25. Cleanup (2)
25. Cleanup (2)
"...Kaisen. Oh, my son."
Those were Count Luvelt's first words as he opened his eyes. Patting Kaisen on the shoulder, Luvelt gazed at his youngest child, Ruine, who was beside him.
"Ruine, come here."
"Y-yes, Father."
Ruine, certain that her father had finally returned to normal, scurried over.
Yuma confirmed with his Searching Eye that Count Luvelt's alignment had shifted to good.
After fully savoring the joy of reuniting with his children, Count Luvelt looked at the man with dark gray hair standing at a distance behind them.
"Lord Yuma... thank you."
Yuma's brow furrowed slightly.
"You remember. Do you retain memories from when your consciousness was dominated by the Black Dragon?"
"Yes... I remember vaguely. I committed an indelible sin on my land. On this land of Luvelt."
Luvelt gazed at his son Kaisen again.
"I should pass on the title of count to you as early as tomorrow. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep breathing."
"Father."
"I'm sorry for making you bear responsibility for my sins... for my incompetence."
In truth, it could hardly be called Count Luvelt's incompetence. It was rarer for a human host, chosen by the Black Dragon's characteristic mental domination ability, to have the strength to overcome it.
"No, Father."
Yuma's party decided not to disturb the family reunion any further.
Perhaps Kaisen had given orders in advance, as the head attendant of the count's household approached Yuma's party.
"We will provide you with rooms to stay in."
Yuma nodded. For now, he intended to spend the night after this long and arduous day, and consider his next schedule with a clear mind.
***
"...."
Through the tiny gap between the window and the curtain, bright sunlight woke Yuma from his deep sleep.
Yuma slowly opened his eyes.
And then, things that cluttered his vision appeared.
It was the same phenomenon he had encountered the morning after defeating the Sword God Kronos.
Apparently, the rule was that achievement settlement occurred the next day.
It was a feast of countless notification windows.
[You have defeated a transcendent being.]
[You have accomplished an achievement far surpassing your own capabilities.]
[Rewards are granted!]
New!
[Skill - Danger Detection (★★★) : Detects killing intent. Detects all beings directing killing intent toward you. This is a passive skill.]
New!
[Skill - Absolute Counter - Disaster Split : A counter. Can be activated upon a successful Parry, identical to <Absolute Counter>. Upon a successful parry, you can apply <Absolute Counter> with the same attack power to up to 2 enemies besides the caster, who is the guaranteed target of <Absolute Counter>. Cooldown: 12 hours]
Absolute Counter - Disaster Split.
To summarize the description, it was a skill that allowed him to kill three people simultaneously with a single Absolute Counter.
He would have to use it in real combat to know, but even from the description, it looked very useful in one-against-many situations.
Though it was nothing but a pipe dream if he couldn't parry.
But Yuma was an extraordinary existence when it came to 'Parrying'. He was a martial artist solely devoted to parrying.
[Growth potential does not exist.]
[Increasing stats as a reward for achievements accomplished.]
[Name: Yuma
Lv.40
Personality Trait: Cool-Headed
Strength :50 Endurance :65 Defense :50 Agility :70 Growth Potential :0 - Mortal]
This time too, his level rose by 20.
His stats also rose by 20 each.
The growth of his stats was meaningful. Even 'Parrying' required a certain level of physical ability to support it.
Yuma clenched his fist.
As expected, he couldn't physically feel that his strength had increased just from this series of actions.
He would realize it once he experienced real combat anyway.
Yuma had completely abandoned the thought that he could live peacefully. He was living a life far removed from the word 'peaceful'.
"Huh... Dragon Slayer!"
As soon as Hestia saw Yuma, she raised her right index finger and pointed at his face.
Yeah, he had killed a dragon, no less.
If a guy like that said he wanted to live peacefully, it would sound like a laughable joke.
Tuk
Yuma placed his hand on Hestia's head. She was now accepted as part of his party and walked around the County of Rubelt without even wearing a robe.
"Be quiet."
Hestia's orange cat ears perked up straight.
"Eeek, yes, sir!"
Hestia, once again scared into using formal speech.
The way she had driven back enemies like a berserker in the special prison when saving Kaisen, or against the zombie-like horde yesterday, was nowhere to be seen.
Yuma stared at Hestia.
"Your younger brother. Is he alright? His name was Haruk, right?"
Hestia nodded vigorously. The corners of the Cat Tribe swordswoman's mouth twitched. The fact that Yuma remembered what she had told him and worried about it brought Hestia immense joy.
"Yeah! Haruk, his body is fine! And his mind seems fine too!"
Is that so.
Hestia continued.
"Now this County of Rubelt will stabilize soon, right?"
"It should."
Hestia's eyes shone as if she had made a decision.
"Hmm, I should help him settle down. In the count's territory. If I give him all the money they promised me, he should be able to get on his feet. Or maybe, should I ask them to give him a job...."
"Such details would be for Haruk to decide."
At Yuma's words, Hestia felt like she had been struck hard on the head.
"Ah, that's true! I was thinking too much from my own perspective!"
"Do you not intend to settle down here?"
"Eh... ehh!"
Hestia stepped backward and let out a strange sound.
"D-didn't you take me as your subordinate? After even giving me such a fine sword... sob, huk."
And suddenly she started crying!
Yuma clicked his tongue inwardly. He had explicitly said he was lending her the sword.
Yuma looked at Hestia anew.
She was clearly a talented person. She was a swordswoman with the growth potential of a Sword Master. Having her as a subordinate wouldn't be bad at all. No, she would clearly make an excellent bodyguard.
"Do as you wish. But your future won't be that smooth."
It hadn't even been a month since he came to this world.
