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The next day, we entered Roelgreen Castle without shedding a drop of blood. It was as uneventful as expected, but we had anticipated this. Once the most prosperous city in the north, the fortress now lay in ruins. Neither monsters nor demons had any reason to settle here, especially with the onset of winter and the scarcity of food. The absence of prey in these ruins had driven them into the forest.

Thanks to this, we reclaimed the castle with almost laughable ease. No one showed any signs of disappointment, as we had all expected this outcome. Well, except for Leon, the battle maniac.

“Ugh! There are still some monsters left over there!”

“Commander… those are just wild dogs.”

“Tch! Then where are the monsters?!”

“Honestly, you’re such an idiot… I wonder what’s going on in that head of yours.”

Laura Elsink, the Ice Witch, sharply rebuked him. As one of the heads of the Seven Stars, she wielded ice magic, which naturally put her at odds with Leon, who wielded fire magic.

“Hmph! It’s the boiling blood and burning passion within me!”

“Ah, of course…”

“Laura, I wish I could share this passion with you!”

“No thanks. I can’t stand anything hot.”

They didn’t seem to be on bad terms, though. Meanwhile, we were busy inspecting the eerie castle.

“It’s so creepy…” Bella muttered.

“It’s hard to believe this was once the most prosperous city in the north…”

I nodded silently in agreement.

The houses inside the castle had retained their original shapes despite the passage of time. The buildings were surprisingly intact, making the place feel more like a hastily abandoned village than a ruin. The soot stains, broken windows, and doors hinted at the tragedy that had unfolded here.

“It’s like a village of death…”

I couldn’t help but wonder if someone might still be living here, but of course, no one remained. They had all lost their lives to the monsters.

Bella suddenly clasped her hands and began to pray, offering a prayer for the souls of those who had died here. Her sincere compassion for their suffering reminded me of the “Saint of Meikahel,” who would later stand against the players.

“…?”

Perhaps I had been staring too intently. I quickly averted my gaze as Bella finished her prayer and almost caught my eye.

We continued to inspect Roelgreen Castle. While the village was mostly intact, the central tower and mansion where the former border lord had lived were partially collapsed, making access difficult.

We had soldiers search the castle for any hidden monsters, like Ice Worms, but aside from some wild animals, there was nothing alive here.

By the afternoon, our investigation of Roelgreen Castle was mostly complete. I called all the commanders to the tower in the center of the castle to hear their opinions.

Bella was the first to speak.

“First of all, it’s a relief that the castle can be restored with some repairs.”

“Hmm.”

“And after looking around, I can see why the border lord was able to hold out against the monster army for over a week.”

I agreed with her assessment. Roelgreen Castle was originally built by the Empire to block the monsters advancing south. As the name suggests, it was named after the Roelgreen family, who had protected the castle for generations.

The Roelgreen family had established themselves in the Northern Garden, serving as a bulwark against the demons of the north. Their reputation was well-earned, not only due to the noble character of the border lords but also their achievements. They had transformed the snow-covered Northern Garden into habitable land, built a sturdy fortress, and for over a century, prevented the monsters from invading the Empire’s territory. If not for the unprecedented emergence of monsters during the “Autumn Tragedy,” Roelgreen Castle might still be the largest city and fortress in the north.

In any case, as Bella said, the castle was worth restoring. The other commanders and the heads of the Seven Stars seemed to share this view.

However, the real problem lay ahead. Patrick Wolfbert, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

“I had some time to spare, so I went to the forest north of the castle…”

I flinched. The forest he mentioned was where I had gone last night.

“Huh?! Did you approach the demon’s border, Sir Patrick?”

“I didn’t enter the forest. I just went to observe their movements. I thought they might react now that we’ve retaken the castle.”

“Right. Retaking the castle doesn’t mean we’ve reclaimed the north. The real threat lies in the northern forest, the so-called demon’s border.”

