I Got Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble Destined for Getting My Punishment, but Since I Got Married to My Favorite Final Boss Heroine, I Shall Use My Knowledge of the Original Game to Make My Wife Happy - 25

Chapter 25: Unexpected Rewards

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“Ike Hanbulg. Well done on defeating the Black Dragon. You deserve a reward for your remarkable achievement.”

King Gilga said as he stared at me from his throne. How did things turn out this way? I should be enjoying my lovey dovey times with Luna! And yet.. Here I was, having an audience with the King after receiving a personal summon to the royal palace. There was King Gilga, me and Alisa in the audience room. No one else occupied this vast space. 

“….I merely did what I was supposed to do as a member of the Hanbulg family.”

I subtly conveyed my intention that I didn’t need any reward. Asking for a reward at this point wouldn’t benefit me in the future.

This was what King Gilga was like. He was a very logical and opportunistic person that only saw people of two types. Someone that could benefit him and someone that was useless to him. In other words, he treated those who he considered as useless coldly, almost indifferent. However, he was very warm toward those that could benefit him. It was almost like he was a completely different person. 

Hence why… Accepting a reward from King Gilga would basically turn me into his puppet. If Luna were to be exploited by him… I would have no reason to live anymore. That would be the worst kind of ending without any doubt. 

“I see. What an admirable answer. However, had the Black Dragon left unchecked, the dragon would eventually harm the capital in its rampage. Therefore, not giving you a proper reward would affect the honor of the royal family. I believe you understand what I’m trying to say here?”

Despite saying that, King Gilga was still staring at me with disdain. I could feel the hostility emanating from him. 

“…I understand. I shall humbly accept any reward you bestow me.”

I had no other option but to concede here. Declining his offer any further would be seen as disrespectful. I couldn’t afford making him an enemy when I hadn’t prepared to go against him yet. However, accepting a reward from the king basically revoked the reward that Alisa had promised me. The king’s reward took higher priority than a mere saint. 

That being said, if King Gilga publicly acknowledged my achievement in defeating the Black Dragon, that meant everyone would know that I was in possession of Staff of the Dragon Star. There was no helping it though. Helping the people living in my territory took precedence. Even though I had kept the artifact a secret and only used it in an emergency, it still frustrated me that my secret would get revealed this fast. 

“Your Majesty, may I interrupt for a moment?”

“Ooh! Saintess. Sure, what is it?”

Alisa politely interrupted King Gilga. Her action would be considered disrespectful under normal circumstances, but the King seemed to not mind her actions. Good grief. Could they just let me go already? I really wanted to return to Luna. My beloved wife was waiting for me in my home. 

“Regarding this incident… The church would like to bestow Ike-sama a reward as well.”

“Oh..? To Ike-dono?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Ike Hanbulg, the church hereby recognizes you as a White Saint. The church will offer you full support from now on, such is the will of God.”

“White… Saint?”

What was the meaning of this? The title of a White Saint was supposed to be given to the hero. At least, that was what it was supposed to be in the original Fortune Lover storyline.

“Of course we will also recognize his wife, Luna Hanbulg, as the official wife of the White Saint. From now on, any insult to her would be treated as a direct insult to the church—a disrespect to God. With this, no one in this kingdom would dare to look down on her anymore. I believe this is the greatest reward I can offer to Ike-sama.”

Alisa said as she smiled at me. That smile was almost filled with maternal kindness, something I had never seen her do before.

I didn’t understand why she would give me the title of White Saint. Things were diverging too much from the original storyline. But then again, the moment I vowed to give my beloved Luna a happy ending, I had already prepared to deviate from the original story. 

“I see… It seems I’ve misjudged who to side with.”

To put it simply the church had decided to side with me. 

“I understand. In that case, I must offer a reward that won’t lose against the Saintess.”

King Gilga’s lips curled up into a satisfied expression. 

