Chapter 248

Chapter 248. Rudelek and the Children

The war with the Heinkel Kingdom had ended.
The soldiers returning home passed through the Arc de Triomphe with dignity, greeted by the cheers of all.
The number of dead was barely 30.
Among them were 4 knights and only 26 infantrymen.
Nobles from all over the Far East gathered around Count Consillus to celebrate Ferda’s safe return.
After that, a banquet was held, offering joy to the survivors and comfort to those who had faced death.

“Can we proceed with a festival?” asked administrator Isabella with concern in her voice.
“The situation in the neighboring countries is not good…”

In the Far East, they had few troops and few casualties, so they could laugh like this, but the situation of other kingdoms was not the same.
Aside from the ringing of the victory bells, heavy footsteps were the last thing they saw.
There were no notable spoils of war; all they had were the dog tags of soldiers who had been chatting and laughing just yesterday.
The most important thing was the fact that the kings who had participated in the war had died.
That was a headache for the leadership of each nation as well.
They had not fought bravely on the battlefield to become examples,
But the fact that they had stabbed each other to death purely out of their own desires was unbelievable.
Although their minds were in chaos, they could know one single thing for sure.
That even if they returned home, the war would not end.

“The Empire is also attempting to proceed first with a state funeral…”

The Second Prince of the Empire, Ureas, and the Inverse Hero, Count Rooster, had died.
The Empire’s most reliable hero and the Golden Lineage dying simultaneously was enough to throw the parliament into chaos.

“How is that going?” he inquired.
“First, a trivial agenda arose. Whether to hold the Second Prince’s funeral first, or Count Rooster’s funeral first.”
“That’s the Empire for you.”
“And then, the agenda presented now is to ask what the Far East was doing.”
“That is also the Empire.”

If he hadn’t expected it, that would be a lie.
Deflecting internal dissatisfaction outward had always been the Empire’s way of doing things.

“Even so, they won’t be able to act recklessly.”
“May I ask the reason?”
“Because we decided to give up all the merits of the Heinkel Kingdom.”
“Give up the merits…”

It was a shocking statement for Isabella.
Had they not achieved merits through the most efficient and effective tactics in this war?
They were supposed to take 30% of the Empire, and at the very least they had the right to obtain various commercial rights.
But on the surface, Ferda’s army seemed like the most selfish of bastards.
While everyone was dying on the front lines, it was thought that Ferda’s army had huddled in the rear, playing it safe.
People feel the blood of those who were crushed more intensely than technological advancement.
Ferda told Isabella:

“I am sorry, Administrator. For not being capable enough.”

If she were not disappointed, that would be a lie.
All plans for the immediate future were scheduled to proceed using the profits from the Heinkel Kingdom.

“One should not expect everything in the world to go as one desires.”

Ferda had achieved many things even before this.
He had forced things that seemed somewhat unreasonable, achieving a growth different from others.
That was why she believed this time there was also something.

“I believe Ferda-nim must have something more valuable than that, which is why he yielded it. Could you tell me what it is?”

The decisive event that made him give up the merits that could have accelerated the village’s revival.
Wondering if she would accept it, Ferda replied:

“Five children.”

The City Hall meeting room.
Ferda sat the children down and was giving them the food used for the village banquet.
The children began to eat frantically.
As if they would never eat again if they didn’t do it right then.

“Eat slowly,” Ferda said.

Ferda’s voice made them shudder.

“No one will take it from you. If it’s not enough, I’ll give you more, so don’t eat in such a hurry.”

Only then did their eating speed decrease.
Ferda spoke to the child who seemed to be the only one with whom communication worked.

“Your name is Rudelek, right?”
“Yes. And you, sir?”
“Ferda Valdrova.”
“Call him Regent-nim, not sir, Rudelek-gun,” Isabella warned politely.
“Okay. I’m sorry, Regent-nim.”
“It’s fine. Everyone knows well that your minds are connected as one.”
“Yes. That older sister, similar to that noona over there, said so.”
“Hmm…”

Isabella let out a low, dry cough.
Her face, oddly, seemed to be in a good mood.

