Chapter 17: First Rule System Mission Completed!

They boarded the horse carriage and quickly left the village behind. Leonor kept staring forward, directly at Grandma Henna.

She was still wondering why that woman had chosen her as a replacement.

"You still haven’t explained anything about her," Leonor said.

Edmund lifted his head and looked at Leonor. The woman would keep questioning his decision until he explained everything.

Even so, Edmund had to answer carefully. If he revealed the truth, Leonor’s view of herself would change.

As much as possible, he wanted to guide and raise Leonor without letting her know what kind of plot awaited her in the future.

That would allow Leonor’s growth to feel natural and strong, untouched by anything else.

"Sebastian," Edmund called.

"I understand."

He raised his hand and struck the back of Henna’s neck hard enough to knock her out without killing her.

Henna grimaced in pain before collapsing unconscious to the side a second later.

"What are you doing?" Leonor asked.

"She can’t know my plans or my identity," Edmund replied.

"It seems she truly doesn’t know, Lord Edmund," Sebastian added.

"I hope so."

Edmund turned, his gaze settling on Leonor, "I brought her to replace you because I don’t want you to be executed."

"The punishment for serial murder is death in the cruelest way possible. I can’t let you die, Leonor."

"Why?" Leonor narrowed her eyes, "Why can’t you let me die?"

"About that..."

Sebastian and Leonor both stared straight at Edmund. He had never explained the real reason why he refused to let Leonor die, not to Sebastian or anyone else.

That naturally made Sebastian curious. He was convinced Edmund was hiding a huge secret connected to Leonor.

For Edmund, he needed to avoid the truth and find the most logical excuse possible.

He did not want to reveal Leonor’s true status as the villainess.

That would completely ruin his main plan.

"The Emperor of the Demon Kingdom of Mughort is targeting you and trying to kidnap you. I plan to protect you so they can’t capture you," Edmund answered.

"That’s all?" Leonor asked. Edmund nodded.

Leonor fell silent for a moment, continuing to stare at Edmund with a serious expression. Not long after, she nodded lightly and cleared her throat.

"Alright, that makes sense. They’re trying to take my original power," Leonor replied.

"Original power?" Sebastian asked in confusion.

Leonor’s attention shifted to the side, "Yes. I was born with the power of a messenger of Goddess Lilith."

"Goddess Lilith? Wait! Isn’t that the Goddess of Destruction from ancient mythology?" Sebastian asked in shock.

Sebastian turned to Edmund. Since Leonor had already revealed her identity, Edmund could only sigh inwardly and confirm Sebastian’s suspicion.

"At first, I didn’t believe her either, but over time, I realized she wasn’t lying."

"This is insane! I mean, her power could destroy everything. That’s the power of Lilith, the Goddess of Destruction."

Edmund turned and gently stroked Leonor’s hair. The woman clearly looked comfortable with Edmund’s gentle treatment.

"That’s right. We have a responsibility to protect her and make sure her power is used for good and to uphold justice," Edmund added.

"That’s why enrolling her in Livden Academy is the best choice."

"I’m going to the academy?" Leonor asked, her eyes widening as a huge smile spread across her face.

Edmund nodded while watching Leonor’s excited expression, "Yes."

"YEAAYY!"

"When?"

"Sir Sebastian and Nisya are handling your documents. The academy’s new student registration opens in two months," Edmund answered.

Leonor became even more excited. Her face radiated happiness and enthusiasm.

Her friends at the orphanage had often told her stories about Livden Academy.

The third best academy in the Kingdom of Gaelion, filled with students who possessed all kinds of hidden talents, the beginning of a new life for them.

It was the greatest dream of children throughout the Archie Territory. They were willing to sacrifice anything just to become students there.

If they succeeded in getting accepted, their future would be secured and their status would rise.

"I can’t wait to join," Leonor replied before looking back at Edmund, "Can I bring my friends too?"

"Friends?"

"Yes, like Aya, Denise, Nicole, and Helena."

Who are they?

Edmund frowned as he looked directly at Leonor’s cheerful face while she waited eagerly for his decision regarding her four friends from the orphanage.

"Are they your friends from the orphanage?" Edmund asked. Leonor nodded.

"Yes. We talked a lot about our dreams. Aya loves animals, Denise likes swordsmanship, Nicole is pretty quiet so she rarely talks, and Helena is very elegant."

