Arnold and Caerwyn arrived back in the great hall.
The knights were still busy fixing the damage done to the palace. The knights weren't wearing their armour so Arnold could finally confirm that all of them are human.
Arnold noticed that Siana was standing on the stairs speaking with one of the knights.
Arnold could hear laughter.
The person Siana was conversing with was probably telling the funniest joke in the universe for her to be chuckling like that. Her laugh even made her snort like a pig which made her apologize and laugh yet again.
Arnold glanced at Caerwyn.
"Is that the old Siana you used to know?"
"Hahaha… Well, she's definitely as cheerful as I remember her."
The two of them ascended the stairs. Siana noticed the two approaching. She hurriedly stopped talking with the knight and turned to Arnold. The knight she was conversing with swiftly left after greeting the two.
Siana pinched both sides of her long dress and bent down in a graceful manner. Her white locks of braided hair fell over her shoulder.
"Good morning, Milord." She greeted Arnold passionately.
"Good morning—why are you calling me that…?"
"Well, females address men in power that way. I am but a commoner greeting a noble."
'She's not wrong, I guess…'
"There's no need for formality, Siana. Drop the 'sir' as well."
Siana tilted her head.
"Then are we friends?"
"….I suppose we are."
A warm smile spread on her face.
"Wonderful~!"
Arnold stared blankly at that beautiful smile. Who knew she could make an expression like that after all that's happened.
Siana twirled on the spot, "What do you think? I haven't worn this dress in fifty years so I hope it still suits me."
'How old are you exactly…'
"You look beautiful, Lady Siana," said Caerwyn.
"Thank you, Caerwyn," Siana smiled then she glanced at Arnold.
Arnold just silently looked at her. She puffed her cheeks.
"…." Her eyebrows lowered and her cheeks puffed up more.
Arnold sighed inwardly.
"...It suits your eyes… and it really brings out your white hair… You look very cute." Arnold decided to just compliment her since that was obviously what she wanted.
Siana smiled again.
'Why is my input important…'
"Ahem," Arnold cleared his throat, "I'm kind of hungry so I'll be heading to the kitchen."
"Food has already been prepared," said Siana, "It's in the dining room."
It's his palace now anyway so he can go where he likes. He was merely announcing and not asking to go to the kitchen.
"I see. Will you guide me?" he turned his head to Caerwyn.
"Yes, Lord Arnold—"
"I'll take him, Caerwyn." Siana suddenly linked her arms with Arnold's.
"…Uhm, okay. I'll get check up on the others then." Caerwyn quickly parted ways with the two.
Arnold was dragged down the stairs by an unusually enthusiastic Siana.
The two of them turned left once at the bottom of the stairs and proceeded through the door that was located at the left side of the staircase.
It appears the dining room is in the left wing of the palace. It'll take some getting used to walking around in his new palace.
"You look better than you did yesterday. Is Miss Rafaela's magic that powerful?"
"I'm certain it wasn't Rafaela who healed me back to full health," Arnold responded, "Do you know anything of a blonde woman with golden eyes working for you? She has a beauty mark under her left eye."
"I don't think so. There isn't a single person who has all the features you're looking for. Well, except Sceptim…"
"I'm pretty sure it was a woman, Siana. She had these… huge breasts and wide hips…" her body was burnt into his memory, "She's a kind of woman I've never met before before…"
Of course, Victoria had the body type but not the beauty of that woman. Sure, Victoria qualified to be one of the "top Ten Beauties of Eulia Empire" but she doesn't have the otherworldly beauty that the mysterious woman has.
It almost felt unnatural, as if she wasn't human.
'I'm sure there isn't a single person in this world who can match her beauty.'
She was like a goddess.
People would probably kill to marry that goddess.
If it was a goddess then it can only be Melis. Melis never allows other gods to come to her worlds. The Sky God Dungeon(and its worlds) is connected to Arnold's world from what he knows, which means that everything belongs to Melis.
Was it actually her?
'No, it couldn't have been her. If the future Angelica found a way to come to this timeline without Melis knowing then it's possible that other gods can do the same.'
That hypothesis would only be true if that Angelica is the new Destiny Goddess of her timeline.
Besides that, which god would help him anyway? What was the point?
"Arnold?"
"Hm?" Arnold looked down at Siana who was staring intently at him.
"Do you like women with large breasts?"
"…What does that matter? Let's go already. I'm starving."
He could see out of the corner of his eyes how she was looking down at her breasts. That was probably just his imagination.
Maybe there's a stain on her collar? Who knows.
The two of them walked for a little bit longer before they arrived in front of two doors. It was right across the living room behind them. The hall is fairly large, so large that probably a hundred people can walk down it.
