Translated by Wook
Edited by Wook
The morning after the first expedition, the Southern Duke invited Rena and Uni for breakfast.
“Did you have a good night, my lord?”
“Do you have to ask? He must have been at peace.”
“Your manners are really unchanging.”
Next to Rena who was greeting the Duke, Uni squeaked every once in a while. However, the Southern Duke did not lose his composure despite Uni’s provocation today.
Uni’s eyes narrowed at his replies that were more generous than usual.
“You look good despite being so mad yesterday.”
“I’m learning the coldness of the world in this way.”
Uni was being sarcastic again, but the Southern Duke did not respond. He merely pretended to be stern by keeping the corners of his wriggling lips down to protect his dignity.
In fact, he was so happy that he wanted to spin the little maid around. The reason, of course, was Rena’s performance.
“You worked hard yesterday.”
“I was just doing what I had to do.”
“You are too humble. What do you mean by doing what you were supposed to do with a performance like that?”
The Southern Duke praised Rena with a satisfied face. Uni, who was by her side, felt that the old man was getting more absurd, but even that was a small joy for the Southern Duke.
The Southern Duke made Rena and Uni sit down. Then he said while recommending the appetizer that just came out.
“I heard that the Emperor was very satisfied. She recounted the results of the conquest at the afternoon court meeting.
And there will be a banquet in the evening. At that time, the Emperor will formally praise you for your work.”
The old man lazily recited the plans for the future as if he was already full even if he had not eaten. Then he lowered his voice and asked.
“What the hell did you use?”
“What do you mean?
“Don’t be shy. The East and the North said they couldn’t even know how to enter the Tomb’s castle. How the hell did you conquer the castle and bring back the King’s heart?”
“Well. It’s just luck.”
Rena smiled and kept quiet.
“I think it’s going to be a long story, but I’ll tell you the details at the meeting.”
The Southern Duke’s beard crept up. It looked like she was pouting, but Rena still swallowed her words and pretended not to know anything.
“What happened to the knights?”
“You mean those idiots?”
Fortunately, the Southern Duke swallowed the bait that Rena threw. He said with a dissatisfied face.
“After you said that you were going to the grave by yourself, they had a drink all night, and when you came back alone from the Tomb, they were terrified. Now they’re just locking themselves in the room.”
The Southern Duke’s face, which had been in full bloom for the first time in a while because of Rena, withered back because of the knights. The Southern Duke put his hands on his forehead as if he had a headache and continued.
“What will you do? Will you keep going alone in the future?”
“Well…”
“There is still time until the next expedition.”
The nobles of the Empire were extravagant and noisy. They had already planned to hold a drinking party for the next month in the name of victory ceremony.
“Isn’t it only a month or two?”
However, Rena was skeptical that she had time. Even with a month or two, it was difficult to turn high-quality young masters with fancy weapons into real knights in the meantime.
In Rena’s thoughtful mind, Lynn’s offer of an alliance came to mind. She hated to admit it, but an alliance with Lynn could even fill the knights’ absence.
While thinking about it, Rena looked into the eyes of the Southern Duke. He hated Lynn so much, what would happen if she brought up the alliance?
At the same time, the Southern Duke brought up the story of the East first.
“True, they’re not the ones who will get better in a month or two. Still, it’s a pity to see the gold brought from the East. To rob a castle that has been conquered by wonders, isn’t that the same as blowing their noses without touching them?”
Talking about the East, the Southern Prince’s face was distorted like a habit. He seemed to think that the gold brought from the East originally belonged to the South.
“It’s their luck.”
“Right. It’s already in the past, we should just be glad that there weren’t any conflicts. He’s a dog that barks at everyone.”
As Rena cautiously avoided the topic, the Southern Duke reluctantly softened his heart and complained. Still, he did not leave out the swear words toward the East.
‘What the hell has Mr. Lynn been doing?’
Confused, Rena kept her mouth shut and just smiled.
Then, Uni, who was nibbling on the egg salad, stepped in tactfully.
“Still, he looked good.”
“Who do you mean?”
“The Eastern Duke. I passed by. The person itself seems to be fine, right?”
“You mean that his body is healthy and still intact?”
“Why did you say it like that. I heard he helped you before.”
