Chapter 119: Death(1)

Outside the window of his office in the Southwest Territory, Luke glanced out. The huge, dazzling ocean and white sand were visible.

He could also see their enemies' drowned bodies being transported to the coast, as well as shipwrecked parts.

Luke groaned and shifted in his seat. When he turned around, he noticed his white commander outfit, which had been damaged and contaminated with blood and ash. It's ripped to shreds. Its majestic and sacred image had before vanished completely.

BANG!

When Luke heard the door burst open, he whirled around to see Paulina staring at him with wide eyes. He then noticed her staring at the damaged uniform on the stand. While glancing at Paulina's blank stare at the white outfit, Luke scratched his head.

"Erm... As you can see..."

"Please accept my apologies!"

"Yes, I apologize for destroying the uni- excuse me?"

Luke was perplexed as he glanced at Paulina. He then noticed her bowing towards him as if she were sincerely sorry, which caused Luke to be confused. Paulina then raises her eyes to Luke, a sad expression on her face. She immediately rushed over to Luke and hugged him. Luke was perplexed by these behaviors. When Paulina finally let go of Luke's grip, she stared at him with teary eyes, which surprised him.

"Hey, what's wrong-"

"Excuse me? Black?"

"Yes, black. I observed you didn't like the white uniform when you were wearing it, and now I understand why. Black Coated Hero ... I was such a fool!"

"B-black coat what?"

"Don't be concerned, my friend! This time I'm not going to make another mistake! I'll start to work on your freshly designed outfit right away! This time, the color will be black! I'm going to put my whole heart and soul into this piece!"

"But the war has already ended-"

"Shh! You're going to need something to wear to the upcoming celebration! It's time to celebrate our win! Everyone is going to be there!"

"But I will not attend-"

"Party?"

"Will that be a party for brother?"

When Luke and Paulina looked at the door, they noticed Snow and Liam approaching. Snow appears to have been properly cared for, as Luke had requested. Luke was concerned that because Snow is from the opposing side, she would not be well received, but it appears that her treatment is better than imagined.

"All right, then! I'm going to take my leave now, commander!"

Paulina lightly bowed towards Luke and went outside the room while Liam and Snow just stared at her pass by them. Liam carefully closed the door after Paulina had fully exited, and Snow began walking towards Luke. Luke carried her to sit her in his lap.

• Hey, Dad! Nobody has harassed Snow so far! There were only strange looks, but Liam handled them well!

Luke patted Snow's head and nodded. While glancing outdoors, he began to ask her a question.

"Have you had anything to eat?"

Snow shakes her head.

"Not yet dad; I'm waiting for you to join us to eat."

Luke exhaled and fixed his gaze on Liam. Liam just shrugged his shoulders and smiled awkwardly, as if he couldn't do anything. Luke then turned his gaze to Snow's body. She is very thin and in desperate need of nourishment.

"All right then, let's go eat-"

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Luke examined the device on top of the table that began to beep. Luke took a moment to consider this before putting Snow down.

"Nash, connect it for me. After that, go and eat with Snow and Liam. I'll catch up to you after this call."

For a little while, Nash, Snow, and Liam were silent before sighing. The call was then connected, and Lance's face appeared on the screen. After that, Liam and Snow went outside with Nash, leaving Luke alone inside. Liam then gently shut the door behind him, and Snow sighed. With his head tilted, Liam glanced at her.

"What's the matter, Snow? Are you feeling sick?"

"No... I just want to eat with my dad."

Nash then spoke up with a disappointed tone.

"Me, too... I'm sure the call will last a long time."

Liam paused for a while, staring at the two disappointed children, before clapping his hands as if he had an idea. Liam smiled as he drew the attention of the two children with his clap.

"How about we go get some food and bring it to Brother? I'm sure he won't object if we bring him the food."

Liam's words make Snow and Nash's eyes sparkle. Liam patted their heads and smiled at them.

"It appears you're planning something huh? Count us in."

When Liam and Snow looked in the direction of the voice, they noticed Selena and the others staring at them. Liam expanded his smile and nodded.

"First, let's go get a bunch of food."

"Sounds good."

After that, Liam and the others began walking towards the dining hall. Meanwhile, Luke's eyes were tired as he looked at Lance.

"What is it that you need from me? Your highness?"

• Wow, this is the first time I've been made to sound like a nuisance in someone's life. Are you really that sick of me now?

"It's not that I'm sick with you. It's only that... I'm exhausted and hungry. I haven't had anything to eat yet."

• If that's the case, why haven't you eaten yet?

"I was about to, but then you called."

Lance groaned and massaged his temples.

• My apologies; I just received some very important news that you needed to hear. Please bear with me for a moment.

"Sure, I'll listen."

• Alright, you've probably already heard about the celebration from Paulina by now. That means that all of the nobles, including the king, will be present.

"Uh-hmm, and?"

Lance remained deafeningly quiet for a few moments before scratching his head. He appears to be hesitant to speak. Luke regarded this with skepticism.

