Ray let out a groan and closed the book, only to hesitantly reach for it again.
The wait for the Count was proving tedious, and this sensual novel—his first since reincarnating—had piqued his interest.
‘Anyway, my mental age is an adult.’
Having rationalized it, Ray opened the latter part of the book.
Whatever had transpired in the middle was unclear, but Anastasia, the protagonist of the novel, was now crawling on all fours down the moonlit manor corridor, wearing a dog collar.
[The chilling night breeze seemed to have awakened her senses somewhat.
Anastasia’s face, flushed with arousal, belatedly filled with fear.
“Le, Leonhardt. Let’s go back now. What if someone sees us? What will we do?”
“My lady.”
Leonhardt’s gray eyes glinted eerily under the moonlight.
Realizing her mistake too late, Anastasia pitifully wagged the tail accessory attached to her rear.
Beasts shouldn’t speak like humans, should they?” Leonhardt said with a cruel smile as he roughly pulled on the leash in his hand.]
“Ooh…”
Finding it rather intriguing, Ray turned to the next page.
However, before he could properly read the next chapter, a knock came at the door followed by a maid’s voice.
“The Count has arrived.”
Ray quickly closed the book and stood up.
The Count entered the reception room accompanied by Mohamed.
As Ray knelt on one knee to pay his respects, the Count nodded and took his seat.
“You may sit as well.”
“Thank you.”
“Has Alesya visited?”
The Count glanced at [The Rogue Knight and the Villainess Lady] and asked.
Deciding to delay revealing Alesya’s misbehavior, Ray remained silent. He knew the upcoming discussion would be lengthy, and bringing this up first would likely ruin the mood.
“She stopped by briefly.”
“Alesya seems quite fond of you. Lately, she’s been mentioning your name constantly.”
“Don’t worry too much about it. The fervor of a ten-year-old won’t last long.”
The Count chuckled.
“That’s not something you should say.”
“It is true, though.”
Ray smiled in return.
After exchanging a few more casual words, the Count sipped his tea and brought up the main topic.
“Ray, we’ve exterminated Locust.”
“Huh, what…”
Seeing Ray nod uncertainly, the Count raised his voice slightly.
“To be honest, this is truly a remarkable achievement, even beyond what you might think. It won’t be long before the entire empire is buzzing about this.”
Ray recalled their battle against Locust.
Even with two Graduates and eleven Experts, they had struggled.
If they had tried to defeat Locust head-on, they would have needed at least twenty Experts and four Graduates.
‘Had Locust’s subordinates joined him fully… we would have required twice that number.’
Thinking this way, it became clear.
Locust, while not quite reaching Lord level, was an incredibly powerful fighter who nearly did so.
“Luckily, we managed to eliminate Locust without significant losses.”
“You deserve much credit.”
“But the passing of David is regrettable.”
“…”
Gently stroking the handle of his teacup, the Count laughed lightly.
“Handling David’s matter won’t be difficult. We can fabricate a story that David volunteered for the extermination mission out of curiosity for Locust’s knowledge.”
“But… there will still be traces. The Magic Tower will surely send someone to investigate the death of a high-ranking mage. Will it be alright?”
“Ray, let me reiterate. We’ve accomplished an extraordinary feat. We are not in the wrong here. No power can recklessly stir things up against us at this point.”
“Ah… I understand what you mean.”
“As long as proper monetary compensation is given for David’s death, the Magic Tower won’t unnecessarily pick a fight with the Count’s family.”
“I see. Thank you, my lord.”
Though the Count spoke casually, this was an issue Ray couldn’t resolve on his own.
Waving his hand, the Count immediately changed the subject.
“By the way, I heard the number of people you killed in Dinor was quite substantial.”
“It was necessary.”
“I’m not criticizing you.”
Most of those Ray had slain were directly or indirectly aiding Locust’s rebellion.
According to imperial law, those involved would have faced mass execution as grave criminals.
“We’ll announce that many fell victim to the Dark Wizard’s sinister magic spells.”
The Count pulled out a piece of paper from his robes and handed it to Ray.
“This is the outline of the report we’ll submit to the royal family.”
Upon reading it closely, Ray noticed many discrepancies from the truth.
It was written that the traces of the Dark Wizard were accidentally discovered during a gang conflict, and most of Ray’s contributions were attributed to Jimy, Matthew, and Saria.
Of course, this was done to protect Ray.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“For the time being, it’s highly likely that I’ll manage the Dinor region.”
“For the time being?”
“Until Ulte returns. If Ulte doesn’t return, it may even be incorporated into the Philips family territory.”
“Should I congratulate you?”
“I hope Ulte returns safely.”
Their conversation continued.
The Count didn’t hide the fact that the royal family would bestow great honors upon the Count’s family for eliminating Locust.
This was an approach taken to gain Ray’s trust rather than deceitfully indebting him.
Ray bowed deeply with sincerity.
“I will not forget this favor, my lord.”
“I appreciate your understanding.”
“Lord, is my aunt alright?”
“Saria? She did act problematically.”
After conquering the dungeon, Saria returned home without reporting to the Alstein Dukedom.
Although the Alstein Dukedom had declared Saria deceased long ago, this was still an action prone to scrutiny.
Seeing Ray’s worried expression, the Count laughed.
“Don’t worry.”
“Lord?”