“That…”
At Uni’s reply, the Southern Duke was speechless. After swearing at the Eastern Duke a lot, he murmured like a man who had been stabbed, and eventually softened and muttered.
“I’m not him, so I couldn’t have imagined why he did that on that day.”
The Southern Duke muttered involuntarily and looked back at Rena as if he had remembered something. As Rena smiled and faced him, the Southern Duke changed his tone to a lecturing one.
“I’m saying this because I’m old. Be careful not to get involved with the Eastern Duke.”
“Yes?”
“Since we’re in the capital, various exchanges will be needed, but to do it with the East is out of the question. Don’t be fooled by that look, and keep your distance as much as possible.”
“What do you mean by that…”
Even though he was already old, as they say, the older, the wiser.
He soon realized that Rena Ruber and Lignan Aetherner were objectively pretty and handsome young men, and that they had a lot of potential for liking each other.
The Southern Duke added with a harsher voice to Rena, who smiled and pretended to be innocent.
“Don’t let it in one ear and out the other. He has the power to seduce women.”
“Puhh!”
Uni spit out the potato soup she had just been eating.
Uni looked at the Southern Duke speechlessly with soup still dripping, while Rena also had a surprised look on her face and blinked her eyes.
And the Southern Duke was subtly disillusioned by the girls’ reaction.
“It’s not something to talk about with those who are not even half my age…”
“I am a legal adult.” [Rena]
“I know everything that needs to be known!” [Uni]
When the Southern Duke cowardly tried to get himself out, Rena and Uni quickly grabbed his words. They waited for the Southern Duke’s words with this unprecedented politeness, and the Southern Duke continued to speak under their eyes that were full of expectations.
“… Do you know what kind of power the East received from the Emperor?”
The four powers the Emperor gave each of the dukes, the most famous of which was the Northern slash. While the East…
“I heard it’s domination.”
“That’s right. It is the most secret power among the powers the Emperor has given.”
The Southern Duke said so and stretched out his hand over the table. For a moment, the candle on the table lit up with a clicking sound.
“It’s still working.”
The Southern Duke lit a candle without tools and muttered indifferently.
“The outcome of my ‘strife’, the Northern’s ‘slash’, and the Western’s ‘frailty’ are clear. You can see it right away.”
[T/N: I’m just guessing the names of their ability, except for the Northern “slash” which has been mentioned quite a few times, the others are pretty vague.]
The Southern Duke clenched his outstretched hand again. Then the candle went out again and soot rose.
“But you can’t see the powers of the East. If he doesn’t reveal what he controls, you’ll never know.”
“It’s definitely a dangerous ability.”
“Yes, it’s dangerous. But what’s more dangerous than his abilities is his temper.”
“Is he temperamental?”
“That bloke has a filthy hobby, seducing women and turning them into blood…”
The topic that the Southern Duke was reluctant to mention finally came out.
In fact, it was the most euphemistic expression of the word. If Uni had not been present here, the Southern Duke would have spoken as it was.
Lignan Aetherner of the East was a madman who abused and tortured women.
However, Rena and Uni were surprised enough by the words of the Southern Prince.
“… Did you hear about it somewhere?”
“No, I saw it myself.”
It was 7 years ago. The reason why a little boy, who still had nothing but soft hair, came to the Imperial Palace, was because it was said he was the new Eastern Duke.
At the time, he was only a thirteen-year-old boy. Perhaps because he was too young, the Southern Duke did not have any feelings for him despite his unique history of being of mixed ethnicity. No, on the contrary, he vaguely sympathized with that boy’s wretched life.
Contrary to what the Southern Duke thought, however, Lignan Aetherner was by no means a poor boy. That was proven the first night he entered the Imperial Palace.
The fearless mongrel dragged a lady a few years older than him into his bedroom that night.
On that day too, the social gathering continued until late, so many people saw it. Seeing the noble girl of Banra bleeding and asking for help.
And the figure of the same bloody boy who followed after her with a smile.
“After that, I heard several more times that he did the same thing in his territory.”
The Southern Duke said so and clicked his tongue.
It was still good in his memory. The boy’s eyes were dyed red and his figure that was stopped from hunting the woman near the Southern Duke. He rebelled like an animal, and the knights had to step forward and subdue him.
“What’s even worse is that women have never been forced into the bedroom. How could that be possible?”
