The Aftermath (2)
Chapter 173
Some time had passed since the battle to defend the Warp Gate, where demons also revealed their presence.
Though the aftermath of that day’s battle sent shockwaves through the Empire, it did not result in a massive bloodbath.
The Emperor, cautious about antagonizing the nobility in his later years, chose to make an example of only a few, allowing the rest to retain their power but with reduced influence.
Given the involvement of demons in this incident, the nobles had no choice but to accept the Emperor’s judgment without resistance.
Under the support of the royal family, a memorial service was held for those who fell in the battle.
Many had died or suffered severe injuries.
To Ray, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
With so few survivors, it became far easier for Ernst to control what they said.
Of the traitors who had followed Brantley, only two survived, and Ernst dealt with them quietly.
Ray could easily guess that Ernst had extracted the necessary information before disposing of them.
‘There’s little chance of this being exposed…’
Due to the battle, the underground plaza where the Warp Gate had been located had nearly collapsed.
Even though it was one of the most secure and stable facilities in the Empire, it couldn’t withstand the full force of the battle involving Swordmasters.
Most traces of the conflict were buried, and whatever evidence remained largely pointed to Ernst and Eridanus, leaving little room for suspicion.
“Hmph…”
Ray sighed briefly, organizing his thoughts.
Jenkins required over six months of treatment and would remain at the Prislan Clan Fortress.
In contrast, Mohamed left the fortress to return to Phillip’s County.
When Mohamed announced his intention to return, Ernst calmly nodded and even assigned guards to escort him.
‘The reason he assigned guards was likely for surveillance and investigation…’
But the people of Phillip’s County were in no position to object to such measures.
Allowing Mohamed to leave peacefully was already considered a generous act by Ernst.
For the time being, Ray had to stay at the fortress alongside Jenkins.
Not only because of his own injuries, but Ernst didn’t approve of Ray, the owner of Moros, wandering around freely.
Ray understood Ernst’s decision and harbored no complaints.
All the orphans who participated in this mission stayed with Ray.
Upon seeing Deun, Ian, and Luca wield swords, Ernst recognized their potential and promised support.
This was part of the reward for Ray’s contributions.
Ernst proposed that as the children grew, he would help open paths commensurate with their abilities, which Ray accepted.
“…”
Ray idly clenched and unclenched his fists.
As time passed, he realized the children would eventually leave his side, but he believed this was the right path.
‘Besides, Ernst has already promised ample compensation to the Phillip’s family…’
For now, several chests filled with gold and jewels had been sent along with Mohamed, but Ernst had explicitly stated that long-term revenue sources would be provided in the future.
‘Everything turned out well.’
Relieved, Ray relaxed.
There was nothing pressing he needed to do immediately.
Apart from the lingering pain throughout his body, everything was fine.
Thanks to Ernst’s goodwill, Ray was spending a rare day without any major concerns.
“Ray, what are you thinking about?”
Karen, who was pushing his wheelchair, asked.
Ray blinked and smirked.
“Nothing much.”
“Hmm… Ray.”
“What is it?”
“I… I might join the Church.”
Ray turned his head to look at Karen.
Although Karen was trying to appear confident, Ray could easily see the anxiety in her red eyes.
Ray hesitated, choosing his words carefully.
Karen was a versatile individual. Whether administrative tasks, specialized skills, or wielding a sword, she consistently demonstrated above-average capabilities.
However, standing beside Ray made her feel insignificant, no matter how hard she tried.
Whereas Johanna might take decades to catch up to and surpass Ray, Karen knew such a future was beyond her reach.
Maybe there’s something else I can try. Perhaps there’s some untapped talent I haven’t discovered yet.
Such baseless hopes arose from Karen’s deep-seated insecurity about her shortcomings.
Ray looked at Karen silently before speaking.
“Would the gods bless someone with impure intentions?”
As Ray chuckled, Karen pouted.
Ray shook his head to lighten the mood.
“Don’t do it. Neither I nor the Church likes it much.”
While religion in this world played a similar role to Earth’s in maintaining societal order and unity, delving too deeply into its inner workings often revealed its darker aspects.
Moreover, Ray knew what lurked at the heart of the Church—a piece of knowledge gleaned from one of the few memories he retained from his past life.
“Karen, you’ve done an amazing job so far. Without you, I wouldn’t have come this far. So…”
As Ray offered words of comfort, Karen tilted his chin toward her.
Wrapping her arms around Ray from behind, Karen kissed him.
“?!?”
Ray froze in shock.
It was their first kiss, excluding the innocent saliva exchanges from their childhood.
Caught off guard, Ray wriggled in his seat, but Karen held him tightly, pressing her lips firmly against his.
This was far from the shy, teasing kiss Karen had dreamed of.
Instead, it was driven by her desire to alleviate her anxiety and express her affection.
After hesitating for a moment, Ray accepted her tongue.
Their breaths mingled as saliva dripped between them.
What felt like both a short and long kiss finally ended.
Karen pulled away, gasping for air.
Ray wiped the corner of his mouth, trying to hide his flushed cheeks and racing heart.
