So I'm a Snake, Who Cares?

Like a river flowing steadily, the world never stops.

While tragedy strikes the eastern end of the continent, a princess is born at the southern end.

Likewise, while the Red Anvil Mine was suffering from the birth of flame demons, the Martein territory was pushing for reconstruction amidst the chaos.

The death of the Viscount Tiger cast a large shadow over the viscounty.

Gerard Martein became a hero through force, but his heroism wasn't completed by force alone.

As an influential member of the House of Nobles, his political standing was also strong.

If it weren't for the unprecedented disaster of the monster wave from the Great Forest,

If there hadn't been the royal family's underground plan to prevent the capital from falling,

That hero wouldn't have died.

Although Gerard Viscount's death was significant, Martein still had history and power remaining.

Make Martein great again!

However, since all of Martein's direct bloodline had died except for Rania in Greyrim territory,

"It was truly unfortunate. Their banner of never retreating from battle was the seed of misfortune."

It was inevitable that a power struggle would begin between the Viscountess Fa and Gerard Martein's siblings, the collateral line.

Rania Greyrim with her ill-fated destiny.

The girl who has now become Rania Martein.

Her expression was not bright.

"Sigh..."

It was none other than Oliver who sighed while watching Rania.

Although he had taken refuge in Greyrim territory, he never expected the situation to unfold like this.

He had planned to quietly disappear after safely bringing Rania to Martein territory.

But seeing her circumstances, he simply couldn't do that.

She was a girl who had lost her mother, lost her maternal grandfather, and lost the hometown she had lived in all her life.

Fortunately, her father the Viscount was released, but he would have to devote the rest of his life to restore the fallen territory.

The position of Martein Viscount was currently vacant, and the Viscountess was ruling the territory as the acting Viscount.

She claimed that since Rania was the direct bloodline of the Martein Viscount, she was rightfully the legitimate heir.

Those who opposed this were Gerard Martein's siblings.

Those who originally couldn't dare to covet the viscount position as collateral lines had flocked to the lord's castle under the pretext of restoring the viscounty.

They were growling at the Viscountess, backed by powerful and older vassals.

"Poor young lady."

It was Zain who muttered this.

Although he was using the name Zarein here.

"Zarein, you're even more pitiful."

"Why me?"

"You could have become a formal knight of a renowned knightly order, but now you're just playing bodyguard to an immature young lady here. You probably won't be able to use your real name for the rest of your life. If they find out you're alive, an execution order might be issued."

Oliver and Zain...

In a way, they had become closer.

They stayed by Rania's side, volunteering as her bodyguards.

It was because of Rania's earnest request, as Oliver and Zain were the only people she knew left.

Zain, or rather Zarein, didn't get angry.

Instead, he spoke with a calm expression.

"Well, I think it might have turned out for the better."

"What?"

"It's true that I wanted to become a knight since I was young. But... that place wasn't where I could become the knight I had in mind."

The three precepts of the Iron Lion Knights.

Valor, Obedience, Perseverance.

Having violated the precept of obedience, Zain was now no different from an excommunicated knight.

Nevertheless, he felt as if a weight had been lifted from his mind.

"You're lucky."

Oliver clicked his tongue.

Waiting in the garden, he glanced at Rania through the window.

Right now, she was receiving a lecture from a professor invited from the capital.

Originally, it would have been a one-on-one lecture, but due to the strong insistence of her uncles and aunts, their children were also present.

Rania was in a situation where she was subtly being disrespected by those young ones.

"It should get better when you enter the academy. I'll stay here until then."

Oliver said so.

Rania had been decided to enter the School Emerald, the Royal Academy.

"That's enough for me to have done my part."

"Do you have something to do when you leave?"

"..."

Oliver didn't answer.

Zarein also looked at Rania with concern.

Rania was pinching her thigh to stay awake.

"There's an interesting fact."

The one invited for the lecture was Professor Million, an authority on religious history.

It was quite difficult for religious history as a subject to be interesting.

Although she wasn't curious at all, Rania tried hard to put on an interested expression.

"Do you know which history is longer between your family's history and the history of the Holy Light Knights?"

The Holy Light Knights are a knightly order belonging to the Martein territory.

Naturally, it seemed plausible that the history of the Martein family would be longer, but he wouldn't have asked such an obvious question.

'It must be the Holy Light Knights.'

While Rania was thinking this, her cousin Hermit, sitting next to her, raised his hand high.

"Me!"

"Oh ho, Hermit, go ahead and speak."

"It's the Holy Light Knights!"

"Oh oh. That's correct!"

Rania was indifferent.

But Hermit, for some reason, turned to look at Rania with a smug expression.

She wanted to rebuke him with a 'So what?', but she held back.

"Then, can you tell us the reason?"

"The, the reason?"

Hermit couldn't answer.

Professor Million smiled understandingly.

"The origin of the Holy Light Knights was originally demon hunters. At one time, the Holy Light Order was the most active order fighting against demons, and the history of the Martein family began when the captain of that time was knighted."

This was an ancient history that even the Martein family members didn't know well.

Only then did Rania become a little interested.

"At that time, the first Martein, who led the demon hunters, defeated a plague demon that had annihilated a village. He was knighted for that merit, but he died in battle a few days later."

If he defeated a demon, then why?

"It's evaluated that he forgot the age-old golden rule of demon hunting. That even a demon killed by fire, its ashes must be burned again..."

Rania once had a great interest in monsters and hunting.

She was also interested in demons.

"That plague demon was a subordinate of Asmodeus. That demon noble took revenge for the death of his subordinate."

"How?"

The one who asked the question was Rania.

"All the corpses that had died from the plague demon's disease rose again. Whether we should call it necromancy or zombies... As you are all nobles of Martein, you might someday have to face demons."

Whoever becomes the Viscount will simultaneously become the commander of the Holy Light Knights.

The expressions of those listening to the lecture changed in various ways.

Professor Million looked around at the children with interest, then spoke directly to Rania.

"So keep this in mind. When you defeat a demon that has a master, you must be even more careful afterwards."

As an expert in religious history was also an expert in demonology.

"Because a demon noble might become enraged."

The professor's voice resonated ominously.

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