revealed monster core is real or fake. Considering that the monster cores of both demonic beasts have n ot been found at this time, I think there is a high possibility that they are fakes...]
People can confirm that it is a monster core, but nobody can determine which demon beast it belongs to. If the sizes of the monster cores were clearly different, there woul d be room for criticism, but I couldn't imagine that the Levios family would make such a trivial mistake.
If an undisclosed jewel does not exist, a fake cannot be prepared, but it is estimated that the Demon Beast Chramitis is a mature demon beast equivalent to the fourth-rank, and the Demon Beast Garnarin is a mature demon beast equivalent to the fifth-rank. Jewels of that quality should be lying around in the Levios family's warehouse. It's som ething that is lying around in our warehouse too.
[Do you think that the appearance of mature demonic beasts possessing magical power is artificial?]
[...That's quite possible. The Demon Beast Sibel Kroga that attacked Newnelly last year was created by priest forces. The perpetrators of the attack on the Royal Capital we re also priest forces.]
It has not been confirmed that the mastermind, the high-ranking priest Ephial, created the Demon Beast Chramitis and the Demon Beast Garnarin. However, it is clear that t here is some kind of relationship. I don’t think it's completely unrelated.
The reason why my father was strangely concerned about Chramitis and Garnarin's cores was probably because of the incident with my grandmother.
[But, when you think about it, I wonder why the Demon Beast Sibel Kroga was a normal mature demon beast?]
[I don't really know about that. If I was going to seriously attack Quordenze, I think it would have been a magical power-holding type, but... no, it's not like the fighting type can be easily adjusted...?]
While my father and I were deep in thought, my grandfather muttered to himself,
[A mature demonic beast that ranks second in the threat-class should be enough of a threat on its own]
It’s true that I subdued it right away, but normally the appearance of a mature demonic beast equivalent to the second-rank is a crisis where the survival of a noble family is at stake. It may be thought that there was no need to insist on a magic power-possessing type.
[...So, how does Magnis's final moment have anything to do with the Demon Beast Nostetta?]
[I’m still not sure about that.]
Romilie knows something about the Demon Beast Nostetta.
Perhaps what Magnis said was something like that. But, we hardly know what that means.
[Are you saying that the Spierzeig family created the Demonic Beast Nostetta, which possesses magic power, and harmed my mother?]
The cold voice of my father, whose emotions I could not read at all, was frightening.
However, it is also true that we can only make this worst guess based on the current information.
[No...um, I don't think there's enough information to make such a quick conclusion...]
[Then, we should conduct a proper investigation.]
[Yes. We need to confirm the truth with Romilie-dono...]
While we were talking, my father turned his palm towards me. It means for me to shut up.
[First, I'll investigate Othelloria. Wilk must not move yet.]
It’s highly likely that Romilie isn’t even aware of the conversation between me and Magnis. My father said it's not acceptable for evidence to be destroyed after a poor inves tigation.
Originally, I had planned to dig up as many secrets as I could about the Spierzeig family when I entered Othelloria, but it seems that the investigation into the Demon Beast Nostetta will be made a top priority task.
[We will consider appropriate measures depending on the situation.]
I feel like he was implicitly telling me to be prepared.
Tonight, I learned about the darkness that my father and grandfather harbored. If the Spierzeig family was involved in my grandmother's murder, they would never forgive t he Spierzeig family. If that happens, it won’t be the time to be casually saying things like inseminating Romilie.
Is this what it means to poke a bush and find a snake?
I had no choice but to poke at it.
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