Ending Maker Chapter 13
Ending Maker Chapter 13
Chapter 3 — Count Chase Household #2
Like the rest of the mansion, the Count Chase Household's reception room was brightly and beautifully decorated.
The floor was made of clean white marble, and the ceiling that paired with it was white as well. The wall, fitted with several large glass doors leading out to the garden, was a blue-green that gave the room a cool feeling.
A carpet that boldly used red and yellow to create a splendid impression, and luxurious furniture in overall bright tones.
It looked like the perfect place for beautiful noble ladies to gather and hold a tea party, but a single incongruous figure stood there alone.
"So you've come."
Arthur Chase.
Count Chase.
A member of the Four Strong of the North and a 7-star mage, he was one of the battle mages representing the north.
And as if displaying that fact with his entire body, he was large, fearsome, and sharp.
If compared to a sword, perhaps he should be called a claymore of a man.
'The Red Storm.'
Count Chase's alias.
Also called the "Red Mage," he always wore robes as red as blood, and now was no different.
"Yuder Bayel greets Count Chase."
When Yuder offered his respects, Count Chase, who had been standing facing the garden, turned around.
A tall stature approaching two meters, and short-cropped red hair.
Broad shoulders and rock-like muscles that appeared to have been forged on the battlefield.
Add to that a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through his opponent, and his impression was truly overwhelming.
It felt like facing a powerful warrior rather than a mage.
'Mother's genes really did their work.'
After all, all three of Count Chase's children, Cordelia included, were as beautiful as flowers.
Of course, Count Chase was by no means ugly. Rather, he had a masculine, handsome face with strong, bold features.
It was the same as when he had gone to see Leisegang. Perhaps because he was nervous, nonsense was running through his head.
"Sit."
Count Chase spoke in a low voice again, then took his seat at the head of the table.
Yuder swallowed hard, then took the seat Count Chase offered him.
If this had been an ordinary meeting, maids would have entered around now to offer refreshments, but between Count Chase and Yuder there was only a deep, heavy silence.
About ten seconds passed like that.
Just as cold sweat began to trickle down Yuder's back, Count Chase spoke again.
"I've heard a few things."
Here it came.
Count Chase looked down at Yuder while maintaining a rigid posture, and Yuder swallowed dryly before meeting Count Chase's cool gaze.
Honestly, he was scared. A feeling similar to when he had first seen Leisegang seemed to sprout in his chest.
But he did not avert his eyes. He squeezed out even the little internal energy he had and endured Count Chase's gaze.
Several seconds passed like that.
Count Chase, who had been staring at Yuder with eyes like glass beads, opened his mouth again.
"I heard you came across a fortuitous opportunity during that little escapade."
An escapade.
Count Chase was coming in hard from the start.
But Yuder maintained his composure. Deviation was not the only thing Count Chase had mentioned.
"I was fortunate enough to obtain the Sun's Necklace."
There was no way Count Chase did not know that Yuder had obtained the Sun's Necklace.
So instead of merely answering, Yuder took out the Sun's Necklace, which he had been wearing around his neck inside his clothes, and placed it on the table.
"This is the Sun's Necklace."
"Hmm."
A golden necklace engraved with the emblem of Solari, the Sun God.
Count Chase's gaze, which had been fixed on Yuder, shifted to the Sun's Necklace. He stroked the necklace a few times with his thick, rough fingers, then nodded.
"Indeed, an object that continuously emits extreme yang energy. You've obtained a remarkable fortuitous encounter."
The Sun's Necklace was a holy relic used by Garius, the champion of none other than Solari, the Sun God.
It was no exaggeration to call it a treasure of the church, so it was only natural for Count Chase to be impressed.
"In any case."
Count Chase set the Sun's Necklace down. He looked Yuder over once more, then suddenly pulled a small case from inside his coat and continued.
"This is useless now. Still, since I brought it, take it."
What on earth could it be? When Yuder sent a look asking whether he could open it, Count Chase snorted and said,
"Hmph, I'll say this in advance—it's nothing special."
It was a little ambiguous, but it seemed to mean he could open it, so Yuder carefully opened the case, and soon his eyes went wide.
'It is special!'
Inside the case was a Yang Energy Pill containing powerful yang energy. Merely opening the case seemed to fill the reception room with a deep, rich fragrance.
It was not an item that could cure the Nine Yin Meridian Blockage in one go like the Sunfire Carp, but it was a precious item that would greatly aid in treatment.
"And."
Before Yuder could even express his gratitude for the Yang Energy Pill, Count Chase spoke again.
He looked at Yuder with fierce eyes once more and asked,
"I've heard that when you jumped off the cliff, Cordelia held you. Is that true?"
"......It's true."
"Tch, you pathetic boy."
Count Chase clicked his tongue as if displeased, then rummaged through his chest again and held out another small case.
"A fruit that increases strength. The people around me are all useless mage types who only need enough strength to hold a staff, so take it."
'A Fruit of Strength?!'
Yuder looked at the case in surprise once again.
The Fruit of Strength permanently increased strength by a small amount, and like other items of its kind, it was nearly impossible to obtain in the early game.
A Yang Energy Pill, and now a Fruit of Strength.
'I-is he actually a really good person?'
No—could it be that Count Chase actually liked Yuder quite a lot?
His displeasure over the cliff jump seemed to be less about the jump itself and more about the fact that Cordelia had held Yuder.
His natural impression was fierce and he was clumsy at expressing himself, but he was actually a good person.
Yuder raised his head and looked at Count Chase.
He still had a frightening face, but somehow he looked different from before.
"And."
He spoke up once again.
