Chapter 26: Emilia (2)

Emilia made a face on Almond’s stream that became a widely popular meme.

[Emilia’s face when she heard Almond’s response.jpg]

— Jesus Christ.

— She can make that kind of face?

— LOL

— I guess she’s a person too.

— How surprised was she? LOL

— She looks like the scream.

└

Lmao I see it.

└

Me too LOL.

— I don’t blame her. She said to kill the lord, but he decimated the entire castle.

Emilia normally acted refined and collected as you would expect from a royal. Hence, her reaction became viral.

“You killed them all because it was heavily guarded? This is my first time hearing something like that. Don’t the guards exist to prevent that from happening?”

“Is that so?”

Almond’s blunt response left Emilia blushing. A common mercenary had swayed a royal lady.

“

Ahem.

You’re saying the castle is empty now, correct?” Emilia looked the other way and asked him.

“Yes, no one is there anymore.”

“We shouldn’t waste any time then. Let’s go right away.”

Emilia called her servants and her carriage resumed its path. She would take over the people of that land before other royals could spread their influence.

“Almond?”

“Yes.”

“What are you doing?”

“Uh…”

“Get in, quick.”

Emilia gave Almond, a mere mercenary, a spot in the center of the carriage. A lady offering the carriage’s center seat was quite uncommon.

— Woah, don’t you have to reach full rapport to get that?

— Oh shit!

— Hoho…

— Almond! How’d you do it?

The viewers felt surprised because Almond hadn’t completed any rapport quests to win her favor, yet Emilia fell head over heels for him.

— Why complete any rapport quests when you can just take over a castle?

— Yeah!

— I agree!

— I’ll just stick with rapport quests…

— Me too LOL

— How are we supposed to take over a castle LOL

— I guess you can win her over with achievements too…

Players discovered for the first time that they could also earn rapport with regular quest completion.

An overwhelming achievement could even change the heart. Almond basically won the lady’s heart with his bow alone.

“I’m curious about you.”

A cutscene took place in the carriage.

Emilia expressed her interest in Almond.

“How can you be so… powerful? I’ve seen many soldiers up until now, but none have proven themselves like you.”

“I’m just good with a bow, that’s all.”

“You can take down an entire castle with that alone?”

“It seems like it?”

“...”

They had a peculiar conversation. Nonetheless, it was a good sign that Emilia kept asking questions. However, what she said next shocked him.

Emilia began talking about knights out of nowhere.

“Knights tend to love their swords, spears, and their horses.”

“There’s no way. Most of them probably love you more than those objects.”

Almond’s wit made Emilia laugh. For a moment, she laughed like a little girl instead of a lady.

“You’re right. They probably like girls as well. Knights aren’t the only ones who like them, no?”

“?”

“Any men, even mercenaries without a partner… probably like women as well.”

— Oooooh. What the?!

— Wow, man.

— Hyung! I can’t watch. My heart is going to explode!

— This is a first!

Emilia referred to women, but she meant herself and Almond was the mercenary without a partner.

“We’ll just say knights like Emilia, swords, spears, and horses. There, fixed it.” This time, Emilia made Almond laugh with her joke. “But I’ve never seen a knight who likes to use a bow.”

“I’m not a knight. I’m a mercenary.”

“Do you plan to be a knight in the future?”

“Sorry?”

Sang-Hyeon and the viewers thought for a moment. One couldn’t become a knight from just desire or skills.

“We need someone to maintain it if that castle becomes our new territory.”

Emilia slurred her words while looking out the window, but she basically just asked if Almond wanted to be a knight.

— Oh! The Emilia route significantly changed!

— Was this a possible progression?

— You could be a knight through her?

— Damn.

— But this is a mercenary game. Does the game change if you become a knight? LOL

— She didn’t offer him to be a knight yet. Hold your horses, nerds.

Unfortunately, Emilia didn’t directly offer him a knight position yet despite the viewers’ expectations.

“I just asked because I was curious.”

She ended it on an open note.

“How could I become a knight? I’m just a soldier with a couple of tricks.”

“...”

Emilia smiled without a word and the carriage continued until it reached its destination.

The silence between them broke as the horses slowed to a stop.

“We’re here.

Ah

, Father wants to see you, Almond.”

“Sorry?”

“I guess he’s impressed with how you handled this mission.”

“...?”

Almond briefly hesitated.

‘Isn’t she lying?’

Emilia obviously made that up. The earl didn’t even know of his success yet, but he wanted to see Almond?

— ???

— What the?

— The earl doesn’t even know yet LOL

— Didn’t he just tell her on the carriage?

