Chapter 204: The Deathbound Duke’s Daughter (Part three)

TL: eristol

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“Oh man, that was quite a surprise, huh?”

Gilbert Turm was looking up at the sky from the garden of the villa he had built next to the porcelain workshop. It was mid-afternoon. In Gilbert’s arms was a newborn baby.

In place of his wife, who had fallen asleep earlier, he was trying to lull their energetic child to sleep.

“I never even dreamed I would become someone’s parent.”

Gilbert laughed as he held his child, gently squeezing its tiny, soft hand.

“But, there sure are a lot of dragons out today.”

Thinking that trouble might be brewing, Gilbert went back inside the villa. As he absentmindedly sang and gently stroked his child’s soft hair, Rob entered through the door.

“Master~! Something big is happening!”

“Huh? Did a Cursed Sword of Fire fall from the sky? Or did an alchemist’s star crash?”

“Don’t joke around. Look, dragon knights are bringing gifts one after another!”

Rob quickly started packing the piled-up packages into the house. The packages were countless gift boxes, with ribbons bearing the crests of the Ducal House of Aurelia and the House of Earl Nibelheim.

“Good grief, they are really unhinged, aren’t they? Those kids.”

Gilbert chuckled.

They were his pride, his students who had saved the world.

“Using the dragons of Ignitia to transport gifts like this is unheard of!”

“They probably used connections. The prince is acquainted with them too.”

Upon closer inspection, the gifts also included items from the Ignitia Royal Family, the Ducal House of Hafan, the Ducal House of Lucanlandt, and the House of Earl Wynt. Gilbert’s face lit up with a smile. While the gifts themselves were nice, what was truly wonderful was this network of connections.

“Boy, you’ve got the best of connections, you know? So, what kind of business do you want to run?”

As Gilbert tapped his son’s palm with his finger, the young child tightly gripped his father’s finger.

☆

The Headmaster’s Office, Lindis Magic Academy.

It was late afternoon. Headmaster Twr welcomed Jan Carlson with a very calm expression.

“Returning to the academy … ? But I was just told to deliver this luggage to Lindis … First of all, that…”

“It was a direct request from the Margrave of Urs, Harlan Slayson himself.”

Twr opened the received luggage. Inside were a set of student uniforms and textbooks.

“Is someone like me who was involved with an abduction case even allowed to do that?”

Carlson asked with a trembling voice.

“If it is atonement you seek, then I believe it has already been done. Nobility should be demonstrated through actions. I believe your actions of saving innocent people during that incident are noble enough for this academy.”

“Why … ?”

Twr then took out a dagger and a letter from the drawer. The dagger was Carlson’s favorite weapon that he had given away to those siblings on that night. The rescued siblings noticed the Útför crest engraved on the dagger and delivered it to a monastery with a letter. That delivery had made its way around until it arrived here. Twr handed them to Jan Carlson.

As Carlson looked at the letter of gratitude written in childish scrawls, his eyes became moist.

“Let’s get back to the topic. The Margrave of Urs wishes for you to once again gain various experiences at this academy. Moreover, he wishes for you to choose your own path in life this time. Where to go, what to become, it is all up to you.”

“I … If possible, I would like to return to Lord Harlan’s side.”

“I see. If that is what you wish for yourself, the Margrave would be pleased. He said this as well. ‘Útför will not actively recruit you so as to not limit your choices. However, if you still wish to return of your own accord, I will be waiting for you.’”

The Order of Útför, at present, avoided disbandment and switched their main operations from vampyre extermination to medical missions and banking services. They were also gradually starting to deploy members to the conflict zones in the continent of Karkinos. Ultimately, the roles where often lives were at stake remained the same.

“Y-Yes!”

Even so, Carlson’s eyes sparkled. The academy that he thought he could never return to, and the Útför Knights. Both had left a place for him. Carlson left the Headmaster’s office with a smile on his face. As he contemplated on the happiness he had not asked for, a boy appeared from the corridor.

