Chapter 109: Chapter 109

Even after Beshalia, the traitors’ last stronghold, fell, Shan and Roden spent quite busy days.

First, as for Roden, he took over and handled the duties that Marquis Beshalia and his family had been in charge of as their various titles were revoked.

Fortunately, because the bureaucrats who had previously performed those duties remained, he did not need to run around all by himself.

Instead, Roden focused on taking over the Beshalia branch of the Altoan Brotherhood that Yure had established.

Because they were deeply shocked by the fact that their leader was not an Altoan but a monster, there was little backlash.

And Shan, who possessed no particular talent in such administrative matters, chose to act directly on foot.

Together with his two squires and dozens of horse-archers, he combed the nearby mountains and fields every day, hunting monsters.

When about twenty days had passed since the capture of Beshalia, a knight and several bureaucrats arrived from the capital, escorted by around fifty soldiers.

They were precisely the representatives sent by Cheryn.

Since the estates across the south, including Beshalia, had lost their lords and reverted to the royal family, she had sent people to manage them in the royal family’s name instead of coming in person.

The person representing the group was a very familiar face.

“Mr. Callion!”

“It has been a long time, Sir Shan. Have you been well?”

Roden’s father, Callion, greeted the two with a bright smile across his wrinkled face.

Having originally worked as an administrative official in Palles, he had somehow been appointed as the royal representative of Beshalia.

He still showed an attitude of respecting Shan as the next Count of Shedil and a great knight, rather than merely his son’s friend.

At this, Roden, standing beside him, grumbled.

“You care more about him than your own son.”

“Be quiet, you brat.”

To Roden, he was still a blunt old man.

Yet even while saying so, a feeling of pride overflowed from his eyes, which was just like Callion.

“When did you come all the way here from distant Palles?”

“I arrived in Hasra about a month ago. I received a proposal from the Princess there. She asked me to choose between the Royal Treasurer and the Representative of Beshalia, and personally, I liked this one better. Since I have long thought that a port city should be operated by the logic of merchants.”

Certainly, both positions had their pros and cons.

The position of Royal Treasurer oversaw all finances of the kingdom, but meant focusing that much more on administrative duties, while the Royal Representative of Beshalia would have many tasks involving exchange with foreign nations over the sea.

Moreover, compared to the former, the latter required skills closer to those of a ruler, which was another difference.

“You’ve risen high, Father.”

“Heheh.”

Callion could not hold back a laugh at Roden’s words.

Although he could not hand down his position like titled nobles, ruling a wealthy city like Beshalia was nonetheless an immense privilege.

Even though he had demonstrated outstanding administrative abilities, had he not been Roden’s father, it would have been difficult for someone of commoner origin to take on such a position.

After exchanging greetings, the father and son quickly handed over the work that had been underway.

That process was smooth beyond measure.

In the first place, the foundation of all the administrative knowledge Roden possessed had come from Callion.

In the middle of conversing over documents, Callion suddenly looked at his son with a serious expression.

“Roden.”

“……Why are you calling me so seriously all of a sudden? It makes me nervous.”

“Tsk, this rascal. Anyway, do you have any thought of laying down your sword this time?”

When Roden fell silent at the unexpected question, Callion carried on speaking.

“As you know, I am no longer young. Although I became somewhat healthier because the Princess gave me many good things for my body in Palles, working for another five to ten years would be working plenty.”

“You look so full of vigor that you could work for another twenty years and then some.”

“Be quiet. At any rate, haven’t you already achieved enough of what can be accomplished as a knight? In the future, it will no longer be an era where one can succeed merely by wielding a sword well, so I am saying it would be good to capitalize on your strengths.”

Having handled various administrative duties under Cheryn for several years, Callion understood to some extent the direction of the kingdom she was pursuing.

Unlike the past, where autonomy was left to the feudal lords of each region, the kingdom’s administrative system was now highly likely to be integrated with the capital and the royal family as the central axis.

This was possible because through the civil war, the royal family had seized feudal rights over almost all estates in Pendia except for the Shedil region.

In such a situation, it would become easier for a pen-pusher to succeed than a mere sword-swinger.

In the past, high-ranking bureaucratic positions were the exclusive preserve of court nobles, but as tasks grew complex, it would become difficult for such people to carry out their duties properly.

At the very least, it was better than wandering the battlefield as a half-baked knight who could not fight humans.

