Chapter 70

The long night had finally come to an end.

Kain got out of bed, feeling the effects of not having had enough sleep due to yesterday’s attack. He opened the curtains and let the sunlight wash over his entire body, gradually shaking off the drowsiness. After changing from his pajamas into his regular clothes, he quickly left the bedroom and headed towards the room where Enak and the others were still sleeping. He knocked on the door and announced himself, and it was immediately opened by Enak.

"Enak, I’m glad. You’re awake."

A sense of relief spread through Kain. He had been worried about whether Enak would be awake, as he had handed the sleeping Enak over to Dash.

"Big brother Kain, the morning greeting is ‘good morning.’"

"Yeah, you’re right. Good morning, Enak."

Chastised by Enak, Kain scratched his head and greeted Enak.

"Big brother Kain, good morning! You can come in! Oh, this is your house, isn’t it?"

Enak’s cheerful greeting brought a natural smile to Kain’s face. Encouraged by Enak, he entered the room, where Dash and Himika were already awake. Their clothes, which had been torn to shreds during the attack, had been replaced by new ones prepared by the maids early in the morning. All three of them, including Enak, were dressed neatly.

"Mr. Dash, Miss Himika, I’m sorry for the trouble I caused you yesterday. I’ll take care of the repairs at the inn, so please make yourselves comfortable here until then."

Kain bowed to the three of them.

"Please raise your head. It’s not right for a lord to bow so easily to commoners like us."

"We were saved by you, Kain-sama. Enak is safe, and that’s enough for us."

Kain raised his head, having been reprimanded not only by Enak but also by the two of them.

"Thank you both. I’ll work hard to make this town a better place. I promise to make it a comfortable place for everyone to live."

Kain’s words were met with nods from the two of them. After that, they all had breakfast together. Dash and Himika, who were having their first meal at a noble’s table, ate nervously, while Enak enjoyed the delicious food with enthusiasm.

"Big brother Kain! This is delicious! I want more!"

"Sure, let’s get you a second helping."

Kain subtly caught the eye of one of the serving maids, who silently bowed and placed a newly filled plate in front of Enak. Kain felt reassured by the presence of such competent maids.

"I have to go out today. I need to go to the capital, so I might not be back tonight. Please make yourselves at home as if it were your own house for a while."

Dash and Himika nodded, albeit with some hesitation. Enak looked a bit sad at the thought of Kain leaving. Dash also had to explain the situation to the inn’s guests. Himika and Enak would stay at the mansion, while Dash would head to the inn.

"Sorry, Enak. I have to work today. I need to explain yesterday’s events to His Majesty and request a new magistrate. We can play when I get back."

After finishing his meal, Kain went to his study to think about the next steps. He was worried about the security of the mansion while he was in the capital. Although the master of the Dark Guild had been captured, not all of his members had been apprehended. If they sought revenge and attacked the lord’s residence again, the guards alone might not be enough to defend it. He thought about whether there was someone strong enough to help. Then, he had an idea.

"Ah, that’s perfect. You can handle the security, right?"

'Summon "Set"'

A magic circle appeared in the study, and a demon with three horns protruding from his forehead appeared. It was the Demon King Set, whom Kain had accidentally summoned during a summoning magic class. As usual, he was dressed in luxurious attire and wearing a cloak.

"Ah, Kain-sama, what brings you here? If you have a command, the Demon Army and I will gladly destroy anything you wish."

"No way!!"

Kain interrupted the Demon King’s outlandish offer and sat him down on the sofa. Kain sat opposite him and explained that he was going to the capital to report on the recent events and request a new magistrate and priest.

"What!? Kain-sama, you’re not the king of this country! No, being the king of just one country is too small. Let’s conquer the entire world!"

"No, I’m not a king!! I’m just a lord!!"

"Then, let’s start with this town and declare independence..."

"No, that’s not happening either!!"

Exhausted by Set’s unrealistic suggestions, Kain leaned back on the sofa and sighed, then explained again.

"So, I want you to guard the lord’s residence while I’m away. I can handle things if I’m here, but I can’t do anything from the capital. You can protect everyone here, right?"

Set nodded in agreement.

"In that case, there is someone more suitable for the job. I can summon a butler who will be perfect for this task. I am, after all, a king, and I can’t be too involved. I can’t leave the Demon Castle unattended for too long. I’ll summon him now."

'Summon "Dalmecia"'

The one summoned was a man who appeared to be a human, with white hair styled in a slick-back and dressed in a butler’s uniform that made him look elderly.

"Ah, Demon King Set-sama, it’s been a while. What brings you here?"

The polite man greeted Set and then froze when he turned to face Kain. The boy, who looked like a child, was perceived by Dalmecia as a being close to a god.

"T-this person..."

Set explained to the flustered Dalmecia.

"This is Kain-sama, my contractor, the apostle of the Creator God, and the god who will conquer this world!"

"I’m not going to conquer anything, and the god part is unnecessary!!"

Listening to their conversation, Dalmecia smiled. Kain explained the situation to Dalmecia again.

"Kain-sama, I used to be one of the Four Demon Generals, but I’ve retired and am living a peaceful life. If you wish, I can serve as your butler. My skills are still sharp."

Dalmecia straightened his posture and bowed to Kain. While Kain’s mansion in the capital was being managed by Coran, there was no butler at the lord’s residence. Until now, Elive had taken care of everything, but that wouldn’t be possible in the future. Seeing the competent butler Dalmecia, Kain decided to ask him for help. He dismissed Set early and introduced Dalmecia to the maids, as well as to Dash, Himika, and Enak. Enak exclaimed, "Grandpa!" and hugged Dalmecia, who gently patted the child’s head with a smile. Feeling confident in leaving things in Dalmecia’s capable hands, Kain prepared to head to the capital.

