Chapter 30
Chapter 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Chapter 10 - Count Gleston's Household #2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The protagonist of the first episode in *Dragon Hunter Origin*, the 'Western Arc,' Anne Rose's story went like this.
Anne Rose was a girl who lost her parents to evil dragons that raided her village.
She was taken in by the renowned 'Monster Hunter' and fighting archaeologist—Weapon Master Arma Valentine—and at the age of seventeen, she set out on a journey of martial training.
"Find your own weapon."
With her master Arma Valentine's words engraved in her heart, Anne Rose visited Venus City during her travels.
It was to show her face to Count Gleston, her father's close friend who was like an uncle to her.
'But he's Lilia's uncle too, huh?'
Count Gleston.
Not an uncle to everyone, but at least to Lilia and Anne Rose, he was.
"Thank you for saving Lilia. We are deeply indebted to you."
In the reception room of Count Gleston's household.
Even though it was after sunset, the handsome man with a gentle impression, Count Gleston, wore a warm smile across his face.
He was probably in his early forties?
In the game, he appeared briefly at the very beginning and vanished, so Luther couldn't remember him clearly. But facing him now, the man gave off an incredibly distinctive vibe.
He was handsome, sure, but his face radiated a strong 'good person' aura.
[Master, don't let your guard down just because of that.]
[People who look squeaky clean on the outside but are rotten inside are a cliché in this line of work!]
How does someone who claims no memory know about clichés?
Luther felt a momentary doubt, but instead of dwelling on it, he met Count Gleston's gaze.
The count had looked at him first, after all.
'It really is burdensome.'
Count Gleston was indeed related by blood to Lilia.
He had the exact same moist, pleading eyes that tugged at you.
The problem was that Lilia was a beautiful woman, while Count Gleston was a man—and a middle-aged one at that.
[He's handsome, though.]
[Of course, I prefer strong men like Master over that soft, hazy type, so rest easy.]
'Y-yeah.'
That was oddly energizing.
And Integra's voice was genuinely helpful.
Count Gleston's gaze was so burdensome to meet stone-cold sober—it was practically bewitching.
"Lilia's benefactor is like a benefactor to me. Please rest comfortably, even if our hospitality is lacking."
"Thank you."
Luther replied on behalf of the group, then glanced back at Karen.
She sat with her usual composed expression, but for some reason, it felt off compared to normal—a subtle sense of incongruity.
[Karen seems burdened by Count Gleston's gaze too.]
'Is that…… what it is?'
It felt a bit different from that.
But it wasn't a big deal worth making an issue of, so Luther shifted his gaze to Lilia instead.
Lilia smiled brightly at Luther, then turned to Count Gleston and said,
"Uncle, may I show Luther and the others to their guest rooms? They're all exhausted from the journey."
"Oh, yes. Please do."
Count Gleston replied softly and clapped his hands lightly. The butler waiting outside entered the reception room.
"I am Aile, in charge of escorting you."
It seemed the guest rooms were already prepared while Count Gleston was speaking.
Lilia stood up with an "Understood," Karen and Max paid their respects to Count Gleston, and Luther awkwardly mimicked Karen to do the same.
'There has to be some backstory here.'
Karen and Max.
Especially Karen.
She called herself an adventurer, but she used formal speech with just the two of them, and she seemed well-versed in noble etiquette—this superpowered girl.
[Anyway, Master, let's move.]
'Yeah.'
Luther, the last of the group to stand, walked side by side with Lilia as she naturally approached, heading to the guest rooms.
"Luther's room is here, Karen and Max's is over there. My room is right next to Luther's."
As befitting the mansion of Venus City's lord, Count Gleston, there were many lavish guest rooms.
Each was a large room divided by partitions, complete with huge beds and even private baths.
[This seems better than the fancy inn in Anus Village.]
Luther agreed.
Lilia asked the escorting butler for tea, then sat at the table in one corner of Luther's room with the group.
She'd ordered tea on purpose—she clearly had something to say.
"Uncle…… has taken care of me since I was little. He's like a real father to me."
Count Gleston had taken in Lilia after she became an orphan from a carriage accident in her childhood.
He raised his niece like his own daughter and was the first to recognize her talent as an Enchanter.
"I've received so much from him. He's managing the inheritance my parents left me too. If I'd handled it myself, bad people definitely would've taken it all."
It was a fair point—she'd nearly lost her money and her life to adventurers she'd hired just because they were handsome.
[But Master, something smells off.]
[What if he's not managing her fortune but siphoning it? And when Lilia tries to claim it later, it's all in Count Gleston's name? Something like that?]
'Plausible, but the ending would be way too grim.'
[The world is grim by nature.]
[And it's a cliché.]
'No, still.'
Count Gleston's face looked too kind for that.
Of course, as Integra suggested, that could be the setup for a twist, but his attitude toward Lilia didn't scream villain either.
'He took good care of Anne Rose too, come to think of it.'
Speaking of which, had Anne Rose not arrived in Venus City yet?
Luther had played *Dragon Hunter Origin*, but he didn't remember the exact start date.
He didn't know the precise day, but he had a rough sense of the timing, so the margin of error was maybe a day or two.
'About a week before the game starts…… so she's probably en route to Venus City right now.'
Anne Rose, protagonist of the Western Arc.
A girl with long, vivid golden hair and red eyes.
As the first playable character in *Dragon Hunter Origin*, she was the one players spent the most time with—the true protagonist of the game.
'Anne Rose……'
Luther felt his heart beat a little faster.
