Siana tilted her head.

Arnold began explaining:

“My advisor and second-in-command, Lunaria is currently busy with my city’s restoration process. She’s also handling the mining of my land’s resources. In short, her hands are full. My situation isn’t any different. I’m still a student aiming to complete my education so that I can obtain a degree which—in due time—will open up many opportunities for me. Not just that but I also have an adventurer party to lead.”

“You’re an adventurer?”

“Yeah. I’m aiming to become a top ranker in the empire so that I can join the factions within the Adventurers Guild Association. They hold many secrets which will be beneficial to me in the future. I don’t have the time to rule my city just yet.”

“I understand that but why offer me vassalage?”

“I need someone to make connections for me. To do that, I need to keep them within arm’s distance—by offering vassalage. How well do you think you can handle politicians? They’re a bunch of greedy and prideful insects so I need someone who’s good with people in general. Of all kinds, might I add.”

Arnold has zero interest in politics. Of course, he would get involved if his city is on the line. That won’t be necessary if he has someone to do his job for him.

If it’s just making connections then Siana is the perfect fit.

“Why offer this to a stranger…”

“Stranger?”

“I mean…”

Arnold shook his head, “I know what you mean. Understand that I’m not doing this on a whim. I need capable people, regardless of where they’re from.”

He looked at Sceptim.

“Sceptim’s army will be officially assigned under your Household Banner. I think having the two of you work together will be better than letting someone else lead the army. The guy agree to serve me otherwise.” he looked back at Siana, “You’ve managed to lead your knights for this long. It’s only natural that they stay under your rule.”

“…..”

“If you’re worried about your freedom: don’t be. I don’t intend on burying my nobles in paperwork and other tedious responsibilities.”

He'll have Lunaria send all the paperwork to the academy if he’s not able to go to the city. The academy gives offices to students so he won’t have to worry about making space for his paperwork.

Now that he has his memories(and smarts for that matter) back, it’s high time he did all the heavy lifting himself. Lunaria can handle the rest.

“Things might change in the future but for now you’ll have only a few responsibilities to tend to.”

All he really needs is for Siana to dress up prettily and plaster a fake smile on her face to please the nobles she’ll meet.

“Is that so. That’s surprising. I expected there to be a lot for me to do as a vassal.”

“I can’t promise it’ll stay that way. If the load gets too much for me then I’ll rely on my nobles to share the load.”

“Yes, I understand. But it still gives me enough time to prepare myself. I’ll need to get used to the city’s history, cultures and people first. Also, I need to gather intel on the nobles of the empire. Speaking of which, may I know the current state of your city’s government? How well do your nobles get along with the state officials?”

“There is no government in place as of yet. I see no benefit in creating one for my city right now. If I did that now then power would be shared amongst my nobles which can lead to a coup or yet another rebellion brought on by a group of individuals who have the same power as me.”

The title “city lord” means nothing if a group of nobles band together and vow to take Arnold from power. This happens often to kings and emperors who get too complacent.

Greed is the sole reason for such rebellions.

“But a kingdom can’t function without a government. A single man leading a nation is unthinkable…”

“I know. Regardless, that’s how I’ll lead my city for now. I can handle it.”

If things go well once his position and wealth is secured then he’ll consider creating a government system similar to the empire.

Things would’ve been different had he not known that his land has valuable resources. If he starts sharing his power now then he’ll get attacked from all sides. His own nobles might side with enemy nations to sabotage his plans.

The best thing to do now is to only provide Siana with an army of her own. The Red Knights—the ones that Vetis is sending—will fly his House’s banner.

None of the other nobles will be allowed to possess any of the Red Knights. Not yet anyway. He doesn’t trust any of them right now. They turned their backs on the previous city lord and even helped the citizens murder the city lord and his family.

Of course, Arnold can use force to intimidate them but, as mentioned before, he doesn’t want to rule using fear.

The city is in a delicate state right now. He can’t let things get worse by giving random people power.

Siana went “hmm” when Arnold explained all of the above.

“The resources you mentioned is definitely a good reason not to share your power with others, not even your own nobles. I would’ve called you a fool if you said that you want things to stay like that. Kingdoms fall if their king is an incompetent dimwit. But, as you said, it’s only temporary. But how will you ensure the safety of your people if you don’t allow them to have armies? Even I possessed a small squad of soldiers during my time as a princess. They would escort me everywhere and always make sure I’m protected in public areas. Getting kidnapped and giving up valuable information is a worry many people of power share.”

‘Tsk, tsk.’

What matters here is the quality of the combatants of the army, not the quantity.

Take that Level 90 monster for example. He could probably take on all the imperial knights of Eulia Empire.

“I can’t just give them knights. I’m also unable to provide them soldiers right now. I’m sure I’ll make a plan. I’ve instructed Lunaria to not leak sensitive information to my nobles.”

Siana smiled wryly, “They will be upset that I’m the only noble to have a private army.”

“If they have complaints then they can send them my way.”

