“And I h-heard that each magic has an attr-attribute.”
When they were going to Northernmost, Riario had said so. His attribute was ‘death,’ and Sabelli’s attribute was ‘healing.’ Anya also wanted to decide his own attribute as soon as possible and somehow move forward. He kept feeling impatient. He felt like he’d go crazy if he didn’t do something.
“That’s not what you should be doing now. Boy, you…”
Sabelli began counting something with his fingers—one, two. He seemed a bit distracted.
“It’s not the time to do such things.”
“Then… wh-what should I d-do?”
Anya spoke much faster than usual. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Sabelli, but anxiety surged when things didn’t go as he hoped.
“The boy must pass a ‘trial.'”
Sabelli’s voice lowered even more. He unfastened the leather binding and opened the thick cover. Unlike its appearance, the book seemed quite old—the paper had turned yellowish and had stains here and there, making it impossible to tell what the writing said. Sabelli swept his hand once across the rough paper.
“That trial is very harsh. The boy might die.”
“I’m n-no longer afraid of d-death.”
Only carrying on this heavy life properly. That was all he feared.
“By the way, a tr-trial? I don’t quite understand. And… the book’s title… blind…?”
Sabelli gulped down some wine as if his throat was dry.
“Dragcals is a suspicious existence. They constantly put the humans they’ve chosen on trial to see how long they can endure. If you pass that trial, the boy will get a chance to make a contract with them, but if not, you might die.”
To pass that trial, the boy’s body right now is very weak, like a piece of glass that would shatter at a touch. Even his mind. Everything must be trained.
You’ll think it would be better to die. Every moment will be agonizing, like eons of patient suffering.
“Even so… will you still do it?”
* * *
The next morning, Tildyen Rock stood in the cold wind like a giant wrapped in quiet silence. Footsteps echoed on the gray corridor floor. Riario was walking busily. His expression was filled with annoyance and faint irritation. Having arrived yesterday when the sun was in the middle of the sky, soaked his body in warm water for several hours, and fallen into a long sleep, he had no intention of hiding his displeasure that all his plans had gone awry in less than a day.
*’Not a single day passes quietly.’*
Ignoring the servants who were greeting him, he headed straight to the study where Evernight was. It was still far too short a time to fully recover from travel fatigue, but Riario had to erase the plush bed from his mind.
“Commander, I’m coming in.”
“Come in.”
When he knocked on the door somewhat impatiently, Evernight’s businesslike voice came from inside. Riario immediately opened the door and went in.
“What is it?”
Without even looking at Riario, Evernight was unrolling and reading the parchment scrolls piled on one side. Next to him, the backlog of report scrolls was piled up like a mountain. The man looked so energetic that it was impossible to imagine he was the person who had confronted monsters and fallen beyond the Wall just a few days ago. Though he’d been stuck with him for over ten years, it was a recovery ability he still hadn’t gotten used to.
“Did you hear?”
Riario let out a long sigh as he sank deeply into the velvet chair across from him.
“That person is dangerous. Of course, we brought him because Ideya obviously wouldn’t send a scholar to Tildyen, but I’ve never been satisfied with it. Scholar Sabelli is, anyway… a bit insane.”
“I know that too.”
“Then how did you give permission? Have you forgotten that rascal… Sisou foolishly followed along and almost died before? I’m not saying don’t do it by some more normal method. The forest across the lake is dangerous. Scholar Sabelli might kill the prince. If that happens, Emperor Luksus won’t stay still. He’s a man who’s always toyed with Tildyen.”
“Speaking of which, I just received an imperial edict from the emperor.”
Evernight threw a golden scroll to Riario. The scroll fell with a thud onto Riario’s lap and stretched out long below. He hastily picked it up and read the text.
“This is… is this a reply to the letter sent during the honor duel?”
“Yes. As you can see, the emperor has assured that he will no longer hold us responsible for the prince’s life or death.”
Riario felt somewhat relieved. Emperor Luksus was a capricious and selfish human, but he wasn’t an incompetent monarch who would overturn his own words set in an official document. But even so, was it because of the affection he’d developed watching him all this time? If the prince actually died, he felt like he’d feel a bit strange.
