I Reincarnated into a Game Filled with Mods – Chapter 67

Chapter 67

“Finally, we’re here. I see the gate over there.”

Claudia, who was riding at the very front, stretched out her hand. The familiar sight of the checkpoint in front of the city gates, which we had grown accustomed to, welcomed us.

The line was definitely longer than when I first arrived here after escaping from prison. It was proof that the city was starting to become more and more lively.

‘I wonder if the blacksmith is open again? I feel like I’ll have to visit soon.’

True to the Silver Dawn Knights’ route, known as the most newbie-friendly in Brightest Darkness 4, if you progress through the story in a standard way, you could obtain most of the elements necessary for your future journey in this one city.

From blacksmiths for reinforcing or enchanting armor and weapons, shops that handle most low- and mid-level goods, to a magic tower where you can learn low- to mid-level magic.

If you install Aurora as the lord and maintain a continuously friendly relationship, knights or warrior-type characters who use melee weapons could even take care of all their enhancements here.

Of course, it’s only possible to obtain most of the elements here. You’d still have to acquire top-tier magic, items, divine spells, and blessed weapons elsewhere.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

A head suddenly popped in. Blue-green hair filled a corner of my vision. Rize was looking at me with her characteristic playful smile.

Her breasts bounced as if they were keeping rhythm with the horse’s gait. Since she had discarded her armor in Arachnainera’s boss room, all she was wearing on her upper body was a white sleeveless shirt.

For reference, the armor can be supplied indefinitely. Whether the magic cast on the castle considers even the armor as originally existing items, or if it automatically replenishes as long as you bring it out, I don’t know.

At this point, it was questionable what kind of curse the lord mistook that magic for.

According to Aurora’s explanation, it was originally a magic applied only to a few top-tier magic towers, so I thought she had managed to find something like that.

In reality, only one person, the Empire’s greatest mage and the master of the Grand Library, could actually use that magic. It seemed like the lord really had it out for the Silver Dawn Knights.

Actually, in a way, it was a fortunate thing. Despite hating the Silver Dawn Knights enough to find such magic, she couldn’t achieve her goal because she lacked justification and eventually died first.

It probably would have been quite a headache for her. She couldn’t just execute the Emperor’s direct knights as she pleased, and…

Tearing apart the Silver Dawn Knights and then making only the four Knight Commanders follow her would have been the maximum revenge she could take immediately.

‘And then she went poof.’

“…You’re not thinking about that woman’s breasts, are you?”

As my thoughts trailed off and I was late to respond, Rize gave me a suspicious look. The distance between us narrowed further. I hurriedly answered before being questioned further.

“No. I just have something to think about.”

“I told you to touch mine too, didn’t I? I can make you forget all about that woman’s breasts.”

“…How many times do I have to tell you no?”

Since the heresy determination incident with Stella, Rize’s actions had become increasingly blatant. Just now, I could clearly see her deliberately emphasizing her breasts and twisting her body slightly.

My patience was wearing thin accordingly. I wasn’t sure I could hold out any longer if such temptations continued. Perhaps a month at most would be the limit.

“Yeah, I know, I know. Of course I know. I was just kidding.”

Rize giggled as she looked at me.

I had refused her offer to touch her breasts after we were done. Upon hearing my refusal, Rize jumped up and asked what the problem was, and I just confessed honestly.

I said I wasn’t confident I could stop at just touching her breasts once I started.

After hearing that, Rize was speechless for a moment, then with her characteristic playful expression, she said she understood and backed down obediently. It had been like this ever since.

“Welcome back, Knight Commander-nim!”

As we approached the city gate, the procession parted to the left and right, making way for us. The guard who was inspecting the baggage wagons at the checkpoint in front of the gate saw Claudia and saluted with a stiff posture.

“It’s a relief that you’ve returned safely! Was the subjugation successful?”

“Yes.”

Claudia tapped the head of Arachnainera, which was tied to the saddle. Even though some time had passed, it maintained the same form as when its head had just been severed.

Unlike ordinary monsters, monsters with powerful strength like Arachnainera rarely decompose unless something special happens.

They say it takes about half a year for them to start rotting even if you just throw them outside. The Human Butcher, whose entire body melted away and dropped a bloodstained sword as soon as it was subjugated, seemed to be a rather special case.

“Don’t get any strange ideas, okay? This was a humanoid monster.”

As the guards flinched at the sight of Arachnainera’s head, Claudia preempted any strange remarks.

With its head cut off, tongue sticking out, and eyes half-rolled back, its beauty remained. At first glance, it wasn’t strange at all to mistake it for a human head.

