Chapter 73: Townsman A Speaks with the Villainess’s Father

"Uugh..."

When I finally came to, I was lying in a bed.

"Have you awakened, Master Allen?"

I opened my eyes to find the maid who had guided me earlier. She was peering down at me, her face pinched with worry.

"Where am I?"

"In the guest quarters I showed you to earlier. You collapsed, sir. You’ve been asleep for approximately five hours."

Thank goodness. It wasn't like I’d been out for three days or something.

"According to the doctor, the arrow that struck you was likely coated in a unique magical poison developed by the Est Empire. It’s a lethal toxin designed to kill after a set period, and the only known antidote is held by the Empire. Under normal circumstances, you wouldn't have survived, but..."

Wait, a poison arrow!?

I hurriedly checked my left hand. Just as I suspected, the Ring of Substitution I had been wearing had shattered into dust.

I see. Well, I guess that’s the end of my insurance policy.

"How is... Anastasia-sama?"

"She remains asleep. However, her life is not in immediate danger."

"I see..."

I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position.

"Shall I assist you, sir?"

"No, I’m fine."

The moment I tried to stand, my stomach let out a thunderous roar.

Crap. Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten a thing since last night.

Between the embarrassment and the awkwardness of the situation, I was probably making a very strange face.

"I shall bring you a meal. I will also report your recovery to the Master, so please wait here a moment."

"Sorry for the trouble."

The maid bowed and left the room. She returned shortly with a tray of sandwiches. I was halfway through a bite when I received an immediate summons from the Duke.

I was led to a room where I found not only the Duke but Elizaveta and Friedrich as well. Once the Duke confirmed I was seated, he dismissed all the attendants, leaving us in private.

"Allen, you’ve pulled through. That is a relief."

The Duke let out a long, heavy sigh. Then, to my surprise, he offered a sudden, sincere apology.

"Allen, it is my responsibility that my daughter ended up in such a state. And... thank you. You risked everything to rescue her. I am a foolish father who could do nothing for his own child, but even so, let me express my gratitude. Thank you."

"Allen-kun, thank you so much for bringing her back to us," Elizaveta added.

I see. The Duke had cleared the room because it would be a political disaster for him to be seen bowing his head to a commoner like this.

"Please, don't. I only did it because it was what I wanted to do."

When I said that, the three of them wore complex expressions—a mixture of being troubled and deeply relieved.

Friedrich was the next to speak. "Allen, Ana is my precious younger sister. I want to thank you as well. Truly."

"It was nothing..."

"Now then," Friedrich continued, his tone shifting. "About today. You were the one behind that mysterious explosion that leveled the Kingdom of Saus Army, weren't you?"

"...Yes. That was me. You could call it a specialty of my magic. They were in the way, and I needed to get Ana to a doctor."

"As I thought..." Friedrich trailed off and fell silent.

The Duke leaned forward. "Allen, you were meant to have gone to the Bruseni front alone to oppose the Est Empire’s invasion. Is that correct?"

"Yes. The entirety of the Bruseni Region has fallen under Centlaren's control. There might be minor pockets of resistance, but no significant enemy strongholds remain."

"What? What about Kardachia?"

"I took it. I’ve already expelled the majority of the residents back to the Est Empire."

"...I see. Kardachia... the fortress we couldn't reclaim for fifty years."

"Yes."

For a moment, a heavy silence dominated the room.

It might have been cowardly of me to bring this up while they were so vulnerable. But I knew this was my only chance.

"Duke Ramslett, I have a request."

"...What is it?"

The Duke’s gaze sharpened. He looked incredibly guarded, as if bracing himself for an impossible demand. It was rare to see him wear his emotions so plainly on his sleeve.

"I believe I have fulfilled my promise. Therefore, I want you to give your daughter to me. Give me Ana."

In that instant, all three of them froze. If there was ever a moment that perfectly captured the phrase 'like a pigeon that swallowed a pea-shooter,' this was it.

My request was clearly that far outside their expectations.

"Eh? A-Allen-kun?" Elizaveta stammered. "You don't have to do this. You’ve already done more than enough for our daughter. You should seek your own happiness..."

"I want Ana. I can't imagine being with any woman other than her."

"But the doctor said... he said she might never wake up."

"I believe she’ll come back to us. No—I will make her come back."

"...I see. You feel that strongly..." Elizaveta’s voice trailed off into a whisper.

