ACT 7
Clan members crowded around Yuuto.
“Ohh, Big Brother Yuuto, you were so impressive yesterday!”
“To think that you could really make such a miracle happen! You really are the Child of Victory, Gleipsieg!”
Yuuto tried to deflect that praise. “No, I didn’t actually make it happen, I just knew in advance that it was going to happen, so...”
“Oh, come now, the movements of the heavenly bodies are directed by the gods, after all. The only one capable of knowing something like that is a messenger sent from the gods like yourself, Big Brother!”
“Indeed, Lord Yuuto’s wisdom must come from the gods; I cannot imagine otherwise. That boulder-throwing device was magnificent as well.”
“Ah, ahaha, i-is that so?” Yuuto placed a hand on the back of his head, wearing a sheepish grin. While it still felt a little embarrassing and uncomfortable, it also felt good to receive everyone’s praise like this.
Their happy voices really brought home his sense of accomplishment in being able to protect the city and its people.
All of the major core members of the Wolf Clan were now gathered in the audience hall under the patriarch’s orders. However, the patriarch himself had yet to make his appearance, and so, at the moment, everyone was gathered around their new hero and savior Yuuto, engaging in lively conversation about the previous day’s battle.
“If you had something like that, why didn’t you use it from the start?” a clan member asked.
“Technically it’s a weapon for destroying walls, and it takes a long time to prepare and load the ammunition, and if you try using it against infantry, it’ll usually just end with them dodging out of the way,” Yuuto explained. “The enemy had already advanced so close to the city that we couldn’t collect many suitable stones in time, leaving us with very limited ammunition. So, I wanted to make sure that we only used it at the moment where it would be at its absolute most effective.”
“Ohh, now I see.”
“Wow, you took all of that into account?” another clan member said. “You really are extraordinary.”
“No, not at all, really...”
Well, maybe I am, added a voice in Yuuto’s heart.
Yuuto had been nothing more than an ordinary middle school student in 21st century Japan, but in this world, he could say for certain there wasn’t a single person with more knowledge than him.
He already possessed a wealth of information that nobody in this world could have any way of knowing. And he could access even more using his smartphone.
In that regard, he was unstoppable and unbeatable.
“As long as Lord Yuuto is with us, the Wolf Clan’s future is secured!”
“All hail the Gleipsieg!”
“At this point, it might be best if you became patriarch so you could continue to guide us,” a third clan member added.
“Uh, no, um, that’s a bit...” Yuuto scratched his head as he struggled to come up with an appropriate response.
Now that he’d brought the Wolf Clan their great victory, Yuuto had accomplished his “mission,” so he figured he should be able to return to Japan at the next full moon.
Now that he had grown close to more people, and received respect and praise from the people around him, he was a little bit reluctant to say farewell, but in the end, his determination to go home to Japan and Mitsuki remained firm.
“The next patriarch should really be Big Brother Loptr,” Yuuto finally replied. “Why, the reason we held out long enough to survive this long battle is pretty much all because of his hard work.”
Yuuto turned to Loptr, who was standing next to him, and lightly clapped a hand on his shoulder.
The upper-right side of the golden-haired young man’s face was covered by bandages. It was an appearance that was painful to look at, and made it abundantly clear to all who saw him just how desperately he had fought with everything he had to protect the capital city.
Fortunately, the clan members agreed.
“Yes, that’s true, our victory yesterday would have been impossible without the vigorous fighting by our second-in-command!”
“His command was brilliant, too. He completely redeemed himself from what happened in that previous battle.”
“Now, now, if we’re talking about fighting, Sigrún was incredible too.”
“Ohh, that’s right! I heard about that. They say you took down that Mundilfäri.”
“No, by my skill alone I would not have been able to strike down such an immensely powerful warrior.” The silver-haired girl spoke up, shaking her head slightly. She stood a good distance away from the patriarch’s throne, next to one of the hall’s entrances. “It was only because I had with me this Sword of Victory borrowed from Big Brother Yuuto.”
She held out the nihontou in her hand, still in its scabbard, for all to see.
“Ohh, so that’s the rumored Sword of Victory they say even cuts through iron!”
“I see, so that was your creation as well, Big Brother Yuuto.”
“Absolutely amazing! Please, make one for me, too!”
