Episode 3
After the great empire that once unified the continent fell, the meaning of a nation had faded considerably.
Most regions, excluding the territory of the Brieden Empire and its vassal states, were ruled by clans.
In other words, a clan was a small nation in itself, and the family head was effectively its king.
With dozens of such “nations” existing in a single region, it was only natural for conflicts to arise there.
Soon, wars broke out between clans across the continent, and some clans expanded their influence through victory, soon beginning to target clans in other regions.
In response, smaller clans chose to swear fealty to larger clans to ensure their survival.
In exchange for receiving a certain amount of money and loyalty, the larger clans guaranteed their status and protected their safety.
Thus appeared hegemon clans with numerous vassal clans under their command—the so-called distinguished houses.
The House of Schnelden was also such a distinguished house.
One ranked second on the continent, right after Cornelio.
Many people came to Schnelden to witness its majesty, and to become retainer knights of the house.
Thanks to this, the cities managed by Schnelden prospered greatly despite the barren environment of the north.
Among them, Norden, the city closest to the main house of Schnelden, had grown to become a city representing the north itself.
“Ahh…….”
And when Luke arrived at Norden after two hundred years, an exclamation burst from his lips.
‘Of course.’
He looked upon the sight of Norden with eyes brimming with emotion.
‘It’s exactly the same.’
Many people still came and went through the streets, and carriages kicked up clouds of dust.
Everything was precisely as he remembered.
Norden had not changed from two hundred years ago.
If the House of Schnelden had truly fallen as Torbin said, such a large city could not have been maintained on this barren land.
It might be worse than before, but not to the extent of ruin.
‘It was indeed good to check for myself.’
He felt he could now head to the main house with greater peace of mind.
But the more he walked the streets, the more something felt alien.
Everything was clearly the same, so why did he feel this way?
‘Has the climate changed?’
That wasn’t it.
The snow winds blowing from the north were still cold enough to make one pull their collar tight.
‘Or have the buildings changed?’
Come to think of it, the mills, temples, and smithies were different from his memory.
Well, two hundred years had passed, so it wasn’t strange.
They must have done repairs or new construction in that time.
But that alone couldn’t explain this sense of alienation.
‘This is a more unpleasant feeling than just that…….’
Then, around the time he passed the city hall where the city administrator worked, Luke realized the source of that alienation.
“Can I ask you something?”
Luke spoke to Torbin beside him.
“Please speak.”
“This is Norden, right?”
“Yes.”
“Which clan manages it again?”
He didn’t even need to ask.
Norden was Schnelden’s representative city.
Since Schnelden managed it, the city hall should naturally be flying Schnelden’s flag.
But why was another clan’s flag planted here so brazenly?
“The Shalun clan has been in charge of it for over a decade now.”
He gritted his teeth.
He nearly cursed out loud.
The Shalun clan had been one of the vassal clans under Schnelden in the past.
They had been a vassal clan from quite early on, so they were somewhat arrogant among their peers.
But at the end of the day, they were just a vassal clan.
Yet now, such a Shalun was managing Norden.
That meant Schnelden no longer had the power to manage Norden.
The single strand of hope that had welled up upon seeing Norden unchanged.
It shattered in an instant.
‘So this is the future of the world I risked my life to protect.’
Is this what it feels like to weep blood?
In Luke’s eyes, a sorrow so deep it seemed endless was visible.
A gaze like that of a parent who had lost their child.
Torbin looked at Luke with a worried expression.
“But young master, are you truly alright?”
“Ah, uh.”
Luke came to his senses abruptly.
Considering his current situation, showing such a reaction here was very strange.
He was no longer Luke Schnelden from two hundred years ago.
He must not forget that fact.
‘To plan for the future, I must not invite any suspicion now.’
Thinking so, his seething anger seemed to subside somewhat.
“Let’s hurry to the main house.”
Luke left behind the city hall flying the Shalun clan’s flag and headed toward the main house.
The Schnelden main house was located on Mount Schnelden, which lay further north even from Norden.
Mount Schnelden was the northernmost mountain reachable by human feet.
Unlike the other distinguished houses, the House of Schnelden was situated in the coldest and most barren place on the continent.
“Why did our ancestors establish the clan in a place where even wheat and potatoes barely grow?”
He had asked his father that when he was young.
His father’s words at the time had been quite impressive.
It was because he believed that protecting people was the responsibility of those with power.
The great Greitzen Mountain Range stretching behind Mount Schnelden, also known as the Snow Mountains.
The terrain was so rugged and monsters swarmed so densely that it was even called the Demon Realm.
And Mount Schnelden was the only passage to the Snow Mountains.
In other words, their ancestors had voluntarily settled at the jaws of this hell to protect the continent from the demon beasts.
Young Luke hadn’t liked that fact.
This place was completely unsuitable for farming or training.
Why should they suffer so needlessly for the sake of humanity?
