Volume 8 Chapter 47 Return of a Fallen House
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Maria once worked as a farm overseer in Valture.”
The firestones lit the entire room. White tablecloths gleamed against the darkness outside, and with all the ornate decorations, the atmosphere brimmed with elegance.
”When I was still a boy, I once saw a sheep rolling helplessly on its back. I wondered what it was doing, until she passed by and explained. Pregnant sheep sometimes fall and can’t get up again. If no one helps, they can die like that—or even be eaten alive by birds.”
Kreis swirled his wine, moving with practiced grace.
His smile looked gentle, but something about it felt false. It wasn’t that Klock could see through him—only that his expression itself looked suspicious.
Or maybe it was just nerves.
After all, a one-on-one dinner with a noble wasn’t something Klock usually faced. Being invited here was far from ordinary.
”When she was promised to a kingdom noble, I remember seeing her off. Even as a child, it left me strangely quiet. Later, when her face had already faded in my memory, I heard she’d been imprisoned with her husband, blamed for the conflict—and that she died in that cell.”
Klock sat stiff, unsure how to react. The name struck him hard.
Maria Livorno—his mother. He had never imagined someone in the Federation would remember her.
”It’s been, what, fifteen years since Livorno was stripped of its rank? I haven’t heard of the family regaining a title since.”
Kreis’s eyes narrowed, gaze sharp on Klock. Klock forced himself to look at the wine and roasted meat in front of him, observing the man carefully.
”You’re right. Livorno has long been in ruin. A man like me has no right to stand before a baron. I’m terrified yet grateful that you invited me here.”
”No need for such formality. You simply came to my gathering, then to the meal I offered. Stand tall. It’s fine.”
When Klock bowed too deeply, Kreis’s smile twisted upward. At least it showed Klock knew his place.
His words seemed to invite Klock to speak freely—but with nobles, one wrong move ruined everything. The tension alone drained him.
Kreis pierced the roast with his knife. Klock copied, relieved to finally eat.
He cut a piece, tasted it. Rabbit, not chicken.
”I hear you employ servants.”
Klock froze at the word. Suzette’s warning flashed in his mind—about the Borges maid watching Flavia too closely at the social.
”You’re no lord, and you hold no rank. So why keep such women at your side?” Kreis’s glance slid past Klock, toward the maid waiting behind him. She stood poised in her apron dress, horns hidden, Hero disguised as handmaiden—and Klock’s partner besides.
”No particular reason. I’ve never been good at living without someone to rely on.”
”Is that so? Even after more than ten years? Unless… perhaps your servants carry secrets. Say, a background unfit to be spoken aloud?”
Klock frowned.
What was he implying? Of course Flavia’s people couldn’t flaunt their homeland status among humans, but still.
”Then tell me—why did you come to Conro? Have you lived here long?”
”…To defeat the Demon Lord’s Army.”
”Oh?”
It was bold, but Klock had to say it.
His true purpose was to drive back the Demon Lord’s forces. Kreis might connect it to the Hero, but better to speak it now.
”This isn’t just the Federation’s problem. It’s a crisis for all humankind. If we don’t stand here, then when? On the road from Barreith, I raised two hundred soldiers and cut down a hundred monsters—scouts of the Demon Lord’s Army.”
”What? That’s impressive.”
Kreis sounded genuinely surprised.
A hundred monsters wasn’t impossible for an army, but nothing here hinted at the Hero’s power. Nothing suspicious.
”If that’s true, then you have real talent. To rouse people, lead them, and send them into battle—that’s no small feat.”
The words struck deep. Klock knew the truth: it hadn’t been his charisma.
It was Cianie’s “Sunlight” that drove people to follow. Without her, none of it would’ve happened.
”Gathering so many without state force—remarkable.”
Klock thought so too.
The Hero’s power really was incredible. He, personally, had done nothing.
”So then. Your goal is to restore Livorno?”
Kreis drank his wine. Klock hesitated.
”…Something like that.”
”No need to hide it. If you’ve raised a banner for that cause, the people won’t deny you.”
His smile deepened. Klock forced a bitter grin. He didn’t care for titles. Life in the Beast Country had been fine.
