64 – Homecoming – (2)

“Goodbye. I swear, don’t forget.”

“Yes.”

“It’s a must.”

“All right.”

Lynchia asked me over and over again. From the time I left the mausoleum until right before I got into the carriage, I was exhausted from answering the question so persistently.

As they climbed into the carriage, Lyncia waved her hand with a bitter smile. Harzfeld also placed a hand on his chest and slightly bent his head.

Responding to the greeting, I spoke quietly.

“Status.”

=

Lyncia Hodier Irn

[Achievement Level: 3 / Empress of Dawn]

[Leadership 7] [Power 7(+1)] [Intelligence 9(+1)]

[Spirit 7 (+2)] [Charisma 7] [Luck 7 (+2)]

[Stress 9/10]

[Attribute List]

– Obsession

[12 remaining survival points]

=

“Hmm?”

And when I checked the status, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

It was because Lyncia’s stats had gone up considerably compared to before.

First of all, since the second act was over, the achievement level had gone up and the title had been changed to the Empress of Dawn. It’s normal, so let’s go

For some reason, Leadership, Force, and Charm each went up one by one.

Charm is a stat that goes up for no reason, so why did Leadership and Armed Forces go up?

Most surprising of all was the fact that his intelligence stat went up by 2. In Raising the Empress, the intelligence stat was a required stat for all mana-handling actions.

That’s why it was a very useful ability in the second half when the empire was in the middle of the day.

“Huh.”

“Why, why?”

I stared at Lyncia.

I roughly took my hand and touched Lyncia’s forehead. It was hot.

“Hey, hehehehe?”

Lyncia let out a screeching sound and hurriedly stepped back and touched her bangs.

Looking at the reaction, it didn’t seem like his intelligence had risen.

Let’s take a moment to reminisce. Suddenly, I realized that Lyncia had been spending a lot of time with Lautrec.

At first, I wondered if it was okay to keep Lyncia with the boss candidate from Act 5. However, during Yuria’s interrogation, he realized that Lautrec was an asshole. Moreover, there was no sign of corruption, so I just left it alone.

was there something there?

“Your Majesty, I have something to ask you.”

“Yes, yes?”

“I heard that you recently took swordsmanship lessons with Lautrec.”

“……Ah, that’s right.”

Lynchia rolled her eyes at my question.

Seeing that reaction, I leaned forward.

“Did something happen?”

“……Well? Ah~ I learned swordsmanship normally… right?”

I frowned at the obviously dubious answer.

Then, behind me, I heard a giggling, incoherent laugh.

Looking back, it was Eina.

“Why is that?”

Aina sign language, which Todd hesitantly interprets.

“Can’t you see what’s around you, he asks.”

At that, I looked around.

All I could see was Milia staring at me with round eyes, Eina smiling with a smile, and Lincia standing back like a child who had made a mistake.

I’m not kidding anyone. I asked with a very displeased expression.

“What are you talking about?”

“That’s… ugh.”

Eina went wild and slapped Todd on the back of the head, so he couldn’t speak anymore.

Why are you doing that, old woman?

In the end, I turned my head to Lyncia without hearing an answer.

“Ugh, uhhh.”

When Lincia looked at me, she hurriedly raised her arms and put my body inside the carriage.

“Ah, anyway! Have a good trip! Well, I have work ahead of me! aaa~ I have urgent work!”

It was quite strong for such a small body.

As I quietly crouched down on the carriage, Lyncia let out a sigh of relief and waved her hand.

Then, grabbing the hem of her skirt, she hurriedly ran towards the imperial palace. The attendants gasped after her.

However, since he hadn’t taken ten steps, he looked back with a sad expression on his face, like a child leaving the toy corner.

“You are receiving a lot of favor from His Majesty, Lord Protector.”

Harzfeld said so with a mean smile.

“It’s too much love.”

It bothers me a little, but I decided to bury it for now. From now on, it was time to dig into Fried’s past.

Well, anyway, the status has risen, so it’s okay. There’s nothing bad about it.

As I sat down, Eina, who was sitting across from me, looked over the top of my head and gave me an eerie smile. I followed her gaze, but there was nothing but empty space.

“Why are you like that?”

asked Todd.

“Oh, that’s true… Ugh.”

Of course, he was hit in the back of the head again while answering.

*

Mittern Harzfeld’s servant, Todd Schminer, swore allegiance to the Grand Duke of Harzfeld from generation to generation.

That’s why he had never left the Principality of Lumen-El in his lifetime.

This was the first time he had come to Sigrun, the ecliptic that was said to be so huge. If it wasn’t for the church’s attack on the National Foundation Day, he would never have come here.

It was because all of Harzfeld’s subjects, who should have attended the Duke’s meeting instead of Todd, had all died in the aftermath.

That’s why I wanted to keep everything in sight. It was likely to be the last visit to the ecliptic.

“Whoa.”

Todd took a deep breath and watched the scenery outside the wagon.

It was already the second day.

It had already left the capital for a long time, and the sun had fallen, and darkness was thick outside. Right now, he was on his way to Eldua, the capital of the principality, over the gateway to Lumenel through a long road.

Todd secretly yawned and glanced inside the carriage.

‘I really feel like dying.’

