Chapter 58: Erebos
York Town, the Lord's Fortress Hall.
Knight Wolf knelt on one knee, his head lowered.
The hall contained only the shattered remains of the lord's seat scattered across the floor.
Wolf had grown accustomed to this.
He had visited the lord multiple times, yet the hall always remained in this state; even the maids who greeted and saw him off had not tidied it.
"…The three of them will need at least half a month to recuperate."
"Noah of the Hughes family is already dead; their family asked me to inquire whether you still remember the agreement with them."
Wolf reported last night's events in the empty hall.
"Let the Hughes family select another person; Noah died defending the territory, and the glory of a hero must not be tarnished." Pegira's voice echoed in the hall.
"Yes, I will convey this to them," Wolf said.
"Then, what about the one who escaped? He stole the power of the Lord of Dominion. Do you have any orders regarding him?"
"My mage has already discovered his trail; he has fled to the north, the land of the White Great Wolf family. They will handle it," Pegira said.
"I need you to continue with what was previously discussed: clearing out the bandits within the territory."
"I demand that after the cleanup, the civilians in my territory will not be robbed and killed by bandits just for stepping out of the village or town."
"I will have Dean assign you fifty more warriors."
"Yes, your will." Wolf bowed his head even lower.
"What about that scholar? He requested to see you. Should I invite him in?"
"No, I don't need a scholar as an advisor. Tell him that if he is willing to live in York Territory, he is very welcome. If not, he should leave as soon as possible."
"Understood…" Wolf responded, then hesitated slightly.
"Is there anything else?"
"It's about the church," he said. "Perhaps the items there have already been completed. Should we clean it up?"
"Wolf, oh Wolf, I believe I have already demonstrated my mercy, so what is it now that makes you so disrespectful to me?" Pegira said.
"I am guilty; it's just that the item is too precious," Wolf said.
"I forgive your sin," Pegira said. "But granting autonomy to the church was a promise I made to him, so the church's items should belong to the priests."
"However, this is your loyalty, and it deserves commendation."
A maid appeared in the hall, holding a silver-gray short sword in both hands.
"This is Erebos, a sword once used by a warrior. He fought with this sword until he was eighty years old. His bravery and determination were no less than those of young men. Ultimately, he fought honorably to his death. Now I bestow it upon you."
Wolf raised his head, looking at the short sword in the maid's hands.
The blade and hilt were forged as one, and the short sword was only slightly longer than a dagger.
"Yes…" Responding, Wolf took the short sword with both hands, and the moment he touched it, he felt a continuous surge of power emanating from the sword, making his aging body gradually become active again, as if returning to his youth.
"This is!" Wolf's pupils dilated. "This is too precious…"
"Then, do not let it down," Pegira said. "Withdraw and continue with my orders."
The hall returned to silence.
After a moment, Wolf stood up, tightly gripping Erebos.
Exiting the fortress, Wolf saw Nyx waiting outside.
"The lord does not wish to see you. He asked me to tell you that if you are willing to live in York Territory, you are very welcome. If not, please leave as soon as possible."
"Nyx, the lord does not need an advisor scholar," Wolf said, his voice no longer carrying the fatigue of old age.
"The power of the Lord of Dominion, and the church?" Nyx frowned and asked.
"The lord said that the fellow has already fled to the north, and the local lord there will resolve the matter," Wolf said. "As for the church, the lord said that the church's items belong to the priests."
"This…" Nyx was somewhat surprised by the lord's generosity, which was completely different from that greedy fellow Helga.
However, he noticed something unusual about Wolf.
"Your condition seems a bit off?"
"My condition? Haha, I feel very good now." Wolf couldn't help but laugh, his left hand tightly gripping Erebos hanging at his waist.
Nyx saw the sword and was quite surprised.
"This is… It seems this new lord is very generous."
"It's called Erebos," Wolf said. "If Mr. Nyx hasn't made up his mind, why not rest at my manor for a few days?"
"No, no need. Since the lord doesn't require a new advisor scholar, it's better for me to leave early," Nyx said.
"I'll go to the church first, thank the priests there, and then take Melia."
"Alright, then if you need help, you can come to my manor anytime."
"Thank you for your help." Nyx bowed slightly in gratitude.
…
Flower Church, Corleon saw off the last family who came to express their thanks.
Last night, after George cleaned up the cave and brought out two people, the group returned overnight.
After escorting them back to the church, George rushed back to the Daniels family overnight.
The place of evil was right on the edge of Daniels Village.
The three knights who were lucky enough not to be dragged to death by the warhorses returned to their families and recounted what had happened.
Thus, today, these three families came in unison to express their gratitude.
They offered gold coins, but Corleon could tell they were probing for the secret of yesterday's blessing and the power Corleon used.
Corleon dealt with them. He only knew about the church's possible connection to some mystery because of his conversation with Knight Wolf.
He had used Revelation himself, but only some sacrificial images flashed, unable to provide more information.
"Hahaha, you look like a flower cat that fell into a mud pit!" The children's laughter rang out.
Corleon looked over and saw Ando mocking Melia, whose hair and face were smeared with mud.
Melia was rescued by George, along with her grandfather.
Corleon heard from Knight Wolf that the other party was the former lord's advisor scholar.
After returning, for some unknown reason, the scholar did not follow Knight Wolf into the town but rested briefly at the church. When the Morning Star rose, he went into town.
As for his granddaughter Melia, she temporarily stayed at the church.
"Hahaha, then what about you, Ando? Are you a wild boar that fell into a mud pit?" Cicero fanned the flames from the side.
"Ah…" Agamemnon shook his head and went to correct the mistakes the believers made during construction.
"Even if it's a wild boar, it's stronger than this skinny cat." Ando continued to mock. "And a charging wild boar can overturn a knight."
Then he was attacked by mud, his face smeared.
Melia glared at him, still holding mud in both hands.
"Ah! A mere skinny cat dares to attack Warrior Ando!" Ando wiped the mud off his face and then charged at Melia.
Even though he was two years older, how could a bookish girl compare in strength to Ando, who had been training since childhood?
Soon, Ando was sitting on top of her.
"Hahahaha! Warrior Ando is the strongest!" Ando laughed triumphantly.
"But Temple Warriors are supposed to help the weak, and Ando, you're bullying a girl like this…" Cicero shook his head repeatedly.
"…" Ando scratched his head, feeling it might have been a bit excessive, and stood up.
Because he had always been suppressed by his five-year-older sister, he subconsciously didn't think girls were weaker than boys.
"…" Melia propped herself up, her body mostly covered in mud.
Cicero looked at Melia, whose eyes were filled with anger, and felt something might be amiss. He shrank his neck and quickly ran off to work with Agamemnon.
"Ah!" With a scream, Ando was suddenly tripped by Melia, who then flipped over and sat on his back, locking his arms tightly and pressing one hand on his head.