Even Though I Defeated the Demon Lord, My Wife and Daughter Treat Me Like Trash ~ I Found Out My Wife's Child Isn't Mine, and When I Confronted Her, She Got Mad and I Was Exiled. The Country's in Trouble Because the Demon Lord Came Back? Sorry, I'm Getting Remarried to a Princess, So I Can't Help. - Chapter 14: Origins

Chapter 14: Origins

While I was imprisoned, a man claiming to be Camilla’s representative came to visit.

He was a young man, someone I hadn’t met before, but he seemed to be affiliated with the church.

“I have a message from Lady Camilla. She asks that you sign this.”

What he presented were two documents: a divorce paper to be submitted to the church, and an agreement stating that I would relinquish all my property, including the mansion.

I signed the divorce paper, but tore the document concerning the property in half.

The man looked shocked, but I didn’t care and told him my demand.

“I’m leaving this country, and I’ll need travel funds and money to live on for a while. I can’t give up everything.”

After a few rounds of negotiation through the representative, I managed to secure twenty gold coins.

With that, I should be able to survive for a while once I reach the empire.

Not long after, the severance money was prepared, and I was released from prison.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

I decided to use the Transfer Circle managed by the church for my journey to the empire.

Though the donation fee was steep, traveling by carriage would have taken nearly a week.

Officially, they claim it’s to “prevent its use for military purposes like transporting soldiers,” but that seems suspicious to me.

Considering the system can only transport about fifty people per day, I doubt it could ever be used effectively for war.

Anyway, I arrived in the imperial capital on the same day.

It was actually my first time visiting.

Although Old Man Barnes picked me up in the empire, I spent my childhood in a rural town—or rather, a village.

Now that I’m here, I can see that, while the royal capital is developed, the imperial capital is on a whole different level.

It’s in a league of its own.

I feel like a country bumpkin.

And it’s no wonder—while the empire controls much of the western continent, the kingdom only rules a small part of the central region. The scale of the two nations is entirely different.

Even though the kingdom is technically independent, it’s practically a vassal state.

That’s why, if I can gain power here, it’ll give me the leverage I need to deal with Albert and Camilla.

Now, as planned, the first thing I’ll do is visit Karnak.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

I struggled a bit due to my lack of familiarity with the area, but I finally found Karnak’s house.

It’s been two years since Old Man Barnes’ funeral, when Karnak left the kingdom to spend his remaining years in his homeland.

It’s been a long time since we last met.

After I knocked on the door and waited for a moment, Karnak appeared, responding with a “Yes.”

He must be nearing sixty, but he looked as lively as ever.

It’s probably because he trained from a young age as a former imperial knight. His posture was straight, and he showed no signs of aging.

“Karnak, it’s been a while.”

“Van! What are you doing here!? Oh, you came all this way to visit me, didn’t you? Thank you! Please, come in… wait, are you alone?”

“Yeah.”

“What about your wife and daughter?”

“Ah, well… I’ll have to explain that part.”

“Right, no point in standing out here. Come in, come in.”

Though surprised by my sudden visit, Karnak seemed genuinely happy.

His house was small and modest, just as I expected from someone like him. The interior was neat, with only the essentials, but everything was of good quality.

“Sorry it’s cramped. Living alone as an old man, I don’t need much… Would you like something to drink? Tea or maybe some alcohol?”

“No, I’m avoiding alcohol for a while.”

I won’t drink until I’ve had my revenge on those two.

The next drink I’ll have will be the sweet taste of victory.

After taking a sip of the tea he had prepared, I began to speak.

“I’m sorry to be so direct, but the truth is, I came here to ask you for a favor, Karnak.”

“Hmm. If it’s something I can help with, I’ll do anything. Go ahead, tell me.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a long story… actually, it goes back about ten years…”

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

As I spoke, Karnak held his head in his hands, muttering, “I can’t believe this…”

Once I finished, Karnak remained silent, deep in thought for a while. Eventually, he turned to me and asked,

“So… what is it that you want to do, Van?”

“I want revenge on the two of them.”

“I see… but even though you’re strong, Prince Albert is practically the embodiment of state power.”

“You’re right. That’s why I need to gain a position of power myself. I never cared about rising through the ranks before, but things have changed. That’s why I came to you, Karnak. As a former imperial knight, I thought you might have some connections to help me secure a position.”

“Connections, huh…”

Karnak fell silent again, but this time, it didn’t seem like he was searching for someone who could help.

It felt more like he was debating whether or not to say something.

So, I waited for him to speak.

After a while, Karnak finally opened his heavy lips to speak.

“Van.”

“Yes?”

“You have… become very strong. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever known.”

“I’m confident about that.”

“…Which is why, perhaps, it’s no longer right for me to think I need to protect you.”

“I can protect myself. So, if you know something, please tell me.”

“There is a connection. Not through me, but through you.”

“Through me?”

“Yes. If you had built a family and lived an ordinary, happy life, I would have taken this secret to the grave. But Van, both I and Barnes knew your parents.”

“My… parents?”

“Yes, your mother’s name was Liberka, and… your father’s name was Vildreft.”

“That’s…!”

“Yes, you are… the illegitimate child of the late emperor.”