The sense of intimidation flowing from inside the carriage was no joke. Todd had to hold his breath for a while to suppress the gastric juices rising from the depths of his throat.

The people in front of Todd’s eyes were all bigwigs that he couldn’t even face for the rest of his life because of his insignificant status.

First of all, the elf with purple hair sitting right next to her was Eina Agathon, a vassal of the Grand Duke of Harzfeld. It was a knight with legendary achievements who had not lost his position as a guardian knight of the empire for over several decades.

And a beautiful woman with blonde hair right across from her. There was Milia Liantour, the red one of the Royal Guard, who is said to be the heretic of the Golden Duke. The strongest female knight who inherits the lineage of Lord Eina. On the continent, he already had a reputation. Most of all, since she is the daughter of Liantur, the golden duke who rules Highlings, it would be natural for her to run away if she was seduced by her appearance and made fun of her mouth once.

‘The last one… … .’

Todd struggled to control his trembling body and took one last look at the gray-haired knight with his legs crossed and a disapproving expression on his face.

‘Hogukkyung Iscobal. As rumored, it’s bloody.’

Scars running vertically across her lips, faded gray hair, moonlight eyes shining like beasts. And the stocky physique reminded me of a wolf.

If he had a gentle expression, he would have been a pretty boy who would make many women cry, but now he seemed to be in a very bad mood for some reason.

Fried had a snowball fight with Eina, the female knight in front of him, his face distorted. It was because Eina had been looking at Fried with a smile on her face all day. In terms of age, he must have been a great senior for a while, but it seemed that there was not even a speck of respect for him.

Hearing many bad rumors about Freed, Todd had no choice but to tighten his nerves.

The bad boy of the Royal Guard, the crazy knight, the mad dog Fried Iscobal. Even Todd’s lord, Harzfeld, who was known for his eccentric personality, called him an eccentric.

Among the many words that modify such Fried, there were not so many favorable ones. At least, is Apostle Slayer a positive title?

Fried was told that even those who were born so important in this world were not so noble. Nevertheless, to rise to the position of protector of the border means that he was trusted by the empress.

Just a moment ago, I was almost frightened at the sight of him putting his hand on the emperor’s jade body without hesitation.

Come to think of it, there were rumors that he coveted the empress’s lips during the raid at the bureau. Is that true? Or is it just a rumor going around? Looking at the way the empress treated Fred a moment ago, I thought that the rumors might be true.

“… … .”

Thinking about that for a while, Todd looked at Fried.

And at that moment, the eyes of the moonlight looked at Todd, probably feeling the courteous gaze.

“Well… … . Did I say Todd Howard?”

“Sat, this is Todd Schminer!”

“Ah, it was.”

Fred looked at him with a smile.

He was afraid to urinate, but Todd held back and lowered his head.

“There is no need to be formal. I just wanted to have a little chat. It is also free.”

“Oh, is that so?”

When he raised his face at those words, Fried had a very softened expression.

It was fortunate. You’re not angry.

“What kind of place is Lumen El?”

Fried asked.

Todd answered with the best possible words.

“Rumen-El is a very good land, no shortage of being in charge of the west of the great empire. First of all, there are four distinct seasons, thanks to which fruits and grains grow well. In Eldua, the capital of Lumen-El, high-quality alcohol is often produced. Merchants also actively come and go. Under the rule of the wise Grand Duke Hatzfeld, crime rarely happens… … .”

“Well.”

Fred cut off his words with a drool.

Todd, who had been arguing wildly, held his breath, wondering if he had done something wrong.

But he seemed more interested in the outside than Todd.

Todd hurriedly looked outside. However, there was nothing that caught my eye except for the pitch-black darkness that was thickly covered.

“What did he just say?”

“Are you saying that?”

“yes.”

“Obviously, he said that Lumen-El is a good place.”

Fried sighed.

“Don’t do that. At last.”

“Are these your last words?”

Todd rummaged for a moment. One of the few organs that he lacked was memory.

“It is said that under the rule of the wise Grand Duke Hatzfeld, crime does not happen very often.”

“yes.”

Freed, who was looking outside, replied calmly and then slightly raised his sword.

that was the signal Milia Liantur, who had been sleeping soundly with her eyes closed, also opened her eyes. She put her hand on her waist without saying a word.

“What, what?”

Why on earth were the knights in front of me pulling out their swords?

The judgment was made quickly.

I must have committed a mortal sin without even knowing it. Todd crouched down and trembled.

That was the moment.

badass.

grasp!

sound cutting through the air. And arrows sprouted from the windows of the wagon where Todd was.

“Hee!?”

Todd stepped back in great surprise and was hit in the back of the head by Eina, who was there.

Eina smiled and spoke in sign language. Interpreting this, Todd opened his eyes wide.

“S, raid?!”

“yes.”

It was Fried who answered.

The sword he drew caught the light and glowed silver.

What surprised me more than the attack was the sword that Fried was holding. Although he had only seen it in books, its appearance was clearly embedded in Todd’s mind.

It was Ernst, the treasured sword that symbolized the imperial family.

“Are you in good health?”

badass.

Teeing!

I hit the arrow flying through the window with my sword.

A secret skill that transcends the human category.

Fried swung his sword as if nothing was wrong and made a sarcastic remark.

“It’s so good.”