"W-Well, if you're that determined, I don't see the harm," Friedrich added. He sounded like he was either lost for words or considering the practical benefits, but either way, he was on my side. He seemed a bit flippant for a future Duke, but I wasn't complaining.

Based on her reaction, Elizaveta wouldn't oppose it either.

"Allen," the Duke interrupted, his voice stern. "What exactly do you mean by saying you 'fulfilled the promise'?"

The Duke wasn't going to be swayed by sentiment alone. Fortunately, I was confident I could make him yield.

"Please look at this."

I pulled out the written military order I had received from the King. As the Duke scanned the contents, his face twisted into a grimace.

"To think he would issue an order this absolute..."

And why wouldn't he? Defeat the Est Empire, capture Kardachia, and lead the country to victory by reclaiming the Bruseni Region. Full discretionary power is granted for this purpose. It was an order written in the King’s own hand.

Better yet, it explicitly stated that the reward would be whatever the bearer desired. The royal seal was stamped firmly at the bottom.

"I am the one who destroyed the bulk of the enemy forces in Bruseni," I explained. "I used the attack you witnessed today, and in other areas, I dropped massive quantities of oil from the sky to incinerate their positions."

"I... see."

"Furthermore, I infiltrated the Imperial Capital. Inside the palace, I executed the Crown Prince and his chief advisor. I’ve brought their heads back with me. Shall I present them now?"

"Yes, bring them out."

I glanced at Elizaveta. She gave a small nod, so I reached into my Magic Bag and unceremoniously pulled out two severed heads.

"This is certainly Igor, the Crown Prince of the Est Empire," the Duke muttered, leaning in. "And... isn't this Günther, the Imperial Court Mage Leader!?"

"Throughout the campaign in Bruseni, I fought under the name of Allen, a B-rank Adventurer under the protection of House Ramslett."

I said it as a finishing blow.

The Duke crossed his arms, a deep furrow appearing between his brows as he fell into deep thought. Finally, he spoke.

"Very well. I accept. On the honor of House Ramslett, I recognize the marriage between Allen and Anastasia. Furthermore, as the house providing you protection, we shall handle all negotiations with the Royal Family as your representative."

"Thank you very much."

I stood, knelt, and performed the formal salute of a vassal. After handing over the heads of those two detestable men, I took my leave.

---

Returning to my room, I sat on the edge of the bed and let out a long, weary sigh.

I knew that if I was going to force his hand, it had to be now.

From the moment the Duke told me he would wait three years, I had assumed his stance was flexible—that he might recognize me if the circumstances were right. But I also knew he was cold-blooded enough to use Ana as a political tool for the stability of his territory without a second thought.

I never truly believed he would feel bound by a three-year verbal agreement. However, I figured he would stick to it unless a better offer came along.

The reason he had entertained my request in the first place was because I had the power to casually gift Ana an Epic-class item. To a noble who lived in constant fear of assassination, a Ring of Substitution was something they would kill for. On the black market, it would easily fetch hundreds of billions—maybe even trillions—of gold.

And I, a mere adventurer, had plucked it from a labyrinth myself.

At that point, the Duke’s scales had tipped in my favor, outweighing any wealthy upstart or lecherous old noble who simply wanted the Ramslett name. Then, after I conquered the Wind Mountain Labyrinth with Ana, he realized I wasn't bluffing. My value in his eyes skyrocketed.

And then, this tragedy happened to Ana.

The Duke was grieving as a father; that much was true. Unlike the cold, distant noble families commoners whispered about, House Ramslett actually shared genuine bonds of affection. I could see it in the way they looked at her.

However, despite that love, the idea of not using Ana as a political pawn had likely never crossed the Duke’s mind. It was simply how their world worked.

But now, Ana was useless as a political tool. No man would go out of his way to marry a woman who was comatose and bedridden, with a doctor who had already given up on her. Her value as a pawn had dropped to zero—no, it was negative.

And then I walked in. The man who had single-handedly annihilated two armies and assassinated the enemy Crown Prince. I offered a deal that would secure the glory of those achievements for the Ducal House.

Give me the daughter the doctors have abandoned, and I will give you the credit for this victory and serve under your banner.

I had shamelessly exploited their weakness. But in doing so, I had finally, truly obtained her.

I flopped backward onto the soft bed and sighed again.

But... more than any of this, I just wanted to see her smiling again.