Of course, they won’t dare complain to him. They’ll probably rely on Victoria to convey their troubles to him.

“Now that we’ve reached an understanding: What name will you give your House?”

Siana put a finger on her chin and hummed.

“I’m thinking Luthwroth. It means ‘Deep Snow’ in elven language. Once I lose this soul power then I’ll only have the name to remember all our suffering. I will bear it with pride, not shame. ‘Lady Siana of Luthwroth’—what do you think, Sceptim?”

“’Siana of the Deep Snow’. A fitting name for you, My Lady.”

“Fufufu.”

Arnold nodded.

“Alright. From today onwards, you shall be known as Lady Siana of House Luthwroth, vassal household to Whitage city’s ruler.”

“Yes, Milord!” Siana bowed her head.

The door opened right at that moment.

“—I’ve finished making the holy water, Arnold.” Arnold heard Rafaela’s voice,“…What’s going on here?”

Arnold stood up.

“Siana agreed to become my vassal. She’ll be heading to my world along with Sceptim and the knights.”

“I see. Wait, why are you out of bed? You should be resting.”

“I’m back to full health. I’ll need to rest some more to recover my aura.”

“That’s impossible. Let me check.” Rafaela walked up to Arnold. She touched his head from both sides and squeezed down twice, “Can you feel anything?”

“Nope.”

She pulled his bangs away from his forehead.

‘You’re getting overly touchy. Maybe she’s finally warming up to me?’

No, that can’t be it. Perhaps her attitude changes towards her patients. Healers are often like this. It’s like a habit they can’t shake off. He remembers being looked at coldly every time he wants to talk to her and being called “mortal” occasionally. She’s now acting like a concerned sister.

“…This can’t be possible. What form of magic did this…?”

“I have no clue. But I remember someone—a woman—sitting on my bed when I opened up my eyes. Her body was giving off this strange golden glow. I couldn’t find out who she was since she vanished without a trace.”

“Whoever this woman is, she’s no ordinary priest. Only holy magic can heal someone to the point of closing fatal wounds and regenerating tissue and bone. My spell wouldn’t have been able to do the same thing. At best, I would’ve been able to apply a regeneration spell on your body to let your skull and pieces of your brain grow back on their own.”

“I’m fine now. How goes the preparations for the ritual? I want to get this done as soon as possible.”

“I’ve already soaked two blankets in holy water. Are you sure it will work? The only method I know of that allows you to store souls is Holy Talismans.”

“It’ll work.”

Before holy talismans were invented, Holy Water was used to fight against undead, vampires and demons. The water’s only use isn’t just to fight against creatures of the dark, but also to drive away ghosts and trap souls depending on how it’s used. Of course, storing or imprisoning souls with holy water is a bad idea unless you have a constant supply of it on-hand(which is very tedious and expensive in the long run).

The soul will escape if the water evaporates so priests are advised to keep the body as wet as possible. A blanket or any big cloth works fine in lengthening the procedure since fabric holds liquid longer than human bodies.

The great rune talismans that Tanaera was creating will act as a seal to make sure nothing from outside can interfere.

Ghosts and vengeful spirits often steal the souls of the dead. It’s a mystery why this happens but players assume that the spirits do this because they bear hatred for the individuals whose souls they ransacked.

Even players fell victim to this. Their character’s souls are stolen when they die which results in a “System Error”. It’s a pretty well-known but hated bug that could never be fixed. Users impacted by the bug are unable to log in for 24 hours.

Kalda’s soul might get lost too. If they gave a fragment of her soul and the other fragments are taken then there’s no way for her soul to become whole again.

The [Return To Your Coffin] Great Rune banishes spirits from the dead whenever they try and get close to the body. That’s the rune that Arnold drew out for Tanaera.

“How much holy water did you make?”

“I had to use the bath in the bathroom. It’s big enough to last a few days if need be.”

Arnold frowned.

“Why couldn’t you just fill some barrels… Make sure that you clean out any residue once everything is done. I don’t want to boil alive in my own bath.”

‘Shit, that was close. I wanted to take a bath right after eating.’

Arnold could feel a cold sweat on his back.

“Eh? Why would that happen?” Siana asked in confusion.

“—Lord Arnold is a demon factor, Lady Siana.” Sceptim said casually, “Anything divine in nature will harm him. Save for healing spells, of course.”

“You knew?” Arnold asked with a wry smile.

“I’ve been fighting demons for years. I can sense them if they use their energy. It’s become second nature for me to recognize demons disguised as humans or even humans with factors.”

‘Right… The demon energy in my body merges with my aura when I use my factor.’

That’s how he becomes stronger whenever he uses his factor.

“I hope this changes nothing between us.” Arnold said while looking at Siana.

“Don’t worry.” She said with a smile, “That came as a surprise but our agreement still stands, Arnold.”

“I see. That’s good.”

