Originally, Regulus wanted to take Sphinx back to the Royal Capital with him immediately, but she flatly refused, saying she still had some "matters" to attend to on the battlefield.
As for what those matters were...
Naturally, it was the corpse of Libre Fermi, the Demi-Human general he had killed not long ago.
To ordinary people, a person who became a corpse—no matter how strong they were in life—was just a rotting piece of meat. But for Sphinx, who wielded the necromantic *Sacrament of the Immortal King*, Libre's body was an incredibly excellent, high-tier material.
With a little magical processing to prevent the corpse from decaying over time, it could become an extremely useful, lethal puppet, and one that could be used long-term. It would be a massive pity to just discard such an excellent tool in the mud.
After hearing her macabre idea...
Although he felt it wasn't strictly necessary—as her presence didn't significantly add to or detract from his own invincible combat power—after some consideration, Regulus still agreed.
Having such a powerful tool in reserve was not a bad idea. Even if the undead serpent wasn't needed as a direct combatant, some dirty and arduous tasks could be assigned to her. As a mindless tool who wouldn't complain or tire, she should be quite useful.
Because she was still completely unconscious from their intense 'morning activities' in the kitchen, Regulus personally carried her to a safe, secluded spot in the wetlands and guarded her until she fully regained consciousness.
Fortunately, Sphinx didn't need to use her tired legs for travel. Once she awoke, she used flight magic directly, so even if she was feeling physically overwhelmed and sore, it wouldn't affect her mobility.
Watching Sphinx fly away into the gloomy sky, Regulus felt a little envious.
'Should I try to learn magic?' he wondered.
But after thinking about it for a few seconds, he quickly decided against it. True flight magic in this world did not seem to be something that could be easily mastered. Even ordinary elite mages, or highly famous scholars, might never be able to master unsupported flight. It was better for a lazy amateur like him not to get involved in reading dusty grimoires for a decade.
He would wait patiently, fully believing that one day he would simply Plunder the ability to soar freely in the sky from some unfortunate soul.
After seeing Sphinx off, Regulus also decided to set off immediately. However, before heading back to the Royal Capital, he still needed to formally inform the commander of this battlefield.
The result of his departure was, of course, very smooth.
After all, the current war situation for the Royal Army was excellent. The Demi-Human troops had not only lost the central provisions required to continue the war but had also lost one of their supreme generals, ultimately forcing the entire frontline to retreat in chaos.
Regulus's act of voluntarily resigning his post and leaving was seen by the greedy nobles as him giving away hard-earned credit to someone else.
Facing a crowd of officers who personally saw him off, even Leip Barielle—who hadn't dared to appear since the Wilhelm incident—surprisingly showed up to bid him a polite, entirely fake farewell.
Regulus couldn't help but wonder with a wicked smirk: 'How long can you fools maintain your current good mood when facing Valga Cromwell's desperate counterattack later?'
But he certainly wouldn't be around to see the carnage.
As they traveled in their luxurious dragon carriages, Regulus spent a few days returning to the Capital of the Kingdom of Lugnica, where he saw the usual tranquility and peace.
Of course, one first had to exclude the heavily guarded military checkpoints. With such cautious, heightened vigilance at the outer walls, Valga Cromwell would probably need to put in a massive amount of effort and blood to successfully sneak into the Royal City.
Once inside, the group went directly to Regulus's sprawling mansion.
Before leaving months ago, he had entrusted the mansion to some temporary servants, who had taken care of the estate quite well during this period. Regulus, quite satisfied, gave them some generous extra wages and dismissed them, then officially moved back in with his wives.
This, of course, included the newly joined girls from the journey: Beatrice, Julia, Anileni, and even Carol and Theresia.
However, unlike Julia and the Spirits who moved in directly without issue, Carol and Theresia needed to go back to their respective family estates first. They needed to inform their parents of their safe return and also pack their permanent personal belongings.
"Should I go with you to your estates?" Regulus offered smoothly.
"This..." Carol hesitated, her face flushing.
"Perhaps... not," Theresia laughed nervously.
Both of them naturally wanted to introduce Regulus to their parents eventually. But in the current situation, neither Carol nor Theresia wanted to do it immediately.
The reasons were simple.
As a member of a strict Knight family, Carol's somewhat stubborn, disciplined personality was heavily influenced by her father. If her father knew that she was openly cohabiting with a man before being formally engaged or married, she would definitely get a severe, hours-long scolding about Knightly virtue.
As for Theresia's side...
Her family fiercely doted on her, and simply bringing a suitor back wouldn't necessarily cause her any trouble. However, facing the smug, white-haired man who had essentially "abducted" the Sword Saint for several months? She could easily foresee her father directly drawing his blade and trying to fight Regulus to the death in the courtyard.
It was better to wait a bit. She would go back, comfort her parents properly, and she certainly wouldn't bring Regulus to formally meet them until their volatile emotions had stabilized.
"Alright," Regulus chuckled, seeing right through their panic. "But sending you off, just walking you to your doorstep, should be fine, right?"
"Mhm."
"That's no problem," Carol agreed.
"In that case, let's go."
As he spoke, Regulus wrapped his arms tightly around Carol's and Theresia's waists, pulling the two famous, high-status beauties flush against his sides as they walked down the bustling street.
This blatant display made the two girls completely speechless, their faces burning bright red. Walking out on the Capital streets like this... if the scandalous news reached their parents' ears before they even got home, they couldn't even imagine what would happen!
After successfully and shamelessly sending Carol and Theresia to their respective family gates, Regulus returned to his own mansion.
However, upon arriving, he saw a fully armed Royal Knight standing rigidly outside his front door.
"Lord Regulus," the Knight bowed deeply, stating his purpose. "His Majesty the King wishes to see you. Would you be able to accompany me to the Palace?"
"Alright," Regulus nodded lazily.
"Please follow me. A royal dragon carriage is already prepared." The inviting Knight respectfully led the way.
Boarding the ornate carriage, it didn't take long for Regulus to successfully arrive at the uppermost tier of the city, where the Royal Palace of Lugnica was located.
Since transmigrating to this world, it was his first time visiting the seat of power.
Looking at the towering, opulent palace before him, Regulus couldn't help but sigh in genuine admiration. 'Should I say, as expected of a country where royalty reigns supreme?'
However, the palace's external magnificence wasn't the most outrageous point. The most outrageous part was the vast, sprawling, ridiculously wealthy area he had passed through on the way up here.
This vast area was located in the very center of the entire Royal City, built on elevated terrain, and it was exclusively reserved for the Royal Family and the highest echelon of Dukes.
Regulus had already gained a solid understanding of the Royal City's specific layout during his time here.
The capital was generally divided into massive, concentric circular layers, separated by thick inner walls. These circular layers were formally called districts. They were arranged by strict social rank from top to bottom: the highest, central first layer was for the Royal Family; the second layer was enjoyed by high nobles and outrageously wealthy merchants; the third layer was the bustling commercial district; the fourth layer was the cramped residential area for ordinary citizens; and finally, the outer fifth district—the slums.
Regulus's current mansion was comfortably located in the wealthy second district.
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