Chapter 861 - 871 - Return

Chapter 861: Chapter 871 - Return

For Lucien, the situation was becoming increasingly useful.

Roger could be cured.

That alone mattered.

More importantly, once Roger recovered enough to leave this room, there was a good chance Lucien could convince him to travel with them.

The young noble had spent most of his life staring through windows and borrowing adventures from stories.

If his body finally allowed him to experience the world himself, Lucien doubted he would willingly return to spending every day in bed.

There was also the matter of the Duke’s household.

Lucien glanced around the room again.

If the treatment worked, asking the family to support part of their future journey suddenly seemed much less unreasonable.

A Duke’s household possessed resources far beyond anything their village could provide. Even access to information, maps, physicians, craftsmen, and old records would be valuable.

Lucien’s thoughts had already begun moving ahead when Roger spoke.

"There may be a problem."

Lucien looked toward him.

Roger seemed embarrassed.

"I do not actually have much money with me."

Seran stared around the room.

Auren did the same.

Mirelle’s eyes settled briefly on the furnishings.

Lucien understood their confusion.

Roger noticed.

"The household pays for everything I need," he explained. "My mother usually handles my expenses. I have savings under my name, although I have never had much reason to withdraw anything myself."

Lucien nodded slowly.

That made sense.

Roger had spent years confined inside the estate. He had no reason to walk around carrying money.

"Can you access it?"

"I should be able to."

Roger considered the problem.

"I would have to ask Mother or one of the household stewards. If I suddenly ask for a large amount, they will probably want to know why."

Seran leaned back in his chair.

"Especially if you tell them six people climbed through your window and one of them promised to cure you."

Roger smiled.

"I would prefer not to begin with that explanation."

Lucien agreed.

The Duke’s household discovering strangers inside Roger’s bedroom would create enough problems before anyone even mentioned medicine.

Roger thought for a while before continuing.

"I can tell them I want to purchase something personally. I sometimes ask servants to buy books or small items for me. If I say I want to choose something myself and give a maid instructions, it should not be strange."

Mirelle nodded.

"That should work better."

Roger looked toward Lucien.

"It may take until tomorrow."

"That is fine."

Lucien had no reason to rush the treatment by several hours. Roger had suffered from this condition for years. One more day would not change anything as long as he stopped the worst practices immediately.

Lucien moved toward the writing desk near the bed.

"Do you have paper?"

Roger pointed toward one of the drawers.

Lucien found what he needed, sat down, and began writing.

He kept the instructions simple.

Roger did not need an explanation of vitamins, mineral metabolism, or blood production. He needed things the household kitchen could understand and follow.

Lucien instructed him to stop unnecessary bloodletting immediately.

He wrote that his meals should include more eggs, fish, meat, liver in reasonable amounts, sesame, beans, darker vegetables, and richer broths. He added sun-dried mushrooms when available and instructed him to spend a short period outside each morning while avoiding the hottest hours of the day.

The sunlight exposure had to begin gradually.

Roger had spent so long indoors that forcing him into direct sunlight for hours would only make him miserable.

Lucien also wrote that Roger should stop remaining completely motionless.

At first, that meant sitting upright more often, moving his legs carefully, and standing with assistance for short periods when he felt capable. He specifically warned against pushing through sharp bone pain.

Rehabilitation needed patience.

Lucien finished with several notes about foods and medicines Roger should temporarily avoid, especially strong purgatives and anything intended to make him bleed.

He read everything again before handing the page over.

"This will not cure you by tomorrow."

Roger accepted it carefully.

"I understand."

"It should begin helping."

Roger studied the page.

Lucien watched his expression change as he read.

The difference was subtle.

Roger had smiled several times since they entered the room, yet most of those smiles had carried the calm resignation of someone accustomed to expecting very little.

This one felt different.

Hope had returned.

Even the way he held the paper revealed it.

Roger folded it carefully.

"I’ll follow it."

"You should."

Seran stood from the chair.

"We will come back after we finish what we need to do in the capital."

Roger looked toward him.

"You promise?"

Seran smiled.

"Of course."

Aurelia nodded beside him.

Lucien glanced toward the window.

They had already stayed far longer than he expected.

If they remained here much longer, someone would eventually wonder why Roger’s room had become unusually noisy.

The others seemed to reach the same conclusion.

They said their farewells and climbed through the window one by one.

Roger remained near the bed, holding Lucien’s instructions.

Before Lucien crossed the sill, he looked back.

Roger was reading the page again.

Lucien smiled.

Then he left.

Seran took the lead once more.

This time, everyone followed with greater confidence because they already knew the route.

They had barely crossed the first garden when Seran looked toward Lucien.

"Do you really think it will work?"

Lucien continued walking.

Seran’s voice had lost its usual teasing tone.

Aurelia was listening too.

So were Tavian, Mirelle, and Auren.

They had only known Roger for a short time, yet the young noble had already made an impression on them.

Lucien looked toward Seran.

"When have I ever lied?"

Seran stopped walking.

His expression became deeply offended.

"That is a terrible question to ask me."

Lucien smiled.

Seran stared at him for another moment.

"Fine. You are the honest one here. I will never doubt you again."

"I did not ask for that much."

Seran ignored him.

Lucien glanced back toward the building they had left.

"Time will tell. His recovery will take months."

He continued walking.

"I also plan to invite him to join us once he is healthy enough."

That caught everyone’s attention.

Seran looked amused.

"You already decided that?"

"Why wouldn’t I?"

"He is the son of a Duke."

"And?"

Seran stared.

Lucien looked genuinely confused by the concern.

Roger wanted to travel.

