chapter 17

Inside the Windstad mansion, Don office.

The lord of the house himself was looking through the report that came from the recent fire that started in the western side of the city, specifically- from the mansion of Count Bulsis.

"The Count and his useless son is dead?" his brow wrinkled as he read the report that was given to him by the guards who did the investigations.

The report told that the Count body was found in a sitting position on a chair, all chained up and two large steel needles impaled his thigh, one could see that he died a quite miserable death, being cooked slowly while bleeding out.

Even his son Dannis, death, wasn't that much better either, his body was all beaten up with all kind of objects, most of them are blunt blows, quite clumsy one at that too.

"Well, now that he's dead, there's goes our lead on the espionage mission that Count Bulsis was in suspicion of...and likely all the dirty deeds that he had done…" Don let out a long sigh and began to reorganize the files once again.

But suddenly something dropped out from within the report, a small letter, with the crest of a two-headed hawk with an olive branch, encircled it.

"T-this is…!!" Don was stupefied when he held up the letter.

Don was very familiar with the crest itself, as many nobles of the world would recognize it.

"The Empire of Romanii is involved?!" Don had that dread feeling inside of him.

This was beyond his expectation, never in a million year did he believe that a major power such as the Romanii Empire would actually set it sight onto the Evergreen kingdom.

Sure, it may be strong- but the Evergreen kingdom could only count as one of the stronger power for this side of the continent among the smaller kingdom, but comparing itself to the Romanii Empire is just like comparing a baby to a full grown man who is a warrior.

At first, Don thought that it was the Free City Republic that set it sight onto the kingdom itself or that of the Violet Plain, however, it turned out to be the Empire.

"But the question is...who caused the death of the spy and brought the evidence to me…" Don wondered as he tried to figure out the identity of the person who did all of this, what is his reason, by killing that spy, it would likely cause some trouble for the Evergreen kingdom since it provoked the mother country itself, the Romanii, on the other hand- delivering this missive is a way of saying that he or she is on their side.

It was then that Don thought back on the fire that raged from Count Bulsis mansion.

"Wait...could it is …hahaha….what a funny joke… killing the spy in his own home through an accidental fire." Don cover his face with his palm.

"Kyle!" Don called out for the rank eight expert butler.

"My lord?" the butler bowed when he walked in.

"Silent all those who investigated into the matter of Count Bulsis, include the guards, and servants of the mansion itself, do it quietly, I don't want the matter to spread." Don gave his order.

"As you wish...your grace." the butler Kyle bowed once before quickly walked off and closed the door behind him.

*****

Somewhere in the Northern border of the Evergreen kingdom, the former Evergreen army camp that stationed the troop that fought against the Rosen Kingdom, and the Holy kingdom.

It was no longer an army encampment, since the war that erupted out a year ago, the place itself slowly flourished, the army barrack was just a remnant of the old day, the camp was dismantled in place for settlement as the border itself was pushed further up north into the Rosen territory, all thank the effort of Duke Welser and the five thousand undead troop.

"It has been over a year already...he still hasn't returned...I hope nothing bad happened to him." Ryan, who dressed in a military uniform stood on the balcony of the newly built town hall and looked at the newly sprung uptown that replaced the military camp just a few months ago.

"Ryan, are you worried about him?" Mavis entered through the door, seeing Ryan longing expression as she looked out into the horizon and asked.

"Yes...I wonder how he's doing now...was it like the first world that we entered? Or is it something new and strange…" she wondered.

"Aww~ don't worry too much about that kid, I'm sure that he's going to be fine, I mean- for all we know, he might be picking up girls on the other side," Mavis said jokingly.

"pfft…I honestly don't know if I should be laughing or crying by those words." Ryan giggled as she heard Mavis sarcastic comment.

"...but...what should I do if that were the case?" Ryan mood turned sour as she imagines what Mavis said as a possibility.

"Well if that were the case, I say we beat him up! I mean, he got beautiful girls waiting for him at home, and still going out picking up more?!" Mavis suggested as she raises her fists and waving it around and do some air punches.

"...please, don't hurt him too much...ok? I mean, he must have encountered some difficulty…" Ryan tries to speak up for Leonard.

"Are you saying that you're okay with him taking in mistresses?" Mavis asked Ryan in a serious tone of voice.

"I-I...I just don't know… I don't really know how to respond if that were to be the case, I just hope...that he still remember me." Ryan said softly.

*sigh Mavis just let out a deep long sigh as she looked at Ryan acting all shyly when the topic of Leonard was brought up, even when they were discussing about the worse possibility ever- she still find a way to speak up for him, up till now Mavis still couldn't figure out this girl personality at all, when times needed it, all Mavis need to do is give her a gun and she changed into a dependable, strong and ruthless leader- but when she took the weapon away, she reverted back to the shy teenager who fell head over heel for a boy once more.

"Must be rough family life…" Mavis says in her inner monologue.

Even with the topic of the chance of him bringing back more competition for all of them.

"By the way, on the way here, I saw that same guy who keeps going after you for the past six months...what are you planning to do about him?" Mavis asked Ryan- which caused her to flinch when the topic of that person was mentioned.

Ryan remembered how that guy tried so hard to impress her, even going as far as setting off a few surprises every now and then which included gifts, and flattering.

She did not trust that man at all, it felt like that he was trying too hard at it, and the man acting quite suspicious from time to time as well, she knows that he was up to something, however- she could not grasp on what it is.

"You know...if you were to ask Luminous, she could quietly dispose of him for you…" Mavis then brought up Luminous and her hobby.

"You know that I cannot do something like that! It would cause lord Vandal a lot of trouble if anything were to happen to that man, I mean...he is a representative from the Free City Republic." Ryan reminded her.

"I know...but we can always make it look like an accident, Luminous is very good at doing something like that." Mavis continued.

"No means no, the last thing I need is causing trouble for lord Vandal and his grace," she replies in a low tone.

"Oh~ I see how it is...you don't want to cause trouble for your soon to be in-law family huh?" Mavis smirked before quickly got behind Ryan and hugged her.