Demon Hunting Squad.
Captain Igor was sitting in the middle of his base as his subordinates were questioning his decision.
"Sir. Is it alright for him to use our Demon Hunting Squad like this?"
Igor chuckled. "Have you forgotten that I owe him something? During that little fight?"
Igor reminded them about the little fight they had to test Noel's strength. If the Demon Hunting Squad won, Noel would join the Demon Hunting Squad. But Noel ended up winning, and Igor owed him a favor.
"In fact, I should have thanked him for using that favor. Since I'm going to pass my mantle to someone else soon, it doesn't mean anything to have another captain in between. By allowing him to take my position as the Captain of the Demon Hunting Squad, he can earn a better noble position."
"But what about us? If our squad…"
Before they finished, Igor added, "Of course. There is also a benefit as well. It's like promoting our Demon Hunting Squad. In the end, we're the ones who can say that Noel was once a captain of the Demon Hunting Squad."
"But…"
The people were worried. Igor was the one to allow this to happen. Of course, he could use it as a promotion, but Captain Igor would be recognized as a pushover, considering he just let someone be a captain just for the sake of becoming a noble.
Even if the Demon Hunting Squad would become famous, Igor's name would be filled with infamy. Igor had been helping them from the beginning, so they didn't want to see that happening.
Unfortunately for them, Igor had made a decision. He said with a sad smile, "If my sacrifice can make the Demon Hunting Squad strong again, I don't mind. I have always felt useless after losing this arm of mine, so I'm just glad that I can still use myself to support the squad. I hope that you all can make the squad stronger than ever… and make me proud."
…
Royal Palace.
"His nickname in the Demon Banner Army is Iadre. But his actual name is… Noel Ardagan."
"What?!"
"Noel Ardagan?"
"Is he still alive?"
"Isn't he…"
Everyone couldn't help but turn their heads toward Anna. Since this was a royal hearing, ministers and a few Arbiters attended it, including Kevin and Anna.
When she received the gaze, Anna thought, 'As expected, Noel… has succeeded. But since when did he become a Demon Hunting Squad's Captain? Well, the details are not that important…'
Anna looked at her father and said, "To think that you have been aiming for this, Father."
"Ah, did I not tell you about it? The Ardagan Family is my friend. Since I couldn't do anything for him, I would just help his son." Kevin smirked.
The people could see the conflicts between daughter and father.
Kevin shrugged and bowed to the king. "Your Majesty. I believe that we can't stop him from becoming a noble. In addition, he has gained a lot of support from other fractions. If we don't take their suggestion, I believe that this is a direct offense against them."
The king tightened his grip on his throne. If he could, he wanted to tear the letter into pieces, thinking nothing of the Ardagan Family.
Before, he had eliminated the Ardagan Family because they were a thorn in their side. But due to the plea of Luke Ardagan, he only executed his parents and let the son go.
To think that the son, who he thought would die during his training in the Demon Banner Army, would come back again.
Looking at Anna's expression, it was clear that she was shocked to find Noel was still alive. Since Anna and Kevin had friction, it meant that he could fully suppress Kevin. No, Anna might be the one suppressing Kevin.
"Still…" The Sword Arbiter raised his hand. "I don't really care about him being a noble or whatever. But to become a Captain, you need at least to be a Spirit Grandmaster, right? If I'm not wrong, this Iadre or Noel Ardagan is only a Spirit Master. Is it possible for the Demon Banner Army to change their rule?"
"Actually, Sir…" The minister rubbed his cheek and explained, "According to their testament, Noel Ardagan has become a Spirit Grandmaster. He will come to the ceremony and prove that he is a Spirit Grandmaster."
"Is that so? Well, I have heard about his deeds recently."
"Ah, I don't think the information you have is accurate," Kevin interjected.
"What do you mean?" The Sword Arbiter frowned, thinking that Noel must have done something else.
"You should have heard that the army is currently dominating the battle against the organization, right?"
"Yes. Did he do something?"
"I've got a letter saying that one of the Devil Saints has died in his hand. He was chased by a group of elites from the organization led by two Devil Saints, Nelfer and Qiel. He managed to escape and kill Nelfer."
