Chapter 39 – EPISODE 39 – COUNT HRÆSVELGR
There were three protectors in the Sälen Kingdom.
The Knights of the Golden Lion protected the Cilates Plains, which has been the biggest battleground against the Argon Empire for generations.
The invincible fleet of the 7 southern families dominated the southern waters.
And the last one was the Jackdaw Brigade, which blocked the northern barbarians for over the past 300 years.
“The Northern Margrave is the head of the Jackdaw Brigade, and Thunderdoom Fortress is the nest of the Jackdaws.”
If the Knights of the Golden Lion were the king of pitched battles on the plains, the Jackdaw Brigade were experts in fortress defense.
The Jackdaw Brigade have always had 10,000 people at all times and built numerous legends together with the Thunderdoom Fortress.
In the great invasion 150 years ago, Black Eagle, the legendary chieftain of the barbarians, led more than 150,000 troops against the 10,000 troops of the fortress. Despite the fact that the enemies were ten times more than their own troops, the Count Bayer of that time not only stopped the overwhelming enemies seven times, but also made a record of beheading the enemy ‘Wild Lion.’ However, Count Bayer was killed, and this great invasion was called the ‘Tragedy of the Jackdaws.’
“If you live in the north, always thank the Jackdaws. They are the ones protecting your life, your family, and your loved ones.”
Those statements weren’t wrong, because many northerners do harbor feelings of goodwill and grat.i.tude to the Jackdaw Brigade.
And it was when the Count of Hræsvelgr became the margrave, that such feelings of pride and dignity truly reached its peak.
Thunderdoom Fortress was not only the nest of the Jackdaws but was also the place where the Count of Hræsvelgr, ‘The First Jackdaw,’ lived.
‘The situation feels delicate now that I’ve come here.’
Jude himself was a man from the Bayer family.
50 years ago, the head of the Jackdaws was the Count of Bayer.
It was a time before the current Count Bayer was born, and only a few people, including the old knight Victor Cromwell, remembered the days when the Bayer family was a Jackdaw.
Moreover, the former Count Bayer was not so much talented in the sword, which was unlike the current Count Bayer, who was such a powerful swordsman that he ranked among the top ten swordmasters of the Sälen Kingdom.
The current Count Hræsvelgr was also one of the ten swordmasters so it was inevitable that a delicate rivalry relationship was formed between the two.
Well, it didn’t matter to Jude what the actual thoughts between the two counts were.
‘I only came here because I needed to, and as for Lucas…he is someone who’s truly pure of heart.’
In the first place, it was Lucas who invited him here, and Jude had readily accepted it.
Of course, Cordelia was also here because she had clung to her beloved fiancé, insisting that she would follow him.
“What is it?”
“Why?”
“No, I just suddenly felt like I’ve lost.”
Cordelia tilted her head in confusion, sniffing as she replied to Jude, and Jude inwardly admired her.
‘She’s Yellow Storm indeed.’
Her senses were really sharp that she could somehow sense what Jude was thinking of her.
‘Moving on…’
Jude looked at the front again.
The group had not actually arrived at the Thunderdoom Fortress.
Lucas and Jude’s destination from the very beginning was right here, the trading city of Vedrfolnir, located at the entrance of Count Hræsvelgr’s territory.
‘Because the Thunderdoom Fortress is literally a fortress.’
So the count’s mansion couldn’t be inside the fortress.
Thus, while Count Hræsvelgr almost lived in the Thunderdoom Fortress, his family settled in Vedrfolnir, the most developed city in the Hræsvelgr territory.
“My disciple, I’ll be parting with you for a while here.”
Landius strode over as he said.
He was originally on the move to meet Count Hræsvelgr, so he was now going to part with them here and head to the Thunderdoom Fortress.
“Disciple, don’t show your tears. Tears are useless…”
“Because it causes muscle loss?”
“Yes, the time I taught you was short, but you learned really well. That’s Cheonmujiche, indeed.”
With a satisfied face, Landius heartily laughed and then patted Jude on his shoulder.
“But don’t worry. I’ll meet you again after I’ve met with Count Hræsvelgr and dealt with some urgent matters. It’ll be a few months later when we see each other again.”
