Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Rumakas
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“Feeling any better?”
“Not yet.”
Andrew replied with a stiff expression.
Skevin glanced at the closed door and continued.
“What about Millerph?”
“He regained consciousness at dawn, but it doesn’t seem like he’s passed the critical point.”
“Hmm…….”
As worry piled up on Skevin’s face, Rusanna approached.
“Sir Skevin, the Lady is looking for you.”
Skevin nodded and said to Andrew.
“Tell me the moment the Young Master wakes up.”
Rusanna watched Skevin’s retreating back as he headed to the office, her face full of pity.
“He hasn’t slept a wink for two days straight?”
“Not just him—the entire Knight Order has been staying up without rest, waiting for the Young Master to wake.”
“He needs to wake up soon so the Lady can regain her strength too. Sigh—.”
Rusanna let out a deep sigh as if the ground might cave in and looked at Andrew.
He looked utterly exhausted too.
He must not have slept a wink in two days while nursing Arthur.
For the sake of all the worried people around, Arthur had to wake up soon.
“Hang in there. The Young Master will definitely wake up.”
“I believe he will.”
“Right. But how’s Young Master Aild holding up? It must be hardest on him of all.”
“He hasn’t slept or eaten for two days, pouring all his effort into saving him with a single-minded determination.”
Andrew looked at the door with a worried face.
***
“Let’s try this for now.”
Aild poured the prepared ingredients into a large beaker and added all the troll blood he had painstakingly obtained years ago.
It began bubbling like a chemical reaction, generating intense heat.
“Please…….”
Aild stepped back, clasping his hands tightly and praying for success.
The ingredients mixed with the troll blood turned pitch black, then gradually lightened in color.
After about ten minutes.
It had transformed into a transparent emerald-colored liquid.
“It worked!”
Aild’s face lit up with emotion.
It wasn’t perfect, but this should wake Arthur.
He poured the liquid from the beaker into a cup and walked over to the bed where Arthur lay. Then he gently pried open Arthur’s lips with his fingers and fed it to him little by little.
“Please wake up.”
He gripped Arthur’s hand tightly with desperate hope.
As if his feelings had reached him, a reaction soon appeared from Arthur.
Arthur grimaced and clutched Aild’s hand firmly.
“Arthur…….”
“No!”
Arthur shouted as he abruptly sat up.
“Huff, huff, huff.”
He breathed heavily all of a sudden, sweat pouring down like rain.
Aild examined Arthur’s condition and asked.
“Are you okay?”
“W-water…….”
“Y-yeah.”
Aild nodded quickly, fetched some water, and handed it over.
Arthur gulped it down and looked around.
“What happened?”
“Wait a moment, Andrew!”
“Yes! Young Master!”
Andrew burst through the door.
Standing outside, he had grown anxious at the sudden loud noise from within.
Was something wrong with Arthur? Or had something happened to Millerph?
All sorts of ominous thoughts flooded his mind.
Seeing Arthur awake, contrary to his fears, his chest swelled with emotion, and tears streamed down his cheeks.
“Young Master! Sob, sob.”
He wiped his tears with his sleeve and hurried to Arthur’s side.
Arthur nodded and said.
“Sorry.”
“You mustn’t say that. You are the pillar of the Julius Count Family and the hope of the territory’s people. You must always show your proud and dignified side. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear those words.”
“Good. Engrave those words in your heart.”
Arthur continued with a faint smile.
“Call Skevin.”
“Yes, sir!”
Andrew grinned brightly and rushed out.
Arthur stared at the door for a long while after he left, then turned his gaze to Aild.
“What happened?”
“You were unconscious for two days.”
“What!”
Arthur was startled.
“I couldn’t ask what happened while treating you. Skevin brought you here, so ask him.”
“I see.”
As Arthur nodded, Millerph came to mind.
“What about Millerph?”
“Mm.”
Aild’s face hardened, and he walked over to the curtained area, pulling back the curtain.
There lay Millerph, asleep on the bed.
“He woke up at dawn today, but his condition isn’t good.”
“How bad?”
“He’s barely holding on with the power of potions right now.”
“What if we ask a mage from another territory?”
“It probably won’t…….”
Aild trailed off, then seemed to remember something and continued.
“There is a way, but it’s so dangerous it could cost his life.”
“What is it?”
“Elixir. It’s said to be a divine medicine that can even bring the dead back to life. Don’t you think Millerph could recover if he took it?”
“Where is it?”
“They say dragons make it, so maybe in a dragon’s lair?”
“I see.”
As Arthur got out of bed, Aild’s eyes widened.
“What are you doing?”
“This isn’t the time to be lying around idly.”
Arthur rummaged for his clothes, dressed, and prepared to head out.
At that moment, Skevin entered.
“Young Master!”
Seeing Arthur, his eyes reddened.
He had so much to say, but there was something he had to do first.
He approached Arthur, knelt formally, and bowed his head.
“I’ll report the Knight Order and territory status. Sixty-seven injured, thirty-five dead. Half the village burned down, and…….”
Arthur listened silently to the full report before speaking.
“We’ll hold a week-long memorial rite.”
“Yes, sir.”
“The families of the dead will be regarded as heroes who sacrificed for the Julius Count Family and Grada Territory, and they’ll receive compensation befitting that.”