He’d tried to make Loptr the topic of conversation, but now all of the clan members in the audience hall had gone back to praising Yuuto. Yuuto felt a little bad for his sworn older brother, but at the same time, he didn’t entirely dislike this either. After all, Yuuto had come this far by aspiring to be like Loptr as his goal.
“Oh, that’s right,” he said. “Rún. Can you give that back to me now?”
“Yes, Big Brother. Here.” Sigrún walked briskly over to stand in front of Yuuto, where she went down on one knee and dutifully offered up the nihontou with both hands.
You really don’t have to make such a big deal out of it, Yuuto thought as he took it from her. He then turned and held out the sword to Loptr.
“Yuuto...?” Loptr asked.
“I’m giving it to you, Big Brother. Originally, I made this for you as a parting gift. Well, it’s not exactly brand new anymore, since Sigrún used it, but she defeated a powerful enemy with it, so actually I’d say that just adds to the value. Please, take it.”
“...So you’re making a show of flaunting your power,” the man murmured under his breath.
“Huh?”
“No, it’s nothing. Thank you.” With a merry smile, Loptr accepted the nihontou from him.
For just an instant, Yuuto thought he saw a grim look on his older brother’s face, but he assumed it was probably nothing more than pain from his injuries or something.
“Well, it’s really nothing special, but take good care of it, okay?” Yuuto instinctively added a humble remark in typical Japanese fashion, but the latter half of it was certainly how he really felt. The sword was like a keepsake he would be leaving behind with his older brother as he returned to his original world.
It was way too embarrassing to say out loud, but if he were going to put it in more sappy terms, that sword was also like a physical symbol of the bonds of friendship between them. He really didn’t want it to end up getting treated poorly or neglected.
“Good luck to you in the days to come, Second-In-Command.” Yuuto accompanied his words of encouragement with a light pat on Loptr’s back.
It might have seemed casual, but for Yuuto it was a gesture that contained all of his genuine feelings. He now had three precious sworn little sisters in Felicia, Sigrún, and Ingrid. He intended to leave the smartphone behind with them if he could, but even so, it was possible he’d never see any of them face-to-face ever again. This man was the only one he could entrust to take care of his family. It was because Loptr was here that he felt he could go home to Japan without any worries.
“‘Second-In-Command,’ huh?” Loptr gave a tiny smile. There was a hint of irony in his tone, and it seemed like his expression grew a bit darker.
Even though they’d driven off the enemy and the whole Wolf Clan was in a celebratory mood, he seemed gloomy.
Well, Loptr was tasked with the responsibility of the future of the Wolf Clan as its second-in-command, after all. Yuuto wondered if perhaps he was more relieved than excited, and if perhaps all the tension of the battle had left him with built-up fatigue that was catching up to him all at once.
“You’ve really come up in the world yourself,” Loptr said. “Haven’t you.”
“Ah, yeah, I guess so. Though that’s all over now.” Yuuto shrugged his shoulders.
Solar eclipses only occurred on the day of the new moon, so there was still a fair bit of time left until the next full moon. That said, it was only a little.
It would hardly be enough time for him to advance his career in the clan any further. Not that Yuuto had any intentions of doing so to begin with.
“Be silent! Big Brother Fárbauti has arrived!” Bruno spoke up in an unexpectedly shrill voice, and the commotion in the audience hall grew quiet in an instant.
Everyone moved to their designated locations and stood up straight, then bent forward slightly and bowed their heads. Yuuto had a proper understanding of how to act in public situations like these, and so he followed suit.
Amidst the silence, the old patriarch made his appearance from a side door, and slowly made his way over to sit atop the throne. He looked down upon his gathered clansmen.
“Everyone, raise your heads.” The old patriarch spoke with a low, dignified voice, and everyone present immediately obeyed his words.
No matter how amiable and good-humored this old man might normally act, he was indeed the father of the entire Wolf Clan and wielder of absolute authority.
“Everyone, I commend you for your good work during the battle. It was only because of all of your efforts that we were able to repel such formidable enemies. As a father, and as an older brother, I am deeply proud of every one of you.”
Everyone’s faces were beaming with pride upon hearing such words from their beloved patriarch.
Everyone in that audience hall had worked frantically to protect the Wolf Clan during the war. More than a few of them bore serious injuries. There were also those who had been part of their number a few days ago, but were no longer present. It was a victory the Wolf Clan had earned by truly uniting as one.