Yet he had faced a dragon, and beat it. Yuma couldn't even begin to predict how much more twisted his future would become.
Hestia, who had roughly wiped her tears with her sleeve instead of a handkerchief, smiled bashfully.
"Yeah! There's no way the future of the Dragon Slayer, the Dragon Slayer-nim, could be peaceful! Adventures! Hardships! Trials!"
Yuma placed his right hand on Hestia's scarlet hair again with a 'tuk'.
"...Be quiet."
"Eeek, yes, sir!"
The previous 'be quiet' had been because she was genuinely loud, but this time it was because of a sense of foreboding. Adventures, hardships, trials! Those words sounded as if a prophecy was being declared.
Yuma went down to the second floor of the count's castle with Hestia. Cloné, the guest who had arrived first, was already seated on the second floor.
"Wow! That's really cool!"
Ruine's eyes sparkled at the ice flower blooming on Cloné's palm.
The count's youngest daughter, Ruine, was sitting across from Cloné, having a meal. Yuma approached Ruine.
"The Count and Kaisen?"
Ruine's face, which had brightened while talking about magic with Cloné, immediately darkened.
"Father's condition is very bad... He's eating separately with Kaisen oppa."
Cloné's eyes, filled with sympathy, turned toward Ruine.
"There, this time it's an ice deer."
"...Ooh! It's so pretty, unni!"
Ruine's face brightened again.
***
Around the time they were almost done with breakfast, the young blond boy Kaisen approached Yuma.
"Lord Yuma, I have something to discuss with you."
"What is it?"
"I will contact the Imperial Household. There is a communication tower with a magical device that can contact the imperial capital. Since you are here, Lord Yuma, I intend to contact Her Highness the 1st Princess Brigitte."
Kaisen continued.
"If I may be so bold as to ask, I would be grateful if you could attend with me. It seems the only way to lend credibility to my words is with your help, Lord Yuma."
Indeed, a dragon suddenly appearing, dominating the count's mind, turning the count's territory upside down as it pleased, and devouring the residents—it was a story baffling enough to perplex any listener.
If he, who could be considered to have resolved the incident, added his explanation, it would be a great help in making the situation understood.
"I shall."
Yuma readily agreed. There was no harm in seeing the face of the 1st Princess Brigitte himself.
'She's probably doing her own investigation into the oracle.'
Knowing Brigitte's personality, there was no chance she had delegated agent authority to him and just sat around doing nothing.
They needed to share their progress with each other.
Yuma and Kaisen headed together to the communication tower next to the count's castle.
Kaisen took his seat and picked up the black communication device, commonly known as <Mirbel>. It was an old-fashioned communication device shaped like a brick.
Kaisen pressed a button, causing the Mirbel communication device in the 1st Princess Palace to ring.
-This is the palace of Her Highness the 1st Princess Brigitte. Please state your identity and business.
It was the voice of Roian, the head attendant of the 1st Princess Palace.
Kaisen slowly opened his mouth.
"I am Kaisen, the first son and eldest child of the County of Luvelt. I am contacting you to report and discuss the current state of the county, and to request support."
After a very brief silence.
The deep voice of an old man came through the communicator again.
-Please wait a moment.
It was literally just a moment.
-This is the 1st Princess Brigitte.
A beautiful voice was heard.
Even for Yuma, it was the princess's voice, which he hadn't heard in quite a while.
"Ah, greetings, Your Highness the 1st Princess Brigitte."
-Is the agent I appointed, Yuma, currently in the County of Rubelt?
Kaisen's body flinched.
"Yes, he is next to me right now."
Yuma decided to relieve some of Kaisen's embarrassment.
"It's been a while. Princess Brigitte."
-I'm glad you're both there. There was something I absolutely had to say anyway. But first, let's hear what Kaisen has to say.
Kaisen, as if finding it hard to memorize the report, picked up a paper detailing the situation of the county and read from it.
"Yes, I will speak. Your Highness. From the circumstances, a Black Dragon awoke from a long slumber near our county, settled in a cave in the territory, and chose my father, Count Luvelt, as its host for mental domination. It then began to dominate the county as it wished."
The explanation continued.
"Over five months, it is estimated that about a hundred innocent citizens were devoured by the Black Dragon."
-...That is a most grievous matter. Prepare the utmost compensation you can.
The two talked about the incident for a long while.
-The name of that Black Dragon... There's no way you'd know it, would you?
"It's Elkham-Akreon."
It wasn't Kaisen who responded to Brigitte's words, but Yuma. He had taken the Mirbel from Kaisen.
-Yuma, how in the world do you know its name?
"I asked its name and then killed it."
Brigitte let out a laugh mixed with disbelief.
-As expected, hearing it directly from the person who killed it makes it feel real now. It's fascinating that you even asked for its name before killing it.
Yuma spoke again.
"About the mission you gave me. Do you have something to say?"
Mission.
Brigitte immediately realized what the word Yuma spoke implied.
About the Blue-haired Sword Saint.
-I have something to say about that matter. Sir Kaisen, would you mind stepping outside for a moment?
"Yes, understood, Your Highness."
Kaisen rose without hesitation and left the communication room.
-The Saintess delivered an additional oracle. After being forced into silence about the oracle once by Schubertche orabeoni, she has been cooperating only with me.
"...That guy is a real piece of work."
In a nation that values oracles so highly, to think he'd try to manipulate the Saintess who directly receives them as he pleases.
-Anyway, it seems the identity of the Blue-haired Sword Saint has been identified.
What came out of Brigitte's mouth next was definitely meaningful progress.
-The White Night Clan.
The White Night Clan.
-I think he's probably someone belonging to that clan.