All the manders looked at Brutus. Even Reinhardt had been wanting to slip this topic into the conversation. However, who would have thought that Brutus would raise it first?
"Don’t look at me like that. I know I am jumping the gun, but this is our only chance. You all should already be aware of what this guy is trying to do."
He thumped Reinhardt’s shoulder.
"I am simply paving a path for him. The World Tree has been reborn, and the cleansing of the Tainted Lands is inevitable. What es next is humanity’s counterattack. Isn’t that right, Reinhardt? Tell us your plan."
Reinhardt looked at Brutus incredulously. He had not shared his plans with the manders. Yet the man, with only limited information and by reading between the lines, had been able to guess his intentions.
This guy... contrary to his looks, was extremely shrewd.
.
Later that night, Reinhardt fell onto his bed without even bothering to change his clothes.
He stared up at the ceiling. Despite the amount of ale he had drunk at the tavern, he was perfectly sober. His Divine Traits naturally purified toxins from his body. Alcohol barely had any effect on him.
Thus, despite his wish to feel the world around him spin, his mind was pletely clear.
As he lay there, staring at the ceiling, the rest of the evening replayed inside his mind.
"What do you all think about... venturing into the Tainted Lands?"
Brutus had clearly pushed him toward revealing his plan. But truthfully... there was no better time.
And so, Reinhardt revealed his intentions.
He told them about his quest to find the High Elf who could nurture the World Tree, and his subsequent fight with Beelzebub, who had corrupted the roots of the previous World Tree.
"With the help of the High Elf priestess, it won’t take long for the World Tree to grow stronger. The tree will gradually cleanse the corruption spreading from the Tainted Lands. This is the perfect time to launch an expedition... deep into the Tainted Lands."
With his true intentions laid bare, the room fell into silence. All the manders carefully mulled over what he had just said.
"How plausible is this plan?"
Conrad asked first. He placed his mug down slightly and leaned forward, his wise eyes carrying a heavy seriousness.
"You of all people should understand what horrors lie within the depths of the Tainted Lands. Can humanity truly win against such odds?"
The atmosphere in the room grew heavier.
Reinhardt naturally understood what Conrad was referring to. It was something that all the knights present here had experienced, despaired over, and bounced back from.
The failed expedition, a calamity so terrible that history remembered it with one name.
That’s right, Conrad was talking about the event known as the Bloody Rain.
An entire allied army of knights from the Seven Kingdoms and smaller nations had marched into the corrupted lands.
Yet in the end, very few of them managed to return alive. And when they did, the sky had literally rained blood.
It was a horrifying event witnessed by all the people of the world.
The seven manders present here were aware of how terrifying the Tainted Lands truly were.
Yet even under that atmosphere, Reinhardt did not hesitate. He nodded calmly.
"I believe humanity has a chance."
He was about to continue, saying that simply sitting behind walls and defending forever would never save humanity.
However, before he could, the manders all nodded their heads.
"Finally."
"Took someone long enough to say it."
"I’m tired of waiting for demons to attack us."
One by one, they all voiced their opinions.
They looked... excited!
At this moment, Reinhardt realized something.
He had underestimated them.
These were the manders of humanity’s greatest knight orders. They had spent years defending cities. Years of reacting to demon invasions and watching territories slowly fall.
They were tired of defending. They wanted to strike back.
Reinhardt exhaled slowly while lying on his bed. From there, everything was simple. Reinhardt explained his uping plans without any accidents.
Speaking of accidents, there had been that incident at the tavern that nearly destroyed the establishment pletely.
If not for their timely arrival...
Before he could think further, his eyes slowly grew heavy, and he drifted into sleep.
.
.
In the dream, he was in a state of peace. Surrounded by nothingness and fort.
"Are you really sure you want to do this?"
However, this peace did not last long. A soft voice appeared in his dream. It was a woman’s voice, gentle and calming. It called out to him with a name he did not recognize.
