The incident was resolved without any civilians dying.
Among the Noctvain family, many suffered injuries, and only three had died. Considering there were 400 enemies, the damage was minimal.
But it was still sad, because those three Noctvain knights had families and people precious to them.
And there was also that incident in the inn. The Ravenfall family mage and knights killed everyone present in the inn to hide their humiliation.
Because of the Soulborne incident, people believed the inn's people had died to the undead.
Anyway, As the monsters were defeated and it was already past afternoon, Aether went to rest in the village chief's house.
Meanwhile, the knights of the Noctvain family helped the village rebuild.
* * *
The next day,
Aether and the Noctvain knights were returning to the Noctvain estate.
Aether was riding in the Noctvain carriage, but he wore an awkward expression.
The reason for his awkwardness was that someone was glaring at him intensely.
"How long are you going to keep staring at me?" Aether asked with an awkward smile.
The one staring at him was none other than Thalia von Ravenfall. She was sitting in front of Aether in the carriage, looking at him as if he were some kind of criminal.
"So, you're Aether Noctvain. Hmm, that explains how you were so strong. You're a once-in-a-millennium prodigy." Thalia praised him.
"Why are you even in this carriage?"
While they were about to leave the village, Thalia came with her escorts and said she would go to the Noctvain family.
And as she found out Aether's identity, it was only natural not to enrage her.
Since Aether was the guilty one for humiliating her, even knowing her family background. Thus, It could cause problems between the two families.
So, Aether decided to comply with her.
"You already have a carriage. Why come to mine?"
"Well, since I snuck out from my family, I picked a low-class carriage. But now that my identity is revealed, I should use this luxurious carriage, something befitting my status."
"You're annoying," Aether said with a look of disgust.
"What did you say?"
"You're nothing but a spoiled brat. I hate your type."
"You bastard! Do you think you're all high and mighty just because you killed a monster? I was...." Thalia kept talking about this and that, but Aether simply ignored her.
Thalia was also able to curse him and shout at him because he didn't want to cause trouble between the two families. Thalia took advantage of this and bad-mouthed him.
After a while, Thalia asked Aether in a serious tone,
"So, have you thought about my offer?"
"Do you even have that kind of authority?"
"My father will do anything for my brother."
After the fight was over, Thalia kept coming to Aether's room, asking him to heal her big brother's legs and offering various things. One of these offers was giving half the land the Ravenfall family owned to Aether von Noctvain.
"Anyway, I'm not interested. I have enough."
"Grrrr" Thalia was frustrated by his repeated refusals.
The reason she was going to Noctvain was so she could convince him to heal her big brother's legs.
"Thalia, why were you in Hemnagar village?" Aether asked, narrowing his eyes.
The village where they fought the Soulborne was called Hemnagar, and it was strange for her to be in that rural village.
"I went to the White Magic Tower for help." Thalia replied.
In the Empire, there are 12 Magic Towers where mages live and research magic.
Every mage in the Empire aspires to become a member of a Magic Towers.
Those 12 Magic Towers scatter across the Empire, and the White Magic Tower, which specializes in mana purity, is located in Noctvain territory.
"So you went there to ask for help. Did they help in some way?"
"They said they could purify his mana, but it would take one year to awaken him from his unanimated state."
"What did they demand?"
"They asked for ownership of everything related to magic crystals in Ravenfall land for two years."
"Wow, greedy bastards."
Magic crystals are what mages use to make items and other inventions. Since the Ravenfall family is also a mage family, it was a great loss for them to hand over their land, mines, and resources to others.
"I also have the mana sample that's resisting with his consciousness. Wanna see?"
Thalia then brought something out of her bag. It was a see-through, glass like ball.
Thalia's big brother had used a forbidden spell to protect her.
Normal spells circulate mana in a regular way, but forbidden magic is used by channeling mana in reverse, requiring a high concentration.
As he hurriedly cast the spell, prepared to die, he didn't bother carefully channeling his mana. As a result, mana overflowed, and dark forbidden mana surrounded his body like lightning.
And that forbidden mana was making his condition worse day by day. And there wasn't any treatment for this type of case.
Desperate to save her big brother, Thalia stored that mana in a storage item and ran toward the White Magic Tower to show them the mana, as they are specialists in mana arts.
"This is the forbidden mana that's interfering with his consciousness."
As Aether had much knowledge about mana from his past life, he carefully observed it.
"Hmm. It's something like this."
Vrrrrrrrrnm!
Aether concentrated his mana in his palm, and a small magic circle materialized.
"This!!" Thalia's eyes went wide in surprise.
This was the same magic circle that her brother used.
"How did you do that?"
Even the White Magic Tower master couldn't find out what the magic circle was after seven days of analysis.
"How did you do that?" Thalia asked again.
"I have some knowledge of spells, but since I don't have a mana circle in my heart, I can't really cast this one. It's just mana materializing into a circle."
"But I think if I research this mana, I may find a way to break it." Aether added.