“I heard that elf woman tried to have you do a lot of work in her place.”
“Do you know what for?”
“I don’t know. I am a child, so I don’t know those things well.”

Ferda stared intently at Rudelek’s face.
Wearing a mask was very innate to him.
However, aside from that, Ferda could see through lies of that degree.
Ferda placed his hands on the table and spoke:

“There is no need to lie unnecessarily. I made a promise to the knight who protected you.”
“Everyone made promises,” the boy said, looking at the youngest girl sitting beside him.
“That girl is named Yuri. When they took Yuri, they said they wouldn’t hurt her. And she believed it. But they gave her an incredibly painful drug. She screamed. Even when her voice went hoarse, she screamed. Do you know what the adults did then?”
“What did they do?”
“They tore out her tongue.”
“What…”

That’s why she can’t speak.
Isabella’s blue eyes shone, expressing anger.
It was something strange.
For that rational woman, who never got angry over ordinary things, to show such a reaction.

“Did everyone who screamed receive that punishment?”
“No. Only Yuri, one person. But except for me, everyone forgot how to speak.”

Since they share the pain, they also share that fear.
Since they all experienced the pain of having their tongues torn out, they all suffered from aphasia.
From Linne’s perspective, that was probably a good thing.
Rats that keep their mouths shut and obey are better than those that chatter.
Meanwhile, one thing was curious.

“Did you also feel the same?”
“Yes.”
“Then how did you endure it?”
“I am their oppa.”

Simple and concise.
Even with so much pain, there was a sense of duty that he had to take care of the children.
Anyway, the point of this conversation was that adults do not keep their promises.
Ferda needed to give them certainty.

“Do you know what Valdrova is?”
“I don’t know.”
“It is the name of a Red Dragon.”
“If it is a Red Dragon…”

Whether Rudelek’s thoughts were shared, the children stopped eating and trembled in fear.
Red Dragon seems to bring Evil Dragon to mind first.

“I am the one who will become that person’s bugun.”
“Yes.”

The suspicion deepened even further on Rudelek’s face.

“By staking that person’s name on this, I have given it a deeper meaning than staking my own life.”
“…”

Rudelek made a face as if he didn’t understand.
That was proof of his purity.
Because he was pure, there was no way he could know how much meaning this oath carried.
Then there was no choice but to make him understand.

“I will tell you one more thing. Even if you don’t like me, you won’t have a choice.”
“Why?”
“If you reject me, you will die.”
“Isn’t that a threat?”
“No. It’s just the truth.”

Ferda’s finger pointed at Rudelek’s stomach.

“That mana inside your stomach,”

His finger gently pointed at the other children too.

“And your younger siblings as well, it will kill all of you.”
“…”
“You don’t know under what principle the Red Circle operates. The greatest emotion in emotional turbulence forms the mana.”
“…”
“Do you know where that mana power of yours began?”

Rudelek made eye contact with the children one by one.
As if he were having a conversation, he made eye contact and nodded.

“They said that when they are afraid, something rises from their chest. They said they cannot control it.”
“Even now?”
“Yes.”

Ferda knew it too, but just asked.
In his eyes, the flow of magical power was clearly visible.

“Then, what about you?”

Rudelek was different from the other children.
He should have received the same, but it wasn’t born from fear.

“I… got angry seeing these kids scared. That is when I feel it.”

It was anger.
Mana similar to Ferda’s.
At the same time, it was the reason the children maintained their sanity without going crazy.
Although four are afraid, since one fights for them, they lean on Rudelek and hold on.

“To survive, those children must continue to fear something, and you must remain endlessly angry.”
“…”
“In that sense, William really did something without a plan. If that had succeeded, you all would have become bombs that would blow some village to pieces.”

The children’s mana accelerates.
Proof that they are feeling fear.

