Dawn breaks.
A bright light spreads across the once-dark surroundings.
The mansion lies half in ruins, with mud and bone fragments scattered around in disarray.
"What a mess,"
Astina remarked, landing gracefully from the sky.
"At least the monster didn't reach the village."
The village remains untouched, with only the lord's mansion and its surroundings affected.
"Hey! Are you okay?"
"Rudy!"
Luna and Rie rush over from behind.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
I reply, managing a smile for them.
"Did you push yourself too hard? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Hm? Not really."
The monster wasn't as strong as we thought, so I wasn't seriously injured.
Of course, it's likely because Astina skillfully thwarted the monster's attacks.
Then Robert gives me a light pat on the back.
"Good job."
He says, smiling warmly.
After dawn, the area around the mansion became bustling.
"Help me clean this up!"
"Got it!"
With the villagers' assistance, we set about clearing the debris of the collapsed mansion and removing mud.
Though we wondered if it was our responsibility, the situation demanded it.
When the monster demolished the mansion, the lord hiding inside perished.
Since he was a lord condemned to death for colluding with the rebels, there was no sentiment of mourning.
Though it was unclear how much this outskirts lord knew, interrogating him might have yielded valuable information.
It was a regrettable loss.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})But first things first, we had to manage the lord's territory.
We needed to clean up the wreckage and handle the aftermath.
Rie, leveraging her status as a princess, had already mobilized the villagers and soldiers for the task.
So, we began restoring the ruined mansion and tidying the surroundings.
But Rie couldn't stay in this territory indefinitely.
"Should we ask Luna’s parents to step in?"
Luna’s eyes widened at Rie's suggestion.
"Usually, a neighboring lord takes over in such situations."
"I know, but..."
When a lord dies suddenly or lacks a successor, a neighboring lord typically assumes the duties.
However, that wasn't the end of it.
Often, the lord who serves as regent ends up receiving the territory, especially in outlying areas like this.
"Wouldn’t managing two territories be too taxing?"
Luna voiced her concern.
I responded with a smile to her worry.
Most would rejoice at the prospect of gaining a territory, but Luna was more concerned about her parents.
"With Jack there, the workload shouldn’t be too burdensome."
"Besides, the central government will handle the recent incident. They’ll only need to manage the usual lordly duties. There’s no need to worry."
Rie and Robert reassured Luna.
"I can handle it! I’m a native of this territory, so I know it well!"
Jack declared confidently, thumping his chest.
Robert looked at Jack with a mix of disdain and amusement.
"What can you really do? At best, you’re just a local troublemaker."
"Oh, you don’t understand. In small towns like this, the role of a troublemaker is crucial."
"Fine. Try it your way. But still..."
Robert crossed his arms and fixed Jack with a stern gaze.
"What exactly is this critical information you've uncovered that led to all this? You mentioned direct rebel involvement, which sounds important."
"Oh, that?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Jack grinned, flashing a row of white teeth.
"I've stumbled upon some incredible information."
"Incredible information?"
"It’s about the connection between the trashy Wizards of Ephomos and the Astria Duke Family!"
At that revelation, we all widened our eyes in surprise.
And then, everyone except Robert and Jack turned to look at me.
Robert, gazing at Jack, asked,
"What kind of connection are we talking about?"
Jack let out a derisive snort,
"Those Astrias, they're nothing but trash! Do you have any idea what they've been up to?"
"So, what exactly did they do?"
Jack, arms folded, looked upwards as if deep in thought.
"Well… Levian disbanded Ephomos, right? And chased you out? It was then that the fleeing residents and necromancers of Ephomos were taken in by the Astria family."
"Not just the necromancers, but the residents too?"
"Yes, they didn't take in everyone, but they certainly took a good number of them."
Jack said with a voice filled with outrage,
"Do you know what they did with those residents? They used them all for experiments and killed them! I'm telling you, it's outrageous! Handing them all over to the necromancers as experimental subjects."
"Mana stones, maybe..."
Robert muttered, his expression turning grim.
Levian had dismantled Ephomos, and I had wondered where all those residents went.
