SWNOVELXO Chapter 511
Chapter 511. Gratitude and Origin
“Lord Vals, that is—”
The knight, who had been silent and blending into the surroundings like a mere decoration, unexpectedly interjects.
“It’s fine. In my name, I declare it.”
—Not the name of Opsgardia.
It’s the bare minimum of insurance.
If, by any chance, Alexa and the others were lying or if there were any oversights leading to new victims, Valentius’s reputation would plummet, and even if the Opsgardia name wasn’t mentioned, the prestige of the Opsgardia family wouldn’t go unscathed.
(But I don’t mind.)
To doubt those who saved your life would be the very disgrace of nobility. Well, it’s also a noble’s behavior to consider every risk and act accordingly, but that was certainly not Valentius’s style.
And—this is personal, but I appreciated Alexa’s attitude of not suggesting something underhanded like, “Let’s prepare some appropriate ashes and call it vampire ash to reassure the villagers.”
There are values in prioritizing public sentiment, even if it requires using a fake. That might be more noble-like, but it’s also not Valentius’s preference.
In any case, given the potential risks, it felt trivial compared to falling into the hands of dark beings as a servant.
“Lord Alexa, our knight brigade will, for precaution, stay in this village for a few days to protect the villagers. You may head to your next location without worry. As a noble family, we once again express our deepest gratitude for your efforts this time.”
Valentius elegantly knelt and bowed deeply in appreciation.
“W-What… I…”
Alexa’s face twisted in confusion.
“I just did my best to achieve what we should do… Rather, Lord Valentius, thank you. For the villagers—”
“Just call me Vals.”
Valentius smiled brightly.
“It would be hard to keep calling me Valentius, wouldn’t it? …My family is known for how long our names are…”
After his unexpected self-deprecating humor, everyone was left momentarily dumbfounded before chuckling.
“Then, Vals, please just call me Alex… Though it’s not too different.”
“Got it, Alex. I’ll take that. And Orderju, Lily.”
Turning to the two, Valentius rapped on his armor in a rhythmic pattern. The front of his chestplate clicked open like a lock, becoming temporarily detachable. He slipped his hand into his chest pocket—
“Delayed as it may be, here is my gratitude for the treatment. I’m embarrassingly short on funds at this critical time…”
What he offered was a golden ring that shimmered. It was entirely metallic, with an emblem of a fiercely vigilant bird, the “Ootaka,” engraved on the seating area—It was the crest of the Opsgardia family.
“And here’s a letter. It’s a letter of thanks for saving my life. If shown to any of my clan members, they will provide you with utmost convenience. Use it however you see fit.”
For a brief moment, Valentius hesitated over whom to hand it, Orderju or Lily. Ultimately choosing Orderju to avoid awkwardness, he deeply bowed.
“Lord Valentius… I accept it sincerely. This Orderju—”
As he carefully tucked the letter and ring away.
“—I hereby guarantee that the vampires of this land have been exterminated in the name of Orderju El Der Tiyur!”
He proclaimed gravely.
“…El Der Tiyur?!”
Valentius, momentarily in disbelief, widened his eyes.
Orderju’s words strongly supported and encouraged Valentius’s judgments, but hearing the clan name left him unsettled.
“Could it be… from the eight great clans of the Holy Great Tree Alliance…?”
“That’s one way to refer to us, yes. Were you aware?”
“Yes, indeed. I have some knowledge of the culture of Forest Elves, at least to a degree…”
Valentius replied timidly, showing clear signs of distress.
(—What in the world! This guy has lineage far more prestigious than any mere human royalty…!)
The bloodline of the High Elves, said to have been born when the gods of light created this land and brought forth life. One of the foremost noble families among the Forest Elves, with a history continuing since the age of myths!
The Opsgardia family, with just around 400 years of history, was not even worth comparing. Moreover, Orderju, though a Forest Elf, was visibly quite old. How old could he be? Someone of his stature might even be a member of the Holy Great Tree Alliance council…
(Under normal circumstances, it’s inappropriate for someone like me to speak to such a person…!)
The Holy Great Tree Alliance council is the supreme decision-making body for the Forest Elf race itself. Considering the influence of its members, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they hold the same rank as a prime minister of a great nation.
It was precisely because he was such a noble that he could break the curse of becoming a servant at the last moment, allowing me to survive by the skin of my teeth…
(Oh… Gods. I am grateful for this turn of events.)
Quietly offering a prayer in his heart.
At this point, Valentius understood just how fortunate he had been.
