The Hero Becomes the Duke’s Eldest Son

Chapter 80

Aden sat down for a conversation with Joseph, a master alchemist and Elise’s father, as well as the young saintess Elise.

Joseph spoke with a deeply concerned expression.

“……It is the custom of our order, Prince Aden.”

According to Joseph’s explanation, the saint of the order must embark on a continental pilgrimage within the year of their awakening ceremony.

A frog in a well knows nothing of the great ocean.

Stagnant water just rots.

Thus, they go on pilgrimages to gain rich experiences.

Returning to the order after completing this secret pilgrimage was the law of the Sacred Fire Order.

Even the previous saint, Kertel Jin, had gone through it once.

The only difference was that Kertel was eighteen when he completed his saint ceremony, while the current saintess, Elise, was merely a ten-year-old child.

“That is why, there is currently a great controversy within our main temple. Whether to follow the law that has been upheld for hundreds of years, or to make an exception this time and wait until she is an adult.”

It was a situation that arose because there had never been a case of someone as young as Elise undergoing the saint’s awakening ceremony.

Thus, the order was divided into two opinions.

From the moment of the awakening ceremony, Elise was recognized as a proper human being and a representative of God before Him.

Therefore, the law advocates argued that she should fulfill her duties as a saintess.

On the other hand, the realists argued that it was too early to burden and entrust such a heavy duty to someone so young.

After much debate, under the guidance of the leader, they finally reached a compromise.

– It’s meaningless for us to debate endlessly. How about leaving the decision to the saintess herself, Elise, who is the representative of the Lord of the Sacred Fire? Her choice will be the true will and intention.

In simple terms, they were passing the responsibility.

“The order decided to leave the judgment to Ellie, that is, to the saintess herself.”

The leadership of the main temple unanimously agreed.

So, if Elise wanted to go on the secret pilgrimage, she would do so according to custom, and if she refused, the law advocates would have nothing more to say and would concede.

Aden asked.

“But the reason you are telling me this is…”

Elise, who had been sitting quietly, nodded.

“Yes, I decided to go, on the pilgrimage.”

Elise chose to go on the pilgrimage.

“Ellie! Please reconsider! It’s dangerous out there!”

Joseph sincerely tried to dissuade his young daughter.

During the pilgrimage, they had to conceal their identity unless it was unavoidable.

In the process, it was easy to encounter numerous dangerous situations.

However, Elise turned to Joseph and asked.

“But Dad, isn’t it true that if I don’t go now, it will be worse for me?”

Joseph was at a loss for words.

Elise’s words were true.

A saintess who broke the law.

Even though the order had given her the choice first, if she refused the pilgrimage, she would be labeled by the public.

And that would be a significant disadvantage for Elise in the long run.

“I don’t want to avoid it just because it’s dangerous and scary, Dad.”

“……”

“It’s a decision I made because I wanted to.”

Elise’s eyes were clear, and Joseph felt both proud and bitter about his daughter.

Joseph swallowed his feelings and spoke to Aden.

“……This is the will of our order’s saintess, Prince Aden.”

The order added one more condition if Elise agreed to the continental pilgrimage.

– During the pilgrimage, a guard chosen by the order and a representative guard from the Remes family, who are the saintess’s patrons, are necessary.

Because Elise was too young, both the order and the Remes family, who were her patrons, would attach guards.

And for the saintess’s guard, it was natural to choose a strong guard befitting her status.

It was also natural for the most reliable and skilled guard from both sides to be chosen.

So, who was the most trusted and skilled person in the Sacred Fire Order and the Remes Duke family?

‘It’s me.’

– It’s exactly as you think, Dragon Slayer King.

It was Aden Remes, himself.

In other words, the possibility of Elise’s continental pilgrimage depended on his judgment.

Aden chuckled softly.

‘Kertel, you sly fox.’

Given the leader’s personality, he probably didn’t want Elise to go on a dangerous pilgrimage.

However, as the head of an order, he couldn’t blindly take sides.

The order’s decision carried this message from the leader.

– Please dissuade the saintess from her stubbornness for me; it’s too dangerous.

And at the same time, it carried this message.

– But if you stay by her side, I can rest easy. I trust your judgment.

It was a mixture of concern for Elise and trust in Aden.

Aden spoke to Elise.

“Traveling around the continent is a very difficult and dangerous task.”

Even with a strong guard, that fact didn’t change.

“You might encounter many things during the process. You might see things that are too horrific for you to handle and regret your choices. You might wonder why you’re going through such things, why this is happening, and why you’re doing this. Such doubts might torment you.”

It was a sincere piece of advice from Aden, who had traveled the continent as a mercenary in his previous life.

Aden asked Elise seriously and calmly.

“Can you bear all that?”

Elise quietly looked at him in response.

Then she smiled cutely.

“Thank you for worrying about me, Brother Aden!”

“……”

“But it’s okay.”

Elise looked directly at Aden and said.

“I’m not foolish. I know how harsh the world is.”

It might have sounded like recklessness from an ordinary child.

But having experienced being locked up in the underground cell of a dark guild, it didn’t sound like recklessness at all.

“I just want to know.”

What kind of place the world surrounding her was.

How many unpleasant and frightening things there might be in places she didn’t know, just like that underground cell.

