Ch. 28
Chapter 28: Item Reward—The Book of All Things
Not wanting to hold Li Kainan back, Belle had very decisively led the castle's servants away from the area at the earliest opportunity.
Along the way, she happened to meet the Retainer Knights as they arrived in time—and it was Belle who led everyone to open the castle gates for them.
During the battle that followed, none of them had been caught in the collateral damage!
When Li Kainan found Belle, she was calmly and steadily reassuring the castle servants, who were trembling with fright.
Seeing this, Li Kainan gave an approving nod.
Worthy indeed of being a recruitment target specifically marked out by the system!
Between a Witch's magic and a dragon from Hell, the overwhelming aura and crushing pressure were more than enough to trigger anyone's primal fear.
Most ordinary men would have been scared out of their wits—yet Belle, a small-town girl, had managed to keep herself calm and clear-headed. It was difficult not to think more highly of her.
On top of that, there was the breadth of learning and knowledge she had demonstrated earlier when negotiating terms with Prince Adam. Even without any system reward attached, Li Kainan would have wanted to recruit a talent like her!
……
Belle, who had been busy calming everyone down, suddenly felt something stir in her heart. She turned her head without thinking to look back.
Even if her outward bearing was perfectly composed, there was fear and dread in her heart that could not be helped.
The aura of Hell was something that could draw out anyone's primal fear—and as an ordinary person, how could she have been unaffected?
She had simply forced herself to stay calm for the sake of steadying the others and keeping the situation stable.
Only now, upon seeing Li Kainan's returning figure, did the anxious unease in Belle's heart completely dissolve. On impulse, she broke into a quick run toward him.
Before, when she had been confined to the castle by Prince Adam—her heart full of panic and dread—it was Li Kainan appearing out of nowhere who had brought her hope.
And now, at the moment she was most frightened and afraid, it was once again Li Kainan who brought her an incomparable sense of safety……
Belle came running up quickly, instinctively wanting to throw herself into Li Kainan's arms.
The two of them had not known each other for very long in truth—but in the Witch's Dream Illusion Magic, they had lived as husband and wife for many years.
Those experiences had been illusions, yet for Belle they had been far too vivid and unforgettable to dismiss.
Even now that she had woken up, she still found herself slipping in and out of a daze, struggling to fully separate reality from the illusion—and without thinking, she was carrying the way they had treated each other within the Dream Illusion Magic into the real world……
But when she noticed the bloodstains on Li Kainan's armor, Belle's heart lurched again. She said anxiously:
"Where are you injured—why is there so much blood?"
"No, I'm fine—this isn't my blood……" Li Kainan moved his limbs to demonstrate as he assured her he was uninjured.
The blood on his body had all come from Aurora.
The Red Cape Li Kainan wore carried the Protective Magic bestowed by Branny's grandmother.
It wasn't as potent as the Trait: Evil-Breaking Force in terms of effect, but it had its own unique advantages.
For instance, when he had slain the Werewolf, the Dark Blood that splattered toward him had evaporated and dispersed the moment it drew close—completely unable to touch him.
But Aurora was not an evil creature. Evil-Breaking Force had no effect on her whatsoever, so her Dragon Blood naturally couldn't be repelled either……
Hearing Li Kainan's explanation, Belle finally settled down.
Once calm, she even felt a flush of embarrassment over the excessive anxiety she had shown just moments ago.
She—always so rational and composed—had actually lost all composure out of sheer panic……
And looking at Belle, her intelligent, lovely face now tinged all over with a bashful flush—and recalling how flustered she had just been—Li Kainan had the distinct feeling that something was a little off about her.
It was like back when he had been in school, when many of his female classmates were always fond of talking to him this way, hoping he would take them along to have fun.
Strange, though—Li Kainan had always eagerly taken the girls along to practice weapons and combat techniques, yet for some reason none of them had ever been willing to give it a try themselves……
……
Li Kainan hesitated for a moment, but when his gaze swept past the name floating above Belle's head, he immediately understood.
【Belle (95%)】
Her Loyalty Rate had been pushed this high—she had already begun to see him as her lord. No wonder she had been so anxious about whether he was hurt!
Seeing that the moment was ripe, Li Kainan's face immediately broke into a gracious, winning smile—the smile of a lord who honored the talented—and he extended an invitation:
"Belle, I'm about to head south to take up my post as Frontier Count of the Southern Border. Will you come with me?"
The title of "Frontier Count" that Prince Adam had conferred on Li Kainan was a special kind of noble rank.
It granted him sole authority over military deployment within the territory and the appointment of local officials—he could even enact special laws of his own.
The trade-off was that there was no directly granted territory. Any land he wanted, he would have to claim himself—by taking it from the neighboring nations on the southern frontier!
With the system's reward, Li Kainan now had an elite force of 60 heavy armored Retainer Knights at his disposal—more than sufficient for military needs in the early phase.
But when it came to administrative talent, Li Kainan's roster was clearly lacking.
Though he hadn't been acquainted with Belle for long, the learning and clear-headedness she had displayed was unmistakably that of a managerial talent.
Once again—even without any system reward, Li Kainan would have made the attempt to recruit her!
As for Li Kainan's invitation, Belle instinctively glanced up at him—and was immediately struck dazzled by the smile on his face, radiant with transcendent charm, and her mind went completely blank.
Seeing her suddenly go unresponsive and simply stare at him in a daze, Li Kainan assumed she was giving it serious thought.
He blinked, his mind recalling how the renowned lords and heroes of history—those who could be called "charm incarnate"—had conducted themselves when recruiting talented individuals.
Then Li Kainan reached out his hand on the spot, clasped Belle's hand firmly, and said with an utterly earnest expression:
"Belle—will you join me in restoring the Han……ahem, in restoring the Cape Royal Family? I truly need you!"
The intelligent young woman gave a start, instinctively trying to pull her hand back—but Li Kainan's grip was far too strong, and she simply couldn't get it free. The flush on her cheeks had already spread all the way down to her neck.
All her usual rationality and composure were gone. Her heart was left with nothing but the flustered shyness of a young woman. She hadn't even quite caught what Li Kainan was saying—she only knew that he needed her very much……
"Y-y-you let go of me first, alright…… I'll agree!" she said, her voice trembling with embarrassment as she turned her face away, stumbling over her words.
And the moment she agreed, the system prompt leaped forward at once:
【Detected: "Belle's" favorability has reached 90%—conquest progress complete!
Your outstanding conquest methods have caused even a young woman of such broad learning and sharp intellect to be unable to resist the impulse of a heart suddenly set aflutter. Her inability to maintain her rationality and composure in your presence is undoubtedly the most powerful proof of your successful conquest……】
【Conquest successful—Item Reward obtained: The Book of All Things (A wondrous tome that records the boundless knowledge of the world, capable of manifesting the relevant contents according to the needs of its user. With this book in hand, even the most brilliant and learned of conquest targets will be left completely captivated by your breadth of knowledge……)】
……
【Detected: "Belle's" *****has reached 90%—****complete!
Your outstanding****has caused even a young woman of such broad learning and sharp intellect to be unable to resist *******rationality and composure, undoubtedly the proof of your successful……】
【Item Reward: The Book of All Things (A wondrous tome that records the boundless knowledge of the world, capable of manifesting the relevant contents according to the needs of its user***……)】
……