It turned out they were all hidden by the Astria family.
It was hard to say whether Levian knew about this.
It seemed more likely that he didn't.
If he had, neither the Empire nor other noble families would have stayed silent.
"That despicable Astria family. Just hearing about them makes me want to kick their backsides. If those guys were in front of me…"
"Enough, that's enough."
"Why should I stop? They deserve much worse! We must expose them! Just the sight of 'Astria' grinds my gears!
We should annihilate the entire family…"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})I forced an awkward smile at this.
I should have disclosed my family name when I introduced myself.
What should I do now...
I was completely unaware of the atrocities committed by the Astria family.
Everything being discussed happened before I entered this body, so naturally, I was ignorant.
These were events I couldn't have stopped even if I had wanted to.
Therefore, I didn't take Jack's words to heart.
It wasn't personal, after all.
But it seemed not everyone around felt the same way.
Everyone, except for Jack and Robert, was glancing at me warily.
"Those Astrias…"
Then Luna cautiously spoke up, "Um…"
"Yes?"
"Rudy is here, you know…"
"Rudy? Oh right, his name is Rudy. What about it?"
"He's… from the Astria family…"
"Uh?"
Jack's eyes widened at that revelation.
He swallowed hard, then cautiously asked,
"Is he… like from a vassal family under the Astrias or something?"
I wondered if I should have kept it hidden...
"No, I am Rudy Astria, the second son of the Astria family."
Silence ensued.
After a brief commotion...
Jack tearfully pleaded for forgiveness from me, begging not to be killed.
It was only after I assured him that I had no significant ties with the Astria family's actions that he finally calmed down.
My position was indeed a bit precarious.
Although I was part of the Astria family, I had no real influence or control within it.
However, this detached position seemed to be an advantage at the moment.
It meant I didn't have a part in the family's wrongdoings.
"Time to head back, right?"
With Luna's parents and Jack handling things here, it was time for us to return.
There was plenty to do with the information Jack had provided, along with many other tasks.
The end of the break was approaching, and we had to get ready for the upcoming assessments.
There were also staff-related matters to look into.
"Ah."
A question suddenly struck me.
"Professor Robert?"
Robert, who was walking ahead, turned around.
"Yes?"
"I wanted to ask about the staff you used during the battle with the monster."
"Oh, this one?"
Robert said, pulling out the staff from his cloak.
It was short enough to fit inside his clothing.
"May I take a closer look at it?"
"Sure."
Robert tossed me the staff.
It was a white staff, its material a mystery to me.
I looked up at Robert curiously.
"How did you make this?"
"It's essentially a chunk of mana stone. This staff has the ability to break non-living objects in one strike."
"Really?"
"It's pointless to explain it all here."
Robert had a point.
"Understood."
I handed the staff back to him.
There would be time for a detailed explanation once we were back at the academy.
Recalling Robert's use of the staff in battle, I pondered deeply.
Had I been too rigid in my understanding of staffs?
They were not just devices to aid in casting magic but tools to assist the wizard themselves.
This realization became clear after observing Robert's combat style.
I smiled to myself.
"I'll need to completely redesign my staff when we return."
I was planning to overhaul my staff entirely – not just a mundane, conventional staff, but one uniquely mine.
"Let's go back,"
Robert called out and started walking towards the carriage.
As we walked,
"Rudy Astria. You'll be quite busy when we get back."
Astina approached me with a smile.
"Yes, there's a lot to do. Dealing with Astria family matters... and crafting a proper staff..."
"Hmm?"
Astina looked at me, her expression curious.
At her response, I tilted my head in confusion.
"Isn't that what you were referring to?"
"You... haven't seen your grades yet?"
"…What?"
Astina let out a sigh.
"First semester grades. They were released on the first day of the break. Didn't you check?"
"Ah."
Now that she mentioned it, I hadn't really checked my grades.
We left with Robert right as the break started... I hadn't had the time to look into it.
"But why would that make me busier?"
Astina smiled.
"You're the top student. You have to take over the duties that come with being the first in rank."
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