~Chapter 24~
Meanwhile.
As soon as Ivyn left the camp, Theodore immediately returned to the meeting room and convened a meeting.
“From now on, the necromancer’s undead will be in charge of on-site cleanup.”
A brief silence fell over the meeting room at Theodore’s words.
The faces of the researchers and senior soldiers were pale with mixed worry and anxiety, and some exchanged incredulous looks with each other.
Count Fulbert outright snorted with derision.
“You’re completely insane, out of your mind!”
Count Fulbert’s realistic reaction further froze the atmosphere in the meeting room.
All the attendees suppressed their anxiety and waited calmly for what would come next.
“As you all well know, the investigation of Cori Village has currently hit a wall. Some among the soldiers are showing symptoms of infection, and our research personnel are insufficient. Since the Holy See cannot rashly dispatch archbishops or elders, we must find the best solution with the personnel dispatched to the field.”
Theodore’s explanation was, as always, logical yet intuitive.
“Therefore, we have decided to deploy undead, who are unaffected by the plague, to the field to minimize losses among our soldiers. This measure was proposed by the Kinzello family, and I have strategically decided to accept it.”
What followed was Count Fulbert’s cold smile.
He looked straight at the holy knight standing tall before everyone with a sneering gaze.
“Cooperation? And if your esteemed ‘strategic’ decision brings about an even worse result? Do you have the intention to take responsibility for all of that?”
“I will personally take full responsibility for everything.”
The plague investigation was about to enter a new phase.
* * *
The moment Ivyn’s party arrived at the cottage, an unexpected figure opened the door and rushed out.
“Vinnie!”
“Dad…?”
While Ivyn was flustered seeing Dylan appear in an unexpected place.
*Hug!*
Dylan embraced his youngest daughter.
Dazed in his arms, she looked to the side and saw Bill and Ron standing side by side in the doorway.
When Ron met Ivyn’s eyes, he awkwardly averted his gaze.
He looked exactly like someone with a guilty conscience.
*’Anyway, if you think about it, Ron oppa is the most extreme one.’*
Originally, after finishing the negotiations with the Holy See, they were all supposed to report to the main estate together. It was meant to lighten the burden on her father and Bill, who had been incredibly busy with meetings and investigations for the past few days.
But it seems.
Forget pre-arranged promises, Ron must have sent word to the main estate early, worried about Ivyn.
“Our princess, are you planning to keep doing this to your one and only father like this? Why do such dangerous things without consulting the family…!”
The corners of Dylan’s eyes were burning red. He seemed overcome with emotion.
“But this time, I went with my brothers. It wasn’t dangerous at all.”
“……”
Dylan, looking at his daughter who spoke so maturely, immediately turned his gaze toward the triplets.
He glared at the troublemaking sons with murderous eyes.
*Gasp!*
Just making eye contact made them feel their hair stand on end from the immense pressure.
The terrified triplets stepped forward before Dylan could even open his mouth and began making excuses.
“Family Head, we are also all unharmed.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes!”
“Great, so you pushed your youngest sister into enemy territory and came back unharmed, feeling all refreshed and good, huh?”
“…Yes?”
Before the triplets could react.
*Bam, bam, bam!*
Iron fists flew like a whirlwind toward their heads.
“Argh!”
“Argh!”
“Argh!”
Are these sons, or are they foes?!
“To recklessly send our most precious youngest, more valuable than a thousand gold, ahead of you? Where is your common sense, do you even have any?!”
The heads of the triplets and Ron bowed deeply.
“If you planned to negotiate with the enemy, you should have reported to me and formed a proper negotiation team to send, not send the youngest! Isn’t that the right order? Huh? Common sense-wise? If something had happened inside there, how were you going to take responsibility?!”
As Dylan shouted menacingly, the triplets shrunk their necks into their shoulders like turtles.
Utterly speechless.
It was literally a situation where they had mouths but nothing to say.
However, they had their own circumstances too.
When Ivyn repeatedly begged them with her large, earnest eyes, they found it difficult to just keep saying ‘no’.
“But we did our best to protect Vinnie! We have no regrets!”
“Oh, is that so?”
When Dylan clenched his fist again, the triplets quickly flattened themselves on the ground.
“W-we have committed a capital offense! No matter what, we shouldn’t have taken the youngest with us!”
“A-ah, Dad… it’s not oppas’ fault… I was the one who suggested it first.”
Ivyn urgently cried out, stepping in front of the triplets. If left alone, it was clear her brothers would get hit again!
