After accepting Viscount Andrew's banquet invitation, Gawain's group was temporarily accommodated in the castle's guest rooms. At Gawain's specific request, even the two soldiers, the maid Betty, and Amber were given clean, tidy rooms.
After all, Viscount Andrew's castle was enormous.
After dismissing the attendants, Heti could not help asking, "Ancestor, do you think Viscount Andrew can be trusted?"
Though they were neighboring "neighbors," Heti knew the ways of the nobility all too well: they had neither integrity nor honor. Though those were the very qualities they usually emphasized most, they were also what they lacked most sorely. Especially here in the remote, desolate, and savage southern region, the nobles' way of life was even more unsavory. Now that the Cecil Family had fallen completely to rock bottom, aside from the sudden appearance of an ancestor being something of an advantage, Heti truly had little confidence that they could gain any upper hand in dealings with other nobles.
"Trusted? I never even considered that question," Gawain replied, greatly surprising Heti. "Several hours ago, I didn't even know what Viscount Andrew looked like."
Rebecca was startled. "Huh? Then why did you talk to him about so much..."
"Because it was necessary." Gawain looked at Rebecca. "It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say we're at the end of our rope now. Never mind that those displaced subjects still need feeding—take a look at your own pockets. Do you even have money for the next meal? So we have to seek help. Viscount Andrew was simply the only choice available to us. Other than him, can you find anyone you know in the southern region? And as for how trustworthy he is... I don't know him, I don't know his family, and I only heard the extent of his territory from you two days ago. How would I know whether he's trustworthy?"
Rebecca felt as if her head could not quite process it. "Then why do you think he'll definitely help us?"
But it was not Gawain who answered. It was Amber, who had been lying beside the table stuffing grapes into her mouth. The Half-elf wiped her mouth, rolled her eyes at Rebecca, and said, "Dummy, because he doesn't want to lose money."
"Doesn't want to lose money?"
"When Knight Philip brought the refugees to Tanzan Town, Viscount Andrew had already made his decision," Amber said unhurriedly. "He could have shut the city gate tight and waited for those refugees to leave on their own or starve outside. Don't talk to me about mutual aid laws. In a remote place like this, the kingdom's laws aren't worth as much as a merchant's gold coins. Since the viscount accepted the refugees, it meant he intended to collect compensation from the Cecil Family. He had that intention, and he believed the Cecil Family could repay the debt. See? The deal was already made back then. Today... we merely expanded its scope and made it clear."
Rebecca stared at Amber in disbelief. "You... how do you even understand this? Is the bar for thieves this high nowadays?"
Amber bared her teeth. "Is that so profound? I don't understand the way you nobles do things or all your rules, but at least I understand that a thief never leaves empty-handed. When it comes to profit, is there any difference between you nobles and a thief who doesn't want to leave empty-handed?"
Rebecca flew into a rage at once, pulling out her staff and conjuring a fireball as large as a head. "If you don't watch that mouth of yours, do you believe I'll really smash a fireball into your face?!"
Amber seemed certain that this inexperienced young lady lord would not truly act, and she continued provoking her with a cheeky grin. "If you've got the skill, make an Ice Arrow~~"
The moment she finished speaking, she felt a sudden chill brush past her ear. An Ice Arrow flew almost against the tip of her ear and froze a patch of ice crystals onto the wall behind her. Not far away, Heti still held one finger raised, her expression cold. "Your Ice Arrow."
A bead of cold sweat slid down Amber's face. The terror caused by how close that Ice Arrow had come to her skin was even greater than the Ice Arrow itself. She could not help wondering just how great one's magic control had to be to achieve such precision.
Rebecca's lips twitched slightly. Aunt Heti's offensive magic really was as consistently incapable of hitting people as ever—always just tracing the outline...
Gawain clapped his hands, ending the brief farce. "All right, we're all on the same side for now. Restrain yourselves."
The ancestor's words still carried weight. Whether willing or not, Heti and Rebecca put away their staffs in obedience. Amber, though lively and irritating, also knew when to quit while she was ahead—mainly because the deterrent of an Ice Arrow was indeed considerable. She pursed her lips and said nothing more.
Just then, a knock sounded outside the room. After receiving Gawain's permission, the young maid Betty pushed open the door and entered.
"Master, Lady Heti, Miss Rebecca," Betty addressed them one by one, directly skipping Amber, "Knight Philip has arrived."
"Oh, we were waiting for him." Gawain nodded, then noticed the frying pan in Betty's hand. "Wait... why are you still carrying that?"
Betty blinked, thought for a moment, and said, "Because... we're not home yet. If I put it somewhere carelessly, I'm afraid it'll get lost."
Gawain covered his forehead. "You... all right, do as you please."
A moment later, Knight Philip, who had led the Cecil Territory's refugees through the encirclement, entered the room.
