Einherjar Becomes Valkyrie

「Elena, I...」

「Father, please, I already lost my mother, I don't want to lose you too」

Elena took her father's hand and was pleading with some tears peeking over the edge of her beautiful violet eyes.

「Young lord Darrel although he lacks experience, has a good head on his shoulders, this is something that you yourself have said several times my Lord」

Armand could only smile bitterly in response to the way Harlan always used his own words to hit him at the right moment.

For several seconds Armand plunged into silence as he watched Elena's eyes, seeing in the violet a faint reflection of Elena's mother.

「Although I am strong, I do not understand how to manage a territory, I could use a little help from you」

Armand smiled in response to Elena's insistence. Her daughter seemed as determined and stubborn as his mother, Claire Eis Lutrel, but still maintained that air of a girl's selfishness.

「Okay, I'll do as you say」

Full of joy upon hearing that, Elena jumped into her father's arms.

This time I will protect you myself. This was Armand's thought, if he could not stop the royal court, then he would protect his daughter himself.

「In that case, I'd like us to return to Izana immediately」

「Miss Elena, that is quite complicated, my Lord is still recovering and undertaking such a long journey could be dangerous, the murderers may still hang around the city waiting for a new opportunity」

「It is unnecessary to make a long trip, Harlan, I arrived in Lutrel this morning to do some shopping and when I found out what happened; I returned to Izana to bring my soldiers since I knew that my siblings would not allow me to see my father」

Both Armand and Harlan were completely confused.

「I can take us to Izana in a second, trust on me father, so why don't you make the preparations to leave?」

Armand looked up at Harlan and nodded. How could he mistrust this sweet daughter who had forgiven him for being a bad father?

Harlan left the room and ordered several maids to prepare Armand's luggage, then went in search of Darrel and led him to Armand.

Darrel entered the room feeling somewhat intimidated by those soldiers in the corridor.

「Father, have you requested my presence?」

Darrel glanced at Elena, then turned his attention to his father.

「Darrel, from this moment on, you are the Marquis Lutrel」

Darrel to blink several times in confusion. Were his father's injuries more serious than he thought?

「Father, I am sure you will fully recover; you don't have to rush this way」

Elena was surprised by Darrel's response, she thought he would take the title without hesitation, however, Darrel was genuinely concerned about her father.

「Of course I will recover, it takes much more than this to finish me」

「Then why…?」

「I move in with Elena to help her manage her territory, unlike you, she received no preparation for something like this」

Darrel looked at Elena for two seconds. He once again regretted his lack of intelligence.

「Okay, if that's your wish, I will naturally accept, father」

Darrel was not a fool, he knew his father well enough to understand that this reason was not entirely true; something important was happening and he finally could see a clue about the recent assassination attempt against his father is probably had something to do with Elena. If so, that explained the reason Elena had shown her strength to see his father. She knew about what was happening. It was also easy to see that his father was choosing this to protect the rest of the family.

「Mother will be quite upset about this」

「As the new leader of the family, you must take care of it....」

Darrel showed a bitter smile. Of all the responsibilities that his father was giving him, this was perhaps the one that would cause him most headaches.

「Father, I'll give you some space」

With those words, Elena asked Harlan to take her to another room so that her father could speak to Richell and Marla.

With nightfall already upon, Elena returned to her father's room. In the place there were two maids that would accompany Armand, and all the suitcases and belongings that Armand would take with him.

「Everything is prepared as requested, Miss Elena, what should we do now?」

Harlan was also present, although Armand tried to get him to stay by Darrel's side, the old man refused and Darrel agreed. 'Harlan is your right hand, let me find my right hand'. These were Darrel's words to his father regarding this matter.

「First, I will make my father walk on his own」

After saying that, Elena approached Armand and took his hand.

「Restoration」

Armand's body was bathed in warm silver light, his face filled with surprise as he felt his wounds disappear completely.

Harlan and Darrel stopped breathing when they saw Armand stand up.

「Elena…」

「You better get ready father, there is still a lot to see, so save some of your surprise for later」

Armand could only smile at his daughter's bold words.

