Chapter 244 – After the War (2)

After throwing away my position as hero at the temple, we took care of many matters in the Imperial capital, and eventually left the Empire.

After meeting with the Chancellor one last time and leaving the Imperial Palace, several people were waiting for us in front of the palace.

First, there were the two Sword Masters who were leaving the Imperial capital with us: Grand Mage Count Schröder and Marquis Kolbe.

The two of them planned to go to the Marquis’s domain after leaving the Imperial capital with us.

And there were two people waiting to see us off. They were also Sword Masters.

Count Schönheim and the elderly Sword Master, Marquis Charles.

We hadn’t specifically mentioned that we were leaving today, but they were able to come see us off since they were the owners of the mansions where we had been staying, and they were teachers of the Imperial Knights.

“Are you really planning to leave so quietly? We could have held a grand farewell ceremony.”

At Count Schönheim’s words, I smiled and replied.

“This is grand enough. All the Sword Masters in the Imperial capital are here, aren’t they?”

Only these four Sword Masters remained in the Imperial capital.

The other Sword Masters had all returned to their domains or were traveling throughout the Empire, dealing with the remaining undead.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected the Sword Masters to be here like this.

The eastern part of the Empire had been completely devastated by this war, but the Imperial capital, or rather the Imperial family, hadn’t been left unscathed either.

The Imperial Knights and the Magic Corps had been annihilated on Earth, and half of the troops that had participated in the final battle against the Demon King as part of the allied forces had been lost to the Demon King’s army and evil energy.

Most of the destroyed Imperial forces had been recruited from this Imperial capital, so in terms of casualties, the Imperial capital had suffered even more than the eastern regions.

That’s why I had planned to leave quietly, but these Sword Masters had come out to wait for us.

However, the elderly Sword Master, Duke Charles, still seemed regretful.

“Are you really leaving?”

“Yes. That was my intention from the beginning.”

I answered firmly to Duke Charles’s question, as if reassuring myself.

Then came the Duke’s next words.

“His Majesty the Emperor must be greatly disappointed. Didn’t the Emperor or the Chancellor try to stop you?”

I shook my head at the Duke’s words.

“They tried to hold me back once, but it wasn’t that serious.”

Unlike the Chancellor who had tried to persuade me, the Emperor seemed rather pleased that I was leaving.

Thanks to that, I was able to obtain various conveniences from the Emperor as I departed.

Hearing my answer, Count Schönheim clicked his tongue.

“It must be because you lost your hero abilities, right?”

Of course, that was probably the biggest reason.

“It’s not so much that I lost my hero abilities, but rather that a new hero has appeared.”

That day, the former hero Albert regained his power as a hero.

Seeing this, the priests who were present were extremely delighted.

Ea’s saintess, the princess, was also happy, as were the Emperor and the Chancellor.

Hero Albert, unlike me, was the kind of hero the Imperial family would prefer.

A young knight from the Empire, not yet tainted by the world.

Moreover, this young hero and the saintess, the Imperial princess, were fond of each other.

For the Imperial family, who claimed to be descendants of heroes, he was the perfect match.

The Emperor would have been uncomfortable with me, a former hero, remaining in the Empire.

“But even if you’re not a hero, you’re still an awakened knight, a Sword Master. Yet you’re just letting go like this.”

I smiled in response to the Duke’s complaint.

“That’s because I’m not from the Empire. Moreover, my companions aren’t even from Ea.”

After the princess left our party, I was the only one from Ea among the remaining party members.

Honestly, since I was half from Earth, I was only too glad about the Emperor’s decision to let me go.

The Marquis, who had been chatting with my companions, called out to me loudly.

“Let’s go now. We might end up spending the whole day dealing with these old men.”

At the Marquis’s words, Duke Charles frowned.

“What are you saying? We’re not that far apart in age!”

“But compared to the OLD! SWORD! MASTER!, I’m at least a year younger.”

The mage, Count Schröder, sighed at the quarrel between the two old men.

He seemed to be regretting his decision to stay at the Marquis’s domain even now.

While the old men were making a fuss, Count Schönheim said to me.

“I’ll keep the rooms vacant, so if you ever come to the Imperial capital again, stay at my house.”

Hearing the Count’s words, the Marquis, who had been arguing with the Duke, asked me with a puzzled face.

“Wait, are you saying our great Emperor didn’t even give you a house?”

To think he would mock the Emperor right in front of the Imperial Palace.

The Marquis truly had no filter.

The others looked at the Marquis with astonished faces, and I answered his question.

“I declined. Since I won’t be visiting often, there’s no need for me to have a house here. As Count Schönheim said, I’ll stay at the Count’s house whenever I visit.”

There was no reason to be unnecessarily indebted to the Emperor and the Imperial family.

Anyway, even without the Emperor and the Chancellor, I had firmly established connections with the Imperial family.

Hero Albert, who had gained hero abilities, and Princess Meliya were so grateful.

I had properly connected with the princess and the hero, so if the two of them got married and the princess became Emperor later, there would be nothing to worry about.

After saying goodbye to the two Sword Masters, we left the Imperial capital with the other Sword Masters.

Before, we could have quickly reached the border by taking a portal, but now that the eastern part of the Empire was in ruins, we had to walk.

