I finally calm Valeria down and seat her on the bed.
In that modest posture of hers, none of the dignity she had always shown me as a mother remained.
If anything, she was so restless, like a dog needing to take a shit, that it was beyond distracting—it was almost pitiful.
This is a world where the ratio of men to women is reversed. No matter how different the norms themselves are from what I knew,
is it truly right to look down on my birth mother with such eyes?
‘Like hell it is, damn it. This is beyond morality—it’s the domain of natural law. For a birth mother to suffer such humiliation at the hands of her son… perhaps death would be preferable.’
However, she had seen through my true identity.
Having laid the answer out to this extent, there was nowhere left to hide the truth.
Then for now, I would do as she wished.
Rather than as her son, I decided to address her as Valter of my previous life.
“…Valeria. Listening quietly, it seems the ancestors of House Tark were all waiting for me. What does that mean?”
And so, I opened my mouth, which did not want to open easily.
Valeria smiled broadly as if moved to tears, overjoyed simply that I had spoken to her.
“Are you giving me the opportunity to speak?”
“Yes. But before that, I would appreciate it if you could do something about that creepy reaction.”
“…Ah, aah. I apologize, my Lord. But this is truly an unavoidable reaction. After all, the long-cherished wish of our house has been fulfilled in my generation—”
“Spare me the complicated sentiments.”
At that.
She placed her hand on her chest, as if grateful even for that, and spoke.
“My Lord Sword Demon, do you remember the incident at Callard Village 300 years ago, in your previous life?”
“Callard……?”
It was certainly a familiar name.
But the reason I couldn’t quite place it was because in my previous life, I had traversed the world so extensively that I had been everywhere.
In my previous life, my journeys were simply a matter of grabbing my sword and heading wherever enemies gathered.
I had not lived my life memorizing every village name.
“That village suffered greatly from the Demon Realm’s invasion. Its defensive line collapsed, and the defense forces led by the Hero retreated. Consequently, the abandoned villagers were all massacred.”
“In wartime, there must have been countless such villages. You expect me to remember from such fragmentary information?”
“…However, what appeared in Callard then was a man beyond human, wielding a crimson sword.”
“……….”
“You stormed occupied Callard alone and turned the demon army, which had fully regrouped, into minced meat.”
Listening to it put that way.
There was indeed a time when I had committed such a suicidal act in some village.
In my previous life, even empty flattery could not call me weak.
Yet despite knowing full well that charging into an army that had finished fortifying was quite a foolish act.
Since the places where I had done such things could be counted on one hand,
hearing it described like this did bring back some memory.
“Callard… Now that you mention it, I do recall going there. It was dangerous. Since it was occupied territory, even if I killed them all alone, reinforcements would have flooded in before long.”
“That is correct. But you, my Lord, who knew all of those circumstances, advanced nonetheless.”
I tilted my head silently.
“Separated from the Hero, I was trying to scout enemy movements. Then I spotted a little kid in the village where everyone was already dead, tied to an enemy shield and being violated.”
And when I said that,
a blooming smile spread across Valeria’s face, one she no longer bothered to hide.
“As expected, as expected…!”
“So I just went in, that’s all. It was neither more nor less than that.”
But.
Even as I spoke, it was an extremely uncomfortable matter.
Setting aside my own psychology and looking only at the facts,
was this not simply a hero’s tale itself?
Now and then, I am a man completely removed from heroism.
Rather, moving according to what stirred my heart,
an accurate assessment would be a madman consumed by the obsessions of the past.
I did such a thing purely because it did not feel like someone else’s problem; I simply acted on impulse.
In a village swarming with demon soldiers,
where family and relatives were all brutally murdered.
The thought of yet another little kid who would surely regret not dying, body and soul utterly defiled,
was a tragedy that should never be repeated in this world.
“The fate of the child who should have been abandoned there was thus saved. A nobody from an insignificant village survived through someone’s help, and embraced in his heart a hero who would never change.”
“I’m starting to get the picture….”
Then Valeria placed her hand on her chest and spoke with tears welling in her eyes.
“The child you saved then was none other than Max von Tark. The progenitor of our house.”
…As expected.
I had suspected as much, and it seemed things had turned out exactly that way.
It seemed that child Max,
because he once indulged my whim,
had unfortunately continued to harbor someone like me in his heart all his life.
It was an age of chaos, so a commoner rising to the rank of count was not entirely out of the question.
Thinking back, that brat had murderous intent brimming in his eyes.
As expected, he was an outstanding figure.
“Such a progenitor praised you throughout his life and left a will for his descendants.”
She swept her hair back to reveal the fox tattoo engraved on her neck and opened her mouth.
“‘He who departed with a death cry shall one day be resurrected in the body of one of our house’s male children. Therefore, from now on, the names of my male descendants shall be Valter.’”
“He knew… that I would be resurrected?!”
“Yes.”
And hearing that much,
my mouth would not close.
That a single whim of mine, having lived like a stray dog,
would come back like this.
I had never imagined it.
But then, a question arose.
How in the world did Max arrange all of this?
Even I had only barely learned that I would live again, having it confessed by the evil spirit within my body as I was dying.
