13 Lennon Von Sandrei

Penelope was lying lifeless in the room. Her pink hair has the same glow as they are when I left but her eyes shine no more. 

"When…"

"S-Samuel? W-where were you?"

I took out the purple bottle from the bag. Showing it to the Butler, I showed it to him because he was a former adventurer, with thief as a job. 

"How long was she dead?"

The head Butler's eyes opened wide and his mouth slowly opened slightly, hope filled his eyes as he immediately answered

"She's been gone for only 2 hours."

I ran towards the lifeless body of Penelope opening the cap of the bottle, the Head Butler did the same and with his aid, he sat Penelope properly where the liquid In the bottle could properly go down her throat. 

When the whole bottle was empty the head Butler laid her body again. 

"w-what's happening?" asked the utterly perplexed Ophelia. 

"Samuel has an Elixir, My lady"

The Head Butler replied, not within minutes we could see the visible change on Penelope's pale skin, then after several more minutes. 

—Gasp!

Penelope's eyes shot wide open as she gasped for air. This is how powerful the elixir was, it could even bring back someone from the dead as long as death is within the day. 

"Ma... Mama? Mama!" Ophelia hugged Penelope

I didn't even stop her, if I was in her position I would've run to my mother too like that. But for me that's too late. 

Now that I saw Penelope alive once again I suddenly felt like my body was heavy, my perfect vision suddenly blurry and my balance is suddenly collapsing.  

"Samuel?"

The head Butler looked at me with worry, I didn't manage to reply as I collapsed on the floor. 

"Samuel!"

"Sammy!"

The voices of the Head Butler and Penelope were the last thing I heard. 

***

[The Western Border]

The tensions between the borders are high, but it's not to the point where negotiations are not going to happen. 

"The Empire is corrupt isn't it?"

"Don't say that! You know damn well you could be executed for treason if you said something about the Empire!"

I talked rather indifferently, what I just said was true, the Empire's officials are either corrupt or the wrong Emperor is sitting on the throne. 

The one with me is the Head Commander of the Knights garrison of my estate. We've been deployed on the western border. 

"Karson, it's just the two of us anyways."

"Still Marquis Lennon!"

I've been holding it together because my wife and my cutel daughter are going to be affected if I don't follow the order of the Empire. 

I, Lennon Von Sandrei, am a 2nd class Swordsman near the breakthrough of becoming a 1st class. The Duke in this western side of the Empire is a 3rd class. 

But they don't necessarily need me to be at the border as the enemy commander is only a 3rd class too. 

I understand that they kept me in here to keep me in check, after all, if I kept receiving achievements I could be promoted to a Duke. 

Completely changing the power balance they have kept over the decades, and I'm not all for power, I just want to go home and spend time with my family. 

I have been gone ever since my Daughter's second birthday. It's been hard knowing I've gone through my daughter's childhood and she's growing up without a father figure. 

I don't like that. I don't even know what her favourite colour is. But no hope was lost as Penelope is sending me letters. 

She even hired a child named Samuel. He had dark hair and eyes like ink as she described, he's also an adorable kid according to Penelope. 

I wanted to meet him as he also became Ophelia's childhood friend. 

However, when I was thinking about what I would do when I went home I received a message. 

"Penelope has been poisoned, the cause is the Viscount in the northern border of the Marquisate. Samuel has managed to corner them, but as of yet we don't have evidence."

The message was dropped like a bomb on me, my heart ran fast as the idea of my wife dying. As a husband I can't just let that happen, no I couldn't accept it. 

"Sir…?"

"Replace my post, I need to go home."

I used my long-trusted partner, the horse named Daisy. She was named by Ophelia when she was just one years old so I let it be like that. 

My horse galloped as far as it could before starting panting, so I left it in the nearby village. Because I still have attachments to the horse I wouldn't let it die. 

I started running. The west and east will take weeks worth of travel to cross. My horse covered 3 days with 8 hours of running. 

Well, that didn't matter. I could at least cover 4 days with my foot. I'm a 2nd class swordsman, I used the horse to save energy. I still have the rationality to do that. 

I started running, I don't know how long but the whole night started becoming day as I arrived at the gates of the mansion. 

The gatekeeper immediately recognized me. As he was so shocked he opened the gates. 

The letter was delivered to me via a magic bird, it's very fast and very convenient so I was praying in my head that the time between that the letter was sent and the time I arrived here is not that big. 

"Samuel!"

"Sammy!"

I ran up to Penelope's room, not even changing my frowzy appearance. The moment I arrived there my eyes couldn't help but widen. 

A child with rugged Butler attire was on the floor. He held a purple bottle, a brown bag clearly of my belongings and a sword in his belt. Being held by the head Butler on his arms. 

"he-he's just fatigued! H-he's fine!"

The head Butler exclaimed in relief. 

"Papa?"

Penelope and Ophelia looked my way. Shock, bewilderment and relief. Those emotions were displayed in their eyes. 

"Honey?"

"I-I'm here!"

I kneeled in front of Penelope completely disregarding my disposition, ragged clothes, moist armour with leaves and grass stuck on it and my hair was completely dishevelled. 

"I… I thought you died… I-I don't know what to do!"

"L-Lennon…" Penelope said weakly. "I did die…"

I jerked my eyes up to her with complete puzzlement and then she pointed at the dark-haired child. 

Then the head Butler spoke. 

"He… dived the『Butch Dungeon』as you can see… and obtained an elixir… he was gone for two days."

"W-what?!"

The pure shock was painted on my face as I looked at the Boy. Dark haired and eyes. 

"Is this Samuel?"

"Yes…" Penelope said weakly. 

"T-this is!"

I walked towards the child which the Head Butler was holding carefully. I grabbed the sword on his hilt and inspected it carefully. I couldn't help but be speechless. 

The sword is a weapon, and the child was gone for two days. If this child did go to the Butch Dungeon his sword which is one of the Footsoldiers' use would be damaged beyond repair but his clothes and weapon don't match up. His weapon is completely unscathed and his clothes were thrashed.  

I have my suspicions and I followed my intuition. I channelled my aura to the sword and wouldn't you know it the sword easily accepted it. 

My sword is made of Adamantium, a metal that can channel Aura. This sword, on the other hand, is made of ironwood, it's a type of iron in which its durability is 15x that of iron that is used for steel. 

This child managed to mark a sword with an aura at this age. He's nothing less of a prodigy! A 2nd class swordsman could mark a sword any day, whilst 3rd class and below would have lower chances. And this child, this child is just new to the sword looking at his physique. 

But before I could even rejoice, I immediately remembered about the nobles. 

"The nobles, Joseph, where are they?"

The head Butler spoke with solemnity in his voice. 

"in the Prison dungeon."

"I see."

I went to Penelope and Ophelia and kissed their foreheads. 

"I'm glad both of you are okay, but let's talk properly later okay?"

The head Butler carried the boy and left the room after voicing himself. I left the room and changed my attire. 

"I won't let this happen again!" I made a newfound determination, I can't let this happen to my family again.