1 Comment / Reincarnation into a barrier master / By IX
When Linos returned to the Barrier Village, the sun had already dipped below the western horizon.
“…This is awful.”
He muttered to himself as he halted Ilymo near the entrance of the village. There, a multitude of Crimeana soldiers’ corpses were laid out in rows. Surrounding them, the friends and families of the fallen soldiers, along with Agarta soldiers, were silently preparing for a solemn memorial.
The bodies of the soldiers were all in a terrible state. Not a single one of them was intact. Moreover, there was a gruesome sight where every one of them had a smile on their face in death.
Layfence, who spotted Linos, approached him. The two lined up their horses and began exchanging reports.
“We’ve taken down all the Crimeana soldiers. It was a struggle because they would keep getting up to fight as long as they were alive, but I put them out of their misery with a single thrust to the heart. I didn’t want to make them suffer too much. These clean-up operations weigh heavy on the heart.”
“Thank you, General. As for Cassel, I administered severe punishment. He probably won’t die, but he’ll endure a suffering worse than death, I’m sure.”
“I see… He was a despicable one, but when you think about it, he’s still just a child. Looking at it that way, Crimeana is a terrifying country.”
“Yes. We need to handle the aftermath of this carefully.”
The elderly general nodded silently and then turned to me again.
“Linos, leave the rest to me. You should go to Matokal.”
“I’ll do that. Please take care of the rest.”
Saying that, I transferred to Agarta’s medical research facility.
Once inside, I was directed to Mat’s room. I always thought that this facility was consistently clean and tidy. The staff and researchers who worked here greeted me warmly when they saw me. Perhaps it was the result of Mei and the others’ efforts, but there was no trace of the typical stuffy atmosphere that often permeated research facilities. As I waited for a while with such thoughts in mind, Mei arrived.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Mei, how is Mat?”
Mei nodded slightly.
“She regained consciousness. There are no life-threatening conditions.”
“I see… That’s a relief. But why was she bleeding so much? The barrier was perfectly in place. Did she get cut somewhere on her body after all?”
Mei looked at me with a troubled expression, her eyes wandering. Eventually, she seemed to gather her courage and spoke up.
“It’s difficult to say, but…”
“What is it? What happened?”
“Inside Mat’s abdomen, there was a baby.”
“What?”
“She was pregnant.”
“Huh… Wait a minute. Mat fell off her horse, right? And…”
“Yes. Most likely, she miscarried at that time.”
“A…miscarriage?”
“It was still in the early stages of pregnancy. Mat had some symptoms, but…”
I was left speechless for a while. I wondered how much time had passed. I struggled to find the right words.
“How is Mat…doing?”
“Right now, she’s sedated with medication. We’ll need to observe her condition, but I don’t think surgery will be necessary. However, she’ll need to rest for a while, so I’d like to keep her in the hospital here for a few days.”
As a physician, Roni was assigned to Mat’s care. I asked Mei to convey my gratitude to Roni and then returned to the mansion in the capital with Ilymo.
In reality, I should have informed Layfence, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Even when I returned to the mansion, I felt dazed and everything was a blur. I headed to the bedroom and lay down on the bed.
“What’s wrong, Linos?”
Sensing my state, Rico came into the room. She sat down slowly on the edge of the bed and gently held my hand. I explained to her about Matokal’s pregnancy, the events of today’s battle, and the miscarriage. Rico listened to the story in silence, but when it was over, she stood up resolutely.
“Linos, Roni told me, but miscarriages in the early stages of pregnancy are nobody’s fault. Nobody’s fault at all. Not yours, not Mat’s, and not Crimeana’s or Vielle’s. Absolutely… do not blame Mat.”
“I understand…”
“Stay strong, Linos. You are the one who can save Mat.”
With those words, Rico kissed me and left the room.