“Do you think the Eastern Duke used his powers?”
“That’s right. Women shouldn’t be going looking for him on their own feet, knowing that they would be bitten unless they were idiots.”
The voice of the Southern Duke as he said that was full of certainty beyond speculation.
Because of this, Rena and Uni looked at each other without saying a word. The Southern Duke’s words were so unexpected, but it was hard to think he was lying.
“So, it is best to be careful not to get involved with the Eastern Duke, and to stay away from violent dogs.”
The Southern Duke spoke again, and Rena nodded helplessly.
Rena remembered what happened last night as she pondered the bizarre story of the Southern Duke.
Lynn said that he cannot have a companion. He said that as he smiled softly.
‘Does it have something to do with this?’
She had doubts, but she had no way of confirming it.
But one thing was clear.
When Lynn smiled like that, Rena unconsciously thought that she wanted to touch his head.
If the Southern Duke knew, he might say that she was already seduced.
***
In the afternoon, the dukes of the Empire gathered one by one to the conference hall.
The Western Duke-and-Cardinal Clavis accompanied by his priests, the Eastern Duke accompanied by his knights, and the Southern Duke and his representative, Rena Ruber, by his side.
With a round table in between, Rena and Lynn sat face to face.
The first thing they saw when they looked up was each other’s face, so Rena and Lynn were awkward for their own reasons.
Lynn, who was worried, greeted her first. But Rena pretended not to see him and avoided his gaze.
Whether it was because of her mood or the truth, Rena could feel Lynn’s gaze on her face, but she, who had not yet made up her mind, turned away from him.
Meanwhile, Northern Duke Eura entered the meeting room. For some reason, there was only a knight by his side.
“Where is young Rubid?”
“He is recuperating.”
To Clavis’ question, Eura briefly answered and sat down.
He stared at Rena before sitting down, and the atmosphere in the conference room immediately froze.
“Now, shall we begin?”
As if enjoying the atmosphere, Clavis spoke with a light voice.
“Yesterday’s expedition results exceeded expectations. I thought it would take several re-entries, but you conquered it so quickly. Her Majesty the Emperor was also very satisfied.”
Clavis ignored the damage of the North and praised only the winners.
“First of all, Her Majesty took the heart of the king brought by the South with pleasure. I will call you again for this and praise you, so prepare and wait.”
“We will do that.”
“And the gold and silver brought by the East are still being investigated to determine the age. They seem to be relics, so if we find something, we will inform the East first.”
Lynn replied with a nod of his head.
Then Clavis looked at Rena.
“Then, Sir Rena, now it is your turn. Will you tell us how you conquered the castle?”
The eyes of the dukes were fixed on Rena. Gazes filled with thirst.
Actually, Rena had a bad thought. She wanted to monopolize the secrets of the Tomb a little more, but it was too dangerous for her to keep holding on to a secret she had already discovered, so she opened her mouth.
“I entered the castle purely by accident.”
“By accident?”
“I was searching around the castle of the King Who Swallowed the First Cry when the Northern army attacked the castle. They probably did it without seeing me.”
Rena said that and looked at Eura, who had shot a gaze at herself earlier, for a moment.
“The dead came pouring out of the attacked castle, and I, who was nearby, watched the dead in silence.”
“Then?”
“Then I accidentally overheard the dead.”
“Did the dead say anything?”
“Not really. They only said a word. ‘Celeste’.”
The expressions of the dukes became more serious at the unfamiliar words.
It was then.
“Huh?”
An exclamation echoed from the wrong direction.
The dukes who were listening to Rena turned their heads out of the round table, and the boy priest who made the sound covered his mouth in surprise at the dukes’ gaze.
Normally, it would have been the mistake of a young priest. However, Clavis knew that the boy who had just shouted was the son of Marquis Ruber, and asked him deliberately.
“Do you have anything to say?”
At the Cardinal’s question, Angie Ruber’s face turned white.
Angie raised his head to apologize, but then his eyes met Rena, who was sitting at the round table.
At that moment, Angie was enveloped in a strange sense of déjà vu.
“…I think I know what it is.”
“Hmm?”
Angie muttered without realizing it, his attention lost to Rena.
The Cardinal asked him with a soft smile, and to that, Angie spoke clearly once again.
“I know what the Southern Representative was talking about.”