“I will say it again, I have to bestow you with a reward. Otherwise, the honor of the royal family will be tarnished in return. Therefore… Ike Hanbulg, I bestow upon you a noble title and lands. Of course, I will recognize the artifact in your possession as part of your property. These are my rewards for you.”

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty.”

I didn’t expect he would legally recognize my ownership of the artifact! Well, of course he would’ve known that I had an artifact with me. I see… It seemed he had changed his opinion about me. I had become someone that could benefit him. In that case… It should be okay for me to take a gamble here. 

“Umm… Your Majesty, I’m sorry to be rude, but could I ask for a favor?”

“Go ahead. Feel free to speak your mind.”

“Thank you very much. Regarding my reward, could I request to be granted territory in the Kardi region, specifically the town of Sulfur?”

“Oh? Why is that? The region of Kardi is a volcanic area. That region is known to be dangerous because of powerful monsters roaming around. I heard the previous lord fled because of that… Wouldn’t it be better if I found a better location for you?”

“That region is fine for me. In fact, I would prefer to have the Kardi region.”

“I see… Very well, if you insist that much then I shall recognize the region of Kardi as the personal territory of Ike Hanbulg.”

With a slightly disappointed look on his face, King Gigla relented. 

“Yes! What a wonderful reward! Ah, if possible… I would like to be granted a building as well…”

“Very well, very well. I will send a royal architect to you later. Don’t worry about the funds. The royal family will cover the cost. It’s a reward for your great achievement after all! Hahaha!”

King Gilga laughed heartily. 

Alright! I got his word! Now I could build a hot spring to spend my happy married life with Luna! For the first time since my reincarnation to this world, I was grateful to King Gilga. At first, I found him to be an incredibly frustrating character. However, now he proved to be someone that could help me build a happy married life with luna. I was willing to forgive him for how he treated me until now. Well… As a villain, I shall exploit him until he ran dry! Kukuku… Be prepared, King Gilga!

“By the way, I’m aware you’re the next head of your family. In that case… I will cut the tax for Hanbulg duchy in half. By all rights, the duchy should still pay the tax in full, but doing so would put an unnecessary burden on the citizens. Forgive me for this, Ike-dono.”

“I don’t mind. It is the duty of a noble to protect the lives of their people. It brings me great joy to know how considered Your Majesty is of us.”

“…I see. I guess I’m also easily swayed by the rumors. Despite your young age, you are an exceptional individual indeed. Compared to you, the Hero is… Well, nevermind. Let’s stop speaking about him.”

King Gilga shook his head. It seemed he was having trouble dealing with the Hero. Well, whether he was struggling because of the Hero didn’t concern me in the slightest. 

“But still, it’s truly unfortunate to have you… Well, how about this. Would you consider getting to know my daughter even more? You are still young. Shouldn’t you try to look at others… Options?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone but Luna. Even people might judge this feeling of mine as nothing but a fleeting passion of youth, but I’ve decided to give all of my heart to my wife, Luna.”

Princess or not, Luna was the only one for me. Besides, the princess was one of the heroines in Fortune Lover too. I didn’t want to risk getting too close to someone that might become my enemy in the future. 

“I see. What a shame. Anyway, the kingdom will soon have the legal documents ready to confirm your position as the new lord of Kardi. I’m sorry, but it seems the legalization period might take a while.”

“No, not at all. I’m ready to wait however long it takes.”

Kukukuku…. Which meant I could go on a hot spring date LEGALLY with Luna! How exciting! Of course, the hot spring date wasn’t the only thing I was looking forward to. Kardi region was actually filled with high-quality minerals. Among them, there was the adamantite, an essential material to create the strongest armor in Fortune Lover. Owning the Kardi region would surely strengthen the power of the Hanbulg family. 

Kukuku… Of course, only I knew about this. After all, I was reincarnated with full knowledge of the Fortune Lover game. 

I bowed gracefully while trying to hide how hard my heart was beating.

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