After graduating from high school, I decided to become a military officer as I had declared. However, there was no way I could suddenly sit in the post I wanted. My military debut was fulfilled when I was assigned an affordable position commensurate with my status.
On the other hand, my relationship with Julia reached a goal. It’s the marriage of Ryan Doris and Julia Label. It was a happiness that I finally grasped after five years of dating. I went a little overboard to make the wedding grand though. I am the only child in the Doris family so it is the first and last ceremony for my parents. In front of the assembled people, we vowed to God that we would remain together until the end of each other’s lives.
The following year, Julia became pregnant. I also achieved results at work and was promoted. Thinking about the future, we decided to buy a small detached house. Then, a child was born. It’s a boy. I named him, Adam. His loud cry convinced me and Julia that his future is bright.
Then, I was further promoted. I was entrusted with about 100 subordinates. But because of this, I often have to move away from the Royal Capital. It was painful to have to leave my beloved wife and child behind and go to a distant land, but I was able to endure it when I thought about them. I could only work hard to get home as soon as possible.
In recognition of the results of my work, I was promoted again. I was given the position of a commander of 10,000 soldiers. By this time, my son had turned 3 years old. I also succeeded in beating the anti-royal forces. Thanks to this, I was able to catch a nobleman who was planning a rebellion. His Majesty was greatly pleased with this and then the kingdom was plunged into a storm of purges.
I was awarded a medal and a knighthood for my great achievements. At last, I surpassed my father and became an Earl. And my post became Adjutant General. The road to General is now only in the countdown stage.
Then a report came in that Mana, the city in the western frontier, had been taken over by thirty dragoneuts. They seemed to be deserters who had turned into a band of bandits. In addition, they claimed our city as their territory. I received orders from His Majesty to recapture the city alone.
I succeeded in destroying all but one dragoneut. This brought to light the dangers the Western Frontier may face so I was forced to take over the Western Frontier as my territory and was awarded the title of Marquis.
I hadn’t noticed it. That other nobles were extremely wary of me now. In other words, this mission was the perfect opportunity to throw me to the frontier.
Still, my wife and I were delighted. It was unexpected, but it was also like a promotion. I also thought that I would be able to live comfortably with my wife and children then.
◇◇◇
My son is now 5 years old. Recently, he has been running around the mansion in a naughty manner. He’s so restless that I don’t know who he came after.
“Father, let’s practice swordsmanship!”
“I’m at work now. I’ll ask a knight guard to do it with you first.”
“Everybody’s going to get beat up by me right away, it’s boring.”
Adam puffs out his cheeks. I see. He means that he is being entertained by the knights. It’s about time I asked for strict guidance. Right then, the door opened and Julia walked in. As soon as Adam sees his mother, he runs to her and hugs her legs.
“Oh my, you’re already a big brother but you’re still so spoiled huh.”
“I won’t give Mother to Eve yet. You’re my Mother!”
“Don’t say that. You’re the big brother so you have to protect this child, okay? Or, do you hate your sister?”
“……I love you and I love Eve too.”
With tears in his eyes, Adam slowly accepted that he is now a big brother. A baby wrapped in a cloth was held by Julia. Our daughter was born this year. Her name is Eve. She is a lovely child who laughs a lot.
“Ah right, Ryan, we have a guest. He said that he is your classmate from school. I made him wait in the reception room.”
“Classmate? Thank you. I’ll be right there.”
I was a little anxious about the sudden visit of a classmate who was not on my schedule. When he introduced himself as my classmate, it means that someone from a noble family came here. It would be fine if it was just a matter of reminiscing, but depending on the other person’s goal, I might not be able to respond calmly.
You can’t blame me for thinking like this. This is because I am now completely hated by the aristocrats.
I opened the door in the waiting room and sit on the sofa. Someone sitting across from me was wearing a hood.
“You said you are a classmate, but I wonder who you are. Could you please show me your face?”
“…You’ve come a long way in the ranks, haven’t you? Marquis Ryan Doris.”
“That voice… don’t tell me….”
The other person who pulled down his hood gave me the same fearless smile as he did back then. A sly sickly face with a black bobbed hair. He has grown, but he overlaps perfectly with the one in my memory.
“Johnny Dosad?”