The size of his palace is important since he wants to host parties and banquets in the future. He needs to host those parties to make new connections and maintain his existing connections.
Food is also important when hosting a banquet or party.
Arnold could smell a delicious aroma drifting from beyond the double door. His stomach's growl sounded just like a tiger's roar.
Siana giggled.
"I've prepared a feast for my saviour. Well, Caerwyn was the one who stayed up all night helping prepare food for everyone, I organized which foods they had to make as they needed my noble input." She said proudly with her hands on her hips.
'Seriously? Caerwyn didn't sleep at all?'
Siana approached the doors and opened them up. A warm breeze hit Arnold's face.
The dining table—long enough to accommodate 50 people—had a variety of foods on one end of the table.
Siana and Arnold were the only two in the dining room so why was there that much food?
No, maybe they made this specially for Arnold? He hadn't eaten a warm meal in quite some time, only cooked and spiced meat with a depressing side of vegetables and shit bricks. There were also his critter friends who he had to add to his meals for that extra touch of "protein".
"Please help yourself. It is your palace, after all." Siana guided Arnold to the table. The end of the table was adjacent the door so they didn't have to walk very far.
Arnold noticed that there were paintings hanging in the dining room as well. Just like the ones they saw in the hallway, these too were covered with black paint.
Arnold's chair was pulled open for him as if he were a maiden.
He decided to just accept Siana's goodwill with a silent sigh.
He could understand her willingness to please him. He went through a horrific battle to save her. The least she can do is make him feel comfortable in his own palace.
If possible, he'd rather her warm his bed for him. He had two smoking hot women who had been accompanying him on his journey but neither would be willing to pleasure him along the road.
Arnold's had about seven plates full of different foods in front of him. He didn't hesitate and jumped right to eating.
"You're not going to eat?" asked Arnold when he noticed that Siana wasn't taking a plate.
She only had a few biscuits on a napkin and a cup of tea on the side.
"No, I already ate breakfast." She said with a smile.
'I didn't notice it when we met but…' Arnold continued eating but he glanced at Siana a few times, '…she's really skinny. Either she's fasting or she's avoiding eating all together.'
Siana's pale skin and droopy eyes made her look sick at first glance but her lack of body fat made her look like a walking corpse.
'Hmm, it could be that she has an eating disorder.'
Olivia has one too due to her illness. She loses her appetite whenever a full plate of food is in front of her. Because of this it became hard for Arnold to invite her on dates since dining is a vital part of going on dates.
Olivia's condition isn't life-threatening on its own but it can cause a heart attack if she's under heavy stress. Also, she usually coughs up blood during stressful situations. Of course, being the "cool icy princess" that she is, she can hide her expressions and pain quite well. Arnold has only seen her at her worst a few times.
Olivia looked similar to how Siana looked now but only when her illness is at its worst.
"Everything is almost over. You'll be a normal girl very soon."
"Eh? Why are you suddenly saying that?"
"…Look, I'm not the kind of person who says this very often. Everything will be alright. Maybe cry or whatever, just do everything to get rid of all those emotions."
Siana looked at him dumbfounded before a thin smile appeared on her face.
"... If I cried to let all my feelings out then I wouldn't stop crying. It's easier to pretend everything's okay. I have people to lead and take care of. How can I do that if I shut myself in a room again and cry when it solves nothing?"
"…."
"If this works out… No, it's not okay to think like that. When I'm finally free, I'd like to go out and explore whichever world I call home. As a child I've always loved going on adventures and meeting new people and going to new places. There was no greater joy than making friends and travelling."
She clutched her hands on her chest.
She then said softly, "I miss those days…"
"Searching for a home all these years didn't give me the same feeling I had before I got this power."
"Do you know where to go?"
"No… So long as the world I go to doesn't have the same cultures and ideals as my home world then I'm fine with anything. Preferably a world with magic. I find magic very interesting even if I can't use it that well. Ice magic is my only forte."
"What do you think about coming to live in my city?" Arnold casually threw that at her.
Siana's eyes widened.
"It's not exactly the kind of place royalty will like. Everything is still under construction. My city doesn't even have proper housing for the rich or a city hall yet. But I can have a mansion built for you outside the city's walls. I guess your knights will need housing too? We'll need to build barracks if they aren't keen to stay in the villages near the walls. Those people are savages, after all. Who knows what other people Lunaria brought into my city."
"Arnold… Is that really okay…?" Siana looked hesitant.
The double doors suddenly shot open.
"—I'd like to say something, Lord Arnold."
Sceptim—dressed in his full plate armour—was the one who came into the dining room.
"Sceptim? We can't impose on Arnold! He's already done so much already!"
"No, I'd like to know what he wants to say."
