It was because she thought that the land had not been healed by sealing the saint and creating the sacred tree as written in the confidential documents.

The fruit that the lord expects.

If it had played a big role as expected, it means that the fruit could be used to deliberately restore specific land.

Then that specific land is, of course, the land of the rising noble forces.

The tree and dark wizard, once insignificant, started to recover from the land of the new nobles, and even the money and power accidentally acquired before regressing.

If this connected suspicion is correct, the intention of the current dark wizards to eliminate the tree is also explained.

‘Monopolizing the fruit.’

They may be mere naive kindergarten parents to the rising nobles now, but there was a great possibility that they would certainly conspire in the future.

But that was an event before regressing.

What was immediately important to Lucia in the current situation was to watch the tree grow normally.

If that’s the case, their means to monopolize disappears, whatever the purpose is, and the meaning of sealing the saint is lost.

Of course, she would still be curious about their identity and wouldn’t stop chasing them, but the fact that Nia wouldn’t be used as the ingredient for the seal was what meant the most to Lucia.

“You, why were you dragged into this mission?”

She silently organized her thoughts and looked up at the lord.

“The deeds of the Black Knights are great. Deserving of admiration to the point that they have never lost in all kinds of wars. But,”

At his sudden praise, one of Lucia’s eyebrows went up.

“This is the first time I’ve heard a thank you, isn’t it?”

‘You were the one who saved our children. Thank you very much. Thank you so, so much…!’

At his words, Lucia recalled the colorless words of thanks she had heard from the lady then.

The content was apparently in the report that Leon, who had accompanied her as a secret mission observer, had written.

The lord, confirming her shaky eyes, whispered his words.

“Suddenly I thought of it. A moment has come when you, now a mother, can accept a favor worthy of your power.”

Federlin Luwins, the lord.

He had thought of two hopes recently.

The first was finding hope to revive the rotting land before the appearance of the saint.

However, even after years of searching, there was only one tree in this land.

With only one hope, the New Empire could not protect it by claiming ownership to the whole continent; the empire was not ready even after five years.

So it was clear that everyone would rush like starving beasts to take the last prey from a weak master.

Hence the second hope to protect the tree, Lucia.

But she was indifferent to everything, seeing nothing but herself, a cold loner.

It was natural not to trust her, who had no desire for honor or faith, only wanting to become stronger.

However, something happened to change his mind in half a year.

Was it altruism born from having a child?

She who didn’t bat an eye at the death of a colleague, hesitated not to embrace her fellow members, and even shed her military uniform, which she wore like skin, to secretly walk her child to school in an absurd incident.

Caring for others’ eyes? That cruel black monster?
Moreover, Lucia, who chose a child’s life, not completing the mission for the first time.

Watching that, perhaps she anticipated that she instinctively realized what she truly had to protect.

So, he had something he wanted from her.

“Of course, it’s not bad from the empire’s point of view, even if you regard yourself as a being that can’t approach as it is.”

“But even the Black Knights who follow you, they don’t want to end their lives merely as frightening and fearsome people, do they?”

The Black Knights, rejected for their strong but dark past’s label.

He, planning to build a solid fence to protect the tree, hoped to come out into the sun with her on this occasion and be respected as a hero of the empire that no one would underestimate.

‘I’ve thought about that method, so come whenever.’

Lucia, on a holiday evening, stared at Nia, who was making a mess of dinner, lost in thought.

Certainly, his words were not wrong.

After acquiring the Sword Master’s position, the Black Knights’ reputation had increased, but that power corresponded to fear.

That all the members scattered after retirement, and even just seeing that the original lineage of the Black Knights had been severed, was evident.

How those scattered had ended their lives, who knows, but at least the Black Knights’ infamous reputation within the empire hadn’t let them live free from their past records.

Just as she herself ended her life in solitude in the mountains.

The life Jae Sang speaks of.

Lucia knew what it was, albeit crudely. No, she came to know it through this event.

The warmth of the landlady and children, who thanked her with tearsoaked hands.

Just, living while feeling that warmth.

It was not bad.

But do the members, enjoying this foolish daily life, have a desire for such a life?