The Hero Becomes the Duke’s Eldest Son

Chapter 109

It was the day after Aden cleared the Winter Queen’s domain.

‘The Winter Queen’s domain has been conquered!’

The news spread like wildfire throughout the Syres Grand Duchy, thanks to the Spirit Shop announcement by the Hat Merchant. The citizens of the grand duchy cheered in jubilation.

The Winter Queen was a monstrous wraith capable of causing widespread terror across the grand duchy.

Even when Grand Duke Vernon Syres, in his prime, exterminated the Ice Drake King and its minions, there were nearly a thousand casualties.

Moreover, the latest emergence was a disaster-level wraith, said to have been defeated by Zeca Syres, the founder of the grand duchy and one of the greatest knights in history, after a great many losses.

People were worried about whether the grand duchy could survive and win against such an ancient, disaster-level wraith, and if they did win, how much blood would be shed.

Contrary to those concerns, the Winter Queen’s domain was conquered within three days of its appearance.

-The one who defeated the Winter Queen is Aden Remes, the eldest son of the Duke of Remes!

-He is the patron of the Saintess and the Apostle of Sacred Fire, recognized by the Sacred Fire Order!

People were astonished to learn that the one who defeated the Winter Queen was not of Syres bloodline, but a mere noble from the southern frontier, and rumors about Aden’s achievements began to spread.

The youngest promising semi-master.

One of the three great heroes who played a significant role in the Imperial Beast Escape incident.

The benefactor who saved the Sacred Fire Order from crisis, and so on.

As these rumors spread, Aden’s fame soared.

The citizens of the grand duchy praised Aden’s achievements for risking his safety and defeating the Winter Queen alone, and they were grateful for his heroic deeds.

Some people questioned how he managed to defeat the Winter Queen’s army alone, but most were convinced that he did so with some special power granted by the Sacred Fire as its apostle.

In fact, this was partially true.

And this was not the only amazing news.

“The Frozen Land has started to thaw!”

“Unbelievable! The snow is melting within a single day!”

“This is a miracle!”

For the first time since the grand duchy was founded, the Frozen Land began to thaw.

The previously snow-covered land was revealed, and the area where the Winter Queen’s domain was located quickly turned into a lush green land with flowers blooming.

People began to believe that this was indeed a miracle from the gods and that Aden Remes was truly the Apostle of Sacred Fire prophesied.

As a result, many who were previously non-religious or followers of other faiths began to convert to the Sacred Fire Order.

The increase in converts to the Sacred Fire Order naturally strengthened the support base for Dayer Sias, who was closely associated with the order, while undermining the foundation of the Thunder Knight faction.

This was the flow Aden had intended.

Meanwhile, nobles of the grand duchy began eyeing the land created by the thawing of the Frozen Land.

Seeing the potential for future development, they flocked to the land like vultures.

They argued that the Frozen Land should be developed and distributed among all the nobles of the grand duchy.

This was the stance of the noble faction of the grand duchy.

However, their greed was thwarted by a single declaration from the grand duke.

“I hereby declare that the owner of the Winter Queen’s domain and the surrounding lands is the conqueror of the Winter Queen, Aden Remes.”

This was a promise made even before the Winter Queen’s domain was conquered, and Grand Duke Vernon Syres announced that he would not go back on his word.

The Winter Queen’s domain and its surrounding lands amounted to nearly one-third of the Frozen Land, comparable to the entire area of the grand duchy.

“It’s outrageous that an outsider occupies the land managed by our grand duchy!”

“This cannot be! Please retract your promise and offer other compensations instead!”

“Please, reconsider, Your Grace!”

Despite the outcry from the greedy and jealous nobles of Syres…

“If any of you can withstand even one strike of my sword, then speak. If not, you will be executed.”

When the grand duke, an upper sword master, drew his sword, none of the nobles had the courage to continue their opposition.

The Syres Grand Duchy was a land where strength reigned supreme.

No one could defy the words of Grand Duke Vernon Syres, the man who had beheaded the Ice Drake King, a monarch-class monster, and the grand duchy’s greatest knight.

If they had realized the existence of the mana stone mines, the story might have been different, but no one dared to verify it, even in the wraith-infested lands left by the Winter Queen.

Thus, a vast unclaimed territory in the northern grand duchy became the sole property of Aden Remes.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aden, who had overnight become the apostle of the gods and the largest landowner in the north, was enjoying a snack time with Elise.

Elise was happily sipping orange juice brought by the clerics.

“Hehe, I’m glad Aden oppa wasn’t hurt. It seems the god listened to my prayers!”

“Hmm, it seems so. It was a great help.”

“Really?”

“Yes, without you, it would have been dangerous.”

He wasn’t just saying it; he meant it sincerely.

Given the circumstances, the blessing of the Lord of Sacred Fire was likely thanks to Elise.

He was grateful, even though it was somewhat embarrassing to be helped by a little saintess.

“Really? Did I really help?”

“Of course. You’re truly a saintess. Amazing.”

“Hehe, I got praised!”

Elise smiled brightly and took a big bite of her cake with her fork.

“This cake is delicious! Choco, have some too!”

-Woof!

It was a heartwarming scene to behold.

However, Aden couldn’t fully enjoy the warmth.

“So….”

He was so taken aback that he didn’t even notice the gooseberry juice spilling from the glass he held.

“…is that Choco?”

“Yes! Aden oppa!”

-Woof woof.

Elise, with cream on her cheeks, smiled brightly.

The dog wagging its tail beside Elise, Choco, looked very different from before.

Choco had returned to its original form, now slightly larger than a bull.

But its appearance had drastically changed.

The once lackluster black fur had transformed into golden fur with a gentle, sun-like radiance. Its once blunt snout had lengthened, and its teeth and claws had become sharper.

