Finally, I Got Transmigrated Into Another World!

"Huh? I thought he'd go for my neck again!" the demon muttered in disbelief.

The blade's tip pierced through the demon's eye and exited the back of his skull. The demon's body stiffened, and with one last grunt, he collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

"Fiuh," Tristan exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. "Good thing I've been working on my thrusting technique."

But then, realization hit him like a brick.

"Wait! No! I forgot to interrogate him!" Tristan groaned, falling to his knees in frustration. "Ugh, how could I be so careless?"

After a few moments of berating himself, Tristan stood and sighed deeply. "Well, what's done is done. I might as well check his tent. Maybe there's something useful there."

He walked toward the collapsed tent and sifted through the scattered documents inside. His eyes caught a particular sheet of paper that seemed out of place.

"'Chimera Project Laboratory?'" Tristan read aloud, his curiosity piqued. "A lab researching chimeras, huh? Where is this place?"

He scanned the rest of the document, noting the details about its location.

"Brighthold City?" Tristan muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Looks like I've found a solid lead. This could be important."

Satisfied with his discovery, Tristan straightened up and turned toward the exit of the cave.

"That's enough for now," he said to himself. "Time to head back to Uncle Rowen."

With that, Tristan left the cave.

***

On the road where the carriage was parked, Tristan finally returned.

Rowen had been wondering where Tristan had gone since he had been away for an hour. Eloria, who had been asleep, woke up and asked Rowen, "Uncle Rowen, hasn't Tristan returned yet?"

"Not yet, your highness. He should be back soon," Rowen replied.

"Alright, Uncle," Eloria said, trying to fall back asleep.

Rowen sighed inwardly, "Tristan, that little brat, where could you have gone...?"

Just then, Rowen was startled by Tristan's voice.

"Uncle, are you badmouthing me?"

Rowen stuttered, "Tri-Tristan? N-No, Tristan! How could I badmouth you?" He thought to himself, "Damn it, how did he know?"

Tristan laughed. "Haha, I'm just joking, Uncle. Let's get going."

Rowen laughed in relief. "So, where did you go, Tristan?"

As they began walking toward Brighthold City, Tristan started tell everything to Rowen his adventure. Meanwhile, Eloria pretended to be asleep, listening closely to Tristan's story, as she couldn't bring herself to face him directly.

"What?! You hunted a middle-class demon and dozens of ogres all by yourself?!" Rowen exclaimed, utterly shocked after hearing about Tristan's journey during his brief one-hour absence.

"Yes, Uncle. From there, I managed to gather some useful information about the possible location of my kidnapped friend," Tristan replied calmly.

Rowen furrowed his brow as he pieced things together. "So, what you're saying is, the group that kidnapped Lady Sheyla, abducted your friend, and destroyed the village of Allrose... they're all the same group?"

"That's correct, Uncle. Didn't Lord Lucien inform you about this?" Tristan asked.

Rowen tilted his head upward, deep in thought. "Hmm... no, not really. All he said was that I should assist you in rescuing someone important. Speaking of which, who exactly is this friend of yours that Lord Lucien considers so important?"

With a serious expression, Tristan answered, "It's not just Lord Lucien who sees her important, Uncle. She is vital for the survival of humanity itself."

Rowen blinked in confusion. "What? What do you mean by that?"

Tristan's gaze didn't waver as he declared, "Because my friend's occupation is Hero."

"A Hero?!" Rowen gasped, his voice echoing with shock.

Even Eloria, who had been feigning sleep, jolted upright in surprise.

"Why are you so shocked, Uncle? Is it because the existence of a Hero confirms the presence of the Demon King?" Tristan asked, deliberately ignoring Eloria's sudden interest.

"Of course! Just recalling those times when the Demon King ruled over half the continent makes my blood boil. Do you have any idea what the Demon King and his subordinates did back then?" Rowen's tone turned somber as he posed the question.

Tristan shook his head.

Rowen's face darkened with a mix of sadness and fury. "The Demon King and his followers treated every race, especially humans, as their playthings. They saw us as livestock, nothing more. And when they grew bored of us, they'd discard and replace us at their whim."

Tristan hesitated before asking, "Um… forgive me for asking, but... is there really not a single good demon out there?"

Hearing this, Rowen's sharp gaze bore into Tristan. "Listen carefully, Tristan. You've faced demons multiple times, so you should already understand their nature. Even the weakest demon, the kind you could crush with a single finger, is arrogant, vile, and driven solely by their selfish desires—especially when it comes to the weak."

"Hhmm." Tristan pondered over the four demons he had defeated. "It seems you're right, Uncle. For now, I'll focus solely on rescuing my friend. How about you? Do you still see this journey as nothing more than helping a kid who needs assistance?" he asked Rowen.

