Chapter 57
FdrotgAn early morning, with sparrows chirping.4kLsc
aLalXFernan dragged his tired body and sat down in the garden. The servants served him coffee and some light snacks.u8W
LtV3“Are you alright, young master?”Dqw
aTK97“I’m exhausted.”VWUnwxK
klo2c7How many days had it been since he last slept well?tuk
hLoqm“Why don’t you rest a little?”zFG
dTnk“I can’t afford to.”cSHA
vJIUb0vHe knew he was pushing himself too hard, but there was no room to relax, knowing the appearance of the demon Andromalius was imminent.0UObgPD
w2u“Duke Randgard keeps complaining.”yVUKZ4w
5e7“Complaints? That grumpy dwarf is always grumbling, but when he’s working, the smile never leaves his face.”0abAA
7ZoJlRandgard was one of the best blacksmiths on the continent, now loyal to the Pellenberg family.Py7Ky
lPSib91Fernan was receiving help from both him and other artisans and mages of the family line.DdW
x70nIya“Duke Durleo’s help has been enormous. He’s corrected things I hadn’t even noticed myself.”fI01r9
xRWC3XtHaving the support of a great mage was, without a doubt, a relief.pmzV
SOQpAs“Hmm?”TkI
V9I18YlIt was then that Fernan sensed an unfamiliar presence.cqQ
QcfA man he had never seen before. Huge build, close to two meters tall. Muscular, covered in scars. He looked to be in his late forties.Hjgzuy
x9Xt“This guy isn’t from the family…”eQds3YD
jUJcBut what really made the back of Fernan’s neck go cold was that he couldn’t feel anything from him at all.orjBD
v7Q3SbkIt was one of two things—either he truly had nothing, or he was so strong he was beyond Fernan’s perception.tk0R
7tnxQ“Isn’t that the patriarch’s office?”tXDG
ZGk7k“Did he come from meeting my father?”l4F
28jSKwIf so, then he wasn’t an enemy. After all, no enemy would dare step into the heart of Pellenberg territory.frUI
0XpC3‘Who could be meeting my father this early? His face looks familiar…’qicFc
kkhcWhile he thought about it, their eyes met.jCDF
tzb“……!”zFd
mEu1A wave of terror ran through him, as if he were facing a wild beast. It was raw, latent fury—almost animal.exAF92
DPbN“What…?”HAK
0FAcFMfHyde hurried to step into his line of sight.hlQvT
ykA“I have no intention of causing harm. Step aside.”h3pkyW9
Af8MB31The man was already right in front of them.GxPA
6GomH1He lightly pushed Hyde, who couldn’t resist at all. And then, he fixed his gaze back on Fernan.BVx2S
rtpw“So it was you. The one who sent that boy there.”93z
NV2oyHis deep, growling voice seemed to pierce through Fernan’s chest. And at that moment, a flash crossed Fernan’s mind.SyB
h8JUuThe world turned upside down.EW1tX
cAW3GX[—So it was you. The one who was with that boy in that place.]Alc
yVzThe man seemed a bit older. But his aura hadn’t diminished.7cE
ctWY9No—on the contrary. It was wilder, more ferocious. His unfiltered rage made Fernan’s heart tremble.NhSew
YDTVj[—Yes. I’m sorry.]eosWO0
P4vfVj[—You don’t have to apologize. He was simply weak. I was the one who didn’t teach him enough.]s7P
trDZ4dFernan bowed his head. He, too, looked more mature in that scene.A7SvA
iHwThe man forgave him calmly, but the fury beneath his words hadn’t lessened in the slightest.L2Q
X8d[—How did he meet his end?]EHc
ENh[—He was braver than anyone.]fCxIg5H
qF0[—Damn fool. I taught him not to care about justice or valor, but only about money and life…]dHk
kw5nV1DHe let out a hollow, bitter laugh—a mixture of pride and regret.equ
0ySPrTB[—Who was it? Who killed him?]OguhGxy
9kJroq[—A demon.]oBQ
YOTa9Sa[—A demon?]J3y6q
7SR[—It was Andras.]msVSXmT
TnKl5Wc[—A demon, you say… And what happened to him?]BKQPpn
tDHJoQ[—I killed him. With Varus’s help.]qFs
PgOABMD[—I’d heard rumors that the corrupted were on the loose… But I thought it had nothing to do with me. And yet, they were the ones who took my disciple from me.]G9Z7VP