“Are you okay with this, Commander? If by any chance the prince dies…”
Evernight still looked busy dealing with his backlog of work. Over the past several nights, it seemed Evernight and Anya had engaged in lovemaking in that cave called the end of the world. Of course, it probably wasn’t done in their right minds. Anyway, for Evernight, who had something like a cleanliness obsession when it came to relationships with others, if he’d had relations with someone multiple times, then maybe he too…
“It doesn’t matter. If he dies there, that would also be the kid’s choice. It’s not something someone forced on him, but something he chose himself.”
It was a cold and clean conclusion. Originally, Northerners weren’t the type to argue about choices or beliefs set by individuals… but since leaving Northernmost, Evernight had been quite permissive toward Anya.
Even so, now it was… how to put it. It was somewhere permissive to call it distrust, yet extremely indifferent to call it trust. In a word, it was unsettling.
“Don’t think of leaving the cleanup to me later. I’m hibernating for a while, hibernating.”
“Riario, I don’t care at all whether you hibernate or not, but don’t forget to prepare that medicine I mentioned.”
“I already asked Gregos last night and had it delivered to His Highness. But if he bears an heir, his position would be better…”
As he was saying that, horn trumpet sounds rang out several times from the castle walls. Guard soldiers could be seen moving busily atop the wall watchtower.
“What is… what’s going on…”
When Riario stood halfway up from his chair in confusion, Evernight threw another golden scroll at him. The scroll that hit Riario’s chest and fell spread out limply on the floor. It seemed like a similar situation had just happened. When Riario furrowed his brow, Evernight smiled crookedly.
“Your hibernation seems to have gone down the drain, mage.”
“…What?”
“It’s another imperial edict from the emperor. He’s summoning the Seven Dukes.”
“……”
“He doesn’t seem to trust us, so the emperor said he’s sending his lackey.”
The corridor was in commotion. Servants were walking busily. Knock, knock. Just then, a knock came from outside the door.
“Your Grace the Duke. This is Gregos.”
“Right on time.”
Evernight lightly sneered and stood up. He approached the window of the study, the only one in Tildyen Rock made particularly large. ‘It’s the Golden Ravens! Open the gate!’ The shouting of the guard soldiers in the distance could be heard noisily.
When the castle gate opened, the visitors poured in like a golden river made of gold. It was a massive procession group that seemed to number well over a hundred. The Golden Raven Knights (knights directly under the emperor) at the very front were passing through the castle gate majestically, fluttering gold-dyed cloaks like their golden full-helm helmets that firmly covered their faces. Numerous Maneregia knights followed behind them. Above them, several huge flags embroidered with a black bird with two heads fluttered in the cold northern wind blowing from the mountains.
“It’s an utterly useless procession that only hurts the eyes.”
Riario said, standing side by side with Evernight.
“I wonder if that emperor’s lackey thinks so too?”
Behind the knights, a huge carriage rolled in. The carriage woven from high-quality oak that couldn’t be obtained in the North was gilded like the armor of the Golden Ravens, creating the illusion from afar that a lump of gold was rolling in.
“As you informed me in advance, I’ve prepared a banquet.”
Gregos fastened a black sable fur cloak on Evernight’s shoulder while quietly informing him. When the emperor’s party passed through the outer curtain wall and finally stepped on the ground of the inner courtyard, they left the study.
“I greet the Lord of Tildyen.”
The Golden Raven wearing the full-helm helmet was Raniel Crom, who led the emperor’s escort knight order. He was as huge as a mountain, so when he dismounted from his warhorse, a loud thud rang out as if a huge landslide had occurred. Raniel Crom was a man rife with rumors that he had been born with half his face grotesquely deformed and covered it with a helmet.
“Tildyen’s forces are still insufficient, so I came under His Majesty the Emperor’s orders to escort all the way to Maneregia. Recently, ghoul packs have been appearing in the south quite frequently too.”
For a knight, he frowned as if he found the pretty-faced Evernight disagreeable. Could this person really be that cruel Lord of Tildyen who fought monsters beyond the Wall? Fortunately, his arrogant and haughty expression was hidden by the full-helm helmet.
Despite the subtle sarcasm that looked down on Tildyen’s meager forces, Evernight didn’t budge.
“The Golden Raven commander seems to have quite a leisurely position.”
“What?”
The jaw muscle under Raniel Crom’s helmet twitched. When the giant man over 2 meters tall intimidatingly took a step toward Evernight, Tildyen’s knights who were coming out of the training grounds immediately ran over and took a ready stance to draw their swords. Then the emperor’s escort knights all at once aimed their huge spears at them with a clanging sound.