“Ka…”
Thud!
Karen quickly pushed the wheelchair forward, avoiding eye contact.
Seeing her beet-red face, Ray groaned softly and looked ahead.
The impulsive kiss left a lingering sensation on his tongue, devoid of any romantic atmosphere.
“Karen…?”
Attempting to ease the awkwardness, Ray spoke, but the wheelchair only moved faster.
Deciding further conversation might lead to an accident, Ray remained silent, staring straight ahead.
Karen continued pushing the wheelchair, needing time to calm her swirling emotions.
Before she could regain composure, however, Spera approached from the opposite end of the corridor.
“Ah, Ray.”
Spera greeted Ray, seated in the wheelchair, warmly.
Karen stopped the wheelchair and stepped back slightly.
Her face was still crimson, and her gaze darted around nervously.
Spera noticed Karen’s unusual state but chose not to pry, instead smiling at Ray.
“Are you doing well?”
“Thanks to you, I’m quite comfortable.”
“It’s my duty. If your companions need anything, please let me know.”
Just as Spera finished speaking, Alesya appeared from somewhere.
Alesya was originally supposed to return to Phillip’s County but managed to stay by throwing a tantrum.
And the sole reason Alesya insisted on staying here was clear:
Monitoring her competition.
Without hesitation, Alesya began clinging to Ray, glaring fiercely.
Spera smiled politely at Alesya as well.
“Good morning, Lady of Phillip’s County.”
Following Spera, her knight Shay also greeted Alesya with great respect.
After exchanging pleasantries, Spera and Shay resumed their conversation with Ray.
Realizing she’d been ignored once again—this time with utmost politeness—Alesya’s blood pressure rose as she swayed on her feet.
Watching this, Ray thought to himself,
‘If we compare backgrounds and talents, Spera gets about 5 points…’
Johanna would probably score around 3 points.
Then Alesya…
‘0.5 points…?’
Ah, maybe that’s too harsh. Considering the face of Count Phillip, I should bump it up to 1.5 points—such thoughts crossed Ray’s mind when Alesya suddenly turned her sharp gaze on him.
“My knight harbors disrespectful thoughts!”
“That’s a misunderstanding.”
Despite Ray’s denial, Alesya shook his wheelchair violently.
Clatter! Clatter!
“How dare a knight insult their master like this!”
Even as Ray denied it, Alesya persisted in shaking the wheelchair furiously.
Her instincts regarding matters concerning Ray were unparalleled.
With both Alesya causing a scene and Spera present, attention from bystanders gathered.
As Ray attempted to calm Alesya down, a strong gust of wind blew through.
“?!”
Blown by the wind, Ray floated through the corridor until stopping in front of someone.
Luna.
Thanks to the previous battle, Luna now openly carried an intermediate-level wind spirit.
Although Alesya complained that her uniqueness was fading, Luna paid her no mind.
Surveying the gathered crowd, Luna spoke briefly.
“Ray needs to rest.”
With that, Luna turned while keeping Ray levitating in the air.
Both Karen and Alesya were surprised.
They rarely saw Luna act so assertively.
Ignoring the stares, Luna walked down the corridor, looking at Ray.
Ray’s body hadn’t fully recovered, and his fatigue was evident.
Despite this, he frequently left his room to meet people, clearly having many concerns.
Luna worried that Ray wasn’t getting enough rest.
If only he would lie down and relax.
“…Ray.”
“Hm?”
“Can humans be stored in A-Space?”
After a brief silence, Ray answered reluctantly.
“If you put a human in A-Space, they die.”
“I’ll research a way to do it without killing them.”
“No, don’t bother.”
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Ray’s forehead.
*
Spera was just as friendly toward Johanna as she was toward Ray.
Being the only peer of the same gender who could match her in swordsmanship, it was natural for Spera to feel close to her.
However, from Johanna’s perspective, such friendliness from Spera could only be burdensome.
Johanna, once an orphan who would’ve wandered the streets without Ray, came from humble beginnings compared to Spera, whose family ranked among the top in the Empire.
Whenever Spera extended her kindness and tried to befriend Johanna, it only added to her discomfort.
Yet rejecting Spera outright wasn’t an option, so Johanna reluctantly socialized with her.
Today, she was summoned to share tea, during which Spera elegantly smiled as Johanna sipped her tea.
“Johanna’s sword will soon be completed, I hear.”
“Really?”
Johanna’s voice rose in excitement.
The sword promised by Zeppelin was something she eagerly anticipated.
“Um, then, when can I expect to receive it…?”
“A few more tasks remain, so they asked for about two weeks.”
Johanna grinned.
Spera also hoped Johanna’s sword would be finished soon.
She wanted to duel with Johanna again once she had her own blade.
Encouraged by their shared enthusiasm, the two conversed more intimately than usual.
After enjoying their chat for some time, Spera seized the moment and subtly asked,
“Hey, Johanna.”
“Yes?”
“About Ray…”
“What about Ray?”
“Is he really that big?”
Johanna sprayed the tea she had been sipping forward.
