New chapter of Nameless Hero is out! (2/2 chapters)
Soltaire Incident
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We reunited with Tristan and galloped all night to Barwitch. While riding, Irene fell asleep, leaning against my back. At dawn, we finally arrived at the Stride family’s mansion. During that time, I didn’t sleep a wink.
Despite the early hour, the head of the family, Martin-san, and her father, Parcine-san, were awake. Alfred should also be in this mansion, but that man wouldn’t be up at this hour. The moment Parcine-san saw his daughter on horseback, his haggard face lit up with joy.
“Irene… Irene, oh, thank goodness!” (Parcine)
“…Huh? Otou-san?” (Irene)
Irene woke up in her father’s embrace. She was also happy to be reunited with him.
“Jack-kun, I can’t thank you enough. Truly, I offer you my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you.” (Parcine)
“Jack was like a hero! He can fly in the sky, and he’s super strong!” (Irene)
Even though she’d just woken up, Irene was cheerfully praising me.
“Jack, you’ve done splendidly. Absolutely splendid.” (Martin)
The elderly man with white hair, Martin-san, also praised my efforts in bringing his granddaughter back. Despite my heavy eyelids, I knew it was too soon to accept such praise.
“…But they found me. They know I was the intruder.” (Jack)
“Oh? You ran into someone you knew?” (Martin)
“Yes… The mastermind this time is the Light Droplet Orchestra.” (Jack)
I reported my findings. The facility was a church of a new religious group. Although I couldn’t confirm every child, over 200 of them were safe. Charene was also there. The children were not forced into harsh labor but were treated with care. They were brainwashed with magic and didn’t question being in the facility. Irene’s brainwashing magic was dispelled after she drank my blood.
“I see. So, this paradise called Cyans is more like a prison.” (Martin)
“To imprison children without their will… How vile.” (Tristan)
Even Tristan, unusually, hardened his expression.
“What does this orchestra want to achieve?” (Martin)
“…I think they want to create a paradise.” (Jack)
“Hmm.” (Martin)
The drowsiness began to overtake me, causing my consciousness to fade.
“…One of their leaders asked me… if I wanted to disrupt their peace.” (Jack)
“I see. People are free to hold their own beliefs, but forcing them onto others is wrong.” (Martin)
“Exactly. Let’s crush them right away.” (Tristan)
Tristan was more combative than usual. He always got this way when children were involved.
“Well, at least it’s not the worst-case scenario we feared.” (Martin)
“But…” (Jack)
“Charene is brainwashed, but she’s healthy, isn’t she? The issue is how they’ll react now that they know about the intrusion.” (Martin)
The conversation barely registered as I dozed off.
“First, let’s get Jack some rest.” (Martin)
“Oh, I’m sorry…” (Jack)
“You’ve done well. Rest… Davi!” (Martin)
Martin-san called out to someone.
“Yes, Milord!” (Davi)
“Take him to a room.” (Martin)
“Understood.” (Davi)
The young butler I’d seen before appeared.
“Jack-sama, this way. Thank you for bringing back Irene-sama.” (Davi)
Feeling unsteady, I followed Davi-san’s lead. At the edge of my fading awareness, I could hear Tristan and Martin-san talking.
“The situation demands urgency. Knowing their goal, shouldn’t we move quickly to rescue the children?” (Tristan)
“Indeed… But we lack a military force. Based on Jack’s report—” (Martin)
The rest of their conversation was lost as I drifted off.
—
“――Jack! Hey, Jack! Wake up!” (Alfred)
A rough voice and the sensation of someone grabbing my chest jolted me awake.
“Huh, what?! …Fred?” (Jack)
“Crap! Soltaire’s in deep trouble!” (Alfred)
Soltaire?
“Come on, let’s go!” (Alfred)
Without waiting, Alfred stormed out of the room with hurried movements. My thoughts were still sluggish. The sunlight streaming through the window indicated it was nearly noon. I remembered the soft bed I’d slept in and that this was the Stride family mansion in Barwitch.
Soltaire is in trouble? Does that mean our hideout is too?
“Fred! Wait!” (Jack)
I jumped out of bed and rushed after Alfred.
—
When I caught up with Alfred in the mansion’s entrance hall, nearly everyone from the household had gathered.
“We need to get there fast!” (Alfred)
“Fred, calm down.” (Tristan)
“Calm down?! Lindsay’s there too!” (Alfred)
The place was in an uproar. Parcine-san and Irene were also watching the commotion.
“What happened?” (Jack)
“Oh, Jack-kun… Well…” (Parcine)
Parcine-san turned to me hesitantly.
“The maid we sent to your home… she returned in a panic from Soltaire.” (Parcine)
“Returned?” (Jack)
I recalled they’d promised to send a skilled maid while we were away. She came back in a panic?
“…Soltaire has apparently been destroyed.” (Parcine)
“What?! D-Destroyed?” (Jack)
Destroyed… Soltaire was wiped out?
“Jack-kun, even we are struggling to get clear information. For now, we must see it for ourselves.” (Parcine)
See for ourselves? What about the Liberta hideout? What about everyone? What happened to them? Lindsey is pregnant right now. And Dwayne, Nancy-san, Phillip-san, and Kea… What happened to the people of that town?
“Jack…” (Irene)
Irene looked at me with a worried expression.
