I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 87

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#87. Northern Honey Wine (1)

Normalizing Tochika Fortress would require a lot of manpower and time.

J’ba FoFi.

The poison of this giant spider that had crawled into the Nightmare-Devouring Forest on its own and ruled over it was truly powerful—just a few drops sprinkled could render a well unusable for several months.

Featherback had sprinkled a considerable amount of spider poison into the water source to temporarily disable Tochika, causing all the plants in the region to wither and die.

Because of this, Quinbits found herself unnecessarily busy.

She swept the ground with hands imbued with the Power of Verdure to extract the poison, and breathed out breath infused with the Vitality of Fresh Greenery to purify the water.

Thanks to the diligent work of the Forest Spirits that had followed Quinbits, clear water gradually began to flow through Tochika’s frozen ground, and yellow and black plants started to grow.

“Phew— The spider poison is too strong. For the next few years, the plants that can survive on this land will be limited. Naturally, they’ll only be plants that humans can’t eat. Like winter cacti or frost plantain. And maybe a very small number of mushroom varieties?”

“That much is sufficient. Once those plants have purified all the toxins, we can plant edible seeds from then on.”

Featherback thoroughly inspected the water sources inside Tochika Fortress.

Then he gave Quinbits an order.

“However, years is too long a timeframe. Whether you plant weeds or mushrooms, remove all the toxins within the castle within three months.”

“What? That’s impossible! The spider poison you sprinkled in the water source has already spread everywhere through the underground veins!”

“Accomplishing the impossible is what magic is for. Didn’t Garmeda teach you that?”

“….”

When he mentioned the name of her great master, Quinbits clamped her mouth shut.

But her two cheeks, puffed up like freshly baked bread, seemed to be full of things she wanted to say.

Most of them would probably be curses.

But regardless, Featherback continued speaking.

“I’ll provide as much funding for materials as needed, so make it happen. Three months.”

“You’re really getting your money’s worth. So this is why you got yourself a magic slave.”

“Not slaves, but comrades.”

Featherback placed his hand firmly on Quinbits’ shoulder.

“I truly think of it that way.”

“….”

A serious expression and a low, subdued voice.

In truth, it was no different from his usual attitude, but somehow it seemed to appear different to Quinbits.

“Wh-what are you saying all of a sudden! Even if you act all serious like that, it’s not going to make things work out better!”

“You don’t need to try to do better. Just do as you always have.”

“I was going to do that even without you telling me!?”

“Then that’s fortunate.”

With those words, Featherback descended down the hillside.

Quinbits followed behind him, grumbling.

The tip of her nose and ears had turned particularly red, though it might not have been simply due to the cold weather of the Northern Region.

* * *

Whooooooooo…

A fierce wind was raging outside the window.

The winds of the Northern Region almost always carry blizzards with them.

Soleil, the Family Head of the Mörsolt Family, was staying in his office located at the highest and deepest part of Tochika.

“….”

Soleil looked around the interior of his office.

The walls of the office, made of black granite, were solid and cold.

Crackle— Crackle— Crackle—

Light and heat bursting forth as thick firewood burns in the fireplace.

It cast Soleil’s shadow long across the room.

Originally, this was the space used by Thoroughbred, the Family Head of the Purosange Family.

But now Soleil, the Family Head of the Mörsolt Family, was here.

“…One never knows how the world will turn.”

Until recently, the Mörsolt Family had been on the verge of losing their position as feudal lords, pushed out by the Purosange Family.

But what about now?

Mörsolt had destroyed Purosange and was here.

Soleil knew very clearly where all this miracle had originated from.

“Featherback. It’s all thanks to that boy.”

A child so precious he wouldn’t hurt even if placed in one’s eye, a son he could proudly present anywhere.

The painful finger that had once caused him so much worry had now grown up and was accomplishing miraculous feats one after another.

“As a Family Head, as a father, I should be ashamed. I need to work harder too.”

Soleil made this resolution while watching the white storm raging outside the window.

Just then.

Knock knock knock—

The sound of knocking was heard.

Soleil personally opened the door.

Then he saw the face of a boy wearing a thick Yate fur coat.

Hair as white as Yate fur and ruby-colored pupils visible beyond it.

“Did you call for me, Family Head?”

Featherback was there.

Soleil took the iron candlestick that Featherback had been holding and said.

“Come in. I called you because there’s something I want to talk about.”

Father and son sat facing each other at the pine table set up in front of the fireplace.

Soleil asked with a grin.

“What’s that Yate fur pelt? It looks very warm.”

“It’s from a specimen I caught on the way to Beauvoir Abandoned Mine. If you need it, I’ll take it off before I go. I have several more fur pelts of similar size.”

“How could a father take away his child’s coat when he can’t even give him one? Never mind.”

Soleil waved his hand dismissively at Featherback’s words.

Soon, Soleil pushed a wine cup toward Featherback.

“This is the first time having a drink with Father, isn’t it?”

“I believe so.”

“Originally, one should learn to drink from an adult.”

Honey wine warmed over the fireplace filled the silver cup to the brim.

When Soleil raised his cup, Featherback also raised his cup.

Father and son drank their wine cups in silence for a while.

Soon, Soleil set down his cup.

“How does it taste? I brewed it myself.”

“It’s bitter and strong.”

“Hahaha— You thought it would only be sweet and mild because it’s made with honey, didn’t you? It was like that at first. But if you ferment it for a long time and freeze it dozens of times, removing the frozen water parts, it becomes this bitter and strong Northern-Style Distilled Liquor.”