What surprised Gawain somewhat was that he was quite a young warrior. He looked only a little over twenty, with short light-gold hair, deep-set eyes, and a high nose bridge. Though his features were not particularly outstanding as a whole, his martial bearing and tall, straight physique were enough to make him stand out among ordinary people. Since this was peacetime, he was not wearing armor, but ordinary clothes, with a longsword at his waist. Unremoved bandages could still be faintly seen on his exposed arms and neck.
He truly had broken through while wounded.
"Lord, my lady," Knight Philip immediately bowed to Rebecca and Heti after entering the room. "I'm very glad to see that you are both safe and sound."
"Knight Philip, please rise quickly." Rebecca hurriedly helped him up. "It's all thanks to you that those soldiers and civilians were saved."
She noticed the bandages on him. "These wounds..."
"I suffered them during the breakout, but they're much better now," Philip said quickly. "Viscount Andrew arranged for priests and apothecaries to treat me. But..."
The young knight revealed a troubled expression, his face filled with shame and frustration.
"You mean the gold and silver we had you take out of the castle," Heti said first. "Don't take it to heart. Those things were meant for emergencies in the first place. When we had you take them away, we said that they were all yours to use as you saw fit."
"Please don't worry. In truth, only part of the gold and silver was taken by Viscount Andrew." Philip's expression improved somewhat, and he lowered his voice. "Before entering the town, I separated part of the property and entrusted it to several trusted soldiers. I also buried some outside the town. At the time, I worried that if Viscount Andrew proved too greedy, we would at least need to keep some money to feed everyone, or let the soldiers make their own way in life..."
Gawain nodded slightly. This was a young man with both courage and intelligence. The fact that he had led a mere dozen or so soldiers in protecting a large group of helpless civilians through the encirclement showed his bravery. Before entering another noble's territory, knowing that he could not contend with a noble, he had still thought of how to preserve as much of the property entrusted to him by his lord as possible, and had even considered arranging a future for the soldiers. That was all the more commendable.
He therefore showed an approving expression. "Well done. How many people survived?"
Philip had actually noticed Gawain in the room from the beginning—after all, the latter's build was truly eye-catching. Hearing him speak now, Philip finally had a chance to ask, "Could you be..."
"It seems Viscount Andrew has already told you." Heti nodded. "This is the ancestor of the Cecil Family, the Founding Grand Duke of Ansu, Li..."
Before she could finish, Gawain hurriedly interrupted, "All right, all right, there's no need to say that old cringeworthy title. It gives me goosebumps..."
Before he could finish speaking, Philip had already dropped to one knee before Gawain. "Duke Gawain! I... I heard the news, but I never imagined it was true! You are the role model of all knights. Since I was young, I..."
"All right, all right, why isn't this over yet?!" Gawain hurriedly dragged Philip back to his feet. As an outsider occupying someone else's body, he had never felt so awkward. "Tell me first, how many people survived?"
Philip struggled to control his excitement, and his expression darkened with the subject. "Only a little over a thousand people broke out that day. After subtracting those attacked by monsters, those who fell behind from serious injuries, and those who died of illness, fewer than nine hundred finally reached Tanzan Town alive..."
"Exactly how many?"
"Eight hundred and seventy-three. Aside from me, sixteen were regular soldiers, thirty were militiamen, and the rest were civilians."
Rebecca's body swayed.
"So these are the final survivors of the Cecil Territory..." Heti murmured. "I never expected..."
Gawain patted Heti's shoulder. "Do you know how many people there were when we fled from the heartland of Gondor over seven hundred years ago?"
Heti looked at Gawain. "Back then..."
"Several tens of thousands," Gawain sighed. "So today's situation really is quite a headache."
Heti: "..."
At the same time, in Viscount Andrew's office, the viscount was writing a secret letter.
The secret letter was addressed directly to the king.
Because of the existence of the Gondor Wasteland, Ansu had regarded the southern region as the kingdom's most important defensive zone from the very beginning of its founding. Even though the south had now been peaceful for a long time, certain systems that had endured for centuries still remained in effect there. For example—every noble, great or small, in the southern region was a direct vassal of the Ansu Royal Family. They all possessed the right to speak directly with the king, as well as the duty to report affairs directly to him.
"Greetings to Your Majesty the King. Your direct vassal offers his respects.
"You should already have learned of the calamity that befell the Cecil Territory in the southern region from my previous letter. Now, a new development has occurred here. This matter is unprecedented in its strangeness, yet I have personally confirmed that it is true.
"The ancestor of the Cecil Family, the Founding Grand Duke of Ansu, Gawain Cecil, Leader of the Seven Generals, has recently returned to the world of the living.
"I personally witnessed light descending upon the wasteland of the Cecil Territory. All invading monsters were destroyed by that light. Then a dragon appeared as well. Regarding the dragon, I shall submit a separate detailed report. When I went to investigate in person, I met with Viscount Cecil and witnessed the revival of a heroic spirit..."
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