“Charlotte… Julia… What on earth happened to you two…?”
Thump Thump.
Yuri moved with heavy steps, murmuring to himself with vacant eyes.
The relentless series of unbelievable sights had left him mentally exhausted.
“Ahaha. Is this a dream? It must be a dream, right?”
Yuri had already entered the stage of denial.
It was a reality he wanted so desperately to reject.
Charlotte, who used to be so bright and innocent, now wielded a sinister sword as a dark knight?
Julia, who was kind and considerate, now a necromancer controlling a dreadful evil god?
Something was terribly wrong.
It was seriously wrong.
“Aslan Vermont…!”
What did Aslan Vermont do to Charlotte and Julia?
Did he lock them away in a dark room?
Did he insult their dignity by feeding them from a dog bowl?
Or did he make them engage in terrifying black magic research?
The more he imagined, the more his heart seemed to burn.
It was obvious that Charlotte and Julia were still suffering, and yet he was still in this pathetic state.
When Charlotte was facing hundreds of ant monsters at once, and Julia was using the evil god to collapse the entire ant nest, he was only able to bind a dozen or so feet!
Yuri clenched his fists, reflecting on his own weakness.
“Still… I need to let them know that I’m trying to save them…!”
With nothing but that resolve, Yuri moved forward.
No matter how Charlotte and Julia had changed, or what Aslan Vermont had done to them, it didn’t matter.
As long as their hearts hadn’t been completely taken over.
As long as their minds hadn’t surrendered completely to that cruel man, there was hope.
He hadn’t given up on them yet.
He was struggling to bring them back.
If he could just let Charlotte and Julia know this, it would be enough to give them hope.
“As long as you don’t give up, there’s always a possibility…!”
Yuri struggled with each heavy step as he climbed the ruined mountainside.
And what he finally witnessed was…
“Mister? What were you doing down there…?”
“Good job, Charlotte. I watched from afar. You handle Aura very skillfully now. You’ve improved greatly.”
“Ehheh! You saw everything? I wasn’t trying to get praise, but it’s a bit embarrassing…!”
“Don’t change the subject and answer me, Aslan! Why are you holding Knight Sylvia so tightly…?”
“Julia. You cast the incantation at the perfect time. Thanks to you, I’m still alive. Thank you.”
“Hee, heehee. I’m pretty perfect, right? …Yeah?”
Aslan Vermont patted Charlotte and Julia on the head.
They both had subtle, pleasant smiles on their faces.
Yuri’s mouth dropped open, but no sound came out.
A silent scream echoed, and Yuri collapsed to his knees.
‘Have they already been brainwashed…?’
His mind went blank.
At that moment, even the tiniest hope shattered.
Yuri’s world crumbled.
‘No. Charlotte and Julia are not that easily swayed. Even if Charlotte looks innocent, she’s quite cunning, and Julia is very smart…!’
Suddenly, clarity returned.
Charlotte and Julia had their hearts stolen by such a pitiful person?
It didn’t make sense.
Charlotte and Julia must be acting!
To avoid antagonizing Aslan Vermont.
They were hiding their true feelings and pretending to follow him!
Waiting for the day he would come to rescue them…!
‘Wait, Aslan Vermont! The day I surpass Instructor Sylvia, I will come to get Charlotte and Julia back…!’
Grrr.
Grinding his teeth, Yuri watched Charlotte and Julia subtly getting closer to Aslan.
Even knowing it was an act, it felt like watching a scene that would make him shed tears of blood.
.
.
.
“Ugh… The sunlight…”
“So it’s just like a vampire, isn’t it, Mister!”
The first sunrise after the tumultuous night revealed the Ariente territory in a pitiful state.
Many buildings had been destroyed, trampled by swarms of ant monsters.
It looked like they had been swept away by a tsunami.
The only small consolation was that there were no casualties apart from those who injured their legs while running.
The quick evacuation guidance from Vermont Security had been effective.
And thanks to the prompt evacuation of all residents into the castle, the monsters had charged straight toward the castle without causing unnecessary chaos in the homes.
All buildings outside their direct path remained intact.
It might not have been Sylvia’s original intention, but her quick response and correct judgment had saved both lives and property.
“Brother! Are you alright!? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Other than muscle aches, I’m fine, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Thank goodness! Really, thank goodness! How much I worried about my brother…!”
It was his own territory that was destroyed, but he’s worried about me first.
Was Count Arient really this thoughtful?
I thought he would be hoping for my death.
I’m a little touched.
“Although I’m not in my right mind due to the current difficulties, let me promise a few things before I collapse. First, we will assist in the reconstruction of the town that was devastated, with the help of our Vermont Security personnel.”
“W-What…!”
The training ground also suffered significant damage from the ant monsters’ attack, and for the time being, training has become completely impossible.
