Reunion and Resolve
“Arthur!”
She threw her arms around him in a fierce embrace.
She had already heard the news.
The Dungeon Master and his monsters had ambushed a merchant caravan heading to Kallis Territory, dragging them off toward the mountains.
Brat Territory's and Kallis Territory's forces had already been scouring the area for them when, right on cue, the survivors—Arthur and Hans—emerged.
Helen had been waiting anxiously ever since the word reached her.
“Thank goodness. Thank goodness.”
Right you are. Thank goodness, Mother.
Ah, how he had missed her.
How desperately he had longed for her.
His mother, Helen!
She had died when Arthur was nineteen.
And the one responsible for her death lurked right here in Brat Territory.
I won't lose you again, Mother. Never.
Arthur hugged her back with all his strength.
She pulled away slightly, inspecting him meticulously for any injuries.
“You're safe... thank heavens.”
How her heart must have burned with worry—her usually timid son caught up in such horror.
“Why didn't Hans come with you?”
“He's still being questioned.”
The territory army had bombarded Arthur and Hans with questions.
Hans had stuck to the script, just as instructed.
The soldiers hadn't suspected much.
Just the cowardly young master and his steadfast servant, after all.
But when Hans claimed to have slain the Dungeon Master, they were launching a proper investigation into it.
“I'm hungry, Mother.”
“O-oh, right. Of course you are.”
Helen nodded, though puzzlement flickered in her eyes.
Her boy, who should have arrived pale as a ghost?
But hunger trumped all; she hurried him to the dining table.
Food was laid out swiftly, and they sat facing each other.
Helen's hands still trembled too much to eat.
Arthur gave a small smile at the sight and spoke.
“Mother, this time... I learned a lot.”
“I imagine so...”
It was more than enough to mark a turning point in anyone's life.
No—even among survivors of such ordeals, plenty lost their minds.
“So I'm going to change.”
“...Change?”
Helen stared into his eyes for a long moment before responding.
Arthur nodded with resolute eyes.
“Yes. Our late father was a splendid knight, wasn't he?”
“...”
His mother fell silent.
Change was a virtue, not a flaw.
But hearing it, Helen couldn't help the chill of dread.
Just as he said—Arthur's father had been a knight who fell fighting for Brat Territory.
She had already lost one loved one.
She knew talk of “getting stronger” spelled danger.
Arthur laid his hand over hers.
“I'll change. I swear it. No more cowardly son. I'll protect you, Mother. Everyone in this house. Our entire family.”
Worried as she was, Helen saw it.
Has my Arthur ever had eyes like these...?
His once-mild gaze hadn't been unlovable to her as a mother.
But this—her son grasping a clear goal, asking her to believe in him—filled her with a profound sense of reliability and faith.
“Yes, Arthur.”
She smiled softly.
Arthur etched it deep in his heart once more.
The same tragedy won't repeat. Not ever.
It was evening by the time Hans returned.
According to him, the territory army hadn't grilled him too harshly.
Lately, incidents like the one caused by that Dungeon Master Kellon were all too common.
This was the age when Dungeon Masters ran rampant.
But soon...
An era of true domination would dawn—not mere rampage.
Exactly two years from now.
The all-out assault on Dungeon Masters would begin.
People would later call it the Fall War.
The decisive turning point when humanity began to lose ground.
Arthur himself had joined the battlefield a year after the Fall War ended.
Brat Territory, being rural, escaped the worst of it. Arthur had lingered briefly in the territory army before heading to the front lines, where he grasped the full horror.
And there, he had unleashed his genius, earning the moniker “Ghost of the Battlefield.”
Arthur gazed at his reflection in the mirror.
“Pathetic.”
That was his verdict.
Arms like bare twigs.
Height barely scraping 160 cm.
A frail, dwarfish frame.
He grabbed the wooden sword propped in his room and headed out.
“Where are you off to?”
His mother, in the living room, called out.
Arthur flashed a small smile.
“Training.”
She beamed back.
“Alright.”
He returned the smile, watched her slip into her bedroom, and felt a swell of simple happiness.
Outside, he leaned the wooden sword against a nearby tree and began stretching.
Crack, pop.
Stiff muscles screamed in protest.
A scrawny body untouched by exercise.
Even at nineteen, I never slacked on training.
From then until his death, relentless.
He started with a run.
Tatata!
“Hoo, haa... hoo, haa.”
Maintaining steady breaths, he soon felt his lungs burning.
Truly...
Weak.
But Arthur clenched his teeth and pushed on.
Running built pace control and endurance.
When his breath hit its limit, he eased off just enough.
Slow was fine—finish the run.
That built stamina fastest.
Mid-stride—
Up to Suckling Strength
📍 Rank:F
🎁 Cash Reward:1,000
🏆 Rewards:Strength +1, Agility +1
⚠️ Failure Penalty:Strength -1, Agility -1
Your frail body! Run for just 10 more minutes. You'll grow even stronger.
