Chapter 89

Duke's Magical Genius - Chapter 90 (89/324)

90

Adolf's Death.

His death marked the end of the battle within the inner castle.

'The 5th Legion must have held its ground well.'

If they hadn't, chaos would have erupted long ago.

Inside the inner castle.

The place where the succession ceremony was held was now filled with corpses.

While the higher-ranking knights and Adolf left no bodies behind, the lower-ranking ones did.

Currently, Abel's knights were burning the bodies of the knights who had served under Adolf.

The rebels.

There was no need to show respect to their bodies.

So, they were being burned thoroughly.

Of course, the bodies of those who died on Abel's side were being given a very solemn funeral.

Meanwhile.

"Kai!"

A voice calling my name reached my ears.

It was Duke's voice.

Behind him, Saron and the members of the Sword Demon Corps were following.

Duke, who soon approached me, said,

"You don't seem to be injured."

"I'm fine, being a mage. I just cast spells from the back, so I'm not hurt. How about you, brother?"

"I'm also in good condition."

"Good. Saron, what's the situation with the Sword Demon Corps?"

"Some fled, and some died. Currently, about half the number of people remain."

I see.

Looking at the numbers, they had decreased from thirty to about fifteen.

"Who fled?"

In response to my question, Saron listed the names.

Two high-rankers and three mid-rankers.

According to the remaining swordsmen, these people tried to flee as soon as the situation turned dire.

It was something I had half-expected.

'Well, they'll probably live well from now on.'

I had no intention of pursuing them.

After all, this was as good as separating the wheat from the chaff.

"Then, what about the other ten?"

"......They died. The number of deaths is... seven mid-rankers and three high-rankers."

Most of the casualties were mid-rank swordsmen.

In the chaos, those with insufficient skills were the first to close their eyes.

"Did you collect the bodies?"

"......Yes."

They were people without any relatives or connections.

Material compensation would be impossible.

Still,

"I'll suggest it to Father. They should at least be honored."

I intended to strongly recommend that they receive the same treatment as the knights who died within the family.

They were people who had sacrificed their lives for me.

So, it was only right to do this much for them.

In response to my words, Saron slightly bowed his head.

"......Yes, thank you."

"Don't mention it. It's something I should do. Everyone, pay attention to me for a moment."

At my words, the remaining members of the Sword Demon Corps looked at me.

"Today, things happened suddenly, and I'm sure you were all very confused. I was the same. I didn't expect my second brother to start a rebellion."

"......"

"Many people died today. Ten people, which is almost two-fifths of the total. As time goes on, the number of such people will only increase, not decrease."

I didn't count the five who fled, so ten out of twenty-five had died. The members of the Sword Demon Corps remained silent at my words.

"You and the ten who died stayed until the end, even in such a sudden situation. I want to thank you first. I don't just want to express my gratitude in words. I plan to teach all of you the family's sword techniques and mental training methods."

At my words, Hans, the deputy leader of the Sword Demon Corps, opened his eyes wide.

"......Young Master! Is that true?"

"I said it, didn't I? I don't expect loyalty without a price. It shouldn't take long."

Give and take.

Good words are meant to be put into practice.

At my words, the twenty swordsmen all lit up with excitement.

To them, it was like a golden lifeline had been thrown.

They would think this was sufficient compensation for risking their lives.

'Two top-rankers, seven high-rankers, and six mid-rankers.'

Including Saron, a total of fifteen people remained.

Now, I planned to help these people grow and form a loyal guard.

"Good news will come soon, so look forward to it."

"Yes!"

"Then, let's continue with the work."

At my words, the members of the Sword Demon Corps, looking excited, began to lift the bodies with enthusiasm.

Illegal arena.

They must have seen countless bodies there.

So, no one grimaced or vomited at this scene.

I was the same.

Even though it was in a game, I had seen such scenes so many times. I was far past the point where a few bodies would shake my mental state.

With that, the cleanup of the inner castle was completed.

"Kai."

Turning at the calling voice, I saw Abel.

"Yes, eldest brother."

"......I don't know if I should call this good news or not. Sigh. The 5th Legion has been suppressed."

He said this with a bitter smile.

5th Legion.

If they had been suppressed, it was definitely good news.

But the fact that he had such an expression meant...

"By any chance, were there many casualties?"

"Yes... Despite using magic bombs to effectively break their formation, over 5,000 were killed. If the 1st and 2nd Legions hadn't joined the battle after hearing the commotion... the damage would have been catastrophic. They said the soldiers were charging like madmen..."

5,000.

The combined forces of the 3rd and 4th Legions were about 12,000. So, almost half of the soldiers had died.

Considering the damage to the 1st and 2nd Legions as well,

The damage was more significant than expected.

'It's only natural, I suppose.'

Soldiers driven by madness wouldn't have feared death.

So, they would have charged recklessly, regardless of whether the formation was broken.

"Still, it's fortunate that they were suppressed."

"......Yes. At least it's a stroke of luck. If such people had started rampaging inside the castle, many people would have died."

"What about the 1st and 2nd Legions? How much damage did they suffer?"

"......They said about 4,000 soldiers died. If we include the injured... the number of casualties will only increase, not decrease."

1st and 2nd Legions.