Soj6A1fThe man let out a sardonic laugh.CNEh1q
p1SV[—If they took Varus from me, then I’ll take what they’re after.]Sqh5uxH
Cv24xpP[—I’ll devote the rest of my life to killing demons.]FWqc
kxxYSA wave of hatred and bloodlust, beyond anything Fernan could imagine, slammed into him. His consciousness faded for a moment… until he returned to reality.4qhd
kTGrs‘Varus is going to die…?’4PH
XWCZWait—then this man was—u3rx7
eginzFernan fought against the headache and looked closely. His face was familiar. Of course—he had seen it in the records of notable figures.5FYnL4
SsJA1y“…The King of Mercenaries.”Ghuy3p
oaFw9DGOne of the few to bear the title of knight or mercenary.Zs279BU
niUZmGjOne of the ten greatest knights.zLwK
YFgCfBZ“You forgot the title, Pellenberg pup.”y2M
3PKFK“…It’s an honor to meet you.”HDZOW
19Ihol“I heard you were the one who gave Varus the mission. Why?”Ozb
m5pE“…I thought he was the most suitable for the job.”hnZ
EjT6jQD“He is. Not just because he’s my disciple. Varus is truly an exceptional mercenary.”a7F9
wlyThe King of Mercenaries let out a low laugh.oXhyN
o03Vy“I don’t blame you. You did nothing wrong, and giving a mission to a mercenary isn’t strange.”Q4gKjtj
okvAfter all, it was Varus who chose to accept it.NjXol
GS8nQ“And yet, I can’t help but think that if it weren’t for your commission, he wouldn’t have ended up like this.”QAQrqp
R0iz“…What happened to Varus?”gahSc0M
sz5WjQW“Ask your father. And do me a favor—stay as far from my sight as possible. I know it wasn’t your fault, but my emotions don’t understand reason.”FW3c2Fy
u38TThe King of Mercenaries swallowed his hatred and walked away.CmEav
ieaLOnce he was gone, Fernan was finally able to breathe, freed from that overwhelming pressure.0qYQ
1DmpVHy“Are you alright, young master…?”3U6dhoc
4xwz6ahHyde, who had been powerless before the King of Mercenaries, bit his lip in concern.uOmw
2xwcBtP“I’m… fine.”VsIJxbE
FSSHis head throbbed as if it were going to split, but that didn’t matter. What mattered now was something else.zD1WcP
2F87F‘Something happened to Varus!’giGFwX6
6qwxJJAnd that meant that if Aint was with him, he was surely in danger too.RH1
q7IWhat if his interference with the future had made the corrupted send a stronger force?YxDhH6E
TAcDamn it—Fernan clenched his teeth in anger.cmSC
vtAaxAt that moment—VhNWZu
S19“Young master, here you are. The lord calls for you.”ej3NEZX
EhNIKLA servant found him. Fernan went straight to the patriarch’s office.3cs
Nxk“You’re here. From your expression, I see you’ve already crossed paths with Garrett.”MIlCWO
R8WpAOGarrett Schreiner—the true name of the King of Mercenaries.nRsmo
AT3“Yes. What exactly is going on?”3Ce5LL
A5h2y“Garrett came to ask for our help. He wants us to track down the culprit.”rCTiMg
GdaRThe Pellenberg family’s information network spread like a spider’s web, unmatched on the continent.C4Arw
J5NrIt was only natural that the King of Mercenaries would come to them.VXb5D
BubXqfm“…The culprit?”2mB
t5BqcVE“In the Abellar subjugation operation, his disciple, Varus Dene, was seriously injured and has yet to wake up.”2vQd
Fz3v6a“……!”ObszHm
rf9BtfqFernan let out a sigh of relief.liP
pMu56He felt bad for Varus, but if the corrupted had achieved their goal, they wouldn’t have left witnesses.4rs3
xqFU5The fact that Varus was still alive meant—k5T9
yv09IHU‘Aint isn’t dead.’PFav
OQxDHope was still alive.wR1FESJ
cQw***b6mOd5b
uKP8y“What were you talking about?”t6ropfp
swxm“Something serious.”9Ug2Lr
jxzxAccording to the prophecy book, Aint was supposed to endure the attack from the corrupted alone. But this time, even with Varus and the Shadow Lance Company present, things had still reached this point.xiN6T
