In the time I have spent in this world I haven't really made as much progress nor cons as I expected to but now on the way to the Bronsleyt kingdom I begin one legitimate con, one that's illegal that is. Something of a Ponzi scheme, where I steal from Mark to pay Peter so to speak. I shall act accordingly but I need to find the right foundations before I begin for all good things in this world are taken by beginning in the hard stone path.
Before I start wronging the rights however, I must to right the man I have wronged. Although his family will never know what was the last message he gave to them because me, in the frenzied state burned it with little care for what has been written. I still managed to keep the pendant and I could at least give it back.
Upon our entrance to Bronsleyt, Sabre was no longer a hiding convict and neither were their men and family and even just for a moment, I gave them time to enjoy their freedom as I went on to look for Wyatt Ledesby.
At first I struggled slightly upon asking random passersby whether they knew him, naturally such a man would not be very well known and I didn't even know who to ask. Then my walking aimlessly led me to a rather small mansion, relative to the usual mansions around the land and in an engraving was Duke Haldred's estate. Such a place a home for a duke? Where has all the prestige and wealth gone?
I peered closer expecting to see some drunkard duke who gambles away his money but instead I saw a rather upstanding, princely young man wearing a silk tunic who instead of lazing away was overseeing first hand his estate, how can such a competent man have such poor living conditions?
I walked closer but then was stopped by a guard, "at least he still has a guard" I thought to myself. The guard was rather bland so he didn't catch my attention and his words went from one ear to another, I was rather distracted by the young man who smiled so warmly at his servant as he instructed, it was a heartwarming moment, if it wasn't faked that is. One could control one's lip, expressions but one's eyes can't be so easily manipulated and like how one could hide the flames of a fire but not it's smoke, so does the truthful eyes of this young man betray the whole 'good' image that he so intentionally created.
The guard went on and on about the importance of followings rules and respecting the nobles and I was about to walk away when the young man interjected the guard's sermon.
"Ledesby, I think our friend here has had enough, don't you think so too?" Hoho, the irrelevant guard ain't so useless after all.
"Ah yes of course, I am sorry Lord Daniel." Upon apologizing the guard left and as much as I would enjoy a quick chat with this interesting Daniel person, I unfortunately have to run after the guard.
Upon asking him, I came to find out that he is Wyatt's older brother and after telling him I was a friend of Wyatt and wanted to pay respect to his family, he was more than wiling to bring me to them, on the way however the talkative guard kept on spouting the most mundane crap about his life, how much he liked the charitable late duke and how his son Daniel reminded him so much of the noble man and that everyone thought so as well. I suppose that's one mystery solved, the whole ordeal was Daniel's ploy on being respectable like his father.
I arrived at Wyatt's humble home and was met by his daughter, no more than 9 years old. I felt a slight sting in my heart knowing I was the one who has orphaned her of a father. Not long after was the mother, Wyatt's wife that came to meet me, I went straight to the point and gave her the necklace.
"Where did you get this?" The wife asked tearing up as she held the necklace tight.
"I was there before your husband died, the knights were getting closer to him and he simply looked at me and gave that to me saying that I should give it to his family"
"I see, thankyou for granting his final request, you are a good man to have come all this way."
"No Ma'am, I am not" I wanted to tell her the truth, that I was the one who killed her husband, that I led him to betray everyone, that I was not the good man she thinks I am.
"Please stay for dinner, we don't have much unfortunately but we are more than wiling to have you"
I almost shook from guilt upon seeing what has become of the life of the man I killed. He was an enemy yes, but that didn't mean he deserved to die or that I had the right to take away this child's father and this woman's husband. I courtly refused but offered her money for her troubles, thankfully Quills were the whole continent's currency so the woman could use it. She gratefully accepted knowing that she'd be needing it upon losing the provider of their family and then I walked back.
My thoughts became darker as I walked back and the whole time I was thinking whether I should have done different, if there was another way where everyone could be happy and that this burden I carry would be lightened even just for a minute.
I lost track of time and before I knew it I was in the camp where Saber and his men drank and sang merrily while Blade slept nearby. It had been night, I have been walking for 2 hours and I felt like walking even farther because when I sit down with these men I shall be like them, disconnected from the world and therefore their troubles, almost delusional at sometimes for perhaps this is the only way one could cope with becoming a person that we never once wished to become.
