At Ilya's question, the Baron's face became serious.
After a while, the Baron opened his mouth as if he had made a decision.
“The Ruppelt family has been targeting the Black Crystal Mine that our region has owned since the ancestral era.”
“Black Crystal Mine?
Why?
Doesn’t that family already have plenty of money?”
Although the Black Crystal Mine was a valuable resource, it was not that great of a thing for the Ruppelt family, who were already wealthy and prestigious Imperial Army families.
‘They created the Heir Sword with that massive amount of Sword God Tear.’
The Sword God Tear inlaid in the Axion Dagger was several times more valuable than the mine, that's for sure.
The Baron sighed.
“I don't know that either.
But we were in a position where we couldn't give him up even if we wanted to.
If he disappeared, our fiefdom would collapse completely.”
For the Tringen family, the family of a small country lord who did not have as much wealth as the Ruppelt family, this mine was their largest source of income.
“Anyway, since we had not abandoned the mine since the ancestral era, they had been spiteful and lying in wait for us, constantly threatening us.
It was natural that they would always be hostile towards us.
That is why I had given you this command.”
“So then.”
“I wanted to go alone, but your mother was sick then, and it was difficult to take care of Erhan alone, so it was an inevitable choice.”
Ilya also remembered that the Baron's wife was sick at that time.
“My visit to that area with you then was for the purpose of meeting its master and negotiating.
To ask them not to touch our area anymore.
Although it was more like kneeling and begging than negotiating.”
A bitter smile appeared on the Baron's face.
Elia stared at her father in amazement.
The father she knew was always a majestic and proud father until their fiefdom was attacked by monsters and collapsed.
She couldn't imagine such a father kneeling and begging someone to save the fiefdom.
“Fortunately, the Ruppelts calmed down after that, and I thought my devotion had gotten through to them.
Until a few months ago.
But that was my foolish delusion.”
Elijah's eyes narrowed.
“After the monster attack happened, was it because of the Ruppelt family’s failure to help the neighboring fiefdoms?”
The Baron nodded in agreement with her guess.
“Yes, it's because of the pressure of the Ruppelt family.
They're a great family, so no one probably wanted to upset them.”
“The leader of that family is…”
“Derek Ruppelt.
Current Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army and Great Commander.”
Elijah's eyes widened.
It was Axion’s father.
But she couldn't understand why he would be so greedy for such a tiny black crystal mine at all.
'Is it possible that Axion asking me to get a pair of black crystals has something to do with this as well?'
While she was thinking like this, the Baron let out a hollow laugh and added.
"That's why our fiefdom couldn't get any help and ended up like this.
Well, isn't that all in the past now?
We should quickly focus on recovering.
Most importantly, look forward to tonight's dinner."
"What?"
When Ilya asked, the Baron smiled brightly.
“Isn't today the last day of your vacation?
Your mother is preparing dinner for you.”
At those words, Elijah's mouth opened in shock.
She couldn't believe it was already the last day!
'Three days have felt like three seconds!'
Now there is only one day left and it feels like one second.
Just imagining that she would be in the unit at this time tomorrow, she already felt depressed.
For a moment, it occurred to her that she wished Keisha would appear and extend this remaining day forever, just like a final day's field training.
'No, let's enjoy the remaining time.'
Elia shook her head vigorously as she thought.
She couldn't ruin the rest of her vacation with this gloomy mood.
Let's leave the feeling of depression for tomorrow after returning, and now focus on having fun with the family.
When she thought like this, she felt that her mood improved a little.
Ilya looked at the Baron and smiled.
"Okay!
I'm so excited!"
•
Before going down to the dining room for the banquet, Elia changed her clothes in her room.
“It's been a really long time since I've dressed like this.”
She was wearing a beautiful, luxurious dress, not a worn-out one.
It was a dress that the baron's wife had brought from town for her, on her holiday.