“And it was wholly my weak leadership that invited this unprecedented crisis onto our nation,” Fárbauti said, lowering his head. “I have no words to express how sorry I am to all of you.”
“B-Big Brother, please do not lower your head to us,” Bruno said hastily. “N-not one person here feels that way. Rather, it was only because you were our patriarch that we were able to drive off that formidable enemy at all.”
“I don’t need you to flatter me, Bruno. This whole incident has made me quite aware of just how much I’m truly lacking. I tried to rule with an emphasis on honor and duty, loving all of my children equally without favoritism, giving value and weight to everyone’s opinions and ideals to the best of my ability, so that I could become the sort of patriarch that anyone would look up to and respect... but that was wrong.”
Fárbauti clenched his right hand into a fist. Tightly, and strongly.
“What’s needed in a patriarch isn’t such sweet-sounding naive thinking. A patriarch, first and foremost, needs to protect his territory, protect the people who live there, and make their lives better... and he needs strength to do that! Without that, all those ideals are nothing more than a naive fantasy. It’s regrettable, but I didn’t have that all-important strength...”
His words were firm and decisive, but as he finished, all the strength left his clenched hand. His face looked completely worn out, and his voice took on a detached, distant tone.
“We may have managed to protect Iárnviðr, but Fort Gnipahellir was still captured by the Claw Clan. In the end, the situation surrounding the Wolf Clan has still only continued to grow worse. The Horn Clan is surely watching for their opportunity to prey upon our weakness. And even further to the west, I’ve heard that the patriarchs of both the Hoof and Lightning Clans have recently begun expanding their clans’ power and influence at a rapid pace. Now that we’re in this situation, we don’t need a weak pile of old bones like myself. We need a new, young person with strength who can serve as a real patriarch for the Wolf Clan!”
With his final sentence a hoarse cry, the old patriarch got to his feet.
As everyone’s eyes followed him, he took one slow step and then another, until he was standing in front of the golden-haired young man... and then, he continued walking.
He stopped in front of the black-haired boy standing just nearby, and turned to face him.
“Yuuto.”
“Uh?” Yuuto was caught off guard that he only managed a vague, idiotic sound in response.
He had been so certain that Loptr was going to be the one Fárbauti went to. After all, Loptr was the second-in-command. In this clan system that mimicked the structure of a family, the second-in-command was the equivalent of the “eldest son,” acting as a stand-in for the patriarch with full authority and power in all affairs where the patriarch was absent. And he was also generally treated as the next successor to the clan.
Why was the old patriarch now laying a hand on Yuuto’s shoulder, he who was only tenth ranked in the clan, a brand new inductee, and an outsider to boot?
“From this day forward, you are the patriarch of the Wolf Clan.”
“Huh? Whaaaaaaaat?!” Yuuto cried out hysterically this time, completely forgetting the formal situation he was in.
Just what the hell is this old geezer saying?! He didn’t say it out loud, but for a moment, Yuuto actually thought that perhaps the old man might have finally gone senile.
“J-just what the hell are you saying, Dad?!” he shouted. “I already told you, I’m going back to the world I came from. When I agreed to your offer to exchange the Oath of the Chalice, I made extra sure you understood that!”
“That’s... that’s right, you did. I’m sorry, but I need you to let me go back on that agreement. Right now, you are the only one who can protect the Wolf Clan.”
“What are you talking about?! You’ve already got someone! Big Brother Loptr is already a perfectly fine successor!” Yuuto shouted back at his patriarch.
But the old patriarch closed his eyes, and silently shook his head. “It’s certainly true that Loptr is a man of fine caliber. He’d certainly make a much better patriarch than someone like me. But even so, he still doesn’t have enough strength to protect and guide the Wolf Clan as things are now.”
“Th-that’s not true! Just look at this last battle! Big Brother Loptr did so much, and—”
“Heh... hahaha...” Yuuto’s protest was cut short by a sudden, hollow laugh coming from right next to him.
As Yuuto instinctively turned to look in that direction, he froze.
What he saw was not the familiar, gentle and cheerful laughing form of his sworn older brother. It was a man with his face twisted into a dark sneer brimming with insanity.
“You can stop the act now, Yuuto.”
“Act...? Big Brother, what are you...?”
