Chapter 254

The disaster was over.

All the demons that had descended upon the capital were defeated, and the mastermind fled, leaving only an arm behind.

What remained in the Kingdom of Linelt, which had barely managed to survive, was a completely destroyed capital.

“…This can’t be. Was this the capital?”

Den, one of the refugees who had evacuated under royal orders, couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

A city that once housed seven hundred thousand people—the pride of Linelt—had become a field of ruins. Everything had been wiped out.

“No matter how demonic they were, this is too much! My house! I bought it just a month ago, after saving for ten whole years!”

When the king awoke from his coma and decreed a forced evacuation, many resisted.

Why flee? Why abandon the capital?

They said demons had been summoned, but summoning demons in the heart of the kingdom?

It sounded absurd.

What about the knights? The law enforcement? The court mages?

What was the point of gathering the kingdom’s best talents in the capital if they couldn’t do anything?

Were they so incompetent that they would let demons descend upon the capital without lifting a finger?

No one believed it, but the evacuation was mandatory.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees were forced to leave their homes and scatter across neighboring cities.

And just a few days later, explosions so powerful they could be seen and heard dozens of kilometers away shook the horizon.

Panic over the confirmation that demons had indeed been summoned, relief at still being alive, and disdain for the kingdom’s incompetence—all of it mixed together.

But even a week after the explosions had stopped, the refugees couldn’t return.

The capital was still completely cordoned off.

Living off charity in other cities wasn’t easy.

So Den decided to bypass the military control and return on his own.

And what he saw left him speechless.

A capital razed with chilling thoroughness, makeshift tents everywhere, and reconstruction crews working tirelessly.

The operations were massive, but it was clear they wouldn’t be finished anytime soon.

His heart sank.

How was he going to live now? What would happen to his home?

At that moment, someone approached him.

“Excuse me, are you a citizen of the capital?”

“Who…?”

“Don’t be alarmed, I’m…”

The man handed him a business card.

『Golden Turtle Company, Linelt Branch — Emergency Aid Department — Hans Hentmann』

Linelt was the name of the capital.

“…Golden Turtle Company?”

“Yes, I’m a merchant.”

“But I’ve never heard of an Emergency Aid Department…”

“First of all, allow me to express my sincerest condolences for the state of the capital.”

Hans bowed respectfully.

“Please, take this first.”

“A newspaper?”

“Yes, from four days ago. You don’t need to read it all, just look at the front page.”

『The Kingdom of Linelt signs an agreement with the Golden Turtle Company to provide emergency aid to capital refugees』

In the photo, the newly awakened king was shaking hands with Fernan Pellenberg, both signing a contract.

“Emergency aid?”

“That’s right. This new department was created precisely for that.
Although the capital is being rebuilt, the citizens are homeless, right?”

That was exactly what Den wanted to say.

“The great and compassionate king of Linelt, moved by his people, decided to reach out to us.”

“And how…?”

“All citizens who can prove their residence in the capital can receive an emergency aid loan through the Golden Turtle Company.”

Each resident had an ID plaque, so proving it wasn’t difficult.

But Den’s face filled with suspicion.

“A loan? But the Golden Turtle Company is infamous for its predatory loans…”

“Certainly, we acknowledge that our reputation in that area has been somewhat questionable.”

“‘Somewhat,’ he says…”

“However.”

Hans interrupted and pulled out another document, freshly printed.

“This time is different. The agreement was signed directly with the Kingdom of Linelt. It has nothing to do with our old methods.”

“Really?”

After all, the king and nobles weren’t fools. They wouldn’t let their people fall into ruin knowing the company’s reputation.

“If you read it carefully, you’ll see this loan has no interest.”

“…No interest?”

Den flipped through the paper with trembling hands. It was true.

0% interest. He wouldn’t have to worry about an unpayable debt.

“Yes. The kingdom will guarantee the loan. As I said, it’s emergency aid. And how could it be called emergency aid if we charged interest to profit off others’ misfortune?”