“That is why I also thought that perhaps it would be right to just let them escape this harsh reality.”
“Please, stop.”

Rudelek gets angry at that fear.
He was also angry at the fact that William was being spoken of poorly.
Ferda stops provoking and asks directly.

“Do you want to live?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“Then you have to trust us.”

Ferda told Rudelek.

“People who take care of children who awakened the Red Circle like you are scarce. Above all, people who possess the method to care for those with their minds connected are extremely few. Even those few would treat you as dangerous bombs and try to eliminate you.”

The leadership of each kingdom did that, and so did I.

“We will help you. If we don’t start with this trust, the relationship cannot be maintained.”
“…….”

Rudelek seemed to reflect on something, then looked at the children.
The children who made eye contact nodded carefully, and Rudelek answered.

“That Dark Elf…… said she would take us and draw a magic circle.”
“Magic circle?”
“She said she would use us for research. I saw other wizards help that Dark Elf and die. She killed them like killing ants, calling them useless bastards. And then she did it to us.”

It was exactly as Ferda thought.
A plan to use them in precise magic circles and research processes that were difficult to perform alone.
Information even more precise than verbal transmission would be delivered.

“Will the Regent-nim do that to us too?”
“No. Even if I wanted to, I cannot connect minds with you. That is originally the magic of elves.”
“Then what if we end up doing that kind of work later?”
“If you want to, you can do that kind of work. If you want to live a petty bourgeois life, do it; if you want to achieve a greater cause, do it. I will not force anything. However…….”

Ferda spoke quite seriously.

“All your actions must be honorable before William.”
“…….”

William.
He stood firm before death, and even after that, he fulfilled his duty until the end.
Everyone cried, and Rudelek was no exception.
Rudelek asked Ferda with a complicated face.

“William…… when is that mister’s funeral?”
“It cannot be held.”

Rudelek’s eyes widened.
They contained the question of why.

“He disobeyed his lord’s orders and let death-row prisoners escape. Being buried in a common cemetery would be a stroke of luck.”
“…….”

The sin he bore was too great to hold a funeral.
For the sake of the others as well, his death could not be honored.

“Then…….”

Rudelek asked Ferda with a face about to burst into tears.

“If we become great people later……. Then what?”

Ferda answered.

“If the world comes to know that your lives have value, there will be no reason not to do it.”
“…….”
“I promise.”

Rudelek rubbed his eyes hard and raised his face.
Ferda, strangely, felt William in that face.

“I will never…… let that mister’s death be in vain.”

The death of one human leads to another life.
William’s will was clearly transmitted to this angry child.

“Have you worked out a concrete plan on what to do with the children?”

Isabella asked.
It had only been 3 minutes since the children were sent away.
There was no way a plan existed at this moment.

“For now, we can’t send them to a regular orphanage.”

Their minds are connected, and I promised William I would take care of them.
We need an environment that can care for children whose minds are connected, not a simple orphanage.

“It would be good for them to stay inside the castle and for us to manage them.”
“It probably is.”
“In that sense, I intend to select an empty room inside the castle and turn it into a place to manage the children. What do you think? The plan is ready.”
“Already?”
“Yes.”

He said it, but it had only been 3 minutes since the children left.
Wondering what kind of rushed job he had improvised, it was a surprisingly detailed and concrete plan.
As if he knew this would happen.
Ferda’s eyes went to a point on the plan.

“General Manager: Isabella Iorga”
“…….”
“Why are you like this?”
“I smell a selfish motive.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”

Isabella’s eyes shone with malice.
She was never rational.

“Anyway, we need to teach them magic, so the Administrator’s help is desperately needed.”
“You are absolutely right.”
“And I also plan to ask Echidna.”
“……That gloomy witch?”

This time she frowned openly.

“Absolutely not. She will definitely harm the children.”

It is not incomprehensible.

“She is also someone who knows the Red Circle well.”

As a Philias child who lived and reached the 5th Circle, she would definitely know the theory of emotions perfectly.
Isabella made a disgusted face and said.

