While the Demon Relief Squad was mourning, Anna rushed back to her territory.
She was standing in front of a middle-aged man who was busy signing a few documents on his table.
She politely bowed to him and said, "I have returned, Father."
"En." He only nodded his head.
There were no words exchanged between them. The awkward silence filled the room, but Anna didn't do anything after all this.
After a few minutes, he glanced at her and finally pushed away the documents for a moment. "You're not throwing a tantrum? It seems that you've grown up a bit."
"I apologize for making you worried, Father." Anna was observing her father because she was curious about how much her father knew regarding Luke's plan. However, she didn't plan to break the news for now, considering she didn't know how many ears were in this mansion. Even her father might have turned his back on Luke, so she had to confirm it first.
"So, what have you done in the Demon Banner Army? I heard you were pretty amazing there to the point you snatched the record of being the greatest Apprentice Knight, surpassing that of Septa." Her father, Kevin Stargaze, let out a small smile as if he was proud of her achievement.
"Yes. I managed to do that. More importantly, I managed to get rid of the potential threat of our Stargaze Family."
"Hoh? What do you mean by that?"
"I have killed Noel Ardagan!" Anna stated with a cold tone.
"…" Kevin seemed to maintain his poker face, but Anna's perception was different from the past. She noticed the slight change in his father's gaze as if he was disturbed by that fact.
"I see. So, you killed him. In that case, I should get prepared for the commander's interference." Kevin thought for a moment. "Still, I don't understand one thing. Why did it take so long to kill him? If it were the usual you, you should have killed him from the very start. You even dismissed the guard I sent to protect you."
Anna had prepared this answer with Noel, so she answered with confidence. "I believe one year is the perfect time to both observe him and avoid the Royal Family's attention."
"Observe him and the royal family… Why?"
"Although I had suggested executing him along with his parents, that was the first time I saw him. So, I couldn't help but get curious to see what kind of man would pose a threat to our family.
"Even I had heard about Count Ardagan's prestige. But he was different, so I wanted to see whether he would become a threat or not. After seeing his progress, I believed he had to die. Hence, the decision.
"And if I killed him right away, it would harm the reputation of the Royal Family. Although it looked like I had just finished what they should have done, it could also be interpreted as me being above the royal family since I corrected her punishment on Noel from exile to death.
"Father might do something about it, but I didn't plan to harm the family. That was why my decision was like this. I hope I have satisfied you, Father."
Kevin paused as if he was contemplating her action.
"Well, that's enough for now. I thought you had become his best friend and chose to protect him instead of killing him." Kevin chuckled as if treating Noel's life like nothing. "There was no feeling between you and him?"
"I did indeed feel he was different from a typical noble. If our path never reached this point, I believed he would be a great ally to me. In fact, if we were born into a different family, I wouldn't mind marrying him because it would benefit the family. I had seen his achievement, which was similar to the prestige of Count Ardagan in the past, albeit on a smaller scale.
"Unfortunately, the moment the execution was done, there was no turning back. Hence, the only option was to kill him."
"I see. That was an interesting opinion. From the looks of it, he seemed to be more capable than any noble sons or even the princes." Kevin rose from his seat and walked to the cabinet in the corner of the room. He took out a necklace from the cabinet and handed it to her.
The chains were made of gold and the circular pendant had a bright red gem attached to it.
"This is called Red Sapphire Necklace. It was said that the original color was blue, but because it had been worn from generation to generation, the pendant had been covered with blood and turned red over time.
"However, this necklace has been imbued by enchantment. You should wear this because this pendant might save your life one day. It'll only be activated when one approaches death, so you have to wear it all the time."
Anna was confused and excited at the same time. She was looking at the necklace on her hand while thinking, 'What is this necklace? This is the first time I have seen it… There are a lot of things going on within the necklace, but I couldn't see its depth. Three, no, there are four runes embedded into this necklace. How does my father possess something like this?
'And I never received this pendant in my last life. Does that mean my father sees something in me that I don't realize? This is weird, but since I get a necklace like this, I don't mind taking it.'
Looking at her confused expression, Kevin explained. "It seems that you don't know the reason why I give this to you… Well, it's simple. In the past, you have never taken any interest in the family's matters. Everything you've done has the potential to harm the family.
"That's why I don't wish this important necklace to be stolen. But after seeing you now, I'm assured. A spirit wielder, a powerful but unknown blade, and experience… All these changes have made me think of you in another light. That's why you're worthy of this necklace. Take care of it."
"Yes, Father."
