Dragon’s Bloodline Chapter 76

Homecoming

The expedition army’s return home started.

There weren’t many of them, but some aspired to transfer into Ogress’ military, so there were also people that were accepted into it.

Carlos was one of them. For him, who wanted to take a half-elf as his wife, Ogress’ way of things weren’t particular about social positions, so Ria felt it should be fine.

Next were the ogre and beastkin troops. The ogres, who had come and enjoyed themselves in the war, returned home with the ashes of their deceased comrades on their backs.

The Ogress and former Cordovan territories were unrelated to this.

However, this policy was one of Ria’s principles.

What there anything more important than that? No, there wasn’t!

Strike while the iron’s hot. Her policy quickly became common knowledge.

Half of Manesh’s army returned home for domestic security purposed.

Even though that was the only place that had the proper facilities to perform the maintenance, it was still painful as far as their war potential was concerned.

Manesh’s army that had achieved victory after victory and the ex-Cordovan army that had been overlaid with regulations.

Naturally, they revolted.

The policies that Ria came up with, particularly the ones concerning law, invited massive opposition.

They lost of course.

There were still some that weren’t able to tolerate it, however.

The fools that had chosen to revolt at a time where Ria’s authority and military might had reached its maximum were still, in the end, not her enemies.

Ria used their revolts to sweep away her domestic opposition’s forces.

Like this, Ria’s policy of beastkin discrimination abolition was particularly passionately received amongst the beastkin. Many villages erected statues of Ria so that her appearance would remain there for many years to come.

*

And then the day came where Ria herself would also leave Cornada.

She had decided to temporarily part with her comrades.

First was Maal, who wanted to visit her home, and Irina, who was attached to her.

Because they had no horse, Ria lent them Rudolph.

Gig also wanted to return to the ogres’ village.

It was also for the deceased ogres’ funeral rites that he needed to return home temporarily.

Shizuna would also temporarily be returning to Jaeburg through a caravan.

She looked pretty depressed about the whole ordeal.

It was decided that Carla and Serge would be remaining in Cornada.

If anything happened, Serge could report it immediately with his space-time magic.

Of course, she was hoping that no such events would actually happen.

*

Ria’s remaining comrades would all return to Manesh together with her.

Thinking about it, she knew Lulu since before she had popped her murder-cherry in this world. Thinking of her as both someone that was an older and younger sister to her, she was filled with deep emotion.

[Don’t take my daughter!] She thought about saying it, but she quickly stopped that kind of thinking after seeing the two be so intimate with each other despite their embarrassment.

Fio would continue working for Ria as a secretary.

She’d need to go back to Casalia, but that would be something for later.

She remembered it after thinking about marriage, but she had to look for a bride for Matsukaze, too.

Wouldn’t a lot of nobles want to try to garner attention through this?

Thinking about that, Matzukaze might fall into a harem situation.

*

Carla called out to Serge, who was watching Ria’s back from the rampart as she left.

“That’s… what about you?”

As always, Carla smiled gently.

And there was something that only Serge could do here. If another revolt happened, the transportation of goods would be interrupted without him there.

“She’s returning to Manesh to help Guinevere-sama with important things, so I’m staying here to study magic from you while watching your treatments.”

Carla placed her hand on her chin, thinking.

“Eh?”

As for Serge calling Ria ‘Nee-chan’, this was a privilege awarded to him as a special case when he was given the rank of baronet.

“Shouldn’t you call me ‘Onee-chan’?”

The unexpected attack left Serge stunned.

Ria was ‘Nee-chan’. More than ‘An-chan’, she was ‘Nee-chan’. [1]

There were a few cabinet ministers that didn’t call Carla-sama with ‘Carla-sama’, but even so they still used ‘Carla-dono’.

This was a matter of status as a human.

“Umm, then, since you’re teaching me magic, ‘Shishou’ or ‘Sensei’…” [2]

“T-then, Carla-san? Please forgive me with that.”

Serge felt relieved, but Carla just realized something.

Or perhaps it was because she felt uneasy after parting with Ria?

At any rate, Ria and them’s lifestyle had brought about a change in Carla.

*

Carla’s life in Cornada was systematic.

Unexpectedly, she’d eat a surprisingly solid breakfast and receive citizens’ petitions, pressing a seal onto the endless stack of documents.

She would patrol the city in the afternoon and visit the orphanage and hospital.

At night she would with with Serge to study magic, but sometimes she was called out for emergencies.

Carla was famous, but that much was natural.

Even her relations to the temple that seemed perilous at first were mended. By doing her treatments in the temple, they had come to an understanding.

“To begin with, the other continents were ruined by the gods’ foolish fighting.”

She unhesitatingly made a remark about a considerably important historical event. One that Serge wasn’t aware of.

“Eh? There were other continents?”

It had already been around three thousand years since then.

In cooperation with the god dragons and a portion of the gods, the other gods were destroyed.

“That is right. It’s because the tale lies within the forbidden section of the magic academy.”

Now that the imperial capital vanished, that was very possibly the only place the history remained. Or perhaps it remained in the memory of elves as well?

Serge felt that he should have asked Dark Dragon Valis many more things.

“Serge, you will be going to the magic academy at some point soon. There, you should be able to make the best use of your previous life’s knowledge.”

Serge certainly hoped for an environment that would allow him to study vigorously. Being surrounded by so many strong people too far distant from him in ability didn’t serve as good reference most of the time.

“Right. I’ll study here a bit more first, then I’ll head to the magic city.”

Right then, Serge thought he would definitely do it.

But his thought would be realized for entirely different reasons.

Their occupation policy proceeded well.

Cornada was peaceful.

That is, until a certain case of serial murders occurred.