“Thank you.”
“After the memorial rite, we’ll begin village repairs. Once cleanup is done, I’ll reward the Knight Order for their victory in the territory war.”
Tears welled up in Skevin’s eyes as he kept his head bowed.
Even after barely surviving a brush with death, Arthur was prioritizing the Knight Order and the people, filling Skevin with admiration and overwhelming emotion.
Seeing the sovereign he had always dreamed of, his heart swelled.
But given the situation, he couldn’t show his joy outwardly.
He simply swallowed it down and awaited Arthur’s next words.
“Let’s talk.”
As Arthur headed for the door, Aild asked.
“Are you really okay? Tell me immediately if anything feels off.”
Before stepping out, Arthur paused and turned to meet Aild’s eyes.
“Looks like you’ve found what you can do.”
“Y-yeah…….”
Aild continued a bit awkwardly.
“The day my brother died, I resolved to do what I’m best at.”
“Good thinking.”
“I’m not sure if it’ll help you. But just wait a little. I’ll do my part, however small, to rebuild the Julius Count Family.”
“You’re already a huge help.”
As Arthur walked out, he added one more thing.
“Thank you.”
Skevin hurriedly followed Arthur.
Left alone, Aild stared blankly at the door, then a faint smile formed on his lips.
He turned his gaze to Millerph.
“Did you hear that? I’ll do my best too, so you can’t give up, Millerph.”
***
“What happened?”
Up on the ramparts, Arthur gazed at the western mountains and asked Skevin.
Skevin recounted the situation from two days ago when he found him.
“I see.”
“Did you fall with the ogre?”
Arthur nodded, recalling what happened at the base of the cliff.
When he entered the secret space, a voice had echoed in his mind.
He pondered the words it had spoken.
‘The chosen one…….’
No matter how he thought about it, it seemed to refer to Teheran Julius.
The dragon emblem on the wall had reacted to the necklace’s light, allowing entry.
But why wasn’t he the chosen one?
Come to think of it, it had said he lacked the qualifications.
‘Qualifications, huh…….’
Putting the situations together, it seemed certain qualifications were needed to enter.
What could those qualifications be?
He was deep in thought when.
Suddenly, a burning heat flared up below his navel.
‘What’s this?’
Arthur grimaced and placed his hand on his stomach.
Skevin, watching from the side, grew tense.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ugh…….”
The intense heat from his stomach felt like it was spreading through his veins to his entire body.
His whole body ignited like lava in an instant.
“So hot…….”
“Young Master!”
Skevin hoisted Arthur onto his back to take him to Aild.
Far from hot, his body felt like ice. The chill pierced to the bone.
“Why is this happening?”
Bewildered, Skevin was about to rush down when.
“……!”
He flinched in shock and dropped Arthur.
His body had suddenly grown scorching hot, like it was on fire.
Meanwhile, Arthur huddled on the ground, shivering violently.
The exact opposite of before.
“This is insane.”
Skevin was at a loss.
He couldn’t carry him like this—he was a blazing fireball.
Better to fetch Aild.
“Hold on just a bit. I’ll bring Young Master Aild right away.”
Skevin dashed down quickly.
“Ugh…….”
Arthur grimaced in agony, rolling on the ground.
Then his body flushed red, then paled white, repeating endlessly.
“What the hell…….”
As Arthur gritted his teeth against the pain!
A thunderous roar exploded in his mind like a lightning strike.
For a moment, Arthur froze like stone.
The Dragon Pendant glowed.
Brilliant and clear even in broad daylight. At the same time, a voice echoed in Arthur’s mind.
-Rage!
“……!”
-Your rage is your power!
‘This voice……!’
It was Teheran.
Come to think of it, the voice during the fight with Yakim was his too.
Teheran Julius’s power seemed fueled by rage.
The moment he realized it, Arthur’s eyes turned golden.
A golden aura bloomed, exuding terrifying killing intent.
Rising slowly, he resembled a demon from hell.
Everything in sight seemed destined for slaughter and destruction.
But his overwhelming, murderous presence was soon sucked into the area below his navel.
As the aura vanished, he returned to normal.
“Huff, huff, huff.”
Arthur panted heavily.
Unable to comprehend why this had happened when.
“……!”
A new ring had formed below his navel.
He had advanced from 3rd to 4th circle.
Unlike the jump from 2nd to 3rd, there were no special changes beyond the new ring.
To check what had changed, he drew up his mana.
A heavy energy spread through his body with fierce heat.
Immense power surged.
He moved his body.
Light as a feather, faster than ever— incomparably swift. It felt like Millerph had cast a buff spell on him.
“Amazing.”
As Arthur exclaimed, the castle tower’s bell gleamed brightly, as if reflecting sunlight.
The refracted light shone on Arthur and was sucked into the necklace.
At the same time, Teheran’s words from the underground tomb resurfaced.
‘Absolute strength…….’
Curiosity lit Arthur’s face.
“I wonder what it is.”
At that moment.
At the site in the western mountains where Arthur had fought the ogre, men in black robes appeared.
They too gazed at the pure white light reflecting from the Julius Count Family’s castle tower.
“As expected.”
“There’s always a reason when these guys die.”
“The successor to the Mad Demon’s lineage…….”
One of them smirked meaningfully and continued.
“A storm of blood is coming.”