Ending Maker Chapter 39
Ending Maker Chapter 39
Chapter 9 - Count Hraesvelgr Household
The Saelun Kingdom had three shields.
The Golden Lion Knights guarded the Silates Plain, which had been the greatest battlefield in the wars against the Argon Empire for generations.
The invincible fleet of the Southern Seven Houses ruled the southern seas.
And the last one.
And the Raven Brigade had held back the northern barbarians for the past three hundred years.
"The Northern Margrave is the leader of the ravens, and Thunderdoom Fortress is the ravens' nest."
If the Golden Lion Knights were the masters of open-field battles, the Raven Brigade were experts in defending fortifications.
Maintaining a standing force of ten thousand, the Raven Brigade had built countless legends alongside Thunderdoom Fortress.
One hundred fifty years earlier, during the great invasion led by Black Eagle, legendary chieftain of the northern barbarians, their ten thousand troops held off a force of one hundred fifty thousand. Later, in the battle known as the Tragedy of the Ravens, where the Count Bayel of that era died, they not only stopped an enemy more than seven times their size but also slew its commander, Fierce Lion.
"If you live in the north, always be grateful to the ravens. For they protect your lives, your families, and those you love."
The statement was not wrong. Many northerners felt genuine goodwill and gratitude toward the Raven Brigade.
And nowhere were that gratitude, pride, and sense of honor stronger than in the County of Hraesvelgr.
After all, it was home not only to Thunderdoom Fortress, the ravens' nest, but also to Count Hraesvelgr, the 'First Raven.'
'Now that I'm actually here, this does feel a little awkward.'
Yuder himself was, after all, a member of the Count Bayel Household.
As recently as fifty years ago, the leader of the ravens had been the Count Bayel.
This had all happened before the current Count Bayel was even born, but quite a few people—such as the old knight Victor Cromwell—still remembered the days when House Bayel had led the ravens.
Unlike the previous Count Bayel, who had little talent with a sword, the current count was powerful enough to rank near the top even among the Saelun Kingdom's Ten Great Swordsmen.
It was almost inevitable that he would develop a subtle rivalry with the current Count Hraesvelgr, another of the Ten Great Swordsmen.
Whatever the actual feelings between the two might be.
'I came because I needed to... but Lucas really is absurdly pure-hearted.'
To outsiders, Lucas for inviting Yuder and Yuder for readily accepting probably looked equally oblivious.
And that was without even mentioning Cordelia, who had clung to Yuder insisting she would follow her beloved fiancé.
"What is it."
"Why?"
"No, I just suddenly felt like I was getting the short end of the stick."
Cordelia tilted her head and sniffed as she spoke. Yuder marveled inwardly.
'As expected of Cordelia.'
Her instincts could practically put a wild animal to shame.
'In any case.'
Yuder looked forward again.
In truth, the party had not yet arrived at Thunderdoom Fortress.
But their destination had always been this place: Vedrfolnir, the trade city at the entrance to the County of Hraesvelgr.
'Thunderdoom Fortress is, literally, a fortress.'
Even so, a count's family residence could hardly be located inside a military fortress.
Count Hraesvelgr practically lived at Thunderdoom Fortress, but his family resided in Vedrfolnir, the most developed city in his county.
"My disciple, this is where we part for now."
Landius strode over and spoke.
Landius had been traveling to meet Count Hraesvelgr in the first place. He would part ways here and continue on to Thunderdoom Fortress.
"But my disciple, do not let me see tears. Tears are a needless......"
"Cause of muscle loss, right?"
"That's right. Our time together was short, but you truly learned well. As expected of the Heavenly Martial Body."
Landius, his face now full of satisfaction, laughed heartily and patted Yuder's shoulder again.
"But that is not the only reason. After I meet Count Hraesvelgr and take care of my urgent business, I will come find you again. It may be several months, but we will meet again."
"Yes, Master. I will look forward to the day of our reunion."
"Good. Don't skip your training. Let's meet again after you've grown sturdier."