“Yes, master. I look forward to the day of our reunion.”
“Yes, and don’t forget to exercise. Be healthy and let’s meet again.”
Landius tapped on Jude’s shoulder before turning to Cordelia.
“Girl.”
“Yes, Sir Landius.
“Please take good care of my disciple and do what I asked you to.”
“Yes.”
Cordelia modestly answered and Landius heartily laughed again. Jude had a curious look on his face as he stared at Cordelia.
‘What did he ask you to do?’
‘Please replenish him with a protein diet every day.’
When they had their usual conversation with just their eyes, Landius looked at them happily.
“What a nice and loving couple. They’re indisputably soulmates.”
“I think so, too.”
Lucas, who had been somehow trying to get involved in their conversation, cut in when he got the chance.
Unfortunately, the conversation had already reached its end.
“My disciple, I look forward to seeing you again. May the muscles always be together.”
“Ma-master too.”
Jude awkwardly smiled as he couldn’t say the same about muscles being together. Landius heartily laughed again and lowered his posture.
“Then, disciple, girl, Lucas, and the others! May you be healthy until the day we meet again!”
Boom!
Landius kicked the ground and soared up.
A dozen meters – no, he soared at almost tens of meters high, and then he kicked again into the air and became the red flash that they saw on the first day.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
They didn’t hear it wrong. That was the sound of Landius tearing through the air as he soared up the sky.
“Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
They blankly stared at the sky for a few seconds while listening to the faint sound of Landius’ laughter.
Cordelia was the first to open her mouth.
“He alone…is in a different genre…”
“…I agree.”
Jude strongly agreed as he looked far at the northern sky.
***
“You must have acc.u.mulated a lot of fatigue from traveling, so take a good rest for today. If there is something you lack or need, please tell us right away. You don’t have to feel burdened about it.”
“Thank you, Lord Lucas.”
“Thank you very much.”
After Lucas guided them directly to the guest rooms, he smiled and left. Jude and Cordelia ate, took a bath, and had a break before having their alone time together as usual.
“They’re surprisingly cooperative.”
“Well…we’ve already spent so much time alone together. It must be a routine for the knights now.”
It was at a level where the knights left the two alone now even though they haven’t said anything yet.
Moreover, the phenomenon accelerated further after Dahlia returned to Count Chase’s territory because of her injury.
They didn’t have any knights closely attached to them now.
“Doing that is good, but do you really have to do that now?”
“It’ll be over soon. I’ll just do one more set.”
After exercising every day for the past six days, it had become awkward for Jude to not continue his daily exercises.
‘Disciple, remember. All the strength of a man comes from a stable and strong lower body. It is already common sense that the circ.u.mference of the thigh is directly proportional to one’s lifespan.’
Jude wanted to ask whose common sense was that, but he did agree to the fact that training the lower body was important.
‘Because a person is an animal that stands on the ground with both feet after all.’
The whole body was stable only when the lower body was stabilized, and the whole body had to be stable in order to move the body properly.
“Ah, it’s hot. I’m sweating.”
Cordelia wrinkled her nose as she spoke. She was making a special juice with the help of magic.
It was what Landius asked for before he left.
“But you must have gotten a lot better with your Gueumjulmaek. You can now exercise that long.”
“I think the physical part has somehow been solved. It’s also thanks to the opening of the first door.”
After having finished his squatting exercise, Jude took a deep breath and received the juice from Cordelia.
“Look forward to it. Once my Gueumjulmaek is healed, I’ll carry you, cross over the wall, and care for you. I’ll even do all of it as a set.”
“What is this crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d saying?”
After their usual exchange, the two sat facing each other and started talking seriously.
“Well, we’ve come all the way here, so let’s organize our future schedule.”
“First of all, is our top priority the Sunflower?”
“That’s right, because the Sunflower will bloom in the next 15 days.”
As legend has it, the Sunflower was a flower that bloomed only once every twenty years and fell on the third day.
“We have to get the timing right.”
“We’ll have to leave in a week at the latest.”
They had to consider the time to get to Frost Anvil, and the time to travel through all kinds of obstacles to get to the place where the Sunflower is located.