Almond became puzzled and asked her, “The earl doesn’t know yet, no?”

Emilia covered his lips with her thumb.

“?!”

Emilia smiled at Almond’s confused expression.

“It’s manners to look over the small things for a lady.”

— Oh, man!

— Did she make that up just to be with him?

— Isn’t she actually going to introduce him to her dad? To make him into a knight?

— No way.

— Holy Moly!

— Emilia, you’re too lovely!!

What was going on? Did she really plan on making him a knight by introducing him to her father?

Almond didn’t reply as the carriage came to a complete stop.

“It seems like we’re here.”

Emilia led the way and Almond followed with a dumb look on his face. His gaze followed Emilia’s blonde hair toward the large castle.

***

A tall castle stood in the middle of a flat field. Almond unintentionally took over this castle called the Talorant Castle. Until yesterday, Talorant had ruled this castle.

However, Emilia marched to the castle gates as if that didn’t matter. People of the land rummaged through the wrecks of yesterday's destruction.

“I’m sorry, but who are you? Are you from the Talorant family?”

The people thought she must’ve belonged to the Talorant family. Of course, they were wrong.

“No, I am a Jeanneret.”

She belonged to the complete opposite side.

“Sorry?”

“Jean… Jeanneret?”

“How could this be?”

Jeanneret and Talorant. The people of this land also had ears and eyes, so they knew those two families were hostile enemies.

Normally, the people would also be executed. They gulped and couldn’t find their next words. No more Talorants remained to defend them, at least not in the castle.

Emilia came with ten soldiers, two knights, and Almond as an escort. The soldiers could easily take on the people, so none dared to cross her path.

She naturally walked to where the family crest hung and ripped it off. The flag with the Talorant hog symbol fell and an acacia flower replaced the empty spot. This crest represented the Jeanneret.

“This can’t be.”

“Wow…”

The people had empty looks on their faces.

Shortly after, they resumed what they were doing. Their daily lives wouldn’t be affected by who ruled over them.

The Talorant had also been one of the worst rulers. Apparently, the Jeanneret governed far better. Nobles were nobles in the end. These thoughts circled in their minds as they returned to their daily lives.

“Are you not going to say anything?” Almond asked Emilia.

“Say what?”

“Like a speech or something. Shouldn’t they know who they’ll be serving now?”

He thought the people should know if their ruler changed, but Emilia simply shook her head with a smile.

“That’s alright. The people will adapt quickly.”

Emilia looked relaxed. Almond was slightly worried, but soon found out that she was right.

***

Around a week passed and the people adjusted to the new family that ruled over them. They felt even more satisfied now.

The slaves being sold could pay off their debts by working and even keep some of the money for themselves. The labor force working day and night increased as well. This would prove fruitful in the long run for their land.

“Hmm?”

Sang-Hyeon tilted his head and grew curious at what he saw.

“

Huh?

Three days passed and we’re still together in the castle?”

— Hmm!!

— Suspicious…!

— LOL

Almond and Emilia had stayed in the castle together for three days. The viewers became excited, but this didn’t mean much in-game.

However, Emilia walked towards Almond as he looked out the window and grabbed his hand.

“Let’s go see my father tomorrow, Almond.”

“Okay, let’s do that,” Almond replied.

The chat was filled with question marks.

— ????

— What??

— His tone changed?!

The viewers saw it with their own eyes and became sure after a moment.

— Shit! What happened in those three days!!!

— LOL

— They did it.

— Almond, what a legend.

— Wow, he already completed Emilia’s route.

What happened in those three nights?

“Wow, it’s a happy ending.”

However,

Kingdom Age?

had no intentions to give a happy ending so easily.

Hoooooooorn!

A suspicious trumpet echoed from outside.

“Oh no.”

Emilia rushed to the window and looked out.

“They’re here quicker than I thought.”

“Is it Talorant’s allied families?”

“Yes, Almond. They’re going to want the castle back.”

“I can defend it.”

“Please…”

The scene cut to next before Emilia could finish her sentence.

***

Swoosh!

Silver soldiers covered the open green field. There seemed to be hundreds of them even at a glance.

Almond stood on the very right among them.

Roman led the army and shouted with his flag.

“In position!!!”

Thump!

The countless soldiers, including Almond, stepped into position.

Roman assessed them and the veins in his neck thickened once more.

“We will win this war for our Jeanneret family who have hired us!!!” He let out an ear-splitting shout.

Du dun.

A text popped up with a familiar sound.

[Lead them to victory in the war!]