Lucien intended to travel.

The solution seemed obvious.

Seran eventually laughed.

"Do you think he will agree?"

"He wants to see the world."

Lucien looked ahead.

"Traveling with us would help him do that."

Mirelle frowned.

"Traveling with us?"

Lucien looked toward her.

"Yes."

"What exactly is ’us’?"

Lucien slowed.

He realized something.

Mirelle, Tavian, and Auren had apparently never been informed.

Seran noticed too and immediately began smiling.

Lucien decided there was no reason to make it complicated.

"You are already part of the crew."

The three stared at him.

Mirelle blinked.

"When did we agree to that?"

Lucien resumed walking.

"You did not need to."

Auren looked toward Tavian.

Tavian looked toward Mirelle.

None of them seemed particularly horrified by the idea.

Then Lucien added, "We are going to kill a dragon eventually."

All three stopped.

Mirelle’s face changed first.

Auren looked as if he had suddenly reconsidered every decision that had brought him here.

Tavian stared at Lucien.

Seran burst out laughing.

Mirelle lowered her voice immediately.

"Wait. What do you mean, kill a dragon?"

Lucien glanced toward the nearby buildings.

"Keep your voice down."

"You were the one who said it!"

Seran’s laughter grew louder.

Aurelia covered his mouth.

A guard appeared at the far end of the covered walkway.

Everyone froze.

Seran immediately pulled them behind the hedge.

The guard slowed.

Lucien heard footsteps approaching.

Auren looked murderous.

Mirelle stared at Seran.

Seran was still trying not to laugh.

The footsteps came closer.

Lucien waited.

The guard passed along the opposite path without looking toward the garden.

Nobody moved until the sound faded completely.

Auren exhaled.

"If we survive the dragon, I am going to kill Seran."

Seran whispered back, "You have to catch me first."

Mirelle grabbed his sleeve and pulled him forward.

They escaped the estate without further trouble.

By the time they climbed back over the wall, the sun had already moved noticeably lower.

They had spent much longer with Roger than any of them realized.

Seran looked toward the streets beyond the estate.

"We still have time to see more of the capital."

Mirelle considered it.

Then she shook her head.

"We should return."

Tavian nodded.

Even Auren agreed.

Nobody wanted Luke discovering that they had disappeared for most of the afternoon while supposedly taking a harmless walk through the city.

Lucien suspected the Duke’s wall would be even harder to explain.

So they abandoned the rest of the tour and returned toward House Valedorn.

The journey back felt much shorter now that Seran no longer stopped to point out places.

They reached the estate before evening.

The guards recognized them immediately and opened the gate.

A servant led them toward the main residence.

Lucien noticed several additional horses in the courtyard.

The tax collector had returned.

They found him inside one of the receiving rooms with Luke and Cienna.

Luke looked up when everyone entered.

Cienna’s eyes immediately counted them.

All six.

"How was the city?" Cienna asked.

"Interesting," Lucien replied.

Seran nodded.

"Very peaceful."

Mirelle looked at him.

Lucien decided silence was safer.

The tax collector seemed too occupied to notice the exchange.

He had several documents spread across the table.

When everyone settled, he gathered them together.

"I have news."

Luke straightened.

The older man looked around the room.

"Prepare yourselves well."

The tax collector smiled.

"You have an audience with His Majesty tomorrow."

The room became silent.

Tavian stared.

Mirelle’s eyes widened.

Even Seran stopped smiling for a moment.

Lucien had expected the audience eventually.

He had not expected it this quickly.

The tax collector laughed at their expressions.

"You did travel here to present evidence and request a royal reward."

Luke looked toward Cienna.

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow morning."

The tax collector leaned back.

"His Majesty has already been informed about the ledger. He wants to hear directly from the people responsible."

That made Seran sit slightly straighter.

Then the tax collector raised one hand.

"Before everyone starts preparing, only three representatives may enter."

The room relaxed slightly.

"Three?" Luke asked.

"At most."

The tax collector smiled.

"If I bring eight villagers into the audience chamber, someone will spend more time complaining about procedure than listening to why you are there."

Cienna immediately shook her head.

"I am staying here."

Luke looked toward her.

"You are sure?"

She glanced toward the window.

"I have already climbed into a capital, entered a Marquis estate, and watched our son disappear into the city. Meeting the king can belong to someone else."

The choice became simpler after that.

Luke had to go.

He represented the village and had been entrusted by the village chief to speak for everyone.

Seran needed to go because he had stolen the ledger and knew exactly how he obtained it.

That left one place.

Everyone gradually looked toward Lucien.

Lucien smiled.

"I suppose I am going."

Tavian snorted.

"There was never any chance you were staying here."

Mirelle nodded.

Auren agreed.

Lucien ignored them.

The tax collector studied the three who had been chosen.

Luke. Lucien. Seran.

Then he nodded.

"That will work."

Seran leaned back.

"I have never performed for a king before."

Aurelia looked at him.

"You are not performing tomorrow."

Seran thought about that.

"That makes it more dangerous."

The tax collector laughed.

Lucien looked toward the documents on the table.

Tomorrow they would meet the king.

They would ask for the mineral basin.

They would discuss the Iron Jackals.

Perhaps they would learn more about the disturbances spreading across the kingdom.

Lucien’s thoughts returned briefly to Roger.

The capital had already given him more than he expected.

Another familiar face.

Another piece of the mystery.

Another strange connection between the future and this ancient world.

Tomorrow, he would step into the center of the kingdom itself.

For the first time since arriving in the past, Lucien found himself genuinely curious about what kind of man sat on its throne.