I had no appetite to go downstairs to the dining room, and I just sat there, lost in thought. If I had known there was a child, I wouldn’t have let Mat accompany the expedition. No, maybe I had made the wrong decision. If I had stopped Mat from taking responsibility as the lord, this wouldn’t have happened. And that brat… if only I had handled Crimeana’s countermeasures better…
I pondered many things, but no answers came. I wondered how much time had passed. Rico entered the room again.
“Father.”
Eril and Aliria came into the room.
“Come on, Linos, it’s time to stop thinking and give Eril and Aliria a bath. I’ll join them too.”
With Rico’s urging, I reluctantly took a bath with Rico and our two daughters. In the bath, the girls were full of energy, never staying still. I ended up chasing them around while covered in soap suds. Strangely, this brought some relief to my mind.
After bathing the girls, Sidi and Soleil dried them off and helped them change. Finally, I was able to soak in the bath at a leisurely pace. Rico had mentioned that Mei had informed everyone about Matokal, and it seemed that everyone was in shock. We talked about such matters for a while, and Rico came closer to me.
“Linos.”
She kneeled by the bath and hugged my face with her small, soft hands.
“Linos, when Mat comes back, hold her like this. You don’t need to say anything. Just hold her like this.”
“Rico…”
“The one who’s hurt the most is Mat. It won’t heal right away, but during these times, you need to be by her side. Holding her can help wounds heal.”
“I understand… Rico, thank you…”
That night, Rico held my hand with her small and gentle hand, throughout the night.
The next morning, Rico and I visited Matokal. Contrary to our expectations of her being in shock, she seemed surprisingly upbeat.
“I never thought I’d become pregnant. I felt a little strange physically, but I never expected this. Well, I’m fine now. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“Mat, you mustn’t push yourself. You need to rest.”
“I’m sorry, Lady Rico… By the way, what happened to the Crimeana soldiers? They were incredibly strong. Any casualties in the Agartan army? Is Lord Layfence and everyone else okay?”
I reassured her on those points.
“Mat, get well soon. Eril and Aliria miss you.”
“I see. Then I must return to the mansion quickly. Eril and Aliria are such good children.”
After saying that, Matokal gazed slowly out of the hospital room window.
“…I wonder if I would have been able to hold the baby by the time spring comes.”
“Mat?”
Matokal’s shoulders trembled slightly, and her voice quivered.
“Surely… surely, this is divine punishment for me. I’ve killed so many people. It must be punishment for that… I’ve had too much good fortune until now. I shouldn’t be happy. But I wanted to give birth. A child like Eril and Aliria… I also… Nevertheless… I was prepared to accept any punishment… but this punishment… it’s painful…”
Matokal’s voice gradually became choked with tears. I couldn’t help but hold her hand. Rico joined me, and we both held her hand.
“Mat… I’m sure the baby wasn’t meant to be born at this time. I’m sure…I’m sure, it will come back to us at the best time. So, Mat, please heal your body quickly for that moment.”
“Lady Rico… Lord Linos…”
For the first time, Matokal showed tears in front of us. Both Rico and I could do nothing but silently stroke her back.
———
“I see… That’s how it turned out…”
Layfence, who had heard the report from me, seemed unable to hide his shock.
“It’s not an uncommon story, but… It’s a bit tough when it happens to someone like Matokal, whom I’ve treated like a daughter. To be honest, I was looking forward to Matokal and Lord Linos’s child.”
“General…”
“Ah, forget about it. Just the ramblings of an old man.”
Layfence chuckled and waved his hand. Then, with a resolute expression, he began his report from the previous day.
The burial of the Crimeana soldiers was complete. It seemed that the villagers were shaken, but there was no significant turmoil. As we discussed the situation about Crimeana, a soldier suddenly rushed to us.
“Report! The villagers are ignoring our orders and gathering in the square one after another! It seems Vielle is gathering the villagers!”
In a hurry, the general and I headed to the village square. There, in front of a large crowd of followers, Vielle was giving a passionate speech in a clear voice.
…The content of his speech was shocking.