Den carefully checked the contract, searching for hidden clauses.

Nothing.

It was completely legitimate.

There was a loan limit, but the 0% was real.

“I-Is this real?”

“Of course. Look, there’s the royal seal. With the kingdom as guarantor, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Then I want to apply too!”

“You can’t do it here. Where are you currently staying?”

“At the temporary shelter in Dras…”

Hans scribbled something on a paper and handed it to him.

“Then go to the Golden Turtle Company branch in Dras with this.
I’ve written my name as a reference; you’ll get additional benefits.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Thank you for trusting our company. I wish you strength… and may the capital be reborn soon.”

Den ran off.

Hans whistled in satisfaction.

“One more.”

When headquarters ordered them to offer 0% loans, he thought they were crazy.

Victims were still victims, but a company had to make a profit, right?

However, his worry had been unfounded.

As a high-ranking official of the company, Hans knew the secret behind those loans.

“The interest is paid by the kingdom…”

In reality, it wasn’t 0%.

Simply put, the full interest would be covered by the Kingdom of Linelt.

And even though the rate was low, the number of victims approached seven hundred thousand.

Even if only a quarter of them—say, 170,000 people—took out loans, the profits would be unimaginable.

And since the kingdom itself was the guarantor, as long as Linelt didn’t completely collapse, payment was guaranteed.

Moreover, the reconstruction of the capital was also under the supervision of the Golden Turtle Company.

It was as if they had stabbed a giant straw directly into the royal treasury.

“Let’s see… if I can get more people to apply for loans, how much was the bonus per person?”

With a sly smile, he set out to find his next prey.

And identical scenes were repeating in every city where the capital’s citizens had taken refuge.

***

It had already been two weeks since the demons descended and reduced Linelt’s capital to rubble.

Fernan had not left the kingdom and continued to reside in his former safe residence.

There were too many unresolved matters, and many of them required his direct supervision.

Since Fernan stayed, the others remained as well. Only the rector had returned to the Academy, determined to focus entirely on its reconstruction before officially resigning.

“I’ll keep my promise. I’ll speak to the professors. Professor Rosalia may be young, but she’s proven herself more than once. She could be a good candidate.”

He intended to appoint Rosalia as the new rector of the Academy.

“I’m exhausted. What’s on the afternoon agenda?”

“A meeting with Princess Yuli.”

After a late lunch, Fernan stepped into the garden to enjoy afternoon tea.

【The traitor was the second prince! The Mercenary King, unjustly accused while saving the kingdom!】

【The Mercenary King who fought demons even under a false accusation.】

“Hehe… that’s more like it.”

The Mercenary King, reading the articles filled with apologies and praise about him, smiled in satisfaction.

Even when he walked the streets, people recognized and thanked him.

【Even if the enemy is a prince, I cannot tolerate corruption! The Mercenary King who pursued justice and the greater cause at the cost of his honor.】

Not only had he cleared his name, but now he was even more revered than before.

“Are you satisfied?”

“Very. Just thinking about all the jobs that will flood in excites me.”

And these weren’t just empty words of gratitude.

Fernan had granted him a real reward, so the Mercenary King was more than satisfied with the result.

Although he regretted letting Count Patrick Pirandello escape, it didn’t affect his rising fame at all.

“But this is over the top.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean Aint. They’re praising him to another level.”

The Mercenary King unfolded another newspaper.

【The hero Aint Armian defeats demons ranked 62, Valac, and 63, Andras.】

【Grand Duke Pellenberg declares, If not for Aint, it would have been the Kingdom of Linelt, not the demons, that perished.】

【Aint Armian, the slayer of three demons—does he already qualify as a Royal Knight?】

【Rector Michael Montella saves Linelt.】

【Luina Bercheff proudly faces the demons.】

The articles dedicated to Aint were countless, far more extensive than those for the others.

