209th Episode
In the afternoon as the sunlight grew warmer, Ray sat across from Alesya, lifting his teacup.
Ray periodically held private discussions like this with Alesya.
Watching her happily eat pastries, Ray spoke up.
“Alesya-dono.”
“Mm!”
“I’m thinking of returning to the baron’s territory soon.”
“Philip’s County, you mean?”
“Yes, it’s been quite a while since I’ve troubled you to stay here because of my situation, hasn’t it?”
“But is it really alright to return at such a chaotic time?”
It was obvious that neither Ernst nor the Emperor would be pleased if the inheritor of the Spatial Blade ventured far away to a remote area where they couldn’t keep an eye on him.
Though no one had explicitly explained this to Alesya, she had picked up on it herself.
After pondering for a moment, Ray replied.
“Well… there’s a possibility that I might have to move again in a month or two due to requests from higher-ups after returning to the barony. Still, I intend to make an appearance there. Would you allow me that much?”
“Mm…”
Alesya revealed a slightly gloomy expression.
Surprised by her unexpected reaction, Ray asked.
“Are you not looking forward to returning to our hometown after so long?”
“Umm… well…”
After chewing and swallowing the pastry in her mouth, Alesya raised her voice.
“There are so many rare and expensive pastries and teas here that we don’t see in the barony!”
Excluding truly astronomical costs, Alesya could pretty much get whatever food she wanted.
Moreover, the guest accommodations within the fortress were excellent, and she even got to try on beautiful, fancy dresses.
Alesya had already become accustomed to this material abundance to the point where thoughts of home rarely crossed her mind.
“Umm… though it’s a bit disappointing, since Ray is going back, I’ll go too. It’s disappointing, but…”
Had Philip Count heard this, he might have cried. Yet Alesya said it without any hesitation.
When Ray looked at her with a mix of emotions—wondering when “our young miss” would grow up—Alesya quickly tried to amend her statement.
“Just a joke! I also miss my hometown!”
“…”
Standing up, Ray approached Alesya.
As Alesya blinked, Ray suddenly poked her side with his finger, where she had gained some extra weight.
His finger sank into the soft flesh easily.
Furious, Alesya swatted at Ray, who chuckled in response.
“You seem to have lost a little weight. My fingers didn’t sink in as much as before.”
“Ah! Lately, I’ve been increasing my sword practice!”
“That’s good. You should keep it up. Taking care of your health now will save you trouble later.”
“True words, but you sound like an old man saying them.”
Ray smirked and snatched the pastry Alesya was about to eat.
“Alright, I understand Young Miss’s intentions.”
*
Ernst visited the fortress.
After briefly greeting his family members, Ernst summoned Ray to the office.
Having anticipated the call, Ray dressed neatly and headed to the office for a private meeting with Ernst.
As soon as Ray entered, Ernst activated his Absolute Domain.
All mana in the vicinity came under his control.
This was to ensure that no one else could eavesdrop on their conversation.
Under the Absolute Domain, Ray forced himself to relax despite the tension creeping onto his face as he sat across from Ernst.
“May I inquire if the situation in Alimo has been resolved satisfactorily?”
“I will answer. You have the right to hear it.”
Ernst gave a fairly detailed account of what had happened recently.
The Empire had conducted military operations in the Alimo Kingdom for some time, and these operations were still ongoing.
The upper echelons of Alimo protested against the Empire’s unilateral military actions.
What particularly incensed them was the incident involving the Meteor.
Logically, collapsing the manifestation of magic itself is far easier than altering the trajectory of an enemy’s conjured meteor.
Yet, the Empire twisted the meteor’s course to counterstrike the enemy leadership.
While the operation succeeded in eliminating the enemy leadership, it caused significant collateral damage to the Alimo Kingdom.
Upon learning how the meteor had struck, the high-ranking officials of Alimo foamed at the mouth in outrage over the astronomical losses incurred.
When Alimo demanded compensation for the damages, the Empire tersely responded:
“If you don’t want to perish, shut your mouths.”
From the start, the King of Alimo had fallen out of favor with the Empire and found himself half-forced into submission, leaving Alimo with little bargaining power.
The Empire secured testimonies from Ray, Luna, Ulte, and the Silver Cross Knight Order, along with various pieces of evidence retrieved from the desolate Forbidden Forest.
If the Empire had unearthed evidence through prolonged military campaigns revealing underground cities beneath the forest, they might have doubted the testimonies of Ray and Luna regarding the devil worshippers conjuring the meteor.
However, long-term military operations in the Forbidden Forest were impossible.
Even though the forest had turned into a wasteland, it remained a corrupted and tainted land.
Only a select few fully enlightened apostles could wield their full power outside the Demonic Realm, but inside the realm, many devil worshippers could unleash terrifying strength.
The Forbidden Forest was a place akin to the Demonic Realm, making extended military operations unfeasible even for the Empire.
Thus, Ray and Luna’s statements weren’t heavily scrutinized.
Based on the investigation results, the Empire imposed punitive fines on all groups secretly dealing with the devil worshippers in the Forbidden Forest.