1 Comment / Reincarnation into a barrier master / By IX
When Linos returned to the Barrier Village, the sun had already dipped below the western horizon.
“…This is awful.”
He muttered to himself as he halted Ilymo near the entrance of the village. There, a multitude of Crimeana soldiers’ corpses were laid out in rows. Surrounding them, the friends and families of the fallen soldiers, along with Agarta soldiers, were silently preparing for a solemn memorial.
The bodies of the soldiers were all in a terrible state. Not a single one of them was intact. Moreover, there was a gruesome sight where every one of them had a smile on their face in death.
Layfence, who spotted Linos, approached him. The two lined up their horses and began exchanging reports.
“We’ve taken down all the Crimeana soldiers. It was a struggle because they would keep getting up to fight as long as they were alive, but I put them out of their misery with a single thrust to the heart. I didn’t want to make them suffer too much. These clean-up operations weigh heavy on the heart.”
“Thank you, General. As for Cassel, I administered severe punishment. He probably won’t die, but he’ll endure a suffering worse than death, I’m sure.”
“I see… He was a despicable one, but when you think about it, he’s still just a child. Looking at it that way, Crimeana is a terrifying country.”
“Yes. We need to handle the aftermath of this carefully.”
The elderly general nodded silently and then turned to me again.
“Linos, leave the rest to me. You should go to Matokal.”
“I’ll do that. Please take care of the rest.”
Saying that, I transferred to Agarta’s medical research facility.
Once inside, I was directed to Mat’s room. I always thought that this facility was consistently clean and tidy. The staff and researchers who worked here greeted me warmly when they saw me. Perhaps it was the result of Mei and the others’ efforts, but there was no trace of the typical stuffy atmosphere that often permeated research facilities. As I waited for a while with such thoughts in mind, Mei arrived.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Mei, how is Mat?”
Mei nodded slightly.
“She regained consciousness. There are no life-threatening conditions.”
“I see… That’s a relief. But why was she bleeding so much? The barrier was perfectly in place. Did she get cut somewhere on her body after all?”
Mei looked at me with a troubled expression, her eyes wandering. Eventually, she seemed to gather her courage and spoke up.
“It’s difficult to say, but…”
“What is it? What happened?”
“Inside Mat’s abdomen, there was a baby.”
“What?”
“She was pregnant.”
“Huh… Wait a minute. Mat fell off her horse, right? And…”
“Yes. Most likely, she miscarried at that time.”
“A…miscarriage?”
“It was still in the early stages of pregnancy. Mat had some symptoms, but…”
I was left speechless for a while. I wondered how much time had passed. I struggled to find the right words.
“How is Mat…doing?”
“Right now, she’s sedated with medication. We’ll need to observe her condition, but I don’t think surgery will be necessary. However, she’ll need to rest for a while, so I’d like to keep her in the hospital here for a few days.”
As a physician, Roni was assigned to Mat’s care. I asked Mei to convey my gratitude to Roni and then returned to the mansion in the capital with Ilymo.
In reality, I should have informed Layfence, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Even when I returned to the mansion, I felt dazed and everything was a blur. I headed to the bedroom and lay down on the bed.
“What’s wrong, Linos?”
Sensing my state, Rico came into the room. She sat down slowly on the edge of the bed and gently held my hand. I explained to her about Matokal’s pregnancy, the events of today’s battle, and the miscarriage. Rico listened to the story in silence, but when it was over, she stood up resolutely.
“Linos, Roni told me, but miscarriages in the early stages of pregnancy are nobody’s fault. Nobody’s fault at all. Not yours, not Mat’s, and not Crimeana’s or Vielle’s. Absolutely… do not blame Mat.”
“I understand…”
“Stay strong, Linos. You are the one who can save Mat.”
With those words, Rico kissed me and left the room.