Nobility was nothing but trouble now. But denying it outright would be difficult. A commoner with attendants was rare outside wealthy merchants. Better to let him think it was ambition. That way, the Hero stayed secret.
”I don’t cling to a title. The kingdom is gone, and even if I gained rank now, the future’s uncertain. Still, forgetting what my parents gave me isn’t easy.”
Kreis’s smile never faltered. Maybe he took pleasure in unsettling people.
”Work under me.”
”…What exactly do you mean?”
”If you want back into the nobility, no one can offer mutual gain like I can.”
He waved.
One of his maids approached, listened, and left the room quickly. Not to dismiss others—plenty of his servants still waited in the shadows.
”What do you want from me?”
”I want you to fight the Demon Lord’s Army. As Borges’s man.”
”…And the return?”
”Your family’s name. Your honor. Restored.”
So it was Livorno’s revival after all. Figures.
”…Forgive me, but do you truly have that much power, Baron?”
”That is why we fight the Demon Lord’s Army.”
The dining hall doors opened again.
The maid returned, taking her place at the side. Another figure entered after her.
This one stood about Suzette’s height.
Her hair was a dull light brown, her presence wrapped in a shadowy air.
”…Eh.”
The soft gasp came from Suzette, standing just behind Klock.
”Allow me to introduce her. This is Rosalie Fennec, daughter of Viscount Albert Fennec.”
Klock turned at once to Suzette. Her eyes widened in shock.
Viscount Fennec was the district chief of Basselow—the same noble house Suzette had infiltrated as a spy for the Demon Lord’s Army. Rosalie was the very young lady she had once served as maid.
”Her father governed Basselow. But when the Demon Lord’s Army struck, the city fell. She barely escaped to Conro, where House Borges took her in.”
”…Then, Viscount Fennec—”
”Sadly, he perished. Once the war ends, Rosalie will inherit his title. We intend to liberate Basselow. Will you lend us your strength? If we succeed, I promise you great rewards. Rest assured, I already have something specific in mind.”
Kreis shaped his words with a practiced smile. Klock finally understood.
So that’s it. Basselow won’t belong to Conro.
It’ll belong to Borges. And all for a woman? That must be it.
Whatever Kreis’s true purpose, Klock hardly cared.
If it meant shelter under his authority, then it was enough. As long as they could fight, that was all that mattered.
Kreis wanted Rosalie’s home freed for her sake.
He wanted to bind Klock to him as an asset, to make use of his strength. Which meant his motives were obvious: either he was in love with her, or he wanted Basselow through her—or both.
Klock stole a glance.
Rosalie stood uneasily, her posture restless. There was a nervous air about her, though maybe it was just his imagination.
His thoughts drifted back four months. Rosalie had been called sickly.
Her father, worried for her, had asked Tiet to collect White Peach Blossoms from the Noirev Highlands. Tiet had done it casually, as if on a stroll, and solved the problem.
But the truth was different. Rosalie had been bedridden because of Suzette.
She had kept the girl weak with a slow-acting poison, distracting the viscount from governance. Rosalie’s sudden recovery wasn’t thanks to the blossoms alone. It was because the poisoner herself had left with Klock.
”Still, there’s one matter I want clear,” Kreis said. “Something that’s been on my mind.”
”What is it?”
Klock’s heart thumped. Does he know? About Suzette? If he says it outright… I’ll deny everything. I’ll swear she was an innocent maid.
”Do you know what became of the royal family of Crotopone?”
Klock raised his brows.
He’d heard the royals vanished when the capital fell. He shrugged, feigning ignorance.
”I see. You know, I’ve heard you keep servants who don’t look like common folk. I wondered if you were harboring royalty.”
”No. I have no ties to them, nor would I recognize their faces.”
Flavia… The pieces clicked in Klock’s head. Kreis must have suspected them. Either they resembled royalty, or their presence gave off something rare.
That explained his haste to draw them into the social. Tradition and etiquette be damned—he wanted immediate contact. A chance to secure the royal family for himself.
So, Kreis Borges. That’s the kind of man you are…
”If you require protection for the royals, I’ll arrange it.”
”Good. I can rely on you, then. You seem a perceptive man. Easy to work with. I expect we’ll get along well.”
