Lilibet got out of bed and rang the hanging bell. Her ladies-in-waiting then entered and helped her dress. One of the ladies-in-waiting removed the bedsheets and said,

“Should I keep this separately?”

“Yes. I’ll show it to the Nobles later, so don’t ever forget to put it away.”

The lady-in-waiting bowed deeply and withdrew. Before she went to wash, supported by the other ladies-in-waiting, she asked,

“What do you mean by ‘keep it’?”

“It’s proof that we spent our memorable first night together. Didn’t I tell you before? I told you we need to show the Nobles that we are a proper married couple.”

She had certainly said something like that. But this was a different case. It wasn’t like she had wet the quilt. Boasting to others about losing her virginity was hard for the Protagonist to understand based on common sense.

However, her neck didn’t even flush. It was proof that she considered this not embarrassing, but a matter of course. The Noble way of thinking was utterly incomprehensible.

“Normally, I would have called influential Nobles to watch, but even I found that embarrassing.”

“Watch what?”

“Don’t make a lady say such things! Anyway, I’m going to wash now, so you should get ready too. Our enemies might attack again today.”

The Princess left the room with her ladies-in-waiting. A lady-in-waiting approached the Protagonist to serve him, but he sent her away. The Protagonist preferred to do things himself.

When he changed his clothes and came out, Mordon was already waiting outside. He took Mordon and headed to the place where the Nobles gathered.

As he walked through the Royal Palace corridor, he saw Nobles. They placed their palms over their chests and bowed slightly in greeting. This had not happened before. The Protagonist also greeted them back as he walked. He already felt tired.

The Nobles waited for the Princess to appear in the Audience Chamber.

She was the only remaining member of the Royal family, and with the King dead, she now stood in the position representing her family. Although she hadn’t had a proper coronation, that was the situation.

After a long wait, she finally emerged, and the Nobles began to speak. It was almost like a reporting session, where each reported on the enemy’s movements in their assigned areas.

“The sentry on guard said he didn’t hear any irritating sounds last night.”

“You mean the bone-scraping sounds made by those Skeletons.”

“Could it be that those guys have retreated?”

He heard the Nobles whispering to each other nearby.

The reporting Noble’s words were no different, indicating that the enemies had indeed retreated. If they were going to launch another offensive, they should have attacked at dawn.

He subtly whispered to the Count. Other Nobles were also talking, so there was no need to be cautious.

“Did they retreat?”

“They wouldn’t have given up on conquering my Castle.”

“Why do you think that?”

“If they started a Rebellion, they must at least take this Capital City. Then they would execute the central Nobles and eliminate or win over the Royal family, who would be the focal point. If they retreat without doing so, no matter how great they are, they will inevitably be subjugated.”

“Because if things continue like this, the provincial Lords will rush here?”

The Count nodded as if to agree.

“Even they wouldn’t be able to deal with all the Nobles rushing in at once. For them to survive, they must eliminate all the Influential Figures who can command the Lords.”

“Conversely, if they kill everyone, they can just deal with them one by one, right?”

“Indeed, there’s nothing easier to deal with than an army that has lost its head.”

Listening to the Count’s words, he understood.

They had already started a Rebellion and drawn their swords, so they had to lay siege to the Castle. Otherwise, only death awaited them. Their retreat this time still didn’t make sense.

“What kind of trick are they trying to pull?”

“I don’t think they retreated with a hidden agenda. Perhaps it’s because of you.”

“Me?”

“No matter how many Corpses they gather to use as Soldiers, there’s a limit. When people usually die, they’re burned out of fear of Plague.”

“That’s right.”

He nodded.

When someone died in the Village, they were either discarded far away or burned.

To bury them in the ground, one had to dig a very deep pit, but usually, out of laziness, people only dug enough for a body to lie down and then covered it.

If they were unlucky, a plague would break out in the Village. A Village afflicted by the plague would be disbanded that very day.

“There are many large public cemeteries in the Capital City and a custom of burying warriors, but even that number has its limits.”

“At least a few hundred, wouldn’t it be?”

The Count looked at him. It was a look that seemed to ask if he genuinely didn’t know.

“How many Skeletons do you think attacked us this time?”

He didn’t understand the intent of the question, but he thought about it nonetheless.

The bones trampled by the Golem alone numbered over a hundred. The Protagonist had dealt with a similar or even greater number.

“It must be around two hundred.”

“Then, if you include what the Soldiers dealt with, it would be three hundred. No matter how many corpses are interred in the cemetery, they lost such a large number at once, so they’ll have to go and dig up more corpses.”

At least, the other side must have suffered significantly in this battle, likely losing up to ten thousand corpses. If those were not corpses but living people, it would be unimaginable.