「Now let me open the way… warp」

To everyone's surprise, a large door of light appeared on a wall of the room.

「Father, once we go through this door, we will be in Izana」

Without receiving a verbal order from Elena, the steel soldiers took the suitcases and belongings and then walked to the light door and disappeared.

「Come on, father」

Elena offered her hand to her surprised father.

Holding Elena's hand, Armand walked towards that door of light with Harlan and the two maid behind.

After regaining his sight after being completely blinded by the intense white light, Armand opened his eyes and was surprised at what he saw.

Armand was standing in front of a huge palace still under construction, which surpassed in size and beauty the king's palace in the capital. Behind Armand, the reaction of the two maids and Harlan was the same as him.

「Welcome to Izana, father」

Elena's sweet voice brought Armand out of his daze. By simple instinct he looked around to see a ruined city illuminated by the moonlight and surrounded by a splendid wall. Armand had heard about the state Izana must be in. There should be nothing standing in the place, much less a splendid palace.

「Elena, how you..?」

Armand interrupted his question when he saw several rock creatures approaching. All of them fell to their knees around Elena.

「Elena-sama!」

Drawn by the heavy footsteps of the golems near the palace gate, Nia and the others ran outside to see Elena with other people.

「I'm back, Nia」

Nia showed a splendid smile and bowed in greeting as she contained her desire to hug Elena.

「Nia, everyone, this is my father, Armand Eis Lutrel」

With a beaming smile on her lips, Elena introduced her father and Harlan.

「My name is Nia Elyris, it is a pleasure, my Lord」

「I'm Maya Elyris, Nia's mother, it's a pleasure」

「M-my name is Bryn, it is a pleasure, my Lord」

「My name is Erin, and this is my brother Teo, it is quite an honor, my Lord」

Armand and Harlan were surprised in front of the colorful group that Elena had gathered, an elf, a half-elf, and two children whose manners betrayed them as noble.

As Armand and Harlan exchanged greetings with Elena's group, they both shuddered as they saw a black shadow appear to Elena's side and then take the shape of what was clearly a Lich.

「Welcome back, Master」

Just as Armand was about to run to Elena's side to protect her from that dark creature, the Lich prostrated himself in front of her and exclaimed that greeting.

「I'm back Necro, any news?」

「The construction is progressing smoothly, as for the territory, there is nothing to report, Master」

Elena nodded, then turned her gaze to her dismayed father.

「Necro, he is my father, Armand Eis Lutrel」

Necro stood up and turned to Armand, then bowed.

「It is a pleasure, Excellency, my name is Necro, a simple and insignificant servant of my Master」

「S-servant?」

「That's right Excellency, I was created by the greatness of the Master, and the only reason for my existence is to serve Master」

Maya could only show an uncomfortable smile full of understanding when seeing Armand's expression, she had been through the same as him from start to finish.

「Elena…」

「Father, I am only Elena, daughter of Bela and Armand」

Elena approached her father and took her hands while exclaiming that.

「And this is the home I'm building for myself and my important people, and I won't let anyone take it away from me, not even a king or a God」

Armand looked Elena in the eyes. On those violet eyes, he could see the shadow of that fragile girl who had felt her world collapse the moment she lost her mother.

「And I'm just Armand, Elena's father, a simple man who plans to protect his daughter even from a king or a God」

Elena smiled when she heard that and hugged her father.

「It looks like these old bones will get some action again」

Harlan declared that, and Armand and Elena laughed.

「If it's about bones, I'm the biggest expert here」

「There is no way I can deny those words, Necro-dono」

And that caused even the two maids to laugh.

「Master, about our plans」

「It's true, we'll go once the steel soldiers finish their thing」

「Understood, in that case, I will temporarily retire」

Behind the group the warp was still open, the steel soldiers continually crossing it, bringing furnishing and luggage from Lutrel Palace. Elena had asked her father for some furnishing for everyone's rooms, something that her father did not hesitate to grant her. In Lutrel Palace there were many unoccupied rooms, the furnishing of those rooms was the one that was continually being brought into the Izana Palace.

Elena led her father and the others into her luxurious palace.