Reinhardt could not see her face. But somehow... he knew she was unbelievably beautiful. A delicate and holy aura surrounded her presence.
The woman spoke again.
"It will put your soul in danger. There is no guarantee... You will remain the same person."
What did she mean? Who was she speaking to?
The woman’s words were fragmented and difficult to understand, like a broken memory. Before Reinhardt could make sense of what she was saying, another voice sounded out.
This time, a man’s. And strangely, it sounded extremely familiar.
"Yes, I’m sure. I will; no, I must do this."
After a short pause, the man’s voice continued.
"Don’t worry. No matter what memory I lose... no matter what form I take... I will always be me."
Reinhardt saw the woman lower her head, droplets streaking down her cheeks. She was crying.
"In that case, I won’t stop you. However, I will lock part of your memories. That way... your soul will have an easier time assimilating."
With those words, everything turned silent once again, and the dream was over.
"What was that?"
Reinhardt snapped his eyes open and looked on with confusion. He touched his chest and felt his heart beating rapidly.
"What is going on...?"
The dream still lingered faintly in his mind.
The woman’s voice. The strange conversation. The feeling that he somehow knew both of them. Yet none of it made sense.
Why would he dream about something like that? And why did it feel... so real?
He searched his memory for answers, but there were none.
"Strange..."
Discarding these thoughts, he looked outside the window.
Morning light had already begun to spill into the room. The sky outside was slowly brightening.
Today was the day.
The day he would officially bee a Viscount.
Seeing that there was no point trying to sleep again, Reinhardt stood up.
After taking a shower to clear his mind, he donned the suit that Verdia had chosen for him yesterday.
The white outfit with golden lining fit him perfectly, giving him the appearance of a young noble lord rather than a battlefield mander.
Once ready, he headed toward the royal palace.
.
Inside the grand hall of the royal palace, the event was already in full swing.
Reinhardt stepped forward and knelt on one knee before the Queen.
"Reinhardt Arcknight... For your contributions to the kingdom, your bravery in battle, and your service to humanity. From this day forward, I grant you the title of Viscount."
She took a ceremonial sword and gently placed the blade upon his shoulders.
"You are now Viscount Reinhardt Arcknight."
The hall erupted with applause.
Immediately after the ceremony was over and the party began, Reinhardt was surrounded by nobles who wanted to make connections with him.
Reinhardt maintained a calm smile while speaking politely to each of them.
Everyone wanted something: a conversation, an introduction, or a future favor.
It was exhausting.
Acting like a proper noble, carefully choosing words, maintaining etiquette... it all required far more patience than fighting demons.
Still, as both a Viscount and the son of a Duke, Reinhardt handled everything properly.
HAHAHA....
Just when he was starting to feel mentally exhausted, a loud voice rang out, and a shadow loomed beside him.
Needless to say, it was Brutus.
"Look at you! Getting tired from just this!"
He slapped Reinhardt’s shoulder and pulled him away.
"Well, looks like we rescued you. Those nobles were surrounding you like wolves," Zargues joked.
With the appearance of the Seven Great Knight manders, the nobles around Reinhardt tactfully stepped away.
"Hmph, what hassle can there be? As a noble myself, I find your choice of words quite offensive."
Marquis Herman fixed his coat.
Reinhardt ignored their banter and looked around. Seeing his gaze, Vanessa smiled knowingly.
"If you’re looking for Leona..." She pointed toward the far side of the hall. "She’s over there."
Reinhardt followed her finger and spotted Leona.
Unlike her usual armored outfit that gave her the title Iron Maiden, she was dressed splendidly. Wearing a light blue ball gown that accentuated her strong yet graceful figure, she looked absolutely mesmerizing.
For a moment, Reinhardt almost didn’t recognize her.
But... why was she standing so far away, all alone?
As of reading his thoughts, Vanessa chuckled.
"After yesterday’s event... I think she’s trying to avoid you."
"Yeah... to think that the Iron Maiden had such a feminine side. I’m shocked." Zargues rubbed the back of his head.
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