It was Evan Haearn.

“I see you have returned. I have been ordered to keep an eye on you to make sure you don’t do anything strange.”

“Thanks. That will put my mind at ease too.”

Carlson smiled with his eyes lowered. Haearn snorted, then handed a document to Carlson. It was a recommendation letter for the position of an assistant member of the student council, the Dynameis.

“Is this from the student council?”

“It means ‘stay where I can watch you.’ Nothing more.”

Saying that, Haearn turned on his heel. Carlson watched Haearn’s back for a while, then continued walking.

Suddenly, the sound of laughter reached his ears, and he looked out the window. Below, he saw two girls, Chloe and Beatrice, running in the courtyard. Despite the guilt smoldering in his chest, Carlson decided that as a friend, he had to do what he ought to do.

“I will go apologize properly.”

Carlson walked slowly under the bright light towards the schoolyard.

☆

Lindis Magic Academy, second floor of the main Academic Building, by the window facing the courtyard. It was after classes had just ended for the day.

Tricia Rails and Marquia Jonas were more excited than ever. The two of them were hiding behind the curtains, peering at a certain pair in the courtyard.

“Being on the second floor is too far away. Tricia-san, can’t you get us a closer look?”

“I can’t extend my wand’s range any further, Marquia-san.”

“At times like these, I envy Auguste-sama who can borrow the eyes of a dragon!”

“It seems like there is a barrier placed. Even a dragon would probably notice.”

The pair they were spying on with magic were Erica Aurelia and Klaus Hafan. Their names had echoed far and wide as the ones who destroyed the Necropolises spanning both continents during the “Resurrection of the Mad King” crisis.

“Surely, at this point, there are no mages foolish enough to say anything unsavory about the two of them and their relationship, right?”

“Yes, even the people of Hafan have changed their view of Erica-sama.”

Erica, who had a particularly bad reputation, experienced a dramatic reversal in her evaluation since that incident. The same was true in Hafan, where Erica’s reputation was not favorable, but now she was being reevaluated.

And then, there came the sudden closeness between Erica and Klaus.

Tales of their engagement from childhood, the dance at the Advent Festival, the long-standing love triangle including August—these had been the subject of much gossip among the students in recent days.

“They must be on the verge of getting engaged. There is no doubt about it.”

“Yes, Klaus-sama’ feelings have finally reached her.”

“We, who have been by Erica-sama’s side since childhood, have been agonizing over this for years.”

The two in the courtyard smiled at each other. After exchanging some friendly words, the atmosphere suddenly changed.

Erica stared at Klaus with a serious gaze.

“They are staring at each other! So intensely!”

“This is clearly the gaze of lovers!”

Despite the excitement of the two observers, Erica and Klaus were actually discussing matters of raw interests.

Erica had discovered three islands in the Sea of Monsters. Since Erica fainted, the group temporarily landed on these islands with the Sky Thrones. Upon waking up, Erica noticed the uniqueness of the islands and collected some stones for investigation. It turned out that these islands possessed deposits of Dragon Guano. Dragon Guano could be used for various purposes, but even if the island was used for agriculture alone, it would bring immense wealth.

Erica was not one to miss an opportunity.

Since she discovered the islands, being the reason for landing there, and also discovered useful minerals on the islands, the islands were now Erica’s property. Of course, the three people who had accompanied her also agreed to this.

Erica handed a sealed letter to Klaus.

“Could it be … a love letter?”

“A letter expressing feelings she couldn’t say in person? How charmingly innocent like a young girl!”

It wasn’t a love letter, but rather documents concerning ownership and development permits. The majority of the mined resources would be purchased by the Hafan family and used for large-scale agriculture. After outlining a plan to monetize the island’s mineral resources, Erica planned to transfer ownership of one of the islands to her brother. This was because Eduard needed a vast amount of funds to deal with the aftermath of that incident.