“Our youngest, with such a kind heart…!”
Dylan’s expression, which had been grimacing while looking at his sons, melted like snow in sunlight the moment he looked at Ivyn. It was the instant transformation from a terrifying father back into a doting dad for his daughter.
Just when it seemed the tense atmosphere was being neatly wrapped up…
A low voice flowed from one of the triplets pressed flat against the dirt floor.
“But, Father… I mean, Family Head… Ro, Ron also… participated in the plan…”
It seemed Dun, inwardly, felt it was unfair that Ron, who also participated in the plan, wasn’t getting scolded along with them.
“Ron reported this situation to me.”
“…!”
And that’s… just going to be overlooked?
The triplets’ gazes simultaneously turned toward Ron.
“You cowardly bastard…!”
Hwan muttered quietly, but Ron simply ignored it.
He showed not a shred of remorse for having played the role of an informant.
“L-let’s go inside first. Let’s go in and I’ll tell you in detail.”
Watching the atmosphere grow increasingly hostile, Ivyn quickly stepped forward and led her family inside the cottage.
“Come on, quickly!”
As she led her family inside, they saw Green Kinzello bringing out tea with a new assistant.
“Say hello. It’s a newly hired maid. If you need anything, just call her Mina comfortably.”
The maid introduced as Mina was a huge orc who looked easily 3 meters tall.
With a cute pink apron over her broad chest, she bowed toward the Kinzello family.
Once the family was seated around the table, Ivyn began calmly explaining the details of the negotiation.
Leaving out just one fact—that she had offered herself as a condition.
“Anyway, that’s how the talks concluded successfully.”
Just as Ivyn finished her long explanation…
“Sniff…”
The sudden sound of a sob drew the family’s gazes together.
*’What? Is he… crying now?’*
Everyone’s mouths fell slightly open at the sight of Dylan wiping the corner of his eye with a bear-like hand.
*’That is the tear of a patriarch…!’*
Ron was equally flustered by the patriarch’s tears.
Comfort father?
Dylan was the terrifying being known as the Lich King in the Whig Empire.
How could one ‘dare’ to… soothe such a terrifying being?
“A-ah, Dad…”
When Ivyn called, Dylan finally lifted his head and *grabbed!* Dun’s collar by his side, starting to shake him vigorously.
“My youngest daughter, when did she grow up so much…! It feels like just yesterday I cut your umbilical cord!”
“Kkh, kkh…!”
Dun felt wronged.
*’Dad, Ron is on your right side! Why my collar?!’*
But Dun kept his mouth shut quietly.
Because if he protested the injustice, it was obvious he’d just get beaten.
“Sniff… *sob sob sob!*”
As Dylan’s emotions grew more intense, Dun’s soul gradually began to leave his body.
“Kkh, s-save me…”
* * *
“Blooming?”
Ivyn asked back, startled by the word Dylan brought up after a long while.
Blooming.
Since ancient times, children of necromancer families could gain unique and mysterious abilities through training.
This was a hereditary privilege granted only to those of the pure Kinzello bloodline.
Those who became necromancers only professionally, without inheriting the family’s blood, could not undergo Blooming regardless of their efforts.
“Kinzellos, these blessed necromancers, are born with special latent abilities in their blood.”
In the case of Carl Kinzello, the family’s eldest son, he could summon a large number of familiars simultaneously regardless of type or number. The second son, Bill, possessed the Unshaken Heart, a mental fortitude that remained steady in any situation.
The triplets, John, Hwan, and Dun, could activate the power of Hyper-Regeneration when all three were gathered. The youngest son, Ron, had the ability to hide and move within shadows.
Of course.
The one among them who possessed the most powerful skills was Family Head Dylan.
First, the ‘Lich King’s Necklace’ around his neck.
This artifact, containing ten million souls, was famous for spreading a breath of death around him upon activation.
Nor could one overlook the massive spear he created by coalescing dark energy.
This weapon of slaughter, carrying tremendous magical power that could cause fissures just by grazing the ground, displayed an incredible force that would trigger a massive explosion and simultaneously collapse all life within a wave of darkness the moment it pierced enemy lines.
“Originally, I planned to attempt it once your skills reached a certain level… but given the circumstances, it seems we must hurry.”
As Dylan said, it was still early for her to undergo Blooming.
However, with the heightened political and military tension with the Holy See, Dylan seemed to have judged it best to hasten his daughter’s Blooming.
Ivyn was nodding at Dylan’s words, but contrary to her outward expression, her mind was in a tumult of various thoughts.