I had no appetite to go downstairs to the dining room, and I just sat there, lost in thought. If I had known there was a child, I wouldn’t have let Mat accompany the expedition. No, maybe I had made the wrong decision. If I had stopped Mat from taking responsibility as the lord, this wouldn’t have happened. And that brat… if only I had handled Crimeana’s countermeasures better…
I pondered many things, but no answers came. I wondered how much time had passed. Rico entered the room again.
“Father.”
Eril and Aliria came into the room.
“Come on, Linos, it’s time to stop thinking and give Eril and Aliria a bath. I’ll join them too.”
With Rico’s urging, I reluctantly took a bath with Rico and our two daughters. In the bath, the girls were full of energy, never staying still. I ended up chasing them around while covered in soap suds. Strangely, this brought some relief to my mind.
After bathing the girls, Sidi and Soleil dried them off and helped them change. Finally, I was able to soak in the bath at a leisurely pace. Rico had mentioned that Mei had informed everyone about Matokal, and it seemed that everyone was in shock. We talked about such matters for a while, and Rico came closer to me.
“Linos.”
She kneeled by the bath and hugged my face with her small, soft hands.
“Linos, when Mat comes back, hold her like this. You don’t need to say anything. Just hold her like this.”
“Rico…”
“The one who’s hurt the most is Mat. It won’t heal right away, but during these times, you need to be by her side. Holding her can help wounds heal.”
“I understand… Rico, thank you…”
That night, Rico held my hand with her small and gentle hand, throughout the night.
The next morning, Rico and I visited Matokal. Contrary to our expectations of her being in shock, she seemed surprisingly upbeat.
“I never thought I’d become pregnant. I felt a little strange physically, but I never expected this. Well, I’m fine now. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“Mat, you mustn’t push yourself. You need to rest.”
“I’m sorry, Lady Rico… By the way, what happened to the Crimeana soldiers? They were incredibly strong. Any casualties in the Agartan army? Is Lord Layfence and everyone else okay?”
I reassured her on those points.
“Mat, get well soon. Eril and Aliria miss you.”
“I see. Then I must return to the mansion quickly. Eril and Aliria are such good children.”
After saying that, Matokal gazed slowly out of the hospital room window.
“…I wonder if I would have been able to hold the baby by the time spring comes.”
“Mat?”
Matokal’s shoulders trembled slightly, and her voice quivered.
“Surely… surely, this is divine punishment for me. I’ve killed so many people. It must be punishment for that… I’ve had too much good fortune until now. I shouldn’t be happy. But I wanted to give birth. A child like Eril and Aliria… I also… Nevertheless… I was prepared to accept any punishment… but this punishment… it’s painful…”
Matokal’s voice gradually became choked with tears. I couldn’t help but hold her hand. Rico joined me, and we both held her hand.
“Mat… I’m sure the baby wasn’t meant to be born at this time. I’m sure…I’m sure, it will come back to us at the best time. So, Mat, please heal your body quickly for that moment.”
“Lady Rico… Lord Linos…”
For the first time, Matokal showed tears in front of us. Both Rico and I could do nothing but silently stroke her back.
———
“I see… That’s how it turned out…”
Layfence, who had heard the report from me, seemed unable to hide his shock.
“It’s not an uncommon story, but… It’s a bit tough when it happens to someone like Matokal, whom I’ve treated like a daughter. To be honest, I was looking forward to Matokal and Lord Linos’s child.”
“General…”
“Ah, forget about it. Just the ramblings of an old man.”
Layfence chuckled and waved his hand. Then, with a resolute expression, he began his report from the previous day.
The burial of the Crimeana soldiers was complete. It seemed that the villagers were shaken, but there was no significant turmoil. As we discussed the situation about Crimeana, a soldier suddenly rushed to us.
“Report! The villagers are ignoring our orders and gathering in the square one after another! It seems Vielle is gathering the villagers!”
In a hurry, the general and I headed to the village square. There, in front of a large crowd of followers, Vielle was giving a passionate speech in a clear voice.
…The content of his speech was shocking.