“Besides, there is no way that witch is interested. She is so obsessed with Mori-chan, there is no way she’d be interested in other children.”

Hearing those words, Ferda nodded.

“Then I just have to ask.”
“Ugh, that is…….”
“Why?”
“……It’s nothing.”

Ferda connected with Echidna through the crystal ball.
After explaining the current situation, her answer was this.

“Of cooouuurrse! I’ll run over right now! Uhehehe!”

Crash bang!
Without even hanging up the crystal ball, the sound of all the equipment being knocked over was heard.

“That’s what she says.”
“……Tsk.”

Isabella clicked her tongue.

“Honestly, I don’t get along with that witch, so it will be on a completely different level from when dealing with Mori-chan…… I wonder if it will be alright.”

Ferda also agreed with that.

“That is why I am thinking of putting another suitable person in charge.”
“Who is that?”

For magical theory, Isabella.
For Red Circle theory, Echidna.
There was someone who could handle what those two could not resolve.

“M-me?”

The other person in charge that Ferda designated was none other than Rize.
His appearance was a mess.
It was no wonder, he had just returned from an adventure and had only come to give a return report to Isabella.
Even so, his bright blonde hair and his eyes that seemed to hold stars were beautiful.
Enough to forget the fact that he is a man.

“Is it too excessive a request?”
“No. As the Regent-nim says, that part is, in fact, something that an elf like me should handle…….”

He was about to say that he had never had his mind connected.
But he held back the words coming out, slapped his cheeks, slap slap!, and said this.

“No. As expected, for me to do it is the right thing.”
“If you are busy with adventurer work, you can adjust.”
“Adventurer work is important, but taking care of those children is too. It is something a Dark Elf did, but that guy was once a High Elf……. A High Elf’s sin must be paid for by a High Elf.”

Rize’s eyes contained the same determination as back then.

“So I will take full responsibility and take care of those children.”
“Then as an adventurer……?”
“I will do that too. If I find a balance, an answer will emerge somehow, won’t it?”

He is a High Elf who has never had his mind connected.
But he has lived among High Elves for hundreds of years and observed.
Sometimes, an observer’s perspective can be more objective and useful.

“It won’t be easy.”

Ferda looked subtly somewhere.
There, a scene like a tiger and a dragon fighting was unfolding.
The witch, Echidna, and the Dragon Spawn, Isabella, were glaring furiously at each other.
A tension that seemed it would explode at any moment.
Enough to make the timid Rize’s face turn deathly pale.
Instinct screamed at him that he did not want to get between them under any circumstances.

“Uuu…… It’s, it’s fine. Somehow it will be sorted out, for sure!”

Clenching both fists tightly and raising them.
Too feminine, so there was nothing to say.
Between a Dragon Spawn and a witch.
Rize thought he was quite lucky.
This time he isn’t being treated like a woman, right?
Of course, that was only Rize’s thought.

“Hello. Echidna-nim, and Administrator-nim. I am Rize, who will take care of the children along with you. Please take care of me.”

Making a good impression on the other party with a cheerful voice is Rize’s specialty.
He approached them with the belief that he could become an excellent mediator.
Echidna’s fierce expression relaxed instantly the moment she saw Rize, and she smiled foolishly.

“Ehehehe…… Pl-please take care of me toooo!”
“Y-yes……!”

Rize felt another creepy sensation in those eyes.
There is definitely no malice, but because of that, it is even more bizarre and insidious.
As if looking at prey.
Faced with that insidiousness, Rize reflexively turned his eyes toward Isabella.
Isabella was no exception.
She took Rize’s hand with a deep gaze.

“Please take care of me, Adventurer Rize-nim.”
“Y-yes…….”
“We will be seeing each other often now.”

Her fingers fidgeted and moved, feeling Rize’s hand.
Is this really okay?
Such anxiety arose suddenly.
The worry that he might become not a mediator, but a new toy between them.
It won’t be.
Rize wanted to believe it.