Chapter 50 – The Peaceful Midterm Week (7)

“Don’t look, Louis.”

“This was sent from the mountain range, wasn’t it?”

“Hand it over. Noah! Stop Louis, quickly!!”

“Ugh, sob…”

“Damn it, Louis. We’re almost there. You have to save your strength! We can’t afford to be swayed by emotions in a place like this!”

Paris Greenwood. I knew of him, though I’d never actually seen him.

My comrades and I were fighting deep in Heljeb, aiming to cut off the Demon King’s head, not to protect the kingdom from the Lavierre Line.

Countless mages, priests, and knights defended the mountains. Even if I had passed by them after the war, there’s no way I’d remember every single one now.

The only reason I remember Paris is because I know about his death.

As the madness of war spread like wildfire across the continent, we used every possible means of communication to monitor the battle situation.

To advance our elite team, the Hero Party, which possessed the most potent firepower, many other troops were used to draw the attention of the demons.

After stepping over the bodies of our own allies, we moved on, drawing the enemy’s attention while avoiding capture. We crushed, destroyed, and intercepted any pursuers.

Any demon that witnessed our presence was hunted down and killed. Whenever the Four Great Calamities appeared, we devised countermeasures and eventually took each of them down.

By the time the unique magic carved into my body exceeded ten…

Trapped in a snare, wandering the depths of Heljeb, I finally inscribed the eleventh unique magic, <Evil Transfer>. Terra spoke up.

“We can’t hold out much longer like this.”

The deeper we went into the Demon Realm, the harsher the environment became, beyond what a human could endure. Though I could handle the karma, the tightening encirclement and extreme fatigue left us unable to advance or retreat.

In the pitch-black night, without a fire to warm us, I held a tearful Eris in my arms as she whispered her thoughts.

“There’s still a long way to go to reach the Demon King’s castle. It’s too late to turn back now; we need a way to close the distance.”

“How? The <Portal> and <Teleportation> spells are disrupted as soon as their coordinates are revealed.”

“There is one way… Louis, have you ever liked swimming?”

The next day, she squeezed out every last drop of mana and karma to cast a never-before-seen 10th-tier spell, <Grand Canal>.

For three nights and days, torrential rain poured across the continent. Not just rain, but massive landslides swept over the land like waves.

“At the end of the Lavierre Mountains lies the continent’s largest river, the Seine, which flows through Lake Senlir to the North Sea. If we bring a tremendous amount of rain, we can change its course.”

“How tremendous are we talking here?”

“Enough to write another volume of the Monarchy’s scriptures?”

She smiled, pointing to the half-torn map of the continent with a mischievous grin.

“The new route will cut right through to where we are. The canal will merge near the moat around the Demon King’s castle. If we don’t drown halfway, we’ll reach our destination in one shot. But…”

There were too many variables in her plan. Following a waterway meant exposing our movement path. If the canal was cut off upstream, we’d be stranded and eventually crushed by the approaching demon army.

But our situation was so dire that we had to take one last gamble.

And by some miracle, it paid off.

When I finally crawled out of the slowed current, I saw the Demon King’s castle on the horizon for the first time. The end was in sight, the nightmare was almost over.

But after days of hiding and resting, waiting for the perfect moment when the demon army’s vigilance would slacken, Terra, who had intercepted a passing messenger, wore a grim expression.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“The Lavierre Line… it’s been breached. No, it was breached.”

Realizing that if we failed, there would be no second chance, the kingdom and the demon army both acted accordingly. A major battle unfolded at the end of the Lavierre Mountains, the starting point of the <Grand Canal> and the source of the magical torrent. However, the battle was less a fight and more a massacre.

Countless lives were sacrificed, knowing nothing, merely to protect the canal. Their lives reduced to darkened numbers on a page.

Among them, one unfamiliar name stood out, etched repeatedly in my mind as I tightened my grip on my sword.

“Louis!!!”

And on that day, I erased seventeen villages near the Demon King’s castle.

***

“He was a great man. Truly.”

I responded, watching the unease in Liv’s eyes as I pushed aside the memories of the past. Yet, her expression remained clouded.

“I learned about my father’s past while writing the report to replace my midterms.”

“Did you?”

“Yes. A leader… who caused the deaths of many, someone incompetent.”

“What’s your recollection of him, Baroness?”

“He wasn’t like that. He couldn’t have been. There must be some mistake.”

Did he know? That his choices would make his surviving child suffer like this? Or did he even realize why he had to raise his spear against a monstrous being, which even high-ranking mages feared?

I couldn’t understand his decision or his feelings. But seeing Liv try so hard to hold back her tears, I gently pulled her closer and draped my coat over her shoulders.

“You’re right. There must have been other circumstances.”

“But he never… received a medal… sniff… or anything…!”

“I told you before, didn’t I? A Hereditary Knight isn’t a title given just for making achievements in battle.”

A barony, a rare title bestowed on commoners, which can be inherited.

“If he really had poor results in battle, they couldn’t have given him a medal. But if he had done something truly wrong, he wouldn’t have received a title at all, would he?”

“Then… you’re saying…”

“There were probably reasons. Of course…”

Too many deaths followed those reasons to discuss casually.

“…”

Liv seemed deep in thought, her half-closed eyes reflecting a serious contemplation. Whatever way she had learned about Paris Greenwood’s past, it couldn’t have been the whole truth.

But I hoped she wouldn’t delve too deeply into that truth. Not because I feared she would resent me, but because if she saw all the untangled threads of the past, the despair she’d feel would be far beyond what she’s experiencing now.