These two legions were the Duke's direct forces.

In other words, they were the most elite troops in the family.

Even these two legions suffered significant damage.

The sudden disappearance of the 5th Legion.

And the four remaining legions, whose forces were halved.

The manpower loss the Duke's family suffered in this battle was enormous.

'Adolf, you bastard.'

Even in death, you're leaving a trail of excrement.

After calming my mind, I looked at Abel.

"......Still, it's fortunate, isn't it? If we hadn't discovered their movements in advance, the damage would have been truly horrific."

"......Yes. Thank you, Kai. You saved the Duke's family."

"I just did what was necessary. This is my family, after all."

"......Yes. Oh, by the way, I heard you achieved the 2nd Circle. Congratulations."

The 2nd Circle magic I used to suppress the rebellion.

Hundreds of people witnessed those spells.

The news that I had reached the 2nd Circle would spread quickly.

'Well, in a way, it was a cheap price to pay.'

Since I saved the family, revealing my Circle was not a loss.

"Thank you."

"I'll take care of the aftermath. You must be tired, so get some rest."

"Would you do that for me?"

At my words, Abel nodded.

Dark circles were clearly visible under his eyes.

He seemed to feel the fatigue of the mountain of work ahead.

I wanted to help, but

'That's not necessary.'

It was better to let him solve it on his own.

Abel.

This was the first major incident he faced as the official heir.

Although the Duke was still the head of the family, it would be difficult for him to shake off the shock of having to cut his own child with his own hands in a short time.

There was a high possibility that the post-battle cleanup would be left to Abel.

This could be both a crisis and an opportunity for Abel.

Depending on how he handled this matter, the loyalty he would receive in the future could vary greatly.

'If he does well, he might even gain recognition from the three old knights.'

So, there was no need for me to help.

The faster power concentrated in one place, the smoother the process of restoring the family's strength would be.

"Then, I'll go in first. Eldest brother."

"Sure. A meeting will likely be held around tomorrow morning... I'll call you then."

"Yes, that sounds good."

After exchanging greetings with Duke, I entered the annex with my companions.

Inside the annex.

The servants inside looked extremely frightened.

"Y-Young Master?"

"What on earth happened?"

Looking at the servants who asked me with trembling eyes, I slowly explained the situation.

They seemed to relax upon hearing that the rebellion had been suppressed.

"Then... are we safe now?"

"Yeah, so just live as usual. Nothing will change. Oh, and since everyone is tired, try to move quietly."

Seeing the servants nod, I smiled faintly.

The lackeys with talent for espionage.

They were all gone because they were called separately to be used in the rebellion.

By now, they must have realized the rebellion failed and either fled or

'Died.'

They would be resting in the cold ground.

After finishing my thoughts, I looked at my companions.

"Everyone, you've worked hard. Get some rest. Leonhard, you should rest too. You must have pushed yourself quite a bit."

"No, Young Master."

"Just rest. We've already swept away all the related forces, so nothing will happen. This is the time to rest."

It was around midnight.

A meeting about the aftermath would likely be held around tomorrow morning.

Leonhard's face showed clear signs of fatigue.

The opponents he faced were not easy, so he must have expended a lot of mental energy.

So, he needed to rest.

"It's an order."

At my words, he finally nodded quietly.

With that, my bodyguards and companions entered their respective rooms.

The annex soon became as quiet as a mouse.

Everyone would be sleeping soundly.

I was the same.

As soon as my head hit the soft pillow on the bed, my eyes closed involuntarily.

* * * * *

Knock knock.

At the sound of knocking on the door, I lifted my heavy eyelids.

"Young Master, you've been called to attend the meeting."

Leonhard.

At his voice, I opened the door.

Outside, my bodyguard and Saron were waiting.

"Yawn. Just a moment."

After a quick wash,

I looked at the two of them.

I seemed to have recovered from my fatigue and felt refreshed.

"Did you both rest well?"

"Yes."

"Then, let's go."

With that, the two of us headed towards the inner castle.

The sky was already bright.

Since I had gone to sleep around midnight, I had slept for at least six hours.

Entering the meeting room in the inner castle, I saw Abel and his retainers.

The three old knights were also present at the meeting.

The knights who attended the meeting.

Their eyes were all filled with fatigue.

They must have spent the night cleaning up the mess Adolf left behind.

'I should help a bit.'

Mental cleansing.

The magic that sprang from my hand began to approach Abel and his retainers.

As the magic took effect, the retainers' eyes shone brightly.

The same was true for Abel.

"......Thank you, Kai."

"No, eldest brother."

"Please, take a seat."

The seat Abel offered was right next to him.

If it was the seat next to the next head of the family, it could be considered a treatment befitting a second-in-command.

Was he going to treat me so highly?

It seemed Abel was very grateful to me.

Perhaps because of my performance, the retainers were quietly nodding their heads.

Thanks to this performance, I had definitely gained recognition from the retainers.

No one would treat me as a troublemaker anymore.

It was a fairly satisfying outcome.

As I sat down, Abel began to speak.

"......Since Father has entrusted me with full authority, I will chair today's meeting. Let's begin the meeting."

Post-battle cleanup.

Now was the time to discuss this issue.