10 – 3. Lichtenauer (3)
The day when the new head of Lichtenau enters.
Those who left first are now buried in their hearts.
A place to bless and cheer for a new start.
“… .”
Adele stood still and watched the scene.
Shien moves forward with the blessings of countless people.
Its appearance makes the viewer unable to take their eyes off it easily.
It forms a more beautiful spectacle than any other painting in the world.
Silver hair that glistened as if it had been embroidered with sunlight.
A beauty that can’t be covered even though it’s slightly hardened by tension.
Each step, even the steps taken, are beautiful.
If God materialized beauty and sculpted it, it would look like this.
Even Adele, who lived a life far from beauty.
Seeing Shien like that, I unknowingly moved my lips.
“You kneel.”
The priest who resided in the estate said.
Shien slowly knelt in front of him.
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Many people lament at Sien’s appearance.
“Are you able to take responsibility for this land and your people no matter what storms and hardships you face?”
“yes. With the blood of Lichtenau flowing in my body, and with that glorious name. I dare to swear here. We will protect this land and its people to the end.”
“I will ask you one more time. Hey, can you do that?”
To the priest’s question, Shien answered with a clearer voice.
“I am in the highest position, but I will take care of those who are in the lowest place. I say the strongest, but I will protect the weakest. I will love even the most noble and the most humble things. As the owner of Lichtenau, I swear here, I will.”
Not to mention the vassals and knights in that solemn declaration.
Even the residents of Lichtenau become thrilled.
From nob le mt l. co m
Meanwhile, the priest, satisfied with Shien’s answer, steps back.
And I respectfully kneel in front of her.
“I sincerely hope that you lead this noble place and your precious people well.”
Eventually, the priest bowed his head and declared to everyone.
“The great swordsmanship family, the new master of Lichtenauer.”
“Lichtenauer’s head! May you enjoy your heavenly life!”
“Infinite Glory to Lichtenau!”
“Eternal prosperity to this land!”
No one seems to be forcibly shouting.
I just want to bless and support Sien, who has become the new family head.
This proves that Lichtenau had a great meaning to them.
Adele was a little relieved to see that.
Fortunately, it seems that people’s eyes weren’t wrong.
Of course, it wasn’t that he didn’t mind at all.
“Here you are. Adele.”
After the inauguration ceremony, Xien began to walk around the estate.
Adele, who followed the procession from behind, was approached by Brander.
“I will officially enter as the family head’s escort from tomorrow.”
“… Are you okay? I heard there were some stories.”
Adele must have heard about it too.
The news that the vassals objected to Adele’s appointment as an escort knight.
It wasn’t that he bet on his ability, status, or identity.
From the start, he said he couldn’t give a knight’s seat.
It means that you have to start as an attendant and be duly appointed.
The decision made was not a ‘knight’.
To carry out escort duties as a ‘servant’.
After that, it was to pass the knight test and become a knight.
“I’m sorry. There are a lot of very strict people.”
Naturally, Brander was worried.
When talking to Adele, there is not a single attendant to talk about.
I only mentioned the escort ‘knight’ part.
Would you say it would be okay if I suddenly asked you to do it from the beginning to the end?
Adele didn’t even really want the position.
From Adele’s point of view, it’s okay to just say no.
‘Even if I say it’s unpleasant, there’s nothing to say.’
It’s absolutely not that the vassals are narrow-minded.
Rather, he did the right thing for the sake of the other articles.
But that’s it, Adele’s position was another matter.
“I am fine. I’m fine.”
It’s not a bad word to be polite.
In fact, Adele was really unconcerned.
Rather, the vassals gave a legitimate opinion.
I even thought it was the law.
I don’t know the details of the article.
Because they were the opposite of them.
However, they can also be seen as a ‘group’ after all.
The most important thing in a group is the ‘regulation’ that makes them.
If something happens that breaks that rule.
The group does not last long and eventually collapses.
Even if it doesn’t collapse, many stories will come out.
“I’m a little glad you said that, but… .”
Where in the world would there be an attendant who would slice up a level 3 monster?
To train such a young man among attendants?
This is true of the fellow attendants and the knights who teach.
Obviously, everyone was forced to suffer.
“Captain Brander. Can I ask you something?”
“yes. tell me Adele.”
“… I just noticed it, but it’s a little strange.”
strange thing? At Adele’s words, Brenda tilted her head.
“Youngjimin. The way you look at Sien-nim is slightly different.”
“What do you mean? I don’t understand.”
“It means there are a few people who find something a little uncomfortable.”
Brenda was about to ask what the hell did you mean by that?