“...!”
Arthur's eyes widened even as he ran.
“Th-this...”
He couldn't help but be stunned.
A quest.
Even in something as mundane as this.
And another revelation.
Quests work in reality too...!
Normal Lord Nurturing Devices gave quests too, of course.
But this specialized one seemed to trigger them far more frequently.
Gaining stats like this? Growth would skyrocket.
He'd uncovered one special perk of the specialized Lord Nurturing Device.
“Hah... hah...”
Arthur pushed harder.
Ten minutes? Child's play.
He'd scaled mountains with 20kg packs at his limit hundreds of times.
After those ten minutes of panting—
Up to Suckling Strength quest completed!
Strength +1, Agility +1 acquired.
1,000 Cash acquired.
Bronze Cash Shop unlocked.
Arthur felt a surge of power flood his body, then settle.
He immediately opened his Status Window.
Strength and Agility had each risen by 1, clear as day.
Next, the Bronze Cash Shop.
A feature exclusive to the specialized Lord Nurturing Device.
Arthur's eyes widened in shock.
Whoa...
Rare goodies inside.
Animal speech, scout summons—and the standout: Accelerated Construction.
Buildings faster...
In the Monarch Game, construction was key.
This would make it lightning-quick.
A unique edge no other lord had!
Plenty of other items looked useful even in reality.
A satisfied smile crossed his face as he closed the windows.
He took a swig from his water, steadied his breath.
“Hoo.”
He gripped the sword calmly.
His weapon of choice was the spear.
But no spear handy in the mansion.
Shuuu!
Shuuu!
He swung with power.
His pathetic arms strained immediately.
But Arthur kept swinging.
This body differed from his past life's.
He needed to adapt fast.
Mid-swing—
Fill to a Hundred
📍 Rank:F
🎁 Cash Reward:1,000
🏆 Rewards:Strength +2, Vitality +1
⚠️ Failure Penalty:Strength -2, Vitality -1
Push a bit more—75 swings and you'll hit a hundred.
“...Talk about perfect timing.”
This pace? I'll grow ridiculously fast.
No wonder Bakalos dominated other lords.
He completed the hundred swings, and another alert chimed.
Fill to a Hundred quest completed!
Strength +2, Vitality +1 acquired.
1,000 Cash acquired.
Arthur experimented with more actions afterward.
Quests popped up for all sorts of things.
As if reacting to his every move.
Regrettably, they didn't trigger endlessly—no more alerts came.
Satisfied enough, he returned to the mansion and turned in.
A week passed.
While awaiting the Monarch Game's summons on Asgard Continent, Arthur never skipped nightly training.
Quests kept coming too.
And just like that, he'd grown remarkably.
Incredible transformation in just a week.
Unbelievable.
No quest today, though. Shame.
Arthur smacked his lips on the walk back from training.
Hans approached as he entered the mansion.
“Young master, Miss Loris is scheduled to visit tomorrow morning.”
Loris.
That name alone drew a chill from Arthur, hidden from Hans.
Loris.
The woman his past self had loved and cherished for so agonizingly long.
Her father ran a merchant caravan in Kallis Territory.
Her beauty was the talk even as far as Brat Territory.
But in truth, she came visiting just to toy with him.
All while sneaking off to tumble in bed daily with a knight named Carman.
“Yeah?”
“Yes.”
Hans looked puzzled.
His young master used to blush beet-red at the mere mention of her.
Now? Utter indifference.
“Heading up to rest.”
“Understood. Good night, young master.”
Arthur climbed the stairs to his bedroom.
The next morning.
Knock knock.
The Press family rushed to the door at the sound.
“She's here.”
Hans gave Arthur a knowing smile.
Everyone in the household knew the young master's crush was common knowledge.
Arthur just nodded coolly.
Loris entered soon after.
Hair to her shoulders, a pale golden hue.
White skin, about 164 cm tall, features in perfect harmony, sharp chin—a true beauty.
She grasped her skirt in both hands and curtsied politely.
“Hello, Madam Helen.”
“Come in, dear Loris.”
Helen adored her.
Utterly blind to the facade.
Spotting Arthur, she crescent-moon smiled.
“Arthur.”
After greeting Helen, she hurried over and took his hand.
Arthur smoothly slipped his away.
Loris blinked in confusion, then mustered a worried look.
“You okay? I heard you got kidnapped by that Dungeon Master recently... I only just found out, or I'd have come sooner. Sorry.”
To any listener, pure concern.
But in her mind, per Arthur's suspicions:
...More put-together than expected? Figured he'd be shaking like the coward he is.
And once more, Arthur defied her expectations.
“No need to worry.”
He let out a perfunctory chuckle, laced with clear annoyance.