Chapter  521: Reunion in the Border City

The group dispatched from the Kingdom of Spencer arrived at the border town of the Kingdom of Raven without any particular trouble. From the carriage window, the scenery looked just as it had the last time I came here—nothing seemed to have changed.

“It seems the Bone Dragon hasn’t affected this area,” I said.

“Indeed. And the townspeople don’t look particularly worried, either,” came the reply.

We were scheduled to stay the night in this town. Our carriage, along with the others, headed toward a familiar place—the mansion where I had first met the injured Erwin-sama.

In front of the mansion, two familiar figures awaited us: Sophia-sama and Erwin-sama.

“We’ve been expecting you,” Sophia-sama said warmly.

“Thank you for coming! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve wanted to express my gratitude,” Erwin-sama added.

The moment they spotted us, both of them rushed forward. Erwin-sama, in particular, was almost in tears.

I had left before waiting for Erwin-sama to return from the subjugation mission. Had I done wrong by leaving early?

Still, if we had lingered, we would have ended up staying in the Kingdom of Raven indefinitely. Celebrations, medal ceremonies, engagement anniversary parties… I had already heard a little about them from Sister-in-law Daniela.

I wondered if Erwin-sama had heard anything from Sister-in-law Daniela. He didn’t mention any of it, instead sinking into quiet melancholy. It was conspicuous, but in a way that made me curious.

“You’ve returned the Gatekeeper, then?” I asked.

“Of course. That is the Holy Sword of the Kingdom of Raven, after all. Though it seems I retain priority in case something happens,” he replied, lowering his voice.

We spoke in hushed tones; this conversation could not be overheard. Erwin-sama understood that, and I felt relieved that he spoke to me so casually. I had worried what I would do if he insisted on formal speech the whole time.

Guided inside by the two of them, the mansion looked far more splendid than it had during our previous visit.

In the salon, the conversation quickly turned to the subjugation of the Bone Dragon. Only we were present in the room, so it was safe to discuss matters that couldn’t be shared elsewhere.

Nero and Lionel leaned forward eagerly, listening intently to Erwin-sama’s account. Like Nero, Lionel’s eyes had that youthful gleam, showing that no matter one’s age, tales of adventure always inspired wonder.

“The Bone Dragon is a fearsome creature,” Erwin-sama said. “From what I’ve heard, it almost seems miraculous that it was defeated.”

“I think so too,” said one of the others.

“I agree,” I added.

Erwin-sama smiled, but Lionel and Nero shook their heads and sighed deeply. Fabienne, however… paled as she listened. When I took her hand to warm it, she immediately gripped mine in return.

“Julius-sama, you weren’t afraid?” she asked.

“Of course not. I believed that with the Holy Sword, we could defeat it without doubt,” I replied.

As I smiled to reassure Fabienne, Sophia-sama and Erwin-sama straightened their posture. Noticing it, we all did the same.

“Julius-sama, we cannot thank you enough for your invaluable assistance,” Sophia-sama said.

“Indeed. If I am able to stand here today, it is entirely thanks to you, Julius-sama,” Erwin-sama added.

Both of them bowed in unison. Fabienne, Nero, and Lionel wore solemn expressions. Here, it was crucial to accept their gratitude while maintaining a sense of equality. I resisted the urge to have them raise their heads immediately.

“My efforts are not solely my own. However, if you say so, I gratefully accept your thanks. Now, please, raise your heads,” I said.

At last, they lifted their heads. And now the real work began. We hadn’t come just to receive bows; we were here to help restore the lands tainted by contamination.

“What extent of damage did the Bone Dragon cause?” I asked.

“The mountain where the Bone Dragon appeared is surrounded by blackened land. At first, we thought it was just that mountain, but soon the rivers flowing from it began to show signs of corruption as well,” Erwin-sama explained.

From what I understood, rainwater falling atop the mountain passed through the tainted land and became corrupted. Farms using this river water saw their crops rot and fail to grow.

Gradually, the land along the river began to suffer contamination as well.

That’s bad. If the mountain and river lands are ruined, the damage could be widespread. Perhaps it’s only a part of the Kingdom of Raven, but many people are certainly affected.

“So, it seems our first step must be to address the contamination of that mountain,” I said.

“We have prioritized that as well,” Sophia-sama replied. “But it seems we haven’t achieved satisfactory results yet.”

Over time, the contamination might naturally dissipate, but that could take decades, or even centuries. Clearly, there isn’t time to wait that long. Once we reach the castle, we’ll need to learn what measures have already been attempted.

“I can’t promise results until we try, but we will do everything in our power,” I said.

“Thank you,” they replied.

Once again, the two bowed. Their eyes seemed to hold a glimmer of hope, clearly placing their expectations on me. Being relied upon is gratifying—but it also means I must succeed, whatever it takes. Only by trying would I know what that entails.

“Um… what about purification magic?” Fabienne asked.

“Purification magic? Fabienne-san, you know quite a bit,” Sophia-sama said. “There is indeed talk that it could work. But bringing the Saint to the Kingdom of Raven proved too difficult, in the end.”

“I see…” Fabienne said, disappointed.

I, on the other hand, was stunned. A Saint! Such a being existed in this world? Neither Alex-niisan nor Sister-in-law Daniela had mentioned this. Was there some significance to it?

At that moment, Lionel whispered to me.

“Julius-sama, it’s best to doubt the existence of the Saint. Generally, it’s interpreted that she merely calls herself that.”

I see. A fake! And yet the Kingdom of Raven was so desperate that they had clung to even a false hope.

Perhaps that mountain and river hold special significance to the Kingdom of Raven. They probably do. This makes failure absolutely not an option.