The two lay there resting for a while. Evan was the first to notice the changes around them, and he let out another deep sigh of relief.
"The Count's Estate is returning to normal."
Mulan had already forced himself upright and begun reloading his revolver.
"Not entirely."
Several nobles moving in strange, unnatural ways had appeared in the distant corridor, but dealing with them no longer put much pressure on Mulan and Evan.
Gunfire continued intermittently throughout the Count's Estate for some time. Afterward, Mulan and Evan found several dozen surviving nobles and servants. That might have seemed like a considerable number, but compared with the lively ball earlier, a substantial portion was clearly missing.
About half an hour later, the survivors followed Evan and Mulan to the Holy Temple under Evan's care. Hathaway and Lily felt greatly reassured when they saw Mulan.
Of course, Mulan no longer looked as dashing as before. His hair was disheveled, his clothes torn in several places, and his body covered in blood. Yet to all the survivors, he exuded the overwhelming presence of someone capable of utter destruction.
Ding, ding, ding... Bang, bang, bang...
"Chief! Chief!"
At dawn, Valentine's police chief was awakened at home by frantic ringing and knocking at his front door.
Looking thoroughly irritated, the chief went to answer the door in his pajamas. When he opened it and saw several detectives standing outside with tense expressions, most of his irritation and drowsiness vanished at once.
"What happened?"
One of the detectives swallowed.
"Something terrible happened at Count Blanclin's estate..."
The chief's eyes widened. He immediately turned back to grab his coat and pull on his boots. Without even taking the time to put on anything else, he rushed out of the house.
"Come on, come on! Take me there!"
The Valentine Police Department assembled a large number of officers, all of whom hurried to the Count's Estate. When they arrived, the chief was so horrified that he could barely remain standing.
The entire Count's Estate was deathly silent. Bodies lay everywhere, inside and out. The chief even recognized some of them as high-ranking nobles. While the officers and detectives continued searching, his face had already turned ashen.
"It's over. It's over. We're finished..."
So many nobles had met with disaster, and many others, including Count Blanclin and his family, were missing. Whatever pressure the Valentine Police Department might face after having only just weathered another crisis, the chief felt that his own prospects were bleak.
As the sky grew brighter, good news finally began arriving one report after another. First, the count's family was safe. Second, most of the nobles were still alive and had taken refuge in a Holy Temple. However, when asked what they had experienced, most looked terrified and refused to speak. The few who said anything were incoherent, repeatedly using words like "monsters" and "corpses." They were clearly emotionally unstable.
By comparison, the old count was much more composed. As a prominent noble of the region who also served as mayor, he even reassured Valentine's police chief, telling him not to worry too much. The incident had come without warning. Although the Valentine Police Department would bear some responsibility, it would not be held seriously accountable. He would report the matter to the empire's higher authorities.
The first three days after the incident were the hardest. All manner of affairs at the estate needed handling, many nobles were too frightened to leave the Holy Temple, and their families arrived at the Valentine Police Department one after another demanding answers. The newspapers also reported extensively on the tragedy at the Count's Estate.
But after the third day, the pressure on the Valentine Police Station suddenly eased considerably. Few of the victims' noble families continued coming to the station to cause trouble or apply pressure. Even the tone of the newspapers changed.
On the morning of the fifth day after the incident, Mulan was still lounging in bed. Leo, who had regained some mobility, carefully climbed the stairs with a hand on the railing and reached his younger brother's room.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Mulan, I'm coming in."
Leo opened the door and found that his younger brother was indeed still sleeping in. He took small steps over to the window and pulled the curtains wide open.
"Ugh, what are you doing, Leo? I only just got to sleep..."
"The sun's already high. How much longer do you intend to sleep? Anyway, I have good news for you. Look!"
Leo tossed the newspaper onto Mulan's bed. Mulan rubbed his eyes, picked it up, and glanced over it. The most eye-catching headline on the front page read: "Valentine's Hero!"
"The massacre at the Count's Estate was the work of members of the cult to which the serial killer belonged. Mr. Mulan Jonester turned the tide and crushed them once again..."
"Mulan, when did you do all this? Why didn't you tell me?"
Leo seemed even more excited than Mulan. Still lying in bed, Mulan stared blankly at the newspaper, his mouth opening without a word coming out.
Ding, ding, ding!
Someone rang the doorbell. Old Buck's answering voice came from the direction of the stairs. When he opened the door, he found two people outside: a man wearing a coat and a top hat, and, er, a long-haired woman also wearing a coat and a top hat?
"Who are you?"
The man spoke first.
"Please inform Mr. Mulan Jonester that I've come to retrieve the item Sir Walton entrusted to him, and to extend an invitation."
"Of course. Please wait a moment, both of you. I'll let Young Master Mulan know!"
Though puzzled, Old Buck smiled, then quickly turned and went upstairs.
Young Master Mulan is becoming more and more mysterious!
The name "Walton" was the perfect catalyst for getting out of bed. The moment Mulan heard it, he threw back his covers, sat up, and began dressing at speed. Within just a few minutes, he had run downstairs.
After the danger he had faced last time, Mulan craved power far more than before. He rushed outside and saw the two people waiting by the door. He actually recognized one of them.
"Dolly?"
The woman frowned.
"It's Do-lly!"
"Yes, I'll remember. And you are?"
The man removed his hat and bowed his head slightly to Mulan, a hearty smile on his face.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jonester. You are a remarkable man. Though mortal, you possess great strength. Please allow me to offer you my deepest respect!"
The man raised his head and looked earnestly at Mulan.
"If you are willing, I would be delighted to invite you to study in the Royal Capital. Believe me, you will shine there!"
Mulan quickly reviewed the information in his mind. First, he took out the cloth bag he had been guarding so carefully, which held the doll Walton had given him. The man accepted it without examining its contents and waited for Mulan's response.
"My family's honor and my personal duty both tell me that I, Mulan Jonester, cannot refuse!"
Of course he had to go. Quite apart from his fascination with the mysterious world, there was now an Ancient Fiend in the Otherworld that hated him to the bone. He had to prepare for that, if only by learning more about such things.
"That is the best news I've heard today. Welcome, Mr. Jonester!"
Dolly watched the man beside her. He was actually addressing Mulan with such deference. It seemed he truly respected him.
"Please make your preparations, then. We'll return at the same time tomorrow. Pack some clothes and personal belongings."
"How long will I be away?"
"You'll have holidays that allow you to come home regularly. Think of it as a period of further study. We won't take up any more of your time, then. See you tomorrow. We've already arranged all the tickets and transportation, so please don't worry."
With that, the man left with Dolly. Mulan watched them until they disappeared at the end of the street, then closed the door and went back inside.
The man had revealed no crucial information, but Mulan could still draw plenty of inferences from it.
As they walked, Dolly could not help questioning her companion.
"Why didn't you address us so respectfully when you came for us? Walton recruited me too."
The man glanced at Dolly, then turned his gaze back to the street.
"Because he is braver than any of you."
"Oh? You can tell that already?"
"Don't be angry, Miss Do-lly. I would wager that, had you been in his position, you could never have done as well as he did. Courage comes in many forms, and he faced an Ancient Fiend in a mortal body of flesh and blood. I couldn't do that!"
"Now, let's go speak with the Holy Temple. We have a claim to this sacred relic now, too."
After returning inside, Mulan felt excited, but he was also thinking about how to tell his family. Before he could say anything, however, another visitor knocked at the door.
This time, it was an attendant from the Count's Estate and a commendation messenger who had traveled a full day and night by train from the Royal Capital.
The newly crowned Queen Nisheriel intended to personally commend Mulan and grant him a title.