“Think about it. Would people really believe that insignificant knights from a minor family on the empire’s frontier risked their lives heroically in the battle against Locust?”
The Count shook his head.
“People will likely think this way.”
The Count’s family merely added a finishing touch.
The true heroes who defeated Locust were someone else entirely.
Saria, the prodigy knight who successfully explored Valerius’s dungeon after ten years.
She is the true hero who vanquished Locust.
“Many will likely believe that only David and Saria defeated Locust. They’ll think we were just spectators.”
“Eh, um…”
It wasn’t easy to agree with this.
Ultimately, it meant that the Philips Count and his knights would be looked down upon by others.
“Will that be alright?”
“I don’t mind. Regardless, her fame will spread across the empire for the next few years. Considering the renown Saria will gain, the Dukedom will likely welcome her with a celebration without much criticism.”
“I see.”
“Of course, the artifacts obtained from the dungeon must be handed over willingly. It’s better not to be greedy. The forces involved are exceedingly complex.”
“Rather fortunate. Carrying around so many artifacts as we have now would have drawn unwanted attention.”
Relaxing into his chair, Ray felt the tension ease off as most of his concerns were resolved.
“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
Ray nodded; there was one more thing.
“Why is Titi still at the orphanage?”
“It’s suitable to keep her hidden there.”
“Lord…”
Ray understood the Count’s intentions.
Bringing the elf into the manor for protection might ensure immediate safety, but it would attract unwanted attention from others.
Thus, living at the orphanage was chosen.
Though it was hard to outright refuse due to the favors received, Ray voiced his honest opinion.
“I don’t want the orphanage to become dangerous.”
“I’ll rotate two knights to the orphanage. Engaging in sparring matches with several knights will help you develop greatly.”
“Ah, I understand. But please explain the reason. Why… why is Resina’s descendant being protected by humans?”
Understanding the background would allow for appropriate responses in case of emergencies.
After staring at Ray for a considerable amount of time, the Count finally began speaking.
“Do you know what Genesis is?”
“Isn’t it the weapon Resina used? Made from the roots of the World Tree.”
“That’s correct. Originally, it was a defensive weapon intended to protect the World Tree, banned for use outside the elves’ domain.”
“…Resina broke the rules.”
“Yes, she did. The World Tree grew enraged and cursed Resina’s descendants.”
The Count calmly recounted the tale of their ancestors.
“Our ancestors couldn’t turn away from the cursed descendants of Resina. Therefore, they eradicated records related to the curse and passed down the duty of protection to future generations.”
“The duty of protection…”
“Take it literally. It was about ensuring that Resina’s cursed descendants, chased by their own kind, could live out their remaining days in peace. However, the long-standing duty of our family… will soon come to an end.”
“Is Titi the last descendant left by Resina?”
The Count nodded.
Recalling Titi’s appearance, Ray asked curiously.
“Isn’t she still a young elf? She seems destined to live much longer.”
“Due to the curse left by the World Tree, Titi won’t survive past 20 years. Her body will degenerate, she’ll lose her memory, her sanity will deteriorate, and eventually, her soul will fragment until death.”
Breaking the silence, Ray asked again.
“Lord, allow me one final question.”
“What is it?”
“Is Titi truly Resina’s ‘descendant’?”
Their gazes met in the air.
The Count sighed.
“Leave now.”
“Understood. And Lord…”
Ray pointed to the book placed on the table.
“Please give this a read.”
“…?”
“Make sure to thoroughly check the contents inside the book as well.”
“What?”
Confused, the Count opened the book.
For about three days thereafter,
Alesya was locked in her room, knocking on the door and apologizing to the Count.
*
Two weeks had passed since the extermination of Locust.
Ray woke up in the dead of night and stretched lightly.
Just a few days ago, his joints had been aching severely, causing sleepless nights, but now the pain had mostly subsided.
This was thanks to the Count’s support, pouring abundant divine power and potions into his recovery.
Ray stepped outside carrying a single sword.
Drawing a blade in front of the residential area would only get him caught by the guards, so he headed towards the orphanage where there was a spacious training ground.
“Just a light warm-up and then I’ll go back.”
He wasn’t planning to recklessly swing the sword and injure himself further when his wounds hadn’t healed completely yet.
His intention was to slowly review his swordsmanship as part of rehabilitation.
Swish
Arriving at the training ground, Ray drew his sword.
It was a night with bright moonlight. The smooth blade gleamed softly under the moon.
Following the sword techniques engraved in his mind, Ray swung his sword slowly.
Ray’s body flawlessly replicated the swordsmanship created by Harshia, but his mind failed to fully grasp the enlightenment contained within it.
This was why Ray always considered himself talentless.
Slowing down each movement made it even clearer.
Ray was merely imitating.
He barely understood the heights reached by the unparalleled genius Harshia.
“Hmm…”
After practicing the most basic swordsmanship left by Harshia, Ray breathed out slowly.
From a short distance away, a small girl watching Ray spoke.
“You wield the same sword style as Harshia.”
“…”
Wiping the sweat from his head, Ray looked at Titi.
Under the moonlight, she appeared stronger and a bit sadder compared to her usual dim-witted impression.
Ray knelt on one knee.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
The hero who saved the world six hundred years ago but fell due to the World Tree’s curse.
“Resina.”