In the original story, Emperor Lucy had sent a small force during the first expedition, confident that they could easily take the castle. However, she hadn’t anticipated the demons, who were as intelligent as monsters, uniting and launching a surprise attack.

Even without knowing the original story, Patrick had quickly checked the threatening elements.

“So… did you find anything?”

Patrick shook his head. I had only encountered a few monsters last night, so it was no surprise.

“However, the forest was eerily quiet. With our forces moving like this, they should have noticed.”

“Maybe they’re watching from somewhere? They couldn’t have missed this.”

“Hmph! Nonsense! Demons aren’t that smart!”

“What?”

Leon interjected, challenging Laura’s words.

“I’ve been around long enough to know! They’re cunning, but they don’t have the brains to scheme!”

“Oh? Then how did they take Roelgreen Castle?”

“I don’t know!”

“Huh?”

“That was an exception! In the entire history of the Empire, demons have never united without a Demon Lord! It was a one-time thing!”

“What kind of nonsense…”

I had to admit, Leon had a point. The “Autumn Tragedy” had many unexplained aspects, one of which was the demons uniting to invade human territory. Demons, with their numerous races and cultures, lacked cohesion. Without a Demon Lord, it was unheard of for them to unite—except during the “Autumn Tragedy.”

This made me suspect that there was some hidden backstory to the event.

“Don’t get complacent, Leon. You might get hurt. What if they unite and attack again?”

“Hmph! Without a Demon Lord, they’re just a ragtag bunch! And now’s our chance while they’re unaware!”

Leon grabbed his massive mace and shouted loudly.

“Count! Order an immediate advance into the northern forest! I’ll lead the charge and wipe out every last demon!”

The Imperial Army under his command cheered in unison. Having retaken the castle without any casualties, their morale was sky-high. However, their enthusiasm might wane once they actually faced the demons.

“That’s absolutely out of the question, Leon.”

“Huh?!”

Ariel was the one who stopped him.

“Leon, if you rashly launch a preemptive attack, you might provoke the demons further.”

“Are you afraid of demons, Rizette?!”

“Yes, of course I am.”

“Huh?!”

Leon’s eyes widened.

“If demons weren’t feared, Roelgreen Castle wouldn’t have been built, and we wouldn’t have come here with such a large force. Leon, you might not realize it, but to most people, demons are objects of fear.”

As a university professor and researcher, Ariel had no aggressive stance or hostile attitude toward demons. She only dealt with facts.

“Moreover, His Majesty ordered us to reclaim the north, not to start a war. I understand what you’re saying, but I think you need to restrain yourself a bit.”

“Ugh…”

The mention of His Majesty made Leon hesitate. Perhaps this was Luna’s will. Since Ariel was currently serving the Emperor, she might be conveying his wishes to us in this way.

Even if it weren’t for my plans, it would have been difficult to agree with Leon’s opinion. Who wouldn’t expect a battle maniac to act like this? If Gale had been here, he might have sided with Leon. In that regard, Patrick seemed a bit more reasonable.

But that aside, I had a bigger problem.

‘Why does my stomach hurt so much…’

I hadn’t gone to the bathroom after breakfast, and now the signals were getting stronger. It was still bearable, but if the meeting dragged on any longer, I’d be in trouble. I felt like I was right at the limit.

So, I was about to end the meeting when someone beat me to it.

“I think we should focus on repairing the castle and observing the situation for now.”

All eyes turned to her. Her beauty might have played a part, but as the representative of the Izakhel family, one of the Seven Stars, her opinion commanded respect.

However, with every second precious to me, I didn’t have the patience to listen to the details.

“This is the demons’ sphere of influence. Sooner or later, they’ll try to drive us out. It’s better to prepare for defense.”

“I agree with Bella’s opinion.”

“Then… huh?”

The attention shifted from Bella to me. I felt bad for cutting her off, but I was in a hurry. Fortunately, her opinion was almost identical to mine.

Ignoring her stunned expression, I quickly continued.

“First, prioritize repairing the castle and turning it into a stronghold. Make sure we can defend it even if the demons attack.”

