Farewell

Will returned to Gadreel the next morning. He and Micheal, and Marcus arrived in his manor's foyer.

Confetti and other streamer hung across the Grand Ballroom. It was evident a grand celebration occurred yesterday.

Micheal clicked his tongue and set off to have a word with Ms. Park, and Marcus left for his manor to see his wife and newborn daughter Rose.

Will walked upstairs and knocked on Elizabeth's bedroom door. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find it empty.

He quickly checked on Edward, who was sound asleep and snoring loudly. Next, he checked the nursery and saw his newborn twins Liam and Lily fast asleep.

Not wanting to walk anyone up, he went to his bedroom for a quick bath and change of clothes.

When he opened his door, he found Elizabeth sleeping in his bedroom.

The sound of the door opening woke Elizabeth, who was a delicate sleeper.

"Your home?" Elizabeth said sleepily.

"Why are you in my bed?" Will asked curiously.

Elizabeth's face turned a rosy red in embarrassment.

"I started sleeping in this bed after you left. I was lonely and sleeping in your bed reminded me of you," Elizabeth said trying to hide her rose-colored cheeks.

"Ha-ha. That's cute. I missed you too!" Will said jumping into bed with his wife.

"Did you miss me?" Elizabeth asked.

"Every day!" Will said gently lifting her head and kissing her.

"Madam are you a—" Sasha interrupted herself when she Will and Elizabeth kissed in bed.

She quickly shut the door and warned the others not to disturb the master and madam.

Will and Elizabeth sleep together rekindling their love several times over.

After bathing and changing their clothes, the happy couple held hands as they walked into the dining hall.

James, Edward, and Helen were already seated and eating at the table.

"Welcome back son!" James said getting up to hug his victorious son.

"We missed you and Marcus dearly," Helen said hugging her youngest child.

"Father, Mother it is good to see you both!" Will smiled and hugged his parents.

"Praise gods, the war is over! We worried about you and Marcus every day!" Helen said worriedly.

"Did you hear the news, Kurosawa built a statue of you and Nisha in the Centre Plaza. The people were thrilled. There's a heroic bronze statue of you on horseback with Nisha poised ferociously beside you," James said proudly.

"The horse also looks majestic, with its one hoof raised above the ground," Helen added.

"At first Kurosawa didn't want to build the statue, but the citizens demanded to honor the city lord's achievements," James said proudly.

"Well, I am happy the people got their wish," Will said not sure how to respond.

"Are you here to stay or do you have to go back?" Helen asked.

"No, I have to return," Will said trying to hide his sadness.

However, Elizabeth easily picked up that something was wrong.

Yet, before she could knock Michael came in with an announcement.

"Sir, Miss Ling of Song and her son Huang of Song are here to see you."

Will looked to Elizabeth who nodded approvingly.

Micheal led Lingling into the dining hall, with her newborn baby. Unlike Liam and Lily upstairs who had the traditional Ballard silver hair and green eyes, Huang had black hair and blue eyes.

"Is this your son?" Will said uncertainly.

"Yes, this our son," Lingling corrected him.

"Welcome, we're Will's parents," James said hugging the woman.

Neither Elizabeth nor Helen said anything to Will's mistress.

"Will, is it true the war is over?" Lingling asked hopefully.

"Yes, the demon army has been defeated," Will explained the anticlimactic final battle.

"You bribed a demon?" James laughed boisterously.

"Shall you help my home kingdom now?" Lingling asked.

"Crown Prince Lukas is holding a political summit to redraw kingdoms' boundaries after the war. It's there, I'll argue for Qhosnir's sovereign interest," Will explained.

After the family enjoyed breakfast together, Will, Elizabeth, and Edward traveled to Guidon to see Camille.

They hadn't arrived king before Whitby Manor long before Camille ran in and hugged her father. Tears streamed down her face.

"I missed you, Father. Did your wound heal?" Camille asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Mother Tiamat gave me medicine, which healed my wound. How are classes? Have you made any friends?" asked Will checking in on his daughter.

"Classes are fine. I've earned good grades and made trustworthy friends.

I also joined the Guardian Guild," Camille said showing Will her guild pin.

"You did?" Will smiled looking at her guild pin proudly. "Remember good friends can be a treasure greater than gold. Keep your grades up and follow your heart.

I'm very proud of the young woman you've become," Will said proudly.

"Thank you, father," Camille said tearfully.

Then she ever so slightly asked about Earl von Mueller.

The four of them talked for a while, at lunch at Guidon's casino's restaurant, and said their goodbyes.

Will watched as Camille was all smiles as she and Henrietta walked to the Mage Academy.

Before returning to Gadreel, Will found a quiet corner. When he suspected no one was near he called out, "Samuel, report!"

"She didn't say it, but she's very popular. The students considered her the campus fairy and she had lots of friends: mostly from her K-8, some new," Samuel reported, his voice coming from somewhere hidden like a ventriloquist.

"You've advanced, congratulations. Tell me the boys?" Will asked curiously.

"Many like her, and she's friends with some, but her heart belongs to Earl von Mueller," Samuel described.

"Good. I'm leaving soon. Please watch her for me when I'm gone," Will told Samuel.

Elizabeth looked and saw Will speaking to himself in the corner. She knew at once he was speaking to Samuel.

When Samuel left Gadreel, she thought he joined the Allied Army. Only now did she realize, Samuel, shadowed Camille as her bodyguard.

With Headmaster Wang still overseas, very few more people on campus, most likely, would detect his presence.

While Elizabeth couldn't hear the conversation, she could read Will's body language and emotions.

For her husband's strength and intelligence, he was shockingly inept at social emotion cues.

It was the reason, why women with a high aptitude for social and emotional skills could manipulate Will sexually. April, Cherry, and Lingling all fit into this category.