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! Landius patted Yuder's shoulder, then turned toward Cordelia.
"Young lady."
"Yes, Sir Landius."
"Please take good care of my disciple. And be sure to carry out the task I entrusted to you."
"Yes."
Cordelia answered demurely. Landius laughed heartily once more, while Yuder looked at her curiously.
'A task he entrusted to her?'
'He told me to make sure you get your protein every day.'
As always, the two conversed with their eyes. Landius watched them with a deeply satisfied expression.
"You two truly are a loving couple. You are clearly a match made in heaven."
"I think so as well."
Lucas had been practically squirming for a chance to join the conversation, and finally jumped in.
But unfortunately, the conversation was already nearing its end.
"My disciple, I look forward to the day we meet again. May your muscles always be with you."
"M-Master, you too."
Yuder could not bring himself to return the wish about muscles and gave an awkward laugh. Landius laughed heartily instead, then lowered his stance.
"Then, my disciple, young lady, Lucas, and all the rest of you! Stay healthy until the day we meet again!"
Boom!
Landius kicked off the ground and shot upward.
He shot more than ten meters upward—no, nearly several dozen—then kicked off the air again and turned into the crimson flash they had seen on the first day.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
They had heard correctly. It was the sound of Landius tearing through the air as he traveled.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"
For several seconds, they simply stared blankly at the sky while Landius's distant laughter faded away.
The first to speak was Cordelia.
"He's the only one...... in a different genre......."
"......Right?"
Yuder agreed wholeheartedly and gazed toward the distant north.
* * *
"You must be exhausted from the journey, so rest well today. If there is anything you need or anything lacking, tell us immediately. Please make yourselves at home."
"Thank you, Lord Lucas."
"Thank you so much."
After seeing Lucas off with smiles—he had personally shown them to their guest room—Yuder and Cordelia ate, bathed, rested briefly, and then settled in for their usual private conversation.
"Everyone's so cooperative."
"Well... we've spent so much time alone together that by now it's probably normal to the knights."
The knights had reached the point of quietly giving them space without even being asked.
That tendency had only intensified after Dahlia returned to the Count Chase Household because of her injury. The knight who normally stuck closest to the pair was gone.
"Everything's fine, but do you really have to do that right now?"
"It'll be over soon. Just one more set."
After six straight days of constant exercise, not working out now felt stranger to Yuder than working out.
'My disciple, remember this. All of a man's strength comes from a stable and powerful lower body. It is already common knowledge that the circumference of one's thighs is directly proportional to one's lifespan.'
Yuder wanted to ask whose common knowledge that was, but he did agree that training the lower body was important.
'Humans are, in the end, animals that stand on the earth with two legs.'
A stable lower body supported a stable body as a whole, and only with that stability could someone properly use their strength.
"Ugh, the heat. It smells like sweat."
Cordelia wrinkled her nose, but even as she complained she deftly used Wind Cutter magic to make the special juice.
It was something Landius had requested before leaving.
"Still, your Nine Yin Meridian Blockage must have gotten a lot better, huh? You can exercise for that long now."
"My stamina seems mostly sorted out now. Opening the First Gate helped too."
After finishing his squats, Yuder took a long breath and accepted the juice Cordelia held out to him.
"Just wait. Once your Nine Yin Meridian Blockage is cured, I'll carry you, give you piggyback rides, get you over walls, nurse you when you're sick—the whole package."
"Sure, sure. I'll look forward to it without actually looking forward to it."
After their usual exchange, the two sat facing each other and began discussing their plans in earnest.
"Anyway, now that we're here, let's sort out the schedule going forward."
"The most urgent thing is the Sunflower Herb, right?"
"Right. The Sunflower Herb blooms fifteen days from now."
According to legend, the Sunflower Herb bloomed only once every twenty years and withered after just three days.
"We have to time it well."
"At the latest, we'll need to leave within a week."
They had to account both for the journey to Frost Anvil and for the time needed to overcome its obstacles and reach the Sunflower Herb.
