Chapter 386: Chapter 386

Another beast fell to Lowell’s sword.

An hour had passed since she’d joined the battle. She’d long since stopped counting the number of beasts and demons she had killed.

The act felt meaningless now.

The battle currently raging would become the stuff of legends—assuming anyone survived to tell it.

“After this fight, Lady Lowell will surely receive the lion cloak.”

“I told you so, didn’t I? I just never had the chance before now.”

“Kuaaaaaaah! Other people get to go to festivals with their friends, so why am I stuck on a battlefield with mine?!”

“I’m a wounded man! With my arm cut off! This is abuse! The Lucid family is trying to kill me!”

Despite Pleche’s minor rebellion, the fighting continued relentlessly.

Most enemies were low-grade demons, but Lowell had achieved the remarkable feat of taking down a 6th-grade demon single-handedly.

Yet despite all her struggles—

“Save… me.” Official source ıs novel·fıre·net

“I want to eat… Mom’s cooking.”

The tide of battle refused to turn. Everyone in the Northern Alliance fought with desperate courage, but they couldn’t hold out even two full days.

The flames of life flickered and died everywhere she looked.

Lowell would have perished long ago without the knights’ protection and Pleche’s watchful care.

“Lady Lowell… thank you. It was an honor…”

The last knight protecting her breathed his final words.

She couldn’t understand what was so honorable about it. He couldn’t even fight properly because he’d been protecting a failure like her.

Sorry that this was his last battle. Sorry he had to spend it with someone who bore no honor, no cloak.

Sorry, and sorry again.

The demonic horde advanced without pause, despite having been slaughtered by the hundreds.

Lowell stared blankly at the scene unfolding before her.

Was Dad still fighting the Legion Commander? Was sister safe? Was brother all right? Had Delin escaped safely?

“Hey! What are you standing there for? Come here!”

Someone grabbed Lowell’s arm and pulled. It was Pleche, having thrown away his weapon to lead her with his one remaining arm.

She didn’t know where they were going. Did any safe place exist on a battlefield ?

Was it survival instinct or was Pleche simply skilled at evasion? The demonic horde that had seemed impossible to shake gradually fell behind.

‘Is it really this easy to break through?’

Something felt wrong, but she couldn’t stop moving.

As they ran without rest, a fairly wide clearing appeared before them. Debris from collapsed buildings, glowing embers, and the corpses of people and demons lay scattered everywhere.

A sudden sound broke the silence.

Lowell and Pleche went on high alert. Lowell gripped her sword while Pleche clasped her hand tightly.

“What are you doing?”

“I threw away my weapon, so I guess you could say I’ve found a new one.”

Was he planning to swing her around like a club? Clearly, part of his brain had been severed along with his arm.

As they stood ready, each gripping their chosen weapon—

A familiar voice called out. Lowell peered around cautiously, and the speaker did the same.

“Sister? And brother? Why are you here…”

“We ended up here while breaking through the encirclement. I just found sister.”

For three members of the Lucid family to gather in one place during such a fierce battle—it was strange indeed. Could this be what people called fate?

The ground between them exploded without warning.

A large fragment flew toward them, but Lowell remained unharmed. Pleche had blocked it with his body.

The ground hadn’t exploded—something had crashed down from above.

The figure that had fallen from the sky was none other than Duke Luke himself.

“Father! Are you all right?!”

Duke Luke shot to his feet before Lucas could even move to help.

“I was careless. Don’t act rashly.”

Duke Luke’s manner suggested it was nothing serious, but he couldn’t hide the light cough that escaped his lips.

The anxiety that sound triggered was nothing compared to what came next.

It wasn’t about the demonic horde.

Duke Luke, Lucia, Lucas, Lowell—all members of the Lucid family except Rodelin had gathered in one place.

Could this really be mere fate?

‘No, there’s no way!’

Everyone present understood the implications.

“Were we lured here? To gather us in one place?”

“On this chaotic battlefield?”

“It’s possible if you don’t consider your allies as true comrades. An absurdly inefficient strategy.”

“Still, if they deliberately created this situation… there must be a reason.”

There was no time to ponder that reason.

The being responsible for this situation was descending from the sky.

About three meters tall with a standard build, his appearance wasn’t much different from a human’s. But instinctively, she could sense that this was something completely different from them.

“I suppose they have a hobby of gathering families in one place before crushing them? As expected of a Legion Commander—even their perversions are on another level.”

“Sister… are you joking right now?”

“It’s not a joke, it’s the truth. Think about it. There’s no other reason to gather us .”

