Chapter 117
Chapter 117
After many twists and turns, the count’s eldest son was captured alive.
As they say, the stronger someone was in life, the more powerful demonic beast they become—and he was apparently very violent.
It took many of Luwin’s knights piling on him to finally capture him without inflicting a single injury.
After getting his target, there was nothing stopping Cassis.
Luwin’s knights advanced, slaughtering demonic beasts as if clearing away the incompetence they had been accused of in all sorts of newspapers.
But there were so many that they couldn’t deal with all the humanoid demonic beasts.
After all, they were born in the Jenoria Mountains and made their home there. They only came down to inhabited areas to crave human flesh and blood.
The captured demonic beast was handed over to Count Adela’s family.
I don’t know what the imperial knight commander had heard from the Emperor to come all the way here, but he raised his voice, his face flushed at the eliminated humanoid demonic beasts.
“The Emperor’s command was not to lay a hand on humanoid demonic beasts…!”
“His Majesty issued that command to protect Count Adela’s eldest son, so it’s fine now.”
“Still, an imperial decree is an imperial decree. Grand Duke, you violated His Majesty’s order!”
Those who were quietly fighting demonic beasts in the background. Those who struggled to properly handle the demonic beasts that belatedly came their way. Watching them invoke the imperial decree and condemn Cassis was more amusing than infuriating.
Cassis clicked his tongue, “Tsk.”
[I’ve never seen Cassis act like this before.]
“Lord Rowide, then go directly to the Emperor and tell him that I violated his decree.”
“…”
“If His Majesty summons me, I will go to the imperial palace myself.”
With that, Cassis turned away as if annoyed.
I was impressed inside. So this is what a male protagonist looks like, I thought. No matter how much he had fallen momentarily, I could see why he would always be the Grand Duke who once had everything.
‘If it were me… I’d probably say something like, “You killed humanoid demonic beasts too! We’re even!” right there.’
[Oh my.]
It seemed unnecessarily cool that he didn’t even mention the fact that the imperial knights had also eliminated humanoid demonic beasts.
Cassis exchanged a few words with Roen, then our eyes met.
He stared at me, then suddenly stood before me, taking just a few steps with his long legs.
He bent his tall frame, tilting his face toward me as if to meet my gaze.
“Irina, I’m back.”
“Good work.”
“It was tough.”
Cassis said this with a smile.
“…”
“Irina?”
I blankly stared at Cassis’s face, then slowly shook my head at the voice that called me with confusion.
“It’s… nothing.”
“Is that so?”
Cassis straightened his bent waist without any further question.
“Anyway, the urgent situation is over now.”
“What are you planning to do next?”
“I need to clean up the remaining demonic beasts.”
“I see.”
While Cassis works on eliminating the remaining demonic beasts, Isolini in Jedo will likely be busy publishing newspapers.
In the end, the papers will report that Cassis found Count Adela’s eldest son, and subsequently that he’s quickly eliminating demonic beasts. To add more impact, they might even publish interviews with people Cassis has saved.
Within a week, everyone in the empire knew Cassis.
This was possible because everyone’s attention was on the demonic beasts.
“In the end, the Emperor is stepping in.”
The Emperor had no choice but to intervene.
The imperial knight commander made a fuss about violating the imperial decree, and I heard through Isiel that the Emperor had actually thrown a fit during a state council meeting because he was displeased.
But ultimately, he had to commend Cassis.
That was the only way to pull Cassis away from the Jenoria Gorge, where he could build honor and merit.
“Have a safe trip, Lord Cassis.”
“You should come with me.”
“Someone has to stay behind and wrap things up.”
The Emperor summoned Cassis.
The reasons were to commend his achievements and to entrust him with the protection of Jedo, where humanoid demonic beasts had begun to appear again.
For reference, I decided to stay to finish the work here.
I could have gone up to Jedo with Cassis, leaving Roen here, but the system and quests seemed to prefer that I stay.
“It’s a pity.”
“But I’ll attend the party, so don’t be too disappointed.”
“Yes.”
“If you don’t have a partner that day, please take me.”
“I will.”
As I was exchanging various greetings with Cassis, Roen approached, clicking his tongue.
“Irina, this is not the time to talk about such things with His Grace.”
“Why not?”
“We… need to protect His Grace.”
“Ah…”
Roen held onto Cassis with a grave expression. His green eyes glistened with moisture.
“Lord Cassis. His Majesty the Emperor will surely threaten you under the pretext of asking you to protect and defend Jedo.”
“Right?”
“How should you respond then?”
Cassis furrowed his brow deeply, probably because he had heard this from Roen and me alternately over the past week to the point where his ears had calluses.
“Yes, like that, furrowing your brow. ‘I refuse. Why should I? I am not an imperial knight, but a knight of Luwin.’ Say it like that.”
“Say it.”
I echoed Roen.
With a slightly tired face, Cassis nodded halfheartedly.
