Chapter 342

The destroyer of the Northern Wall, the Winter Wolf Ryu-rik, was slain, and most of his subordinates also met their deaths.

The losses were so severe that it would take over a decade to recover.

Though a grand victory celebration wouldn’t have been out of place, there was too much bloodshed to simply rejoice.

—

Pailoon Castle, now returned to us, was filled with soldiers from the Northern Army.

While we were pursuing Ryu-rik, they must have arrived late.

The castle looked quite different from when we had left.

The scattered corpses of beastmen and humans along the walls had been cleared away, and the interior, once filled with debris, was being tidied up.

However, there was no time to repair the shattered outer walls, which remained grotesquely broken.

Duke Pailoon, pale-faced upon his return, summoned priests to tend to the wounded before heading straight to his office.

Whether it was his strong sense of responsibility or his disregard for his own well-being, he didn’t even care that his severed arm wouldn’t magically grow back despite the healing miracles. He was entirely focused on post-battle management.

Well, he had a lot to handle.

As the Great Lord responsible for the entire Northern region, he had to deal with the near annihilation of two legions and the Imperial Knights, a burden that Leopold, now on the throne, would have to bear. The damage to the North was no small matter either.

The time needed to replenish lost forces, the compensation to the families of the fallen, and the cost of rebuilding Pailoon Castle and the Northern Wall—even for the wealthy Pailoon family, recovering from this damage was no easy task.

—

Thanks to steady potion consumption, Duke Pailoon managed to return on his own feet, while I had to be carried back the entire way.

The injury to my leg, which I had forced to move despite severe wounds, had worsened.

Without effective potions, the only way to heal my wounds was through a priest’s miracle.

Unfortunately, there were no priests in the pursuit party.

There was a paladin, but his healing could only prevent my leg from necrotizing.

At least, after joining forces with Freide’s group, Leonor carried me instead of Pailoon’s knights.

She grumbled a bit, but hey, she was a princess. When would she have ever carried someone else? She was more used to being carried.

“…This makes me feel more like a servant than a bodyguard. Ever since becoming the lady’s retainer, it feels like the hardships never end.”

“Is there much difference between a bodyguard and a servant? Just a bit stronger and holding a sword, right?”

Both are loyal to their masters, risking their lives and diligently performing their duties. Same thing.

“Not something the Knight of Radiance should say.”

Leonor chuckled.

—

Upon arriving at the castle, I was immediately handed over to Florence.

Shocked by my injuries, Florence poured out the maximum amount of holy energy she could muster to heal me.

If she had been any later, I would have had to amputate my leg and somehow regrow it.

Considering it takes over half a month to regenerate a lost limb, it was fortunate it ended this way.

Not just my leg, but my arm was also a problem, and my bones and joints were in terrible shape.

Even with the healing miracle, I had to remain absolutely still for a while.

After a full day of healing just the surface wounds, I finally managed to wash myself.

A long-awaited hot spring bath. Soaking my entire body except my calves in the hot water, I recalled the ordeal I went through when we first arrived here, thanks to that clueless Damien.

…Well, not clueless, just pretending to be.

Thinking about it, it’s infuriating. That guy, was all that “first time” nonsense just an act? Probably.

Once I recover, I’ll have to train him again.

He’s reached master level, so sparring with him will be… interesting.

Anyway, there won’t be any “Lost Damien” incidents this time.

Right after arriving at the castle, after some treatment and a bath, I was dragged to Milia’s room and haven’t been able to leave since.

What’s happening behind that firmly closed door… I decided not to think about it.

At least, this way, the unpleasant rumors about me and Damien will naturally die down.

There’s just one concern…

If he plans to live as a knight, he should know how to avoid becoming a parent at 16, right…?

I went through all the trouble of training him to master level, and if he suddenly has a kid and drops out of the fight, it would be a problem.

If that happens, I might not be able to resist the urge to cut off Damien’s middle leg.

…I’ll have to ask Milia about it later.

—

Closing my eyes and half-lying down, I stretched and enjoyed the warmth enveloping my body.

While pondering how to beat Damien to make him a better knight.

“How’s your body?”

Just as I was about to fall asleep, a familiar voice reached my ears.

In the corner of my half-opened vision, wet silver hair swayed.

Oh, it’s Freide.

Come to think of it, she did say she enjoyed hot spring baths.

“I’m fine… except for my leg. Actually, it feels like I’m less injured than usual.”

Even though we suffered from not sleeping properly during the days of pursuit in the snow, the injuries were much lighter compared to before.

It must be because my defense has significantly improved.

Attacks that would have pierced me before were weakened by my Life Force shield, reducing them to mere stabs.

“That’s good to hear. I was worried you were seriously injured since you were carried all day. You tend to not spare your body in battle.”

[If you think about it, it’s not even your body. I’ve wanted to point this out for a while. Don’t you treat someone else’s body too harshly?]

Well, she’s not wrong…

“But we won, didn’t we?”