No matter how much he was in charge of command from the rear, that he never had to fight directly during the past Pendia Civil War was close to a miracle.

Of course, that was because Shan smashed to pieces every enemy he fought.

“If a person tries to keep up with a running horse, their heart will burst and they will die. You have run enough to the extent of your capabilities. Why don’t you look for safer work now?”

This was also a father’s worry for his son.

In the past, since that was the only way to succeed, he had even trained him as a knight, but when a comfortable and safe path was visible, who wouldn’t want to hold him back if he tried to go down a rough path?

Just as he had made Roden give up the path of a knight when his phobia of bladed weapons had reached its peak.

If he left the battlefield and chose the path of a bureaucrat, Roden’s future was highly likely to be a smooth and triumphant one.

Perhaps he might even sit as the head of the Department of the Prime Minister that would be established in the future.

Roden, who had been silent for a long time, neatly folded the document he was holding and spoke.

“Thank you for worrying about me, Father.”

From that answer alone, Callion could discern his son’s decision.

A low sigh filled the office.

“I see.”

“Yes. My symptoms have improved much more than before, and… above all, it is no longer just for the sake of success.”

Moving from battlefield to battlefield over the past few years, Roden felt that his blade phobia had noticeably diminished compared to before.

He still could not bring himself to fight properly, but at least, even if an opponent thrust a sword in front of him to intimidate him, he had reached the point where he could brace his abdomen and bluff instead of collapsing as before.

If so, then perhaps one day, he too might be able to align his horse’s head alongside Shan’s and charge toward the enemy.

When watching a superhuman who dominated the battlefield alone, an admiration for him (a desire to become a being like him) was bound to arise.

And, above all…

“If not me, who else would look after that guy?”

Roden gestured with his chin toward Shan, who was visible outside the window just then.

He was sparring in the training ground with the knights dispatched to Beshalia this time.

The sight of three whole knights surrounding and attacking him in concert without landing a single hit on Shan while continuously taking beatings was so surreal it was hard to believe even while watching with one’s own eyes.

At that sight, Callion let out a sigh with a scoff.

“Right, if that is how you think, then it cannot be helped.”

Father and son enjoyed the silence while bathed in the sunlight streaming through the window.

*

After completing the handover, Shan and Roden left part of their forces in Beshalia and marched toward Hasra.

Elvin, whose illness had progressed significantly so that he could barely even control his body, was brought along as extra baggage.

The road going up was quite peaceful.

This was thanks to having already cleaned up the area once while coming down before.

The lords greeting them also entertained them with their best efforts, wearing fearful expressions.

Leaving behind the coy expression of the red-haired lady who had seduced Shan before, they traveled straight north for a week.

Finally, the walls of Hasra welcomed them.

In the short span of a month and a half, the kingdom’s capital had changed once more in a positive direction.

People were residing in the buildings outside the outer wall that had originally been all but devastated, and visitors from various places went back and forth through the wide-open gates, adding to the liveliness.

Watching the army approaching from the south, they shouted with anxious expressions.

“It’s an army!”

“Shouldn’t we run away?”

“Wait a minute, look at that crest! It’s the green eyes.”

“Ah……”

Seeing the flag bearing Shan’s coat of arms fluttering at the very front, the people breathed a sigh of relief.

For in Hasra, ruled by Cheryn, the ‘Princess’s Knight’ could not possibly cause trouble.

“It looks like the Beshalia expeditionary force.”

“They have finally returned.”

“So the rumors that the civil war ended were true after all.”

Keeping the clamoring crowds on either side, Shan and Roden had the soldiers line up in a long column to enter the castle gate.

Just as they were entering at the head of the column, the guards inside stood at attention and shouted.

“The heroes who saved the kingdom have arrived!”

“Everyone, pay your respects!”

With those words, an explosive cheer erupted from inside.

For the welcoming crowd that had been prepared for their return began shouting in earnest and waving their hands.

Seeing that the reaction was fiercer than expected, Shan as well as the others wore surprised expressions.

Shan’s Altoan squire, Vico, spoke in a low voice.

“Why is everyone so thrilled……”

“It just shows how exhausted everyone was from the war. Aren’t we the heroes who ended the civil war? Let’s enjoy it!”

His companion standing beside him, Tavera, spoke like that as he excitedly waved his hand to the surroundings.

“Even so, all we did was follow behind Sir Shan.”