Then ‘Huh?’ and internally let out a sigh.
“… for a moment. Adele. Do you know anything about the head of the household?”
“There is no way you know, right? This is my first time here.”
“… .”
“Does it have anything to do with it?”
Adele’s answer left Brenda speechless.
The one who was Lichtenau’s mistress in the Empire.
There was no one who didn’t know about the current head of the household, Shien’s mother.
Certain nobles, of course.
Even the people of the Empire knew almost everything.
“You really don’t know?”
Brenda asks the question again.
At that, Adele shook her head to mean that she really didn’t know.
“… Adele.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“The patriarch’s mother is not human.”
“… yes?”
“The ‘Evils’ who fled to this world before the Great War.”
* * *
The Magician did not suddenly appear one day without warning.
From before, signs of disaster were revealed everywhere.
One of them was the demons who started to cross the border.
The continent became noisy at the sudden appearance of beings.
Races with big horns on their heads and bright red eyes.
The people of the continent were wary of such strangers.
The imperial family also moved quickly and examined them closely.
And as a result, it’s not that they had any ill intentions.
I found out that I had come to the refuge just to survive.
Originally, demons were a race that lived in the demon realm.
There, demons and witches, these two races were in a confrontational relationship.
It is said that since one day, the size of the monsters has grown out of control.
Eventually, a war broke out between the two races, but the gap had already widened too much.
In the end, the defeated demons crossed the border in search of refuge.
And the place he arrived at was the world with the empire.
‘The problem is, following the traces of the demons, even the beasts started to come over.’
Witchbeasts who tasted the blood and flesh of demons.
They came over in search of prey, not competitors.
That was the first appearance of the Magician.
After that, a great war of life and death began.
To protect the refuge, the surviving demons fought desperately.
They united with humans and fought even while bowing their heads.
Thanks to this, this world did not meet the end of the Demon Realm.
The demons were also recognized for their contributions in the war.
Because they fought hard without taking care of themselves.
I mean ‘officially’.
“Many people still hate demons. No, it’s not that level, it’s almost cursing. They believe that this war started because of them.”
Even if the demons didn’t come first anyway.
The beasts, who had run out of prey, would have invaded this place someday.
This time, all he had to do was follow the demons.
However, there is no way to know that fact.
Even if you know, you try hard to pretend you don’t know.
Those kinds of people wanted to turn their anger on the demons.
“It was before the Great War that the former head of the household became close to the hostess of the demon tribe. At that time, public sentiment toward the demons was not so bad. So they received blessings and even got married, and saw their son and daughter. Among them, the daughter is none other than Shien.”
“… .”
“But soon after the Great War broke out, public sentiment changed. No matter how hard the demons fought, the rumors that they had attracted demons could not be put to rest. Even when the hostess eventually died from injuries sustained while fighting the Witchbeast.”
Brenda paused for a moment in a bitter tone.
His eyes were on Shien, who was waving to the villagers.
“Asmodians are a matrilineal society. They say that maybe that’s why the traces of the Demon Tribe are stronger on daughters than on sons.”
Adele suddenly remembered Shien’s red eyes.
Come to think of it, no human has ever had eyes like that.
“That’s why people look at the head of the family that way.”
“… I see.”
“It is a well-known fact. That’s why the head of household is trying to do her best. But Adele. Did you really not know this?”
Adele nodded at the question.
He just thought it was a long day and killed the demon beasts.
Other than that, it didn’t matter, and I didn’t care.
Right now, I only know the origin of the demons.
I didn’t know the evaluation of them or public sentiment.
Because their enemies are monsters, not demons.
Rather, they were comrades-in-arms after all.
“However, discrimination against demons is weak in the central region where the imperial family is located. That’s why the former head of the family sent the current head of the family there. On the other hand, other areas… It just is.”
“How about Captain Brander?”
At Adele’s question, Brenda looked at him.
“What do you think of Sien?”
“I don’t care if it’s a human or a demon. He is a direct descendant of Lichtenauer, my lord. I will serve him until the day my life ends. That is my duty.”
It was an unwavering, unwavering response.
Adele nodded at Brender’s words.
‘Maybe it’s because of that.’
Why does Shien care so much about my duty?
I can understand a little bit why she didn’t even take care of herself.
It wasn’t just for himself, who was a mixed race of humans and demons.
A father who was married to a demon, and a mother who was a demon who attracted demon beasts.
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Maybe they are struggling to protect their honor.
“… .”
Looking at Sien, who is ahead in the distance.
Every shiny thing has that much dark shadow.
It was Adele who remembered what the emperor once said.