Ulrich, sitting in an ordinary carriage, watched as his sprawling estate finally came into view.
It was a grand, imposing rectangular estate, surrounded by vast, meticulously manicured gardens.
Everything about the grounds was geometrically perfect and rigidly ordered. Gardeners could already be seen out in the early morning light, systematically trimming the grass and pruning every single plant into submission.
Perfection and order, it had been a lifelong obsession of Ulrich's father, and one that Ulrich himself had fully inherited.
It was also the exact reason why he had found it so difficult to accept the reality of his broken core. It was a terminal imperfection buried deep within his very being. It had been a bitter pill to swallow, but now, that chapter was definitively closed.
He reached up, pressing a hand flat against his chest.
He could feel it vividly, the brand new, wholly unique core burning within him.
The Hollow Core.
The helix-shaped anomaly swirling within him.
One of the three legendary fragments of Kaelor's original core.
After enduring an entirely inhuman amount of pain, he had somehow managed to forge his new core and survive the ordeal.
A faint smile curled his lips.
He had actually done it.
With his new core in place, he could immediately tell the difference from his broken one; the flow of mana within his body felt fresh, fluid, and powerful.
But alongside that new strength, he could also distinctly feel the weight of the Hollow Core inside him.
It felt painfully heavy actually.
As if the core itself were simply too pure, too dense for his mortal body to properly contain.
Which, of course, made perfect sense.
The core was a direct fragment of the very first mana core ever awakened by a transcendent, god-like human. He wasn't going to suddenly become omnipotent and gain flawless control over it just by enduring a few hours of blinding pain.
It might take years, perhaps even decades, to truly master it. But Ulrich couldn't care less.
He could finally spin mana through an unbroken core and weave a spell without it faltering and collapsing into nothing after mere seconds.
He let out a soft sigh, leaning back against the cheap upholstery.
It seemed he had been missing for over a week.
He could only hope Fabian had kept things running smoothly, and more importantly, that the three girls had actually behaved themselves during his absence.
A minute later, the carriage finally rolled to a halt in front of the towering iron gates of the Rubenhart Estate.
"State your name and business!"
The guard who stepped forward was clearly one of Rubenhart's own soldiers, outfitted in deep crimson leather armour. Emblazoned across his chest was the ancient crest of the Rubenhart family, a crimson circular saw containing a spoked wheel.
The hired coachman hesitated, glancing nervously back at the closed carriage.
It certainly wasn't the kind of lavish carriage a high-ranking noble would ever travel in, so it was entirely understandable why the guards were highly suspicious and reluctant to even let them approach the gates.
But it wasn't as though Ulrich had had the luxury of being picky in Grayhaven.
He had quickly hired the first available carriage early that morning, eager to leave before Meera woke up and inevitably tried something bizarre to force him to stay.
There was a brief pause before Ulrich simply pushed the door open and stepped down onto the carriage's footboard.
The moment the two guards caught sight of him, there was no mistaking that blood-red hair, those eyes, and his signature stern expression as if he was looking at failures.
Their jaws dropped completely open.
They instantly dropped to one knee.
"My Lord!"
"Count Rubenhart! It is a delight to see you returned!"
Dropping to one knee was perhaps an exaggerated greeting. It was a gesture typically reserved strictly for royalty but it seemed Ulrich's sudden coming back had forced them down entirely on instinct.
Ulrich stepped fully down from the carriage, casting a brief glance over them.
"Open the gates," he said.
They instantly scrambled to their feet and hauled the iron gates open.
"And pay him," Ulrich added, tossing the instruction over his shoulder as he stepped onto the grounds.
"Yes, My Lord!"
They both nodded fervently, hurrying to pay the coachman, even handing over a few extra silver coins than was strictly necessary.
The coachman, already deeply shocked that he had actually been driving Ulrich Van Rubenhart himself, was now clearly on cloud nine.
Meanwhile, Ulrich walked casually up the grand, paved path. All around him, eyes widened one by one as the various groundskeepers and workers immediately dropped whatever they were doing to bow and greet him.
Ulrich kept his pace, looking up at his looming estate.
He had been gone for barely over a week, yet somehow it felt like an eternity since he had last been here. Most likely because he had almost never left the estate in the past, preferring to manage his entire territory from the strict comfort of his study.
As he reached the front steps, he immediately saw a small crowd gathered to welcome him back.
Fabian stood at the very front, sporting an immensely relieved smile and looking close to tears.
"My Lord, it is a great relief to see you returned to us safely," he said, his voice tinged with emotion.
"Welcome back, My Lord." Monika also smiled relieved as she bowed.