"Once you eat the Sunflower Herb, your Nine Yin Meridian Blockage should be almost completely cured. You'll gain a special constitution as well."
"What do you get if you eat it as Yuder?"
"I don't know. I've never eaten it as Yuder. It's physically impossible."
Yuder's main scenario began half a year later than Cordelia's and Lucas's.
By the time Yuder's scenario began, the Sunflower Herb had already withered.
"Hmm...... If Cordelia eats it, her body would actually be ruined, so there's no helping it."
Extreme yang energy, like extreme cold energy, was practically poison to an ordinary person.
"You already went through Witchification. So this time it's my turn."
"What about the Nine Heavens Nine Gates?"
"That's that."
"I hate you so much."
Yuder gave Cordelia a sly grin and raised a palm as if to calm her down.
"That doesn't mean I plan to sit around doing nothing. Just like I obtained Nine Heavens Nine Gates this time... there's no law saying events have to follow the original exactly."
Cordelia tilted her head at Yuder's words, then understood. A broad smile spread across her face.
"Ancestral Regression Art."
If Yuder had been born with the Heavenly Martial Body, Cordelia had been born with exceptionally strong blood from a high-ranking angel.
Just as Landius had awakened a giant's power through the Ancestral Regression Art, Cordelia could awaken an angel's power as well.
"In the original, it's an event that happens after the midpoint......."
"There's no need to wait until then?"
"Exactly. Because I'm here."
The Ancestral Regression Art required a highly specialized magic circle and various materials, but the problem of the magic circle could already be solved.
The pattern was stored securely in Yuder's memory.
"Yuder Wiki is the best. It's so convenient."
"At your service anytime, my lady."
Yuder gave an exaggerated old-fashioned bow, then continued while Cordelia grinned.
"But as you know, we do have to gather the materials first. You know the materials needed for the Ancestral Regression Art, right?"
"Why would I need to know when Yuder Wiki exists?"
"Well...... that's true, but still, you know, right?"
"Of course. That's what you were about to say, right? The irreplaceable key material that differs for each target of Ancestral Regression."
"Right."
Ancestral Regression was a ritual that awakened the power of one's ancestors lying dormant in the blood, the currency of the soul.
To perform it successfully, however, they needed blood from the ancestral lineage being awakened.
"Landius probably used giant blood for his ritual. Giants may live in remote places now, but they still exist, so getting it probably wasn't too difficult."
But Cordelia was different.
Cordelia, on the other hand, needed the blood of an angel.
"Ugh...... is there a way to get angel's blood in the early game?"
"Originally, no. But now, there will be."
"What do you...... Ah! Lena!"
One of the five protagonists of Hero Legend 1, and the only woman among them.
In the original, Yuder and Cordelia had never even met her, let alone prevented her death.
But this time was different.
This time, however, Yuder and Cordelia intended to meet her themselves and save her life.
And Lena had angel's blood.
After all, Lena had awakened as an angel through the Ancestral Regression Art near the end of Hero Legend 1.
"As expected of Lena. We have to save her. Definitely."
"Right. But since we don't know where she is now, we need to save her at the exact time and place we remember."
The butterfly effect had already changed many things, but Lena's death event occurred beyond the border in the barbarian lands and was tied to another time-limited event, much like the Sunflower Herb. There was therefore a good chance it would still occur on schedule.
"Then let's organize things in order."
"Yeah. First up is the Sunflower Herb event."
"After we get the Sunflower Herb, we'll start undermining the 'Northern Barbarian Invasion' main scenario from the ground up."
"I think I know what you're thinking."
"Oh, really?"
"Really."
After all, Cordelia had once been ranked #2 on the server.
Yuder laughed pleasantly and continued.
"Right. While we're doing that, we save Lena and obtain angel blood."
Then Yuder himself would perform the Ancestral Regression Art and awaken Cordelia's angelic blood.
"I want to do it soon."
Because once she awakened as an angel, she would grow wings of light and be able to fly.
"Once you awaken, give me a ride too."
"What the hell is this crazy bastard talking about? What am I, a horse?"
