Chapter 30
“Have you called me?”
The Duke’s study.
“Have you arrived?”
At Ulfric’s words, Eric immediately changed into his clothes and, upon entering, noticed Austin waiting after finishing his preparations. He nodded in acknowledgment.
“…What is this outfit? You buy so many clothes running around the market, and yet you come dressed like this? Don’t you have something a bit more presentable?”
Ulfric quietly scanned him up and down, then, with a dissatisfied expression, adjusted his posture. Eric blinked, feigning embarrassment.
Whether he played as Allen in the game or now, in this wretched body as the legitimate heir, he had assumed that the Duke wouldn’t care at all about his children.
Yet now, seeing him pay such attention, it seemed the Duke was preparing to receive a fairly important guest.
Creak—
Startled for a moment, Eric followed Austin out of the study and spotted the guest sitting politely on the reception sofa. He tilted his head.
Half of her light brown hair was elegantly tied up, the rest naturally falling over her shoulders. Her youthful face had not yet shed all traces of girlhood, and her amber eyes shone with intelligence.
‘…Who is she?’
Somehow familiar, yet a girl Eric had never seen despite having played Protect Humanity dozens of times.
Judging by Ulfric’s careful warnings and Austin’s earlier reaction, she wasn’t an ordinary guest at the Duke’s house. Naturally, Eric assumed he would know her.
But confronted with someone he could not identify, he examined her closely.
<Ophelia Winterrose>
Level: 10
Strength [15]
Agility [22]
Stamina [23]
Magic [50]
Traits: <Luck>, <Calculative>
‘Ophelia… Winterrose? Could it be… the Winterrose viscount’s daughter?’
Checking her status window hovering before him, Eric blinked at the familiar surname despite the unfamiliar first name.
Winterrose.
In the game, this northern noble house led a fairly large merchant guild that would occasionally visit his fief. Most of their goods were nothing special in quality or price, but their grain was reliably traded in bulk at reasonable prices—a fact that left an impression.
‘Strange. The head of the Winterrose family was a man… wait, didn’t the previous head have a daughter?’
While managing his fief, Eric naturally encountered side quests related to surrounding figures. With merchant guilds, completing these quests often allowed access to rare items or cheaper purchases. Having completed nearly all side quests, he recalled the Winterrose-related story.
‘Judging by her level, 10 with total stats just over 100… she seems more capable of inheriting the title than the previous heir…’
Thunk—
Lost in thought for a moment, Eric finally followed Austin’s gesture and moved to sit opposite the girl.
Right. That wasn’t what mattered now.
From the start, it was unusual for the Duke to personally receive the daughter of a minor viscount, who wasn’t even the head of her family.
“A precious guest has arrived, and I apologize for not being able to host you properly.”
“No, thank you for taking the time to see us even though we came without notice. By the way, the person beside you is…?”
Shaking her head as if to say it was fine while the Duke took his seat, the girl’s curious gaze turned to Eric, seated beside him.
“Ah, I am—”
“Eric. Greet her properly. She is Lady Ophelia of the Winterrose family.”
Just as Eric was about to introduce himself, he realized he had to look at Austin in surprise. The Duke introducing him directly made all the difference. At least in this moment, Eric would be seen not as the troublemaker Eric, but as Eric ‘Ather.’
“…I am Eric Ather.”
Though much had been said about him, being recognized by the Church on the Nibosus Mountains seemed to earn him some pride. He smiled faintly and extended his hand toward the girl.
“Ophelia. Ophelia Winterrose.”
He could feel a slight tremor through her hand. The girl’s eyes also betrayed complex emotions despite her calm voice.
A notorious rogue known throughout the empire. A hopelessly incompetent scion of House Ather, constantly tarnishing its name.
For the Duke to bring such a man in front of a guest, and then personally introduce him, spoke volumes. A noble daughter would not fail to understand what that meant.
“…I have heard of Duke Visus’ fate.”
