Chapter 107: Dark Revelations [2]
More minimal safety measures were needed.
Measures that would prevent things from going the worst way, like with Barosu.
After finishing the letter, he enclosed a small jewel in the envelope.
"I don’t need to tell you who to send this to, right?"
"The greedy professor at the academy."
"And this too."
"There’s one more?"
"Send it to Luina."
"Yes."
Hyde received the letters.
***
After the long winter, which was longer than in other regions, the half-melted snow turned the ground into a quagmire.
A silver knight galloped on a pure white horse. The muddy quagmire posed no obstacle, and as the brilliant blue light of the sword flashed, monsters fell with screams.
"Follow Lady Luina!"
"Chaaaaarge!"
Thirty knights charged all at once.
The charge, honed as sharp as an awl, split the monsters in half.
"Good work."
Since the monsters weren’t many, the battle ended quickly.
Luina wiped the blood off her sword and fed a carrot to her horse, which was exhaling rough breaths.
"You did well too, my lady. Things have really stabilized a lot."
Although she had returned to the family in less than half a year, there was quite a difference from before she left.
The walls had been repaired extensively, and most of the monster nests that had formed throughout the domain after that day had been subjugated.
"His Excellency has worked hard."
"It’s thanks to everyone’s efforts. Let’s head back now. This seems sufficient."
Since the main purpose was reconnaissance, there was no need to stay longer after confirming that there were no new nests near the domain.
"Yes."
The reconnaissance team, purely composed of knights, returned to the domain.
"My lady, His Excellency is calling for you."
"My father?"
The Baron Berchef was in his study. As if he had been waiting for Luina, two cups of tea and refreshments were placed on the table.
"Welcome."
"According to the reconnaissance, no new monster nests were discovered near Alsen."
"Good work. Have a cup of tea first. There’s chocolate that you like."
"I’ll enjoy it with gratitude."
Luina, who had been lacking sugar, unwrapped a chocolate and put it in her mouth.
’...It’s a bit lacking.’
Although it was certainly luxurious, it felt insufficient, perhaps because she had become too accustomed to kraken ink chocolates.
"Take this."
"What is this?"
"A letter has arrived for you."
It had the seal of Goldenheim, but it wasn’t from the head of the family.
"Gerhard?"
"When I heard that you had become friends with Gerhard and formed a pair, it was honestly hard to believe, but it seems it’s true. Looking at how you exchange letters during vacation."
"...It’s not like that. Did you open it by any chance?"
"I’m not so dishonorable as to freely open my daughter’s letter. Though I did want to open it right away."
Luina opened the letter.
There wasn’t much content.
[Demon species spotted.]
It was information and a warning for Luina. It was saying that there could be battles with demon species after the vacation ended, so she should prepare sufficiently.
’It seems like he’s also asking me to come a bit earlier.’
That’s probably right.
"May I ask what the content is?"
"There’s nothing particularly special."
Since she had agreed to keep the secret about Gerhard and the demon species, she couldn’t tell.
"If there’s nothing special, you can show it to me, right?"
"Why do you want to see it?"
"The Goldenheim family are grateful people who lent us money, but at the same time, they’re people who have shackled us with the chains of debt. I’m not sure if it’s right for you to be friendly with Gerhard Goldenheim."
"Gerhard promised a three-year exemption from interest."
"I know. Thanks to that, we’ve been able to breathe much more easily."
Nevertheless.
"The suspicion hasn’t disappeared. Why? Why would that family, obsessed with money, make such a promise to you and keep it? Given the large amount borrowed, the interest is not insignificant. Why would they willingly give that up?"
"That’s..."
"No matter how much I think about it, there’s only one answer I can come up with. But I don’t want you to be married off like being sold because of debt."
Luina’s face lightly flushed.
"...It’s not like that!"
"Then can’t you show me?"
"..."
"I think that letter is from that dishonorable Gerhard who is oppressing my precious daughter. I’ve had to suppress the urge to open it many times since it arrived."
"..."
Under the baron’s cold gaze, Luina bit her lip. After hesitating for a long time, she asked.
"Then please promise that you will not speak of this content to anyone."
"I will."
"On your honor as a father?"
"I will."
Luina carefully handed over the letter. After looking at it for a long time, the baron stood up.
"Father?"
"Follow me."
"Where are we suddenly going?"
"You’ll know when we get there."
The place they arrived at was deep within the family quarters.
"Open the door."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
The door guarded by soldiers opened, revealing stairs leading underground.
"I’ve always wondered. Those who don’t know well might think of the north as just a hell overflowing with monsters, but the reality is different."
Monsters were close to beasts, but ultimately, they were living creatures on this continent. They had their own laws and ecosystem.
"But that day was different. An unimaginable number of monsters flooded in, and the domain collapsed."
They barely managed to hold out, but it was literally just barely. Most of the domain was destroyed, and numerous troops and citizens died.
Without the help of other domains and the Empire, and the loans from Goldenheim, Berchef would never have been able to rise again.
"It was something that could never have happened."
So while rebuilding the domain, they sought the cause.
"And I discovered it. It was just recently."
"What are you talking about?"
Creak—
The door to the underground storage opened.
There was a corpse.
A corpse that was filthy, disgusting, and instinctively unpleasant.
"...Could this be?"
"Your suspicion is correct. Thanks to this, I was able to understand the reason."
Why that disaster occurred that day.
How dozens of different species of monsters came down as one.
"They weren’t coexisting to invade us."
They were just driven away after losing their territory to a stronger force.
"Magic beasts have nested in that polar region."
"...!"
"So answer me clearly, Luina."
The baron met his daughter’s eyes.
"What is happening at the academy?"
Luina could not keep the secret until the end.