“If we had settled just a bit further south, we would have surpassed Cornelio over a hundred years ago.”
“Seeing you run your mouth, it seems you still have strength left. One thousand additional downward swings.”
“The Shield of the Continent… still sounds cool, though.”
“Right? Gets the blood pumping, doesn’t it?”
“Where did you learn such crude language? Was it the youngest again?”
“Ahem! One thousand additional diagonal slashes.”
Seeing the main house located on Mount Schnelden, old memories came to him naturally.
The majestic appearance of the main house, once called the Shield of the Continent, was vividly drawn in his mind.
But that was all past glory.
“Sigh…….”
For what lay before his eyes now were rust-eaten bars with gaps between them.
Clank.
Screech.
The iron gate opened with an unpleasant sound.
‘Don’t be surprised no matter what I see.’
Luke bit his lip tightly.
He had already received too many shocks on the way here.
Naturally, the situation beyond that gate wouldn’t be very good either.
And the House of Schnelden had come to this state partly because of his own mistake.
His own mistake of betting everything on the Demon Dragon subjugation that day.
“Hoo.”
Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Luke followed behind Torbin.
Passing through the main gate, Luke wanted to close his eyes the entire time he walked.
Because the state of the main house was so miserable he could hardly bear to look.
The main house he remembered was not splendid, but exuded dignity and nobility.
But what was this place like now?
It wasn’t merely a matter of buildings falling into disrepair.
The buildings themselves could not be seen at all.
Where had all those many buildings gone?
He wanted to ask Torbin right away what had happened to the buildings here, but he couldn’t.
‘If I ask any more, he might really think I’m strange.’
Until now, they had overlooked it saying it was because he hit his head and his mind was wandering, but if he kept asking about the past, Torbin might become suspicious.
And even without asking, he felt he knew where the buildings had gone.
They had probably been sold off somewhere.
‘It’s true.’
It was a fact he had wanted to deny so badly, but seeing it with his own eyes like this, he felt he had to accept it now.
The House of Schnelden had fallen.
Everything Torbin had said was true.
Thud.
Luke’s legs gave out.
“Young master, what’s wrong? Are you dizzy?”
Torbin asked in surprise.
Dizzy?
Yes, he was dizzy.
The target of his revenge had already done what they needed to do and passed on, and the family he returned to after two hundred years had completely collapsed.
He truly wanted to ask someone.
What was he supposed to do now?
Whether he could turn this back.
Whether this family had any future at all.
‘I didn’t risk my life there to see this sight.’
Suddenly, his nose stung and his vision blurred.
A hot sensation trailed down his cheek.
It was a tear he hadn’t shed in quite a long time.
* * *
Perhaps because he had vented his pent-up sorrow along with that single tear.
He seemed to be calming down now.
He was also grateful to Torbin for not saying anything while they walked.
Thanks to that, he could think about what lay ahead.
‘It’s late, but I must turn things back even now.’
Seeing the family in such a state, he had thought he might rather die, but then he would have no face to show his comrades in the afterlife.
His father, who loved the family more than anyone, would probably chase him down even if he became a demon god.
‘I must seize this opportunity that has come even now.’
Taking back what was stolen, correcting what was wrong, and revealing what was distorted.
That was what the reincarnated Luke had to do.
He even thought it was fortunate that he had reincarnated.
No one but himself could accomplish something on this scale.
While Luke was thinking such thoughts, he arrived at the main house’s infirmary.
“Why are we here?”
“You should have been on complete bed rest, yet you overexerted yourself to come all the way here.”
“I’m fine.”
“Still, I absolutely cannot allow it. If your memory suffers any permanent damage, it will be a serious matter for me as well.”
Indeed, his words were right.
If one’s master fell from a high place and injured his head, the butler would hardly be free from responsibility.
“If only I could receive a priest’s blessing.”
A priest’s blessing cost as much as its effect.
Perhaps when they were doing well in the old days, but in the family’s current state, they wouldn’t have the means to invite a priest.
Well, even if a priest came, there would be no memories to return anyway.
‘Still, if I rest, I might be able to recall this body’s memories.’
Once his memories returned, there would be no need to arouse suspicion by asking about the family’s history.
“I understand. I’ll rest here for a few days as you say.”
“Really?”
Torbin looked at Luke with surprised eyes.
He seemed not to have expected Luke to accept his words so readily.
“Then please rest in your room. I have much to report regarding this matter.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
“Don’t go out alone this time.”
“Do you take me for a fool?”
“It’s because the young master disappears so often.”
Just what had this body’s usual behavior been like for the butler to look at him with such worried eyes?
He felt he needed to recover this body’s memories quickly.
Though there was something to do before that.
“I’m not going anywhere, so don’t worry. I have much to prepare.”
“What preparations?”
“Preparations to recover my memories.”
Luke shrugged and entered the sickroom.
‘And preparations to turn everything back.’
Inwardly, he repeated the true answer to that question.