Klaus was exasperated, but still smiled affectionately at Erica’s concern for her brother. Erica had a relieved expression. It was a soft expression with a hint of childishness, which was rare for her, who always seemed tense.

“Of course! After ascending together to the Lunar Throne to destroy the Necropolis, they must have had some sweet and secret exchanges that we don’t know about!”

“I am sure of it!”

In Tricia and Marquia’s minds, the relationship between Erica and Klaus was greatly exaggerated by their fantasies. At that moment, Klaus brought his face closer to Erica.

“Kyaaa, any more than this is a clear breach of privacy! Please refrain from such behavior, Marquia-san!”

Tricia covered Marquia’s eyes.

“You say that, but you have zero intention of refraining yourself! You have already infringed beyond excuse, Tricia-san!”

Marquia resisted Tricia’s attempt at covering her eyes. After making a commotion for a while, what the two saw was Klaus whispering something in Erica’s ear.

They gasped inaudibly.

☆

In a fishing village on Talf Island to the southeast of the Karkinos continent.

Eduard Aurelia sighed in the cramped and dirty four-person room of the inn. He looked at the large leather bag thrown on the bed with a weary expression.

“Isn’t it a bit much to be crammed into a room like this?”

“It can’t be helped, Eduard. You were the one who said it you are willing go out of your way for your friend, right?”

Elric Actorius spoke gently as he took a book out of the bag.

“Friend … my friends … hmmm. But such a miserable situation …”

Eduard grumbled discontentedly.

“The Key to Unraveling a Serious Curse. It can only found in these southern lands.”

Brad Clochydd, who was sitting on the bed with a book open, smirked.

“Claude and I are still alive, but the curse is still there.”

“Yet you look remarkably healthy for that, don’t you? And younger too! Isn’t that unfair?”

As Eduard said, Brad’s body had been rolled back in time about seven years from his actual age. This was due Dolores reviving Brad using the Primordial Pattern.

“Well, it can’t be helped that we retained our souls and memories while only our bodies were sent back in time, can it, Ed? It’s not like I wanted it. Besides, I am not any younger than this guy here.”

Brad coughed lightly and shifted his gaze to the leather bag. The bag was large enough to accommodate an adult male with his knees folded.

“Well …”

Eduard and Elric also looked at the bag.

Inside the leather bag was Claude Lucanlandt, who had reverted to his nineteen years old self, still bearing the curse of the Golden Wolf Prince. However, he was no longer the rampaging undead monster infected with the curse. This was because the Golden Wolf had already been separated and the influence of the Mad King had vanished.

In other words, although relatively stable, he was still a dormant undead infected with the curse, so he still required treatment.

“At that time, Dolores Wynt prioritized mine and Claude’s lives. In return, the curse remained. So now we must uncover the root of the curse constructed by the Mad King and reform it.”

The Clairvoyant Sage had said it could be resolved with considerable wealth and connections, but it would take about ten years of their life. Eduard agreed immediately, saying it was worth spending that much time.

“Now, there is a possibility that part of the root of our curse remains in another village further south from here. Elric, tell us about the village we are planning to visit.”

“Well … in a nutshell, it is the worst kind of traditionalist village, I guess?”

At Brad’s inquiry, Elric spoke up.

“This island has been divided and ruled by Gigantia in the past, causing two tribes to engage in bloody conflicts over the span of three hundred years. There have been forty-seven disputes of various sizes during those three hundred years. You can check the details here.”

Elric piled up three thick books beside Brad.

“All of them gruesome battles, and it is impossible for them to recover from this division on their own. It is quite a dreadful story.”

As Brad flipped through the pages, he grimaced as if he had bitten into a bitter bug.

“Hmm, hmm, so what about the overview of the two tribes?”

Eduard asked Elric while peeking over Brad’s shoulder at the book. There were illustrations depicting what seemed to be a custom of human sacrifice.

