The Hero Who Returned From Death Quits

20 – EP2. One Night of Love

Angel arrived in front of Luderan’s mansion dressed in formal attire.

The most luxurious mansion among the places he had visited so far, except for the royal palace, made him sigh.

What is he being called for this time?

Angel got off the carriage in front of the main gate of the mansion, and the butler bowed respectfully toward him, as if waiting.

“Hello. I am Fentos Jajak, the butler of the Luderan family.”

With a well-groomed mustache that he greeted him with, the man began to guide Angel.

Gorgeous red carpets and candlesticks made of gold were spread throughout the hallway of the mansion, and famous paintings by artists and weapons and armor crafted by artisans were decorated here and there.

And the butler led him past the grand hall, going up the stairs.

As Angel climbed a few floors, thoughts about where the butler was leading him began to enter his mind, and he instinctively started walking with a slight sense of caution.

And the place the butler led him to was unexpectedly a small drawing-room.

With a creak, the door opened, revealing a table crafted from Yunoki wood, exuding a glistening sheen. Before it sat a middle-aged man with crimson eyes and fiery red hair, an unsettling aura emanating from both his hair and eyes. His gaze, as sharp and robust as a cunning lion eyeing its prey, locked onto Ainzel.

Ainzell had a gut feeling. This man was none other than the Duke Luderon.

“Greetings, hero,” the Duke extended his salutations, and Ainzell responded with a nod.

“Please, have a seat,” the Duke gestured towards a chair reserved for guests. Ainzell took his place, and Duke Luderon flashed a faint smile as he spoke.

“It’s an honor to meet the renowned hero of our time.”

“I too am honored to meet Duke Luderon, the foremost master of martial arts in the Empire.”

“Is that so? Hmmm…”

The Duke mumbled briefly before summoning a maid to serve them tea. A quiet clinking of teacups filled the air as they sipped, and the Duke gazed at Ainzell with a look that hinted at hidden intentions.

“I heard you just turned seventeen this year.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“My daughter is also of the same age.”

“Indeed.”

Ainzell stared back at the Duke with a hint of anxiety. Why was he concerned about his daughter?

“Hmm… Have you decided on a life partner?”

“No, I haven’t.”

The fact that Ainzell had not chosen a life partner was widely known throughout the capital. The Duke should have been aware of it, and yet, his repeated inquiry left Ainzell feeling uneasy.

“I see. You’re still at an age where such decisions are pending… quite youthful.”

“Yes… indeed.”

Ainzell’s throat grew parched as he gulped down his tea in response to the Duke’s vague and meandering conversation. What was the purpose behind this invitation? It certainly couldn’t be for trivial small talk.

The Duke nonchalantly ordered the maid to refill Ainzell’s tea as his cup emptied.

“…This tea has a lovely fragrance.”

“Yes, it’s not something I’d boast about, but, aside from the Imperial Palace, our family is the sole recipient of this tea. It’s quite rare and prized.”

Ainzell’s anxiety deepened. What could possibly make tea leaves so valuable? He felt trapped by the uncertainty.

“So, I suppose it’s about time I explained why I invited you here… Is that acceptable to you?”

“…Yes.”

Yes, this was the approach he had hoped for, to confront him head-on. No matter what he was talking about, Angel thought to himself that he just had to stay focused.

“You said there was no predetermined match… Coincidentally, my daughter doesn’t have a match either.”

“…What?”

Angel opened his mouth, dumbfounded, and stared blankly at the Duke of Luderan.

What on earth was he talking about? Why was he suddenly bringing up the topic of matches?

As Angel looked at him with shaking eyes, the Duke of Luderan smiled leisurely and spoke.

“So… how about becoming my son-in-law? I heard that there’s nothing wrong between you and my daughter.”

Well, it hadn’t been bad between them since their first meeting, no matter what happened. But why was he suddenly talking about matches?

“I… I am not a remarkable enough person to become a duke’s son-in-law.”

