They Say an Age Gap Like This Doesn’t Even Need Matching - Chapter 102

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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They say an age gap of nnn years doesn’t even warrant a compatibility check.
Chapter 102
The first reason was that I eventually needed to show this body to Iserna.
And.
‘My recovery speed is absurdly slow.’
A wound I’d sustained a week ago still remained unchanged.
‘Raern.’
That name flashed through my mind.
The life force supply device he’d destroyed still hadn’t been restored.
Time had been wasted negotiating the contract with the Crown Princess and reclaiming power into my hands.
The aftereffects of the unilateral contract termination had only just begun to fade.
‘The losses are considerable.’
Currently, my body was no different from a golem or a puppet.
‘Now that I’ve only just begun the restoration work, I’ll need to conserve my body for quite some time.’
Maintaining the physical form to prevent decay required an enormous amount of life force.
On top of that, anchoring the transplanted soul required a tremendous amount of mana as well, making the cost-effectiveness abysmal.
‘Though it’s not without merit.’
Kailyb let his gaze fall downward.
This body was nearly perfect.
Balanced musculature and pale, smooth skin.
So naturally any woman would cling desperately to touch this body even once more.
‘If I had taken Iserna by force back then…’
Would she have remained in my embrace without any thought of escape?
“Ah, how pleasant…”
Like this.
Clinging with obsession as troublesome as the Crown Princess or the Crown Princess consort.
Kailyb, who had been lost in thought for a moment, shook his head.
‘No.’
That held no meaning.
Iserna had to choose of her own accord.
She had to surrender to my embrace through her own will.
Without that, it was worthless.
How much had I prepared, endured, and waited for that moment?
I couldn’t ruin everything with a moment of impatience.
“Sigh…”
The Crown Princess clinging to me grew increasingly frantic in her grasping hands.
“….”
Kailyb stared at it expressionlessly.
‘It will end soon enough.’
The sensations of this body were dull.
The pleasure of borrowing another’s possession felt like touching one’s body through thick layers of clothing.
Perhaps that was why.
His attention had already wandered elsewhere.
‘Iserna.’
That woman who had flown away like a bird unbound by anything.
“Wait a little longer.”
He murmured softly.
“This time will be different.”
Suddenly, a voice from memory overlapped with the present.
[When everything is over, I will compensate you with my life.]
Kailyb’s lips curved upward slightly.
When that time came, she would have to honor her promise.
By surrendering her eternity to him.
***
The descendants of the Expedition Team began arriving one after another through the magical portal.
Brin Lordship was bustling with the chaos of receiving guests.
“Over here! Guide them this way!”
“We’re short on bedding in the eastern annex!”
Like the domain residents and the Count’s family I had witnessed upon first arriving in Brin Domain, the faces of the Expedition Team’s descendants were uniformly dark.
‘The situation must be worse than I thought.’
I observed the scene for a moment before turning away.
This was no time to indulge in sentiment.
“Commander.”
Kei approached swiftly.
“We’ve confirmed a total of 76 people so far. More continue to arrive.”
“What is Brin Castle’s capacity?”
“It can accommodate up to 500 people, according to reports.”
“Are provisions and supplies sufficiently prepared?”
“Yes, we can sustain ourselves for about half a year. However, anything beyond that prolonged engagement….”
“That will suffice.”
I cut him short.
“We’ll end this before then, no matter what it takes.”
Kei nodded.
He too would agree with my assessment.
“What of Raern?”
“Maintaining the portal. He seems to be pushing himself rather hard.”
“Not that he’d stop even if we told him to.”
“Indeed.”
The stubbornness of mages, truly.
“Get some mana potions into him.”
Kei chuckled deeply.
“The taste really is absolutely dreadful, you know.”
“You brought it upon yourself, so there’s nothing to be done about it.”
I swept my gaze across the surroundings once more.
The minimal preparations were complete.
Brin Castle had finished its fortification and stood ready to withstand any assault.
Now it was time to execute the plan in earnest.
“Ser.”
At the sound of my name, I turned to see Elhart standing ready for departure.
“Shall we depart?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
“Won’t you see Raern before we leave?”
“Why bother? We’ll meet again soon enough.”
Kei nodded in agreement.
“Take care of yourself.”
“You too. Don’t die—let’s meet in the Capital.”
With light banter and brief farewells, I turned away.
I could feel Kei’s worried gaze trailing behind me.
That one worries far too much.
Two horses waited before the castle gates.
The destination Elhart and I were heading toward had no coordinates, making magical portal travel impossible.
“Elhart, give me your luggage.”
I took his bag and placed it into my spatial pouch.
We needed to travel as light as possible.
We mounted our horses and departed, leaving Count Brin’s castle behind.
It was the moment when a few days of sweet respite came to an end.
***
The stench of rot assailed my nostrils first.
Along with it, the acrid smell of something half-burned.
The roads had been abandoned long ago, and relying on a crude map, we had ridden for two days.
The map marked it as a village.
“…What is this?”
What lay before us was the ruins of what had once been a village.
Half-burned buildings, shattered fences, and dried bloodstains on the ground came into view.
And.
“….”
Elhart and I moved forward without a word.
Then we stopped abruptly, our gazes lowering.
A small hand.
The corpse of a child, already cold, lay there.
But that was only the beginning.
At the center of the village.
Corpses hung displayed, bound to pillars.
Beneath them, a crudely carved inscription.
[Traitors]
A warning was written stating that these were traitors who defied the King’s decree, and that anyone who attempted to retrieve the bodies would face the same charge of treason.
“…Hah.”
What decree could possibly justify this?
More importantly, would the King’s command even reach this far from the Capital?
And an order so grave that defying it would result in charges of treason?
I slowly surveyed the surroundings.
The corpses bound to the pillars belonged to elderly men.
No bodies of young men or women were visible.
“They were taken away.”
Elhart nodded.
“They made examples of a few, executing them.”
Those who resisted fiercely would have been killed, but the others likely remained alive.
“How dare they invoke the King’s name.”
Charges of treason must always be reported to the King.
To execute someone for treason while omitting such procedures—that itself was treason.
“Elhart.”
“Yes.”
“You saw this clearly?”
I spoke without looking at him.
“This is what we must face. Beings more demonic than demons themselves.”
Even in Hell, such a horrific sight would be rare.
After a brief silence, Elhart opened his mouth.
“You don’t seem to value your own life much.”
He spoke in a low, measured voice.
“You must not realize that death itself stands at your door.”
They strut about as though they’ll wield power for a thousand eternities.
Even after committing such atrocities, they harbor no fear of the Goddess.
Instead, they’ll snicker and mock.
Convinced that if divinity exists, it surely favors their cause.
“The justification is already sufficient.”
How conveniently they’ve even inscribed their affiliations for us.
As though such transparency might instill fear in the people.
“Marquis Ramon.”
He was among the roster of traitors.
His faction was substantial enough that I’d committed him to memory.
“A figure of considerable standing—perhaps a step below Marquis Libran himself.”
He would serve as an ideal first target.
The capital wouldn’t receive word immediately, but when they did, his elimination would strike a meaningful blow.
“Then let us begin.”
I drew in a deep breath of air thick with the scent of blood.
“The hunt for traitors.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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