Can’t pay the fine? They’re ruined.
Among the groups penalized by the Empire were many forces under its own dominion, but they had no choice but to comply.
The truth was, there were so many factions tied to the Forbidden Forest that the punishment stopped at fines.
“…During the military operations, usable fragments of Dragon Heart were discovered beneath the collapsed underground cities.”
“Ah, is that so?”
The dispatched team sent by the Empire must have been busy excavating those.
As Ray silently mused, Ernst added,
“His Majesty the Emperor promised to use some of them to create or modify artefacts and bestow them upon you.”
“Huh…”
Uncertain how to respond, Ray bowed his head.
“I thank His Majesty the Emperor for his grace, but I wonder if I am worthy to accept such a gift…”
“There’s no need for false modesty. You’re merely receiving what you deserve. And tell Lord Gardi to exercise caution for a while; his fiefdom will likely be reinstated soon.”
Unlike Ray, who was officially dispatched to Alimo following proper procedures, Ulte abandoned his assigned territory, infiltrated another country illegally, looted national relics, and even worked as a mercenary.
Had Ernst not protected him, Ulte would have faced severe punishment despite his achievements.
After providing a rough overview of the current situation, Ernst moved on to the main topic.
“In case you’re considering asking for the Royal Dragon Heart as a reward for your accomplishments…”
“…”
“Wait a moment. I’ll personally discuss it with His Majesty.”
Demanding the Royal Dragon Heart could lead to accusations of treason.
Acknowledging Ernst’s warning, Ray nodded.
“Understood.”
“Is it absolutely necessary to use the Royal Dragon Heart to extend your lifespan?”
“Isn’t there a slight difference in the intrinsic nature of each Dragon Heart? Since Resina was researching the Royal Dragon Heart, I believe it will be necessary.”
Ray added wistfully.
“I’ll show you Resina’s theories next time.”
He was still fabricating false theories and couldn’t reveal them just yet.
Ernst sighed briefly as he gazed at Ray, maintaining a composed expression.
“His Majesty is also deeply considering how to reward your achievements.”
Titles, territories, medals, wealth—the possibilities were endless.
Ray calmly replied.
“For now, I’d like to visit my hometown. All my people are there, and I should at least see them once, shouldn’t I?”
Truly ambitious individuals often run ahead without looking back at their hometowns for ten or twenty years.
But Ray wasn’t that kind of person, and his remaining time wasn’t that abundant either.
Ernst’s expression hardened further.
“Very well. Is there anything else you desire?”
“I don’t wish to gain public recognition.”
“With only half of your achievements, your name will be inscribed in history books and remembered for hundreds of years. Yet you don’t want to be known?”
“If the hero who inherited the Spatial Blade meets an untimely death within five years, wouldn’t that cause difficulties for His Majesty?”
There will undoubtedly be more talk.
Conspiracy theories will abound, and it won’t help the morale of the Imperial Army struggling through tough times.
Although Ray’s argument wasn’t wrong, it wasn’t entirely necessary to remain completely hidden either.
“There’s no need to consider that. Even if you die early, you can pass on what you’ve received to a successor of your choosing.”
“If that happens, the successor who inherits my title and wealth will end up under excessive scrutiny and restraint. I don’t wish for that.”
To transfer most of the land and wealth to Philip Count and Alesya posthumously?
In Ray’s view, that would burden them with too much responsibility.
While Philip Count might manage to rise as a major political figure in central politics, such power struggles didn’t suit Philip Count or Alesya’s personalities.
Ernst asked again.
“What do you desire then?”
After reorganizing his thoughts, Ray spoke.
“There are two people who greatly benefited me when I was young. If possible, please grant them a hereditary title and territory, even a small piece of land in the frontier.”
“Not difficult.”
“Please provide Philip’s County with a solid foundation. Whether they expand their influence in the frontier or enter central politics, give them enough footing to make their own choices.”
“That too is not difficult.”
“Please assist in resolving the curse of Resina, the legendary hero from 600 years ago.”
“I cannot guarantee it, but I will try.”
“She sacrificed herself for the world, loved humanity, and was powerful enough to be called a hero. Though… we’ll need to investigate the elves’ circumstances, but rescuing her and repaying her kindness would benefit the Empire.”
“…Do you have any other requests?”
“Hmm, there are a few minor ones, but…”
Ray smiled faintly.
“Rather than listing them all, I’ll trust in the ‘goodwill’ you mentioned earlier, Duke.”
The sentence carried multiple implications.
If slightly distorted, it roughly meant, “Handle things appropriately based on context.”
One might interpret it as arrogance, but given Ray’s accomplishments, even a bit of audacity could be forgiven.
Swallowing his complex emotions, Ernst spoke.
“After your audience with His Majesty, I’ll arrange for you to visit your hometown. You’ll be able to use the Warp Gate. However, Johanna must remain here.”
Blinking, Ray tilted his head.
“Are you holding Johanna as a hostage?”
At this extremely blunt and rude question, Ernst finally burst into laughter.
“While I admit your suspicion is understandable, there’s another reason.”
Negotiation (4)
