Charlotte... Yulia... What on earth happened to you...?"

Plod, plod. Yuri moved with heavy steps. Muttering something with vacant eyes. The continuous scenes that were hard to believe had left her mentally exhausted.

"Ahaha. Is this a dream? It must be a dream, right?"

Yuri had already entered the denial stage of reality. It was a reality she didn't want to believe.

How could Charlotte, who was so bright and pure, be a dark knight wielding a menacing sword? How could the kind and considerate Yulia be a necromancer controlling a fearsome evil deity? Something was seriously wrong. It was fundamentally wrong.

"Aslan Vermont...!"

What could Aslan Vermont have done to Charlotte and Yulia? Had he locked them away in a dark room? Had he fed them from a dog bowl, mocking their dignity? Had he forced them to conduct horrific dark magic research?

The more she imagined, the more her heart burned. It was obvious that Charlotte and Yulia were still suffering now. And I am still in this state.

When Charlotte faced hundreds of ant monsters simultaneously. When Yulia controlled the evil deity to collapse the entire ant nest. I was so weak that all I could do was bind a mere dozen legs! Yuri clenched her fists, reflecting on her own weakness.

"Still... I need to let them know that I'm trying to save them...!"

With that single thought, Yuri moved forward. No matter how much Charlotte and Yulia had changed. No matter what they had endured at the hands of Aslan Vermont, it didn’t matter.

As long as their hearts hadn’t completely shifted. As long as they hadn’t fully succumbed to that brutal man, there was still hope.

I haven’t given up on you yet. I am struggling to bring you back. If I can just convey this to Charlotte and Yulia, instill some hope, that would be enough.

"As long as you don’t give up, there’s always a chance...!"

Yuri struggled to lift her heavy feet, climbing up the ruined hillside. And finally, the scene she witnessed was...

"Uncle? Why were you down there...?" "Good job, Charlotte. I’ve been watching from afar, and you’ve become quite skilled at handling aura. You’ve made significant progress." "Hehe! You saw it all? I wasn’t trying to impress you, but now I feel a bit shy...!" "Stop dodging the question and just answer, Aslan! Why were you and Knight Sylvia hugging like that...?" "Yulia. You cast your spell at the perfect timing. Thanks to you, I’m still alive. Thank you." "Heh, I suppose I am a bit perfect? …Right?"

Aslan Vermont stroked their heads. Charlotte and Yulia had gentle smiles, slightly pleased.

Yuri's mouth fell open. But no sound came out. A silent scream echoed in her mind as Yuri fell to her knees.

'Have they already been brainwashed...?'

Her mind went blank. At the moment when even the slightest hope shattered. It was a moment when Yuri’s world came crashing down.

'No. Charlotte and Yulia aren’t that easy to sway. Charlotte may look naive, but she’s quite clever, and Yulia is extremely intelligent...!'

Suddenly, clarity returned to her. Charlotte and Yulia had their hearts stolen by that pathetic man? That’s absurd.

Charlotte and Yulia are definitely just acting! To avoid crossing Aslan Vermont, they must be hiding their true feelings, pretending to follow him! They must be waiting for the day I come to save them...!

'Wait for me, Aslan Vermont! The day I surpass Knight Sylvia, I will come to retrieve Charlotte and Yulia...!'

Grinding her teeth. Yuri silently watched as Charlotte and Yulia subtly approached Aslan. Even knowing it was an act, it was a sight that made her want to cry blood.

... ... ... "Ugh... The sunlight..." "You really look like a vampire, Uncle!"

After the chaos of the night had settled, the first sunrise revealed the state of Arient Territory, which was utterly tragic.

Numerous buildings were smashed, trampled by swarms of ant monsters. It looked as if a tsunami had swept through. The fortunate thing was that, apart from the few who twisted their legs while running, there were no casualties.

The prompt evacuation led by the Vermont Security staff was effective. Thanks to all the residents quickly retreating inside the castle. The monsters marched directly toward the castle without causing unnecessary chaos in the homes. Except for the buildings in their direct path, everything else remained intact.

Sylvia might not have intended it from the start. But her quick response and correct judgment saved both lives and property.

"Brother! Are you safe? Are you hurt anywhere?" "I’m fine except for some muscle soreness, so don’t worry." "That’s a relief! I was so worried about you...!"

Even with his own territory in ruins, he was worrying about my well-being. Was Count Arien originally such a thoughtful person? I thought this old man was hoping for my death. I was a bit touched.

"I’m not in the best shape right now, but before I collapse, let me make a few promises. First, our Vermont Security will help with the reconstruction of the destroyed village." "Wh-What...?"