“You yourself are against becoming patriarch, but after Father pleads with you enough, you’ll reluctantly accept. That’s what this is, right?” Loptr sneered. “Is it so you can avoid having me dislike you? Well, I’m sure you planned on making good use of me as your second-in-command going forward, so maybe that’s why?”
“N-no seriously, what are you talking about, Big Brother?!” Yuuto’s voice became shrill as he began to panic in earnest.
The things Loptr was saying sounded like he’d completely misunderstood this situation. And furthermore, it was an accusation that made absolutely no sense to Yuuto.
How had things suddenly taken such an outrageous turn? He didn’t understand it at all.
“Wait, Loptr,” Fárbauti said, alarmed. “This was nothing more than my own selfish idea, so...”
“It’s all right, Father, you don’t have to cover it up. Honestly... you really did a number on me, Yuuto. It seems like you managed to thoroughly cajole Father while my back was turned. I should have realized what you were doing much sooner. Yes, that’s right, like when you decided to exchange the Oath of the Chalice directly with Father, without even speaking to me!”
“No, no! I really don’t want to become patriarch at all!”
“You... if you didn’t have that smartphone or whatever it’s called, you wouldn’t be able to do anything!”
Loptr was crazed with suspicion, and Yuuto’s heartfelt, pleading attempts to defend himself no longer reached his heart.
“That’s right, even with that thing, you were nothing more than a worthless good-for-nothing without my help! To think that I put such trust in you that I was willing to make you my right-hand man, and even let you have my little sister, when all along you were such an ungrateful backstabber! It pains me to say it, but can’t believe I was such a fool. Ha ha ha! A fool, just a complete and utter buffoon! Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”
Loptr continued his insane laughter, looking up at the ceiling with a hand over his face. It was a laugh overflowing with hatred, like a curse, and the sound of it would fetter and torment Yuuto’s heart for many days to come.
For several moments, Loptr simply continued to laugh, and laugh, and laugh. And then...
“Keh-heh-heh, becoming patriarch has been my dream ever since I was a small child. For so long now, I’ve done everything in my power to reach for that dream. Just a little more... it was only just a little more... right as my hand was about to reach out and grasp it, Yuuto.... you... you... YOU OF ALL PEOPLE STOLE IT FROM MEEEEEE!!”
With a deafening scream, Loptr unsheathed the new sword at his waist. The sword that Yuuto had poured his heart and soul, his blood, sweat, and tears into forging, the gift that was a symbol of their friendship.
His eyes bloodshot from hate, without the slightest ounce of hesitation, Loptr swung the weapon—
“Khh! Gah...!” The blade sliced a horizontal line deep into the chest of Fárbauti, who had quickly pushed Yuuto out of the way.
“....Huh? Fa...ther...?” The words leaked out in a raspy whisper from Loptr’s lips.
His expression was blank, as if he was completely unable to comprehend what was happening.
However, in the next instant, fresh blood sprayed onto his face, and the warm heat from the life of his victim forced him to understand what he’d just done.
“U-uwaaaahhh!!” Loptr’s face was frozen with terror, and he shook his head left and right, taking one step backward, then another.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!”
Loptr gave a throat-piercing howl at the top of his lungs, then turned his back on the falling body of the old patriarch and broke into a run.
As a few panicked people tried to stand in his way, he flailed wildly at them with the sword, without any form or technique, cutting them down, and ran out of the audience hall at top speed.
“B-Brother?” Felicia stood in place, dazed.
It seemed she couldn’t process what was going on either. This was supposed to be a happy occasion, a celebration of yesterday’s victory. It was supposed to be a day to remember, where both her brother by blood and her new sworn brother would be recognized for their valiant efforts.
Just what had caused things to turn out this way? The one who was able to recover himself fastest, and rapidly issue orders, was the Mánagarmr, Skáviðr. He barked his orders in a booming voice.
“Don’t let the kinslayer escape! After him! After him! Those with the proper skills, attend to Master at once. Quickly!”
Sigrún’s feet kicked against the floor as she sprinted out of the room, as if Skáviðr’s words themselves had launched her into motion.
Some followed after her, others began first aid on the patriarch, and others went to spread the word and call for help. Everyone hurriedly rushed to do what they could.
“Why... why did this happen...?” Yuuto faltered. “We win the battle, Big Brother Loptr becomes patriarch, and I go back home to my world. Everything was supposed to work out, so why...?”