Lucas took a small step backward—an unconscious action born from the realization that the Legion Commander might indeed be a pervert.

Lucia was certainly right. No matter how hard she thought, Lowell couldn’t understand any other reason for gathering them together.

If there was another possibility besides being a pervert, then—

“Is he trying to negotiate or something?”

“You might as well say my right arm is growing back.”

Pleche waved his right arm, which existed only to the elbow. The gesture emphasized how absurd the suggestion was.

But the words that flowed from the Legion Commander’s mouth were, surprisingly—

“Lowell, I think my right arm really is about to grow back.”

Yeah, congratulations. She hoped two would grow back while he was at it.

The Legion Commander had expressed willingness to negotiate, but no one welcomed the prospect.

Negotiation was only possible when both sides’ interests aligned to some degree. In a one-sided situation , the word ‘negotiation’ was inappropriate.

‘Blackmail’ would be more accurate.

“He’s probably planning to use us as minions. It must be a scheme to put us under his control through some contract.”

“It is a peace treaty.”

“Peaceful only for you?”

“A treaty that brings peace to both sides. A treaty where no one sheds blood.”

The strange proposal left everyone puzzled.

Pleche waved a piece of paper he’d produced from somewhere and shouted.

“Lowell, what are you waiting for? Bring a pen right now!”

“Don’t you have hands? Oh, right. You don’t. Sorry, I forgot.”

As Lowell received Pleche’s sharp glare, Duke Luke moved.

Lucid Family Style’s first secret technique: Earth Flip.

As Duke Luke swung his sword, the ground split with a thunderous crack. The force was like an earthquake made manifest, but the Legion Commander took no damage.

He had stopped the secret technique simply by stamping his foot lightly.

“Don’t fall for his nonsense.”

“He may be called a Legion Commander, but in essence, he’s still a demon. This must be a trick to lure us with sweet words before betraying us.”

Duke Luke was certainly right. Demons were beings who pursued their own twisted amusement. There had to be a trap hidden in this so-called peace treaty.

“Stop your useless tricks and face me. Let’s see the end of this fight.”

“If you won’t come, then I’ll come to you.”

As soon as the Legion Commander’s words ended, a demon plummeted from the sky.

An inverted pentagram blazed with emerald light, its momentum terrifying. First grade, or perhaps second grade—clearly a highest-grade demon that appeared once every ten years.

In the sky above, at least three beings of comparable power circled ominously.

But that wasn’t the real problem.

That’s right. It was Rodelin.

The youngest of the family, the sister Lowell cherished most in the world. That precious child was trembling in the demon’s arms.

Lowell’s vision went white.

Pleche reached out desperately, but he couldn’t catch her. In his panic, he’d extended his severed right arm.

Legion Commander, demon, beast—she could see none of it. In Lowell’s vision, there was only the sight of trembling Rodelin.

She saw the Legion Commander raise one hand. The feeling of air being torn apart, and that sensation drawing steadily closer to her.

Lowell knew instinctively that she would die here.

The moment Lowell sensed her approaching death, something appeared in front of her—a giant lion cloak.

The cloak tore along with the air itself.

That was Lowell’s last memory of that day.

A familiar ceiling greeted her.

Wondering what was happening, Lowell performed a backward roll and assumed a combat stance.

Looking around, she soon realized where she was.

Her own bedroom—the one in Orion Castle, the third defensive line.

Was she alive? Had it all been a dream? Where exactly had the dream begun?

Pain flooded through her instantly.

Excruciating agony spread throughout her body, and bandages wrapped her like a mummy.

“It wasn’t… a dream?”

That’s right. It hadn’t been a dream. The Legion Commander’s attack had been stark reality.

Soft breathing came from under the bed.

Looking down, she identified the source. It was Rodelin, talking in her sleep while clutching a plush toy tightly.

Lowell checked her over carefully from every angle. She couldn’t see any injuries.

Not only had Rodelin escaped the Legion Commander’s grasp safely, she wasn’t even hurt. Considering the situation at the time, this was miraculous.

After offering thanks to various gods, Lowell looked at Rodelin again.

The corners of her eyes were moist. Had she been nursing her all night? To make such an adorable little sister worry—she was a failure as an older sister.

“Anyway, what happened…”

For both Rodelin and herself to be safe meant they had won the battle.

Had father defeated the Legion Commander? Yes, that had to be it. Father was a monster in his own right, no less formidable than the Legion Commander.

He must have defeated the enemy after a fierce struggle, with Lucia and Lucas playing their parts.

‘It’s good that my family are monsters at times .’

