"Hello there!"
Eugene had returned to the Lionheart family mansion after almost a year.
Eugene had never thought of his memory as being poor. He was quite confident in recalling the events from three hundred years ago, before his reincarnation, and most of his current life experiences as well.
“……” As such, he was momentarily confused.
A young lady was cheerfully greeting him. However, he had never seen her before in his life. Eugene silently stared at her in bewilderment.
‘Who is she?’
The way she greeted him with a smile made him feel too embarrassed to ask for her name.
Eugene quickly rummaged through his memories, but no name came to mind. Moreover, he had no recollection of ever seeing her face either.
Was it possible that she was a servant hired in the past year? That seemed unlikely, given the familiarity in her greeting. Besides, she wasn't wearing a maid’s uniform.
“I’m Ayla Ruhr! You’re Sir Eugene Lionheart, right?” asked the lady.
“Keugh.” Eugene gasped while stepping back in surprise.
Ayla Ruhr.
He obviously knew the name. She was a distant descendant of Molon and the daughter of the reigning king of Ruhr, Aman Ruhr, the Beast King. However, according to his memory, Ayla’s current age should be….
‘How is this a twelve-year-old?’ Eugene wondered in shock.
A typical twelve-year-old should resemble Mer or Raimira, but Ayla was even taller than Ciel. While her face still bore some childish traits, anyone would think she was much older than twelve. No one would possibly think of her as a twelve-year-old child.
Eugene turned to Cyan with a bewildered expression. “You… you scoundrel. Have you started a family while I was…?” he questioned.
“No way!” Cyan exclaimed. He appeared genuinely aggrieved. “I’m not married yet!”
“Then why is she—.” But Eugene was interrupted.
“Father sent me here to learn more about the Lionheart's family traditions!” Ayla cheerfully responded.
Eugene heard the rest of the story.
The royal family of Ruhr had no intention of breaking off the engagement with the Lionheart family. Moreover, Ayla herself desired a union with Cyan. Thus, the enthusiastic young girl had been staying as a guest at the Lionheart mansion for the past week.
Cyan was destined to be the head of the Lionheart family one day. As such, even if Ayla was a princess of a kingdom, Cyan couldn't possibly join her family as a son-in-law. This meant that if they were to marry in five years as planned, Ayla would become the lady of Lionheart instead.
“Traditions…. Traditions…. Are there really any family traditions that are worth learning in advance here…?” Eugene muttered under his breath. But Ancilla caught his whispers without missing a single word from nearby.
Caught under Ancilla's scrutinizing gaze, Eugene quickly shut his mouth and focused his attention on Ayla.
“Ahem, yes, nice to meet you,” he quickly said.
“I’ve heard so much about you from my father!” Ayla beamed while waving at Eugene.
Why was she waving suddenly? Well, she was just a child. Children her age often acted without any particular reason. This spontaneity was a stark contrast to the calculated behavior of the fakes….
“Who are you calling a fake?” Mer spat from inside his cloak.
However, he ignored her retort. After exchanging pleasantries with Ayla, Eugene moved on to visit the nearby dwarven workshop.
The dwarves from Hammer Island in Shimuin had set up their workshop on the Lionheart estate. Although the workshop was initially modest, it gradually expanded over time.
The royal family of Shimuin had gifted Hammer Island to the dwarves, and the dwarves had resided there for generations. They had received necessary goods like beer and food by boat. Various orders from the guild also came with the supplies, and the dwarves would pick jobs that suited their tastes and start hammering away.
They were always content with this lifestyle; after all, dwarves were accustomed to a life of revelry and crafting.
Hammer Island was peaceful and pleasant. Anything they desired was promptly provided.
There was no restriction that prevented them from leaving the island, but dwarves, unlike the other wanderlust-filled and freedom-shouting races, were content with brewing and crafting in one place. They were not ones to seek adventure. Such things were instincts deeply ingrained in their nature, much like the elves’ love for living in forests.