The overall bone structure had changed, making it look more agile and sleek.

It looked as if…

-A giant wolf, indeed, Dragonslayer.

It wasn’t just a dog but a truly giant wolf lounging beside Elise, yawning lazily.

It wasn’t just large; it exuded a subtle, mystical aura, something that primitive tribes might see as a god and worship.

Cassie, who was drinking tea beside Aden and Elise, spoke languidly.

“Well, that dog seemed lethargic for a few days and then suddenly spaced out. I thought it was really sick, but then its fur started shedding and it began oozing something smelly.”

At that time, Elise cried, thinking Choco was sick, and even infused it with holy power.

But the more she did, the more ooze came out of Choco’s body, and its fur fell out in clumps.

Cassie, who had some medical knowledge, realized it wasn’t sick but rapidly transforming.

So, she stopped Elise from trying to heal Choco and just watched.

Lowe, who was standing next to Aden, continued Cassie’s explanation.

“Then Choco’s body shed its skin and transformed into its current form, Lord Aden.”

“….”

Aden fell into deep silence.

He had no choice but to acknowledge what had happened to Choco’s body.

‘Insane… the dog underwent a transformation…?’

Choco, who had been nothing more than a mere search dog for the Remes Ducal Family and later became Elise’s pet, had not only awakened its mana core and turned into a spiritual beast but had also evolved through a transformative rebirth into a higher-level entity.

A mere ‘mutt.’

Choco now existed as something akin to a sword master in the canine world!

‘Insane…’

There were no other words to describe it.

It seemed that Choco had reached an epiphany and entered a state of enlightenment, breaking through the limits of its species and awakening.

Once again, a ‘dog’ had done this.

“Hehe, isn’t Choco really cool, Aden oppa?”

-Woof!

“…….”

Despite looking like a wolf, its cry was still that of a dog.

It was truly confusing and frustrating.

If it was a dog, it should be a dog, and if it was a wolf, it should be a wolf. It should stick to one identity.

“Indeed, it’s the Saintess’s dog. Look at that divine fur color and bearing…”

“Such a beautiful appearance should be captured in a painting!”

“Yes, let’s call an artist. The title should be ‘The Saintess and the Divine Beast Choco’…”

“Or ‘Elise, Cake, and Choco’…”

The surrounding priests and clerics of the Sacred Fire Order murmured as they looked at Choco.

They treated it like a divine beast, and it seemed they were ready to carve a statue or paint a picture of it.

‘Well… this is a good thing… right?’

Choco was Elise’s loyal pet.

The fact that Choco had grown stronger meant that Elise now had a reliable bodyguard.

‘Yes, this is a good thing.’

Aden suppressed his mixed feelings and drank his gooseberry juice.

* * *

“Uaaaargh!”

“Sir Sylbeta, please calm down!”

Currently, Thunder Knight Sylbeta was in extreme pain due to a seizure, and his subordinate, the White Knight, was desperately trying to calm his master.

The elixir supplied periodically by the warlock faction, Chaos, was merely a temporary solution.

As a result, he regularly experienced seizures and the sensation of his entire body being torn apart.

However, the current episode was particularly severe.

Normally, the Thunder Knight could control his mana with his mental strength and quickly stabilize.

But now, his mind was in such a state of frenzy that he couldn’t even think of controlling his mana.

“Uaaargh, Winter, Queen… Winter Queen!”

There was only one reason.

He had lost the opportunity to defeat the Winter Queen and gain honor, as well as the chance to heal his mana core with the Winter Queen’s essence.

The Winter Queen’s essence.

Only that could cure his mana core.

But he had been robbed of it.

Not only that, but he had also lost the chance to defeat the Winter Queen.

“Aden! Remes…!”

It was because of Aden Remes, the guardian of the Saintess and the Apostle of Sacred Fire.

He wondered where things had started to go wrong.

Then he realized that the cause was the unruly son of the Duke of Remes, Aden.

‘If he hadn’t saved Dayer at the imperial banquet!’

If that had been the case, he would have been confirmed as the next grand duke by now.

‘If he hadn’t saved the Saintess!’

If it hadn’t been for him, the Sacred Fire Order would have already fallen, and Dayer’s faction would have been reduced.

‘If he hadn’t defeated the Winter Queen!’

If that had been the case, he would have become a hero, and he wouldn’t be writhing in pain like an insect on his bed.

‘What value do I have without mana?’

None.

Only power is the true law.

He had no intention of losing his power.

Like a wounded beast, he growled.

“Endawin, bring the experimental subject.”

“The experimental subject, you mean…?”

Endawin flinched at the command.

There was only one thing that came to mind when he heard ‘experimental subject.’

“But Sir Sylbeta, that’s a failed… It’s dangerous. Please reconsider…!”

“Are you defying my orders now?”

Kuuuuw!

The Master Fear radiating from Sylbeta’s body crushed the White Knight.

“Krrrugh!”

A groan escaped from his mouth.

As a semi-master, he couldn’t withstand the Master Fear of the Thunder Knight, a sword master.

“M-my lord… please, forgive me!”

The White Knight, realizing his mistake, desperately pleaded with Sylbeta.

Sylbeta glared at him for a moment, then withdrew his Master Fear.

The White Knight, released from the oppressive fear, took a heavy breath.

Looking down arrogantly at his subordinate, Sylbeta spoke with bloodshot eyes.

“I will say this one last time. Obey my order! Bring it now!”

“…Yes, my lord!”

The White Knight retreated to carry out Sylbeta’s command.

Left alone, the Thunder Knight muttered.

“Yes, if I’m going to collapse like this anyway… I’ll take a gamble.”

There was no reason in his eyes, only a fierce murderous intent.