Count Melto von Pellati laughed at the sound of firecrackers coming through the window.
"I can already hear the sound of firecrackers, so the festival seems to be proceeding as scheduled."
"During the festival, the amount of firecrackers fired every night increases, and the closing ceremony is truly magnificent. The inhabitants of this city love loud and flashy things."
"Actually, I also like it very much."
The loud firecracker sounds, which could only be heard during the festival, always excited Count Melto's heart. He felt as if he had returned to the days when he had been a pure child.
Marquis Soline focused on the report in front of him. He came to know that it was written by his second son, Evan D. Sherden.
"Huh, by the way, our son-in-law…"
"Our Evan is not your son-in-law."
"I couldn't have expected that our reserve son-in-law Evan had a connection with the legendary hero, Leo Arpeta. The more we get to know about him, the more mysterious sides are revealed."
Count Melto had been persistent. Marquis Soline, who knew Evan's heart, wondered about what to reply with. But now wasn't the time to be struggling with such trivial matters.
"What are you reading? Let me see it too."
The Marquis chewed his lips as he handed over Evan's report to Count Melto. It consisted of a brief explanation of only the core of the situation, the direction of progress, solutions, and specific action guidelines for everyone.
Count Melto was wonderstruck at the thorough and accurate report and couldn't believe a twelve-year-old child had written it.
"Evan's talents seem to have evolved a lot."
"It's because of me and my wife's genes. Anyway, what do you suggest?"
"Aside from this, is there anything else we can try?"
The two nobles who ruled the dungeon cities faced each other and nodded at the same time.
"The same report has already been sent to the Kings of each country."
It was time for everyone to get busy from now on.
"I hope everyone will cooperate."
"The most important thing right now is the medicine. An anti-infection drug targeting monsters, is this really something we can make? Of course, there are plans in case development is impossible, but the results will vary greatly depending on whether this is possible or not."
"You have to trust Evan and Sir Bernard."
"Right. The knights and soldiers will have to work extra hours, especially during the festival, and I'm going to swear by it."
"To get tired a bit is still better than facing an inevitable death. On second thought, the Mahwas are worse than death."
They clearly remembered the gloomy atmosphere that engulfed the whole continent at the time of the Mahwa crisis. No one could be trusted. Those were dark and terrifying times.
That had continued until Leo Arpeta arrived along with Aria. He was a hero born from misfortune as the Mahwah had also killed his parents. But in the end, he was finally able to drive the Mahwa tribe out of the land.
"The crisis made us all strong. The same can be said for the dungeon, too."
"Having such a terrible experience was enough for us to grow up. I just want to help my children grow up in a happy and comfortable environment." The Marquis sighed. His son had volunteered to carry a very large burden of expectations.
Count Melto rubbed his shoulder as if he understood what the Marquis was thinking. Then suddenly, he asked,
"But what about the Marquis of Merdin? You were the one who called him, right? Did you hear any news from him?"
"His eldest son is already mature and is in charge of the dungeon. We might be hearing from him soon."
Merdin was the name of the dungeon city located in Sanguk, and the name of the family that governed it. The Marquis of Merdin managed the dungeon itself as an efficient business and earned big profits.
"The eldest son's name is Silan. I think he's going to be 25 years old this year."
"It hasn't been long since he has reached adulthood."
The two shared unbearable anxiety. They had given birth to sons and daughters as well, but in fact, they were too young and under 19 years old to be deemed suitable to be in charge of the dungeons.
It was an age at which the children didn't care about many things yet and were too young to make the right decisions. In such a situation, since this incident had occurred, they had no choice but to worry about whether they could deal with it wisely.
"Shall I go to him myself?"
"Are you kidding? You have to stay in Pellati. Instead, it would be nice to send someone we trust. I am thinking of sending a trustworthy trail."
"Well, as this happened, even the Dungeon Knights couldn't get the word out. They are really troublesome things."
Marquis Soline also nodded as if it were true. However, even though they were upset, they couldn't sit there forever, so the two quickly stood up.
"We have to be efficient about this; for our sake and our people."
"I don't know why only painful events have been happening so far. Notwithstanding, you came directly to this place. Shouldn't you meet your daughter before leaving?"
"I went to see her as soon as I arrived here, but she was swinging a rapier as if she was going to kill someone, so I couldn't even approach her. Instead, I came to meet you. It seems that she has learned a lot from Evan while staying here."
"From that child? We learn all the time. As a father, I'm just too pathetic."
While people just naively enjoyed the festival, the strongest defence walls were being erected in both Sherden and Pellati.
The same was true of the former heroes, as nine of them were enjoying the festival.
"Bernard, I got more samples here!"
"After a long time, entering the dungeon made me feel refreshed."
"The feeling that God forces us to be desperate is not very welcoming when we experience it."