I smirked, answering both Hersela and Freide.

If I hadn’t pushed myself so hard, Ryu-rik would have escaped, and then… he probably would have killed Oleg and come back, right?

[Nonsense. If I hadn’t stepped in, you would have been a corpse long ago.]

Hersela sharply retorted.

Well… that’s not wrong either. I mostly relied on her for defense.

“…I’m grateful for that. But I was worried you might push yourself too far and something bad might happen.”

Freide, what’s gotten into you? Saying such admirable things.

Thinking about it, in the original story, by the time Damien captured the Beast King, her affection had already maxed out…? To the point of becoming lovers.

…What would I gain by pursuing Freide?

Freide doesn’t seem to have such feelings either, and I’m not interested in that sort of thing anyway.

“Well, if it weren’t for me, who would be your friend? I understand.”

I chuckled and nodded at Freide.

Unlike me, fully submerged in the hot spring, she was sitting on the edge with only her feet in the water, so at my eye level, I could see her thighs and navel.

“After all my serious concern, you respond like that?”

Freide frowned momentarily, but seeing me just smirking, she sighed and relaxed her expression.

“Sigh… Anyway, thank you. Truly. If it weren’t for your help, Pailoon would have fallen. The North would have become a hunting ground for beasts. I don’t know how to thank you enough.”

Perhaps feeling awkward, she turned her face slightly as she spoke her words of gratitude.

Her silver hair, wet and clinging to her skin, revealed a glimpse of her reddened neck and earlobes.

She’s embarrassed.

Well, she never had a friend before, so thanking a friend must feel strange.

“If you’re that grateful, you can pay me back with interest later. I’ll give you a generous repayment period.”

“What’s that?”

Thinking it was just a joke, Freide turned her head and laughed.

It’s not a joke. Someday, the day to repay the debt will come.

Someday.

—

I spent a week recuperating at Pailoon Castle.

The news of me single-handedly… almost single-handedly defeating Ryu-rik spread throughout the North, and my reputation here surpassed even Valdemar’s.

It was more like worship than reputation.

Every Northerner I passed looked at me with awe, as if I were a god.

Some even tried to kneel and pray.

On the morning of the third day after our return, Valdemar, having finally assessed the losses and completed the draft of future plans, summoned the knights for a commendation ceremony.

Instead of a grand victory celebration, it was a modest award ceremony held in his reception room.

Damien and Milia were officially recognized as master-level knights and granted the title of Baron for defeating the enemy’s paladins.

Though they didn’t actually kill any, they did defeat them, so it counts.

The titles were officially recognized only within the Duchy, but the Empire didn’t outright deny Northern titles to avoid disrespecting the Duke’s authority.

So… they were now bona fide nobles.

They’ve made it. Becoming master-level knights, such success was expected.

Valdemar asked if they wanted to join the Pailoon Knights, but both declined, saying they weren’t ready to commit to any group yet.

…Actually, I had advised them to refuse.

Unless they planned to live in this frozen land forever, it was the right choice.

Additionally, the two bows Freide had given Milia and the new sword Damien received, mixed with Jin’s silver, were officially recognized as their possessions.

Though not a full Jin’s silver sword… it was originally a Pailoon heirloom and couldn’t be given away.

Along with the weapons, a generous amount of beastmen hides were also awarded.

Normally, gold or jewels would be given, but given the territory’s current state, such items had to be spent on recovery costs.

Receiving a pile of hides, the two looked a bit awkward but smiled.

—

And I, recognized as the top contributor, received an overwhelming amount of rewards.

First, a mansion under my name.

Specifically, a mansion for the Northern hero would be built on an empty plot within Pailoon Castle.

…I probably won’t come because it’s cold.

But I accepted it anyway. Who would refuse a free house?

I can visit whenever I want a hot spring bath.

Once everything is over.

Additionally, apart from the Imperial title, I was granted the title of Count of the North and corresponding lands.

Since I can’t stay here forever, I’ll have to entrust the management to a proxy.

But that wasn’t all.

The pure Jin’s silver sword Leonor had been using and the ownership of the Rose Cross Knight Order, which had officially transferred to the Duchy of Pailoon, were also handed over to me.

Leonor was more pleased about it than I was.

She smiled so brightly upon hearing the news, even in an official setting.

Finally, like Damien, I received a pile of beastmen hides instead of monetary rewards due to the same reasons.

The hides of Ryu-rik scattered inside the castle, the hides of the paladins from this battle, and thirty hides of purebloods.

Enough to make clothes for over a decade.

—

Among Ryu-rik’s hides, I decided to leave one set in the North. One full-body hide missing the head and a half-cut head hide.

Freide grabbed my hand and earnestly requested it.

Since there were plenty of hides to spare, I agreed.

Overjoyed, Freide said she would display Ryu-rik’s taxidermied remains in my mansion and headed to her workshop with the corpse.

…She’s going to put that in my mansion?