“It’s been so long, it’s not unfamiliar at least.”
Richard felt a strange sensation as he returned to his hometown after participating in the war against Sylvania.
At first, he thought it was just the long absence that made it feel strange, but the renovated Somerset Territory was filled with unfamiliar buildings.
“Still, the territory inhabitants here seem to have bright faces?”
Cypris said while looking at the territory alongside Richard.
Vibrant people filled the streets, and the children seemed to be having so much fun, running around like woosh, whoosh without a care in the world.
Cypris, who had traveled through countless places in the Empire to confront Night’s Kin, felt pleased to see the peaceful territory again.
It wasn’t easy to find such lively places among the territory inhabitants in the Empire.
“Our father is a good lord, after all.”
“Richard….”
“I really don’t know how I should face them! Seriously….”
As they got closer to his hometown, Richard’s expression grew darker.
The foolish eldest son who had abandoned his family to achieve honor in the war felt too shameless to return to his family now.
His aging father, his shy and gentle younger brother Rupert, and the baby Aida.
He couldn’t bear to face the family he had left behind for his own desires.
“Don’t worry. Family is the only one who wraps their arms around you no matter how big of a mistake you made.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Richard took Cypris’s hand as a gesture of comfort and looked into her eyes.
It had already been years since they became Crimson Wardens together.
“I want to become your family. Once this is all over….”
Just as Richard was drawing closer to Cypris, nearly about to kiss her.
“That’s enough of that. What you should be doing isn’t flirting with an elf here, but rather going to the Somerset family first to reveal our presence and seek their cooperation.”
Alexander swung down like a THWACK, crushing the mood.
“Ugh, I know.”
“If you know, then move. How could you be flirting at the Holy Sanctuary? You must have lost your wits.”
Richard and Cypris, their faces turning red from Alexander’s words, coughed awkwardly and hurried off to explain their situation to the family.
“Can’t the captain bear even those few seconds of young love whispering sweet nothings?”
“I’ve yet to see anyone who’s lived long after whispering sweet love on the battlefield.”
Though Jenia scolded Alexander with a pout while watching the scene, his attitude didn’t change.
“Why is it that you pretend to be so gentle in front of others, but act like this towards your comrades….”
Since joining the allied forces and fighting together in several battles, Jenia felt that Alexander was not a bad person, contrary to his first impression.
Of course, when facing Dark Elves, he could easily be called a demon from hell with the murderous aura he emanated.
But in front of ordinary people, he truly seemed like a gentle priest straight out of a painting.
“It is ordinary people who deserve respect. They are the seekers who pursue their duties given by the Goddess for their whole lives.”
“Huh?”
“Compared to that, we’re just the ones who destroy, fight, and cut down the enemies’ necks. Beautiful ones should naturally be respected, but you still don’t understand that.”
Jenia found it hard to understand Alexander’s words.
Surely ordinary people would also fulfill their roles, but the ally forces gathered here were filled with those who were extraordinary.
From the naturally gifted archers and elemental beings known as Elves to the top mages recognized in the Mage Tower and Holy Knights representing the Goddess Church.
Aren’t these people truly special?
Jenia felt quite fond of the allies who seemed like they had jumped right out of a fairy tale.
Being with them made her feel like she played an important role.
However, it was difficult for her to agree when Alexander said that the ally forces were worthless and ordinary people deserved respect.
“A true hero is one who helps those in need rather than defeating dragons and slaying monsters.”
Alexander’s eyes watched the children laughing and running around energetically.
*
“Is it really you, Richard!”
Count Bradley’s eyes widened.
After the war, he had no idea whether his firstborn son was alive or dead, yet here he was, returning to the family.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, and though Richard’s appearance had slightly changed, it was undoubtedly his son.
“Father, I’m sorry I couldn’t visit for so long.”
“You ungrateful fool!! How could you go silent while alive?!”
Tears flowed from Count Bradley’s eyes.
Memories of the despair he felt thinking his son was dead surged back to him.
If only he had been more competent, he could’ve assigned a guard to Richard or used his money to search for news of him.
The Count’s heart was heavy with regret for being unable to do anything.
“Welcome, brother.”
“Rupert!”
And there was Rupert, rushing in upon hearing that his elder brother, Richard, had returned.
“You’ve grown so much; I hardly recognize you.”
“And you’ve changed as well, brother.”
“Haha. I’ve been through quite a bit myself….”
Richard was surprised to see Rupert, who had once been a little kid, transformed into such a handsome young man.
Rupert was equally surprised to see his brother, who he had never seen growing up.