Lowell suppressed a groan and climbed out of bed, not wanting to wake Rodelin.

After laying the soundly sleeping child on the bed properly, she left the room.

Her whole body screamed with every step.

“Keuk…! This is why it’s hard being ordinary.”

Her body was in a state no different from a critically ill patient’s, but she couldn’t just lie there.

Duke Luke, Lucia, and Lucas would all be busy with post-battle cleanup. She had to help, even if only a little.

“Lowell…! You’re awake!”

It was Pleche, wearing an expression as if he’d seen a ghost. For someone who made such a dumbfounded face to be a knight—well, she was glad to see him anyway. It was amazing they’d both survived such a fight.

“What’s with that look? As if I was supposed to die or something.”

“You were unconscious for a week, you know.”

A week? Had she been lying there that long? No wonder Rodelin’s eyes had been moist.

Well, what did it matter? At least she was awake now.

“Then the basic cleanup must be finished. What can I help with?”

“Ah, where’s the Legion Commander’s corpse? I want to see that bastard dead, at least.”

Pleche avoided her gaze.

His anxiety transmitted itself to Lowell instantly.

What? They hadn’t won? Had someone died? If so, who? Don’t tell me—

“H-he’s in the conference room. Hey, wait! You can’t go there!”

Unlike before, his left hand reached out accurately toward Lowell.

But she slipped from Pleche’s grasp all too easily.

Lowell began running toward the conference room with Pleche chasing after her.

His urgent demeanor made her heart race even faster.

‘Who in the world died?’

Sister? Brother? The vassals? The loyal knights? Don’t tell me… all of them?

Guards blocked Lowell’s path.

But no one could catch her.

When she reached the conference room door—

Pleche threw his body forward and tackled Lowell.

The impact sent the conference room door flying open.

The vassals looked down at the tangled mess of Lowell and Pleche.

“Ah, hello? Good morning.”

“It was, until a moment ago.”

The vassals dragged Pleche to a corner and began berating him in hushed tones.

Well, that was none of her concern.

Lowell quickly scanned the conference room. The first thing she noticed was a long table—the one used when the Lucid family dined, a symbol of the family’s authority.

‘Did they bring the one from Lionheart Castle?’

Lowell was dumbfounded. What was this thing doing here? Weren’t there more important matters? Why had they brought this useless object?

She felt angry but soon dismissed the table from her mind. That wasn’t what mattered right now.

She turned her attention to examining the faces present.

Duke Luke, Lucia, Lucas, and the vassals.

Lowell couldn’t help feeling puzzled. All her family members were alive.

Then why had Pleche made such a fuss?

“How rude… will you not leave at once!”

“You have no manners at all.”

“Huu… I have much to say, but I will refrain.”

Looking at the vassals’ faces, Lowell soon realized a fact.

‘They’re blood allies, aren’t they?’

And not just any blood allies—these were the heads of the most prominent families among them.

Each was a person Lowell wouldn’t even dare look at directly.

Certainly, this was no place for someone like her, who hadn’t been recognized as a lion.

“Are you deaf? Will you not leave at once!”

Another stern command fell, but Lowell didn’t move.

The atmosphere was far too serious.

‘Everyone’s alive, so why?’

A gut feeling struck her—that a major incident had occurred, and she was somehow involved.

“It can’t be helped. We have no choice but to drag her out by force.”

Just as a vassal was about to forcibly remove her—

“That child is also a party to this contract. She hasn’t yet been recognized as a lion, but she’s qualified enough.”

They’d made a contract. What could that possibly mean?

“You didn’t make a contract with a demon, did you?”

Heavy silence fell over the conference room.

It meant her worst fear was correct.

For the Lucid family, called the finest of the eight pillars, the greatest noble house in the Empire, to make a contract with a demon—

“The contract… where is it?”

As Duke Luke raised his hand, the contract floated above it.

Seeing it blazing with otherworldly fire, it was unmistakably a demon’s contract.

But that was only its appearance—it was neither hot nor actually burning.

From Duke Luke’s seat at the head of the table, the contract passed from vassal to vassal until it reached Lowell.

Her eyes quickly scanned the document.

Being a contract, the content was dense, but the crucial parts could be summarized as follows:

–A person of the Lucid family cannot attack a demon belonging to the 2nd Legion.

–A demon belonging to the 2nd Legion cannot kill a person of the Lucid family.

–If the 2nd Legion’s side discloses the contents of this contract in any way, this contract is immediately and automatically terminated.

“What kind of dog-shit contract is this?”

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