"See you later. I’ll be back soon, so please take care of things while I’m gone."

"Kain-sama, have a safe trip."

After bidding farewell to Dalmecia, Kain teleported to his mansion in the capital. He teleported into his study, walked out into the hallway, and headed towards Coran’s room. Without knocking, he reached for the door handle.

"Coran, are you in?"

He heard two people talking inside and stopped his hand from opening the door. The voices belonged to Coran and Sylvia.

"I like Miss Sylvia. However, now is not the time to be distracted by love. If Kain-sama gives us permission when he comes of age, I would like to be with her."

Kain couldn’t help but overhear Coran’s shocking confession.

"I like Coran too. However, I can’t put my feelings for Kain-sama, whom I’ve taken care of since he was a child, aside. Let’s work hard together until Kain-sama comes of age. We can think about the future after that."

Hearing that Coran and Sylvia had mutual feelings for each other, Kain couldn’t help but smile. He was touched by their concern for him over their own romantic interests. Kain’s heart warmed at their words. Sylvia had been his personal maid since he was a child, teaching him to read and introducing him to the world. Now that he was twenty-one and of marriageable age, Kain also wanted Sylvia to be happy. He let go of the door handle, took out paper and a pen from his item box, wrote a note, and placed it in front of the door.

The note read:

"When I come of age, I want both of you to be happy. Kain"

Feeling better after hearing their conversation, Kain left the mansion and headed to the royal palace. At the entrance, he presented his identification and requested to see the king and the prime minister.

"Kain-sama, the king has given you permission to enter the palace freely. I’ll escort you to the reception room."

"Thank you."

Accompanied by a knight, Kain entered the palace and was led to the usual reception room, where he sat on the sofa. After being served tea by a maid, he relaxed until Prime Minister Magna entered the room.

"Long time no see, Viscount Kain. The king and Duke Eric are currently with guests, but they should be here soon. What brings you here so suddenly? Is it about Drinthur?"

Kain nodded in response to the prime minister’s question.

"Actually—"

He reported everything that had happened in Drinthur, explaining the events in chronological order. Prime Minister Magna frowned and grunted as he listened.

"Such things have happened? I apologize on behalf of the king. I will offer my apologies."

"That’s not necessary. There’s no need for the prime minister to bow."

"Thank you, but I still feel responsible."

Kain explained the next steps to the apologetic prime minister. He mentioned the absence of the town’s magistrate due to the attack and the need for a new priest, as the current one was in custody.

"In that case, please wait a moment. The king is currently in a meeting with the bishop who oversees the church in this country. I’ll take you to him. I apologize, but you’ll have to explain the situation again."

"Understood, Prime Minister."

Led by the prime minister, Kain went to another reception room. Upon arriving at the room where the king was in a meeting, the prime minister knocked.

"It’s Magna. I have a matter to discuss with the king and the bishop. Viscount Kain is here as well."

"---Come in."

Hearing the king’s voice from the other side of the door, the prime minister opened it. Inside, the king, Duke Eric, and an elderly man in a more elaborate robe than a priest’s were seated.

"Excuse the intrusion. I apologize for the sudden visit."

Kain entered the room and bowed to the king.

"Never mind that. Let me introduce you first. This is Bishop Harnum, who oversees the church in the Esfort Kingdom."

The bishop, dressed in a luxurious robe with gold thread, bowed slightly.

"Bishop Harnum, this is Kain von Silford Drinthur, the third son of Garm von Silford Gracia and the Viscount of Drinthur."

Kain bowed to Bishop Harnum in greeting.

"I am Bishop Harnum of the Esfort Kingdom."

After the introductions, they all sat down, and Kain repeated the explanation he had given to the prime minister.

"---I never thought one of our priests would do such a thing."

As the bishop listened to the details of the lavish decorations in the church and the exorbitant healing fees, his anger grew. The attack on the lord’s residence was the final straw. Even though the attackers had been repelled, the fact of the attack remained, and the bishop had to report the incident to the headquarters in Marinford.

"The culprits are currently being held in the Drinthur garrison’s prison."

"I apologize for the trouble caused by a member of the church. I will send a detailed report to our headquarters. King, Viscount Kain, I am truly sorry for the inconvenience."

The bishop bowed deeply to the king and Kain.

"Please send a new priest as soon as possible."

"I will arrange it immediately upon returning to the headquarters. The new priest will be sent to Drinthur by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you."

Bishop Harnum nodded in agreement with Kain’s request.

"King, I plan to bring the magistrate, the Dark Guild master, and the deputy master of the Adventurer’s Guild to the capital."

King Rex nodded, understanding that such a large-scale corruption case was beyond the jurisdiction of a single lord and needed to be tried in the capital to expose the full extent of the wrongdoing.

"Regarding the new magistrate, please give us some time to consider. We need to discuss it with Magna."

"I have to return to the academy, so I can’t wait too long, but I will leave it in your hands. My father, Garm, has offered to send an internal affairs officer, who may act as a temporary replacement until a decision is made."

The king, upon hearing about the internal affairs officer from Garm, placed his hand on his chin in thought.

"We will consider it. Come back to the castle after the academy ends tomorrow."

"Understood. I will come again tomorrow. Thank you for your time today."

Kain bowed and left the reception room. He then left the royal palace and headed to the Adventurer’s Guild.

Thank you for reading.

12/9 I made significant changes to the interaction between Coran and Sylvia as the previous version received negative feedback.