Chapter 42
It had already been about ten days since Eric returned to the Winterrose Manor after defeating the undead count in the Moonlit Forest and retrieving the <Jewel of Life> that had been lodged in his chest.
While Ophelia was busy convincing the council using the recovered heirlooms and the testimony of the knights who had accompanied her at the time, Eric spent his time comfortably in the guest quarters provided to him. Once the matter was finally settled, he went to see her.
“Just a moment! Just a moment, please! Let me see the Count!”
“Please, sell us some wheat in our territory! I beg you!”
Ever since news spread that the countship had returned to the young lady’s hands after the incident, visitors from neighboring territories had been arriving almost daily.
Some came to congratulate Ophelia on her succession. Others came to express condolences for the count’s misfortune. Most guests would pay their respects and leave, but a few remained for several days.
Among them were envoys from territories that, whether directly or indirectly, had supported Alberto instead of Ophelia in the recent succession competition. Without the Winterrose family, which possessed the only fertile granary in the harsh northern lands, no one could be free from the threat of famine.
Especially for small territories that could not afford to buy crops at a premium, it was crucial not to fall out of favor with the newly instated count.
“So, currently… the young lady… no, the Count is too busy to meet anyone… Ah! Lord Eric!”
As those who begged to meet Ophelia sighed in frustration, the knight guarding the manor soon spotted Eric and greeted him warmly.
“You’ve been busy since morning.”
“Oh, busy? Not at all. It’s not like I’m fighting undead again—just guarding the entrance at most.”
That day, Eric had been one of the knights who had saved Malefica from being crushed by a collapsing ceiling during the battle against the undead count.
“Please, just speak comfortably from now on. It’s really burdensome when you treat a lowly knight like me so formally.”
From then on, whenever they met, the knight would bow and express his gratitude. Eric simply nodded quietly in acknowledgment.
“Alright then, may I see Lady Ophelia?”
“Of course! I’ll go tell her right away.”
The knight ran to the manor without hesitation, leaving his post to his subordinate. Regardless of status, this was a request from someone who had essentially saved his life and restored the countship to Ophelia. Ophelia had also instructed that she be informed immediately if he arrived.
“What? Weren’t you saying earlier that she’s too busy to meet anyone?”
“Who is this person that the new Count is making time for?”
Those who had been impatiently waiting grumbled as they saw the knight disappear.
“…Ah! Isn’t that the madman from the Ather family?”
Just as they were suspiciously examining Eric, someone recognized him and widened their eyes in astonishment.
“Could it be true then?”
“What rumor?”
“You know, the one where the incompetent second son of the Duke’s family suddenly became the hero of the church and dealt with the incident in the Moonlit Forest!”
After that, starting with the shocked man, everyone whispered in disbelief about Eric.
Rumors about Eric had been circulating widely—how the so-called incompetent son of the Duke had become a hero of the church. Some even claimed that the Duke had bribed the church for his son. But now, with the Winterrose family backing him, even skeptics had to admit it: the northern madman had truly changed.
“Huff… The Count requests your presence, Lord Eric! Please, go ahead!”
Under the piercing gazes, Eric leaned casually against the entrance for a moment, then followed the knight into the manor.
Creak—
“You’ve arrived, Lord Eric.”
Eric entered the Count’s office, where the butler opened the door, and he stood before Ophelia.
“Congratulations, Lady Ophelia… or should I say, Count?”
She was working through a stack of documents piled higher than her head, and Eric respectfully congratulated her.
“Really, don’t go to such lengths. The succession isn’t fully complete yet. On top of that, there’s the damage to the wheat fields caused by the undead from the forest. We might even have to postpone the succession ceremony.”
Ophelia, slightly embarrassed, lowered the pen in her hand and playfully grumbled. Although she hadn’t slept properly for days and her eyelids felt heavy, she didn’t mind. Perhaps because the problems that had troubled her since before the count’s misfortune were finally resolved, her spirits felt as if they could soar.
“Still…”
She quietly looked up at Eric, rose from her seat, and walked toward him with measured steps.
“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, Lord Eric, I wouldn’t have been able to recover my father’s heirlooms. And I wouldn’t have known about the issues in our family either.”
Her amber eyes shone mysteriously, like starlight. She stared at him for a few moments, then smiled and expressed her gratitude.
“It’s nothing. I didn’t exactly volunteer to help; I had my reasons. So don’t feel so burdened.”
Feeling the peculiar atmosphere, Eric gave an awkward smile and shook his head.
“Oh? Weren’t you here to take responsibility as the hero of the church and resolve the incident?”
She had discarded the formalities of nobility and spoke with a tone meant to put him at ease. Ophelia, with a slightly bitter expression, soon regained her cheer and responded playfully.
“…Lady Ophelia.”
“Hehe, just kidding.”
Eric scratched his head in embarrassment. She turned, approached the window, and looked out over the golden wheat fields of her territory.
“Don’t worry. The Winterrose family is not the type to forget a favor.”
If it weren’t for Eric, the fields might have fallen to her younger sibling. For that, the Winterrose family was ready to support him in any way.
“Ultimately, the most important thing for a merchant is trust, isn’t it?”
