Chapter 253

“…Is something wrong?”

The first thing Luina saw when she opened her eyes was Aint stepping back with a pale face, and Fernan gripping his shoulder with an intimidating look.

“Nothing to worry about. Just a Pellenberg being a Pellenberg.”

“I see.”

At the rector’s words, Luina nodded naturally. She understood perfectly.

“Congratulations on overcoming your wall.”

“Thank you.”

“Both you and Aint Armian are a blessing to this continent. Two new Royal Knights—what a prosperous era.”

“You flatter us.”

“I’m sure. Very soon, each of you will take your rightful place.”

Luina felt it as well.

During her meditation, she had relived countless battles—the life-or-death struggle against Valac, the confrontations of the Mercenary King and her father against Andrealphus and Kimaris, and her duel with Countess Altrierc.

In her mind, she fought again and again, and in that process, she managed to receive and return Countess Altrierc’s blows.

Unlike before, when she had only managed to wound her once, now she had fought her evenly.

She didn’t win, but she endured hundreds of exchanges.

The simple fact of standing against one of the top Royal Knights proved Luina had reached the minimum qualification to become one herself.

“Judging by Aint’s condition, it seems Andras was defeated.”

“That’s right. He cut him exactly in half.”

In the process, the rector’s interest in Aint’s sword immediately sparked—but it wasn’t the time to satisfy his curiosity.

Even so, as a mage, he knew that unease wouldn’t vanish until he had answers.

“…I suddenly got chills.”

— Chills, he says! I’ve had them for a while! Look at Fernan still acting like that! Change the subject, quickly!

— Yes, the demon contractor! This isn’t over yet!

Gardner’s shout snapped Aint back to his senses.

Right—two demons had been defeated, but the situation wasn’t resolved yet.

The summoned creatures were still wreaking havoc in the capital, and most importantly, the demon contractor still remained—Count Patrick Pirandello.

“Senior! Patrick! We have to catch Count Patrick!”

“…I’d forgotten.”

Luckily, that managed to distract Fernan.

Fernan, Aint, Luina, and the rector quickly exited the crater to search for Count Patrick.

But they found no trace of him.

Only the Mercenary King, sitting on a rock, chewing dried meat.

“Are you alright?”

“No, I’m not, old man.”

As he responded, he effortlessly skewered a monster that got too close.

“What happened to the bastard?”

“He escaped. Left me with a huge scar on my pride. I can’t believe I let him get away twice.”

The first time, it had been Garrett Schreiner who fled, not the other way around—but there was no point in clarifying that now.

“He escaped?”

“Yes, sir. When he realized he couldn’t win, he dropped everything and ran. I cut off his arm, but he didn’t seem to care.”

The Mercenary King pointed at something with the tip of his spear—a hand still twitching on the ground.

“…Impressive. It almost looks like a live fish.”

“His vitality was monstrous.”

Garrett hurled his spear. Crash!

The arm, pierced by a red aura, disintegrated completely.

“If I had known, I would’ve fought the demons too.”

“In your place, I offer something better—the chance to train with two new knights who just broke their walls.”

At Fernan’s words, Garrett let out a disbelieving chuckle.

“You’re not saying I should train them?”

“Exactly.”

Both Aint and Luina had achieved enlightenment, but they had yet to solidify it.

Training with a Royal Knight like the Mercenary King would be invaluable.

“And how much will you pay me?”

“If you’re fighting future Royal Knights, shouldn’t you be the one paying, Master Garrett?”

“That’s sophistry.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Fine. I’ll do it for free. It’ll be good experience for me, too.”

“Perfect.”

The merchant and the mercenary shook hands.

“……”

“……”

Aint and Luina didn’t object.

They knew this was an opportunity they couldn’t afford to miss.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t catch Patrick.”

“It’s hard to catch someone who’s willing to lose an arm just to escape.”

“I don’t blame him—but he took too much information with him.”

The most serious issue was that he now knew Fernan possessed the power of the dragon.

From now on, their enemies would act with that knowledge.

A hidden blade in the dark was always more dangerous, and now its edge had been revealed.

“I had hoped the Mercenary King would manage to capture him.”

“It’ll be harder next time.”

“But looking at it from another angle—they lost more. Two demons, and both were eliminated. And these kids aren’t just trainees anymore.”

“Two, huh?”

The 72nd demon, Andromalius.

The 70th, Seir.

The 69th, Decarabia.

The 66th, Kimaris.

The 65th, Andrealphus.

The 64th, Flauros.

And now, the recently fallen 63rd, Andras, and 62nd, Valac.

“Eight in total.”

Thinking of it that way, it was astounding. They had waged a continuous war against hell.

And though it was a point of pride, the problem was that many more remained to be hunted.

‘But this time, it’s clear to me.’

Luina and Aint were starting to produce tangible results.

If he could gather all the available Royal Knights and Archmages…

‘We could hold out even if three or four demons descended at once.’

With enough preparation, of course.

Compared to the past, when even an incomplete Andromalius had made them tremble, the progress was staggering.

‘No, maybe we shouldn’t wait for them to be summoned. It’d be better to eliminate them before they cross over.’

After all, Aint had become a fully recognized hero—not only had he defeated Andrealphus at the Academy, but now two more demons.

His fame would soar.

He no longer needed to live obsessed with hunting demons to prove his worth.

And if they didn’t have to wait for summoning, they could seize the initiative.

With their current power, even if they fell into a trap, it wouldn’t be cause for panic.

‘If we follow Count Patrick’s trail, or if the prophecy book reveals something useful…’

Yes, there were still possibilities.

“By the way…”

Luina’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

“Can we really relax like this? This isn’t over yet.”