"Can you tell me what it is? Lance?"

• Haaa, you disrespectful little bastard. The king has requested that you and your group should attend. He wants to give you titles and rewards for successfully defending the kingdom in a single day. To be honest, winning a war in a single day is a remarkable achievement. I might have awarded you more than money, medals, or titles if I were the king.

Luke sighed in irritation as he combed his hair back. He then gave a direct response.

"I'm not interested in going."

• But you have to. They've also requested Snow and one giant representative to attend the celebration. They also wanted to interrogate you about the Kraken, as you could have figured by now.

"I knew it... That party is probably going to turn into an interrogation room for me."

• So you already knew huh? Well, I assume you also knew you couldn't get away with this.

Luke let out a long sigh. He then gave Lance a serious look, which made Lance a little uneasy.

"Your Highness, please present the medals to Snow and Nash. Oh, and give each one to the Sujin children as well; they deserve even at least a little recognition. Also, give the giant representative who will be arriving a lot of medals and rewards. The title? I don't need it, so give it to Noah and Finesse."

Lance blinked and lifted his palm as if trying to comprehend what Luke had just spoken.

• Wait, I get why the Sujin siblings and Snow are receiving medals, but why is Nash also present?

Luke remained motionless for a few periods, his gaze fixed on Lance's emerald green eyes. After then, he gently opens his mouth to respond.

"Throughout the war, Nash has been an excellent support for me. And he appears to adore sparkly things, so I'm sure he'll be pleased if you give him my medal."

Lance took a close glance at Luke's face. He then began to ponder.

'Support? What did he mean when he said that? Maybe Nash gave Luke a pep talk or a kiss on the cheeks before they went to battle, prompting Luke to be determined throughout the battle. Now it all makes sense. If a cute child like Nash gave me a kiss on the cheek, I would have the motivation to finish a month's worth of paperwork in one day. A kiss from a cute child is more beneficial than a cup of coffee. I understand now.'

Lance nodded, as if he understood, while Luke merely stared at him, perplexed.

'Just like that? He easily agreed? Is he not going to ask anything?'

When Luke heard Lance's voice addressing him again, his confused thoughts were interrupted.

• What about the part where Noah and Finesse are given the title?

"You must have heard Adam's declaration, in which he stated that Noah slaughtered their people, prompting them to fight. Even if that was only part of the reason for the attack, it will still touch a large number of people, and aristocrats will use it against him and his family. And as a member of the Viscellete family, I have a responsibility to protect them, right?"

For a brief while, Lance remained mute while staring at Luke's face.

• You know, Noah is a pretty strong guy. He will not readily submit or surrender to anyone. Why do you go to such lengths to assist them? Aside from the fact that you are a family member.

Luke leaned back in his chair and gazed out the window. He then began to ponder. Why is he going to such lengths for them?

Luke then came to a realization.

'The only reason I was angry with the author and the novel was that I wanted a nice conclusion for Noah and Finesse, and I wanted them to live happily ever after.'

Luke smiled softly and turned to face Lance, who was caught aback by Luke's unexpected soft smile. It's the first time he's ever seen Luke smile so warmly. This isn't Luke's regular phony saintly smile; the one he's flashing right now is genuine.

"Hmm, all I wanted to see was Finesse and Noah living in peace and happiness with their son. What I'm doing now may seem insignificant in comparison to what will occur in the future, but it is the only way for me to feel fulfilled. That holds true for my group, as well as Snow and Nash. They're my people, and they decided to follow me, so I want to serve them in any way I can. All I want is for them to live. You are, of course, included."

'Unlike in the story, where you all died horribly.'

Lance was taken aback by Luke's reaction. He couldn't say anything. He can't think of anything more to say or do but stare at Luke's serene and calm expression.

"H-hic-!"

Finesse hid her mouth behind her hand as she leaned into Noah's embrace. She's making every effort not to cry. Noah tried to console her in his arms before turning his gaze away from the gap in the door and onto Luke's party, who were standing motionless on the corridor.

They were carrying trays of food on their way to Luke's room when Noah and Finesse noticed them and decided to join them. They were going to surprise Luke but stopped when they heard about the celebration and rewards and decided to listen for a bit. From there, they could hear everything. From the cracks in the door, they could see Luke's genuine response and smile. They were speechless after hearing what he had just spoken.

Selena, Spencer, and Yulia stood in one corner, looking down on the floor and carrying trays of food, unable to speak. Klein consoled the four Sujin Children, who did their hardest not to cry. Even Liam, who was holding the door open to keep the gap open, was deafeningly quiet. With trembling eyes, Snow continued to see through the cracks. She then encircled Nash in her arms and embraced him tightly. Nash was crying, she could tell.

Noah exhaled and raised his eyes to the ceiling as he observed the silence. He began to grumble under his breath after that.

"You bastard of a little brother..."

• I... see...

Lance sighed and shifted in his seat. That's all he has to say about it. He didn't have anything further to say. He then noticed Luke nodding slowly.

"Now that we've had our say-"

Schwing!