Of course, with Yelena in our party, we could create a portal if needed, but we couldn’t reveal her abilities at a time like this.

‘I can’t let them take away my domain’s mage.’

So we crossed the eastern part of the Empire with the two Sword Masters, leaving the Imperial capital behind.

As we moved further away from the Imperial capital, the damage from the war became more visible.

Destroyed houses and dead people.

Even wandering undead.

We cleared all the undead we encountered as we headed east, but it seemed that our efforts alone wouldn’t be enough.

After clearing a group of undead that had swarmed us on the road, the Marquis clicked his tongue as he looked at the corpses he had taken down.

“It’s endless. I don’t know how many years it will take to clear them all.”

The mage nodded at the Marquis’s words.

“It might not be possible to clear them at all. If it’s like this within the Empire, areas outside the Empire are completely untouched.”

Like the Marquis who was worried about his domain bordering the national boundary, I was also concerned about my domain that we were heading to.

As the mage said, my domain was in a fallen country where the Empire’s reach didn’t extend.

‘Surely there must be at least some people still alive?’

I had to believe in the survival instinct of the people of Ea who managed to survive even in the most terrible situations.

After clearing undead and crossing the eastern part of the Empire, we finally arrived at the eastern wall of the Empire… There were no soldiers guarding the wall, only undead wandering among the corpses scattered across the plains beyond the shattered wall.

This was where we would part ways with the two Sword Masters, the Marquis and the Grand Mage.

We said our goodbyes to the two Sword Masters.

“Since it’s much closer than the Imperial capital, I’ll see you often.”

“Once the portal at the wall is reactivated, there won’t be much difference between the Imperial capital and our domain anyway.”

The mage objected to the Marquis’s farewell.

The back-and-forth between the two Sword Masters that we had been watching all the way here.

Having grown accustomed to their continuous comedy-like exchanges, we comfortably watched the two men’s quarrel.

“That’s just a figure of speech. Geez, a domain mage daring to talk back to his lord.”

“Really, it’s a domain mage position I’d like to quit.”

“No quitting. You’re our domain’s mage for life.”

“Only until you pass away, Marquis.”

“No, what are you saying?”

“My promise was to you, Marquis.”

“Damn, you’re saying I need to live a long time.”

“If you’re worried, take better care of your health. Cut down on the alcohol too.”

“Hey, you’re my domain’s mage, not my wife.”

“What a horrifying thought.”

As the conversation seemed like it would never end, Yerim said goodbye first.

“Well, we’ll be going now. Grandpa Marquis!”

“Hmm, yes, come visit often.”

Unlike with others, the Marquis was weak when it came to Yerim and Irene.

Pausing his banter with the mage, the Marquis waved to Yerim and Irene with a warm smile.

“The old man is being sentimental.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Just saying it is.”

The two men showed us their comedy routine until the very end as they parted ways with us.

We crossed the wall and left the Empire.

Then, passing through Posen, a satellite state adjacent to the Empire, we entered another satellite state.

Luna. A country famous for being named after a goddess, but now it was just another fallen nation like other satellite states.

Moreover, this was a kingdom where the royal family itself had collapsed.

This was the country where my domain, which I had obtained from the Emperor, was located.

Though there was no royal capital or royal family now, the Empire said they would send an administrator soon.

Over time, one of the Imperial nobles (probably a member of the Imperial family) would become the king of this country and rule it.

I didn’t know who it would be, but there was no need to worry about that.

With connections to the Imperial family and sufficient military power, I was confident I could handle whoever came.

We passed through the devastated capital of the kingdom and headed toward my domain.

My domain was in the western part of the kingdom, near the wasteland where the Demon King’s dungeon was located.

After crossing the river that marked the boundary of the domain, we had to put on troubled expressions.

“Since they’re not undead, should we consider it fortunate?”

“What are you going to do? My. Lord?”

At Yelena’s words, Yerim asked me with a smile.

In response to Yerim’s question, I unfastened the scabbard at my waist.

“I can’t kill them, I suppose.”

At my words, those blocking our path looked at us with bewildered faces.

Dozens of people were blocking our way.

Bandits armed with old swords, spears, pitchforks, and wooden shields.

“Don’t move!”

“Didn’t you hear? Drop your weapons!”

Some of them shouted as they saw me holding my sword in its scabbard,

“Could they really be knights and mages?”

There were also people looking at us with worried faces.

“That’s impossible! They must be mercenaries! Even if he’s a knight, a proper knight wouldn’t travel around with women like that!”

But the men in leather armor shouted at those who were trembling with anxiety.

“It seems deserters have gathered refugees.”

The man who had just shouted flinched at Zahina’s words.

“I need to hear what’s going on.”

With those words, I swung my sword.

Thwack!

I didn’t imbue it with sword energy, but it didn’t matter.

People started flying through the air.

Looking at those flying away, it seemed some bones were broken, but that was fine.

As long as they survived, healing was possible with two saintesses present.

So I began to thoroughly thrash the people of my domain who were blocking our way.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

“Please spare us! Help!”

That day, the new lord who arrived at the domain began his schedule by beating his domain’s people within an inch of their lives.