Translated by Wook
Edited by Wook
The morning after the first expedition, the Southern Duke invited Rena and Uni for breakfast.
“Did you have a good night, my lord?”
“Do you have to ask? He must have been at peace.”
“Your manners are really unchanging.”
Next to Rena who was greeting the Duke, Uni squeaked every once in a while. However, the Southern Duke did not lose his composure despite Uni’s provocation today.
Uni’s eyes narrowed at his replies that were more generous than usual.
“You look good despite being so mad yesterday.”
“I’m learning the coldness of the world in this way.”
Uni was being sarcastic again, but the Southern Duke did not respond. He merely pretended to be stern by keeping the corners of his wriggling lips down to protect his dignity.
In fact, he was so happy that he wanted to spin the little maid around. The reason, of course, was Rena’s performance.
“You worked hard yesterday.”
“I was just doing what I had to do.”
“You are too humble. What do you mean by doing what you were supposed to do with a performance like that?”
The Southern Duke praised Rena with a satisfied face. Uni, who was by her side, felt that the old man was getting more absurd, but even that was a small joy for the Southern Duke.
The Southern Duke made Rena and Uni sit down. Then he said while recommending the appetizer that just came out.
“I heard that the Emperor was very satisfied. She recounted the results of the conquest at the afternoon court meeting.
And there will be a banquet in the evening. At that time, the Emperor will formally praise you for your work.”
The old man lazily recited the plans for the future as if he was already full even if he had not eaten. Then he lowered his voice and asked.
“What the hell did you use?”
“What do you mean?
“Don’t be shy. The East and the North said they couldn’t even know how to enter the Tomb’s castle. How the hell did you conquer the castle and bring back the King’s heart?”
“Well. It’s just luck.”
Rena smiled and kept quiet.
“I think it’s going to be a long story, but I’ll tell you the details at the meeting.”
The Southern Duke’s beard crept up. It looked like she was pouting, but Rena still swallowed her words and pretended not to know anything.
“What happened to the knights?”
“You mean those idiots?”
Fortunately, the Southern Duke swallowed the bait that Rena threw. He said with a dissatisfied face.
“After you said that you were going to the grave by yourself, they had a drink all night, and when you came back alone from the Tomb, they were terrified. Now they’re just locking themselves in the room.”
The Southern Duke’s face, which had been in full bloom for the first time in a while because of Rena, withered back because of the knights. The Southern Duke put his hands on his forehead as if he had a headache and continued.
“What will you do? Will you keep going alone in the future?”
“Well…”
“There is still time until the next expedition.”
The nobles of the Empire were extravagant and noisy. They had already planned to hold a drinking party for the next month in the name of victory ceremony.
“Isn’t it only a month or two?”
However, Rena was skeptical that she had time. Even with a month or two, it was difficult to turn high-quality young masters with fancy weapons into real knights in the meantime.
In Rena’s thoughtful mind, Lynn’s offer of an alliance came to mind. She hated to admit it, but an alliance with Lynn could even fill the knights’ absence.
While thinking about it, Rena looked into the eyes of the Southern Duke. He hated Lynn so much, what would happen if she brought up the alliance?
At the same time, the Southern Duke brought up the story of the East first.
“True, they’re not the ones who will get better in a month or two. Still, it’s a pity to see the gold brought from the East. To rob a castle that has been conquered by wonders, isn’t that the same as blowing their noses without touching them?”
Talking about the East, the Southern Prince’s face was distorted like a habit. He seemed to think that the gold brought from the East originally belonged to the South.
“It’s their luck.”
“Right. It’s already in the past, we should just be glad that there weren’t any conflicts. He’s a dog that barks at everyone.”
As Rena cautiously avoided the topic, the Southern Duke reluctantly softened his heart and complained. Still, he did not leave out the swear words toward the East.
‘What the hell has Mr. Lynn been doing?’
Confused, Rena kept her mouth shut and just smiled.
Then, Uni, who was nibbling on the egg salad, stepped in tactfully.
“Still, he looked good.”
“Who do you mean?”
“The Eastern Duke. I passed by. The person itself seems to be fine, right?”
“You mean that his body is healthy and still intact?”
“Why did you say it like that. I heard he helped you before.”