Siana went silent.
The two of them stared at Sceptim. Sceptim suddenly unsheathed his sword before kneeling. He held the sword in front of him, with its hilt pointing towards Arnold. His pose resembled the pose knights do when being knighted.
"I, Sceptim of the Black's Legion Order of Knights request to be knighted by Lord Arnold. Should he do so then I—and my children if I may have any—shall forever remain loyal to him and his household. We shall fight by his side and vanquish his foes when given the command. I speak on behalf of the entire Order when I say that we would be honoured to be granted knighthood titles by you."
"….."
"….."
Arnold pulled out the chair and walked over to Sceptim. He looked down at Sceptim.
"I already have elite knights ranging in levels from 70 to the strongest being level 90. The subordinate of an allied nation's queen also agreed to send 500 knights in the next 5 years. Not just that but she will support my city with any military related issues it may face. What need do I have for more knights? I would only waste resources and money trying to feed and house an army that I don't need."
"Then may I ask: What are your ambitions for the future? Do you truly intend to rule only a city? Five hundred elite knights is too much for a single city to have. A single division needs at most ten of them per unit with the rest being soldiers. If you plan on renting them out to other nobles or if you plan on invading for the sake of taking resources and land then I would understand."
That was a good question.
What are his intentions with his city? Sure, his land will become one of the wealthiest lands in the history of Diacree continent. But does he intend Whitage City on only remaining an independent city relying on another nation for protection in exchange for resources?
Sceptim's question probably wasn't just what he wanted for his city. What were his intentions as a whole?
Arnold closed his eyes as a certain memory flashed in his mind.
King Arnold!
King Arnold!
King Arnold!
King Arnold!
'King Arnold von Penston…'
He remembered the cheers of the people who welcomed the hero of their nation. The man who could singlehandedly destroy an army of monsters.
How did that guy become a "King"?
Arnold opened his eyes. He laughed.
If he was asked about his ambitions when he landed in this world then he would've said: I want to live a peaceful life after eliminating my death flags.
"You want to know my ambitions?" Arnold spread open his arms, "I want to make the Murim Martial Alliance and Serz bow down to me. I want to kick a certain inquisitor's ass. I want to become one of the only people in possession of a pure martial art. I want to become the richest man in the entire world—"
He paused then said:
"—I want to become a king and establish my very own nation, a nation strong enough to stand equal to the other military powers of Diacree."
To do that, he'll need to arrange a meeting with Selia and plan for the future.
"I thought so." Sceptim said with a smile, "I pledge my sword to your cause, Lord Arnold."
Arnold looked over at Siana. She was looking at him as well.
Arnold then looked back at Sceptim. He took the sword and lightly tapped the flat end of the blade on Sceptim's shoulders.
"From this day onwards, I promote you to General. You won't lead a measly unit of 100 or 200 knights, you'll possess an army. Thousands will be under your command in the near future. Of course, there are certain things that you need to be tested on before it's set in stone."
"I won't disappoint you, Lord Arnold." Sceptim stood up and placed his right fist against his chest in a salute.
His mind was already made up. That's why he told Tanaera that she can go with Siana to his world using the World Ring.
In any case, everything worked out fine.
Now onto another matter.
Arnold returned to his seat and sat down.
"Sit with us. I have something to tell the two of you."
Sceptim took off his helmet and placed it on the table. He pulled out a chair. The monster carefully lifted him up and placed him on the chair.
'Hmm, now that I've seen his face clearly, he kinda does look like that woman I saw.'
Arnold stared into Sceptim's golden eyes for a few seconds.
"…Is something the matter?" Sceptim asked while tucking his long blonde hair behind his ears since it was getting in the way of his face. There was a tinge of red on his face but Arnold was probably imagining that.
Arnold cleared his throat, "No, it's nothing. By the way, you wanted to say something during our fight with Kalda. Something about "persons not being involved" so you couldn't discuss the matter with me."
"Ah, that… Truth be told, I wanted to ask if we could accompany you on your travels. Given the circumstances, that's too much to ask of you or Lady Siana. I would like to travel with Lord Arnold but I also can't part ways with Lady Siana and my knights. Pledging my sword to you was also related to what I wanted to say."
"Hm, so we had the same thing in mind."
"It appears so." Sceptim smiled.
"What do you want to tell us, Arnold?"
Arnold looked at Siana.
"I want the two of you to use the artifact to go to my city. I'll write a letter to Lunaria to let her know that the palace is mine. The palace can fly with the artifact's power, right? I don't want to destroy the manor in the centre of my city since it's a storage for my crystals so the palace will need to be moved somewhere else. Oh well, I'm sure Lunaria will know what to do."
"You're not coming with us?"