Mumbling as he waved to the surroundings, Vico realized that among the people positioned on the left and right, there were a few familiar faces.

People who had acted cold toward him back when he was a resident of the capital’s slums, an Altoan with scaly skin…

Now Vico was wearing armor and riding a horse while receiving the cheers of those very people.

It was all because the lord before his eyes had chosen him.

To suppress the loyalty surging anew at that fact, Vico squeezed his eyes shut and shouted a cheer.

“Woooaaaa-!”

Fortunately, his shout was buried beneath the cheers echoing from around him and went unheard.

Passing through the entrance and stepping inside, Shan was able to confirm that the internal environment was also far better than before.

The streets were clean, free of trash or sprawling vagrants, and the complexion of the people had also noticeably improved.

Although not completely identical, it was fairly similar to how Hasra had looked when Shan first came to Pendia.

“It’s only been a month, and it has changed this much?”

“Well, strictly speaking, we left after providing ample opportunity for it to change like that.”

While Cheryn struggled in various ways after capturing Hasra, Shan had also devoted his efforts to stabilization, such as wiping out underworld organizations and defeating monsters near Hasra.

Its current appearance was the result created by such efforts, as Roden put it.

Greeting those who held their triumphal entry while savoring such joy in front of the royal palace was the successor to the kingdom, effectively the queen-to-be, Cheryn.

Wearing a somewhat tired face, she personally welcomed the heroes who had ended the civil war in front of the royal palace.

“Welcome, heroes of the kingdom! A banquet has been prepared for you!”

“Oooooh-!”

“Long live Her Majesty the Queen!”

Even shouting a chant that was still premature, the soldiers tired from marching for days praised their monarch.

Immediately, delicious food and alcohol piled high in front of the royal palace.

While the soldiers savored this and relieved the fatigue of the expedition, Cheryn exchanged greetings with the commanders, including Shan and Roden.

“You truly suffered much trouble, Young Master Shan.”

Smiling brightly as they exchanged greetings, Shan suddenly flinched while looking at Cheryn’s figure.

The reddish-brown dress she wore today was cut to reveal her shoulders and lower neck.

‘Why…’

At that level, it was hard to view it as particularly obscene attire.

It was merely the ordinary attire of a noblewoman.

Yet for some reason, today of all days, that figure felt all too provocative.

Shan’s keen senses naturally superimposed the naked body that Yure had displayed back then onto the curves hidden inside her clothes.

The moment Cheryn appeared to be standing stripped bare before everyone, Shan involuntarily averted his eyes.

His heart pounded and his face flushed hot, just as when he had inhaled the magical fragrance.

It was to the point of being astonishing that he could have been so insensitive until now.

Perhaps the fragrance or magic Yure had used still remained in his body and was acting up strangely?

Otherwise, something like this made no sense at all.

“I merely did what ought to be done.”

“Hmm……?”

Cheryn wore a momentarily flustered expression when her knight, whom she had not seen in a long time, openly avoided her gaze for some reason.

But that was only for a moment; like a skilled politician, she quickly glossed over it and did not forget to offer praise for the victory to the others as well.

What followed amidst the somewhat delicate atmosphere was precisely the trial of the sinner brought over, Elvin.

In the reception room inside the royal palace, the high-ranking figures of Pendia, including Cheryn, stood in a circle with Elvin made to kneel in the center.

“A truly hideous sight, Elvin.”

The expression settling on Cheryn’s face as she called out her half-brother’s name was closer to conflicted gloom than anger.

Even though he was an opponent who had almost killed her twice.

That was how wretched Elvin’s state looked coming out to this place.

Because failing to eat and drink properly over the past few weeks had not melted away his fat instantly, his appearance was as unsightly as could be, even haggard on top of that.

On top of that, due to the venereal disease that had progressed without treatment from a high priest, he could not even properly control his limbs.

Drool flowed from his agape mouth, signifying that his brain was gradually being devoured by the disease and his body was losing control.

Of course, Cheryn did not actually sympathize with Elvin.

It was simply that now was a place where she had to show such an appearance, so she acted expertly.

“As half-siblings sharing blood, I would like to save your life at least, but your sins are far too heavy for that. Archbishop Vent?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The one who stepped forward after bowing respectfully was Vent, the head of the Eastern Holy See.

