CH 132

EPISODE 132 – TO THE ROYAL CAPITAL (2)

An invitation to the founding anniversary of the kingdom.

The founding anniversary itself was naturally a big event, but it was also a relatively common event that happened every year.

Therefore, a lot of countryside nobles didn’t attend it, and the royal family did not encourage the countryside nobles from attending too.

But it was different this time.

Because it was the celebration of the 300th founding anniversary.

People had interestingly attached meanings to numbers that were perfectly matched.

Like 10, 20, or 30.

But this time, it was 300.

It was just 299 becoming 300 when viewed objectively, but its significance was bound to be different.

‘It’s amazing that the kingdom has been around for 300 years.’

It wasn’t just a small country in some remote area, as it was one of the two strongest powers in the continent, a major power that had stood for 300 years.

So it was a seriously outstanding accomplishment.

‘Nobles from all over the country will gather.’

The royal family even issued invitations to low ranking nobles in the countryside.

It was literally unreasonable for Count Bayer and Count Chase, who both belonged to the 12 northern families, to pull out of such an event.

“Gaël, Jude, and I will go to the royal capital, so I’ll leave the territory to Sir Victor.”

No one opposed Count Bayer’s declaration.

While it was normal for either Count Bayer or Gaël to remain in order to manage the territory, the founding anniversary made the situation different.

Even in the Chase family, Count Chase and his successor Edward, as well as his youngest daughter Cordelia, would be going to the royal capital too.

‘It’s quite different from the original.’

Around 4.5 months after the beginning of the Cordelia route.

In the original, Jude was still suffering from his illness while Cordelia was missing, so neither of the two counts went to the royal capital with a joyful heart.

‘Only Edward headed to the royal capital as the Chase family representative.’

Even in the Bayer family, it was Gaël who headed for the royal capital because their intelligence network had reported that there were unusual movements in the barbarian lands.

‘Because Haraken had almost taken over the western side of the wild lands at that time.’

But everything changed, so the two count families decided to go to the royal capital as if they were going sightseeing.

“Are you saying that the two of you…would be going first alone?”

“Yes, father.”

The original plan was for the Bayer and Chase families to pack up and set off for the royal capital together.

But the trip to the royal capital was long, and the preparation itself took quite some time since they also had to prepare gifts to exchange with the nobles in the royal capital.

“We have some things to discuss with the Guardians of the Holy Cross regarding the wild lands. Most importantly…I have to meet my master too.”

Iron Man Landius.

Count Bayer was forced to step back when that name was mentioned.

The tremendously talented Jude had inherited the martial arts of a foreigner instead of the swordsmanship of Count Bayer, so it would have been normal for Count Bayer to be angry, but the mentioned foreigner was that Landius.

Iron Man Landius was always mentioned in discussions about the continent’s strongest people. And Jude would soon inherit the martial arts of an ancient person who had defeated the overlords of hell in the past. So Count Bayer was fine with Jude learning from Landius.

“I understand why you have to go first. But as for going with Lady Cordelia…”

Count Bayer’s words trailed off in the end, and Jude glanced at Cordelia who was standing next to him. She had a slightly resentful look before she blushed and said.

“That… I-I… Mr. Bayer… I love him so much…”

“So do I. I want to be with her all the time.”

Cordelia fidgeted and stuttered while Jude openly spoke and flirted. A smile then spread over Count Bayer’s face.

“Ahem, well… since you said that, I guess I’ll allow it.”

What a cute couple.

Count Bayer warmly looked at the two, and Jude turned to Cordelia as he had a happy expression too. On the other hand, Cordelia awkwardly smiled and looked at Jude.

‘Hey, is this really the only way?’

‘It is? I mean, it’s effective.’

‘Eueue…’

Why is it always me who says the embarrassing words, and why is Jude fine and I’m the only one who’s embarrassed?

And why is the shame always mine?

‘Anyway, let’s finish this. Smile, quickly.’

When Jude said that with his eyes, Cordelia reflexively smiled, and Count Bayer spoke afterwards.

“I’ll allow it if Count Chase gives his permission. But I have one condition.”

“Condition?”

“Yes, regularly report your activities and contact us. Traveling like you’ve did before is not permissible. Do you understand?”

“Yes, father.”

“Yes, father.”

Their discussion ended at that.

Jude and Cordelia obediently answered, and Count Bayer smiled again. He told them to talk to him again after they had obtained Count Chase’s permission.

And a few days later.

During the time when Saluzia heard the news that Jude and Cordelia were heading to the royal capital.

“It went smoothly.”

Inside a two horse carriage driven by a coachman, Jude looked out of the window with a peaceful expression.

Just like Count Bayer, Count Chase had also allowed the two to travel.