“That…”
At Uni’s reply, the Southern Duke was speechless. After swearing at the Eastern Duke a lot, he murmured like a man who had been stabbed, and eventually softened and muttered.
“I’m not him, so I couldn’t have imagined why he did that on that day.”
The Southern Duke muttered involuntarily and looked back at Rena as if he had remembered something. As Rena smiled and faced him, the Southern Duke changed his tone to a lecturing one.
“I’m saying this because I’m old. Be careful not to get involved with the Eastern Duke.”
“Yes?”
“Since we’re in the capital, various exchanges will be needed, but to do it with the East is out of the question. Don’t be fooled by that look, and keep your distance as much as possible.”
“What do you mean by that…”
Even though he was already old, as they say, the older, the wiser.
He soon realized that Rena Ruber and Lignan Aetherner were objectively pretty and handsome young men, and that they had a lot of potential for liking each other.
The Southern Duke added with a harsher voice to Rena, who smiled and pretended to be innocent.
“Don’t let it in one ear and out the other. He has the power to seduce women.”
“Puhh!”
Uni spit out the potato soup she had just been eating.
Uni looked at the Southern Duke speechlessly with soup still dripping, while Rena also had a surprised look on her face and blinked her eyes.
And the Southern Duke was subtly disillusioned by the girls’ reaction.
“It’s not something to talk about with those who are not even half my age…”
“I am a legal adult.” [Rena]
“I know everything that needs to be known!” [Uni]
When the Southern Duke cowardly tried to get himself out, Rena and Uni quickly grabbed his words. They waited for the Southern Duke’s words with this unprecedented politeness, and the Southern Duke continued to speak under their eyes that were full of expectations.
“… Do you know what kind of power the East received from the Emperor?”
The four powers the Emperor gave each of the dukes, the most famous of which was the Northern slash. While the East…
“I heard it’s domination.”
“That’s right. It is the most secret power among the powers the Emperor has given.”
The Southern Duke said so and stretched out his hand over the table. For a moment, the candle on the table lit up with a clicking sound.
“It’s still working.”
The Southern Duke lit a candle without tools and muttered indifferently.
“The outcome of my ‘strife’, the Northern’s ‘slash’, and the Western’s ‘frailty’ are clear. You can see it right away.”
[T/N: I’m just guessing the names of their ability, except for the Northern “slash” which has been mentioned quite a few times, the others are pretty vague.]
The Southern Duke clenched his outstretched hand again. Then the candle went out again and soot rose.
“But you can’t see the powers of the East. If he doesn’t reveal what he controls, you’ll never know.”
“It’s definitely a dangerous ability.”
“Yes, it’s dangerous. But what’s more dangerous than his abilities is his temper.”
“Is he temperamental?”
“That bloke has a filthy hobby, seducing women and turning them into blood…”
The topic that the Southern Duke was reluctant to mention finally came out.
In fact, it was the most euphemistic expression of the word. If Uni had not been present here, the Southern Duke would have spoken as it was.
Lignan Aetherner of the East was a madman who abused and tortured women.
However, Rena and Uni were surprised enough by the words of the Southern Prince.
“… Did you hear about it somewhere?”
“No, I saw it myself.”
It was 7 years ago. The reason why a little boy, who still had nothing but soft hair, came to the Imperial Palace, was because it was said he was the new Eastern Duke.
At the time, he was only a thirteen-year-old boy. Perhaps because he was too young, the Southern Duke did not have any feelings for him despite his unique history of being of mixed ethnicity. No, on the contrary, he vaguely sympathized with that boy’s wretched life.
Contrary to what the Southern Duke thought, however, Lignan Aetherner was by no means a poor boy. That was proven the first night he entered the Imperial Palace.
The fearless mongrel dragged a lady a few years older than him into his bedroom that night.
On that day too, the social gathering continued until late, so many people saw it. Seeing the noble girl of Banra bleeding and asking for help.
And the figure of the same bloody boy who followed after her with a smile.
“After that, I heard several more times that he did the same thing in his territory.”
The Southern Duke said so and clicked his tongue.
It was still good in his memory. The boy’s eyes were dyed red and his figure that was stopped from hunting the woman near the Southern Duke. He rebelled like an animal, and the knights had to step forward and subdue him.
“What’s even worse is that women have never been forced into the bedroom. How could that be possible?”
