Chapter 406: Stampede’s End

’Did I hear that right?’

No, he was quite certain about what he had just heard. Her words had been loud and clear, considering she was lying right beside him. It was just that... the way she phrased it left considerable room for misinterpretation.

After all, a confession was still a confession, right? What else was he supposed to think when a woman said something like that?

’Wait, why am I jumping to conclusions already? This is Calyra we’re talking about. Someone who has the social skills of a rock.’

Even so, he couldn’t deny his curiosity. Not that he seriously expected Calyra to suddenly confess her romantic feelings for him right here.

That would be far too presumptuous of him.

Still, he couldn’t help wondering what she had wanted to tell him, considering how uncharacteristically hesitant she sounded.

"Sure... you can."

Having given her the go-ahead, Ruvian could feel his anticipation gradually mounting.

Calyra hesitated for a moment, gathering her thoughts before speaking in a rather subdued voice.

"I honestly don’t think I’ll be able to go on the expedition."

Ruvian blinked, then glanced sideways at her.

’Ah. So it was about that.’

Well, that certainly explained why she had sounded so serious. Though, it wasn’t quite what he had been expecting.

"Why do you think that?"

There was a prolonged silence before she finally replied.

"Because... I don’t think Father would let me go. After everything that’s happened here, he’d probably insist on keeping me somewhere safe, under his watchful eye."

Her voice carried a hint of resignation, as though she had already convinced herself that her father would refuse.

Ruvian could partly understand why Calyra was worried about that.

Moreover, they hadn’t really had the chance to properly discuss the matter with her father yet.

Slowly, Ruvian pushed himself into a sitting position, drawing his knees toward his chest. He winced as a sharp pain shot through his body from the effort.

"What are you doing?"

Calyra asked worriedly, instinctively sitting up beside him.

"Ergh... just getting into a proper position to talk."

"..."

"Anyway, listen... I agree that convincing your father might be tougher than negotiating with a brick wall. But I’ll try. We have to. And if that doesn’t work..."

Ruvian paused, trying to come up with a suitable answer.

"If that doesn’t work?" Calyra repeated, looking at him expectantly.

"Then we just kidnap you and run away~"

A melodious, rather mischievous voice suddenly came from behind them, nearly startling Ruvian out of his skin.

Both of them turned toward the source.

It was Lovia, who was still wearing her usual mask.

The fact that they were thinking the same thing, Ruvian couldn’t help but chuckle.

"That’s right. If diplomacy fails, we can always resort to good old-fashioned abduction."

*****

Not long afterward, the last of the Nightbloom Spawners was finally destroyed under the combined assault of the Golden Fortune Corps and Frostgrave’s surviving soldiers.

With all thirteen Spawners eliminated, the seemingly endless waves of Voidspawns finally ceased.

Those that remained scattered across the battlefield were quickly hunted down by the soldiers, bringing an end to the night stampede that had threatened to overrun the fortress.

Against all odds, Frostgrave Fortress had survived.

Of course, such a victory did not come without a cost. Although the number of soldiers who had lost their lives was relatively small considering the scale of the battle, the same could not be said for the wounded.

A considerable portion of the surviving soldiers had sustained injuries, with many requiring immediate medical attention.

Even the fortress itself had suffered extensive damage, particularly along the defensive walls that had endured the brunt of the Voidspawn assault.

In any case, compared to what could have happened had the Nightbloom Spawners remained active, the outcome was far better than anyone could have hoped for.

With the immediate threat eliminated, the surviving soldiers were finally able to lower their weapons.

As for the countless corpses littering the battlefield, dealing with them would have to wait until morning. After all, it was still the middle of the night, and most of the soldiers had barely enough strength left to remain standing.

There was little reason to force themselves any further now.

Meanwhile, in recognition of their contribution to Frostgrave’s defense, Lord Evrard had arranged private guest chambers within the fortress for Ruvian and the members of the Golden Fortune Corps.

Considering how much they had exerted themselves throughout the battle, allowing them to recover in peace was the least he could do.

And for Ruvian, who had suffered quite considerably from his confrontation with the Black Knight, the opportunity to finally get some proper rest was more than welcome.

Stepping out of the adjoining washroom, Ruvian rubbed a towel over his damp hair as he made his way back into the guest chamber.

The fortress attendants had provided him with a loose grey tunic and a pair of dark trousers, both of which were far more comfortable than his battered clothes.

At the very least, he no longer smelled like someone who had spent the entire night rolling around in Voidspawn blood.

Just as he was about to lower the towel, a familiar notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.

The translucent blue window floated silently in front of him, displaying a message he had been expecting for some time.

Ruvian stopped in his tracks and read its contents.

[’The Hidden Arc’: The Frostgrave Fortress has reached its conclusion.]

[You have received +50,000 Plot Points!]

Ruvian’s expression remained relatively calm as he stared at the notification.

After a moment, he continued toward the washroom entrance and hung his towel on a wooden hook beside the door.

Only then did he turn his attention back to the reward.

’Fifty thousand, huh?’

That was certainly a considerable amount of Plot Points, even by his standards.

Then again, considering everything he had gone through during the siege, he supposed it was a reasonable reward.

He had nearly gotten himself killed fighting that damned Black Knight, after all.

Not to mention, he had already spent quite a few Plot Points throughout the battle.

The most notable expense had been using [Powerscaling] on Calyra, which had cost him 32,400 Plot Points to improve three of her attributes.

It was also the first time he had ever used the skill on someone other than himself. Though, thinking back on it, Ruvian couldn’t say that he regretted the decision.

Of course, there were certain drawbacks to this approach.

Using [Powerscaling] on himself was generally more reliable, since he could make full use of whatever improvement he purchased without depending on another person.

But when he spent those same Plot Points on someone else, the result depended largely on how well that person could put the improvements to use.

However, he doubted that Calyra would be having problems over such things.

Still, it wasn’t something he could afford to use carelessly, considering how quickly the cost could add up.

For now, he was content with knowing that his remaining Plot Points had received a considerable boost.

As for how he intended to spend them next, that was a matter he could think about another time.

Turning away from the notification, Ruvian glanced toward the bunk bed occupying one side of the chamber.

Lying on the upper bunk was Zian, who had apparently fallen asleep shortly after finishing his own shower.

His eyes were firmly shut, and judging by his steady breathing... he was already sleeping soundly.

The private guest chambers provided by the fortress were designed to accommodate two people, which was why Ruvian had ended up sharing one with Zian.

Not that he particularly minded, since Zian was probably among the few people he could comfortably share a room with. Still, seeing the guy already fast asleep made Ruvian’s lips twitch slightly.

’Seriously? That bastard is already out?’

A somewhat helpless smile appeared on his face.

Then again, considering how Zian had rushed all the way to Frostgrave before immediately throwing himself into battle, it was hardly surprising that he had fallen asleep so quickly.

Even someone blessed with ridiculous stamina and regeneration would eventually need some proper rest.

’Must be nice being able to fall asleep that easily.’

Although, thinking about it, Ruvian wasn’t exactly in any better condition himself.

His muscles were still aching from the battle, and the lingering exhaustion from [Assimilation] had yet to completely disappear. If anything, he probably needed a good night’s sleep even more than Zian did.

With that in mind, he walked over to the bunk bed and carefully lowered himself onto the bottom mattress.

Ruvian reached toward the small lamp beside the bed before switching it off.

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[Chapter 406: Stampede’s End]

Plot Points = 281,000