“Aida, didn’t I tell you my forehead isn’t for eating?”
The first scene I saw upon opening my eyes was Aida, who had fallen asleep with her lips on my forehead.
“…Aida will wake you up, brother.”
Still half-asleep, Aida responded to my voice as if she were dreaming.
I carefully laid her down and wiped my forehead, which was now a mess from her drool.
“Is there no one outside?”
For some reason, I felt a sense of déjà vu. A laugh escaped me as it reminded me of the time I collapsed from overwork.
Back then, even after I came to my senses, I struggled for a while as my body wouldn’t listen, but now, I was in such top condition that it was hard to believe I’d just been beaten by Sataniel and fainted.
‘The effect is definitely noticeable.’
The blessing granted by the Goddess was indeed incredible; it felt like being under the influence of an invigorating potion I’d been avoiding due to side effects.
Moreover, this was applied continuously without any side effects, so I was pretty satisfied with such a reward.
“Rupert!”
Momentarily lost in the effects of the blessing, I snapped back to reality at the voice calling me as the door opened.
“How are you feeling?! Is there something wrong…?”
“I’m fine, Father. But what happened to that guy?”
“Sataniel has been dealt with perfectly, so don’t worry.”
I finally managed to calm Count Bradley, who was looking at me with a worried expression, and when I inquired about the current situation, Richard was the one who answered.
“Really, thank you. If it weren’t for you, I might have missed him.” (Richard)
“It was nothing special, brother.” (Rupert)
Richard, who approached and firmly shook my hand while lying down, shook his head as if he disagreed with my words.
“I’m the one who should be embarrassed for coming home without doing anything and putting my family in danger.” (Richard)
“I can agree with that to some extent.”
In such a mood, it would typically be appropriate to cheerfully say, ‘No, brother. It’s just a relief that you are safe.’ However, I felt the need to address the mistakes directly.
“…Cough. If you had been hurt, I might have lived with regret for the rest of my life. But it’s a relief that you’re safe.”
“Well then, now that the work is finished, are you going home?”
“That is…”
Richard hesitated, struggling to respond to my question.
*
“This is going to cause quite a stir in the Empire.”
Samuel, a member of the Dark Guards, muttered to himself while organizing with the people who had come to assist after the battle.
“At least it’s a relief. If things had gone wrong, we might have seen a repeat of the chaos in Sleepy Territory across multiple territories.”
He nodded at his subordinate’s words.
They had requested assistance to monitor the unusual people gathered at Somerset Mansion and had been engaged in battle against the Night’s Kin that had suddenly attacked last night.
Normally, due to their characteristics requiring them to keep their identities hidden, they would have overlooked ordinary incidents, but the events of last night were too significant to ignore.
‘Your help was invaluable.’
Learning about the incident from the Third Prince Edric, who had quickly grasped their true identities, was shocking.
The presence of dark elves attempting to plunge the continent into chaos was information they had not even discerned.
“First, some will go to Sleepy Territory to provide assistance, while the rest will retreat and report this incident to the Imperial Family.”
“Understood!”
After issuing the command, Samuel fell into thought for a moment.
Just after the Abyss Cult incident, Rupert Somerset had been gaining momentum, and now, this incident was also a significant achievement that the Imperial Family couldn’t overlook.
‘This could lead to a promotion.’
He cautiously predicted a promotion for the Somerset family.
Once noble rankings had been established, changing them was exceptionally challenging, whether upward or downward.
Even if an ordinary mistake wouldn’t strip a noble of their status, achieving a promotion was nearly impossible, yet Rupert, favored by the Imperial Family, seemed capable of garnering enough merit along with past contributions from the Abyss Cult incident.
Viscount.
The rank just below a Count, it held a different stature altogether.
‘If this momentum continues, when His Highness the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, the Seven Noble Families of the Empire may change.’
Due to rumors surrounding Rupert being the Crown Prince’s closest aide, Samuel thought that if there was an investment opportunity, now was the most advantageous time.
*
“Don’t cry, I’ll give you this!”
Aida handed her treasured picture book, made by Rupert, to a crying little girl.
But,
“I miss my daddy…”
Normally, Shelby Sleepy would have jumped with joy while receiving the book, but now she could only cry endlessly.
Aida gently patted her shoulder, comforting her not to cry, and to her surprise, she found herself tearing up as well.
The sound of the children’s sorrow echoed through the mansion, tugging at someone’s heartstrings.
“I’m sorry, human. Because of us, you’ve suffered wounds that can’t be washed away.”