Leonor kept chatting and telling stories about her four friends. Edmund listened to everything while occasionally glancing at Sebastian, who gave a small nod.

"What do you think, Edmund?" Leonor asked curiously.

The man beside Leonor smiled as his hand gently stroked her hair.

He could not promise anything, but he and Sebastian would do their best to help them enter the academy.

"I’m happy to hear that. Now I’m even more excited to start my new life at the academy," Leonor replied.

"Before you join them, the most important thing is that you study the etiquette and lessons Nisya teaches you," Edmund said.

"If you study well, I’ll enroll you in Livden Academy."

Leonor clenched both fists tightly. Her brows sharpened while her crimson red eyes stared firmly at Edmund. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"I’ll study hard!"

Edmund smiled and nodded, "That’s the spirit!"

***

The next day.

Right after they abandoned Henna in a small alley in Archester City in the middle of the night, the city police officers and investigative mages managed to capture her early the next morning.

The news became the headline across the entire city. News bulletins and newspapers were filled with reports announcing that the serial killer had been caught.

Sebastian returned to Edmund’s office, carrying a newspaper before handing it to him.

"She’s been captured," Sebastian said.

"How is the trial process going?" Edmund asked while reading the paper before looking back at Sebastian.

"The City Police Department is under pressure. Public demand forced them to immediately sentence Henna."

Edmund let out a relieved sigh. Sebastian explained that the citizens had started trusting the city leadership again.

"The merchants are returning to the city. We need to cancel the curfew," Sebastian explained.

"Do it. Make sure the citizens can safely continue their activities at night," Edmund replied.

"Yes, Lord Edmund."

────[First Rule System Mission]────

[Objective: Control public anxiety]

[Public trust level: 95%]

[Reward: Restoration of trust toward the family || +5 AUTH Attribute || +5 CHAR Attribute]

[Status: Complete!]

The Rule System Mission Panel appeared, explaining that Edmund had completed the first mission from the Rule System.

The public trust level had drastically increased from 65% to 95%.

The city had returned to normal and stable conditions, and the citizens were no longer afraid or worried.

Not only did the Rule System Mission Panel appear, but his status panel appeared as well, showing an increase in the AUTH and CHAR attributes.

[Profile Status:]

[Name: Edmund Aschwin || Title: Viscount Aschwin]

[Extra Attributes:]

[AUTH: 125 || LUCK: 80 || CHAR: 105] [+5 AUTH || +5 CHAR]

Even so, the second Rule System mission panel did not appear.

Unlike the Bond System missions that appeared immediately after the previous mission was completed, the Rule System clearly worked differently.

From Edmund’s observations, he suspected that Rule missions only appeared when their triggers occurred.

Just like before, when public trust dropped because of the murders.

Edmund understood how the Rule System missions worked, but he was completely blind regarding the next trigger.

That meant Edmund needed to stay prepared as the ruler of the city and territory.

"Lord Edmund," Sebastian called.

"What is it?"

"About Lady Leonor’s request yesterday. I visited the orphanage and met those four girls."

Sebastian pulled several files from his magic pouch, revealing four sheets containing the girls’ profiles: Aya, Denise, Nicole, and Helena.

"As for Denise and Nicole, they’re from Lalan Village," Sebastian explained.

"Lalan Village? Isn’t that the village destroyed by the demon invasion five years ago?"

"That’s correct."

"What about Aya and Helena?" Edmund asked.

"They were raised in the orphanage since infancy."

Edmund fell silent for a moment, staring sharply at the four files, "Are you thinking the same thing I am?"

"Of course, Lord Edmund," Sebastian replied.

"They can enter, but their student status will be different from Leonor’s," Edmund added.

"They’ll enter as lowborn students, while Leonor will enter as a highborn."

Sebastian responded with a brief nod, "That’s exactly what I was worried about."

Edmund let out a short sigh and placed the files on the desk while pressing a hand against his temple, feeling a headache coming on.

"My solution is for noble families to adopt them," Sebastian replied.

"That’s too risky. Those nobles could manipulate them for their own interests," Edmund answered.

"Then what’s the best solution?"

Edmund stayed silent, his eyes fixed ahead while continuing to read the files of the four orphan girls.

"This is troublesome, but I know the solution."

"What is it?" Sebastian asked.

"Leonor... will register as a lowborn."