Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Odyssey (13)

“Vanier?”

The village chief asked again.

“Is there a problem with that name?”

At those words, Prondier’s eyes darkened.

The village chief simply asked back with a puzzled face.

“Is there someone here with the name Vanier?”

“Well……. I don’t remember all the names in the village.”

The village chief tried to recall if there was such a name in his mind.

At that sight, Frondier was convinced.

‘If the village chief’s appearance is not an act, then Banier is not a strange name here at all.’

The Banier family, no longer in the Empire.

In the past, Frondier believed it was because the Banier family had abandoned their name themselves. In the Empire, nobles must protect citizens from monster invasions or wars. Many have fled, abandoning their names and families out of fear.

Frondier thought that perhaps Selena’s parents had done the same.

However, considering the current situation, another possibility arose.

‘Hagley said that when he met young Selena, he did not meet her parents.’

In other words, a servant had brought Selena, and at that time, Selena’s parents clearly had the power to manage their subordinates. At least until then, they had not abandoned their name. No, perhaps they had never abandoned their name at all.

It was just that, by then, they could no longer return to the Empire.

“…Understood. Then I will handle the monsters.”

Frondier nodded and stepped back.

In fact, he did not care much about the monsters.

To Frondier, anything beyond the barrier was merely a matter related to Selena. Whether the monsters outside mutated, fought among themselves, or the lower ones devoured the higher ones, it did not matter to him.

However, currently, Odyssey was advancing.

He just wanted to make their path a little easier.

“…Excuse me, Lord Frondier.”

Frondier, who was returning after greeting the village chief, was stopped by someone.

“Hmm?”

He turned around to see Perusi.

Perusi looked at Frondier with slightly anxious eyes.

“You mentioned the Banier family just now, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Do you know something?”

At Frondier’s question, Perusi hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“I have something to discuss. Can we talk alone?”

Perusi glanced at Frondier’s companions. It seemed to be quite a secret matter.

“Of course. But.”

Frondier nodded.

However, at the same time.

“Selena.”

“Yes.”

He called Selena and placed her beside him.

“Whatever the story is, I need to hear it with Selena.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“If Mr. Perusi’s story is about the Banier family, it is more important to her than to me.”

It was Selena who reacted to those words.

Selena slightly flinched as if surprised and only her eyes turned towards Frondier. Of course, she couldn’t see Frondier that way.

Perusi alternated his gaze between the two for a moment before speaking.

“Understood. This way, please.”

* * *

The place Perusi headed to was his house. Frondier asked the other companions to head to a suitable lodging.

Frondier and Selena entered the neat and cozy house. Perusi guided them to chairs and went to the kitchen to prepare tea.

Seeing this, Frondier glanced at Selena.

‘Is this a story that requires such formality?’ he wondered.

Selena felt the same doubt, and a strange tension filled the room.

“Sorry, this might be a bit of a long story.”

Perusi handed them teacups and then sat down.

Frondier and Selena took a sip of the tea, thinking they should at least listen.

Both of them, almost out of habit, checked if there was any poison in the tea, but it was just ordinary tea with no issues according to their own inspections.

It just didn’t taste very good.

“Can we get straight to the point?”

“Yes.”

Perusi nodded.

“First, how do you know about the Banier family, Mr. Frondier?”

“……”

Frondier’s eyes darkened.

This is a story close to Selena’s shame.

“Do you need to hear that?”

“It might help with the story,”

“Then please tell the story without that help.”

Prondier interrupted Perusi.

Perusi was taken aback by the firm tone and stopped speaking.

“…It’s my name.”

At that moment, Selena spoke up.

Prondier looked at Selena, slightly surprised.

Selena continued speaking calmly.

“My name is Selena de Vanier. But I know nothing about my family. When I woke up, I was raised and brought up elsewhere. So, I am trying to find out where my original family was.”

She was saying that she was practically an orphan. Prondier tried to hide that shame, but Selena spoke first as if it was okay. Prondier looked at her clean face for a moment.

“…I see. I’m sorry.”

Perusi understood Prondier’s sharp reaction and bowed his head.

This time, Prondier asked.

“How do you know about the Vanier family, Mr. Perusi? Is there anyone in this village with that name?”

Perusi shook his head.

“No. There used to be.”

There used to be.

At those words, Selena’s hands on her knees tightened.

“The Vanier family was a noble family in charge of the west during the prosperous times of the past empire. Although they were not that prestigious, the lord worked hard for the people of the territory and did his best in his duties,”

“Wait.”

Prondier raised his hand to stop him.

“Why does it feel like you’re defending them? Are you also from the Vanier family?”

“…I was a servant of that house.”

Prondier and Selena, surprised by those words, looked at each other.

No matter how large the Vanier family was, Selena’s parents might have been quite close to Perusi.

Perusi continued speaking.