It was true. After his duties as a knight were over, he was nothing more than a commoner who had received the castle. After returning the holy sword, he had no physical strength or political power.

“And my household is nothing more than commoners from a small fiefdom… I don’t think it’s suitable for me to have a match with the highest nobles in the empire. Besides, I still don’t know the intentions of your daughter.”

“Hmm, is my daughter’s intentions important?”

At the Duke’s words, Angel was lost for words. Then what was important if it wasn’t the intentions of the party involved?

As if he had seen through his thoughts, the Duke grinned and said with a chuckle.

“Hmm, it seems you don’t know much about how matches between nobles are determined. Even if the etiquette is perfect, in the end, it’s important to show your human side like this.”

After saying that, the Duke of Luderan told Angel that the understanding between families was more important than the thoughts of the parties involved.

Saying that, he smirked.

“Well, if you’re curious about my daughter’s feelings….”

The Duke said something to the maid next to him, and after a while, she left the room. As they waited, she entered again with Sein.

Angel’s eyes became filled with confusion.

“Oh, there you are.”

The Duke of Luderan smiled with his eyes and seated Sein.

“Well, Sein, at your age, you can start considering a match now. I would love it if you married this knight here. How do you feel? The knight said he would respect your thoughts.”

Sein took a small breath.

“Well, how do you feel? Tell me.”

As the Duke urged her, she bit her lip and spoke.

“I… think it’s… good.”

She opened her mouth, and Angel’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at her.

“…Because I have seen many admirable aspects of your personality while traveling together as comrades, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to consider you as a husband.”

She spoke intermittently, but that alone brought a satisfied smile to the Duke of Luderan’s face.

“Yes, can you believe it? My daughter even says she doesn’t dislike it.”

Angel’s eyes shook as she looked back and forth between Sain and the duke.

“Of course, you don’t have to give me an answer right away. Just… tell me until you leave on another mission, just until then. What do you think?”

“Yes… I will think about it.”

Angel forced out the words that wouldn’t come out.

Duke Luderan smiled warmly and called for the butler to escort Angel back to his quarters.

…

“…Did something like that happen?”

“Oh, yes. Father tried to marry me off to him. Of course, before the warrior could answer, Father suddenly fell ill and went down to the estate.”

And the reason was probably… she swallowed the rest of the words.

“…I see.”

Beatrice didn’t ask any more questions, and they stood up from the sofa.

“Well, that’s how it turned out today… Well, there wasn’t anything significant.”

In the end, they were scrutinizing this record to find out why the warrior had deserted.

Although it seemed to have become irrelevant now, caring about the story of the royal family’s illness was different from the original reason, so Lena said that.

And when everyone tried to leave the tower of the holy land, Pereia opened her mouth.

“…The atmosphere in the palace is odd these days. Everyone should be careful.”

Sain nodded his head.

“Yes, that’s right. Since the warrior came under suspicion of treason.”

“Yes, Sain, this story isn’t just for you. Lena and Beatrice should know as well.”

With that, Pereia continued to speak.

“To be honest, the emperor practically half subdued Sain through this incident. If he wants to, he can mobilize the army at any time. There’s nothing stopping him from attacking other countries now that the demon army has gone. Did you also hear? When the pursuit squad led by Count Serindel crossed the border of the Faion kingdom, they half threatened that it would be considered a war if not permitted.”

“Yes, especially since our kingdom is weak in the international situation, we should be careful.”

The fairy kingdom of Tyrentus had very little interaction with the outside world between fairies and humans, so they had few allies internationally. If it had been a time when they were simply detached from external affairs and lived proudly, there would have been no problem, but once they had already gone out into the world, they couldn’t turn back.

“…Yes, even though the warrior conspired with the enemy and committed a crime… I don’t want to see my comrades who fought together for a long time getting hurt anymore. I really mean it.”

Pereia added as a final note, and thus their gathering came to an end.