## Chapter 828 – Winter in the Capital

“Don’t know, never heard of such a thing. She’s infertile? So now she wants me to give birth to a kid for her to adopt as her heir?”
“Seems like that’s the gist of it.”
“That’s hilarious, really. What a crazy bitch.”

Winnia seemed to be getting angry, lowering her arms as if to turn and face me.

“Winnia, don’t lower your arms. It’s uncomfortable to touch.”
“Ah, sorry, Darkie.”

Winnia apologized to me and clasped her hands behind her head again, palms supporting her skull. She’s completely trained now. As soon as I touch her breasts, she automatically maintains this position.

“Okay now, Darkie?”
“Yep.”

Anyway, I resumed my breast-fondling operation.

This weighty feeling is irresistible.

While kneading and squeezing, I asked, “Winnia, do you know anything about the Bellatude family situation? From what I hear, it’s not just infertility, but none of her sisters-in-law have sons either.”

It felt like the Bellatude family didn’t have any men at all right now. Winnia was silent for a moment at my question, then said, “Hmm… I don’t know. I left the house anyway, so I never had a chance to find out… Actually, now that I think about it, it is a bit suspicious. Why are they so insistent on passing it down to a son? And come to think of it, it’s strange that they only have daughters.”

My suspicions deepened.

When I went to the Bellatude mansion, I definitely saw portraits of past heads of the family in the hallway. It was a mix of men and women, but there seemed to be more women overall. Almost a three-to-one ratio?

The women all had pink hair and massive breasts. Come to think of it, I don’t think the men had pink hair…

In any case, why aren’t there any men in the current family? And why do they need a son? And why are they asking Winnia to give birth to one?

—Heredity.

Maybe there’s some magical reason or ritual involved?

This isn’t Earth, so the inheritance process might be different. If there’s a magical ritual or religion involved, it wouldn’t be strange for it to proceed in a unique way. It is a mage family, after all.

For example… there might be a special secret or magic that can only be passed down to a male member of the family. And it might be combined with the fact that sons are rarely born into the family.

Of course, this is just my guess.

Still, thinking that they need a son for some magical, superstitious reason makes it seem somewhat plausible.

“Winnia, is there some kind of family secret that can only be inherited by men?”
“I don’t know about that… Ah, but I think I’ve heard that there are magics that are inherited by the entire family.”
“There are?”
“It’s not my major, so I don’t know the details, but there probably is. Ask Sister Risha.”
“Then I should ask her.”

I immediately took my hands off Winnia’s breasts, and Winnia released her hands from behind her head to stretch for a moment. Then, I went down to the basement with Winnia.

“Risha, is the work progressing?”

When I went down, I saw Risha and Ari’s backs.

“Ah, you’ve come down?”
“Father.”
“Ari, were you helping Risha?”
“Yes.”

It seemed Risha was working with Ari in front of a pillar that radiated magical energy.

A magic circle was glowing on the floor. I approached, careful not to step on it.

—Zzzzzzz.

A basin was placed on top of the pillar with geometric patterns flashing, and the half-melted heart of the Spirit King was submerged in the basin.

—Slosh, slosh.

The water filling the basin was excessively sparkling. And several small spheres emitting black rays were circling around the heart. It was as if those rays were slowly melting the heart.

“That’s it. You could say we’re doing the full-scale extraction work now. Thanks to the clinical trials, it’s speeding up. It will probably be completed soon.”
“So it will be completed before the end of this winter.”

Satisfying.

“But what brings you down here?”
“Ah, Risha, is there any magic that is inherited by the family or clan?”
“What?”

I briefly explained to Risha about Zenia and my speculation.

“Hmm… There are magics that are passed down by family or clan, but magic that is only inherited by men… I don’t know about that. There is something similar in black magic, but it’s on a different level…”
“Really? It’s okay if you don’t know.”

I was curious because it was related to Winnia, but if it doesn’t work out, there’s nothing I can do. Risha said she would look into it once she finished her work.

* * *

As always, winter was passing by uneventfully.