—At the same time, he felt somewhat apprehensive about who Lily and Alexa were, as companions of a person like Orderju.
(…Well, even if they are from the Holy Church’s Vampire Hunter squad, surely Orderju must be the leader. For someone other than him to represent them would only make sense if they were of royal descent—)
Not of royal descent—
“…………”
Suddenly, Valentius’s gaze locked onto Lily.
An exquisitely beautiful face. While the queen of the High Elves, who presents opinions to the Holy Great Tree Alliance, and the High Elves—who inherit the blessings of the gods of light—are an elite race of elves…
“?”
Lily tilted her head curiously, looking innocent.
(No… it can’t be.)
Trying to mask the strange pause with a smile.
—Common sense dictates that a princess of the High Elves wouldn’t be a Vampire Hunter. Besides, it is said that High Elves typically have longer and pointier ears than ordinary Forest Elves, yet Lily’s ears appeared to be of a fairly normal length.
(Orderju might have been born to a great clan…)
It seems likely she might have strong High Elf blood. But what’s she doing being a Vampire Hunter in such a remote place?
(Thinking about it, Alex, who is also Orderju’s companion, may also not be ordinary…)
I had suspected he was “a person of note” in terms of abilities, but perhaps his lineage as well—
“…………”
Suddenly struck by intuition, Valentius stared intently at Alex.
Among humans, nobles were often descendants of powerful magicians, and ancient families commonly inherit secret techniques and sorceries.
(Secret techniques of extreme usefulness that can never be revealed…)
When observed calmly, it was evident that Alex always took the lead as a Vampire Hunter while Orderju was stepping one step back…
Though they were part of the Holy Church’s organization, it shouldn’t be free from the political power balance, and seeing a young human, who’d be seen as a mere child by any elder elf, act so confidently as a representative felt a bit unnatural, especially as I now understood Orderju’s status…
Could it be… Alex is of royal descent…?
(…No, that can’t be.)
Not someone like me, a rural noble; a prince would never become a Vampire Hunter. It would be impossible.
(Maybe the eighth or ninth prince…? No, even then, the family likely wouldn’t allow it.)
—Then what about a love child?
A sudden flash struck Valentius like lightning.
—Possessing the royal family’s secret techniques, awakening to a holy attribute, taken in by the Holy Church—their delicate position might prevent them from being deployed to the frontline—but their abilities would be too useful to let rot in the back lines—ultimately leading them to become a Vampire Hunter to fully exercise their power, makes it all make sense…
“…Lord Vals?”
Curious, Alex peered into Valentius’s face, making him snap back to reality.
By this time, only a few seconds had passed, as Valentius had been running his brain in overdrive.
“—Lord Alex.”
Valentius straightened himself and stepped closer to Alex.
“May you have good fortune. May the gods of light bestow their blessings upon you all…!”
—Valentius concluded.
【This group is not something I can handle.】
So he decided to wrap things up quickly.
“Thank you. Lord Vals, please take care as well.”
Alex smiled brightly and reached for a handshake. Next came Orderju. Valentius sincerely appreciated being fully armored. Thanks to the gauntlets, he was able to hide his nervous sweaty palms—
“Please also convey my regards to the knights of the brigade, Lord Vals. Now, if you’ll excuse us!”
Alex and the others, it seems, truly have a lead on the “next site” due to their “secret techniques.”
After a brief exchange, they vanished like the wind—
“…Hah.”
Once Alex and the others were completely out of sight, Valentius let out a small sigh.
“Lord Vals… I’m sure it will be alright. While we must stay vigilant, let’s trust they’ve exterminated the vampires.”
Noticing Valentius’s fatigued state, the attending knight didn’t grasp the fundamental cause but encouraged him kindly.
“Ah… Y-Yeah. That’s right.”
—Valentius cleared his head, reminding himself of the discussion.
They must reassure the villagers without any proof…!
†††
Afterward, Valentius declared the extermination of the vampires in the village and passionately extolled how exceptional Alex and the others were as Vampire Hunters.
Coincidentally, from Valentius’s perspective, it was confirmed that “Alex and the others are not ordinary,” leading to an extremely persuasive speech.
As a precaution, with the knight brigade stationed for a few days for protection, the villagers also felt relieved and resumed their daily lives.
Valentius remained composed, while the knights internally felt tense, keeping vigilant—
Yet, on the following day and the day after that, not a single vampire appeared.
Indeed, Alex and the others were the “real deal.”
—For the next few days, peace continued without any incident until the call from the Opsgardia family arrived.