The journey back to Vailor was more peaceful than I expected.
Perhaps because, for the first time in a long while, there wasn't an immediate battle waiting for us on the road. Even so, that strange feeling in my chest had remained ever since my conversation with the spirit of the sword days earlier.
The demons were moving.
I could feel it.
Even far from the Kingdom of the Giants, that pressure still lingered in the back of my mind.
When we finally caught sight of Vailor's massive walls in the distance, it was already late afternoon. The sky was beginning to take on shades of orange while several carriages entered and left the capital of the human kingdom.
Scarlet let out a small sigh as she looked through the window.
"We're finally back."
"Didn't you like the Kingdom of the Giants?" I asked.
"I did. But those giant tables still scare me."
Elara laughed immediately.
"You ate more than anyone."
"Because I needed to survive."
"That doesn't make any sense."
Scarlet crossed her arms, trying to look serious, while Liriel quietly laughed beside her.
Rai'kanna calmly watched the activity in the city.
"Vailor feels small now after that giant castle."
"Because it really is small compared to that," Lyannis commented as she closed one of the books she had brought back from the trip.
Vespera remained silent as always, simply observing the surroundings through the carriage opening.
As soon as we passed through the main gates, several people recognized the group almost immediately.
"It's Hero Takumi!"
"They're back!"
"His group is with him!"
Some people began waving while others simply watched in admiration.
That still felt strange to me.
I never really got used to fame.
Especially because I still remembered perfectly the days when I could barely survive on my own.
The carriage moved through the main streets until it finally stopped in front of the mansion.
As soon as we stepped down, several servants quickly appeared at the main entrance.
"Welcome back!"
The elderly butler of the mansion gave a respectful bow.
"It looks like everything stayed peaceful around here," I said.
"As always, Lord Takumi."
As the servants began unloading the chests filled with gold and rewards, I noticed some of them staring in shock at the absurd amount of wealth.
And honestly... I couldn't blame them.
Two hundred solid gold bars occupied nearly half of the main carriage.
Besides that, there were still the chests containing gold coins and the documents for the new lands.
Elara looked at everything and let out a soft whistle.
"You officially have too much money."
"It's not my fault."
"You always say that."
"Because it's true."
Scarlet walked past me carrying one of the smaller chests.
"If this keeps up, we'll need to build another vault."
"That's not a bad idea," Lyannis commented seriously.
I looked at her.
"Are you serious?"
"Completely."
I sighed as we entered the mansion.
The place looked exactly as we remembered.
The spotless corridors.
The faint scent of polished wood.
The enormous windows allowing the late afternoon sunlight to pour into the main hall.
After so many battles and journeys, that place was truly beginning to feel like home.
The servants spent quite some time carrying the rewards down into the mansion's underground vault.
After organizing some of the items in the main hall, I decided to go downstairs alone to check how much space was left.
Or at least try to.
When I opened the heavy metal vault door, I stood there silently for several seconds.
The place was full.
Completely full.
Crates of gold coins occupied nearly every wall. Gold bars were stacked in various corners. Jewels, artifacts, land deeds, mission rewards, ancient treasures...
It looked more like the treasury of a king than the vault of an adventurer.
Scarlet appeared right behind me.
"...I don't think this is normal."
"I don't think so either."
Elara walked in next and widened her eyes.
"My God."
Liriel silently looked around.
"There's way too much money in here."
"I lost track a long time ago," I admitted honestly.
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"You literally look like a king now."
"Don't start."
"But it's true."
Lyannis began examining the vault with a critical expression.
"If we continue accumulating resources at this rate, the physical structure will become insufficient in approximately a few months."
I slowly looked at her.
"You calculated that just now?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because someone has to think about these things."
Vespera leaned against the wall near the entrance while silently observing everything.
Even she looked a little impressed.
Scarlet walked over to one of the piles of coins.
"You realize some people would spend their entire lives without ever seeing even half of this."
"I know."
And that genuinely bothered me a little.
Not the money itself.
But the weight that came with it.
Lands.
Responsibilities.
Employees.
Entire villages depending on the decisions I made.
Sometimes I still felt like all of it had happened far too quickly.
Elara noticed my silence.
"What is it?"
"I was thinking."
"That never ends well."
I ignored her teasing.
"Sometimes it feels strange."
"Having money?"
"No. Having so much responsibility."
The group remained silent for a few seconds.
Then Liriel spoke calmly.
"But you're handling it well."
I looked at her.
"It doesn't always feel that way."
"Even so, you are."
Scarlet nodded right afterward.
"You manage your lands better than many nobles."
"Because you genuinely care," Rai'kanna added.
Lyannis calmly closed the book she was carrying.
"Most people who possess power only want more power. You think about the people living on your lands first."
I looked away for a moment.
It was still strange hearing that.
Especially because I had never seen myself that way.
To me, I was simply trying to keep everything from falling apart.
After spending some more time organizing the rewards, we finally managed to close the vault again.
But Scarlet had been right.
We really were running out of space.
As soon as we returned to the mansion's main floor, several servants began bringing dinner.
The atmosphere felt lighter now that we were finally back.
During the meal, Elara brought up the subject of money again.
"Have you realized you could probably buy a small city at this point?"
"I don't want to buy a city."
"Then a fortress."
"That neither."
Scarlet rested her face on one hand while looking at me.
"You're terrible at being rich."
"Is that even a thing?"
"Yes."
Lyannis answered immediately,
"Statistically, yes."
I couldn't help but laugh.
Rai'kanna then spoke while taking a sip of wine.
"My father would probably like to negotiate with you in the future."
"That sounds dangerous."
"Because it is."
Liriel watched the conversation with a gentle smile.
It was strange how simple moments like that were becoming increasingly rare.
Peaceful dinners.
Conversations without war.
Without blood.
Without battles.
Maybe that was why I was trying to enjoy every small moment.
Even knowing that this peace wouldn't last forever.
After dinner, the servants began cleaning the hall while we headed out to the mansion's main balcony.
The night was quiet.
The wind slowly swept through the gardens while Vailor's distant lights illuminated part of the city.
I leaned against the railing, watching the dark sky.
Scarlet stopped beside me.
"You're thinking about the demons again."
"Is it that obvious?"
"To someone who knows you, yes."
I took a slow breath.
"The stronger the First General becomes... the stranger everything feels."
Elara appeared just behind us.
"Do you think he'll attack soon?"
"I don't know."
And that was the worst part.
The uncertainty.
Liriel slowly stepped closer as well.
"But when it happens... we'll be together."
I looked at all of them.
Scarlet.
Liriel.
Elara.
Vespera.
Lyannis.
Rai'kanna.
At some point, that group had become more than just battle companions.
They had become my family.
And perhaps that was exactly what the demons wanted to destroy.
I closed my eyes for a few seconds before speaking.
"I won't let anything happen to any of you."
Scarlet answered immediately,
"And we won't let anything happen to you either."
Silence returned after that.
A peaceful silence.
But even in that calm... I could still feel something far away.
A pressure.
As if something were slowly drawing closer.
And deep down... I knew that feeling wasn't just paranoia.