Every time she moved, the luxurious lace fluttered like feathers.
But the corset tightening her waist made her feel very uncomfortable.
“Oh… how did I wear such things so well before?”
She missed her baggy military uniform.
On the table, there was also a thick red wig, which the baron's wife had prepared.
Elia put the wig on her head and combed it.
"Why is he so tangled?
It's really annoying."
She also missed her short hair that never tangled.
A corset or long hair, they were things she had never felt uncomfortable with before, but once she lived without them and got used to the comfort, they became extremely uncomfortable.
'Should I continue to wear and live in men's clothes even after I am discharged from the army later?'
At the thought that crossed her mind for a moment, Illya laughed sarcastically at its absurdity.
What is this ridiculous idea?
Then she tied her tightly combed hair up and looked in the mirror.
There stood Ilya, the daughter of Baron Trengen, not Erhan, the deputy commander of the Anti-Demon Army.
After she was fully dressed, Elia left her room and headed towards the waiting room in front of the dining room.
In the waiting room, the Baron and his wife were already standing, dressed.
“You came?”
They were both dressed in their best clothes.
Since this was Elia's last dinner before her vacation ended, attention was evident in every detail.
"You look really beautiful in that dress...
Oh?
Elijah, are you okay?"
"…I'm fine."
Because of the corset that was causing her discomfort, her posture was distorted without her realizing it.
“I thought the weather was nice until a little while ago.”
The Baron's wife murmured anxiously as she looked out the window.
It was raining outside.
The rain that had been falling lightly began to gradually become heavier.
Thunder began to rumble as well.
'In order to make up for my return time, I will have to move quickly starting tomorrow morning.'
While she was thinking thus, the Baron's wife wrapped her arm around her shoulder and said.
“Then let's go to the dining room.”
The Baron's wife was leading her into the dining room where the banquet was being prepared.
Bang!
“What is that sound?”
“Is it thunder?”
Elia listened carefully to the voice.
Bang!
Bang!
It wasn't thunder.
“It's the sound of the front door handle.
Someone's coming.”
Normally, it was the butler who verified the identity of visitors to admit or reject them, but the poor baron's family had no servants except the kitchen maid in the dining room.
“Who could it be in this weather?”
“I'll go see.”
Elia said, then headed towards the front door.
I opened the front door.
The sound of heavy rain falling -
Rainwater was violently soaking the worn front doorstep.
Above that threshold, two military boots appeared.
Elia slowly raised her head.
On top of the two military boots, there was a military uniform completely soaked with rainwater and blond hair.
“…Axion?”
What is this doing here?
She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was dreaming.
Why would Axion come to her home in this simple rural fiefdom?
But it wasn't a dream.
In fact, his blue eyes looked very sad.
Meanwhile, Axion, completely soaked by the rain, looked at the woman standing in front of him with a shocked face.
She was wearing long hair and a dress, and she looked very strangely like Erhan.
"from?"
Only then did Elia realize that she was wearing a dress and a wig.
“I, I… My name is Ilya.
I am the twin sister of my brother Erhan.”
She explained in a confused voice.
Most importantly, she couldn't leave Axion standing there.
“Come in now.”
Axion bowed his head towards her as if to thank her, then entered the palace.
Every time he stepped, raindrops fell on him.
“Who came?”
The Baron and his wife appeared, and she explained.
“I think it’s someone from my brother Erhan’s unit.”
When she signaled to them with her eyes that they should master the pretend, the faces of the Baron and his wife immediately tensed.
“So, come in.”
The Baron's wife smiled warmly at Axion.
“Come here.
Wipe off the water first.”
The baron's wife brought a towel and handed it to him, so Accion wiped away the rainwater.
“More importantly, what brings you here?”
“I came to meet Erhan.”
Axion put the towel aside, then looked at the Baron, his wife, and Elijah calmly and asked.
His blue eyes sparkled sharply.
“Where is Erhan?”