Chapter 66: The Aftermath of Victory 1

In the splendid banquet hall of the lord’s castle, the nobles who participated in the war and their attendants had gathered to enjoy this moment.

It was a place filled with food and drink, graced by a band playing exquisite music.

And at the center, I had been standing by my father’s side for two hours now.

“Once again, congratulations on the victory, Count Turen.”

“Thank you, Count Sabre.”

A scrawny middle-aged nobleman, Count Sabre, bowed before my father.

He too was one of the 13 Nobles who had distinguished himself in this war, single-handedly felling dozens of enemies during the ambush.

“It was thanks to the stratagem you devised, my lord, that we could win. I knew you had a keen eye from before, but I never imagined you would predict even the weather to craft such a flawless plan.”

“Haha, I did nothing of note. In fact, that plan was all devised by my son here,” my father said, giving me an affectionate smile.

Count Sabre looked slightly surprised. “Oh, is that so? For this young man to conceive such a strategy… Truly remarkable, befitting the heir of the Andreas household.”

“You flatter me, Count Sabre.”

“Our son is quite exceptional. There was a time when he ran off to become a Holy Knight, causing us much worry. But he has returned, grown so admirably.”

“Ahahaha…”

Hearing my father’s sincere praise, I smiled awkwardly.

Not because of the praise itself.

This conversation had been repeated over and over for the past two hours. Despite feeling my lips twitch, I struggled to maintain a polite smile.

‘I expected this to some degree, but… it’s getting a bit taxing…’

Of course, I understood a father’s desire to boast about his son.

Especially when that son was one he thought lost.

However, having essentially the same conversation for two straight hours left me quite drained… Yet my father seemed unsatisfied with just boasting, repeating it every time a noble came to greet him.

Each time, he wore an even more blissful expression, to top it off.

Finally, as the two-hour stream of greetings… or rather, my father’s boasting about his son… seemed to be ending, I glanced at him and carefully said:

“Well, I’ll go get some food now.”

“Yes, go on. As I said, you are the true hero here, so enjoy this moment to the fullest.”

“Yes, Father.”

Leaving my father still bubbling with unabated excitement, I headed towards the food-laden table, relieved to finally sate my hunger.

‘Really… I never expected that Count Turen would be such a doting father.’

As I piled food onto my plate, I found my father’s demeanor, so different from the original, quite unexpected in many ways.

The original Turen was a fiery man who maintained a rather stern attitude towards his son.

But the Turen I actually saw barely exhibited that image.

While hints of his fiery temper peeked through, his treatment of me as his son could only be described as a classic doting father.

‘Well, the overall situation is not entirely incomprehensible… but at times like this, such behavior is a bit burdensome.’

This was a banquet attended not just by Bohemian nobles, but allies from nearby lands and wealthy merchants.

As a nobleman who must further cultivate the heretical forces to confront the Emperor, I needed to remember the faces I met today and use them as stepping stones.

‘Connections are always important for major undertakings… Fortunately, picturing each of them as a money tree helps me remember to some degree.’

With those thoughts about the past two hours, I sat down with my plate piled high with food.

The hearty fare – whole roasted beef as the main course, surrounded by cheeses, assorted vegetables, and baked fruits – powerfully tempted my ravenous appetite. I began eating somewhat urgently, driven by hunger.

The meat, infused with the perfect blend of premium spices, seemed to melt in my mouth with each bite.

Combined with the rich aroma and flavor of the exquisite cheeses, it was a truly sublime pairing.

‘As I always think, eating as a nobleman is far better than as a Holy Knight. One should live and eat well. No more subsisting on stale bread scraps…’

Compared to the austere, mediocre fare I endured as a knight, barely better than military rations, this was worlds apart.

Of course, back then I could have afforded expensive food with my earnings… but luxuries were frowned upon in that communal living situation.

So I fully savored this meal, a stark contrast to my past, as I sated my hunger.

It was then that they naturally took their seats across from me.

“Are you done, Lord Santana?”

“Haa… It really took a long time, didn’t it, my lord? What kind of greetings last two hours?”

Seeing Cazeros and Polena take their places opposite me, I felt a slight bewilderment.

“You two… didn’t have anything to eat while waiting, did you? You must be very hungry…”

Looking at the food piled on their plates, I asked with concern.

Cazeros answered as she speared a vegetable with her fork:

“No matter what, I could not fill my belly while my comrade was suffering.”

“Indeed, as your maid, I could hardly indulge myself while you were occupied with greetings. I was starving, but I endured and waited,” Polena said, taking a large bite of meat.

Judging by her sparkling eyes, the meat seemed to delight her taste buds.

The same went for Cazeros, who was rapidly consuming her salad.

And watching their demeanor, I began to feel a serenity… a happiness… different from before.

The countless people I had met over those two hours were ultimately just transient connections, not true bonds.

Purely professional encounters.

But these two women before me shared a genuine, sincere friendship with me.

Just being in their presence brought me comfort and joy.

Dining with these ‘friends’ soothed the weariness I had felt until moments ago.

“Um, Lord Santana. There is something I wish to discuss.”

“What is it?”

Cazeros spoke with a seriousness that piqued my curiosity, indicating an important matter.

Then…

“…Hm? Over there, my lord. We have a guest…”

“Hm?”

Polena’s sudden call made Cazeros and I turn our gazes to the side, interrupting our conversation.

There, I saw three women standing beside us.

One was my already familiar younger sister, Dust.

From that, I could roughly guess the identities of the other two.

Despite the wartime situation and conflicting schedules being mere coincidences that had prevented us from directly conversing until now…

They were my… Santana’s older sisters.