Nothing particularly special had happened in the past few days. Even when I went to the Great Temple, I only talked and came back, and Risha was still focused on her work. I just concentrated on training with Cloudi, Karin, and Liz-noona.

A few days passed.

—Thud.

When I went to the Great Temple, the Saintess handed me a luxurious box.

“The settlement is finally complete.”
“Ah.”
“I apologize to the Paladin for the delay in payment. But I’ve been too busy. Besides, the Paladin’s work was so significant that it took too long to determine its value.”

I smiled and pulled the box towards me.

“Hehe, well, it can be late. It’s inevitable that it will be delayed when going through all sorts of procedures.”

The rewards had been piling up.

First, the subjugation of Arachne and the Gog’Nija incident, and discovering the plan that the Great Demons of Pandemonium were plotting an invasion.

Second, winning the Kingdom Martial Arts Tournament, which enhanced the reputation of the Order and greatly increased the number of converts.

Finally, destroying the High-Level Spirit Arquina, who had occupied the granary, proving the existence of the Spirit Realm, and uncovering the Spirit Kings’ conspiracy.

All three of these were so great that they could be told as heroic tales anywhere. It was inevitable that it would take some time to settle these, so the Saintess had been personally treating me.

That reward has finally been settled.

I’m so excited.

“Let’s open the box first.”
“Yes, ma’am!!”

I immediately took an attentive posture and answered loudly, opening the box.

—Sparkle, sparkle.

As expected, it was full of silver coins, and there were a few gold coins as well. There was also a piece of paper that looked like a receipt, which turned out to be a receipt for my reward payment.

About 10 gold coins.

Wow, holy shit.

The unbelievable amount of money made my jaw drop. But maybe I’ve gotten used to it these days? My heart didn’t race as much as it used to, to the point where I would break out into a dance.

Actually, I hardly worry about money anymore. Even if I buy everything I want, my wealth doesn’t decrease much.

What is this?

Kim Katz class.

I could now remain calm even in the face of such money. I tried to calm my wildly beating heart, thinking, “Isn’t this natural for a Heavenly Demon?” but it didn’t work.

—Thump, thump!

Damn it.

“The threat of the Great Demons has already been communicated, so let’s skip that. As you can see from the details, the payment is for the Great Demon case and this High-Level Spirit case. It’s a very substantial amount.”

Catching Arachne and Gog’Nija.
And catching Arquina.

The reward was for these two things. Well, those two were big enough deals, so I think it’s reasonable that they added up to about 10 gold coins. But seeing that they kept the Martial Arts Tournament separate, I guess they’re planning to give me something other than cash.

“Of course, it was worth it.”
“Thank you!!!!!”
“It took some time to determine the amount. I hope the Paladin understands.”
“Of course, I understand!”
“Hmph, seeing you satisfied makes me feel good too.”

The Saintess smiled and said that.

“But Saintess, what about that ice maze? What’s the status of that?”
“Ah, that?”

The Saintess, who took out a cigarette, began to explain.

“Currently, all the Holy Knights who were dispatched to subjugate the High-Level Spirit have returned. They testified that even after the Paladin defeated them, they continued to wait and watch, but there were no problems. They said the gate never reopened. However, it seems the Kingdom Knights are still remaining.”

The Holy Knight uncles who were waiting there have returned. But the Master Knight and the other knights are still staying to prepare.

Well, they can’t just withdraw when a few knights have died. The kingdom will probably send another investigation team. Mainly composed of mages and scholars.

“This is an official document shared with the royal family.”

The Saintess took out a document.
I thought she was going to hand it to me.

“First, you’ll have to come over here. I’ll explain it directly.”
“Yes.”

I immediately pulled my chair over and sat next to the Saintess.

—Slide.

She pulled her chair closer to me, and placed the official document in front of me, pointing with her finger to guide me.

“Read from the first line here.”
“Yes.”

I immediately read the first paragraph.

In short, it said that they plan to formalize the existence of the Spirit Realm and the Spirit Kings and announce it throughout the kingdom. It also listed the detailed combat power of the High-Level Spirit and how to deal with it.

