An elderly man entered the room.
His hair and beard were tinged gray, his face was wrinkled, and his blue eyes sparkled.
Despite being quite old, his robust physique gave the impression that he was not aging at all, like a sturdy tree that withstands the wind without falling.
“Nice to meet you, my name is Wilhelm Franz.”
“I’m Rudellheit Weinstein.”
“I am Leje El Lagrind.”
Unlike the overwhelming atmosphere of others, Wilhelm spoke softly, greeting Rudell and Leje.
Since they couldn’t just lie down while meeting a man who was the Chancellor of the Empire, both tried to sit up.
“There’s no need to get up. In a way, you are benefactors of the Empire.”
However, as he looked at them, Wilhelm shook his head and settled into a chair.
At his words, the two exchanged glances, looking a bit bewildered, and laid back down on the bed.
“So, what brings you to us…?”
“Hmm…”
If a man of the Empire’s Chancellor was visiting in person, it could only mean something serious was happening.
As he squinted and looked at the two of them for a moment, Wilhelm opened his mouth.
“First, I came to thank you.”
“Us…?”
Rudell’s eyes widened at his response.
“Thanks to you, the Empire has overcome a great crisis, so it’s only natural.”
“…”
Considering the aftermath when a major spell is cast, his reaction was only to be expected.
For the Empire, it was like sneezing without having to lift a finger.
“All the instigators of this incident have been arrested. The Gold Rush Trading Guild, as well as many collaborators, have been caught.”
“Does that mean… the Empire had some leads already?”
“Yes.”
Without evidence beforehand, such a swift response would have been impossible.
When Rudell inquired further, Wilhelm nodded.
“Also, I owe you an apology.”
“An apology? What could you possibly have to apologize for…?”
“The Empire cannot acknowledge your achievements in this matter.”
“Ah…”
At the same moment, Rudell and Leje let out a low sigh, as if understanding.
It was a reasonable statement after all.
Even if there are many civil exchanges, the feelings between the people of the Empire and the Kingdom were not particularly good.
If they were to acknowledge Rudell and his party’s contributions, the Empire’s royal family would inevitably face public criticism for letting things get to such a state.
This matter was also a matter of pride for the Empire.
“I understand.”
“That’s a relief.”
At their reply, Wilhelm looked at them with a relieved expression.
“Instead, I will provide you with some conveniences while you are in the Empire.”
“You really don’t have to…”
“This is purely a personal favor of mine, so there’s no need to refuse.”
“If you insist…”
With that much being said, they couldn’t exactly refuse.
Rudell and Leje had no choice but to reluctantly accept his goodwill.
“Well then. I can’t keep the patients waiting, so I shall take my leave. I will send someone from here, so let me know immediately if you need anything.”
“Understood. Take care.”
“Thank you for allowing the visit, Archbishop.”
“May the blessings of the goddess be with you…”
After exchanging simple pleasantries, Wilhelm moved towards the hallway…
“Then we should be off as well. We can’t keep the patients waiting.”
“Please rest well. I will inform Silphier and Kurt.”
Meles and Eleor said those words and took their leave.
The room fell silent in an instant, and amidst the awkward air, Rudell opened his mouth.
“What on earth is going on…?”
“Yeah, really…”
And so, the somewhat noisy morning was passing by.
*
That night.
“Cheers!!”
At Rudell’s lodging, a small party was taking place.
Three nobles, a saint from the church, and a warrior from the Nord tribe.
Considering the members of the party, it was truly a modest gathering, but for them, it was more than enough.
“The Empire’s wine isn’t too bad.”
“Well, it’s not terrible.”
In this world, there were no laws preventing minors from drinking, so Leje and Kurt enjoyed deep red wine.
Meanwhile, Rudell, Silphier, and Eleor toasted with fruit juice instead of wine.
“Thank you all for your hard work. Although we didn’t achieve our goal, this alone can be considered a significant success.”
Now that the church declared a holy war, it was imperative for the Empire and the Kingdom to cooperate in some way.
No matter what, the Empire could not afford to collapse before the future war.
In that sense, despite not being able to grasp a lead on Kentric, what had happened was certainly not meaningless.
“Any news after that?”
“No, it seems they left the Empire before you arrived.”
“Come on. Talking about work again? Let’s enjoy ourselves now!!”
At Rudell’s question, Aitri nodded, while Leje dramatically shouted that she was bored, hooking her arm around Rudell’s shoulder.
“Okay, okay!”
“Come on! Cheers!”
Seeing her playful antics, Rudell smiled faintly and offered his cup to Leje, who eagerly clinked her cup against his.
“How’s your condition?”
“I’m completely healed, thanks to you.”
Had Kurt not thrown his axe to deflect Iandel’s attack in that last moment, Rudell surely wouldn’t be here today.
Even now, just recalling that moment gave him chills down his spine.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t manage to hold them off.”
“No need to apologize. Thanks to you, Silphier and Eleor were safe.”
Originally, Silphier wasn’t a fighter, and Eleor specialized in defense and support rather than attack.
Had Kurt not been there to fend off the approaching monsters, the two of them would have been in serious trouble.
“That damn guy… I swear I won’t let him off next time.”
“Leje, your cup! It’s going to break!!”
As she bit her teeth thinking about their past conversation, Leje gripped her cup tightly, and Rudell hurriedly intervened.
After his shout, Leje calmed down and downed the wine in one go.
“Give me another one!”
“Aren’t you drinking too much?”
The wine was stronger than he anticipated.
Though it was far weaker than the soju from his original world, it certainly wasn’t something to be downed in one go like she did.
“Just hurry up!”
“Ugh…”
Reluctantly, Rudell poured wine into her cup despite his reluctance.
He had heard that people who enhance their bodies with magic were more tolerant of alcohol, but seeing Leje now, that didn’t seem to be the case.
And so the modest but lively party came to an end…
“Hmph…!”
“Phew…”
Finished with the clean-up, Rudell sighed and looked at Leje sprawled on the floor.
There were nearly ten wine bottles scattered around her.
At this point, it wasn’t just about being tolerant to alcohol; surviving this was a miracle.
“You really can’t be helped.”
“Hehehe…”
Rudell scowled at her strong smell of alcohol and picked her up.
As if dreaming, she let out silly laughter, and he carried her toward her room.
As he opened the door with a creak, he walked over to the bed and gently laid her down.
“Honestly, I told you to drink moderately…”
Saying that, even though it wouldn’t matter to her half-conscious state, Rudell let out a short sigh.
Just then, a cold breeze flowed through the open window, and Rudell shivered slightly as he shut it.
“Mmm…”
Leje also curled up and let out some groans as she felt the chill.
Seeing that, Rudell tucked a blanket over her to cover her up to her neck.
“…?”
Looking at her sleeping face, Rudell wore a complicated expression.
Normally, he would have stopped her from drinking, but this time that wasn’t possible.
“I know you must have had a lot on your mind…”
In the battle with Iandel, Leje had been overwhelmed the whole time.
Knowing her strength well, being overrun must have hurt her pride significantly.
Rudell believed that the reason she had drunk so much, contrary to her usual self, was exactly for that.
“Sleep well.”
He hoped to see her again, refreshed and bright.
Muttering that, Rudell gently patted her head and stepped out.