The dwarves who came to the Lionheart estate were among the best craftsmen of their kind, and each one burst with pride in their skills. Yet, none of them had ever handled the entirety of a dragon’s corpse.
As such, they were bound to be astounded. In contrast to their relatively modest workshop, the dragon’s corpse was majestic and beautiful. It was an unparalleled material, the finest of anything that could be found in the world. Naturally, such supreme material deserved the finest environment.
Moreover, the Lionheart family allowed the dwarves to work with the materials as they pleased, and unlike Hammer Island, there were no strict orders to meet. They could request any material, and the best-available quality material was immediately provided. Residing on a remote island versus a mansion close to the imperial capital with a warp-gate on the estate….
The difference was clear.
The dwarves finally realized how tedious and frustrating it was to receive goods by trade ships. Yet, despite being provided freedom, they never neglected the reason for their presence in the Lionheart estate. They crafted armor from the dragon’s scales and leather and weapons from the nails and teeth.
It was only natural that exquisite weapons belonged in the hands of equally skilled warriors. As such, the dwarves didn’t just produce items randomly for unknown clients but called in the Lionheart knights one by one to custom-fit each suit of armor and weapon.
Naturally, the workshop had to expand. The dwarves crafted things they had always harbored in their hearts and built new furnaces and forges to kindle their ambitions. The whirlwind of heat and fire turned the surrounding grass yellow, making it crumble like sand when one stepped on the grass.
‘It’s lucky I didn’t get slapped,’ Eugene thought with relief.
He realized anew how gracious Ancilla really was.
As she had said, this was the venerable Lionheart family estate. Initially, the workshop had been a fair distance from the mansion, but with repeated expansions and new housing for the dwarves, it had grown far too large.
Eugene glanced at the mansion. It was located not far from where he stood. Initially, he had suggested relocating the mansion just to diffuse the situation, but after seeing everything up close, he seriously considered relocation.
“Eh?” A dwarf, busy observing molten metal in a blast furnace, recognized Eugene.
It was Gondor, though the thick beard and soot-covered face made him hard to identify at first. He leaped towards Eugene from a far distance. Gondor was surprisingly spry despite having such short legs.
‘I shouldn’t be thinking like this. Did I catch this from Sienna…?’ Eugene mentally rebuked himself.
Gondor’s agile leap was oddly fascinating.
Eugene cleared his throat and asked, “Have you been well?”
“It’s been a while,” Gondor responded with a grin, extending his rough, calloused hand.
Eugene looked up at the blast furnace while shaking the dwarf’s hand.
“What are you working on?” Eugene asked.
“Oh, just checking if the stuff inside is melting properly. Mixing dragon bones with orihalcon—” Gondor halted mid-sentence and eagerly grabbed Eugene’s hands. “But that’ll take a while. Let’s start with the urgent matter.”
“What’s this urgent matter?” Eugene asked.
“You need armor, don’t you?” asked Gondor.
“Armor?”
If it were anyone else, they’d probably beam at a dwarf offering to make them armor, but Eugene didn’t smile. He had never worn fine armor in his past life, nor had Molon or Vermouth.
Death-and-life battles had been a daily affair in the Devildom. Managing one’s body and weapons had been hard enough, let alone fancy armor.
“I don’t need it,” Eugene replied tartly.
Modern knights flaunted stylish custom-made armor and weapons, but knights from three hundred years ago had not. More often than not, obsessing over armor and weapon quality led to neglecting one’s training.
[But Sir Eugene, you always use fine weapons, like the Moonlight Sword,] commented Mer.
‘I’ve never neglected my training,’ retorted Eugene.
[Yet you're fixated on good weapons. You use the Moonlight Sword, despite everyone telling you not to because of its dangers,] said Mer.
‘Mer, mention the Moonlight Sword one more time, and—’ Eugene warned.
