Chapter 96. The True Pilgrim

"Hello?"

It was Beric, with his red hair. The warriors who followed him up were the legendary Thousand Mile Warriors, known only by reputation.

The knight, taken aback by their sudden appearance, took a few steps back. Diving, who saw this from the bedroom, slowly lowered his hand and frowned.

"What's going on?"

Creak.

Diving and the butler fully opened the door and poked their heads out into the corridor. There were five of the Thousand Mile Warriors, known for their strength. The lady was curious but made an effort not to get up.

"Is Beric here?"

Romandoro tapped the papers, organizing them, and asked. The butler, with a flustered voice, muttered.

"No, Lord Romandoro. What is this...?"

"It's nothing much. Lady Rien was worried about your safety, so we're offering a little help. There's a lot to do to prepare for the funeral, and if anything were to happen to the lady, it would be a big problem."

"Anything? What could happen in the manor...?"

"The viscount passed away because of an incident."

Romandoro calmly replied, putting the parchment into his inner pocket. The knight, who had been backing away, stopped and asked.

"What was that noise just now? My comrades were downstairs."

"Comrades? Ah, yes. They were there."

"...They were there?"

"Lady, did you fire all the knights?"

The three knights, Diving, and the butler couldn't understand the intention behind Beric's words. The lady, however, answered on her behalf.

"Yes. She just declared it verbally. They are no longer related to Merelop."

"Ah, good timing."

Good timing? For what?

Then, from a distance, two men climbed the stairs. It was Ian and a warrior, with a familiar body slung over the warrior's shoulder.

"Kel! Damn it, what the hell!"

One of the three knights of Merelop. There was a reason he could only be recognized as a body. His head was a mess of blood, and his facial features were completely unrecognizable.

Clang!

Another knight, startled, drew his sword, but the atmosphere didn't change. The disparity in strength felt so one-sided that it almost seemed like the flailing of a cornered beast.

"No, you keep blocking the way. I couldn't bring them in alive, so it ended up like this."

It happened in an instant. The Thousand Mile Warrior, unable to control his temper, slammed the head against the door. Whether it was due to a lack of vigilance or not, he was able to break through the door with a single blow.

"No, it wasn't because he was unprepared. I hit hard, okay?"

"Yeah, no. I would have broken through too."

"Beric, you broke through with your gut. Back then, wasn't that guy in the Great Desert and this one about the same level?"

"Again! Again with that story? I'm so sick of it. I'll show you a match!"

"Alright, alright. You sure talk a lot."

"Because you don't believe me!"

Boom!

The warrior, who had been joking with Beric, threw the body to the floor. Ian, looking inside the bedroom, confirmed Romandoro and Lady Rien.

"No problem."

"Ah! Sir Ian! Do you even know what you're doing, a, a, a, right now!"

Diving, screaming, fled into the bedroom as the body fell limply. The knight, who had drawn his sword, was drenched in cold sweat.

'Ian said he wouldn't get involved. Damn it.'

It was the opinion of Fulu, the leader of the three knights. Ian was currently under surveillance at the palace and was about to move to the capital, so he wouldn't interfere in Merelop's internal affairs.

But from one to ten, there were always variables.

"Yes, Lord Diving. I know, but I was greatly insulted by these three knights."

"Insult?"

Diving's voice trembled. He had expected a smooth funeral and the inheritance of the title, not this bloodbath...

"The butler must have heard. They asked me if I had an inappropriate relationship with the lady when they were worried about the viscount's death. I've never experienced such an insult in my life, so I'm proving my innocence through their deaths."

"Isn't proving your innocence usually done with your own life?"

"Is it? Not for me."

Ian looked at the knight who had drawn his sword.

"You need to be alive to confirm your innocence. On the other hand, impertinent thoughts only disappear when the subject is dead. Beric."

"Okay."

Beric slowly pulled the door handle with both hands. The butler, standing close by, naturally stepped back, and the door soon closed completely with one of the three knights who had drawn his sword.

Creak.

"What...?"

"Y, Y, You scum!"

Diving, on the other hand, assessed the situation rather quickly. Ian had brought these savage men to protect the lady.

"You, you're trying to ruin the family!"

Diving, holding a decorative item, lunged at the lady. It was clear that there was an affair. Otherwise, why would Ian help the lady? The knights had suspected it, so everything fit together like a puzzle.