Oh. Looking at this, it seemed like they had taken very definite measures. First of all, I’m glad that it’s been formalized. That means people all over the kingdom know about it.

“Any questions?”

The Saintess, sitting next to me, asked while holding my wrist.

“No. I’ll read more first.”
“Hmm, okay. Go ahead and read more.”

I continued to read.

There was something that caught my eye. It said that they were planning a project to capture spiritists and intermediate spirits. It also mentioned recruiting mages and scholars with information about spirits.

This is very serious.

“This is very serious?”
“Of course it’s serious. Who’s report was it? Wasn’t it what the Paladin directly witnessed and reported? If you use my name and the Dancing Paladin’s name at the same time, this much is easy.”

As expected.

“The seriousness of this situation has been recognized by me, as well as by key figures in the royal family. It seems that the Master Knight’s report played a big role, but the Paladin’s influence is also very significant.”

I’m satisfied with this much.

I feel good that the Karga Kingdom is aware of the Spirit Kings and is preparing countermeasures based on my report.

Isn’t this the taste of serving the public good?

“So it seems that the Paladin’s merits have also been passed on to the royal family, so I’ll let you know when something comes up. If you’re lucky, they might give you a reward.”
“Oh, thank you.”

Come to think of it, Master Knight Kelbain said he would also inform the higher-ups about my merits. It seems he did as he said.

I don’t know what will happen, but I’m grateful.

But the royal family.

Speaking of the royal family, Princess Einphel Gainsha Karga comes to mind. She was a beauty comparable to Cloudi. She was a princess, so it was natural that she received a lot of care. Still, she was a little behind the beauty of the elves.

“And this is…”

At that time, the Saintess got up from her seat.

—Slide.

Then, she grabbed the luxurious red cloth covering something standing at the end of the desk and pulled it away.

“This is the reward for the Martial Arts Tournament.”

It was a water bottle in the shape of a long trophy. No, a long potion bottle with very luxurious decorations… should I call it a holy water container? I can’t think of a suitable word. Anyway, the holy water container contained what looked like less than a liter of shining water.

“It’s a chalice containing the highest quality holy water. It’s a very precious item in the Order.”
“Huh.”

The body is made of crystal, and it is surrounded by intricate decorations made of brass. It is literally a chalice.

—Top quality.

“It has been decided to present this to the Paladin. You have achieved great achievements in succession, so we should at least do this much. Well, from now on, this is the Paladin’s property. It’s very good for your internal organs and health, so if you drink it, you’ll be able to live a very long time.”
“Wow, really? You’re giving this to me?”
“The number of converts and donations has skyrocketed, but some people said that giving it in cash would be a bit… so we’re giving it to you like this, but you don’t like it…”
“No!! Not at all! If it’s good for my health, I should bow and accept it!”

—Flash!

I immediately jumped up and gave the Saintess a deep bow. In fact, I’m happier with health products that have a direct effect on my body than money.

Money disappears when you spend it, but an enhanced body lasts a lifetime. I have to take care of my health as much as possible. Looking at it this way, my lifespan seems to be getting quite long.

“Hmph, if you’re this happy, I’m sure everyone will be happy.”

Anyway, today’s rewards were a box of money and this chalice containing the highest quality holy water.

The income is pretty good.

“But Saintess, does the holy water have any other effects?”
“It’s deadly to demons.”
“…”

Wait a minute.

Hilde?
I need to be careful about this.

“Well, it will be very good for internal injuries. If you eat only that, all kinds of diseases will be cured. Naturally, your lifespan will increase, and the Paladin’s already strong and heavy body will become even stronger.”
“I’m very satisfied.”

I got up from my seat.

“But, Paladin.”
“Yes.”
“I would like to meet that woman named Karin Bestart.”
“Yes? Karin?”
“…That’s right.”

The Saintess, who was silent for a moment, continued.

“Well, she also helped with this matter. Of course, I want to see her for the purpose of… thanking her. If you have time, I hope you can convey this message.”

If that’s the case.

“If that’s the purpose, of course I’ll convey it.”