With that, I stood up, signaling that the meeting was over. Ironically, the only thing on my mind was finding a bathroom.

The commanders were too shocked by my abrupt ending to get up. I was about to leave when…

“Wait a minute, Count!”

Of course. Bella’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

I turned around to face the people waiting for my response. My stomach was growling like thunder, but I maintained my composure using “Patience.”

“And don’t approach the northern forest without my orders. That’s all.”

*

“Count, don’t just steal my opinion like that.”

As expected, the price for ending the meeting early was steep. Bella pouted and nagged at me for almost an hour. Despite my annoyance, she stuck close to me as we walked around the castle.

“Are you listening to me? Jerk.”

“My ears are fine. I’ve told you repeatedly, I didn’t steal your opinion. I adopted it because it matched mine.”

“Hmm… You’ve been really dishonest lately.”

What?

Bella suddenly stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

“Count, I don’t know if you’re aware, but I really appreciate honest words.”

“…So?”

“So, if you’re honest with me, I’ll forgive you for anything.”

“Oh, really? But I don’t think I’ve done anything that requires your forgiveness.”

“Ugh… Look at you. So dishonest. Is it that hard to admit you’d have been in trouble without me?”

I almost laughed out loud. It seemed Bella wasn’t upset about her opinion being taken; she just wanted my acknowledgment.

“…Were you about to laugh at me just now?”

“No…”

“Another lie. Count, you’re not being sincere with me.”

Her persistence made me want to throw a sincere pitch.

“Fine. It’s because you’re cute.”

“……”

Bella froze for a moment at my casual remark, then muttered in exasperation.

“Honestly… as if that’s some grand confession…”

What? I thought she’d be flustered.

“If you have eyes, look at me properly when you speak. I’m not that cute.”

“…You’re tongue-tied.”

“Ugh…”

Bella’s face turned red as she bit her lower lip, glaring at me with resentment.

Who’s the one being dishonest here? Though, her inability to be honest was kind of endearing.

“You’re such a jerk, pointing out others’ mistakes…”

“Care to explain why that makes me a jerk?”

“I don’t know! Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you!”

As we bantered, I noticed a small flowerbed ahead of Bella. Worried she might step on it, I stopped her.

“Wait, Bella.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t go into that flowerbed.”

Bella paused, then suddenly covered her mouth and started giggling.

“Hmm… Why? Are you afraid you’ll lose me if I go into the flowerbed?”

What kind of nonsense is that?

“…I meant don’t step on the flowers.”

Bella’s expression froze for about 0.1 seconds before she giggled again and nodded.

“Ah… I see. You’re saying you can’t tell which is the flower if I’m in the flowerbed, right?”

“No. I said don’t step on the flowers.”

“So… what you’re trying to say is that I’m as beautiful as those flowers, right?”

“No. I said don’t step on the flowers.”

“Come on, that’s not it. I’m even better than the flowers, aren’t I?”

“No. I said don’t step on them…”

“What was that?”

Ugh.

A sudden pain made me bow my head. Bella’s shoe was stomping on mine, and she was putting her magic into it, stomping with all her might.

Not only that, but she was also grabbing my collar with a bright smile. To an outsider, it might have looked like she was cheerfully adjusting my tie.

“So… do you want me to step on you?”

“…No.”

“Then what about the flowerbed?”

The pressure on my right foot was unbearable. I had no choice but to confess what she wanted to hear.

“…I was afraid I’d lose you if you went into the flowerbed.”

“Haha… Isn’t that a bit cliché? A 10/10 answer.”

Bella released my right foot. Despite her words, she seemed pleased.

“But since you were honest, I’ll give you an extra 50 points.”

“…So, 60 points?”

“Work harder, Count. A mere 60-point answer won’t win over any woman.”

“I see…”

I nodded as if I understood and muttered.

“60 points is enough for you, though.”

If only I hadn’t said that, my left foot wouldn’t have ended up bruised too.

 

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