The rector and Luina barely received a few lines.

It almost looked like a campaign to implant in the public’s mind who the true protagonist of it all was.

“It doesn’t bother me, but… do you really think Aint Armian could become emperor of the Empire?”

“If I didn’t believe that, I’d have never started this.”

“Schwaben won’t sit idly by.”

“I’ve heard that line too many times already.”

In fact, Schwaben had already sent assassins after Aint.

But it was pointless. And now, they couldn’t do it again.

All eyes on the continent were on Aint.

If anything happened to him, Schwaben would be the first suspect.

“The hero who defeated three demons… people will start comparing him to the legendary first emperor.”

The devastation of Linelt had left a deep mark on the world.

The previous demon appearances had been in isolated areas—the monster-infested north of Bercheff, or the Academy, which was still a remote island.

But Linelt was different.

It was the capital of a historic kingdom.

And if it could happen to Linelt, what would stop it from happening to other kingdoms?

And it wasn’t just one demon—but two.

Fernan flipped through the paper and read another headline:

【Duke Yvon Pellenberg declares, The arrival of the demons exceeded all expectations. Now is the time to unite for the greater good, not to compete for selfish interests. Is the Alliance finally moving forward?】

“Humanity will have no choice but to rely on Aint. And Pellenberg, of course, will support Armian.”

And if things followed their course—who could stop Aint Armian from becoming emperor one day?

“To be honest, I’m not great at seeing the big picture.”

Nor did he care to rack his brains over it.

“There’s only one thing I think about when I take a job, when I bet on someone—do I win or lose money?”

“And with me?”

“With you, I never lose.”

The Mercenary King took a long swig of his beer.

“Keep hiring the Red Wolf mercenaries.”

“Of course. I’ll visit them with full hands.”

“Don’t talk like you’re about to leave.”

“And those two?”

“They’re geniuses. Both Aint and Luina. Teach them one thing, and they learn a hundred.”

Coming from the Mercenary King, who was stingy with praise, that meant it was sincere.

And with good reason. One was a hero recognized by the Book of Prophecies, and the other a knight with comparable strength.

“Training with them wasn’t a waste of time. Though some people might start to resent me.”

For teaching too much to the young ones who would eventually surpass them, of course.

The Mercenary King burst into laughter.

After all, the number of Royal Knights and Archmages was limited.

For two new ones to join, two others had to fall.

“So you really think both will become Royal Knights.”

“If they fully absorb what they learned fighting the demons, without a doubt. And it won’t take long.”

At most, just a few months, assured the Mercenary King.

“Excellent. And what about Wooden?”

Wooden had taken advantage of Fernan’s lessons to train alongside Aint and Luina, slipping in among them.

— Kyuu!

Hearing his name, Wooden peeked his head out from inside the robes.

“Compared to those two, he’s a bit slow.”

— Kyu…

Wooden drooped his ears, dejected.

“But that’s only because they shine too brightly. He has talent, and if trained properly, he’ll be useful.”

— Kyuu!

After all, Wooden had the physical abilities of a golem.

In swordsmanship, Aint and Luina were superior, but in everything else, Wooden had the edge.

“That doesn’t mean he always wins, of course.”

— Kyuu…

“Does he have bipolar disorder or what? With every word, his emotions rise and fall like a rollercoaster.”

“He’s a spirit. That’s why he’s so pure.”

Fernan smiled and patted little Wooden’s head, who still seemed hurt by the remark.

Every being needs a reward.

Just as Fernan had plunged his “financial straw” into the Kingdom of Linelt, Aint had gained fame, and Luina had achieved a new understanding.

Ambition—and the reward that satisfies it—was the best fuel to keep going.

“Wooden, your shield has arrived. Good work in the battle against the demons.”

That was his reward.

— Kyuuuuiii!

“Oh, right, it came with a letter. It was sent by someone very special—your mother, the one you love most.”

— Kyuu!

Wooden squealed with joy.