I Became the First Love of the Impenetrable Male Lead - Chapter 59

“This subjugation ended with unprecedentedly few casualties. It is thanks to the efforts of you all who fought bravely against the magical beasts. You who fought for the empire and its people can take pride as knights. Everyone has worked hard, so rest well at the castle today and we will depart for the capital tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

The subjugation was over. Thanks to Ian’s hidden efforts, the subjugation party was able to return to the main castle of the count’s territory faster than expected.

It was such an easy subjugation that it felt like it shouldn’t end like this.

“Rosebelia, let’s go quickly.”

Vanessa leaned towards me and whispered in a low voice.

“Where to?”

“We need to soak in the bath. We can finally get a good night’s sleep today.”

Finally? I remember Vanessa always slept very soundly.

I quietly swallowed my laughter and followed Vanessa. After soaking in the warm bath and changing clothes, it gradually sank in that the subjugation was over.

“Lady Rosebelia, have you eaten?”

“I’m about to eat now.”

“Enjoy your meal.”

“Ah, yes.”

I looked around slowly with a dazed expression. Come to think of it, the atmosphere inside the castle, which had been gloomy before we left for the subjugation, was quite lively today.

Perhaps due to the relief that the subjugation was over, the knights’ faces seemed more relaxed.

Now then, what should I do first when I return to the capital?

As I entered the banquet hall, Oliver, who was sitting right in front, waved at me cheerfully.

“Hey, Rosebelia.”

“Senior.”

“I heard this subjugation was relatively easy?”

I looked around the empty interior, as everyone seemed to have finished their meals, and sat across from Oliver.

“Ah, yes.”

“I wonder who it could be? Was there such a hidden talent in the empire?”

“Well, we didn’t get to see their face until the end.”

“Anyway, you worked hard. Eat quickly.”

Oliver pushed the soup that the servant had brought closer to me. As I looked at the steaming soup, I raised my eyes again.

“Um, Senior Oliver.”

“Yes?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Oliver put down his fork and replied with a grin.

“Of course.”

“Do you remember when you told me about the temple in the abandoned mountain when I first went on a subjugation?”

“I still remember clearly how indifferent your expression was when you heard my story then.”

Was that how I, or rather Rosebelia, had reacted?

As I tilted my head, Oliver laughed out loud. After finally stopping his laughter, he waved his hand slightly and said,

“I’m joking. But why are you asking about that suddenly?”

“I just became curious. Did you see it in some book?”

“It’s not from a book, but a story I heard when I was young.”

“From whom?”

“How should I put it… A descendant of a priest who barely survived by fleeing from the temple of the Bellir Kingdom on the day of the final battle at that temple?”

“A descendant? But the Bellir Kingdom was absorbed into the Fonnes Empire hundreds of years ago, wasn’t it?”

“Still, they remembered that history without forgetting. I was curious after hearing that story too, so I tried to find records, but it wasn’t easy. You probably won’t be able to find history books about the Bellir Kingdom in the Fonnes Empire.”

Well, the Fonnes Empire was the victor of the war, and the Bellir Kingdom was the loser.

They must have tried to erase the history of the defeated completely.

“I see.”

“I think there might be some left in the imperial palace. I heard the palace library is huge.”

Then did Gale also look for books in the palace?

Since the department researching magical beasts was inside the palace, he would have been able to access the library relatively easily.

“Where was the village you lived in, senior?”

“You would have seen a small village just before arriving at the count’s territory.”

A small village?

There were many villages we encountered on the way, but if it was right before the count’s territory, there was one I remembered.

“I think I remember. It was a village with a small lake…”

“That’s right, that’s where I lived when I was young. It was a very pretty village, but it was ruined because of the magical beasts.”

“Then…”

Seeming to catch the words I couldn’t say, Oliver burst into hearty laughter.

“My family moved to the capital early on, so everyone is safe.”

“That’s a relief.”

Oliver’s eyes, which had seemed surprised for a moment, soon curved gently.

“I should get going now. Finish your meal and rest quickly.”

“Yes, senior.”

After finishing my meal lightly, I looked around the main castle to find Gale.

Perhaps he had already gone to rest, as I couldn’t see him anywhere.

“Rosebelia, where are you going in such a hurry?”

“Commander, why are you alone?”

Gabriel was sitting on a sofa placed in the main hall, drinking wine alone. As I approached him, he suddenly spoke to me.

“What do you think about this subjugation?”