Although she herself could not leave the territory…
“Lord Eric, everything is ready.”
Hearing Leona’s voice from outside, Eric bowed slightly to the still gazing Ophelia.
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
Creak—
Thud—
After a long silence, Eric followed Leona to the prepared carriage. The heirlooms had been recovered and the remaining problems resolved, so there was no reason to linger. Even ignoring the tag of “vicious madman,” this was undoubtedly a tremendous achievement. Yet, it was still far from enough for him to surpass Allen and become the successor.
“Lord Eric! Look at this! The carriage is huge!”
“Yeah, we won’t have to worry about motion sickness on the way back.”
The carriage provided by the Count’s family was larger and more comfortable than the one from the Duke’s family. Unlike before, when the Duke’s involvement in another family’s succession could be misinterpreted, now that rumors of Eric resolving the Moonlit Forest incident had spread, there was no need to ride an uncomfortable carriage. Publicly, he was no longer the Duke’s second son, but the young hero of the church.
‘Since the Count’s family provided their own carriage, even the elders can’t criticize this achievement. In a way, the Winterrose family is vouching for it.’
“It’s fortunate that the succession competition ended so cleanly.”
“Right! Honestly, I thought that Alberto would deny everything.”
On their way to fetch Malefica at the temple early in the morning, Eric chuckled at the conversation between Leona and Lilian.
“Well, prolonging the process wouldn’t have changed the outcome. She probably accepted the offer willingly.”
Of course, Alberto hadn’t stepped aside quietly from the start. Even if several knights testified to hearing the Count’s will in the cave, there was no evidence linking the astrologer to the incident.
“Regardless of the astrologer always being at Alberto’s side, once the <Jewel of Life> was in Ophelia’s hands, the succession was essentially decided.”
Indeed, when deciding the next count, such details were irrelevant. Ophelia had initially asked Eric to recover the Count’s heirlooms.
The <Jewel of Life>, symbol of the Winterrose family’s legitimacy, had passed into her hands through him. From that moment, the next count was effectively decided.
“Though, it is rather unexpected.”
“Unexpected? How so?”
Leona, still curious, asked, and Eric listened, gesturing for her to continue.
“That astrologer… even if he lured the Count to the cave, I didn’t expect him to be careless enough to show his face so easily.”
Eric fell silent, gazing out the window.
“…Perhaps everything went too smoothly, so he let his guard down for a moment.”
“That’s right! Who could have predicted that Lord Eric would defeat the named enemy and that the undead Count would suddenly regain consciousness?”
Lilian nodded at his vague answer, but Leona’s eyes still held suspicion. Indeed, it was strange that an astrologer capable enough to elevate Alberto to a position equal to Ophelia would be so careless.
Of course. The last words the Count had spoken were merely channeled through Eric via <Summoning Magic>.
‘Well, that doesn’t mean the astrologer wasn’t behind the incident.’
There was no concrete evidence, but the fact that he had vanished before they returned from the forest was telling. Someone who never left Alberto’s side conveniently disappeared at the right moment—surely no coincidence.
Clatter—
“Wait here for a moment.”
Lost in thought while staring out the window, Eric soon arrived at the temple. He left the carriage and briskly climbed the steps to the entrance.
Click—
“What business do you have?”
A guard at the goddess temple glanced at him. Eric replied casually:
“I’m here to see Miss Malefica.”
“You mean Priestess Malefica? …Please wait a moment.”
Watching the guard glare suspiciously before entering, Eric stood alone, gazing at the statue of the goddess atop the temple, calming his nerves even more than when facing the undead Count.
“Lord Eric.”
“…Malefica.”
Some time later, a voice came from the entrance. Eric turned to see Malefica approaching. He swallowed hard.
“You asked me once what I thought of you,” she said, nervously facing him.
“The miracles performed by heretics are akin to defiling the goddess’ blessing. I cannot forgive them for any reason.”
Heretics were enemies. In the church, performing miracles with human bodies was a sin. As a priest who had worked in the shadows under the heretic inquisitors, Malefica had learned and acted accordingly.
Previously, there was no need for hesitation; heretics always used miracles for selfish purposes, obstructing the goddess’ will.
“But…”
Eric was different.
“The Lord Eric I’ve seen… is unlike the heretics I’ve observed. I’m not certain yet…”
From the moment she was ordered by Isabella to observe him, he had been a peculiar man: incompetent, notorious across the empire as the northern madman. But the reality she witnessed was far from the rumors.
“So I decided to watch a little longer. To see if what I’ve observed is correct… and to stay by his side.”
Relieved, Eric silently breathed a sigh of gratitude. Considering her normally suspicious nature, he hadn’t expected such trust.
“Thank you for trusting me, Miss Malefica…”
“In return…”
Malefica pressed a finger to his lips and continued quietly:
“It’s a secret, okay? If word spreads that a church priest kept silent after witnessing a miracle, I won’t get away with it either.”
Then she passed him and headed to the carriage. Eric, frozen like a broken doll, blinked.
“Then, let’s go.”
Malefica stopped halfway up the stairs, turned with a playful smile, and grabbed his arm.
“If you stay here, the goddess might hear.”