Rowen's demeanor shifted, his reply firm and resolute. "No. This mission could very well determine the fate of the entire world. I'll give everything I've got."

Tristan smiled coldly. "Good. Then make sure you follow my instructions exactly. I won't tolerate even the smallest mistake. The group we're facing owes me a debt that I'll make them repay their debt with a thousandfold interests."

Rowen swallowed hard at the weight in Tristan's words, falling silent. Even Eloria, who had been eavesdropping, felt a crushing pressure that pinned her in place. It wasn't until Tristan's expression softened that the oppressive atmosphere lifted.

"Uncle, how much longer until we reach Brighthold?" Tristan asked, snapping Rowen back to the present.

Rowen shook off his unease and answered, "If we don't stop for too long like earlier, we should arrive when the moon is high in the sky."

"Understood, Uncle. I'll rest for a bit. I've set up a detection spell I recently created. If anyone approaches, it'll make a 'beep beep beep' sound. Wake me up if you hear it, alright?"

Rowen sighed inwardly. "This kid can do everything, high skilled swordsmanship, and even advanced magic." Outwardly, he simply nodded and said, "Alright, Tristan. Rest well."

As Tristan laid his head down, Rowen turned to check on Eloria, only to startle when he realized she was wide awake and staring at Tristan. Clearing his throat, Rowen said, "Ehem, Tristan, it seems Princess Eloria has something she wishes to say to you. Could you give her a moment?"

Tristan raised his head and glanced at Eloria. "What do you want?"

Rowen silently cheered her on in his heart. This is all I can do for you, Princess. The rest is up to you.

Eloria looked down, hesitant to speak. But when Tristan began lowering his head again, she blurted out loudly, "I-I want to apologize for treating you so harshly earlier! I deeply regret it, and I want to thank you for saving me. And... and... I want to..." Her voice trailed off into a whisper. "...be friends with you."

The words hung in the air as Eloria dared to glance at Tristan, but she's freezing when she realized his face was suddenly very close to hers. Her cheeks burned bright red.

"Haha, apology accepted. That's the spirit of a true princess. I like that." Tristan said with a calming smile. "Now, what was the last thing you said? I didn't catch it."

Eloria's heart fluttered at his cheerful smile. She turned even redder, but managed a small smile in return. "N-nothing. I've said everything I needed to."

"Very well then, you should rest, we still have a long journey ahead" Tristan said.

Eloria simply smiled and leaned against the edge of the carriage. However, noticing her discomfort from the hard surface, Tristan pulled out a sleeping bag from his storage space, handing it to her. "Here, use this. It'll help you rest more comfortably."

Eloria's eyes softened with gratitude. "Thank you, Tristan."

Tristan returned her smile before turning to Rowen. "Oh, Uncle, how are we planning to escort Princess Eloria back to her home?"

Rowen scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I'll send a letter to Lord Lucien about this and wait for his instructions."

Tristan frowned slightly. "That could be dangerous for Princess Eloria, our mission is very dangerous. I think you should escort her to Lord Lucien's residence yourself. I can continue to Brighthold alone."

Rowen shook his head firmly. "That would mean I disobeying Lord Lucien's orders."

Tristan considered this for a moment before replying, "I have a better idea. How about we ask sir Albert to escort and protect Princess Eloria to the Roussanne residence?"

Rowen blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? sir Albert isn't here."

Tristan's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "What do you think of my idea, sir Albert?" he said, glancing toward the carriage driver. 

The driver chuckled and bowed his head slightly. "Haha, so I couldn't fool your sharp eyes, could I, young master?"

Rowen's jaw dropped as his gaze darted between Tristan and the driver. "Wait, what?! Lord Albert?!"

Tristan crossed his arms. "So, what do you think, Lord Albert? My journey to Brighthold is critical, but Princess Eloria's safety is equally important. I can't leave her alone and unprotected. Could you help us?"

Albert's expression turned thoughtful before he suggested, "Why don't we consult Lord Lucien directly?"

Albert retrieved a scroll, and channeling mana into it. The scroll shimmered, and the image of Lucien's face appeared within. Both Rowen and Albert bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Lord Lucien."

"Ah, excellent work, all of you," Lucien said, then raised an eyebrow as he addressed Albert. "It seems you couldn't deceive Tristan, could you, Albert?"

Albert let out a sheepish laugh. "My apologies, my lord. It seems my skills have dulled with time."

Lucien burst into laughter. "Haha, certainly not! It's just that my nephew... ehem, I mean, that boy, is exceptionally great."

Albert nodded in agreement. "You're right, my lord. Tristan even managed to slay dozens of ogres and defeat a middle class demon by himself, in just one hour."

Lucien froze mid-sip, choking on his drink before spraying it out in shock. "What?! Dozens of ogres and a mid-tier demon? By himself?! In one hour?!"