‘He also generously took care of our travel expenses.’

As expected of my future father-in-law.

I really love you.

‘It’s going really smoothly now.’

Being allowed to go first was nice, but the most important part was being allowed to go on a trip with just the two of them.

‘Because it would be difficult to do the quests if someone else is with us.’

They wouldn’t be directly heading to the royal capital, as they would be stopping here and there while on the way. So it would inevitably be difficult for them if someone else joined them.

‘We’ll have to explain why we have to go somewhere else while on the way, and why we know of such a place.’

But fortunately, the two were allowed to travel alone, and Count Chase greatly helped them too.

‘Hmph, I don’t like that you still look weak and frail…but it would be okay if it’s the two of you. I’ll allow it.’

Count Chase said that with his usual serious and stern face, and even brought him a gift like always.

‘Thank for helping me always, Father.’

Jude mentally thanked him as he continued to look out of the window with a smile.

The world looked so beautiful to him now that his worries were resolved.

And across from him.

Cordelia crouched her body and was troubled as her lips quivered.

‘Eueue….’

She was like that because her conversation with Dahlia the night before their departure had continued to bother her.

She squinted her eyes and then closed it, and Cordelia recalled yesterday’s conversation.

“Miss, please remember what I’m saying. You’re not married yet, so you should never cross the line. Do you understand?”

“What are you talking about? What do you mean by crossing the line? There’s nothing like that, okay?”

It was just the delusions of her older sister Dahlia.

When Cordelia had unknowingly opposed it strongly, Dahlia narrowed her eyes and said as she touched her chin.

“Good. However, you two can kiss instead. Just kiss but don’t cross the line. Do you understand?”

“H-he won’t! Ju-Jude is a gentleman, okay?”

“He is. He is a gentleman. But he’s a man too, right? He’s also a wolf, okay?”

“W-wolf?”

When the protesting Cordelia became curious, Dahlia quickly nodded and said as she drew her face closer.

“My lady, I find you very pretty, cute and lovely even if I’m a woman too.”

“Are you angry?”

“Not really. Anyway, how would you look like in Mr. Bayer’s eyes? Wouldn’t he see you as a real angel?”

“Umm…”

She was a real angel in the first place.

Because of Ancestral Regression.

“Mr. Bayer must be holding back a lot too. So I’ll tolerate kissing. If it’s that much…you’re 17 years old now and can do it.”

“W-what are you talking about? What do you mean by tolerate? A-are you saying that Jude wants to kiss me?”

“Wouldn’t he? He’ll seriously want to, right?”

“T-that’s ridiculous.”

“No, it’s not ridiculous. It’s something that’s reasonable. Mr. Bayer is also a man, a man. He’s a human. He’s not a stone statue but a person made of flesh and blood. A human.”

Cordelia stepped back at Dahlia’s fiery speech.

But instead of protesting, she quivered her lips from worry again.

Because Dahlia’s words somehow made sense.

“R-really? Jude is like that with me…”

“He is. Absolutely. Somehow.”

As Dahlia emphasized that with clenched fists, Cordelia also clenched her fists without realizing it, and soon quivered her lips again.

“Anyway, just kissing is fine. You understand that you can’t cross the line, okay?”

That was her conversation with Dahlia last night.

After she finished recalling it, Cordelia thought as she covered her face with both hands in order to calm herself whose cheeks had turned red.

‘It’s ridiculous.’

A delusion.

Cordelia forced herself to smile as she lowered her hands and peeked at Jude.

What is so good outside that he’s looking out the window with a happy face? But now that I see it, he has such well-shaped lips.

“Cordelia.”

‘The color is pretty. It seems to be soft.’

“Cordelia.”

‘But it’s still lips so it’s similar to mine, right?’

“Cordelia.”

‘Why are his lips so close…’

“Cordelia.”

“Kyaa?!”

It was right in front of her.

Cordelia was startled by Jude’s face that was within the reach of her breath, so she threw herself in the corner of the chair while Jude tilted his head and frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s nothing wrong, okay? I didn’t think about that, okay? I was just looking there, okay?”

Jude narrowed his eyebrows again at Cordelia’s strong reaction.

“Think about what? What’s the ‘there’ you’re talking about?”

“It’s nothing! Anyway, what is it!”

“Do you have a fever? Shall I take your temperature?”

Jude drew near her again to touch her forehead, but Cordelia shook her limbs in a fluster and said.

“I-I’m fine. I can use <Recovery>.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. So, it’s fine. I’m not sick at all. <Recovery> is the best, the best.”

“By the way, Cordelia.”

“Yes?”

“Why can’t you look into my eyes?”

“You’re wrong, okay? I’m just closing my eyes because I’m tired, okay? It’s not because I can’t look at you, okay?”