"No, but Tanaera will go with you and Sceptim. I have a way to go back already so I don't need the World Ring. If I go back now then I'll get caught up in all sorts of things that will take my attention away from coming back."
Make no mistake, there was nothing more he wanted than to go back. He wants to visit Misteltein HQ to begin planning expeditions and arrange quests for his party. He also wants to check the list of candidates for potential party members.
He knew for certain that a bunch of people applied to join the guild. It's his job to approve if they're capable enough.
Everything else was unimportant to him at the moment. All he wanted to do was go out there and kill some monsters while improving his status among the adventurers. His end goal as an adventurer is to become an SS ranker to obtain valuable secrets from the Adventurer Guild Association, after all.
Well, there was the academy as well…
'Dammit, why can't I just skip grades to graduate.' Arnold held back a sigh.
"Like I said before, everything will be fine so long as you give my letter to Lunaria. She'll know what to do." Arnold looked at Siana, "Have you ever considered starting your own House?"
"You mean… becoming a noble?"
"Yes."
"It's never crossed my mind before. If I may be honest, I don't want a rank of nobility since it brings nothing but responsibilities and headaches."
"Is that so? Then I want to ask you a question and I want you to answer honestly: Your family is given a plot of land with some people to rule but there's a great famine or cold winter and you're out of money but your crops are your only source of income. In other words, selling your resources is the source of your wealth. You have two options. One: sell your crops to another noble household, which I can guarantee won't be sold for half its worth since you're the one in need. In that case, the buyer will have the upper hand in the sale. Two: Feed your own people but lose your one chance to make money. There's no guarantee that the people will stay to rebuild with you."
He wasn't asking this just to make random conversation. He wanted to understand Siana's character. Sure, her knights bloat about how kind she is but how far would she really go for people who she is supposed to rule and protect?
"I believe there should be a third option," Sceptim spoke up, "What if she—hypothetically, in this situation—hires mercenaries to raid other fief lord territories and take their resources away? If there's a famine then it can't just affect one location, surely many places would be affected. This leads to poverty among the working class. It also makes it easy to convince people to fight with you as long as you offer them food. The scenario stays the same if there's a winter since the cold tends to wipe out crops. A long winter is even worse."
"Sceptim has a point, don't you think? But would you really kill others for the sake of your people?"
Siana straightened her back and looked Arnold straight in the eyes.
"I would choose none of them. I would hold a banquet for nobles from all over the nation to attend."
"Oh? Why is that?"
She would do that even though her people will suffer without food?
"Banquets are social gatherings for the sake of making connections. I would find the richest person on the guest list and approach them. Of course, I would do research beforehand. What do they like? What do they hate? What's their favourite restaurant? How many children do they have? I need to know everything before I attempt to use them for my plans."
"What do you intend to use them for?"
"Financial benefits which I will gain through marriage or deep friendships built on trust. Unlike friendships, love has no place in marriages which means trusting your spouse isn't always possible. To nobles all that matters is what they'll get in return. I'll offer myself and my land to them, however, I will keep control of my land so that I can ensure that my plans will work."
"So you'd sacrifice yourself for others?"
"No, if I want to help them then I am most definitely not sacrificing anything. Offering my body and plastering a fake smile on my face—there's no difference."
Arnold nodded his head and went "I see".
"We're very alike. Doing what needs to be done. Of course, I wouldn't feed myself to the wolves to allow another person to escape like you but I'd do anything to avoid confrontation with those wolves. If there are three of us and we are chased by the wolves then I'd intentionally let one of us be captured so that I and the third person can escape."
"....So, you'd rather choose the easiest method instead of fighting the wolves together?"
"If we end up dying anyway then the wolves will surely follow the trail we came from which can lead to our village or the settlement we came from. It'll end up being attacked by the wolves. The people will be unaware that a pack of wolves are on the way since all three of us are dead."
Siana's eyes widened as if she realized something.
"The one you'd sacrifice… was just to buy time so that you can warn the villagers that wolves are coming so that they can prepare to fight them?"
"Exactly."
Sacrificing the life of one to save a thousand. That was the saying that went through his head just a few months ago during a certain incident in the empire.
If there was no better alternative then his choice would be morally correct. That's his resolve.
Siana smiled, "I'm learning so much about you, Arnold. Indeed, we seem very alike but your choices, uhm, they are a little questionable."
"The deceased's family and friends will cry for their death and hate me for what I did but I saved them from being massacred." He said with a shrug.
Of course, if he wants to then he can just flee the village with the other person and let the villagers get killed.
No matter how many choices there are, someone will get killed.
"Anyway, I now know what position to give you."
"Eh?"
"What do you think about becoming my vassal?"