NOVEL NEXT Episode 5: Earl Hertia
Episode 5: Earl Hertia
“What’s going on?”
“Everyone looks busy.”
When we returned to Ortya after sightseeing here and there, the domain soldiers were bustling about. Something must have happened. I should ask Hale about it while I report in.
“A report came in from the Adventurers’ Guild. It seems something’s wrong with the monsters in a certain part of the forest area.”
“Monsters?”
“Yes. People have been seeing monsters that usually stay deep in the forest, and small animals are disappearing.”
“Does that mean…?”
“Yes, it’s likely a prelude to a stampede. Hmph, perfect for killing some time.”
This was similar to the stampede event in the original story. In the original, it took place in the frontier of Artelia, where Miltia and Hartelia used modified beasts to drive monsters from the depths of the forest to attack nearby towns. Several villages and towns were destroyed, and it even reached the town that was the economic center of the region. However, thanks to the protagonist party’s efforts, the worst-case scenario was avoided.
Is it Miltia’s doing this time as well?
“Considering the timing, Miltia is probably targeting Arania, taking advantage of the [Sword Saint]’s absence.”
“Oh, so the aftermath is coming here too.”
“Most likely. They might also be hoping for deteriorating relations between Hartelia and Artelia.”
As expected. The Theocracy is probably aiming to draw the Arlight army away from the battlefield, just like when Mine’s group took Arania in the original story.
But, a stampede… I’ve dealt with that before. This is just a repeat. Can they stop copying me?
“I have a request for you. I’m sorry to ask right after your return, but could you deliver something to Hertia?”
“To Hertia?”
“Yes. Although relations between Arlight and Hertia are not good, given the circumstances, it’s necessary. Once you deliver it, you can act as you see fit.”
“…Is it okay if I don’t return here?”
“Currently, the affected areas are very limited, and Dil is here too. Plus, it wouldn’t be interesting if the ‘Sword Saint’ slowed down here.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
“Dahlia will take care of Seira. She is quite fond of her, so there’s no need to worry.”
Hale’s consideration is appreciated, but aside from Relina and my two younger siblings, I don’t really care about anyone else. Still, it’s frustrating to let Miltia have their way. Well, I’ll decide what to do after I go.
“So, I’m going out for a bit. Take care of Seira, okay?”
“Big brother, please help Relina onee-chan!”
“Of course.”
“Take care!”
“We’ll take care of the young lady!”
“Notify me if anything happens. I’ll come back right away.”
“Understood!”
Seira’s safety comes first.
—
“Here is a letter from Hale Obraine, the former border count.”
“A letter from the former ‘Guardian’, huh? This smells like trouble.”
Two days later, I arrived at Herta, the capital of the Hertia Earldom, with a letter from Hale. I had just visited here for sightseeing a while ago. When I showed the letter to the gate guards of the mansion, they quickly arranged a meeting with Earl Hertia.
Gaia Hertia, the earl who appeared in the reception room accompanied by two men and a woman, was a huge, intimidating man just like in the original story. He was even more imposing in real life.
The two behind him were also characters from the original story. All three had black hair with a slight red tint. The eldest son, Nord, had an intellectual yakuza look, and the eldest daughter, Karna, looked like a delinquent. Karna is engaged to Cain and is one of the heroines. Although, being a muscle-head character, she doesn’t seem much like a heroine.
“Before I read this, can I ask you something? You’re Blade’s son, right? I heard you’re good with magic.”
“…I’ve already severed ties with that family.”
“I knew it! I thought you looked like him!”
“Oh, no…”
Seriously? I didn’t want to know that… I barely remember anything about that guy except his ridiculous stubble. That stubble was too overpowering…!
While I was in shock, Earl Hertia finished reading the letter.
“A stampede, huh? This is definitely troublesome.”
“Any word from Arania?”
“Nothing. Either they’re planning to handle it themselves, or they haven’t noticed yet…”
“Father, what will you do?”
“We just need to beat up the monsters, right?”