“Enough! We won’t solve anything arguing here! Let’s go!” (Alfred)
“Fine. I’ll go too—” (Tristan)
“Jii-san, I’m borrowing a horse!” (Alfred)
“Ah, very well.” (Martin-san)
Alfred and Tristan headed outside the mansion. Alfred and Tristan.
“Wait! I’m going too!” (Jack)
—
I let my guard down. I assum such a remote town would be fine. I should have had Alfred return to the hideout sooner. I could have just teamed up with Tristan for the infiltration.
What does ‘annihilated’ even mean? Why would such a peaceful town—? Was it a natural disaster? Or someone’s doing? If it was someone, who did it, and for what purpose? The more I thought about it, the more my unease grew. Could it be—was it my failure last night…?
Anyway, we need to return as quickly as possible.
I rode double with Tristan, while Alfred galloped ahead on his own horse. If we pushed the horses, we’d reach the place in an hour or two.
We climbed the gently sloping road on horseback and arrived in the town of Soltaire. It still retained the semblance of a town. But smoke billowed from all around, and houses everywhere had collapsed. The wreckage, utterly devastated, bore witness to the tragedy.
“What the hell is this…?” (Alfred)
Alfred was the first to cry out in shock. The scene drained the blood from our faces.
“Lindsay!!” (Alfred)
Alfred spurred his horse onward, striking its flanks. Tristan and I followed right behind him.
—
The hideout was on a small hill. On our way there, we saw countless traces of destruction.
It was clearly not a natural disaster. The plaza, the trees, the natural surroundings were untouched. Only the buildings had been violently ransacked, as though someone had been searching for something. The embers and smoke still rising highlighted the severity of the incident and the signs of a fierce battle.
As we approached the hideout, an ominous feeling accelerated, and my heart raced.
“Haa… haa…” (Jack)
Our fears proved accurate. The house that should have been there was gone. Only scattered rubble remained, and the garden that once adorned the perimeter was a wreck. The hideout, originally a two-story structure, had been crushed, and it was reduced to the remnants of a collapsed single-story house.
“Ahhh! You’ve gotta be kidding me!!” (Alfred)
Alfred, overcome with fury, leapt off his horse and rushed toward the house. The house was gone. And not just the house.
What about the family inside?
“Damn it! Damn, damn, damn, damn it!!” (Alfred)
Alfred began frantically clearing the rubble. He kept removing debris, but it piled endlessly, and even his berserk strength wasn’t enough to make a dent.
“Why?! Who the hell would do this?!” (Alfred)
Alfred’s shouts echoed.
“Wait, Alfred.” (Tristan)
Tristan stepped in to stop him.
“What the hell?! Don’t get in my way!” (Alfred)
“I can sense Lindsay’s mana lingering throughout the town. She’s not here.” (Tristan)
“What?!” (Alfred)
“…Over here.” (Tristan)
Using his mana detection ability, Tristan pinpointed Lindsay’s location. Apparently, it wasn’t this wrecked house.
Please, let her be safe.
—
The place we arrived at was a bit further down the slope, at the Conran Inn, or rather, what used to be called that. The Conran Inn was also half-destroyed. The roof barely held up, and many people had gathered there.
As we approached, cries of lament overlapped and reached us. At first glance, there didn’t seem to be any injured. It seemed healing magic had been used, but these cries stemmed from the shock of losing their homes and possessions.
Physical wounds could be healed, but emotional scars could not.
“…Ugh… Tou-san…” (Survivor)
“…Why… why did this happen to my child…?” (Survivor)
It seemed that, tragically, there were also lives lost. Alfred rushed into the crowd, shouting Lindsay’s name in desperation.
“Lindsay!” (Alfred)
Tristan and I followed after him.
“…Alfred-san? And Jack-san too?” (Nancy)
Nancy-san noticed us. She appeared to be unharmed.
“Nancy-san! Where’s Lindsay?!” (Alfred)
“Lindsay-san is in the room at the back.” (Nancy)
Alfred, focused solely on Lindsay, dashed down the hallway without even thanking Nancy-san. It might have been rude, but it was an emergency.
“Nancy-san, I’m so glad you’re safe. Please tell me what happened later!” (Jack)
“Ah, Jack-san—!” (Nancy)
I said only that before hurrying after Alfred.
—
“Lindsay!” (Alfred)
Alfred flung the door open with force. There were seriously injured people lying on beds. Looking closer, some were missing arms, some missing legs, and others were injured to a degree that healing could no longer do anything about.
The sight filled us with dread. At the far end of the room, Lindsay lay on a bed. She didn’t appear gravely injured.
“…Alfie…” (Lindsay)
“…Yeah, it’s me. I’m so glad you’re alive.” (Alfred)
The couple reunited. Alfred knelt beside the bed, clasping Lindsay’s hand with both of his.
“…I overdid it a little, so I can’t get up… Let me just rest for a bit…” (Lindsay)
“Overdid it… Did you use magic?! What happened?!” (Alfred)
“Kea-chan…” (Lindsay)
Kea? What about Kea? Was this the goddess’s doing?
“…She was kidnapped…” (Lindsay)
With a trembling voice, Lindsay explained that the Goddess had been kidnapped.
We saved one person, only to lose someone else. The culprit was clear. A world without conflict? What a joke.
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