It’s highly inefficient to have personnel on the payroll doing nothing.
So, it would be better to assign them to the Ariente territory restoration work to make it look like we’re doing something.
“Also, we will provide some financial support from Vermont for the restoration efforts.”
“Ahhh…!”
If Count Ariente starts pouring money into the reconstruction work, it will only increase the risk of collapse.
With the golden goose already struggling, this is quite a bargain in terms of treatment costs.
Even if they cover all the reconstruction expenses, it’s not even close to the amount of interest Ariente has paid so far, so it doesn’t really matter.
“I truly don’t know how to express my gratitude…! I have no idea how to properly show my thanks! Really, thank you so much, my dear!”
“Ah, don’t mention it. It’s nothing between us. Just a small favor I’d like to ask…”
“Speak up. I’ll do anything. Oh, certainly.”
Did his voice just tremble?
Looking at him with suspicion, Count Ariente’s eyes were shaking uncontrollably.
“S-So, what… kind of favor are you asking for…?”
“It’s about what happened last night. The residents…”
“Rest assured, I will make sure the matter is kept completely quiet! Everyone in Ariente Territory, including myself, saw nothing last night! We only woke up to the sounds of something crashing and found that the monster’s den was destroyed! I will make sure it stays that way!”
“That’s not it. I was going to ask you to let the residents spread the word about what happened last night.”
“W-What…?”
Am I crazy?
Why would I want to keep it quiet?
“It was the grand debut stage of the Necromancer and the Dark Knight. By the way, the Necromancer’s name is Julia, and the Dark Knight’s name is Charlotte. Please help us spread the news widely.”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ nods in agreement.]
In Charlotte’s case, she showcased a magnificent Aura. Julia, despite her somewhat… no, very shabby appearance, demonstrated the handling of a Great Spirit.
Isn’t this enough to make the entire continent buzz?
I have no intention of letting these remarkable feats remain as mere minor stories in Ariente and Vermont territories.
They must be spread far and wide.
First, I’ll spread the word and make Charlotte and Julia famous.
After significantly raising their value, I’ll make sure they naturally earn 1 billion Lark.
Then, achieving my goal will be to have them become independent from my protection and return to Hero Yuri.
Returning is one thing.
It would be nice if they felt grateful later and came to marry me, but that’s a story for a much later time.
There’s no need to rush.
I decided to be a little more patient.
“A Necromancer and a Dark Knight? Could it be that you… Oh, no! It’s nothing! Whatever you desire, I will make sure it happens!”
“Thank you.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you!!!”
Count Ariente keeps bowing and shaking my hand.
Fine.
Let’s keep the fact that the ant monsters appeared because of us a secret forever.
Technically, the responsibility is more on Dirt-Dirt’s shoulders.
What good is sealing monsters if you end up forgetting about them?
It doesn’t seem necessary for us to feel any sense of responsibility.
“Let’s head back now. Sylvia, check on the injured or any special circumstances among the staff, make the necessary arrangements, and return.”
“Does that mean I won’t be able to sleep until then…?”
“I’ll give you paid leave until tomorrow.”
“I will make sure to handle everything perfectly and return. Leave it to me, Master.”
Sylvia, with her sleepy eyes, salutes.
She’s reliable.
I trust Sylvia to handle it well without any issues.
I thought she would take care of things properly and got into the carriage.
The comfort of sitting on the plush seat buried in the ground after wandering through the ant tunnels for a while is like melting away.
If I were capable of sleeping, I would have surely fallen asleep immediately.
‘Drowsy. Maybe I used too much energy.’
It’s not exactly drowsiness, but my vision is blurring, and my body feels languid.
This is more like being on the verge of fainting rather than just feeling sleepy.
If I don’t properly recover my strength, it wouldn’t be surprising if my consciousness fades out.
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ advises you to take sufficient rest.]
‘Right. I’ll take it easy today.’
Thanks to that, I’m forced to take a holiday.
When was the last time I had a whole day off?
Thinking back, it seems there was never such a day.
It’s a perfect time for recharging.
The carriage gradually arrives at the mansion and stops. As I opened my eyes and was about to get up…
“Ugh, umm…”
“Don’t go…”
“…”
My arms were bound.
Now that I think about it, the kids had been unusually quiet throughout the trip.
Before I knew it, they had each claimed one of my arms and were sound asleep.
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ commands that you should not wake them, even though our Dark Knight and Necromancer look very tired, and that you should remain still and quiet!]
Hey. You just told me to rest.
Now you want me to stay in this awkward position?
“Haa…”
Anyway, with my current energy level, I can’t carry the kids and move them.
I gave up and let my body slump again.
Although the position is a bit uncomfortable, the feeling of the kids’ breaths tickling my arms is pleasant, making it a perfect rest.