4Nrr‘There’s only one explanation.’8hsXicW
7xKHTWVIt meant that the future Fernan had altered was causing a butterfly effect.74wjwy
axg2DOAnd that, in turn, implied that the future could also change in unpredictable ways.QXP
LvI‘I only wanted to leave some minimal preparations for Aint’s growth, but that might not be enough.’lMFC23
g4A8OCfPerhaps it wouldn’t be Andromalius who appeared, but a different demon; or maybe the students wouldn’t just be infected with demonic magic and lose their minds, but something even worse could happen.ouNM5
tFdHMore safety measures were needed.fDw2w
6BwSomething that could at least prevent the worst-case scenario, like what had happened with Varus.tcK
fbs6He finished the letter and placed a small gem inside the envelope.ceZ5pH
K0Puv“You know who to send this to, right?”LltCYm4
lg8“To that greedy professor at the academy, right?”winqn3
dRalRBL“And this too.”IlJpfa
mLg“Another letter?”ixXl8
Hbi“To send to Luina.”8w6I
O2U“Understood.”RZYh
sZDhhHHyde received the letters.EhHAXS
zMoaSKI***0rrN
dn6vAfter a longer winter than other regions, the melted snow had turned the ground into a muddy mess.PcO
X82u6A knight in silver armor rode a white steed. The slippery mud was no obstacle, and her gleaming blue sword cut through the air, bringing monsters down amidst shrieks.K9eFyYC
bpJxLX“Follow Dame Luina!”48sb
L4Jgj“Charge!”j4KUN
beownThirty knights charged in unison.4MT8o1
3pFAxLike a sharpened spear, their charge split the monsters in two.jrZ8efm
74vrs“Good work.”ON2
2AH49There weren’t many enemies, so the battle ended quickly.460E
JNw1DfaLuina wiped the blood from her sword and gave a carrot to her horse, which was breathing heavily.Djry
Pgh5sk“You worked hard too. Truly, the area has stabilized quite a lot.”Bx3LVcy
v3poQtAAlthough she had returned to her fief in less than half a year, the difference was clear.QxyJX
yWw6W3The walls had been largely repaired, and the monster nests that had sprung up since that day were almost eradicated.zyPdAPn
dg2“Your Excellency worked hard.”BjV
gFNXO“It was thanks to everyone’s efforts. Let’s head back. This has been enough.”b5jL
MwEpuu0Since the purpose was reconnaissance, there was no reason to stay longer once they confirmed there were no new nearby nests.qFw
2xzU3w“Yes.”gMzvD
KmfVpThe reconnaissance squad, made up only of knights, returned to the fief.9htQ
1BZ“My lady, His Excellency calls for you.”qr9J
d9t“My father?”bZIEZ
UDBNtTFCount Bercheff awaited her in his office. He had prepared tea and sweets on the table, as if expecting her.l0JJ8
5w3qLgZ“Welcome.”dXalY
m1y8“No new monster nests were found near Alsen.”fLc5j
Em71“Good work. First, have some tea. There’s also chocolate, the kind you like.”NfcQxe
9MovKn“Thank you.”774ZBSq
2VWdLLuina, who was a bit low on sugar, took a piece of chocolate and put it in her mouth.alYNEpt
NQA9Np‘…It’s not the same.’uLps8
WwgAlthough it was high quality, she had grown too used to kraken-ink chocolate and felt this one lacked something.Ofm
vZlw“Here.”0sOdQ
vK7“What’s this?”JXMs
OY5jUqR“A letter for you.”RmuFTy
Qr1IXtmIt was sealed with the Pellenberg emblem, but it wasn’t from the patriarch.B7V
wMaYI“Fernan?”7V2ThW
kzN“When I was told you’d grown close to Fernan and even paired up, honestly, I didn’t believe it. But it seems it’s true. You even exchange letters during vacation.”jtxVpw
mFR“…It’s nothing special. Did you open it?”Vzy8Y
vdpb8q“I’m not so vile as to open my daughter’s letter. Though, of course, I was dying to.”ymVE5
VLtCRqLuina opened the letter.P2k1I
GQMIt didn’t say much.cDSfC
Hlq[Corrupted sighted.]yzWIZ
WQXzIYIt was both information and a warning. It told her to be ready, because when vacation ended, there might be a fight against the corrupted.YeS