Soleil gazed intently at Featherback.

“Looking at this honey wine, it’s almost like looking at you.”

“What do you mean?”

“At the very beginning, he was just a sweet and gentle fellow. That’s why I worried about him so much.”

“….”

“Do you remember? The first moment you ever defied this father.”

“You said you wanted to learn the violin instead of the sword.”

“That came after. At the very beginning, you said you wanted to learn painting. You declared you’d become a professional artist. And if I recall correctly, you said you only wanted to paint beautiful women? Specializing in portraits of beauties.”

“It’s an embarrassing past.”

“You were truly adorable back then.”

“Didn’t you find me pathetic?”

“As a Family Head, I had no choice but to judge it that way. But as a father, I found you endearing and pitiful. I wondered what it would have been like if you had been born into an ordinary family instead of a Sword Family in the Northern Region.”

Soleil poured another cup of wine.

Featherback’s cup was filled as well.

Father and son clinked their wine cups together.

Soleil drained the strong honey wine in one gulp and laughed.

“But perhaps it’s because he’s been frozen and swollen by the harsh cold of the Northern Region—at some point he became this bitter and strong fellow. I brewed him myself, but he’s truly bitter and strong.”

“I thought you’d be pleased if I changed.”

“I am pleased. How could I not be? However, I also liked your appearance before you changed, in its own way. I just wanted to say that. Hahaha—”

Soleil laughed.

Only then did Featherback also wear a faint smile at the corners of his mouth.

The temperature in the cold room rose warmly from the flames of the fireplace.

…But the warm breeze didn’t last long.

Featherback spoke in a cold tone.

“More importantly, Family Head.”

“Just call me dad like you used to. It’s just the two of us here.”

“Yes, Father. Actually, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Soleil asked in a good mood.

But his expression couldn’t help but harden at Featherback’s words that followed.

“I tortured Shedyoldis and obtained several pieces of classified information. Behind this incident, not only Purosange but also Levarb was involved. When I faced the Ranger group, I directly saw that there was someone from Levarb among them.”

“Those Levarb bastards still haven’t come to their senses. I should send Vargo Viscount, who we’ve been detaining at the main castle, back to the Levarb Family. He’s been thoroughly brainwashed to the point where he trembles and collapses just at the mention of your name, so if we’re going to place a puppet there anyway, that would be better.”

“That’s right. And…”

Featherback continued.

“It seems one of the Great Nobles from the Imperial Capital has been continuously supporting Purosange and Levarb all this time.”

“!”

Soleil’s eyes widened as if they would tear.

The Northern Region was essentially a place beyond the law.

A land with harsh climate, barren vegetation, and frequent monster appearances that even the Central Imperial Palace treated as practically abandoned.

Therefore, the Northern families had exercised a certain level of autonomy in exchange for blocking monsters coming from beyond Human Territory.

It wasn’t for nothing that the Mörsolt Family was called a Margrave family.

But now the Imperial Capital was interfering in Northern power struggles?

This was ignoring the non-aggression precedent that had been maintained since the Empire’s founding, and an act that violated the Margrave’s autonomy guaranteed by the current Emperor’s constitution.

Soleil asked.

“What kind of madman is there in the Imperial Capital who dares to try to interfere in Northern affairs?”

“The Berserkir Marquis House.”

“…!”

Featherback’s answer made Soleil’s brow furrow even deeper.

“The Marquis Berserkir family… Marquis Berserkir Che Berserkir serves as the Family Head. He’s a cunning old snake.”

He was a wealthy magnate who owned an enormous territory in the Imperial Capital outskirts.

He was also known as a powerful warlord whose private soldiers rivaled the military strength of small kingdoms.

Featherback spoke while cross-referencing his memories from before regression with the information he had extracted from Shedyoldis.

“Purosange was their subordinate. After bringing down Mörsolt, they probably would have openly allied with Berserkir to receive funding and troops to govern the Northern Region.”

“The Second Prince of the Empire is Marquis Berserkir’s grandson. Did you know that?”

“I know. They would have wanted to pacify the Northern Region to solidify the Second Prince’s support base.”

“Hmm. The old man is being greedy in his old age, wanting to impress his grandson.”

The great Rikeion Empire that unified the continent.

No matter how much Mörsolt commanded the Northern Region, in the end it was just a small family belonging to the Rikeion Empire.

Currently, numerous princes existed in the Rikeion Empire, and among them, the second-ranked prince had the Berserkir family as his maternal relatives.

Soleil stroked his chin.

“His Imperial Majesty has been bedridden for several years now. It’s about time for a bloody storm to blow in the Central Imperial Capital over the next imperial throne.”

“How would you compare the bloody storm of the Central Imperial Palace to the blizzards of the Northern Region?”

“There’s no comparison. No matter how cold the northern blizzards are, they’re just snow and ice fragments scattering about. But the blood spilled by those fighting for the Emperor’s throne is like boiling molten metal.”

Featherback nodded.

“A civil war will break out soon.”

“It’s been too peaceful for too long.”

Soleil swept the wine cups aside with a clatter.

“It seems this isn’t the time to be drinking wine.”

“I agree. We should probably call Elder Sister Cardona and Rorschach.”

Featherback picked up his coat and rose from his seat.

Though it was a short time, the father and son had sufficiently caught up with each other.

Now it was time to work.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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