Cordelia forcefully closed her eyes to not see him as she was quite in a panic.

She didn’t know what thoughts would come out of her mind if she looked into his eyes now.

Cordelia snorted with her eyes closed, and Jude narrowed his eyes but soon decided to change the topic.

‘She’ll get angry if I say that she’s cute here.’

That will make her cuter though.

But instead of tormenting Cordelia further, Jude sat back in his seat and said to her.

“Moving on, let’s talk about our schedule.”

“Schedule? You already told me about that.”

“I did. I said that we’ll be heading to the Temple of Life as our primary destination.”

The place which Jude and Cordelia set as their primary destination was the temple of the goddess of life, Aerith.

Unlike the Solari denomination that still maintained its legacy, the Aerith denomination had completely disappeared, so there was no one who knew about the location of their temple now.

‘Except for us.’

In the game, the temple was hidden deep in the mountains just like the temple of Solari where Leisegang was sealed, so it was a place where they knew the location only after going through a special event.

‘But there’s JudeWiki.’

It was a bit embarrassing to say ‘JudeWiki’ out of her own mouth, but Cordelia couldn’t help it since she had called it JudeWiki for a long time.

“We’ll head to the Temple of Life to secure the Sphere of Life. I need an enormous amount of life energy to open a new door of Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors. I’ll be able to easily open the fifth door if I use the Sphere of Life.”

“I can also raise my angel rank there, right?”

“That’s right, you’ll be able to raise your angel rank if you absorb the remaining divine power in the temple. If you’re lucky, you might even get a divine blessing.”

Just as the invasion of the northern barbarians in the game had ended in the defeat of the Sälen Kingdom, the events in the royal capital also ended with the defeat of the Sälen Kingdom.

A catastrophe occurred when the royal family was massacred, and more than half of the royal palace collapsed.

“As you know, the levels of the enemies are higher in the royal capital.”

“Even if we passed through all of them, there’s still the Minister of Defense…”

Duke Antarius.

He was a distinguished swordsman who was one of the ten great swordmasters whom the Sälen Kingdom was proud of.

Moreover, he was also a war hero who had made great contributions in the war against the Argon Empire.

“We have to be as strong as possible.”

It was impossible to fight against the Minister of Defense in the game.

Death only awaited them when they tried to fight him.

“The Minister of Defense…are you planning on bringing the First Sword to our side to deal with him?”

“That’s the first plan.”

A man who was called the First Sword because he was ranked first among the swordmasters.

Also known as the Sword Saint of Light, he was not in the royal capital during the day of the founding anniversary.

‘But we can change history.’

In the same way that they saved the leader of the eastern forces, Red Gale, who was fated to die.

“Anyway, it’s us who’ll become the main actors in the end. So we have to become strong first.”

“Yes. Let’s become stronger.”

Cordelia said as she clenched her fist, and Jude unconsciously smiled before he spoke about their issue at hand.

“Anyway, it’s time for them to appear.”

“Are you talking about the Devil’s Hand?”

“Oh, you know about it?”

“Hmph, do you think I’m stupid? Of course I know.”

Cordelia said as she shrugged before crossing her arms.

“Saluzia personally appeared last time. They probably waited for us to return from the north.”

“Why had they not attacked us so far?”

“Because your father was with us on our way home. And we were both at home for quite some time.”

Attacking them during Emma Ficus’ birthday was also impossible.

To begin with, it only took one day to travel to the Ficus territory.

“But we’re now on a long journey to the royal capital. In addition, there’s only the two of us who have gone on this trip.”

“It’s the perfect time to attack us.”

If Count Bayer and Count Chase had known how obsessed the Devil’s Hand was with Jude and Cordelia, they would have never allowed the two to travel alone.

“Anyway, do you have any plans about this matter?”

“Plans?”

“Don’t feign ignorance. You’re not the kind of person who will stay still when you’re expecting an attack.”

“You’re right. You know me very well.”

“Because I see you all the time.”

“Yes, you’ve seen me all the time.”

Jude said as he nodded his head before he beckoned to Cordelia.

“Come closer to me first.”

“Are you going to whisper to me again?”

“Well, it’s an important topic.”

“No one is listening anyway. Why are always doing this?”

Cordelia grumbled but eventually moved to the side of Jude quietly and pricked up her ears, and Jude drew his face closer to Cordelia’s ear.

“W-wait a second.”

“Why?”

“No, um. Okay.”

Cordelia took a deep breath to calm herself as she closed her eyes for some reason, and Jude tilted his head but drew his face closer to her again.

And he began to tell her of his plot like always.

“What do you think? Do you like it?”

“Yes, I like it.”

A bright smile spread over Cordelia’s face.