“I’m ready to begin,” Rafaela spoke, “Miss Siana, this may be the last time you ever look at Kalda’s face again. A corpse without a soul will break down and turn into ash, not decay the same as normal dead bodies. I managed to replace her facial tissue that was lost in the fight so she doesn’t look any different from before the fight started.”

Rafaela then turned around and left the room.

“Lady Siana…” Sceptim looked at Siana.

“I’ll go…” Siana said softly and stood up.

The three of them followed after Rafaela. While it’s not necessary for them to be there, Arnold wanted to see if they do it right. If they don’t then he risked his life for nothing.

◇◇◇

The four arrived in front of the bathroom.

Cool air wafted through the door, blowing against their cheeks.

They entered the bathroom.

‘It feels like I’m in a sauna.’

Holy water tends to boil the air around itself when surrounded by a hot or cool atmosphere. The divine power inside the water protects the water from condensation and evaporation by heating up the air around itself.

Because of this the holy water itself remains untouched.

A strange purple energy surrounded the holy water.

Arnold could see something floating in the big bath of holy water.

It was a cloth wrapped into the shape of a human. The source of the purple energy was coming from it.

‘Kalda’s soul power is trying to fight the holy water’s divine properties,’ Arnold thought as he looked at the purple energy.

Despite being dead, her body could still function like this. He didn’t know how this was possible.

“I’ll bring her body over.” Rafaela said before approaching the bath. She waved her hands in a circular motion. The water surrounded spiraled and lifted Kalda’s body. The water then proceeded to bring Kalda’s body over to Rafaela.

The purple energy surrounding her corpse dissipated when she was placed on the ground.

Siana just stood there, frozen.

Sceptim approached Kalda’s body. He unwrapped the blanket. Only the part where her face was.

Rafaela quickly poured some of the holy water over Kalda’s face.

‘Hmm, she looks the same as before the fight.’

Her face was completely ruined from internal combustion at first. Now she had full lips, cheeks and eyebrows.

Normally dead tissue can’t be healed with magic. Every cell in the dead person’s body can’t function anymore so it’s impossible to use magic to duplicate the cells, thereby restoring tissue and finally constructing/regenerating muscle and skin.

Divine power is different. It can do things that arcane magic can’t, even restore human tissue.

Sceptim turned to Siana.

“You said that you’ve mourned for Kalda long ago, Lady Siana. While it’s good that you accepted that she’s gone even before her death, aren’t there some things that you’d like to say? It doesn’t matter if she’s not here. It doesn’t matter if she can’t listen. All that matters is that you’ve moved on. People often seek comfort by speaking to the dead. There’s a hope inside their hearts that their words will reach the person.”

Arnold glanced at Siana.

She was silently looking at Kalda’s face. A dark shadow loomed over her face.

Siana inhaled deeply before calmly exhaling.

She chuckled for some reason. Her chuckling became laughter.

She walked towards Kalda’s corpse.

Then she kicked it!

‘What the…’

She kicked Kalda again and again.

Seemingly calming down, Siana stopped kicking Kalda.

“—How long had it been since I felt free…? Was it ten years? Twenty? No, perhaps it’s been more than that. There was a time I was happy. Sometimes I thought to myself that it was just a dream since it was so long ago.”

They couldn’t see her expression. But her monotonous voice sounded eerie.

“We left our home world together while deeply in love. There wasn’t a day that went by that we didn’t embrace each other and say how much we love each other. You were so overprotective of me which I thought was cute. I thought the two of us could start over in a new world. I even made it possible for us to not age so that we can be together forever. That dream couldn’t come true when my powers began ruining my life. I wanted to die. I cut my throat so many times but you… you kept saving me… I killed so many people… Why did I deserve your kindness…? That’s… That’s what I thought it was at first… Kindness… Maybe you didn’t want to lose me because I was the one who took you in? Maybe you were just repaying my kindness with your own. But it wasn’t like that at all, was it? You were just too stubborn to let your doll die on her own terms because it’ll upset you. I… I… I wanted to die! I jumped off the top floor of the palace, crushing my body completely thinking I could finally end this but you… you kept bringing me back. I tried burning myself in a pit of lava. Cutting my stomach open. Beheading myself… Yet t-that cursed power of… y-y-yours k-k-kept bringing m-m-me b-back…!”

Siana sank to her knees while stuttering and slurring her words.

“Why d-d-didn’t you j-just let me d-d-die!?”

Arnold looked over at Sceptim.

He couldn’t see Sceptim’s eyes so he had no idea what expression he was making.

Was he frowning? Crying? Indifferent?

Rafaela’s hands were on her mouth.

Arnold looked back at Siana who was punching Kalda’s dead body. Of course, this time her hits had no power behind it unlike her kicks from before.

‘She really was acting tough.’

Arnold knelt in front of Siana. He caught her hands. She then tried to hit him but she was too weak to do anything besides try and head-butt him.

Siana fell weakly on the floor after Arnold let her go.

He covered Kalda’s face.

Someone then entered the bathroom out of breath.

Tanaera, with disheveled hair, looked at Siana in confusion.

“What happened?”