Yuuto stood motionless and dazed within the commotion of the hall. Just like Felicia, his mind still hadn’t fully caught up to the reality of what was going on. The sworn older brother he loved and respected had tried to kill him, and his sworn father had protected him and been cut instead. Why had something like that happened?
“Was I... was I the one to blame, Big Brother...?”
Yuuto’s eyes wandered over to the hall’s entrance in search of Loptr’s figure, though he was already long gone.
In his head, Loptr’s last words to him repeated over and over.
“Urrgh... Y-Yuuto...”
Fárbauti’s choked, raspy voice brought Yuuto back to his senses.
“D-Dad?! Are you okay?!”
Thank goodness. Dad’s not dead. In that case, we can fix this somehow.
With that desperate hope in mind, Yuuto turned around.
“Ah... aaaaahh....” Yuuto’s body shuddered uncontrollably at the shocking sight of his patriarch’s dying face.
Despite the vain attempts at first aid by the people surrounding Fárbauti, the old man’s face had lost all color, and the pool of blood beneath him was growing ever larger.
“Y-Yuuto. This wasn’t your fault. Please, d-don’t... don’t blame Loptr for this, either. Everything is... everything is because in my weakness. I failed to see the darkness growing in the heart of one of my children.” The patriarch coughed, blood spilling from his mouth.
“Dad, don’t talk anymore!” Yuuto ran over to his sworn father’s side.
It wasn’t clear whether Fárbauti had heard Yuuto’s voice or not, but the old patriarch lifted up his right hand. “Take... take my hand...”
“L-like this?! Like this, Dad?!” Yuuto squeezed the offered hand tightly with both of his own.
It already felt far too cold to be a living person’s hand. And with every second, Yuuto could feel it growing colder, and he despaired.
“Y-Yuuto, I’ve caused you so much trouble, and I know...” cough cough “...I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I must ask you... to take care of the Wolf Clan.” cough cough “A-and then... once you’ve saved the Wolf Clan from danger and the day comes when you must leave this world... I want you... to make Loptr the next... patriarch...”
The patriarch’s head fell to the floor as if he had finally used up the last of his strength.
The strength faded away from the hand clasped in Yuuto’s fingers, as well. It was as if he could feel the man’s life itself disappearing.
“Dad? Don’t die! Don’t die on meee!!” Yuuto could do nothing more than sob helplessly like a child.
The people who had been attempting first aid stopped, and with looks of heartfelt pain, they shook their heads.
“It’s... it’s my fault,” Yuuto sobbed. “Who the hell cares about the Gleipsieg?! Why did I get so conceited? Big Brother was so troubled, and I never even noticed! He worked so long and hard to chase after his dream! And I... I stole it from him.”
Feelings of guilt and self-reproach tore through Yuuto’s heart like a violent storm.
There must have been some way. Some way to create a future in which Fárbauti retired peacefully, Loptr took his place, and Yuuto stood next to him, congratulating him.
If only Yuuto hadn’t gotten full of himself and acted so selfishly, if only he’d thought about things more from other people’s’ perspectives, if only he’d just considered his sworn older brother’s feelings, none of this would have come to pass. Those were the thoughts that raced through his mind.
If one were to look at the situation from an objective standpoint, asking a fourteen-year-old boy to be so proficient and capable at understanding others would be far too harsh. However, Yuuto didn’t doubt his own conclusions.
“It’s just like Big Brother said,” Yuuto said bitterly. “Why did I act like I was clever, when really I just cheated using borrowed knowledge?! In the end I didn’t understand the thing that was most important! Dad even took the trouble to warn me, too. Even I lost control of myself when I felt like I was backed into a corner. But I dismissed what Dad was saying, calling it stupid and disgusting...”
Yuuto pounded his fists against the floor over and over. His knuckles started to bleed, but he paid them no mind.
“Without the smartphone, I’m just a stupid kid! I’m a stupid kid who doesn’t understand other people’s feelings! Big Brother was way, way, more fit to be the patriarch than someone like me!”
Protect your family at all costs. That was Yuuto’s personal ideal, his conviction. And despite that, because of him, his father and older brother’s lives had been ruined.
He was no different from his real father, the worthless man who had forsaken Yuuto’s mother.
“I’m worthless, I’m worthless, I’m worthless, AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”
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