Magic Sword Retrieval (5)
Rodeban descended from the summit after joining the knights' forces.
The red veil that had once surrounded the area was gone.
Now a clear sky was visible.
Of course, red mana still lingered in spots, so according to imperial law it was technically a contaminated zone.
A contaminated zone was a place no one could live.
Seria spoke up.
“Originally this mountain was called White Blue. It meant the blue sky would be visible over a mountain range of pure white… But seeing it all contaminated makes my heart sink.”
She shook her head and then waved toward the mountain below.
“I’m sorry. That was pointless. Let’s go down.”
Rodeban silently gazed at the summit once more, then suddenly thought to himself.
*My belly is full.*
Right now the empire had only just finished its war against the magic beasts and was in the process of reclaiming its lost territory.
Her words were indeed pointless.
Just as he was about to resume his descent.
Luce approached and murmured in a low voice.
“Uncle. You’ve gotten a little stronger.”
“……!”
Rodeban’s eyes lit up as if he had heard an extremely interesting story.
Luce was particularly sensitive to changes in battles.
Because she could read them more accurately than he could, he asked in a small voice.
“Uh, by how much?”
“About one finger.”
At Luce’s answer Rodeban frowned.
He asked again.
“……What does that even mean.”
Luce held up one finger and instructed him to look closely.
“Like this.”
“…….”
Rodeban closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them.
The typical weakness of a genius was surfacing.
*What the hell is this nonsense.*
He couldn’t understand a single word because she was only talking about things he already knew.
He forced a grin and let it slide.
“Got it. Thanks. Let’s head down.”
Rodeban’s group began their descent.
The other knights had stayed behind at the site to take notes.
*Delmen’s nowhere to be seen.*
Halfway down, Rodeban suddenly remembered something and turned to Luce.
“When did you start coming here?”
She answered while meeting his eyes.
“Two months ago.”
Rodeban counted the months on his fingers.
“Since my uncle entered the dungeon in February…….”
His eyes widened in shock.
“So since March you’ve been here the whole time until now in May? What about the academy!”
He had already paid the tuition.
Besides, after graduating he had arranged to receive his sword from the captain of the southern knights’ unit.
He had poured money into it and squeezed out connections that didn’t even exist.
*After laying out the entire red carpet for me…!*
Luce said flatly.
“Uncle is more important than the academy.”
Her gaze made it clear how little she thought of that.
Rodeban blinked several times with a dazed expression.
“…….”
That was a perfectly correct statement and there was nothing left to say.
Actually, he felt a little proud.
Suddenly the fact that she had stayed with the knights for two full months made him lower his head toward Seria.
“Lady Seria. Thank you for looking after Luce during these two months.”
“……What?”
Her expression, lost in thought, lifted and she waved her hand.
“Ah, no. Since Rodeban-nim is the one who sponsored her, it’s only natural I’d do this much for her.”
Rodeban tilted his head.
*The atmosphere has changed a bit.*
So it had felt like she had been reading his cues since earlier…
Being a noble who read the eyes of commoners was a first for him and he was bewildered.
Rodeban asked.
“Lady Seria. Is there something you wanted to say to me……?”
Seria gave an awkward smile and opened her mouth.
“It’s just… I think Rodeban-nim has become much stronger than I expected. I should say I was surprised. And your face has changed a little too…….”
At her words, Rodeban touched his own face.
The skin around his Magic Eye was unusually rough.
The effect of the mana must have darkened it.
His Magic Eye was also brimming with mana, so a red glow leaked from it.
*Hey, half-human half-demon brother.*
So the nickname ‘half-human half-demon’ that Veraoke had called him had been born from exactly this appearance.
Because the skin of demonkin was black.
Rodeban tilted his head.
*Not because of that, though.*
Today she was unusually rambling.
It felt like she was hiding something serious and important.
Suddenly Luce butted in and flattered him.
“I like your current look, uncle.”
“Huh?”
Since flattery was good, Rodeban stroked her hair and said.
“But if you walk around like this, people get startled.”
At that Seria suddenly started making excuses.
“Rodeban-nim. I didn’t mean it as an insult, I was just……”
She had meant it as an insult.
Just as Rodeban was about to wave it off with a hand.
His eyes widened as if something had occurred to him.
*Right. Holy Fluid!*
He asked Seria.
“Lady Seria. When exactly can I expect the Holy Fluid?”
Seria’s expression darkened abruptly.
She looked like she was hiding something bad.
Rodeban, sensing ill omens, swallowed hard.