“Eating the Sunflower will almost cure my Gueumjulmaek. In addition, I can also get my hands on a special const.i.tution.”
“What did you get when you ate it as Jude?”
“I don’t know, because I haven’t eaten it when I played as Jude. It was physically impossible then.”
Jude’s main scenario happens a year later after Cordelia and Lucas.
When Jude’s scenario began, it was after the Sunflower had already wilted.
“Hmm…if Cordelia eats it, it will damage her body instead.”
The Yang energy’s extreme energy was like a poison to ordinary humans.
“You’ve become a witch. So it’s my turn this time.”
“What about the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors?”
“That’s that.”
“I hate you.”
Jude sneakily laughed at Cordelia’s words, and said as he raised his palms as if to calm her down.
“But I’m not going to let it go after all. Just as I got the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors this time…there’s no rule that says that we have to move according to the original story.”
Cordelia tilted her head at Jude’s words, but soon understood it. She spoke with a smile on her face.
“Ancestral Regression technique.”
If Jude was born with Cheonmujiche, Cordelia was born with the very strong blood of a high-ranking angel.
Therefore, just as Landius acquired the power of a giant through Ancestral Regression technique, Cordelia could also gain the power of an angel.
“It’s an event that only takes place after the middle part of the original story, but…”
“I don’t have to wait until then?”
“Exactly. Because I’m here.”
The Ancestral Regression technique required a very special magic circle and various materials, but the problem of the magic circle could be solved right now.
It was proudly stored in Jude’s memory.
“JudeWiki is the best. It’s really convenient.”
“Please use it anytime, ma’am.”
Jude did an old-fashioned bow like those in plays, and then spoke to Cordelia who was laughing lightly.
“But, as you know, you have to collect the ingredients first. Do you know the materials necessary for the Ancestral Regression technique?”
“I have JudeWiki, so do I have to know?”
“That…you’re right, but do you know though?”
“I know it. You’re talking about that now, right? The most important material that cannot be replaced and varies for each Ancestral Regression target.”
“That’s right.”
The Ancestral Regression technique was a ritual to awaken the power of the ancestors hidden in the blood, which is the way to go through the soul.
And in order to make the ritual a success, they needed the blood of the target ancestor.
“Landius must have conducted the ritual with the blood of a giant. Though he had to go to a remote area to find the giants, it wasn’t that difficult as he could still meet them.”
But Cordelia was different.
She needed the blood of an angel.
“Uhhh…is there any way to get the angel’s blood early on?”
“It didn’t exist in the original story, but it should still be possible now.”
“That’s not… Ah! Lena!”
She is one of the five main characters in the first episode of Legend of Heroes and is the only woman among the main characters.
In the original story, Jude or Cordelia never met her, let alone prevent her death.
But this time, it was different.
There were two people who planned to meet her in person and save her life.
And Lena had the blood of an angel.
At the end of the first episode of Legend of Heroes, she was awakened as an angel through the Ancestral Regression technique.
“As expected, it’s Lena. We must get it. By all means.”
“Yes, but we don’t even know where she is right now, so we would only be able to get it at the right time period that we know.”
There have already been many changes due to the b.u.t.terfly effect, but Lena’s death event takes place in the barbaric land beyond the borders. Like the Sunflower, it was an event that occurred in conjunction with a special event with a fixed time period, so it was highly likely to proceed as scheduled.
“Then, let’s sort them in order.”
“Okay. First of all is the Sunflower event.”
“After obtaining the Sunflower, we will work on twisting the main scenario, ‘The Northern Barbarians’ Great Attack,’ from its very roots.”
“I think I know what you’re thinking.”
“Oh, really?”
“Really.”
Cordelia was the second place in the server rankings after all.
Jude cheerfully laughed and said.
“Yes, in the middle of our work on the main scenario, we will save Lena and get the angel’s blood.”
Then Jude himself will carry out the Ancestral Regression technique to awaken Cordelia as an angel.
“I can’t wait to for it to happen.”
When one awakens as an angel, wings made up of light are formed and it becomes possible to fly.
“Give me a ride when you awaken.”
“What is this crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d saying? What are you talking about?”
“Moving on.”
“Moving on?”