And how many beautiful and exciting things there might be in places she didn’t know, just like the Fairy Tree that sparkled like a jewel.

She wanted to see and know everything.

“As much as possible, I want to see a lot.”

“I want to know everything.”

“……”

“Please, Brother Aden.”

Elise smiled mischievously.

“Kids are allowed to be stubborn and persistent, right? So do it for me! Hehe.”

Aden couldn’t help but smile.

Was this something a ten-year-old would say?

At that moment, Aden realized that the young saintess in front of him was not an ordinary child.

Elise had made a ‘decision’ based on her ‘thoughts’ and ‘judgment,’ not out of ‘recklessness.’

‘A saint is still a saint, even at a young age.’

Just like Kertel and the Iron-Blooded Saint, these so-called saints were indeed difficult to understand.

Their thoughts ran too deep.

Perhaps that was why they could become saints.

Aden chuckled and nodded.

“Alright. It’s a bother, but let’s give it a try, the continental pilgrimage.”

“Yay! Thank you so much! Brother Aden, you’re the best!”

Elise’s face bloomed with joy as she raised her arms in cheer.

Next to her, Joseph gave his daughter a complicated smile and congratulated her.

At that moment, Curse clicked his tongue and spoke in a disinterested voice.

– You were going to agree anyway because you wanted an excuse to leave and cut the neck of that knight. Don’t act so righteous, tsk tsk.

‘……Well, good intentions lead to good outcomes.’

By accompanying Elise on her pilgrimage, he could naturally travel freely across the continent.

It was an excellent way to pursue his revenge.

He turned to Joseph with a bright smile and asked.

“But won’t the order provide any compensation for guarding the saintess? I’d prefer money if possible.”

Aden’s principle was to extract as much as possible when he could.

And getting something tangible was the best in the world.

* * *

In a slum in the southern part of the empire.

“Damn it! Those damn tower bastards……!”

Bang!

An empty rum bottle smashed against an old wooden table.

Inside a shabby building in the slum, a man was drinking and then exploded in anger.

His hair was disheveled, his beard was scruffy, his eyes were bloodshot, and he had deep dark circles.

His face was in poor condition.

His space was filled with various bizarre objects and spread-out diagrams.

Suddenly, he burst into mad laughter.

“Kihihi! Damn tower bastards, I’ll kill them all someday!”

Madness gleamed in his eyes.

He hadn’t always been such a crazed wreck.

He was a 3-star wizard, an elite who had even worked in the central magic tower with his outstanding skills and talent despite his low rank.

The only problem was his obsession with his dream.

He wanted to develop magical engineering that combined mechanical devices with magic.

But the wizards of the tower ignored him.

– Combine magic and mechanical devices? What nonsense……

– Magic is a sacred pillar built through individual enlightenment, study, and practice. Yet you’re obsessed with such mundane objects, tsk tsk……

– The mana consumption rate is too high? Tsk, it’s garbage.

– If only you had spent that time accumulating mana, you could have raised your circle by one!

Those old fools who thought true magic was about raising circles, accumulating mana, and creating more efficient magical formulas.

Those fools who wasted mana ridiculed and belittled him.

Gustav wanted to create a masterpiece of practical magical engineering to give them a

taste of their own medicine.

But had he been too impatient?

During a test, the magical device he created ran out of control and exploded.

He barely escaped with his life, but his lab was destroyed, and he lost hundreds of precious magical books.

The explosion caused casualties.

After that, he was sealed of his mana and permanently exiled from Anguis.

For a wizard, it was an unbearable humiliation.

“But I finally completed it! I did it!”

Even after being exiled and having his mana sealed, he continued his research day and night.

As a result, he succeeded in establishing a highly efficient magical engineering system with minimal risk of runaway.

But the tower didn’t acknowledge his research.

He couldn’t even get in as he was branded an exile.

– Just once, please just once, look at this!

Even as he was dragged away by the guards, he repeatedly shouted.

Just once, please just once, review his research again.

But Gustav was thrown out again and had no choice but to despair.

Then he nurtured his hatred and desire for revenge against the tower.

He muttered through gritted teeth.

“Those fools in the tower…… I will get my revenge!”

He vowed to create masterpieces of magical engineering that would make the tower regret exiling him.

But to do that, he needed money and resources.

“I need money, support, sponsorship……!”

But there was no one to sponsor him, a destitute exile from Anguis.

At that moment, a young man’s face popped into Gustav’s mind.

– Mage Gustav Dora, it is an honor to meet you.

And the words he had spoken.

– I felt clearly that there is no more superior and useful magical discipline than this once it is commercialized.

The young noble from the southern border he had met at the imperial banquet.

He was the only one who had positively acknowledged and supported his research.

– If you ever face difficulties, please come to me. I will assist you to the best of my ability in the name of the Remes Duke family.

He thought it was just empty words.

But since no one had ever said such words to him before, he was so happy.

But now, given his situation, he felt like clutching at straws.

The madness in Gustav’s eyes gradually gave way to a bit of calm reason.

“Yes…… Let’s go.”

Gustav hurriedly packed his few belongings.

To the Remes Duke’s estate, where Prince Aden Remes resided.

To his last remaining hope.