“Karna, be quiet for a moment.”
“Okay, okay.”
Karna is just as much of a muscle-head as in the original story. Her strength is unmatched, though.
“We will send reinforcements, but if we move them immediately, five hundred is the limit. Personally, I trust the ‘Guardians of Obraine,’ but until I’m sure this isn’t a trap, I can’t leave this place unguarded. My duty is to prepare for Hartelia. …Nord, gather the soldiers and head to Arania.”
“Yes, sir!”
“What about me!?”
“Karna, you go and hunt some monsters… Oh, and Nord’s—”
“Alright, I’m off!”
“Listen until the end…”
Karna is too free-spirited. Worse than Nevil. Even among the martial types, she is quite different from Lady Iris, who thinks things through.
Still, it’s impressive that he doesn’t misjudge priorities. If he were foolish enough to send a large army to Arania, the border would have long been overrun by Hartelia. And this guy is a really good person despite his intimidating face. Quite different from a certain man with a stubble.
“I’ll inform the nearby lords and the Adventurers’ Guild myself. …So, what will you do?”
“I plan to go to Arania for now.”
“Don’t you have a grudge against Blade?”
“I do, but I intend to protect Relina.”
“Lady Relina, huh. She’s surprisingly decent for a child of that family. …Do you have an adventurer’s license?”
“I have one from Hartelia.”
“That will do.”
Saying this, Earl Hertia began writing something at his desk. It seems that even from an ally’s perspective, Arlight’s reputation isn’t great. Now I’m worried about the remaining two siblings. I hope they haven’t been poisoned by Arlight’s influence.
“Hey, take this.”
What Earl Hertia handed me was a letter of request from the Earl to the adventurer Mine from Hartelia. It had the crest on it. The content was to support the Hertia army, with the freedom to act as I see fit. The term lasts until the stampede is confirmed to be over.
In short, it meant, “Don’t you dare underestimate someone I hired.” If showing this doesn’t work, Hertia has my back, so I can knock them out. Although, killing a marquis’ family member is definitely off-limits. Not that I plan to go that far.
“I’ll send similar letters to the ‘Guardians of Obraine’ and the Ortya Adventurers’ Guild. Once this is settled, come to receive your reward.”
“I appreciate it, but why go to such lengths?”
“As I said, I believe the ‘Guardians of Obraine’ are trustworthy. Much more so than the ‘Sword Saint’ of Arlight. If they say a stampede is imminent, it most likely is. In that case, we’re short on manpower. If Arania falls, our domain and others nearby will suffer considerable damage. Besides…”
“Besides?”
“I want to see the face of that guy when he realizes his family and territory were saved by the kid he kicked out.”
The old man smiled wickedly. What a personality. But that smile is really scary, so maybe he should stop?
Well, his true intention is probably to see how well I can fight. Depending on future developments, there might be conflicts between Hartelia and Artelia. Of course, his feelings about the ‘Sword Saint’ are genuine, too.
According to Hale, the relationship between the two families known as the ‘Twin Pillars of Artelia’ isn’t good. The Arlight head moves freely on the battlefield, causing Hertia to clean up or get dragged into trouble, leading to constant strife. Despite this, Arlight’s military achievements made them increasingly arrogant. This caused endless conflicts during joint training sessions.
Amidst this, when relations with Hartelia worsened, leading to Karna and Cain’s engagement mediated by the royal family a few years ago. Arteria wanted to avoid further discord between the border-guarding families.
However, their relationship is far from good. Given Karna’s personality, she wouldn’t want to marry someone weaker than her. That’s why she became a heroine in the original story. The protagonist and Cain duel, with the protagonist’s victory prompting Cain to train hard to earn Karna’s approval. If the protagonist loses, Cain becomes more arrogant, damaging his relationship with Karna. The first step is Cain getting beaten up by Karna. I wonder how things are playing out here.
“Oh, and if you see Karna, tell her to follow Nord’s instructions.”
“Understood.”
This man has his struggles too.