“Thank you, Sir. I feel… a bit better now.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

“Really, I’m grateful in many ways. Even though I can’t do much for you in return.”

“You’ve already helped with the protective spell. That’s more than enough.”

“Still…”

Her eyes met mine, hesitant, as she trailed off. Her shoulders, visible beneath the coat, her pale arm and delicate wrist, the slightly exposed strap under her barely fastened collar—all these details stirred both protective instincts and desire.

She seemed to come to her senses, hastily wiping at the still-pink corners of her eyes as she turned her head.

“Oh, anyway, I guess I need to investigate further! We have time.”

“Right! For now, it’s best to focus on finishing your midterms.”

“Yes, I need to do well so I can apply to a higher unit after joining the coalition.”

“What?”

“Pardon?”

Huh? What did this young lady just say?

“The 12 Divisions, stationed in the Lavierre Mountains. I never planned to join a tower after graduation.”

Why would she want to go to such a dangerous place?

“This time, I was sure. If I join a higher-ranked unit than the Fourth Division, it’ll be easier to gather information about my father. Units like ‘Hookslaw’ or ‘Skirmisher’ might be too much, but if it’s the combat magic unit ‘Blue Moon’…”

“No.”

“What…? Ah!”

As I yanked her towards me, Liv let out a small scream.

Has she lost her mind? Voluntarily walking into what’s essentially a war zone? Not on my watch.

“Sir!?”

“There, people die every day. I can’t let you go there. Forget it.”

Even the Ice Duke said it himself—people die there all the time. Thinking of Liv being stationed in such a place would keep me up at night.

“It’s not your business…! Let me go!”

Clearly flustered by the sudden physical contact, Liv tried to pull away, her voice sharp.

The more she struggled, the more her coat slipped, revealing her daring undergarments again. But I wasn’t letting go, not even a bit.

“No. I won’t change my mind. Give it up.”

“W-wait! Not there…!”

Liv suddenly gasped and stopped moving.

If someone thought I had touched her inappropriately, they’d be wrong.

If it were Adela, I wouldn’t have hesitated to pull her hair or smack her head, since there wasn’t much to ruin anyway.

But with Liv, it felt different; I couldn’t handle her so roughly, especially with her injured arm.

So, as I wrapped my arm around her slender waist to prevent her escape, my hand naturally settled on her abdomen, pressing down.

Surprisingly, it seemed effective. She stiffened up like a cat gone rigid.

“Hold on, Sir, not there, please…!”

“Listen carefully, Baroness. There isn’t a single sane organization among the divisions. Graduates here try their best to avoid those hellish places, so why are you volunteering to suffer?”

“Okay, I get it, just… ngh! Why are you pressing on my stomach…?”

“Imagine chopping up demon corpses all day in the freezing cold. Is that a life? Actually, it’s even worse. Cutting demons would be better. Do you want frostbite and lose your fingers? If the roots rot, it takes a month to recover even with 4th-tier holy magic.”

I pressed her abdomen gently, applying a bit of pressure with each word. Liv couldn’t resist anymore.

Hmm… I think I saw something like this on TV a long time ago. Animals are instinctively protective of their abdomen?

Certainly, the soft and firm texture of her skin was felt through her clothes. Not that it matters right now. A sigh escaped at the thought of my supposedly smart Baroness making such a childish statement.

“I’ll decide my own career path… Ahh! Stop… ugh!”

“Reconsider your path.”

“But why, ahh…!”

“Think it over again.”

Liv’s slender hand tried to push my thumb away from her abdomen, but it wouldn’t budge. Even when she tried to pull my fingers away, it didn’t work.

As her hand slipped, my thumb pressed deeper into her belly.

“Kyaaah…!”

Is it really that ticklish, or is she in pain?

In the end, she gave up resisting and tried to persuade me verbally.

Her face flushed a deep red, lips quivering, and her waist twisting slightly—all of it looked strangely seductive.

“It’s not… your concern anyway.”

“Why not? You’re technically my employee.”

“But I’m not going to work here forever, ngh… you’re being nosy.”

“I’d rather you work here forever than go to the front lines.”

“What?”

Liv looked at me, startled, as I casually gazed outside.

“I said it this morning, didn’t I? Protecting what’s important to me is the most important thing.”

“…!”

“What’s a building like this worth? It’s the people inside it that matter.”

So, please, don’t say such things.

It was already hard enough getting Adela back from the North Sea. If Liv started acting like this, it’d be too much.

“If you put it like that…”

She didn’t argue further when I applied a bit more pressure to her lower abdomen. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she spoke.

“…I’ll… think it over.”

Good, that’s the right choice.

***

“You should stay here for the night.”

“What?!”

“I’ll be busy downstairs anyway.”

“It’s okay! I can’t—”

“What if the person who attacked you comes back?”

“Well…”

“It’s safe here. Don’t worry, it’s within the school rules.”

I pushed a more compliant Liv up to the second floor and then cleaned up the blood-stained shirt and gauze.

Once everything was tidied up, I sat at the counter, lit a cigarette, and leaned back.

The darkness outside reminded me of the nights in the Demon Realm. I used to be on watch duty then. How many days did I go without sleep towards the end? I think it was over a week…

Luckily, tonight I only had to stay up for one night. Her bite wound, the emblem on the envelope she held…

If my guess was correct, a watchdog never gives up on its prey.

I idly flicked the cockroach prank toy I had made earlier. The sound of the spring echoed in the dark shop.

The soft breathing of Liv, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion, reached my ears.

Tock, tick, tock…

Ssss…

A strange sensation brushed my ears. They’re here.

I left the cigarette burning on the counter and stood up.