His visit to Hasra was not only to bless the new queen who would soon ascend the throne, but also to pass judgment upon this terrible apostate.

“You, Elvin Gizel Inar Hasra, have committed many terrible sins during this time. You committed treason against the kingdom, imprisoned your own younger sister, and summoned foreign armies, causing countless unnecessary deaths.”

Amidst various light-source magic devices casting colorful illumination, only Vent’s solemn voice echoed in the reception room.

“However, all of these are merely matters for secular authority to judge. You stand accused of the following charges: colluding with high vampires belonging to the criminal group known as the ‘Council’ to target the life of your half-sister, and engaging in carnal intercourse with the monster known as a ‘succubus’.”

“Ugh!”

“What a truly horrific person!”

As those standing around looked down upon Elvin as if he were filth, Vent finally pronounced the sentence.

“Therefore, the sinner Elvin Gizel Inar Hasra shall be purified through the ‘Baptism of Fire’.”

“Ah, n-nooo…”

Elvin protested in a slurred voice, but there was no way it would be accepted.

The term Baptism of Fire sounded grand, but it was simply execution by burning at the stake.

In ancient times, ‘Flames of Purification’ had been used, but since the secret recipe for crafting it was now passed down only among Old Faith priests including the Western Holy See, he would simply have to be burned to death with normal fire.

Going through such procedures was because Cheryn must not be the one killing Elvin.

The logic was that he had not been murdered by his half-sister in a power struggle, but had merely been judged for religious reasons.

Watching this, Shan silently mused upon a thought that crossed his mind.

‘Still, Marquis Beshalia’s house fell for the exact same crime, yet for the royal family, it ends with just killing that one guy. Isn’t that a bit unfair?’

Of course, unlike Elvin, the marquis was the representative of his house, and above all, the royal family was an entity one rank higher than ordinary nobility.

For they were descendants of Great Emperor Baren, entities who held the authority to rule the kingdom.

Just as commoners and nobles differed, treatment between nobles and royalty was bound to differ as well.

*

Once the trial concluded and Elvin disappeared into the dungeon, Cheryn held a banquet for the high-ranking figures.

It was not on a grand scale, but rather a gathering in the royal banquet hall to eat and chat over modestly prepared refreshments.

Shan conversed there with those he had been unable to exchange greetings with earlier.

“It seems your wounds are completely healed.”

“Yes, thanks to your concern.”

The rabbit-eared female knight, Ravana, tapped her thick flank with her hand while wearing a confident expression.

Having returned after receiving treatment in Palles, the female knight looked completely intact, with no trace of her former state when she had been on the verge of death with three spears stuck in her.

Aside from her, there were many people to greet.

For instance, Count of Palles, who had brought his wife and son.

“It has been a while, your Excellency Count.”

“Indeed. Has it been about two years?”

“Yes. It would likely be around then…”

Since Elvin began the war in earnest around spring of last year and Shan had not returned to Palles afterward due to half-settling in Shedil, it had been nearly a year and a half.

Shan noticed that a somewhat somber air hung over the faces of the Count’s family.

Unlike in the past, he could guess the reason now without much difficulty.

“Baron of Lugen was a knight braver than anyone.”

“Hearing you say so eases my heart. He was a brother-in-law who always caused distress, but seeing things end like this leaves a bitter taste. Sina and Blois are grieving as well…”

The Count’s brother-in-law, Yurk, had been an irredeemable scoundrel until he was beaten up by Shan and reformed, but as a younger brother and maternal uncle, he was a good person.

That was likely why they were still depressed despite nearly half a year having passed since receiving the news of his death.

Even after comforting the Count’s family like that, there were several others to converse with.

His adoptive father, Count of Shedil, who had traveled a long way leading his aged body, and Viscount of Treba, who looked around like a country bumpkin with Asha at his side…

Although Shan deepened his bonds with the meritorious factions who would lead the kingdom in the future, he did not approach just one person.

Cheryn, seated in the place of honor in the banquet hall.

Even while feeling her gaze looking down at him, Shan consciously avoided her eyes and conversed with others.

As time passed, a few quick-witted people also felt a sense of incongruity at this sight.

Normally, Shan, who would never stray far from Cheryn’s side together with Roden at such gatherings, was keeping an excessive distance today for some reason.

What was more, he was not even doing so covertly; he openly kept his distance and did not even look at her, which was sufficient for anyone to interpret as a political rift.

