Let's Take Revenge Together

This was interesting. What a twist of fate.

Forgetting the fear of death he had felt just moments ago, Noein Arkwright was rejoicing at this encounter.

Even while confined to the detached house in the Kivileft Earldom's mansion, Noein had been able to gather some information about the outside world. His main source of information was Matilda's eavesdropping, using her keen hearing.

According to her, Earl Kivileft was a petty, miserly, and corrupt lord who didn't care what happened to the common people as long as it benefited him.

He had also heard that when the Earl dispatched troops to the war against the Pallas Empire to the east, as was his duty as a high-ranking nobleman, he hired many mercenaries who were cheaper and more expendable than the regular army.

When he heard the bandits' story about being "used and discarded by a southern nobleman," he had a hunch and asked them about it, and it turned out to be a direct hit.

They too had been manipulated and thrown away by that father of his. So they were in a similar situation to him.

"I see. I see, I see. So you guys were also victims of that shitty father of mine."

When he smiled, showing a feeling of compassion towards them, the bandits flinched and took a step back with frightened expressions for some reason.

Even the leader-like man, who had been so intimidating, was scared.

Why were they scared? It was you guys who were scaring me just a moment ago.

"...Hey, what's wrong? You."

The leader-like man asked, as if he had made up his mind. Oh, you want to know? Then let me tell you.

"I'm the son of Maximilian Kivileft, the one who drove you into this situation. I was raised confined to a corner of the mansion and thrown out into this Bezel Great Forest, hoping I would die a lonely death. I'm the concubine's child."

...

He couldn't believe that he would meet people who shared his hatred for that shitty father of his.

With a face full of joy, Noein spoke of his circumstances, of his resentment towards his father.

Words poured out of him like a waterfall, even as he continued to speak. He was surprised at how much resentment and bitterness he had accumulated when he actually put it into words.

His narrative was heavily colored by his own perspective and hatred, so it was quite biased in his favor, but it could be said that it was ultimately a plus in gaining the bandits' sympathy.

"...I understand your circumstances. I also understand that you're not just some spoiled noble brat."

When Noein had finished pouring out his heart, or rather, when he ran out of breath and physically couldn't speak anymore, the leader-like man finally replied with an expression as if he had been relieved of a burden.

"So... well, we'll stop trying to kill you. I've lost my nerve. I can't bring myself to kill a kid your age who was abandoned by that shitty noble, hoping you'd die a lonely death. Are you guys okay with that?"

When the leader-like man looked back, his four subordinates nodded with surprised expressions.

"But what are you going to do then? At your age, with your frail body, with only that rabbitman slave and golems as your subordinates, and with not enough money, are you seriously going to develop the forest that your shitty father forced on you? Why don't you just run away?"

Noein replied with a calm expression to the man who sat down heavily on the spot and asked, half bewildered.

"I want to take revenge on my father. Revenge in the form of living a happier and more love-filled life than him."

"...Huh?"

"I hate my father. I despise him. So I'm going to get everything that my father took from me, everything that my father doesn't have. I will never be like my father. I'm going to create a territory where the people can live happily, become a lord who loves his people and is loved by them, and live my life that way. That's my revenge."

Yuri listened to the brat's words in disbelief.

It was too idealistic. Too dreamy. Hard to accept at face value.

But his eyes were looking straight at Yuri, and he didn't seem to be lying.

He couldn't believe that a brat this young could fake such eyes.

The development of the conversation was beyond his comprehension, but there was a strange persuasiveness and charm to the brat's words.

He had thought he was just a whiny brat until a moment ago, but now he could even feel a strange charisma emanating from him.

As he was exposed to this inexplicable power, his own desire for revenge, which had been boiling with the thought of "killing only nobles," had cooled down considerably. At least, he had calmed down enough to not want to kill any and all nobles indiscriminately.

The hatred he had felt just moments ago now seemed like a terribly childish way of thinking.

"...What if your words are lies?"

The fact that he was asking this meant that he was already drawn to the brat's words.

"If you judge that I've become a lord unworthy of your love, if you think I'm the same kind of noble as my shitty father, then you can kill me."

Just like before, the brat uttered these words as if it were nothing. His eyes were still serious.

...He had him there.

This offer was very tempting. They had originally lived fairly decent lives as mercenaries. It was their current life as bandits, hating the nobility, that was abnormal. It would be much better if they could return to a respectable life.

Yuri looked away from the brat and looked at his subordinates. He looked into the eyes of the subordinates who had chosen to follow him even after he had become a bandit.

They were comrades who had kept their vow of "no killing, no raping" even after becoming bandits, in order to maintain a minimum level of pride. He didn't need to hear their words now. He could confirm their will just by looking into their eyes and nodding at each other.

It seemed they felt the same way he did.

They had lost their status and possessions and had fallen to the level of bandits. They wouldn't be able to live a decent life if they continued to run around the kingdom like this.

Then, it might be a good idea to go along with this strange brat's strange words.

Their lives had been ruined by a corrupt noble, and now they were going to gamble the rest of their lives on this crazy noble brat who was his son. It was ironic.

Turning back to the brat, Yuri responded to his offer.

"Alright. We'll kill you then. But until then—"

Yuri spun the sword he was holding and pointed it downwards, thrusting the blade into the ground, bowing his head, and kneeling. His four subordinates followed suit.

"—We will be the swords that slay your enemies, the shields that protect you from your enemies. We will pledge our loyalty to you."

These were the well-known words of a warrior's oath in the Lordberg Kingdom.

At this moment, new people joined the Arkwright territory.

...

"Thank you. I also pledge to be worthy of your loyalty."

Noein returned the oath to the bandits who had sworn their allegiance with their swords raised.

After finishing this impromptu ceremony, the leader of the bandits—Yuri, it seemed—stood up and stammered, looking a little embarrassed and awkward, "Well, that's how it is. So, about what we're going to do from now on..."

Noein was also a little lost for words, facing Yuri and the others, who had been "bandits trying to take his life" just moments ago but were now his people.

Perhaps trying to break the awkward silence, the man whose nosebleed had finally stopped spoke up.

"F-first, let's go untie that rabbitman woman."

As he said that,

"Haaaaah!"

Matilda, who had jumped out of the bushes in a kicking stance with a war cry, turned him back into a nosebleed man.