She was the first character he'd actually liked from the game that he might meet in person.
'Sandalphon…… honestly, I wasn't a fan.'
A male side character—and a 'madman' at that—Luther had zero interest.
But Anne Rose was different.
The story of *Dragon Hunter Origin* revolved around her, so throughout the playthrough, Luther had shared her joys, sorrows, and pains.
Anne Rose, the Maiden of the Sun.
The great hero of the future who never gave up and fought on amid the despair of promised destruction.
Luther closed his eyes briefly, picturing her.
Her face, beaming with a strong smile, came to mind naturally.
[Assigning Master 1 demerit point.]
Snapping to attention at Integra's sulky voice, Luther realized not just her, but Lilia, Karen, and Max were all staring at him.
He'd gotten a bit carried away thinking about Anne Rose.
"Sorry, just a little tired."
Karen and Lilia nodded understandingly as Luther offered an awkward smile.
"You went through so much yesterday."
"Right, get some rest now. If you need anything, ring the bell on the table. We can talk about plans tomorrow."
Karen and Lilia spoke caringly, just like Integra.
'Come to think of it, this is where Lilia parts ways.'
Karen and Max had joined to help with Luther's own matters, so they'd stick around to the next fragment site. But Lilia's destination was Venus City for the academic conference.
She'd already arrived—in Count Gleston's house, no less—so no reason to travel together anymore.
[Aw, too bad. Hehe.]
'That doesn't sound regretful at all?'
[What? No way. Hahaha.]
Luther chuckled at Integra's transparent reply, then nodded to Karen and Lilia.
"Yeah, let's talk plans tomorrow."
"Yes, Luther. See you tomorrow."
Lilia gave a warm farewell and stood. Karen and Max followed suit.
And about two hours later.
Judging the night deep enough, a mini-Integra appeared before Luther.
[Master, it's 9 PM local time. Life signs in the mansion have dropped sharply—this is our chance.]
[I'll map out the Gleston household structure with the drone.]
[Equipping the nanosuit on your right arm.]
[Clench your right fist, thrust it forward, and shout 'Transform'!]
"Wha—no, wait. Why the sudden transformation stuff?"
It had equipped silently until now.
At Luther's point, Integra replied crisply.
[With the second core unlocked in the core system, the nanosuit has been enhanced.]
[It's the new activation signal.]
"For real?"
[Absolutely.]
Her dead-serious tone and expression made Luther purse his lips a few times before thrusting his fist forward and muttering softly,
"T-trans…… transform."
[Louder!]
"Transform!"
Integra reacted instantly as Luther yelled with a flushed face.
[Lolololol so cute~]
"Hey!"
It was a lie after all!
But before Luther could say more, Integra switched to a serious tone.
[Equipping nanosuit.]
[Right arm.]
[Safety device release.]
[System all green.]
[Universal Doll Decisive Battle Weapon ZX-999 Luther Light Seeker, activating!]
It sounded like random nonsense no matter how you sliced it, but the nanosuit did equip on his right arm.
[Master, now say 'Launch, launch, launch'—got it. I'll handle it.]
Under Luther's cold glare, Integra giggled "Ehehe," vanished, then shouted in a warm, spirited voice.
[Integra, launching!]
*Schwing—!*
With a click, a coin-sized drone detached from the back of his right hand and shot up to the ceiling.
[Prioritizing mansion structure mapping.]
[The Spirit Jewel is in the main building, right?]
"Yeah, main building…… probably stored on the second floor."
The first scenario of *Dragon Hunter Origin*'s Western Arc.
While fighting off Hecatoncheires operatives and moving through, Anne Rose witnesses Valboa descending the stairs from the main entrance, clutching the Spirit Jewel in one hand.
'Escaping Valboa and fleeing Count Gleston's household was Anne Rose's first mission.'
Sadly, no matter what you did mid-playthrough, you couldn't save Count Gleston.
Anne Rose was the 'sole survivor of the massacre.'
'But this time, I can save him.'
Not just Count Gleston, but everyone in his household.
For Lilia's sake, who would be staying and eating here during the conference, they had to steal the ticking time bomb that was the Spirit Jewel ASAP.
[Exactly, Master.]
[So our actions now are noble deeds to save these people.]
[Definitely not selfish theft.]
"……Yeah, let's go with that."
Nodding at Integra's sophistry-that-wasn't-quite-sophistry, Luther lay on the bed and closed his eyes.
To share vision with the drone.
"Integra, mind if I try piloting it myself?"
[Hm…… Alright. It's risky, but this could be your chance to learn drone control.]
[Move your hands like you're gripping a joystick—it'll reflect in the controls.]
"Got it."
As Integra said, he gripped the air like holding a stick and moved his hands; the drone responded perfectly.
[Once you reach the main building, I'll generate a map.]
[Move stealthily.]
"Yeah."
Luther began maneuvering the drone slowly. With vision sharing, it felt just like playing an FPS game.
And when he reached the main building after passing the annex corridor with the guest rooms—
[Master, this seems to be the household's bathhouse.]
"Yeah."
Entering through an open vent window for air circulation revealed a marble bath.
A thin white cloth blocked the direct view of the tub, but steam fogging the air like mist suggested someone was using it.
[Life signs from inside.]
[No way the Spirit Jewel is here—let's exit immediately.]
Luther nodded reflexively at Integra's authoritative tone and tried to pilot the drone out.
But right then—
"It's too bad we have to part here. Don't you think so too, Karen?"
The voice drifted through the steam from beyond the thin white cloth.
It was unmistakably Lilia's.