“There are two tribes: the mountain tribe, who ride griffins and the ocean tribe, who believe in an archaic faith. Very rarely, unique sorcerers are born only to specific bloodlines in each tribe. The mountain tribe people have tanned skin, black hair, and red eyes. The ocean tribe people have ivory-colored skin, and grey hair and eyes. Although their roots are the same, the physical features and abilities of the ocean tribe are being lost due to the homogenization policy of Gigantia over the three hundred years.”

“What kind of abilities?”

Eduard asked, and Elric continued.

“They are all hereditary secrets, passed down from generation to generation, but we can make some educated guesses based on records and lore. There is a possibility of it being a magic related to time, language, and death.”

“Hmm, sounds like we need to be cautious … Oh, and I am also curious about the archaic religion. What is that about?”

“It’s a belief in a phantom beast dwelling in the deep sea. They hold a festival every twelve years and decorate twelve beautiful young men with flowers as offerings, then drown them into the sea.”

Brad and Eduard locked eyes.

“Hmm, intriguing.”

“I see … but, does that creature really exist in the sea?”

Elric could see the unnatural glint in Eduard and Brad’s eyes.

“You two, just because it sounds interesting doesn’t mean you should dive into the sea. Your lives would be in jeopardy. This feeling … there is probably really something there, right? It is likely closely related to the special abilities passed down in the ocean tribe, and with those abilities dwindling, controlling that phantom beast would prove difficult.”

Elric warned them.

“Now, according to the information gathered by the Útför Knights, a group of alchemists from the Festival Faction arrived near the coast of this region, in a village dedicated to an ancient god, about forty years ago. They have been living there in hiding since.”

“Alchemists?”

Eduard frowned at the mention of alchemists.

“The alchemists in that village are related to the ancient vampires who coexisted with humans.”

“I see. So those alchemists are our target this time.”

Brad quietly closed the book.

“But what we really need to be careful of is that this year happens to be the year of the festival of human sacrifice that occurs once every twelve years. Do you two understand the implication of that?”

Elric looked at Eduard and Brad as if he were observing his students.

“Is that a possibility? No, no, you and I are already at an age where we wouldn’t be targeted, right?”

“I may be young right now, but … surely not.”

Both of them seemed genuinely surprised. Brad even had a hint of contempt on his face. Elric smiled and whispered.

“By the way, isn’t this room smelling a bit sweet right now?”

Eduard scanned the room with his eyes without moving his face. The small white dragon over Brad’s head gently flapped its wings and moved away from him.

“It is a slow-acting sleeping poison extracted from the scales of a White Mist Butterfly. Normally everyone would be asleep within five minutes of inhaling it. But it is not effective on me or Brad, and Eduard, you have already taken precautions, haven’t you?”

“Well, yes. But should I at least pretend it works?”

“Hmm, I am not sure.”

Elric tilted his head.

“It is not a bad idea to be kidnapped as a means to an end, you know. If we take down the cult first, it will be easier to concentrate on the real issue.”

“You are as overly optimistic as ever, Ed … but it certainly doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

Brad patted the small white dragon that had perched on the back of his hand.

“Please don’t go into the sea. Well, I do want to help the other sacrifices who had been kidnapped. It could be a good warm-up.”

Elric smiled as he cracked his knuckles.

“Then shall we casually pretend that the drug is starting to take effect? Both of you are aware of the effects of the White Mist Butterfly’s scale powder, right, Brad, Elric?”

“It will induce a sleep-like state with an intoxicated feeling for about three hours, right?”

“It also acts as a truth serum and is used in interrogations. In other words, intentional misinformation can be spread, right? I am looking forward to it.”

Eduard, Brad, and Elric—all three of them had a wicked smile on their face.

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Eristol: And thus one adventure ends and another begins. Where will Eduard’s journey lead him in his quest to save his friends?