Except for the bizarre, cheap clothes he was currently wearing, he looked as perfect and untouchable as ever. In fact, there seemed to be a newly refreshed, almost relaxed aura about him, a subtle shift that only Fabian and Monika, who had served him closely for years, could actually detect.
Ulrich looked at them and gave a single nod as he ascended the few stone steps leading to the main doors.
Fabian, Monika, and the gathered crowd of servants all bowed their heads deeply, parting to let him pass.
The moment he stepped into the grand entrance hall, the first person he saw was Linnea.
"C—Count Rubenhart!"
She immediately bowed at the waist.
"It is a pleasure to see you faring so well! I have been so terribly worried..." She stammered, her eyes actually welling with tears.
Though Fabian had assured her that the Count had simply departed on an urgent diplomatic visit, unease had gnawed at her heart all week. Seeing him back in one piece immediately washed it all away.
Ulrich looked at her briefly.
"Have you been teaching?" He asked.
"I—I have been! I will resume the lessons immediately if necessary, My Lord!" She said. In her eagerness, she took a hurried step forward, ending up perhaps a little too close to him as she stared up into his face and crimson eyes.
She instantly flushed a bright, burning pink, scrambled backward, and bowed her head shyly.
"My sincerest apologies..." She mumbled meekly.
Ulrich paid it no mind. His gaze had already drifted past her toward the three girls who had just stepped into the entrance hall.
Airam appeared first, wearing her usual, deadpan 'should I just murder him?' expression. She was closely followed by Hermione, who immediately fixed him with a deeply suspicious, probing glare.
Esther appeared last. The moment she caught sight of Ulrich, she instantly ducked behind Hermione, clinging tightly to her sister's back and timidly peeking out to look at him.
They were all wearing proper, tailored gowns, and their hair had been neatly brushed and styled. They at least looked the part of nobility now. As for their character, etiquette, and overall stance... that was clearly going to take some time…
"Have they been learning properly this past week?" Ulrich asked, glancing back at Linnea.
"T—They have done wonderfully, My Lord! Indeed, just as expected of you, My Lord, you have truly found three hidden gems in these adorable girls," she said, offering a smile that looked suspiciously strained.
"Have they caused any trouble in my absence?" He asked, keeping his gaze locked on the three girls, especially on Airam.
"T—They have not," Linnea replied, stuttering slightly.
Ulrich's eyes drifted down to where Airam's right arm was casually hidden behind her back.
She was definitely hiding a knife back there.
"Get my bath ready," he ordered abruptly.
"Right away, My Lord." Monika immediately hurried up the stairs to tend to it.
Ulrich followed closely behind.
Once Monika had drawn the warm water, he swiftly shed his cheap, rough clothes and slipped into the tub. He immediately felt the deep, lingering exhaustion in his muscles begin to dissolve into the heat.
It was definitely healing.
He let out a long exhale, resting his head back against the rim of the tub.
He had successfully obtained the Hollow Core.
Which was a great feat.
But that was only the very first step he had to take if he wanted to prevent the apocalypse that was inevitably coming in this novel.
All the immediate, dangerous incidents he was currently dealing with regarding these three sisters were merely the beginning.
In exactly five years, he would be expected to teach at Arcadia, the academy located within the Imperial City-State. It was the epicentre of the story's development, as that was where the Protagonist would officially begin his journey. Or, rather, Protagonists, plural.
He could, of course, simply refuse the teaching position and remain hidden away here in his territory, but he had no intention of doing so.
Besides, he really didn't have much of a choice, because currently... he was secretly allied with the Demons.
Thinking about it now, Ulrich felt stupid for ever making that deal. He had cast aside his pride and forged a dark pact simply to obtain a functioning core the Demons had promised him. But now, he didn't need their prize anymore.
He could theoretically try to wriggle out of the arrangement and cut ties with them, declaring he no longer required their services, but he wouldn't do that for two reasons.
First of all, the Demons could easily leak the evidence of their collaboration to the kingdom. He could be branded a traitor and lose everything as a result.
Secondly, remaining in an alliance with the Demons actually gave him the perfect opportunity to drag them down from the inside, playing the role of a double agent.
He planned to take full advantage of his position, getting as close to their inner circle as possible before dismantling them right before they could successfully resurrect their Demon God. But he still had plenty of time before he had to make his move.
Five years before the main story officially began.
He now possessed the legendary Hollow Core. And far more importantly, he possessed the three future most powerful witches in existence.
He was going to groom them flawlessly, training them until they were strong enough to help him completely annihilate the Demons.
That way, he wouldn't die by their hands, he would successfully sever his cursed ties with the demonic faction preventing the resurrection of the Demon God, and he would secure long-lasting peace for himself.
It was the equivalent of killing three birds with one perfectly thrown stone.