Cypris spoke while bowing her head towards Lady Sleepy.
She felt a heavy sense of guilt.
She was responsible for the innocent humans who had suffered due to Sataniel, a traitor from their clan.
If the allied forces hadn’t come to Somerset Mansion, such a tragedy wouldn’t have occurred in Sleepy Territory.
But,
“Please lift your head. It’s not your fault.”
“No, it is our fault.”
“My husband fought against the invaders who invaded our territory; he didn’t die fighting you.
– Please don’t insult my husband’s final moments. He was an honorable man who fulfilled his duty.”
Lady Sleepy’s expression was resolute.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t saddened by her husband’s death and the devastation of the territory, but above all, what mattered was to ensure their deaths were not in vain.
For that, she knew she needed to be strong as the one responsible for the territory moving forward.
She understood there was no time to blame or hate anyone; she had to prepare for the future that lay ahead.
“I promise you in the name of the World Tree, I and our Crimson Warden will offer all the help we can until your land regains its former glory.”
Cypris approached Lady Sleepy and touched her forehead to hers.
It was a gesture elves showed when conveying their will to another.
It meant there was not a trace of falsehood in her words.
“That would be truly appreciated.”
At this time of peak agricultural season, the devastated Sleepy Territory faced a crisis greater than it appeared.
Of course, if the Imperial Family learned of the incident, they would exempt taxes and provide support funds, but with the territory devastated, it was unknown how long the reconstruction would take.
However, with the elves’ help, Sleepy could regain its former state sooner than expected.
*
“We’re going to head back first.”
“Are you leaving already? You should stay a little longer.”
Alexander and the Zion Knights were already prepared to return and had come to take their leave from Rupert.
In a situation where the incident had just been resolved, Rupert sincerely tried to persuade Alexander not to leave without taking proper rest.
However, Alexander shook his head.
“If we slack off, there are those suffering somewhere in the Empire.”
In fact, being the direct militant organization of the previous Saintess, the Zion Knights didn’t usually stay together like this; they scattered across the continent to carry out their missions.
Some would stop forbidden research, while others would hunt beasts tainted by magic.
To become part of the Zion Knights meant dedicating one’s life to fighting for the suffering.
For them, this battle was just another part of their duties, so Alexander insisted they needed to return promptly.
Was it because Rupert had met the Goddess?
If he had accidentally removed the danger that had befallen the continent, he respected these people who devoted their lives to safely guarding the continent from the shadows, out of sight from the people’s eyes.
“I wish you all the luck in the future.”
“Everything is according to the will of our Goddess Mother.”
After Alexander led the knights away from the territory, it was time to return to daily life once more.
‘I should go home, but now I feel I need to help the Crimson Warden with the reconstruction of Sleepy Territory.’
Richard’s response to Rupert’s question about returning home was clear.
Like Cypris, Richard felt a sense of responsibility for the destroyed Sleepy Territory, and his father, the Count, also believed that Richard’s actions were just, allowing him to proceed.
Therefore, Richard and the Crimson Warden, including Cypris, were now moving to assist their neighbor, Sleepy Territory, in its reconstruction efforts.
‘Even so, since we’re nearby, make sure to visit often.’
‘Yes, Father.’
‘And I don’t mind if you bring home an elven daughter-in-law. In fact, you’re a bit rugged-looking, so a pretty bride would…’
The rest was left unsaid due to the red-faced Richard and Cypris, but Rupert could see something was brewing there, leading him to believe the family would soon grow.
“Thank you for all your hard work, Young Master.”
“Did you come back already?”
“Yes, everything you mentioned was in stock, so it didn’t take long to gather them.”
“Thank you, you’re indeed the Guild Leader.”
“We’re partners after all, aren’t we?”
Rupert had asked Esteban to procure necessities to assist the neighboring territory.
“By the way, are the artisans and workshop safe?”
“Yes, the artisans were evacuated to the safest place, and the workshop was not involved in the battle, so everyone is safe.”
“Then we need to quickly print the reprint of Van Helsing.”
“Excuse me?”
Rupert was taken aback by Esteban’s statement the moment the situation had just been resolved.
“Do you remember what happened the last time an incident occurred?”
“Ah!”
Finally realizing what Esteban was saying, Rupert responded.
“When the rumors spread that the Abyss Cult incident was similar to the content of Iron-Blooded Alchemist, the sales shot up; I suspect a similar rush will happen this time as well.”
Rupert agreed but was starting to feel a bit scared.
It seemed people might analyze and seek out whatever work he produced as if it were an oracle or something.
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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