The Nobles were all saying similar things. Most speculated that while the number of corpses buried in the common cemetery was immense, a significant portion must have been lost in yesterday’s offensive. Some even made a fuss, claiming the enemies had retreated.

However, listening to the Count, it seemed unlikely they would give up. Even if they didn’t attack today, there was a high probability they would reappear once they gathered more corpses.

If the Protagonist were them, he would likely absorb himself for several days to finally capture the Castle this time. He needed to prepare before that.

“The enemies will rest for a while, so we’ll have some leeway, right?”

The Count nodded.

“Why do you ask?”

He told him about the Ring. It would take at least a day to make it. If not now, he wouldn’t be able to make the Ring.

The Count’s face hardened.

“You mean you’re going to become a proper High-ranking Mage. And if you do, you’ll be able to do what you showed earlier as easily as breathing.”

“That’s right.”

“The Golem case is ambiguous. I’ve never heard of anything that could be called a top-grade Magic Stone. Still, I’ll try my best to find some for now.”

His face brightened. If the Count could procure Magic Stones for him, he might be able to create an incredible Golem. Once he shattered the Wall, engraving the Mana Circuit would also become easier.

On his way back after the meeting, he didn’t forget to speak to the Princess.

She openly rejoiced and showed her anticipation. She headed somewhere, saying she was going to show the evidence of their first night to the Nobles, including the Duke.

He truly wondered if she wasn’t embarrassed.

It was strange that Lilibet, who would blush just by holding hands, didn’t have her neck flush in this situation.

Meanwhile, Bankel came to mind. He was initially close enough to guard the Princess. He wondered what he would think upon seeing the blood-stained Quilt.

He knew from Chloe that it was quite common for a Guard to fall in love with the Lady they served.

He hoped there was nothing between them.

Seeing him follow the Duke afterward, the Princess must have been in the Capital City for a short time as a Guard. If he liked the Princess, he might lose his mind and come looking with a sword. He was quite skilled, so it would be dangerous if he suddenly attacked from close range.

As the Protagonist was about to return to his Quarters, the Old Man stopped him. It was because the Protagonist had said he would be still for a while. He knew about the Ring. There was no need for long explanations.

“I will cross the Wall.”

“…!”

The Old Man made a gnawing expression.

He was one of those who knew how incredibly powerful a Mage could become by crossing the Wall. He curled his lips and gazed into the distance, his chest swelling with emotion.

“Can you cross it?”

“Yes.”

“Considering what you, already an intermediate Mage, have shown, there’s no need to worry. I look forward to the sight you will present when you break through the Wall and ascend.”

“But I’m the one who’s gaining the achievement?”

He didn’t quite understand.

After all, it was the Protagonist who was getting stronger.

Even if they were both Mages, the Old Man was an outsider. There was no reason for him to be happy about someone else’s business. But the Old Man seemed beside himself with joy, as if it were the Protagonist’s own affair.

The Old Man shook his head.

“Did I tell you that Mages are not treated well in the Kingdom?”

“I think I heard that.”

He nodded. He didn’t know why the Old Man suddenly brought up a different topic.

“It only improved because the Elder Magician was in the Court for a long time. Originally, Mages were not treated very well. Before I was born, there were even cases where they were accused of being witches and burned at the stake.”

“It was that bad?”

He shivered.

If the Protagonist had been born then and his magic was discovered, he would have been killed by the villagers in the Capital City.

Before that, he wouldn’t have even thought about working as a mercenary with magic.

“There’s no such perception now. But many Nobles still believe the sword is supreme and look down on those like us, calling us Spellcasters.”

“Why is that? We’re much better in a fight.”

It was difficult to kill an opponent just by fighting with a sword.

Unless there was a huge difference in skill, they had to clash swords so long that it would bore anyone watching. But magic had a wide range, and even if one shot hit, it would cause at least severe injuries.

“Aren’t we weak in a one-on-one Duel? To them, we are cowards who fight from afar. Their thinking is that we are nothing if we face them directly.”

“Would they still think that after seeing my Golem?”

“They would consider that cowardly too.”

“Then I suppose I have to fight with a sword too.”

“All we could do was show them the magic we had trained. I thought if I showed them a magnificent spectacle that would leave them speechless, our treatment would improve. But it was impossible at my level.”

The Old Man looked at him. There seemed to be a fire in his eyes.

“But you are different.”

“…”

“The spectacle you showed in the previous battle was truly astounding. If you become a proper High-ranking Mage and defeat those wicked Shamans, everyone will know. This battle will make the entire Kingdom aware of a Mage like you.”

“Wouldn’t it just be another name added to the High-ranking Mages? You said there were already several High-ranking Mages.”

The Old Man shook his head.