After a brief silence, Austin spoke first as Ophelia hesitated, occasionally glancing at Eric.
“He was a remarkable man. It pains me to hear what happened.”
A girl young enough to bear her family’s weight, similar in age to Eric’s own children. Austin recalled news from a female priest sent by the Church two weeks ago with his second son.
‘Recently, unusual phenomena involving monsters have been occurring across the empire.’
From a named Ratman in the city sewers to a magically enhanced elemental in the Nibosus Mountains, dangerous creatures rarely seen even in the northern frontlines were now appearing within the empire’s heartland.
A problem unprecedented in decades, possibly since the founding of the empire.
“My father… the late Viscount knew loyalty. If he had just waited for the mercenaries to return, this wouldn’t have happened…”
Ophelia’s father, Visus Winterrose, had likewise perished in the incident.
Crossing the vast coniferous forests between the northern farmlands and the frozen wilderness, the Moonfall Forest.
When the family’s vassals did not return as usual, Visus Winterrose sensed a problem and personally led knights into the forest. There, he was overcome by newly settled monsters and never returned.
Clatter—
“…Ah! I-I’m sorry!”
Trembling, she knocked over her teacup, spilling reddish tea on the floor. Austin’s voice softened with sympathy at the sight of her grief.
“So… what is it that you wish for?”
Though she was from a viscount family, the northern region could not operate independently of the Duke’s influence. Without House Winterrose’s aid, securing stable food supplies in this harsh land was impossible.
‘Relations with the previous Viscount had been smooth, but who knows what may happen next… Especially in these turbulent times, sudden changes are not surprising.’
Thus, helping within limits that wouldn’t trouble the Duke’s household was possible. Even small aid could be invaluable during such times, without causing further complications.
“…Hm.”
Ophelia pressed a hand to her chest, steadied her trembling, and spoke clearly.
“I would like the knights to assist in recovering my father’s relics from Moonfall Forest.”
Austin frowned.
“That is difficult. The Ather family’s duties are strictly to protect the borders from monsters.”
The viscount’s relic was not just a keepsake.
It symbolized the legitimacy of the Winterrose viscountcy. Accepting it too readily could make it appear as though the Duke supported the girl politically, which would be problematic with the succession uncertain. Additionally, Moonfall Forest bordered other noble territories.
‘Still, the fact they sought us rather than others must be due to long-standing ties since Visus’ time…’
“…House Winterrose will never forget this kindness.”
Ophelia bit her lip, her gaze desperate. She could not leave empty-handed. She had to secure the Duke’s assistance; otherwise…
“Perhaps…”
As her dress gathered in her tightly clenched lap, Eric spoke quietly.
“Is what happened to the Viscount related to the Church?”
Visus Winterrose. In the game, he was a viscount despite the family head being a minor lord at the time. Some incident had apparently caused the title to be demoted temporarily.
‘Whatever happened, given that the daughter risked an untimely visit to the Duke, it must relate to that matter.’
A major event that affected the family’s title. If Eric could help solve it, it would be a significant accomplishment, bringing direct benefits to the family and favor with the elders.
“…I-Is that so…”
“It’s not completely unrelated.”
As Ophelia hesitated, Austin recognized Eric’s intent and nodded with a faint smile.
“In this land blessed by the goddess, those who enter without permission have done so for a reason.”
Helping Ophelia would benefit House Ather. Yet, intervening in the succession of another noble family could appear problematic if mishandled.
“Then, this could also be considered a matter for the Church.”
But as long as it was Eric of House Ather, dealing with the matter as a Church hero was permissible.
“Lady Ophelia, do you require assistance?”
Eric asked politely, having calculated the situation.
“…Please.”
Though initially hesitant, Ophelia gave a shaky but forced smile, her eyes trembling.
With the succession rights of the viscountcy at stake in this incident,
“Thank you very much, young master.”
She had no choice but to grasp at the sliver of hope before her.
