Chapter 62
“I’d rather suggest sending your sons instead.”
Domit quickly continued speaking toward the frowning duke and count.
“Compared to that good-for-nothing, the sons of the duke and count are far more excellent, aren’t they? If we make it so that the good-for-nothing doesn’t receive special treatment from the beginning through the sons’ performance? And then, if we catch evidence of the special treatment and blow it up on a large scale.”
“Then the grand duke would also curl up his tail?”
“Yes, that’s exactly it.”
It’s not a bad story. However, even so, it doesn’t particularly appeal. The duke stroked his chin and leaned back.
“But with just that, it doesn’t add up.”
“So, we need to demand compensation.”
Domit replied with a beaming smile, as if he had anticipated it.
“When graduating with high grades, ask not only for an apprentice guardian position but also for access passes to the imperial treasury.”
“What, what?”
The place where treasures steeped in all the history of the imperial family lie dormant, the imperial treasury.
To ask for access passes to the treasury just for completing the academy? The duke frowned as if he had heard something absurd.
“That won’t do. No, His Majesty won’t allow it in the first place.”
“Yes. That’s why we deliberately ask for the imperial treasury access passes. If that’s rejected, they’ll allow an easier compensation below that.”
As if he had anticipated that reaction as well, Domit answered with an unchanging smiling face. The duke’s crumpled expression slightly relaxed.
“Hm. Meaning two rejections would be difficult even for the imperial family.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then what is the easier compensation?”
“Allowing only the noble sons who achieved high grades to form a personal knight order.”
Domit said with narrowed slit eyes.
“If we give the reason of creating their own forces based on what they learned at the academy, it should be sufficient. Of course, the opponent is the good-for-nothing.”
Currently, the private soldiers allocated to noble families, that is, the family knight order, is limited to one legion of 50 members. They cannot have more than that under imperial law. So, quite a few nobles are grumbling about it.
But if the imperial family accepts Domit’s proposal? Wouldn’t that mean one more knight order for the family! Considering the subsequent increase in the family’s power, this was definitely a profitable deal.
“That…….”
The duke said, covering his lips that kept trying to curl up with his palm.
“It’s not bad.”
At his reply, the count, who had been fidgeting anxiously, chimed in as if it were right.
“If the imperial family rejects even this, there would be no reason to enroll the sons, right?”
“That’s right, that’s right. They created the academy saying they’d have them face the specters, so if they reject this proposal, the imperial family would have no justification to pressure us.”
“Yes. And meanwhile, dig into the good-for-nothing of the grand ducal family and uncover that guy’s true nature.”
“Not bad.”
The duke, as if finally relieved, leaned back on the plush sofa and burst into hearty laughter.
“Count, you must be truly happy to have such a clever subordinate.”
“You flatter me.”
The count praised himself for not kicking out Domit from the previous incident and rubbed his palms, and the duke burst into laughter again seeing him like that.
***
Haa.
Heros let out a long sigh and pressed his forehead firmly. His dry eyes closed and opened stiffly. He eventually set down the documents he was reviewing and tilted his head back toward the ceiling.
He is currently in the western desert.
-The Blue Dragon will be in the desert. He likes cutting through the hot desert air while flying. If you look up at the sky on a sunny day, you should be able to spot him.
It was to find one of the three dragons ordered by the emperor.
Dragon.
Intelligent beings sprouted from fragments of gods.
Their powers are each immense and threatening enough to be said to rival gods, but Heros didn’t show much concern about it.
He already has experience facing the Black Dragon. Of course, there were various damages, but in any case, the winner was Heros.
Therefore, Heros didn’t have fear in fighting other dragons. He would win anyway.
This is not arrogance.
It’s the pride of one who has reached the highest realm achievable as a swordsman.
Anyway, so Heros had been scouring the desert for several days, looking up at the sky all day long.
But let alone a dragon, not even a single wyvern is visible. Only his eyes are getting dry and stiff from the desert air.
He wanted to deal with the dragon quickly and return. Work must be piling up continuously while he’s away, and mindlessly killing time like this didn’t sit well with him at all.
“Should I have assigned it to Polin instead.”
Heros casually uttered words that would have made Polin rage if he heard them, and tried to look up at the sky again, but the communication orb’s notification was faster. Heros infused mana into the communication orb he had tossed aside carelessly.
[Your Excellency.]
Right away, Polin’s face appeared with a deliberately serious expression. Heros recalled that he had ordered to use the communication orb only if there was a problem at the mansion and hardened his face. Wondering if some issue had arisen while he was away.
“What is it? Your expression doesn’t look good.”
[Well……. Haa…….]
Polin repeatedly rubbed his dry face and steadied his breath.
[Don’t be shocked and listen. It’s real.]
Heros waited silently for his next words.
[The young lady.]
……Daphne?
“Dead again…….”
[She’s a geniusaaaah!]
“…….”
Polin completely stood up and started jumping around like dancing while shouting.
[Magic, she’s using magic! She manifested sword aura just a while ago! I thought she’d walk the path of a swordsman now, as expected of Your Excellency’s bloodline! But today, she just fired multiple fireballs like bang bang bang! Ha, you really should have seen it with your own eyes. What do I do having seen it alone?]
“…….”
Heros could feel his eyes becoming stiff again. Ah, headache.
“Daphne isn’t sick again, is she?”
[No. Just a while ago, she said she was full and ate 8 chocolate puddings before leaving.]
“Ha.”
Then it’s a relief…… Heros unconsciously thought that and frowned, clicking his tongue. Then Polin’s eyes widened.
[Why aren’t you happy? This is really a big celebration? Not just for our family but for the entire empire?!]
It’s true.
If Daphne grows into a magic swordsman, they could aim not only at the specters but also at increasing the empire’s power in the future.
However, Heros didn’t accept the situation so optimistically. No, he couldn’t.
“Daphne is,”
He recalled the curse placed on Daphne.
“A child whose days are numbered anyway. Don’t give useless hope.”
[No, even so…….]
“I’m hanging up.”
Click.
Having tossed the disconnected communication orb again, Heros soon dropped his head low and let out a long sigh.
“Huu…….”
Daphne’s talent manifesting is truly something to be happy about and celebrate.
But,
Nevertheless, but,
‘Daphne will die soon.’
She probably won’t make it past 15. And the way she goes won’t be peaceful either. She’ll end her life distorted in pain and suffering.
‘Because of me.’
That was the reason he had tolerated Daphne’s rowdy good-for-nothing antics until now. Thanks to that, the other children were greatly hurt, but since Daphne is a child who will die soon……. They had no choice but to accommodate Daphne.
For 5 years like that.
At some point, the changed Daphne tries to live looking toward the future.
Heros wanted to cheer for such Daphne, but knowing it’s a future that won’t be realized anyway, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.
He couldn’t give Daphne hopeful words like she can overcome it. Because the black mage’s curse wasn’t a problem that could be solved so simply.
-Dear.
He recalled his one and only love, who was his whole world, his deceased wife, Elise.
-Don’t be too sad even without me. We have our children.
Elise.
-Make the children happy.
I don’t know how.
-Love the children to your heart’s content.
Now I can’t even know what the emotion of love is.
-In my stead…….
If you were here, would it have been different.
Heros poured out a long sigh and tightly closed his eyes. His eyes were no longer dry.
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By 💓 💓