“Do you think the Eastern Duke used his powers?”
“That’s right. Women shouldn’t be going looking for him on their own feet, knowing that they would be bitten unless they were idiots.”
The voice of the Southern Duke as he said that was full of certainty beyond speculation.
Because of this, Rena and Uni looked at each other without saying a word. The Southern Duke’s words were so unexpected, but it was hard to think he was lying.
“So, it is best to be careful not to get involved with the Eastern Duke, and to stay away from violent dogs.”
The Southern Duke spoke again, and Rena nodded helplessly.
Rena remembered what happened last night as she pondered the bizarre story of the Southern Duke.
Lynn said that he cannot have a companion. He said that as he smiled softly.
‘Does it have something to do with this?’
She had doubts, but she had no way of confirming it.
But one thing was clear.
When Lynn smiled like that, Rena unconsciously thought that she wanted to touch his head.
If the Southern Duke knew, he might say that she was already seduced.
***
In the afternoon, the dukes of the Empire gathered one by one to the conference hall.
The Western Duke-and-Cardinal Clavis accompanied by his priests, the Eastern Duke accompanied by his knights, and the Southern Duke and his representative, Rena Ruber, by his side.
With a round table in between, Rena and Lynn sat face to face.
The first thing they saw when they looked up was each other’s face, so Rena and Lynn were awkward for their own reasons.
Lynn, who was worried, greeted her first. But Rena pretended not to see him and avoided his gaze.
Whether it was because of her mood or the truth, Rena could feel Lynn’s gaze on her face, but she, who had not yet made up her mind, turned away from him.
Meanwhile, Northern Duke Eura entered the meeting room. For some reason, there was only a knight by his side.
“Where is young Rubid?”
“He is recuperating.”
To Clavis’ question, Eura briefly answered and sat down.
He stared at Rena before sitting down, and the atmosphere in the conference room immediately froze.
“Now, shall we begin?”
As if enjoying the atmosphere, Clavis spoke with a light voice.
“Yesterday’s expedition results exceeded expectations. I thought it would take several re-entries, but you conquered it so quickly. Her Majesty the Emperor was also very satisfied.”
Clavis ignored the damage of the North and praised only the winners.
“First of all, Her Majesty took the heart of the king brought by the South with pleasure. I will call you again for this and praise you, so prepare and wait.”
“We will do that.”
“And the gold and silver brought by the East are still being investigated to determine the age. They seem to be relics, so if we find something, we will inform the East first.”
Lynn replied with a nod of his head.
Then Clavis looked at Rena.
“Then, Sir Rena, now it is your turn. Will you tell us how you conquered the castle?”
The eyes of the dukes were fixed on Rena. Gazes filled with thirst.
Actually, Rena had a bad thought. She wanted to monopolize the secrets of the Tomb a little more, but it was too dangerous for her to keep holding on to a secret she had already discovered, so she opened her mouth.
“I entered the castle purely by accident.”
“By accident?”
“I was searching around the castle of the King Who Swallowed the First Cry when the Northern army attacked the castle. They probably did it without seeing me.”
Rena said that and looked at Eura, who had shot a gaze at herself earlier, for a moment.
“The dead came pouring out of the attacked castle, and I, who was nearby, watched the dead in silence.”
“Then?”
“Then I accidentally overheard the dead.”
“Did the dead say anything?”
“Not really. They only said a word. ‘Celeste’.”
The expressions of the dukes became more serious at the unfamiliar words.
It was then.
“Huh?”
An exclamation echoed from the wrong direction.
The dukes who were listening to Rena turned their heads out of the round table, and the boy priest who made the sound covered his mouth in surprise at the dukes’ gaze.
Normally, it would have been the mistake of a young priest. However, Clavis knew that the boy who had just shouted was the son of Marquis Ruber, and asked him deliberately.
“Do you have anything to say?”
At the Cardinal’s question, Angie Ruber’s face turned white.
Angie raised his head to apologize, but then his eyes met Rena, who was sitting at the round table.
At that moment, Angie was enveloped in a strange sense of déjà vu.
“…I think I know what it is.”
“Hmm?”
Angie muttered without realizing it, his attention lost to Rena.
The Cardinal asked him with a soft smile, and to that, Angie spoke clearly once again.
“I know what the Southern Representative was talking about.”