According to Bernard's instructions, they had gone outside to get more samples of monsters infected with the Mahwa and went to the shared dungeon afterwards. They then collected different herbs and other materials placed in the dungeon.
"My God. Look at your face! Take a little break. I keep forgetting that you're not as young as before!"
"Bernard, are you okay? It will all be for nothing if you fall. Your health is the most important thing."
"Hang on, don't worry. I'm fitter now than when I was younger. What's more, I've been soaking in the bath once a day, so I know I won't fall sick. I want to rest too, but I cannot until this is done."
Even though Bernard kept saying that he was fine, all signs pointed to the contrary. As he said, he would have already collapsed if he had not steadily been going to the Brotherhood Bathhouse and concentrated to relieve his fatigue.
"What do you think then, Bernard?"
"I took a few samples. If I had been alone, it would have been impossible to make the medicine so quickly. The effect should be tested individually going forward."
"The most important thing is that it is harmless to the human body, Bernard. You know that, right?"
"Do you know the difference between medicine and poison, my friend? That is, poison is an object that can kill us, but medicine is something that in turn targets and kills the poison."
Those were the basics of pharmacy that Bernard had learned and taught. He had never forgotten the basic rules of taking any medicine. Of course, the same was true of Evan, who had learned it from him.
"Oh yeah. Right, right."
In response to his trustworthy answer, Leo Arpeta looked like he missed the point.
"I remember hearing that from you about 40 years ago."
"You guys can remember those days and make such a happy expression. You're being unreasonable. Even if I sleep at night, the fire burning inside me urges me to stay awake." Bernard looked at Leo and spoke absurdly, but Illoin approached him and carefully held his hand. She looked like she wanted to transfer her powers to Bernard if only it could aid him.
"Bernard, I was able to save the world back then because you were there. So, please. Save the world again. You are our only hope."
"I have to say this right away, Illoin. At that time, I couldn't completely save the world. I left and became like this. So this is what I am looking for- a chance at redemption," Bernard declared with a determined expression.
At the same moment, Leo spotted a vial set aside on a shelf and tilted his head. "Bernard, what is this? It looks like it was sealed separately, right?"
"If you touch it, you will be harmed, so let it go. It wasn't sealed like that for no reason."
"So what is it?"
Investigating the reactions of the monsters upon whom he had administered the drug, Bernard replied carelessly, "It is an emergency measure in case of an unfavourable event."
"And?"
"When I first dissected the Mahwa goblin, you must remember the text that appeared in blood at that time, Leo."
Leo murmured something and nodded. Indeed, Leo couldn't help but be surprised at that time.
What was more surprising was that even Bernard, who always prevented such happenings before the enemies could even attempt anything, could not prevent blood letters from forming. It was when he realized that the link between the Rose Queen and her subordinate Mahwa had become ridiculously powerful.
"Then why did the text appear at that moment?"
"It was already a few years ago that you began to circumvent the Mahwa varieties. Why now? Haven't you had a chance to do that?"
"Oh, is it? I definitely thought it was a message to me who cut the Rose Queen's neck directly. Wait, does that mean that the Rose Queen is aiming for you now?"
"I think so. That's a good hunch to consider." As he thought about it, it made sense, so they had to agree.
Of course, it was true that Leo Arpeta's fighting power made it possible for the party to succeed in the adventure, and finally cut the neck of the Rose Queen.
But what if they did not have Bernard? They could have never erased the Mahwa from the earth. It would not even have been possible to find a means to distinguish between the humans and the Mahwa in the first place.
So, if the Rose Queen's will was properly inherited, it would be natural and logical to hate Bernard Garcia more than Leo Arpeta.
"So, are the Mahwa varieties still spreading all over the world? I thought they would lie dormant forever."
"Do you want to search to find out, Bernard? They must have been on the lookout for you all this time. It was fortunate that Bernard was hiding behind a pseudonym and a mask when they became active again." Aria's innocent red eyes flashed as she spoke. Illoin spoke about what she couldn't ask.
"Surely they won't come here, right?"
"Don't worry so much, Illoin. As I said, this is just the stuff I prepared in case the worst comes to pass."
The party trembled at the thought, but Bernard's expression was extremely calm, and he was quiet. Evan felt like clapping and shouting, "Oh, so this was the reason Grandpa Bernard was able to save the entire world."
"I lived with regret for decades, realizing that I had missed the Rose Queen at the last moment. If the Rose Queen appears before my eyes again, I would like to kill her personally, even if it costs me my life."
Bernard calmly put the syringe into the last monster's arm. The response was better this time. It was a sample he had been studying with Evan.
"I have enough confidence to face her this time while staring her in the eyes."
The cost of injuring the pride of the legendary alchemist was great. The moment would surely come when the Rose Queen would realize that.
And at that moment, she was looking for them more swiftly than Bernard had thought.