Chapter 36

Gilbert sat huddled against the wall in the corner of the room, holding his head in his hands.

He had finally reunited with his half-brother, whom he had chased after with the sole intention of being of help, and yet here he was, holding his head in his hands.

– It’s strange, I was prepared to be scolded, but this is...

As he questioned himself internally, he cautiously raised his head to see his half-brother Lionel, who was smiling with an unusually kind expression. Next to him sat Dolf, with a stern yet exasperated look on his face.

– His smile is scary. And, the distance is much too close.

He trembled with the premonition that this smile was a sure sign of anger. He felt like a mouse cornered by a tiger. After all, with this body that could no longer wield a sword, he had chased after, involving everyone around him, and nearly died just before their reunion.

He was certain he had nearly died.

Reflecting back, even though he had been affected by fatigue and paralysis poison, his final decision in that village was not one to be praised. Now, thinking calmly, he couldn’t believe that he had gained enough time to retreat with just one blow from a battle axe. It was a suicidal act.

No matter how pitiful or unbecoming it might have been, he should have shouted for everyone to get on the carriage and done the same himself. But that choice would have exposed his comrades and the people he cared about to danger.

So, his body moved on its own.

– At that time, I was certain. I was sure that I would defeat the undead beast and eat a mountain of dinner that Flora had made. I could even imagine Flora’s happy face when she saw it.

Such excuses wouldn’t work with Lionel, he thought, glancing at him. He still didn’t fully understand what had happened after that or why everything was fine now.

A large hand reached out and firmly placed itself on his head, then ruffled his hair vigorously.

“Gilbert, you did well to return alive.”

Lionel said this with a joyful smile, which made Gilbert feel extremely uneasy.

After a while, the steward, acting on the lord’s orders, came to the room and moved everyone to a large hall. The room was filled with the lord of the manor and the surrounding area, the town officials, the private soldiers, the clergy, the mercenaries, and Gilbert and Dolf.

Surrounding a large table, Lionel, who was seated in the center, took a deep breath and raised his head.

“...Now, let’s review the situation and discuss our plans for the days ahead.”

The atmosphere around Lionel changed dramatically with these words.

The charming smile he had shown earlier disappeared, and his sincere expression exuded authority, with a sharp light in his eyes. The air in the room changed as well.

However, it wasn’t a feeling of being oppressed, but rather one of being inspired.

It felt like a strong light piercing through the growing unease of the situation.

Gilbert’s lips curved into a slight smile, and he directed his gaze towards his half-brother, whom he respected more than anyone else.

These days, there are various types of knights. Some swear absolute loyalty to their lord, while others swear loyalty to the country and its people. Lionel is the latter.

Even if the king and he parted ways and his shield was painted black, the core of his being would never be extinguished.

The lord stood up.

“I didn’t get a proper greeting earlier. I am Euan Kelvim. I am entrusted with this domain and hold the title of baron, but in reality, I’m not much different from a farmer. Formalities are unnecessary.”

With that, Lord Kelvim opened a leather map, which roughly depicted the geography of the surrounding area.

“Until a hundred years ago, when the Jemerald Kingdom was annexed, this domain was the northernmost part of the country.”

Hearing this, Gilbert nodded in understanding. The private soldiers and mercenaries were familiar with the original beasts and well-versed in combat, so the northern part of the domain, which had a higher frequency of beast appearances, benefited from the long-cultivated knowledge of the former northernmost territory.

To the north of Kelvim’s domain, a vast, unexplored forest stretched all the way to the northern mountains. This forest, untouched by human hands, was a haven for beasts.

To the northeast, in the area where the Jemerald Kingdom once stood, lies the Jemerald Dukedom.

“Have you received any reports from the Jemerald Dukedom?”

“No. I only heard rumors that the royal knights had withdrawn and the remnants had been eliminated.”

Lord Kelvim sighed with a bitter expression in response to Lionel’s question.

“All large and medium-sized beasts had been eliminated, but given the nature of the undead beasts, it was necessary to search for and confirm any that might have been missed. However, before that could happen, the king’s order to return was issued...”

Lionel’s face twisted with regret.

“It was arranged for the Jemerald knights to take over the search after the withdrawal. However, after returning, the king said something strange.”

“What was it...?”

“The king said that if the undead beasts were completely eliminated, the value of the holy sword would decrease. When I asked what he meant, I received no answer.”

Silence fell over the room.

“...Are you suggesting that the king and the Duke of Jemerald conspired to intentionally miss some of the beasts?”

“That’s still unclear. But...”

Lionel pointed to the easternmost part of the map.

“The unexplored forest borders another country to the east. If we leave the undead beasts unchecked, they will eventually spread to the neighboring country through the forest.”

“Could it be that the holy sword is being used as a political tool...?”

Lionel shook his head, indicating that it was still unknown.

“The chancellor made a frivolous remark, saying that we might lend holy knights to the neighboring country in the future. If it was just the chancellor’s frivolous talk, that would be fine. But if not, it’s incredibly foolish.”

Gilbert, who had been listening silently, clenched his fists in anger. The scene from earlier flashed through his mind. The attack by the undead beast seemed far too real to be used as a tool by humans.