Saber perhaps in an act of returning kindness came to me upon seeing my troubled face.
"Well, you're not quite like Rexcarius, you look as if you could be human too" Saber joked, jabbing at Rexcarius' complete apathy.
"I visited the family of one of the soldiers I killed at that time"
Saber knew exactly which time I meant and looked at me sympathetically.
"You should never have done that, the moment you meet their family, you see their lives, what they have left behind is the moment that they become no longer just your enemy but people, and when you accept that then the fact that you are a murderer will soon come after"
In a sort of twisted way, Saber who is a general and has fought dozens of war and killed countless people sees his victims as mere names in a gravestone for as he said the moment they become people, he wouldn't be able to live with himself after doing it constantly. I used to think it would be best to look forward and move on but when you start to look, you can never look away again and as long as you keep looking, you won't be able to move forward.
And so in accordance to Saber's suggestion I chose to forget Wyatt and the whole ordeal, although I doubted I could and I knew it was wrong, I knew that it was my responsibility as the one who took the life to make sure they live on event as a ghost that forever haunts me but for now I cannot, I have to keep moving forward, when this is over then I shall allow my sins to bring the death of me but as long as I still live then I must continue moving forward even when I have to leave this rightful burden behind, forgive me Wyatt but you are just a name to me now.
As I drank with the ex convicts, I soon found myself dozing off and when I awoke it had been already morning and we were riding a carriage en route to the capital city. Blade had been very reliable and I don't give him enough credit as I should, even though I am the leader it was he who took the reigns, assigned the work, and even resupplied. Thinking about his past life, it becomes more probable to me that he truly is a former general.
"Blade"
Upon hearing me go forward and seated near him, he looked at me as if awaiting orders.
"I never did know what your magic attribute was despite fighting with you so many times already" In the meantime I made small talk knowing there was still a long road ahead of us.
"I...have none" He answered short and precise like he always had.
"What? How can that be?"
"Back when I was still an child, my master told me not to focus too much in the number of spells I could cast but to devote my time and effort in perfecting just one spell. I did so and in the many years where I honed my one magic skill, I lost the ability to create new ones but I have with relative confidence perfected my magic spell"
I see, like our mind growing dull from disuse, in Blade's continuous ignoring of his magic, his magic attribute eventually faded.
"What was the spell that you mastered?"
"Knight's Bane, essentially it is a spell that dispels all protection and magic. It has 4 varriations; Ochs, Pflug, Alber, and Vom Tag. Each of them either reflecting, nullifying, enhancing, or slowing the magic spell my blade touches"
"Wow that is an amazing spell, no wonder you always seem unharmed in all our fights"
"Yes, against fighters weaker than me I am essentially invulnerable but I am only just one man. I almost got killed once when I was fighting-" Blade stopped suddenly.
"Cebunilla? You were the third noble general weren't you"
Blade looked at me with sheer surprise but soon regained his composure and just looked at me in awe.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised knowing it's you Lord Spade"
"How was it living as Gregory? Do you miss it? If you weren't here with me would you go back to your past life? Do you want to?" Before I knew it I was barraging Blade with questions, perhaps fueled by my worries of my most loyal ally betraying me.
Blade had a dark look in his face and he hesitated in replying.
"Lord Spade, I am loyal to you beyond compare and I swear to you that as long as I still stand that I shall smite down your enemies when times are difficult and sit with you as your friend when it is all over, therefore I ask of you now not as your servant but as your friend to please leave this subject be, dead he might be Gregory's own oaths of silence still resound deep in my heart and I do not want to break it even if it would mean disappointing you my lord...I am wiling to take any punishment you please..."
I suppose Blade still has his knightly honor even as he was reborn, I can respect that. I know that Blade would never cause me harm and as he shows time and time again, he is my sword and naturally he shall only rise his blade for me and never against.
I do have some hesitation however because if I am to do as planned then I shall also be conquering Harayla and much as I want to prevent it, there shall be a time when Blade shall choose between me and his country, between being Blade or Gregory, I can only hope he would not be using Knight's Bane to slay me when that time comes.