“Yes! Understood!”

The guard immediately cleared the way. It was fortunate that no unnecessary arguments broke out.

“You’re going to report to the Lord-nim right away, right? It’s a bit awkward for all of us to visit the castle together.”

“That’s right. I’ll go to Iris. Unni, Claudia, and Delta, please go to the Lord-nim’s mansion first.”

Erika turned left at the fork in the road, and we continued along the main road. Perhaps because she was conscious of the others, Rize rode her horse quietly without clinging to me.

We arrived at the mansion quickly. A knight standing at the main gate stopped us. It was a newly recruited knight after the previous lord’s servants were completely replaced.

Thanks to that, he didn’t treat us like dirt like the previous ones did. He even made a fuss, asking if we were the knights who served the Emperor upon hearing that we were the Silver Dawn Knights.

“What’s the matter?”

“We’ve just returned from subjugating a monster. We’re here to report to the Lord-nim about it.”

“I see. Alright, please come in.”

The knight exchanged a few formal words and then stepped aside. The same maid from before was waiting for us at the mansion’s main gate.

She was the maid who had served Aurora since she was a child, and was said to be the most trustworthy. The woman, dressed in a maid’s uniform that completely covered her from neck to toe without any exposure, bowed politely.

As we dismounted, a few servants approached and led our horses somewhere. The fact that they flinched for a moment upon seeing Arachnainera’s head tied to the saddle was an added bonus.

“We’ll wait here for the other two and then go in, is that alright?”

“Yes, there’s no problem at all. In fact, it’s something we’d like to recommend. The Lord-nim also needs time to ‘prepare’.”

At Claudia’s words, the maid glanced at me and emphasized the word “prepare.” Then, out of the blue, Rize clung to my arm. A fierce exchange of glances took place between the two.

How much time had passed like that? Iris and Erika arrived. With the combination of a blunt personality and a quiet personality, there was silence between the two, so much so that not even a breath could be heard.

Rize and Claudia shook their heads, saying it was a suffocating sight just to look at. Honestly, I agreed a little.

“Aurora-nim is waiting inside.”

The maid, who had guided us to the reception room, opened the door with practiced movements.

As we stepped inside, we saw Aurora sitting in the main seat, sipping tea as usual in a dress that revealed her side breasts, armpits, and collarbone. Aurora’s golden eyes were fixed on me.

“How was the subjugation? Did it go well?”

“Everyone came back alive, didn’t they? It probably went well.”

“Hmm… Judging by the fact that you’ve all broken your armor, it doesn’t seem like it.”

Erika and Claudia coughed at the same time, as if stung by those words. One had been poisoned and on the verge of death, and the other had been caught by Arachnainera and nearly died.

“Knight Commander Iris didn’t even participate in the subjugation, so let’s say that’s fine, and Delta, you don’t wear armor in the first place, so let’s say that’s fine too, but the other three were wearing armor, weren’t they? But the fact that you came back without armor means you lost it somewhere, doesn’t it? If your armor was intact, you would have worn it in here.”

“You’re spot on. Well, quite a few things happened.”

“I really want to hear about it, so tell me later, one by one. I have some things I want to talk about first. Sit down first. You can’t talk standing like that, can you?”

Aurora gestured. We sat down on the sofas surrounding the table. Then the maids rushed over and placed teacups and small plates in front of each of us, and poured us tea.

“Delta. First of all, there’s something you need to hear.”

“Me? Ah, the thing you asked me to investigate last time-”

“I finished investigating that too, but that’s not what I want to talk about now. If it was, I wouldn’t have said it was a top priority.”

“…?”

“This is what I want to talk about now.”

Aurora carefully picked up the parchment that was on the table and handed it to the maid next to her. The maid bowed deeply at the waist, received it with both hands, and came over to me, extending her arm.

“Take it. It’s yours.”

“It’s okay if I open it here, right?”

“I gave it to you to do that, but the other Knight Commanders can’t see it. You have to be the first one to check it alone, Delta, and only after you give your permission that it’s okay to look at it together can we see it.”

“…What is this?”

“Turn it over.”

At Aurora’s words, I turned over the rolled-up parchment. The knotted string and the golden seal with a pair of dragons depicted on it.

It was a very familiar pattern.

“Oh, this…”

My words were cut short. Rize, who was sitting right next to me, leaned over to see what it was, then returned to her seat with a pale face. The other Knight Commanders who saw the parchment were the same.

“That’s right. It’s the Emperor’s seal.”

Aurora sipped her tea.

“Emperor Kykilia Herself has sent you a personal letter.”