[Moonlight Sword, Moonlight Sword, Moonlight Sword, Moonlight Sword,] Mer taunted, and Eugene immediately reached into his cloak to discipline her.
Gondor watched the cloak wriggle with a grim expression.
“Sorry, the kid’s ill-mannered…” Eugene apologized.
“No... it’s alright. But seriously, you won’t wear armor? I’ve made armor for all the other knights. I’ve made one for the family head as well,” said Gondor.
“I’ve never worn armor in my life, so I feel more comfortable not wearing it,” responded Eugene.
“Then you should just wear armor that’ll make you feel like you’re not wearing it,” countered Gondor.
“Does wearing something yet feeling like you aren’t wearing it even make sense?” Eugene questioned.
“It’s not just any armor. It’s Exid, made from a dragon. Not just any dragon either, but the most formidable and vicious of them all — the Demon Dragon Raizakia,” Gondor explained.
“And I’m the one who killed Raizakia. I was the one who stabbed him in the throat and killed him. Do you know what that means? Despite his breath attacks and tantrums, he couldn’t kill me,” said Eugene.
[I say, quite a bold statement for someone who almost died,] teased Mer while nibbling on Eugene’s hand. Naturally, Eugene ignored the jibe.
“Hmm.… But I already made armor for you. It will be completely finished with just a few more adjustments,” said Gondor.
“You can just give it to someone else. The family head is here too,” said Eugene.
“I’ve already modified the Exid from Shimuin for the family head. And didn’t I already tell you!? All Lionhearts except you have their Exids,” explained Gondor.
“Then you can give it to someone outside the Lionheart family,” Eugene said.
A name crossed Eugene’s mind. He didn’t want to be impolite and visit without prior notification, so he sent a message first.
He was soon greeted with a reply.
***
“You didn’t have to come in person,” said Eugene.
“It bothers me more to make the one offering kindness go back and forth.”
The Grand Duke of the Kiehl Empire, Alchester Dragonic, visited the Lionheart mansion with Gilead as he returned from the palace. Alchester offered Eugene his hand with a rueful smile.
“It’s the first time we are meeting since the Shimuin banquet. Sadly, it's not the time to be casually inquiring about your well-being,” said Alchester.
“That’s fine. You heard from the family head, right?” asked Eugene.
“It’s fortunate that there aren’t any casualties, but it's definitely not something to be taken lightly,” responded Alchester. He then continued in a quieter voice, “Firstly, Eugene. Since His Majesty the Emperor isn't here, I, as the Grand Duke of Kiehl, will convey His Majesty’s intention. It might sound cliché, but….”
“I’m listening,” answered Eugene.
“Kiehl won’t take this incident lightly. All of our spies in Hauria have been expelled, so we do not have a clear picture of the current situation. However, we have already reached out to the other Emirs of Nahama,” explained Alchester.
'Reached out' was likely an understatement. In truth, it would have been closer to a unilateral declaration.
The Lionheart clan and its allies will march towards Hauria and cross your territories. We're currently only targeting Hauria, but if you don't cooperate, we won’t hesitate to trample your lands too.
“Isn’t that a threat?” Eugene asked.
“It is,” Alchester agreed readily. “Do you think it’s wrong?”
“No, it’s just…. If it were me, I wouldn’t have bothered to notify them. I would’ve just acted. If they interfered at all, I would’ve crushed them in retaliation,” replied Eugene.
They walked together as they discussed further.
“What about the Sultan's son who sought asylum?” asked Eugene.
“We accepted him. There was no reason not to,” answered Alchester.
“Is that so?”
“What if the empire advances and attacks Hauria? If we break through the monstrosity of the Centipede Mountains, capture the capital, and win against the demons and demonic beasts? What do you think will happen next?” asked Alchester.
“Hmm… I'm not sure,” answered Eugene.