By now, Yuder was beginning to feel anticipation rather than fear about what would come next.
"I've heard you will be attending the upcoming social gathering together with Cordelia."
A social event where the children of the Twelve Northern Houses—more precisely, the underage children who had not yet entered public service—gathered together.
It seemed Cordelia had given word that Yuder would be participating this time as well.
Yuder answered with a hint of anticipation.
"Yes, that is my intention."
"To make a long journey, one needs stamina."
He was absolutely right.
Yuder waited quietly, and Count Chase did not disappoint this time either.
Count Chase cleared his throat again, then pulled another small case from inside his coat and held it out.
"The people around me are all bookworms shut up in their laboratories, so it's useless. Take it."
'A Fruit of Stamina!'
As could be told from the name, it was an item that permanently increased stamina by a small amount.
For Yuder, who had poor stamina, it was a treasure as valuable as the Yang Energy Pill.
"And."
"Yes, Father."
When Yuder answered quickly, Count Chase cleared his throat, reached inside his coat again, and said,
"If you set out on a journey, that old fogey Count Bayel will probably pull some nonsense about a test or whatever. It's nothing much, but this should help."
He did not say what it was this time, but judging by the size of the case, Yuder could roughly guess.
It was definitely one of the fruit series.
'Ah, Father. Ah, Father.'
If he could play Hero Legend 2 again, he would find a way to get in Count Chase's good graces no matter what.
Wasn't this like a treasure goblin—no, a treasure father?
When Yuder's eyes shone with deep gratitude, Count Chase snorted once more, then rose from his seat and said,
"Hmph, our business is done. You may leave now."
"Thank you very much."
"There's a bag under the table. Put them in it and go."
Count Chase, who had spoken quietly, turned toward the garden just as he had been when Yuder first entered.
It meant there was nothing more to say.
In some ways it was rather rude behavior, but Yuder did not mind.
What more could he ask of a treasure father who had even prepared a bag for him?
As soon as Yuder gathered the cases and left the reception room, the people waiting outside—or rather, Cordelia—hurried over.
"Hey, are you okay? Did anything happen? What did Father say? Did he scold you a lot? D-did he say to break off our engagement?"
She looked genuinely frightened, if only a little.
Before answering, Yuder looked past Cordelia's shoulder and smiled at the sight of Maia and Dahlia fidgeting anxiously some distance away.
"Hey, I asked what you talked about. Huh?"
"Father said."
"Father said?"
"From now on, I'm supposed to carry you, not let you carry me."
"......Huh?"
Cordelia's eyes went round as if asking what he meant, and Yuder laughed merrily.
* * *
The garden of the Count Chase Household.
Yuder and Cordelia strolled through the beautifully arranged flower garden, while Maia and Dahlia stood side by side and watched the two of them.
Because of that, Cordelia covered her mouth with a hand fan and spoke in a small voice.
"So, Father gave you a whole bunch of items?"
"Yeah. He said to eat up, get stronger, and carry you around. Not the other way."
When Yuder said it again, Cordelia's face flushed slightly, and she snorted.
"Hmph, well, I'm glad anyway."
"You really are your father's daughter. The way you hmph."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Either way, it really worked out well. Once I eat everything Father gave me, my condition will be much better than now."
It was truly unexpected luck. If the state of his Nine Yin Meridian Blockage improved from now, and on top of that he ate the fruits of strength and stamina—and finally the Fruit of Agility he had been given last—then with a little exaggeration, he would become about 1.5 times stronger than now.
'Of course, my current state is really bad to begin with.'
In any case, 1.5 times was 1.5 times.
Just looking at the bag was enough to make him smile.
"By the way."
"Oh, are you giving me something too? I love you, my generous sponsor. Just call on me anytime."
"No, I'm not? Hey, anyway, so are you starting that now? The 'Father's Test' quest?"
"Probably."
Father's Test.
The first main quest to appear in 'Yuder Bayel's' main scenario.
As the name suggested, it was an event in which Yuder Bayel's father, Count Bayel, acknowledged that the Nine Yin Meridian Blockage had been treated and that Yuder was ready to venture outside the city.
In the game, after fully curing the Nine Yin Meridian Blockage through the Sunfire Carp event, you could attempt it after about one to two months of martial arts training, and despite being the first main quest, it boasted a difficulty that was not easy.
'That was one of the reasons Yuder was a niche character.'
His starting point was already later than other characters, and the Father's Test quest forced him to lose even more time.
Moreover, unlike other quests, it was a quest with no real trick or workaround.
"Don't worry. This is why I got the Thirty-Six World Steps. I'll be able to go with you as far as Langesthei."
"Hmph, it's not like I want to go to Langesthei with you or anything."
"Hmm, how should I put it. That's a really cliché line, but with your looks, it actually works."
"What the hell is this crazy bastard talking about?"
Cordelia blushed, as befitting someone who had just delivered a cliché line, and Yuder laughed quietly.
And Maia and Dahlia, who had been watching the two from afar, also wore pleased smiles. From a distance, the two looked like a cute couple shyly whispering words of love.
"Anyway, when does it start? We're leaving in fifteen days."
"Father will be back in ten days at the latest, so...... there won't be any timing issues."
He would pass the Father's Test quest, finish preparing for the journey, and then head to Langesthei together with Cordelia.
"Can I trust you?"
"Just get the travel preparations done. There are things we need to take care of along the way too."
This much was enough.
As expected of a rotten fossil, Cordelia immediately understood what Yuder meant.
"Then I'll be waiting for good news."
"Yeah, let's meet again soon."
The two bumped fists as if by habit, then walked over to Maia and Dahlia.
And one week later.
Count Bayel returned.