"Anyway."
"Anyway?"
"Right, anyway. To make any of that happen, we first need to finish the Sunflower Herb event. One of the materials required for the Ancestral Regression Art can be found in Frost Anvil."
"Killing two birds with one stone."
"Right, killing two birds with one stone."
The two—after a long time apart, no, as always—fell perfectly into sync and began laying out their schedule in detail.
But the next afternoon.
Urgent news from Thunderdoom Fortress threw every one of their plans straight into the gutter.
"Because there were...... two attacks."
There had been two attacks by demon worshippers targeting the children of the Twelve Northern Houses.
Worse, only Yuder, Cordelia, and Lucas had been attacked the second time.
"Fortunately, Lady Sylvia, Lady Viola, Lord Felix, and the twin brothers of the Count Dahut Household were not attacked."
Some, such as the Count Dahut brothers, had already made it home. But others, including Sylvia and Felix, had been traveling home and still had not been attacked.
That suggested only one thing.
'Devil's Hand is targeting Yuder, Cordelia, and Lucas—or some subset of the three.'
Count Hraesvelgr therefore issued a strict order to Lucas after he returned home.
'Stay quietly at home. Together with your guests.'
After hearing Lucas out, Cordelia quickly looked at Yuder. Yuder asked carefully:
"Lord Lucas, then...... what will happen with the Sunflower Herb?"
"Father said he would send men separately to search for the Sunflower Herb. But before that... he believes we first need a large-scale search for Devil's Hand."
At Lucas's words, Yuder and Cordelia turned to each other again.
'This is screwed, right?'
'Yeah, I think so.'
According to Lucas, the Sunflower Herb matter would have to wait until the search for Devil's Hand was complete.
That created a serious risk that they would miss the Sunflower Herb's blooming period.
And unless Yuder and Cordelia went to Frost Anvil themselves, they could not obtain the material required for the Ancestral Regression Art.
"Father has permitted you to go out freely within Vedrfolnir, so... how about sightseeing around the city together?"
Lucas spoke with an apologetic expression that was, in a very Lucas-like way, rather cute.
'What do we do?'
'First, let's get him out of here.'
Once they made up their minds, the two put their plan into action without any further discussion.
"I understand the situation. Thank you for your concern, Lord Lucas."
"It's my first time in Vedrfolnir, so I'm really looking forward to it. Please take care of us tomorrow."
Yuder and Cordelia answered with smiles rather than disappointment. Lucas visibly relaxed.
"Understood. I'll personally show you Vedrfolnir's sights. It will be fun. I promise."
"I'll look forward to it."
"My heart is already fluttering."
Cordelia smiled with a hand lightly over her chest. Lucas blushed without realizing it and hurriedly spoke.
"Then I'll go prepare tomorrow's sightseeing route. Please rest well."
"See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, Lord Lucas."
The moment Lucas left the room in high spirits after receiving the warm hospitality of the Couple Con Artists—no, Yuder and Cordelia—
"Hey, what do we do? At this rate, we'll be stuck here with no way out."
It was just as Cordelia said.
If they obediently wasted their days sightseeing under Count Hraesvelgr's orders, they would lose not only the Sunflower Herb but any chance of saving Lena as well.
"There's no helping it. We'll have to do that."
"Do what? Is there a way?"
"There is. The same solution as always."
Yuder spoke solemnly, placed both hands on Cordelia's shoulders, and gave her a deeply meaningful look.
"What? What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Cordelia, you trust me, right?"
"What the hell is this crazy bastard talking about—"
That was as far as she got.
At that moment, Cordelia understood as well.
The same solution Yuder always used.
Moreover, Dahlia was not here now.
"F**k."
Cordelia swore, and Yuder took out a sheet of stationery.
* * *
'I am leaving on a private honeymoon trip with my beloved Lord Yuder. We will return within a few days, so please do not bother looking for us. Understood?'
The letter was found on Cordelia's bed the next morning.
Needless to say, Yuder and Cordelia were already gone.