Elizabeth could easily detect the melancholy in Will's eyes.

After speaking with Samuel, Will cast [Gate] to his ancestral home. The Barony where he grew up was now a Viscounty.

He knocked on the door where he reincarnated 34 years ago.

"Marquis and Lady vont Ballard please come in," said a butler Will didn't remember meeting.

"I am Roderick. My father served as a butler until his passing. I grew up in the town. I saw you on two occasions when we were children.

One moment while I alert the master and madam," he sawing bowing 90 degrees at his waist, and ushered them into the master drawing room.

While they waited, Elizabeth asked her husband, "Will, why are we here?"

"I want to see my brother and his family before I leave," Will replied.

"Why does the word leave sound— let's talk tonight," Elizabeth decided it was best to talk away from Edward.

Soon Jason, his pregnant wife, and their three kids James, Helen, and Nikolette came to greet them.

"Brother!" Will and Jason said hugging.

"What brings you here?" Jason asked inquisitively.

"I haven't seen my eldest brother and his family in a long time. I wanted to visit with you one last time before I return to the Allied Army," said dismissively.

"James, Helen, show your elder cousin the viscounty. Nurse, take Nikolette back to her crib," Jason's wife demanded.

After the children left, the adults had an enjoyable afternoon of conversation.

"Thanks to your soybean farms and the Centre Plaza citizens of the viscounty are doing well. People across the northwest region, even some beastmen, come to the city to visit Carlsberg and Sexton Company," Jason said excitedly.

"Truly, I'm happy for you brother!" Will said.

They continued to chat some more until late afternoon when Edward returned.

"Brother, before you leave, please give me your advice. Do you have any recommendation to improve the viscounty?" Jason asked.

"I haven't explored our ancestral fief since its promotion to a viscounty. If you have a question just ask me," Will replied honestly.

"I want to sell an additional cash crop. As you know we earn most of our money from soybeans and sell wheat when we're able, we also sell our surplus grain and meat.

However, we only utilize half the land in our expanded territory. I've thought about growing tobacco, and cotton, or expanding our cattle business," Jason wondered.

Will cast [Radar] and let his senses expand out along the ground. He could sense the minerals in the ground as well as the crops and livestock.

"The viscounty now controls nearly 15 kilometers of riverfront property. If you can wait. I would build a large vineyard, with a winery and resort on the riverbank," Will advised.

"And could you build the winery and resort?" Jason asked.

"Hm." Will sighed. "I have a lot of projects I'm managing right now. If I'm able, I'll gladly build the winery and resort. Take this, let's call it my share of the investment," Will said handing his brother 500 gold coins.

With that settled Will, Elizabeth, and Edward said their goodbyes and returned home to Gadreel for dinner.

That evening, Elizabeth and Will traveled to Tirana. Where Will said his cryptic farewells to King Roland who raved about his upcoming Masquerade Ball and his in-laws.

"What's with the melancholy farewells?" Elizabeth said upon their return to Gadreel for the night.

Will told her about his deal with Lord Mammon. And his plans tomorrow afternoon to sneak into the nightmare god's realm.

"You plan to fight a god?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, I plan to save as many lives as possible by risking my own. You've been to Tartarus, do you think an army of non-magical humans can beat a god?" Will asked.

"I don't know, but I feel a combined army of humans and demi-humans working together may stand a chance!" Elizabeth said crying and gently hitting Will.

"Even if I fail, I'll weaken Thanatos and give those fighting above on Terra a better chance!" Will explained.

"You stupid man. You'll get killed yourself killed. While you are stronger than most humans, the only godly power you possess is economics and mercantilism.

You are not strong like cousin Area, or a Battle Strategist like aunt Athena.

Neither are you overly powerful like your uncle Zeus or Poseidon.

And you lack your grandparents' Aether and Gaia primordial talents.

Tell oh great demigod, your strategy to face Thanatos tomorrow?" Elizabeth asked angrily hitting Will harder.

"I have yet to think of my strategy. As you said, compared to gods, I have no advantages," Will agreed sadly.

"Then I'm to be a widow tomorrow. You'll make a dowager of me before my time, for no reason other than stupidity! You men and your brainless sense of bravery!

Promise me, if by some miracle by the gods you survive. No more wars! I'm tired of spending my night alone wondering if you'll return or not!" Elizabeth said hugging Will tightly and kissing him.

Will answered, "Yes, I promise."

The next morning, after breakfast, Will held a staff meeting. He was excited to see his senior clerks and city administrators.

Will listened to his clerks' and administrators' reports and reviewed the ledger pointing out mistakes or discrepancies.

Will miss the simple happiness that came from reviewing ledgers and accounts.

Nothing brought him more happiness than seeing his global business empire thriving.

Except, of course, for the happiness that came from expanding his global business empire.

"Finally, the last agenda item. My last testament.

Upon my death, my business shares pass down to Edward, but a new Chief Executive shall be hired instead.

According to my last testament, Edward shall appoint someone among your rank to manage the day-to-day operation.

I've informed Edward to not discriminate on the bounds of sex, race, or nationality. Instead, to appoint the person, he believes, best to manage and grow my company," Will explained.

"Boss Will, why tell us this now?" Mei asked.

"Death can come at the most unexpected moment," Will explained evading her question.

"Boss Will, I think, I speak for everyone when I say we wish you a king and happy life. We would love to see you advance to Sage, and our children and grandchildren serve," Kurosawa said submissively.

The other senior clerks and Landen nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, for your support. It means a great deal to me. Meeting adjourns," Will said.

After everyone was gone from his office and he was alone. Tears began to fall down his cheeks like gentle rain.

"Ah," Will sighed. His stoicism was restored. He cast [Gate] and returned to meet Mammon.