The pleasant voice carried a dark undercurrent.
Klock was certain now: Kreis was an ambitious noble to the core. Too dangerous to make either enemy or ally.
* * *
”Another move, captain?”
”That’s right. We’ve joined House Borges. They’re setting up barracks for us. Should be better conditions than this.”
”No kidding. You really nailed that negotiation. Knew you’d pull it off.”
The barracks grew noisy at once. Girls who’d carved out corners with blankets now packed their things. Men grabbed only their booze and weapons, heading out.
Not everyone was present, so the move would take time. But at least, finally, progress was being made. Next stop: a real clash with the Demon Lord’s Army.
”Was this truly wise? Baron Kreis Borges strikes me as… layered. Too many hidden meanings in his words.”
Suzette spoke quietly at his side.
”Yeah, but what else could we do? No better options. And we couldn’t exactly refuse him—not with your old mistress right there.”
”I understand. Still, something about her troubles me.”
”Huh? You mean Rosalie? She’s just healthier now.”
He didn’t add the truth—that without Suzette’s poison, of course the girl would recover. No need to hurt her more.
Suzette had only followed orders. Now that she was on their side, she already carried guilt enough.
”She never had marriage talks before, right? Maybe living with a baron’s family changed her. Hah!”
”…Sigh.”
Suzette only gave him a tired look.
Fine by him. He didn’t want her mired in her spy past.
”Klock. I’ve got something too,” Cianie said. She had spent the banquet outside, waiting on the rooftops. “I wasn’t inside, but from the baron’s estate, I felt… something strange.”
”Strange? Like monsters hiding there?”
”No. Not that. I can’t explain it. Maybe nothing. Sorry.”
For once, her words were hesitant. That alone was unsettling.
Suzette and Cianie both uncertain—it didn’t inspire confidence. Kreis was shady enough already. Then again, how many nobles weren’t?
Klock fetched the horses and hitched the carriage. With little luggage and ninety soldiers, they left Conro’s barracks for the Valture district.
The rest would follow when they could. He only worried how many might never return.
At the triumphal arch, a figure waited: black dress, white hair, black parasol. Rosalie stood there, waiting for them.
Notes:
• Maria – Klock’s mother, once known in noble circles but long absent from the stage. Kreis Borges recognizes Klock as her son the instant they meet, hinting at a past connection that Klock himself doesn’t fully grasp, and turning her name into both a bond and a weapon in that moment.
• Valture – A district within the Conro Federation, administered by Baron Kreis Borges. Outwardly it appears stable and prosperous, but its politics run on favors and hidden bargains, making it a place where strangers like Klock can be measured as assets or prey the moment they arrive.
• Kreis – Baron of Valture and district chief. A middle-aged noble weighed down with gold chains and jeweled rings, yet it’s his hawk-like eyes and sly smile that mark him as dangerous. He meets Klock at the Borges family’s social gathering, greeting him by name as Maria’s son before Klock can even introduce himself—like a predator that already knows its prey.
• Flavia – Younger Forestkin princess (132). Gentle yet resolute. Sent by Queen Isabella as marriage pledge to Klock, the Chain Binder, symbolizing the Void’s loyalty to the Goddess Teekua.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Albert Fennec – Male. A middle-aged man and the local governor of Basselow, holding the title of Viscount. He is graceful and wears lavishly decorated attire, symbolizing his high status. Fennec is grateful to Tiet for saving his life and offers her and Klock a ride in his carriage.
• Rosalie – Daughter of Viscount Albert Fennec, district chief of Basselow. Formerly weak and bedridden under Suzette’s care, she recovered after escaping Basselow’s fall to the Demon Lord’s Army. Now sheltered by House Borges, she stands as the surviving heir to the Fennec title.
• Noirev Highlands – A dangerous mountainous region northeast of the Fossil Wasteland. Known as the ‘Wicked Noirev,’ it is home to exceptionally strong monsters and is best avoided unless with a high-ranking adventurer party.
• Tiet – A companion and friend of Anna. A holy knight from the royal capital. She wears light armor and carries a shield adorned with a dragon holding a sword, indicating her affiliation with the National Military Police. She is concerned about Anna’s well-being and tries to support her emotionally.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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