“If Nahama had united for war, it might have led to a different outcome. But it’s not like that now. Amelia Merwin was the court wizard and the advisor for the Sultan. But she betrayed Nahama with the other black wizards and invited the demons in. And Helmuth is choosing to remain silent,” said Alchester.
He paused, then continued with a wry smile, “Nahama is a large country. It’s a nation with dozens of Emirs serving under the Sultan. Even if the empire conquers Hauria, the Emirs won’t easily surrender and become Kiehl’s vassals. However, fortunately, the Sultan's successor is alive. He’s currently under the protection of a relative who's also an Emir.”
“So, His Majesty’s wish is to topple Hauria, establish the successor as Sultan, and then make Nahama a vassal of the empire,” Eugene finished.
“That’s the cleanest way. Of course, the Emirs will resist. But if they raise private armies, we can use that as a pretext to strike them down. Naturally, the imperial army will handle those battles,” said Alchester.
If they had faced the entirety of the Nahama army, the casualties would have been immense for both the allies and the enemies. They would have had to fight at least several hundred thousand troops, including the one hundred and fifty thousand conscripted from the Emirs and the pre-existing army.
But the only creatures remaining in the capital now were the vassals of Destructions and the demonic beasts of Ravesta, a few dozen high-ranking demons from Helmuth, the black wizards, and a few regular Haurian troops who chose to stay.
“That… they seemed to be bewitched by the devil,” Alchester muttered. “It’s not that their minds are manipulated. It’s just that when the demons and demonic beasts descended from the sky…. It seemed to have deeply moved them.”
Eugene understood somewhat. In his previous life, countless humans had fallen to the allure of the demons’ power.
“Armor made of a dragon’s scales.”
The Dragonic family, like the Lionhearts, was a distinguished house with a three-hundred-year history; its founder was the half-dragon Orix Dragonic. However, no dragon-related treasures had ever been passed down in the family.
Therefore, Alchester couldn't help but be excited.
Armor made solely of dragon materials! Obtaining such a precious item would be worth spending the entire family fortune. But as luck would have it, Eugene was offering it for free. Who cared about his status as a grand duke and maintaining his dignity in the face of such a precious treasure?
“Are you sure you want nothing in return?”
Alchester had imparted the Empty Sword to Eugene. It was a technique Eugene still found useful and one he would continue to use in the future.
“Nothing.”
Even after mulling over it again, Eugene thought receiving the Empty Sword was too grand a compensation simply for teaching a 10-year-old for a month.
***
The capital of Nahama, Hauria.
Two days had passed since it was surrounded by the Centipede Mountains, and most of its citizens were expelled.
Only two days had passed, but too much had changed in the city.
The nearly empty city was trampled by large demonic beasts. There were many who failed to escape, and people were crushed under the rubble of collapsing buildings or trampled to death in the midst of the chaos.
Naturally, the bodies of the deceased were neither buried nor cremated. Yet, they weren’t left to rot either. Each corpse stood up as if alive. In the empty, ruined city, the bodies began to wander.
Undead.
Amelia shuddered at the sight. Although there were many black wizards in this era, those specializing in necromancy were rare. To be more precise, most who dabbled in necromancy kept it hidden. Amelia was no exception. Of all the black magic, she was most confident in necromancy. She believed she was the most knowledgeable necromancer of her time, perhaps in history.
She took pride in this. But even for Amelia, commanding so many undead was unprecedented.
There was an army's worth of undead. Her contract with the Demon King of Incarceration and the power of Vladmir allowed her to raise these many undead without burdening her in the slightest.
‘I could have created more,’ Amelia thought ruefully.
She could have created more if the capital had been completely sealed and the citizens were trapped. It could have come true if the Emirs had brought the conscripted soldiers as planned….
‘Too much has gone awry already,’ Amelia thought with a sigh.
Without enough sacrifices, she couldn’t perform the Demon King ritual. The number of troops had been reduced drastically compared to the original plan.
Many things went wrong, but… Amelia didn’t feel like she would lose this war.