"That's not possible. Lord Diving."

"Let go! You, damn bastards. You're in league with Ian and that woman? The wrath of the gods will fall upon you!"

"Settle down. It's better to pray than to keep attacking. It might look bad, but it's better this way."

"Shut up! You evil demon!"

"Damn."

Lady Rien, now unafraid, even raised her middle finger. Diving, whose face had turned red with humiliation, bit his lip but chose to focus on his prayers rather than say anything improper. He even prostrated himself, shouting.

Boom! Bang!

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

"Hey! Hey! That's not right!"

The dull thuds and screams synchronized with the prayers. It wasn't a heated fight but clearly a one-sided battle where the power disparity was evident.

How long did it take?

The commotion gradually subsided and then stopped completely.

Creak.

As the door slowly opened, the bloodstained handprints on the corridor wall were visible. The long trail of blood was unmistakable...

Romandoro, crunching on candy, asked.

"Is it over?"

"There's one knight left, but he seems to be absent from the manor, so I'm sending Beric to track him down."

Of course, some of the Thousand Mile Warriors would accompany him. Diving, fearing he might see another body, turned his head.

Ian gestured for the lady to sit opposite him.

"Please sit here. I have something to say."

It felt like being called by parents when he was a child. Though he didn't want to, he couldn't run, and his heart was pounding so hard it made his stomach churn.

Diving sat down, trying to remain calm.

"First, I apologize for the disturbance. But as you heard, these men are no longer related to Merelop."

"Is that a reasonable statement right now?"

"Lord Diving. I have a few suggestions to make. I hope you'll consider them carefully and make a wise choice. Lady, the same goes for you."

Ian ignored Diving's words and pressed on. Lady Rien, with a calm expression, sipped her cold tea.

"It doesn't seem like either of you is willing to coexist. Is that correct?"

"Yes. We are not."

"Damn. Who's talking now!"

The most peaceful method would be for Diving to inherit the title while all authority is delegated to the lady. This way, the matter could be settled without reporting to the palace. But given their current stance...

"One of you should leave Merelop, specifically Bariel, for the sake of mutual safety. Personally, I think it should be Lord Diving."

"What kind of trick are you playing! Is there! Is there anyone outside!"

Diving, enraged, shouted loudly. The door opened, and a couple of Thousand Mile Warriors poked their heads out.

Creak.

"Did you call, Sir Ian?"

"No. Just help with the cleanup."

There was no one to help the fake heretic successor who had been praying helplessly in the outer manor.

Bang!

As the door firmly closed, Diving tightly closed his eyes and began muttering an incomprehensible prayer.

"The cleanest solution would be for all those bearing the Merelop name to disappear, but that would be too much for the lady to handle. An imperial investigator would come down to re-examine the matter, and she would have to prove her worth to receive a new title from the emperor, which wouldn't be an easy task."

Even if she proved her worth, it was uncertain whether she would be chosen. Gaile or another restraining force would likely try to insert someone, like Erica.

"I will be in the capital by then, so I can't actively help."

"Then what?"

"The best option is for Lord Diving to leave the fief for a long, very long time. Isn't the land of the Earth God in the northern hemisphere, in the country of Toorun? How about a pilgrimage?"

By pilgrimage, he meant leaving for good.

"About 1,000 gold coins should be enough for the journey."

"...Do you know how far that is?"

"About three months on foot, they say."

A kind of blank period. If the viscount died and Diving left before the succession, the lord's seat would be vacant. But if that happened, the palace wouldn't have much reason to intervene, and the lady wouldn't need to go through the complicated process of being certified and struggling to manage.

"What if he leaves and Sir Ian goes and then returns? What if he secretly informs the palace about this?"

"Who? Who did you say? Now?"

Lady Rien didn't even glance at Diving. He looked ready to fall over, but he couldn't make a loud noise in front of Ian and Romandoro.

"You don't need to worry about that."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Yes. But the lady will need to spend some money. I believe it's a reasonable amount. The important thing is Lord Diving's decision."

Ian smiled and looked at Diving. At the same time, Romandoro and Lady Rien's gazes fell on him. Diving, feeling cornered, bit his dry lips.

Even without the Earth God revealing it, he knew exactly what would happen if he refused Ian's offer.