“When I was with the lord of the Vanier family, he was in a difficult situation due to the monster attacks. No, it wasn’t something that could be described as difficult.”

“…In the future, they would lose their territory.”

Perusi nodded.

“The territory managed by the Vanier family was a village smaller than Lireber. The lord who protected that place was stunned by the decree from the imperial palace.”

“…Decree.”

“Yes. It was an order not to come to the imperial palace but to survive within it.”

Even Frondier knew the story. The emperor had divided the range within which he could flee to the capital from the empire and issued an order that those outside that range should not come to the imperial palace.

The people in the capital were outraged by the cruel order, so one can only imagine the feelings of those outside that range.

“As soon as the lord received the imperial decree, he gathered the people and moved. He decided to give the village to the monsters and instructed the villagers to evacuate to a larger village.”

“Then what about the soldiers and knights who were supposed to protect the territory?”

At Frondier’s words, Peruchi shook his head.

“Most of the personnel were assigned to escort the villagers during their move. The lord decided not to fight the monsters. Everyone thought so. The lord of Banier had abandoned his noble duty. I heard that when the people left the village, the lord abandoned the name of Banier.”

Peruchi spoke calmly.

Until then.

However, in the brief silence, Peruchi’s clenched hand trembled.

“…But there is something no one knows.”

Peruchi spoke with his head deeply bowed.

“The lord did not flee.”

“What?”

“He brought only a few soldiers and knights who were willing to give their lives for him and protected the village while the people fled.”

“You mean he held off the monster offensive that swept through the empire’s territory with just a few people from the village?”

“Thanks to that, I survived. Not just me. The monsters were held back, even if only for a short time, and because of those few minutes, those few hours, many people were able to escape.”

“…”

“The lord’s judgment was accurate. Of course, we lost the village, and many people died while fleeing. But far more people were able to join the people of Lirberna and Alber and survive. That’s how we got here. The lord said he would falsely abandon his noble duty and gave up his name, but thanks to that, we…!”

The words did not come out. Peruchi’s shoulders shook slightly as if he was trying to calm his own agitated emotions.

“I understand.”

Frondier nodded.

It might seem cold, but Frondier did not care much about Peruchi’s emotions. It was fortunate that they survived. That was the extent of his feelings.

What Frondier observed was Selena.

‘…A lord who abandoned the name of Banier and protected the villagers.’

If such a person really existed, his identity was obvious.

It was Selena’s father.

And judging by this story, his end was obvious.

“Thank you for telling me. And I sincerely apologize for the suspicion and vigilance based on assumptions.”

Frondier bowed deeply.

Peruchi shook his head, saying it was okay, and Frondier took Selena out with a slightly busy look.

* * *

Prondier walked aimlessly with Selena for a while.

No, there was a very faint purpose.

They were looking for a suitable place to stop this walk.

Prondier climbed a slightly secluded hill as if sightseeing the village.

With the right amount of wind and sunlight, and the blue sky descending, he felt a little better.

Prondier looked up at the sky and chuckled.

“Amazing technology. Even knowing it’s fake, it looks like a real sky.”

“Because of you, Lord Prondier, I remembered it’s fake. I wasn’t thinking about it at all.”

Selena made a light joke.

Even while seeing that comfortable smile, Prondier narrowed his eyes a little and asked.

“Selena, are you okay?”

“There’s nothing to be not okay about.”

Selena showed a gentle smile.

At least, it didn’t seem like a lie.

“As you know, Lord Prondier, I have no memories of my family.”

Selena was already at Mangot by the time she became aware of herself.

Now she understands the process.

Selena’s parents sent her to Hagley to escape the monster’s attack.

Praying that she would be alive anywhere, anywhere would be fine.

“It doesn’t matter to me what kind of people my parents were or that they are no longer here. They are people I don’t even know.”

As she said, there was a slight loneliness in Selena’s eyes rather than sadness.

Perhaps she doesn’t know what emotions to have.

Whether it’s right to be sad. Whether it’s okay to be sad.

In that unknown gap, she is wandering through her emotions.

There was nothing Prondier could say there.

Even with all the knowledge and reasoning, the current situation of Selena is a sadness that Prondier does not possess. Prondier knew well that empathy is most dangerous when done carelessly.

“…But still, one thing.”

Selena brought out one clear thought among the many in her mind.

“If my mother and father lived to protect people.”

* * *

Her eyes just looked straight ahead.

“If it was something you wanted to save, even at the cost of your life.”

That gaze, as if looking at a distant place,

turned around,

and when it reached Frondier.

“I am proud of them.”

Frondier paused for a moment.

He wanted to find Banier’s name for Selena.

He wanted to tell her who she really was.

That was the promise, and he thought it was the right thing to do.

Yes.

He didn’t come all the way to this remote place beyond the barrier to mourn.

Selena smiled faintly.

“Is that okay?”