‘What is it? That Princess’s Knight all of a sudden? It can’t be that they are being bashful now, when there are even rumors that they are lovers who have already shared a bed.’

‘Could a conflict have arisen during the process of rewarding military merits? Don’t tell me it’s over the title of Marquis Beshalia?’

‘If those two part ways…… Princess Cheryn doesn’t seem entirely advantageous. That Shan Barendil might even be able to overpower the princess with just the backing of the East. Which side should I align with?’

As lower-ranking nobles who had been flattering the meritorious subjects looked around anxiously back and forth, the banquet hall, which had been purely joyful, turned into thin ice in an instant.

Roden nudged Shan’s flank with a puzzled expression and whispered.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Did something happen?”

“No.”

Since it was a matter difficult to consult even Roden about, Shan answered only that much and wandered around the outskirts of the banquet hall.

As the banquet wound down listlessly like that, a spider crawled up the nape of Shan’s neck as he tried to exit quietly.

[Let’s talk. In the lounge.]

Shan hesitated for a moment before answering in a small voice.

“I’m sorry, but I think today will be a bit difficult.”

[Why?]

“That is…”

[Does it have something to do with you avoiding me continuously?]

“……Yes.”

The spider, which had paused briefly along with his response, wrote out words.

[As you know, I am extraordinarily suspicious. I am always afraid people might betray me, so I cannot stand it unless I go around eavesdropping here and there.]

A deep-seated distrust of humanity left behind by the memory of being betrayed by the wet nurse she trusted and followed in her childhood.

Thanks to that, she always monitored those around her using magic that controlled spiders, and she revealed that secret to no one other than Shan and Roden, just those two.

Considering that she had informed Roden virtually as an appendage to Shan, it would be fair to say that Shan was the only single person she truly trusted.

[And right now, I have become so anxious because of your behavior that I feel like going crazy. So please, tell me what is going on. If you have any dissatisfaction with me, I will grant whatever it is.]

A tone that was closer to begging rather than a command.

In the face of that, he could not gloss it over as nothing.

After catching his breath for a few seconds, Shan reached a decision.

Rather than giving strange misunderstandings to that terminal-paranoia princess, revealing it honestly seemed better.

“I’ll go and talk in person. It’s a bit awkward to talk here.”

A short while later, Shan stepped into the main palace lounge, where Cheryn had arrived first and was waiting.

She had prepared two cups of warm tea in advance.

“It has been far too long since I was able to drink black tea. Now that we have reclaimed Beshalia, I will be able to drink it again soon, though.”

Instead of getting straight to business, Cheryn tossed out small talk to lighten the atmosphere.

However, Shan could not respond with a smile to accept it.

Because from the moment he entered the room, and thus realized he was alone with her, his heart throbbed ceaselessly.

Even though he had taken off the ring that heightened his senses beforehand, Cheryn’s body scent seemed to reach all the way here.

Merely looking at her quietly made walking uncomfortable for him.

As Shan hesitated near the entrance of the lounge without approaching, Cheryn, watching him, asked with a worried expression.

“……Is it hard for you to come in? Don’t tell me, did you receive some strange curse from that succubus? Should I call Asha? No, first a physical exam-“

“No, it’s nothing like that. No, well, maybe that might be right, but…”

“It’s right?”

“That is to say, you know what happened in Beshalia, right?”

“I know. Because you told me.”

Thanks to taking along the wooden box capable of manipulating spiders on the expedition, Shan had communicated with Cheryn several times apart from sending official documents, keeping her informed of the inside story during that time.

However, he had only reported that Yure’s true identity was a special monster called a succubus who had tried to seduce him and dominate his mind through drugs and magic, without detailing the specific method.

“Back then, Yure transformed into Sister Cheryn’s appearance and tried to infect me. Meaning…… she tried to engage in carnal relations. Fortunately, I overcame it, but…”

That the sight of Cheryn seducing him, which he had seen back then, was so intensely burned into his head that it was difficult to look at her or approach her.

Shan honestly confessed the phenomenon he was experiencing.

“……Ah.”

Cheryn’s eyes shook wildly as she listened to the story.

Parting her lips as if wanting to say something, she covered her exposed throat with her hand in an involuntary motion and bowed her head.

The ears hidden beneath her hair were flushed bright red.

Inside the lounge, it was so quiet that not even a single sound of breathing could be heard.