"What?!" The Sword Arbiter dropped his jaw. "He killed a Devil Saint? A Devil Saint is similar to the top captains of the Demon Banner Army, right?"
Kevin nodded. "That's why I believe that he has proved himself. It's only right for us to reward such a hero."
"…" The Sword Arbiter might be involved in politics and loyal to the Royal Family, but he was not a blind follower. He considered everything logically and said, "In that case, I have no objection to giving him a noble title. Killing a Devil Saint and creating the Rune is enough to be fair."
"…" The king's expression darkened when the Sword Arbiter stepped back. He never thought that he would be pressured to make Noel a noble.
All of a sudden, Anna's teacher, Josephine, opened her mouth. "I do think that we need to reward a hero. However, I am still concerned about the fact that he is using his alias to gain all that. Can he prove everything? So, I'm wondering whether to reward Noel Ardagan or Captain Iadre."
"!!!" Kevin's body shook as he glared at Josephine. "I don't think there is a problem with having an alias."
"I think Void Arbiter's concern is justified." Anna stepped forward. "If you look at it, Noel Ardagan's element is ice. Yet, from the information, Iadre's element is fire. You should be aware that a person only has a single spirit."
"There is also an occurrence where a person has two elements. It might be rare, but not unprecedented." Kevin's tone became cold even though he was only talking with his daughter.
"That's why I'd like to suggest something." Anna glanced at the king.
"You've my permission. Speak." The king nodded.
"Because we're concerned about his identity. We should reward the Captain…"
"The captain?" The king and the others instantly understood what she meant.
"Anna!" Kevin raised his voice.
"Please calm down, Honored Father. You are in the presence of the king." Anna reprimanded her father before continuing her explanation. "That's right. The official record stated that the captain of the Demon Hunting Squad's Captain is Iadre. Hence, he shall be the one receiving this reward. That includes the fact that he will be given a new territory!"
"!!!" The king smirked.
That was right. Since Iadre was the one officially registered as the name, there was no need to give the title to Noel.
After all, if Noel was the one getting the title, he would get the previous Ardagan's territory.
This way, it wouldn't be hard for Noel to rebuild the territory and family to its peak. However, everything would be different if they gave Noel a new territory.
Noel had to build everything from scratch. This would severely delay his progress.
The Sword Arbiter couldn't help but think, 'What a cruel-hearted woman… To think that she is Kevin's daughter… I guess the Royal Family's hand has stretched this far… I'm starting to pity Kevin.'
Anna, on the other hand, continued, "I believe I have a perfect location in mind, Your Majesty."
"Oh? Please tell me about it."
Anna smirked evilly. "How about giving him the new territory in the north? If I'm not wrong, that place is called Lounstein."
"Lounstein? Are you crazy?!" Kevin gritted his teeth.
Even the others couldn't help but shudder. They obviously knew that place.
"I'm merely thinking about the kingdom. If Noel Ardagan's strength is like the reported, then he must be a genius as well. With his strength, he should be able to govern that area well."
"Lounstein is a new plot of land that we manage to acquire after our expansion to the demon territory. That place is still filled with a lot of demons. And not a lot of people are living in that area. Are you trying to kill him? He is a genius that the kingdom should treasure."
"This is our way to treasure him. You're only looking at the bad side. That place is fertile, perfect for a city. Since he is so capable, he should be able to do it." Anna shook her head calmly.
Anna was simply giving the reason for handling the territory. Since it was fertile, a good lord should be able to create a wonderful city there. However, there was also the problem with demons as well as the fact it was at the border. That place would be targeted by demons as well as the organization.
In other words, sending him there was a kind of exiling him in the pretense of rewarding him.
Kevin objected to that idea. However, that was precisely what the king wanted.
If he sent Noel there, he could plot together with the organization to kill Noel Ardagan. And the fact that Anna wanted this to happen, these two geniuses might also destroy each other.
After seeing Anna's strength the other day, he believed Anna would win.
In other words, only the royal family would have this peerless genius and become prosperous.
The king didn't hesitate to declare, "I understand. To reward a hero is my job. We shall hold the ceremony for the ascension of Captain Iadre. He shall be rewarded Luonstein and the title of an Earl."
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