The training grounds had also suffered significant damage due to the ant monsters’ attack, making training impossible for the time being. It would be highly inefficient to pay the staff and let them sit idle. So it would be better to involve them in the restoration work in Arient Territory and get some credit.

"Also, some funds needed for the reconstruction will be partially supported by Vermont." "Aaaaah...!"

If Arient Territory, which was already struggling financially, started pouring money into reconstruction efforts, the risk of collapse would increase. It’s like a goose that lays golden eggs is now wheezing; this amount is rather cheap for medicine. Even if I covered all the restoration costs, it wouldn’t match the interest Arient had paid up until now, so it didn’t really matter.

"I truly don’t know how to repay this...! How can I express my gratitude? Thank you so much, brother!" "Heh. What are we to each other? Just one small request, though..." "S-Just say it! I’ll grant anything. Ah, of course."

Did his voice just tremble? When I looked at him with suspicion, Count Arien’s pupils were shaking wildly.

"W-Well... what... request is it...?" "I wanted to discuss what happened last night. The residents..." "Of course, I’ll ensure strict silence! Everyone in Arient Territory, including myself, didn’t see anything last night! I was just sleeping, and when I woke up, I saw the monster den had been destroyed! I’ll definitely make sure it stays that way!" "That’s not it. I was going to ask you to let the residents spread the word about what happened last night." "W-What...?"

Am I insane? Why silence them?

"It was a grand debut stage for the necromancer and the dark knight. By the way, the necromancer’s name is Yulia, and the dark knight’s name is Charlotte. So please help spread the word widely."

[The evil deity, 'Kali,' nods in agreement.]

In Charlotte’s case, she could showcase her splendid aura. Yulia may have a rather... no, a very shabby appearance, but she demonstrated her ability to control a great spirit. This was enough to stir up the entire continent.

I didn’t plan to let such remarkable exploits remain as mere small talk in Arient and Vermont territories. I must spread it everywhere. First, I’ll spread the word and make Charlotte and Yulia famous.

Then, raising their worth tremendously, I’ll naturally make them earn 1 billion Lark. Afterward, I’ll help them gain independence from me—that’s the goal. Returning to the hero Yuri with enough power, wealth, and a sense of responsibility.

Returning is one thing. It would be great if she felt gratitude and came to marry me later, but that’s a story for another day. No need to rush. I decided to be a bit more patient.

"A necromancer and a dark knight, are you serious...? Ah, no! It’s nothing! I will make sure to fulfill everything my brother desires!" "Thank you." "No! I should be the one thanking you!!!"

Bowing repeatedly, Count Arien grabbed my hand and shook it. Good. Let’s keep the incident involving the ant monsters a secret forever. In truth, if we get technical, the bigger responsibility lies with Dirt Dirt. What if it sealed the monsters and then completely forgot about it?

I didn’t feel any particular need to feel responsible.

"Now, let’s start heading back. Sylvia, check on the injured staff and anyone with special circumstances, handle them, and then return." "So I won’t be able to sleep until then...?" "I’ll give you a paid leave until tomorrow." "I’ll ensure to return after fully addressing everything. Just leave it to me, my lord."

Sylvia, with her sleepy eyes wide open, saluted. She’s indeed reliable. I thought she would handle everything without a hitch. Thinking that, I hopped onto the carriage.

After wandering through the ant nest for quite a while, the comfort of the soft seat where I finally sat felt like my body was melting away. If I had a body capable of sleeping, I would have certainly collapsed immediately.

'It’s hazy. Have I used up too much energy?'

I wasn’t actually sleepy, but my vision blurred, and my body felt languid. This felt closer to fainting than simply being sleepy. If I don’t properly recover my stamina, it wouldn’t be surprising if my consciousness suddenly cut off.

[The evil deity, 'Kali,' suggests you take sufficient rest.]

'Yeah. I’ll take it easy today.'

Thanks to that, I was forced to take a holiday. When was the last time I spent a whole day resting since I got here? Thinking about it, there hasn’t been a proper time. It was just the right moment for some recharging.

Slowly, the carriage arrived at the mansion and stopped. Just as I was about to open my eyes and rise...

"Hoo, uhh." "Don’t go..." "…"

My arms were bound. Now that I think about it, the kids have been unusually quiet all along. Before I knew it, they had each claimed one of my arms and were fast asleep.

[The evil deity, 'Kali,' orders that our dark knight and necromancer look very tired and should not wake them but rather stay still like dead mice!]

Hey, just a moment ago, you told me to rest well. Now you want me to stay in this awkward position?

"Ha..."

Anyway, in this state, I couldn’t even lift the kids to move them. Feeling defeated, I slumped back down. The breath of the children tickling my arms felt nice, making it a good time to rest.