“Correct. It’s been a long time, Ryan.”
I braced myself slightly, placing my hand on the hilt of the sword at my waist. But he panics and tries to stop me.
“Wait, I’m not the same person I was back then. I’m not thinking of doing anything to you.”
“Do you mean to say that you have been reformed? That Johnny?”
“At that time, I didn’t really understand the world. I was living under the delusion that status was everything. Now I realize that I was a foolish child. I made you feel terrible. I’m sorry.”
Johnny bowed his head to me. I couldn’t believe it. Johnny apologized to me. I looked back for a moment on the humiliation I had suffered at that time before responding.
“I’ll accept that apology.”
“Really!? Thank you!”
“Yeah. So, what is the purpose of you coming here today?”
“For that….…here.”
Johnny pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to me. When I opened it, it was an IOU with Johnny’s name on it. The amount totaled to 100 gold coins. It seemed to be a loan from the Great Chamber of Commerce in the Royal Capital. Immediately, Johnny prostrates on the floor.
“This is my one and only request. Please lend me some money.”
“Please stop. I’m not going to lend you money……”
“If this continues, the Dosad family will fall. Even though I have my family behind me, I don’t know how to live from now on. A Marquis can pay this amount, right? Please. I want you to lend me money.”
Johnny was clinging to my leg, begging for help. I felt good watching it. The person who bullied me a lot is now begging me for help. It’s up to me to save or forsake. The moment I thought of that, I was angry at myself. No matter how much I have been bullied in the past, I can’t laugh at the sight of someone asking for help.
I crouched down and grabbed Johnny’s shoulders.
“Okay, I’ll take care of it. Of course, this is a one-time thing. This is also a favor, the next time I am the one in trouble, you will have to help me.”
“Of course! I’d do anything for you!”
In this way, I lent Johnny a hundred gold coins, a large sum of money about 100 million yen. At this point, I should have noticed that his eyes were smiling coldly.
◇◇◇
It was late at night on the day of Johnny’s visit. I was in my study, lighting a lamp and doing paperwork. The problem is how to increase our savings. The hundred gold coins I gave Johnny is not a money I could afford. That’s half of the savings I’ve been working so hard to accumulate. Still, I gave it to him because I believed in his change of heart. And now that the aristocracy is against me, I really wanted to increase the number of my allies as much as possible.
“Gyaaaahh!!!”
“What!?”
A scream rang out in the mansion. And that voice is very similar to Julia’s. I reflexively grabbed my sword and left the room. I quickly headed to the bedroom where Julia and the child are sleeping.
“Julia!?”
When I entered the room, I found her lying on the floor with a dagger in her hand. I immediately run up to her and hugged her.
“Ryan, the kids…… Please…..s-save….”
“Don’t talk! I’ll have you treated immediately!”
Julia had a deep stab wound in her chest. Blood flowed out of it unstoppably, creating a pool of blood on the floor. I remember that there was a cure mushroom in the mansion, so I put her on the floor for the time being and tried to leave the room.
However, I felt a killing intent from behind me, and I quickly drew my sword and slashed at him.
“Who are you!?”
“…………”
Someone dressed in black spun around in mid-air before landing. I immediately knew it was an assassin. Moreover, he is quite skilled. However, he had a cut on his left arm. It was probably a wound caused by Julia’s resistance.
“Who asked you to sneak in?”
“…………”
“Won’t talk? I’ll break that mouth right away.”
“…… Kuku”
The assassin laughs softly. Moments later, he disappeared into the darkness. It’s a stealth skill. Relying on presence detection, I deflected the enemy’s attack and cut off one of his legs right away. With a scream, the assassin falls to the floor. His eyes looked up at me, and he seemed to ask me how I knew about the attack.
“I mastered the presence detection skill, it was a stroke of luck that you fought me.”
“……I screwed up….”
The assassin faints after saying those words.
I then quickly left the room to get cure mushroom to help my wife. I hurriedly went for it and returned to the room. However, Julia’s body is now as cold as ice. I rubbed her body hard to warm it up and then I poured the chewed cure mushroom into her mouth. But no matter how long it takes, she doesn’t wake up.
“Julia! Wake up! Please wake up!!”
I finally realized it after doing everything I could. She had left for heaven.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next
Yume Neiji's Works 