Evening, Reunion Castle.
Though called a castle in name, Reunion Castle was quite different from those fortresses focused on defense. To be precise, Reunion Castle would be more appropriately called a palace.
While the game's setting drew from the medieval period, Reunion Castle's design was quite characteristic of Renaissance architecture. Magnificent and spectacular, it was the most splendid building within Duke Obi's territory.
The palace entrance featured a majestic sculpture of the one true god of the Abrahamic Faith. The current Duke was a faithful servant of God who disliked excessive emphasis on luxury. He had removed most of the sculptures from the palace's main entrance and only rebuilt the statue of the Father. Though unverifiable, it was said that the themes of the paintings inside the palace had also been changed to Abrahamic religious subjects.
Valubilis Borgis. Everyone was certain that he, who practiced God's teachings throughout his life, would rightfully ascend to God's heaven after death.
Perhaps the Pope would beatify this devout believer, but his being alive in this world was the true gospel. No one fantasized about what would happen after the Duke's death.
Under a certain enormous oil painting in the palace, two men dressed as servants were whispering to each other.
One of them, an elderly man dressed as a butler, was Duke Borgia's personal attendant who commanded all the male servants within Reunion Castle.
"...Ah, I understand. You may withdraw. I will relay this matter to His Grace."
The servant departed, and the old butler straightened his clothing before taking steady steps toward the inner chambers.
Though he served as Duke Borgia's personal attendant, the butler hadn't seen His Grace for quite some time, roughly over three months by his calculation. And in the past month, the Duke hadn't even made any public appearances, fading from public view as if isolated from the world.
Important matters within the duchy were handled by subordinate counts acting as regents, and even the adoption of street children was assigned to the butler to handle.
More than that, the Duke had designated an area within Reunion Castle and forbidden any servants or guests from entering or leaving. The Duke himself spent each day secluded there with some selected street children. The old butler worried about who would manage the Duke's meals and lodging, but the Duke claimed it was fine and only had meals delivered to the door each day, which he would retrieve himself.
Strangely, the street children who entered the Duke's designated area were only seen going in but never coming out, yet the amount of food consumed hadn't increased much.
‘This is not for me to ponder.’
The old butler shook his head. His Grace had also taken action recently, so perhaps everything was getting better.
"Your Grace."
The old butler knocked lightly on the door.
After repeating this three times, he finally received a response from His Grace.
"—Is that you, John?"
The old butler's hand froze in mid-air.
He was not John. John was the name of Duke Borgia's second son, who had unfortunately been transformed into a vampire spawn by the Vampire King during the vampire hunt half a year ago, and was ultimately killed by Duke Borgia's own hand.
"Your Grace, it is this old servant."
"...Oh, oh, I'm getting a bit senile. Ah, yes, John..."
The Duke's voice from the other side of the door was quite hoarse. The old butler worried about the Duke's physical and mental state, but since not stepping through this door was the Duke's absolute order, he could only try to gauge the Duke's condition through words.
Having served for half his life, the old butler had never seen the Duke so listless. Was his renewed vigor merely a facade shown to the citizens? The Duke had only three sons under his knee, yet had to endure the agony of burying his children three times. What a cruel blow that must be. (TN: They were all young-ish.)
"This old servant has important matters to report."
"...It must be about the task of pursuing Amaryllis. Just as I expected. The task was issued yesterday, and today a brave soul has completed it."
"Uh..."
My lord, it's actually not like that.
"I understand adventurers best. If the reward is appropriate, they can even display talents superior to mercenaries. They will pounce on prey like loyal hunting dogs, biting through the prey's throat without question, all just to please their master."
No, no, no, my lord, please don't continue...
"Amaryllis. Oh, great and sublime Father, why did You allow the cursed [Child of Demons] to take the life of my beloved son, and then send another cursed [Child of Demons] to my side... I believe this must be Your will, to have me purge the devils wandering the mortal realm..."
The old butler hesitated greatly. What should he do now? How should he speak up?
"Let the brave warrior who captured Amaryllis alive go receive their reward... If they killed Amaryllis, you go confirm it. I have other matters to attend to..."
"Your Grace."
"How to deal with the captured Amaryllis? Beheading for public display, burning at the stake… all are fine. When dealing with the [Demon Lord's] minions, there is no need for mercy."
"My lord, forgive this old servant's directness, but the situation has changed."
The old butler finally couldn't contain himself, though this couldn't be blamed on the Duke's assumptions. After learning of the reward the Duke had issued, the old butler couldn't help but sigh that the girl called Amaryllis probably wouldn't live much longer. Before the servant came to report in the evening, the old butler had also assumed some adventurer had completed the task.
The result was completely the opposite.
"The situation has changed...? Could it be that they're not satisfied?"
"It's not that, my noble lord. There are large numbers of shameless adventurers in the territory who actually stand on the side of the criminal Amaryllis."
"Hmm, the fact that adventurers' thinking patterns differ from ours is no longer strange news. But since you specifically came to report... could the numbers be quite substantial?"
"This servant estimates that the number of turncoat adventurers comprises over sixty percent."
"........................How much?"
"In response to my lord,"
The old butler stated directly.
"At least, over sixty percent."