Only then did I let go of the deliberately stiff expression I had put on and smiled broadly.
“Everyone go ahead. I’ll follow soon!”
After sending off Cassis, Roen, and Luwin’s knights, only I and a few knights remained at Count Adela’s mansion.
[Now, Irina. Let’s get to work!]
It’s time to get busy again.
* * *
I quietly looked at the demonic beast in the cage.
Perhaps in an inactive state, the demonic beast was sprawled on the floor as if dead.
“…It’s hard to believe that until recently, this was a living, breathing human.”
The demonic beast before me was once Count Adela’s eldest son.
How much had Count Adela and so many others suffered because of this.
“In the end, this person died fighting to protect the territory’s residents, yet couldn’t find eternal rest.”
It feels strange.
When it was active, I would fall into panic even with the iron bars in front, and the system would become paralyzed. But now that it’s lying there as if dead, both my body and the system are fine.
I meaninglessly opened and closed the quest window repeatedly.
[Find the Eldest Son of Count Adela
* Completed Quest *
Count Adela’s eldest son died honorably in battle against demonic beasts. However, he was eaten by a demonic beast, making it impossible to ever find his body.
He will be resurrected through the dark arts of ■■■ ■■■■■■ within the very body of the demonic beast that made him what he is.
(Omitted)
Reward: Support from House Adela
Reward 2: Information about the mastermind]
[SYSTEM | Please claim the quest rewards directly.]
The task of capturing Count Adela’s son, which was his request, was finally completed.
But whether the reward needed to be received directly from Count Adela or not, the system hadn’t processed the reward yet.
“I thought I would be able to see what’s behind the black mosaic.”
[Hmm, perhaps you still lack the necessary information?]
Who could it be?
I had just thought that the original story seemed to start too quickly, that demonic beasts appeared much earlier than expected. That’s all I had thought.
But according to the quest, there’s a mastermind behind it.
“In the original story, was the appearance of demonic beasts and the resulting destruction all because of someone’s instigation?”
There was no such content in the original story. Destruction loomed as if it were this world’s destiny.
[Who knows. But that’s not important.]
[Destruction will surely come, it’s just a little earlier than in the original story.]
Who could it be? Who would do such a thing?
Could it be Sian Terezia?
But why would Sian?
He put so much effort into saving this world, why would he deliberately break it?
Or is it Princess Leilyranda, whom I’ve been continuously suspicious of?
“But I’m suspicious of Princess Leilyranda only because… she’s showing different behavior from the original story, and because she was the female protagonist in the original.”
Moreover, the original story was a system game about resolving debt from the beginning.
Demonic beasts, the empire’s destruction, the female and male protagonists—these were just very large events for paying off the debt.
“Am I just arbitrarily suspecting the original female protagonist?”
[…]
[…]
The system remained silent.
I quietly looked at the demonic beast.
Suddenly, a large wound caught my eye.
“Huh?”
[What is it, what do you see?]
“There’s a really big wound on the neck.”
The demonic beast had a large wound on its neck. It looked as if it had been cut with a knife and then haphazardly stitched up, leaving an ugly scar.
“It looks like… it was cut with a dull blade.”
[Indeed. I wonder what happened before it died?]
I shook my head. That wasn’t the only reason I mentioned it.
“All the humanoid demonic beasts I’ve seen here seem to have wounds like that somewhere on their bodies.”
[Really?]
Of course, I could be mistaken. Just as I was about to shrug, indicating I wasn’t sure, someone spoke from behind me.
“You have a keen eye.”
“Ah, Count Adela?”
“You seemed to be alone.”
“…”
I hope my conversation with the system looked like I was talking to myself.
“That’s right. All the demonic beasts discovered in the Jenoria Mountains have such ragged scars somewhere on their bodies.”
Count Adela spoke calmly while looking at what had once been his son.
“Well, I’m sure Lord Cassis has already guessed it. That someone is deliberately producing demonic beasts.”
I turned my head to look at Count Adela’s profile.
Count Adela, whom I had seen before, seemed like a man who wouldn’t bleed a drop even if stabbed with a knife. But now he looked emaciated.
Having to watch over his son who had become a demonic beast must have made him like this.
Without even looking at me, he abruptly said, “Thank you.”
“Not at all. It was all my master’s achievement.”
“Thanks to you… Adela is finally beginning to regain stability.”
Mashuf Village was still overrun by demonic beasts, but other cities and villages were gradually seeing economic recovery.
“Soon, the imperial court will send a support team. Since Lord Cassis has left as well, the demonic beast cleanup will proceed smoothly.”
“Is Luwin completely withdrawing from here now?”
“…Everything depends on my master’s will.”
Of course, I could offer my opinion, but ultimately, the choice was Cassis’s to make.
I wonder what Cassis is thinking.
As I drifted in random thoughts, a soft murmur came from beside me.
“Do you know how much Adela can offer Luwin?”