“Yeah, moving on…in order to do that, we have to first finish the Sunflower event well. One of the materials needed for the Ancestral Regression technique can be found in Frost Anvil.”
“That’s killing two birds with one stone.”
“Yes, we achieve two things by just going to Frost Anvil.”
And as usual, the two then quickly began to make detailed plans for their future schedule.
But during the next afternoon, an emergency report from Thunderdoom Fortress threw all their plans into the gutter.
“Because we’ve been attacked…twice.”
There had been two attacks from the demon followers that aimed at the children of the 12 northern families.
What was even more problematic was the fact that only Jude, Cordelia, and Lucas were attacked for the second time.
“Fortunately, Lady Sylvia, Miss Viola, Lord Felix, and Count Dahut’s male twins were not attacked.”
Some of them had already arrived home, like Count Dahut’s twins, but there were some who weren’t attacked even though they were on the way home, like Sylvia and Felix.
And these facts only suggested one thing.
‘The target of the Devil’s Hand were the three children – Jude, Cordelia, and Lucas – or at least, one of them.’
Therefore, Count Hræsvelgr gave a strict order to Lucas when he returned home.
‘Stay quietly at home. With the guests.’
Upon hearing Lucas’ entire explanation, Cordelia urgently turned to Jude, who cautiously asked.
“Then, Lord Lucas…what about the Sunflower?”
“My father said that he would give a separate order to his subordinates in finding the Sunflower. But before that…he said that a major search for the Devil’s Hand was necessary first.”
At Lucas’ words, Jude and Cordelia looked back at each other again.
‘Is this for real?’
‘Yes, I think it is.’
According to Lucas, the search operation for the Devil’s Hand must be completed first before they begin the work for the Sunflower.
However, if this happens, there was a high possibility that they would miss the Sunflower’s blooming period.
Moreover, if Jude and Cordelia do not directly go to Frost Anvil, the necessary materials for the Ancestral Regression technique would not be obtained.
“If we’re in Vedrfolnir, we’re free to go out because my father gave us his permission…so, would the two of you like to go sightseeing around the city together?”
Lucas sweetly offered with an apologetic face.
‘What should we do?’
‘Let’s get out of this one first.’
The two made up their minds and came up with a plan without any further discussion.
“I understand your concerns well. Thank you for your kindness, Lord Lucas.”
“It’s our first time in Vedrfolnir, so I’m very excited. I look forward to working with you tomorrow.”
When Jude and Cordelia responded with a smile instead of disappointment, Lucas became visibly relieved and then continued.
“Okay. I’ll be in charge and guide the two of you around Vedrfolnir’s attractions. It’ll be fun. By all means.”
“I look forward to it.”
“My heart is already pounding.”
Cordelia smiled while lightly pressing on her chest, and Lucas unconsciously blushed and hastily said.
“Um, then I’ll go now to prepare for tomorrow’s tour. Please have a good rest.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow, Lord Lucas.”
Jude and Cordelia acted like a married couple as they warmly received Lucas’ offer, and Lucas immediately left the room with a bright face.
“Hey, what should we do? If we agree to this, we’ll be stuck in this place.”
It was as Cordelia had said.
If they followed Count Hræsvelgr’s orders and went sightseeing around Vedrfolnir, they wouldn’t be able to save Lena, as well as get the Sunflower.
“I can’t help it. We have no choice but to do that.”
“That? Is there something we can do?”
“You know, the usual solution.”
Jude seriously spoke as he placed his two hands over Cordelia’s shoulder and gave her a deep and quiet look.
“Wh-what is it? Why are you looking like that?”
“Cordelia, do you trust me?”
“What is this crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d sa-”
Her words were cut off.
Cordelia realized it at that moment.
What the usual solution that Jude had mentioned was.
Moreover, Dahlia wasn’t here right now.
“F*ck.”
Cordelia cursed, and Jude took out the stationery.
***
‘I’m going on a honeymoon trip with my beloved Mr. Bayer. We’ll be back in a few days, so please don’t bother looking for us, okay?’
A letter was found on the bed of Cordelia’s room the next morning.
It was obviously written by Jude and Cordelia, but by that time, the two had already run off.