Stella, who brought the chess pieces, placed white and black pieces on the map. The white horses advanced from the territory, while the black horses attacked from both sides.
“…It’s a blockade.”
“If you are attacked from all sides without a place to retreat, even a 4-star Summoner can’t withstand it.”
From this information, I realized one thing.
“Someone among our vassals is a traitor.”
“…Why do you think so?”
“Look, would anyone ruin a strategy they’ve been working on for at least ten years by acting this foolishly?”
The demons had managed to dig a tunnel undetected for over a decade. If given just a few more years, the Duke would have crushed them with complete certainty. Yet, the demons abandoned their surefire victory and launched an uncertain invasion.
Why?
“I have specific information. The attack began right after the Duke left his post, as if they knew the timing perfectly.”
The demons even sent high-ranking demons that a single 3-star summon—or even two—couldn’t handle alone.
If Stella had been alone, or if other cadets besides us had accompanied her, the Duke of Eritz would have been overrun. He would have lost his life.
Humanity would have lost a 4-star summon, and all the heirlooms and by-products stored in the Duke’s secret warehouse would have fallen into the hands of the demons. They would have used those heirlooms to create even stronger demons.
‘This situation is truly grim.’
The thought made my stomach churn. If the South fell, what would be next? The West, East, and North would be vulnerable too. A shrinking human territory would mean fewer resources, making it impossible to sustain the remaining population.
Humans would slowly starve and perish.
“So, the important thing now is…”
“Yes. We must find the traitor.”
“A traitor…?”
Ian rubbed his temples, trying to recall anything useful from memory.
But none of the vassals left much of an impression. Ian only remembered Dinua because of her striking looks and figure. If not for those features, he might have forgotten about her too.
“The traitor must be a man.”
“…A man?”
“Yes. I just have a strong feeling.”
“…An oracle, perhaps?”
“Maybe.”
Stella took Ian’s words seriously and promised to incorporate them into her investigation. She then buried herself in other matters. Since she hadn’t formally inherited the estate yet, managing it on behalf of the Duke was giving her quite the headache.
Ian glanced at the papers to assist her, but immediately backed away. The documents were filled with complicated content—politics, military tactics, and economics—that he couldn’t make sense of, no matter how hard he tried.
‘This is way out of my league.’
Not wanting to disturb her, Ian quietly left the lord’s room.
***
A few days later, the Duke of Eritz returned with his expedition.
When he entered the lord’s office, he was slightly surprised to see that Stella had been managing things in his absence. After all, nothing had gone wrong while he was away.
However, upon learning about the demon attack, the Duke’s rare anger surfaced.
“There’s a traitor among the vassals…”
“Yes, Father. I’m certain of it.”
The Duke nodded grimly. “Yes, it seems so.”
But finding the traitor would be difficult. Most of the vassals had served the Eritz family for over ten years and were known for their loyalty. It was hard to believe that one of them could be a traitor.
“Let’s take our time uncovering the traitor,” the Duke said calmly.
Then, he turned to Ian and the others.
The Duke firmly believed in rewarding achievements. It was one of the secrets to his leadership, which ensured that his vassals remained loyal and free from complaints.
“I heard you guarded the territory in my absence,” the Duke remarked.
“It was necessary,” Ian replied.
“There’s no rule that says you shouldn’t be rewarded just because you did what was expected.”
Summoners were tasked with protecting humanity. Their talents and summons were gifts from the gods, and in return, they wielded wealth and influence. No one questioned this arrangement, as it was seen as a natural consequence of their role.
But even so, the Duke believed that rewards were essential.
“Each of you will receive an heirloom—a 2-star summon. Specifically, Cadet Ian, you will be awarded by-products from the higher-class demons you defeated.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you!”
“…Thank you.”
The three of them expressed their gratitude and left the room. Ian mulled over the by-products he had received, but couldn’t recall how he was supposed to use them.
As Ian returned to his quarters, a maid was waiting by the door. When she saw him, she bowed slightly and spoke softly.
“Master Ian, the bathwater is ready.”
“Ah… Alright.”
The Eritz family’s bathhouse was unnecessarily large, and preparing it took quite some time. Ian headed straight to the bath, took a quick shower, and sank into the warm water. The heat enveloped him, washing away his fatigue and worries.
[Master, I want to bathe too.]
“…What?”
Suddenly, a shimmering pattern appeared on his skin, and Theresia materialized from it. She removed her armor, revealing her tattered clothes.
“Oh, the water is nice,” she sighed.
“No, wait… You—”
[What are you doing!?]
Anna appeared next, clad in her armor. She grabbed Theresia and tried to pull her away from Ian’s sight.
“You! Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Men and women must keep a respectful distance’?”
“What? You think of the master as a man?” Theresia teased. “You’re such a prude for a paladin.”
“W-What are you saying!?”
“If you weren’t watching him, then what’s wrong with bathing together?” Theresia argued, throwing off her clothes without hesitation.
Ian squeezed his eyes shut, determined not to look.
Splash!
One person left the bath, her footsteps echoing against the tiled floor.
Then came the sound of someone slipping.
“Don’t peek, Master…”
Splash!
Another person entered the bath, the noise louder than before.
Things are Not Looking Good:
Yes, things are not looking good. As you know, translation requires a lot of time and energy. I translate, edit and proofread the chapters on my own. I will be honest here, I started translating as a hobby, then it evolved to a hope of earning a living by doing something I enjoy.
However, I suffered a chain of misfortunes during and after the pandemic, and earnings from FSM and RTV helped me a lot. It became a significant part of my life. As long as my monthly income bordered around $200, I could make the time to translate in the middle of other works. Then RTV ended, and the earning decreased. Now, it has decreased to around $90-$100. And with PETTV nearing completion, that would decrease even more. A*dsence gets me about $ 0.50 per day, and you can’t get the payment until it reaches $100, so I can’t depend on that either.
It wouldn’t be an issue in normal circumstances, but it matters a lot to me since I am still dealing with a lot of financial troubles. I am currently looking for a job, and will have to invest my time and energy in it once I get it.
Long story short, if you enjoy reading this novel, support the translation if you can, either by becoming a Patron in Patreon, or sponsoring chapters at BuymeaCoffee. You can also take some time to watch a*ds to increase the revenue on A*dsence. Grains of sand together can form a desert.
FSM supporters has been supporting me from the start no matter what, so I would continue to translate FSM as long as I am alive. But for the other projects, I now desperately need your support so that I can spend the time and energy to serve them to you all. That’s all. Thank you.
@Goblin correct the paragraph were it is mentioned the demons dug for 10 years. It should be that Duke would be crushed in few years time not that the Duke would be the one doing the crushing.
The Phoenix girl has more character and willpower than any other summon or characters. She is really bold and she knows what she wants. I didn’t suspect that the summons will be in MC’s harem. Nice miscalculation, although I wanted Anna to be in it. Nice rivalry Anna has with the Phoenix girl. And MC is again a wuss and wimp.
Thanks for chapter