The demons had disappeared, but the creatures they left behind were still alive.

“I think we can leave them for a bit. After all, the citizens were evacuated properly thanks to my advice. And the more buildings get destroyed, the more reconstruction projects there’ll be… which is profitable.”

“I’m saying this because… they’ll probably die before that.”

“Die? Who?”

“Aaaaahhh! Daaad! Mooom!”

Screams of despair rang out.

“Quick Blade is pure explosion!”

And then, explosions.

The monsters’ bodies flew in every direction.

Even without seeing his figure, the constant detonations made it clear he was dashing around nonstop.

“Hey, if you’ve already killed the demons, help me out here! Fernan! Rector! Your student is dying over here! Where are you? I can’t find you! Damn nightingales!”

Dozens of monsters chased after Gismond.

“It’s fine.”

“It’s… fine?”

“If he can scream that loudly, it means he still has plenty of energy left.”

“True. If he were truly on the brink of death, he wouldn’t even be able to shout.”

“Save meee! Where is the royal army?!”

At the Mercenary King’s approval, Luina nodded.

“Indeed. Though I didn’t know senior Gismond had such a terrible sense of direction. I swear I saw him in the east wing at the start.”

Gismond’s rescue would have to wait a little longer.

***

“The demons…”

They had disappeared.

The King of Linelt broke into tears of relief.

They had survived.

The kingdom had survived.

When two demons descended upon the capital, despair had consumed him completely.

Although Aint Armian had experience hunting one, two was another story entirely.

He believed that would be Linelt’s last day.

But when the Academy’s rector appeared, and then that colossal golem he had only heard rumors about, the king saw a glimmer of hope once more.

When the golem began to toy with the two-headed lizard like it was nothing, the monster even drew a bit of sympathy.

“The demons have fallen!”

“We’ve won!”

The soldiers embraced and shouted with joy.

There were still monsters left to exterminate, but with the demons destroyed, it was impossible not to feel euphoric.

It might be a bit early to celebrate, but they deserved it.

“Brother.”

“Yuli.”

Yuli and Antenor couldn’t hold back their tears.

Unlike the king, who had spent his last years bedridden, they had felt Linelt’s ruin firsthand.

“…Thinking about rebuilding the capital is a bit overwhelming.”

“Forget that for now. This is a moment to rejoice.”

During the battle, they hadn’t been able to properly deploy the troops.

They feared the consequences, but they couldn’t allow the kingdom’s soldiers to die in vain either.

“And now…?”

“Yes. Now it’s possible.”

The king intervened in his children’s conversation.

“From this moment on, we shall exterminate every monster left in the capital!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Except for the small detachment left to protect the king, prince, and princess, the rest of the royal army split into dozens of squads and spread out through the city.

Their hearts burned with the desire to eliminate every last creature and bring an end to the nightmare.

And then, they arrived.

Aint Armian. Fernan Pellenberg. Luina Bercheff.

The Mercenary King Garrett Schreiner.

And the Academy’s rector, Michael Montella.

The heroes who had defeated the demons.

The saviors of Linelt.

Princess Yuli saw them and ran toward them.

“Heavens! Are you badly hurt?”

She pulled out a fine handkerchief and wiped the blood clot from Aint’s forehead.

“Ah, don’t worry, Your Highness. You’ll only stain your handkerchief…”

“If the kingdom’s benefactors are injured, what does a handkerchief matter?”

“She said benefactors, plural… but her eyes are on only one.”

“Forgive her. My sister has always had a soft spot for handsome faces.”

“Are you saying I’m ugly?”

The Mercenary King was offended.

“Ah, I didn’t mean it like that…”

“Lord Garrett, your face is… imposing.”

“If you’re going to insult my looks, at least pay me for it.”

“Even I wouldn’t stoop that low.”

“Bah, mercenaries and bandits are almost the same. Just hold the weapon the other way around and there you have it.”

The man laughed heartily as the group approached the king.

Rector Michael Montella stepped forward as their representative.

“It’s an honor to see you again, Your Majesty. I’m glad to know you’re safe.”

“Sir Michael. It’s been a while. I saw your feats with my own eyes—thanks to all of you, the kingdom was saved. I am deeply grateful.”

The king bowed his head, then knelt.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

“Please rise!”

“You saved us from disaster. How could I regret bowing my knees?”

The guards were left speechless, and seeing this, the prince and princess also knelt.

Soon after, everyone present followed.

“Thank you!”

“Please rise, Your Majesty. We only did what we had to.”

“And as you saved me by doing your duty, my gratitude is also a duty.”

The king stood up.

His attendants quickly brushed the dust from his cloak.

“That said, the true gratitude shouldn’t be for me, but for him.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I’m Fernan Pellenberg.”

“I’ve heard of you. They say you played a key role—is that true?”

“You flatter me, Your Majesty. I merely asked for the help of two great heroes; the real credit belongs to them.”

Ah, but most of all—

Fernan gently pushed Aint forward.

“Without the actions of Aint Armian, none of this would have been possible.”

“I saw your radiance. Indeed, the power of Armian remains worthy of its name. Thank you.”

“I-It was nothing.”

“Then leave your thanks with him. As for me…”

Fernan smiled kindly.

“Perhaps we can talk later about the reconstruction of this ruined capital. Of course, not here—but whenever you wish, the doors of the Golden Turtle Company will always be open.”

That said, he thought, I’ll need a signed letter confirming the reconstruction contract.

You never know when people change their minds after leaving the bathroom.

Fernan wore a warm and serene smile.

“…Very well.”

His face stood in stark contrast to that of the exhausted King of Linelt.