“Valeria, do you know the reason?”
“It was an oracle.”
“An oracle…?”
“When the progenitor was establishing the house, a Fox God appeared in his dream. It is said that the deity delivered an oracle that you would return.”
“Fox. Fox….”
“As proof, do not all successors of our house bear fox tattoos on their necks? My Lord Sword Demon… All of this is a truth passed down only to the successors of House Tark.”
“Then my sister knows nothing of this. In this world, you are the only one who knows.”
“Truly so, my Lord.”
……….
…….
….
Hearing that such a thing had happened,
somehow, it all fit together.
The true body of the evil spirit that had always dwelled within me in my previous life was the Demon Fox, who had lived through eons.
A being with enough divine power to revive me after hundreds of years.
After I disappeared from my flesh, she had likely tried to prepare a new body for me by some means.
At that thought,
I found myself somehow searching for someone who was no longer here, clutching my chest.
“…You weren’t someone who would go out of your way to do such a thing. So what you said back then, that you liked me… I suppose it was true.”
“My Lord…?”
“Forget it. Let it go.”
If she were inside my body now,
she would surely have snapped something like, “I told you so, you fool.”
When she was inside, we fought and cursed each other every waking moment.
To think I would miss her a little now that we were apart.
You live long enough, you see everything.
“I understand everything now. But Valeria, don’t you feel repulsion toward me?”
“What do you mean by repulsion?”
“Even if the ancestors’ will said so, I, Valter, am a being who has stolen the body of your son, who shared my name.”
“That is true.”
“‘That is true’ is not the point. I understand that my resurrection was a wish your house has long prayed for, so of course you are overjoyed. But your son is gone now. So you should feel repulsed.”
“Th-that is….”
Then, to muster the courage to speak,
she avoided my gaze and squirmed.
“There is no need to feel that way. My son already died when the accident occurred.”
“……What?”
“The court physician’s examination was immediate death. Thus, at that time, I had only one choice.”
She looked my body up and down.
Intensely, and deeply.
“Given the circumstances, I publicly announced only that my son had suffered a great accident and fallen into a coma. Until the corpse rotted, the only choice was to hope for your descent.”
“So that’s why both my sisters only knew that I was injured.”
“Yes. My son’s death is death. The house’s wish is the wish. From the moment I became the successor of House Count Tark, I prepared myself to endure this. So you need not worry at all.”
And then.
Valeria smiled strangely, seductively,
grabbed her collar, and spoke.
No.
Wait.
“Now then, as a symbolic gesture of handing over all authority to you, my Lord… shall we begin?”
“…What are you doing?”
“Ah, aah… Would you prefer to undo it yourself? Then please.”
“No, that’s not what I meant!”
Shhhk—!!
“M-My Lord?! Why?”
Startled, I couldn’t help but draw my sword and point it at her.
Valeria failed to realize that my moral values were from 300 years in the past.
She merely blinked.
“I-Is it not natural to perform such a rite? From now on, you are the one who holds everything of House Count Tark. As the current head, I have a duty to serve you….”
“Damn it, so that was your intention all along. Hurry up and fasten your clothes!”
“Ah, was it your preference to do it with clothes on…?”
“Of course not?! Don’t confuse me?!”
“Th-this is an extremely ordinary matter? No, rather, it is a good thing. My child Valter has reached the age where he should learn about women; had he been alive and well, I was planning to teach him soon.”
However, seeing my overwhelming rejection, Valeria made a face that looked as though she might cry, as if she were a little saddened.
“Or perhaps… you saw through me after all. Well, of course. You are the Sword Demon….”
“Saw through…?”
“I-I have little experience! The children I bore were all conceived using yang essence extracted from a single man. Doing it for real, this would be my first—”
“And you act like this, yet claim to be a virgin?”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“I think I was reincarnated wrong. I should have just died back then.”
No.
No.
All of this is the fault of Seradion, who wished without looking back to create such a world.
Every time my family comes at me like this,
I somehow feel even more furious rage toward Seradion, who caused all these events.
“Anyway, get out. Not today. I am not in the mood. So get out of my room!”
“Is that so. Then, whenever you have vague troubles, please call upon your servant Valeria.”
“You are not a servant, you are my mother!!”
She persistently begged me to take over the count’s house starting tomorrow,
but since I had no intention of doing so,
I merely snapped at her.
“For now, it is fortunate that you are the only one who knows about my affairs. For the time being, keep silent about my identity and just treat me as your son, Valter. That is more comfortable for me.”
“Ah, if that is what you wish.”
“But if I truly may wield all authority. Let me move freely from now on.”
“Where do you intend to go?”
“I have been reincarnated, so I must find an old friend.”
Yes.
H such things from Valeria,
made me somehow desperately want to find someone.
That feeling as if blood surged when held in hand.
That clear, cool sensation felt throughout my entire body.
Whether to feel that sensation once more,
or because I needed power again for the greater cause.
Like it or not, I needed the evil spirit.
And if there is a place where she might be, there is a place I can pinpoint.
The valley where I died 300 years ago.
Searching that place first is only natural.
There is no time to waste.