“This subjugation?”

“The subjugation is over, but I feel somewhat uneasy.”

“Uneasy?”

“I heard from Oliver that magical beast appearances have been frequent recently, but the number of beasts in the mountain didn’t seem to have increased noticeably compared to that.”

Come to think of it, the number of magical beasts wasn’t as many as we had worried about. Even adding the beasts that Ian had dealt with, it was only slightly increased compared to the last subjugation.

“I also thought it was a bit strange that I encountered a pack of werewolves just before coming down from the mountain.”

When we were descending, five werewolves suddenly attacked the subjugation party at once. As if they had been lying in ambush waiting for us to come.

Everyone was off guard, so three people were injured there. Fortunately, the injuries were minor, but if we hadn’t quickly noticed that there were multiple werewolves, there could have been many casualties.

“I wonder if the magical beasts are gradually evolving…”

Gabriel’s low murmur sent a chilling sensation through me. Thinking about it carefully, it wasn’t such an absurd guess.

The magical beasts that couldn’t leave that mountain due to their low intelligence were now expanding their territory downwards.

Recently, hadn’t they even shown up in villages on the outskirts of the capital, which was quite far away?

“I also wanted to ask you something, Commander.”

Gabriel raised his eyebrows as if telling me to ask.

“Is it true that the imperial family is researching the water from the ‘Red Spring’?”

“Yes, I know someone there who has been consistently researching the water from the ‘Red Spring’.”

“Is there anywhere else researching the ‘Red Spring’ water?”

“The water from the Red Spring is toxic, so it would be taboo for anyone other than imperial researchers to study it.”

That makes sense. What use would there be for toxic water?

While I thought this way logically, Gale’s words kept bothering me.

‘Be careful of the Riley family.’

Adding to that the strange behavior of the knights from the Riley family, I couldn’t shake off the questions spreading in my mind.

“But why do you ask?”

“Actually…”

As I relayed exactly what I had witnessed at the ‘Red Spring’, doubt spread across Gabriel’s face as well.

“That is a bit strange. They seemed to be throwing something away. And the excuse that it was wine is even stranger.”

“It’s also suspicious that the Riley family volunteered to send knights, but those knights showed little interest in subjugating magical beasts. Their skills weren’t exceptional either.”

They even ran away from magical beasts.

“Hmm, I’ve heard that some families are overflowing with knights volunteering for subjugation and even hold separate selection trials, but now that I think about it, the knights from the Riley family didn’t stand out much.”

Gabriel added that he would look into it and then rose from the sofa.

“Are you going in?”

“I should. My body isn’t what it used to be. So you should quickly take my place…”

“Commander, please stop saying such weak things.”

Gabriel, who was touching his beard while laughing heartily, cast his gaze out the window. The end of his gaze was fixed on the window.

What is he looking at?

As I peeked out the window, I could see the ‘Abandoned Mountain’ in the distance.

“Perhaps we’ll have to move up the timing of the next subjugation.”

Caught by Gabriel’s words that he had let out like a sigh, I moved closer to the window.

As I was absentmindedly watching a flock of birds flying over the mountain, I turned around.

“So you were here.”

Ah, you startled me.

In front of me, with my back to the window, Renart had approached without me noticing.

“Vice Commander.”

“It’s quite visible from here.”

Renart muttered, looking out the window beside me.

“What? What is?”

“Weren’t you looking at the Abandoned Mountain?”

“Ah, yes.”

I turned my body and looked at the ‘Abandoned Mountain’ again. Perhaps because of Gabriel’s meaningful words, even though the subjugation was over, a troubled feeling washed over me every time I laid eyes on that mountain.

“I thought I’d feel better when the subjugation was over, but that’s not the case.”

“Indeed.”

“Lady Rosebelia, do you remember when I said I had something to ask of you?”

When was that?

Ah, was it when I defeated the Red Slime and Renart found out I was a Swordmaster?

“Yes, I remember.”

“I was wondering if I could make that request now, if that’s alright with you.”

At times like this, should I say he’s excessively polite?

“Of course. If it’s a request I can fulfill, I should.”

When I had asked him to keep my identity as a Swordmaster a secret, Renart had readily agreed. So I was willing to grant any request of his that I could fulfill.

As I nodded for him to go ahead and speak, Renart hesitated for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

“…When we return to the capital.”

“Yes.”

“May I ask you out on a date, Lady Rosebelia?”

“…What?”