*Oh no, that’s bad.*
Seria said.
“I-I tried to get it ready ahead of time, but there was… a little trouble……”
“…….”
Rodeban closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them.
In the calmest voice possible he asked.
“What’s the problem?”
“The imperial family issued a decree to deliver the Holy Fluid. Honestly, I was taken aback too since it came so suddenly……”
“…….”
“Father said that once you come out of the dungeon, I can explain. I……”
At that moment Rodeban let out a long sigh as if the ground had been pulled out from under him.
This was the classic situation where high-ranking people skimmed off quest rewards.
The imperial family… and a higher noble house…
*So these nobles finally showed their true colors.*
Cold anger bubbled up in his chest.
Rodeban closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Hoo…….”
Seria, looking extremely flustered, continued with her excuses.
“Ah, Father said there’s another way. He’s not one to change his mind easily, so just wait a little longer……”
Rodeban asked shortly.
“How long?”
“It’s… it’s… still…”
The deadline was unknown.
Luce looked back and forth between Seria and Rodeban’s faces and said.
“Uncle, they’re just being scammed, right?”
Rodeban said briefly.
“Quiet, Luce.”
A heavy silence filled the group.
No one spoke for a while.
Until the sight of the manor below the mountain range.
***
Upon arriving at the entrance, the knights began preparing to retreat.
Seria, watching this, said.
“Rodeban-nim. Are you heading back first? I think I should clean up this site.”
“I understand.”
“I’ll make sure to bring the Holy Fluid no matter what. I’m sorry.”
She bowed deeply in apology.
This was the lowest she had acted so far.
Rodeban stared at her for a long moment, then waved his hand.
“……It’s fine.”
After all, Seria was only here to relay messages.
All decisions of the duke’s house would follow the grand duke’s will anyway.
And if the imperial family was involved… it was all over.
*Damn it. They should have just kicked them out of the empire. What’s the point.*
He felt too complacent.
Because in the game’s setting, it had been written that the grand duke never broke his word.
*My Holy Fluid…*
A huge sweet potato had lodged itself in his throat, and besides cursing, there was nothing he could do.
This was all because he was a commoner.
Was the grand duke’s psychological warfare to force a marriage with the lady?
Sighs kept escaping him.
“Hoo…….”
Suddenly an image flashed in his mind.
He imagined charging into the knights’ headquarters with a Magic Sword, slaughtering everyone, and then threatening the grand duke to hand over the Holy Fluid.
It wasn’t absurd, since killing with a Magic Sword let you absorb its life force and grow rapidly.
Suddenly he felt a hand grab his.
He turned to find Luce.
She was gripping his hand tightly and said quietly.
“Uncle. Keep going.”
The fact that Luce would say something like that meant her expression must have been unusually serious.
Rodeban answered in a tired voice.
“……Yeah.”
After picturing such a shitty scene, his mood was shitty too.
He boarded the prepared carriage with Luce.
***
North, Crucias estate, study.
The duke sat at his desk, fiddling with the contract spread out there.
It was the contract regarding the quest to retrieve the Magic Swords entrusted to the empire’s hero.
He let out a deep sigh.
“Hoo…….”
His decades-long reputation of never breaking his word had been shattered by nothing more than a single imperial decree.
On top of that, the target was Rodeban, the comrade who had fought in the Winterfelt battle with him.
It wasn’t just pride; his heart twisted at the thought of repaying a kindness with enmity.
In short, his mood was terribly bad.
At that moment someone knocked on the door.
*Knock knock—*
The duke said briefly.
“Come in.”
The door opened and a silver-haired man entered.
Tall and generally handsome, his name was the eldest son, Crucias von Reuron.
As soon as he saw Crucias approaching, the duke immediately cut to the chase without greeting.
“You. Go find Rodeban right now.”
“Huh?”
Reuron looked momentarily confused, then checked his father’s face and closed his mouth.
The duke continued.
“No matter what means, make sure he doesn’t leave the North. You know the situation, right?”
“Ah, yes. I know.”
Reuron nodded.
He probably knew about the recent imperial demand for the Holy Fluid.
He assumed it was to cure the incurable disease his wife, the second prince’s wife, had contracted.
The duke said.
“It means butter you up. Not pursuit or surveillance. The Holy Fluid will be ready in time, so don’t worry and tell him that.”
Reuron bowed repeatedly.
“I will.”
The duke waved his hand.
“Now get going.”
“Understood.”
Reuron left the study with quick footsteps.
He judged that it was best to leave quickly, since his father’s mood was clearly not good.