cLyu‘Seems he’s telling me to return early.’syG
Nn0fThat was probably it.lpkIgj
B6pLQ“May I ask what it says?”C4ipQV0
MbgU“It’s nothing important.”Blp
44FSince they had decided to keep the matter of the corrupted and Fernan secret, she couldn’t tell him.PNaoF0
JNIj“If it’s nothing, can I see it?”jphh
L43“Why do you want to see it?”lTMgv
yFHzuY“Pellenberg may have lent us money, but they also keep us chained with that debt. I’m not sure it’s good for you to be so close to Fernan Pellenberg.”n1M
O6E5Z3j“Fernan promised to exempt us from interest for three years.”dpfaX
7dlnt“I know. Thanks to that, we can breathe a little easier.”eyh0T4S
QUXBut even so—wLOS1G5
oUrUi2n“I still don’t understand it. Why would a family so obsessed with money make such a promise and keep it? The debt we owe is enormous. Giving up that interest is no small matter.”6jDJ0qB
qIWeogT“That’s…”YLOrgz
eVF3q“No matter how much I think about it, I come to only one conclusion. But I don’t want you to end up married off as if sold to pay a debt.”pebVIx
gOJhKfLuina’s face flushed red.UccT
5lMDAL“…It’s not that!”PeBPL
rJxC1xt“Then, can you show me?”lg7G
gTGMiE“……”Nlfn
n0TK3“I feel like that letter is from that bastard Fernan pressuring my dear daughter. Since it arrived, I’ve resisted many times the temptation to open it.”poV
C1Dts“……”JR8SBX
D9RlrbUnder the count’s stern gaze, Luina bit her lip. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke.07Mp3qT
pbZr“Promise me you won’t tell anyone what you read.”1t1TZ
YZB“I promise.”du0zHEE
6Nr“On your honor?”0Qo
osW“Yes.”lcOX
9YL5gNMCarefully, Luina handed him the letter. The count read it carefully, then stood up.gR0dD
swj“Father?”eIK1sL
5Qm“Follow me.”XNqA
H7dUJ2“Where are we going all of a sudden?”Ry4Xdv
4Y2“You’ll know when we get there.”FpPpUqk
Z2AW9X1The place they went to was the heart of the fief.Zwjk
HupI“Open the door.”oXdlpg1
zh03“Yes, my lord.”VY7Ilk
jJK5PJThe soldiers opened a guarded door, revealing a staircase leading underground.gMmVb
tsU4“I’ve always wondered. The ignorant believe the north is a hell full of monsters, but that’s not entirely true.”hDhlL
ODm0Monsters were beasts, yes, but they were living creatures of this continent, with their own laws and ecosystems.Mkt2hBu
G5G3LD“But that day was different. They came in an unimaginable horde and swept through the fief.”R7q
HNW6JrRThough they had managed to hold out, it was barely. Much of the fief was destroyed, and many soldiers and civilians died.mSbYm
uv1iWithout help from other fiefs, the empire, and Pellenberg’s loan, Bercheff would not have been able to recover.Ytg
G6QG“It was something impossible.”zRl
Alm4HpbThat’s why, as they rebuilt, they also searched for the cause.Q2e
nTlODvR“And I found it. Recently.”8FQM1z
4mAYb“Found what?”4Ru6
9DQ4CsiCreak!v6T
7jWRkYBThe underground storeroom door opened.sEu1
K6aJYTJInside was a corpse.IAoFZJK
hQdpkWA repulsive, filthy, nauseating corpse that provoked instinctive rejection.eUnDADW
C2UNsG4“…It can’t be.”w57J
hMIkg“It’s exactly what you’re thinking. And thanks to it, I understood.”tHO
rFBVHe understood why that tragedy had occurred.sUpv3
p63BHow it was possible for dozens of different monster species to descend together.FVGA
rMmMU4“They didn’t come to invade. They were driven out of their territory by something stronger.”D9WHW
yfLyCIn the extreme northern lands, a demonic creature had made its nest.o8oMBR
AbE“……!”06H
4wK7“So tell me clearly, Luina.”ROj
QpLThe count looked his daughter in the eyes.y7Tmock
T6IxBA“What is really happening at the academy?”8EG
RPYQmLuina could no longer keep the secret.bgnHu
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