‘What the heck… No matter how I look, he seems less like the Somerset heir and more like the heir of the Northern Duke’s family?’
While Count Bradley and Rupert were slightly delicate, Richard was easily a head taller and appeared muscular and solid.
Just like Kyle, who was currently a guest in the mansion, Richard looked like a warrior, no doubt.
Moreover,
“Wow! That sword is huge!”
Aida was captivated by the massive sword Richard was carrying, rather than by Richard himself.
“Aida? Is that really you?”
Richard said when he saw Aida bouncing around in excitement over his sword.
“I’m not Aida! I’m Hansel!”
“Hansel?”
“She’s Aida, brother.”
At Rupert’s words, Aida pouted and jumped onto Rupert’s shoulder like a BOING, pretending to ride a horse.
“I’m Hansel!”
“Okay, okay! Got it! Our Hansel, so don’t bite me!”
Rupert, taken aback by the sudden horse ride, was stunned.
Aida, who had recently grown strong enough to defeat Oun, was indeed the tyrant of Somerset.
‘Somerset style, selectively picking.’
‘Aida, you can’t be picky; eat a little of everything.’
‘I don’t want to!’
No one in the family could catch Aida anymore, so it had become a daily routine to run around the mansion with Rach, raiding the hidden snacks of the maids.
‘Bring Sena here!’
‘Aida, calm down! Sena needs to paint right now!’
‘No, Aida wants to play!’
There were even instances where she forced Sena, who was bigger than her, onto Rach and kidnapped her.
Back in the workshop, everyone including Rupert, had rushed to confront Aida, but they couldn’t even get a single attack in.
‘Having given a child a nuclear bomb button, how terrifying.’
Rupert had once used Aida’s punches instead of a massage device, but now he feared that it could knock him out instead.
Even now, Aida, riding on his shoulder with her mouth open, was ready to unleash her bite at any moment depending on Rupert’s response.
“Aida, no, Hansel is hungry right now!”
Perhaps satisfied with Rupert’s answer, Aida loosened her biting stance and started thumping her belly with her palm, throwing a tantrum.
“Family head, and young masters, lunch is prepared, so let’s talk inside.”
“Alain, it’s been a while.”
“I’m relieved to see you safe, elder young master,”
As Alain announced that lunch was ready, Richard approached him and hugged him.
Alain felt moved by Richard’s return, as he had once thought Richard would be the heir to the Somerset lineage.
Having taken care of the Somerset siblings since they were babies, perhaps it was presumptuous, but it felt as if his own child had returned home.
“Let’s all go inside then. Richard, I want to hear what’s been going on with you.”
At the Count’s words, the Somerset family gathered for a meal after a long time.
*
“… So that’s why I couldn’t return until now.”
Count Bradley and Rupert sat at the table, speechless at Richard’s story.
“Just… wait a minute, so you fled into the forest after being pushed during the war and met your master there?”
At the Count’s words, Richard nodded.
“And your master turned out to be the head of a secret organization dealing with the monsters known as Night’s Kin?”
This time, Rupert continued to ask, and Richard nodded again.
“Wow… I didn’t expect the one who taught you swordsmanship would be Lord Origen.”
The fact that the master who had died while trying to save him was the Empire’s sword master, Cal Origen, was shocking to everyone.
And as Origen’s name was mentioned, Richard’s expression stiffened once more.
“I couldn’t return until I took revenge for my master. I’m sorry, Father.”
“Then is everything settled now?”
“No.”
“Then why have you returned?”
The Count sensed that his son didn’t simply return because he missed the family.
Just by hearing what Richard just said, it was clear he had gone through unimaginable events they couldn’t even begin to imagine.
And it was evident that the son couldn’t have just come back to see his family.
“Rupert.”
“Yes, brother.”
“I didn’t realize it since I had been cooped up, but you’ve become quite a celebrity.”
Richard spoke to Rupert, but his expression looked rather uneasy.
“I saw the comic you drew.”
– Van Helsing, how on earth did you come to know that and draw it?
Richard finally revealed his true reason for returning home.
It was to ask Rupert, the author of the comic that seemed to reflect their experiences, why he drew it.
‘Is this really the Goddess’s trick?’
And Rupert was already in a state of resignation.
From the moment Richard began recounting his story, Rupert felt something was amiss.
As the story continued, it felt all too familiar until it ended with him finally accepting the truth.
The comic he was drawing, Van Helsing, had intertwined with real events just like Iron-Blooded Alchemist.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
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MC just give up lol