Chapter 52
He had never once thought it might look strange.
After all, from the moment he was born, he had been blessed with superior looks.
‘Just what kind of bastard raised our daughter for her to have so little confidence in herself?’
It wasn’t because she was his daughter, but objectively speaking, Ariel was stunningly beautiful.
When she quietly swung her sword alone, she almost seemed as if she were cut off from this world, giving off a mysterious aura.
That was why knights couldn’t even bring themselves to talk to her and just hovered around instead, wasn’t it?
“It wasn’t because it was strange—it was because you were cute. It’s my first time raising a child too, you know. But if you don’t like it, I’ll try to stop.”
“Uh…”
At his words, Ariel shook her head.
“If it’s not strange, then it’s fine.”
At that, the duke suddenly reached out and ruffled Ariel’s hair.
“You’ve still barely grown any teeth. You need to hurry and grow up fast.”
“I’ve grown a lot in the past year! I grew five whole centimeters!”
“Still not enough.”
“How tall do you want me to be, Daddy?”
The duke folded his arms and thought for a moment.
“At least as tall as Lanton. Then I’d worry less.”
“But Lanton is two meters tall and weighs a hundred kilos!”
“Exactly. That’s about right.”
“If I grew that much, it’d be weird!”
“The bigger you get, the cuter you’ll be.”
The duke spoke with absolute conviction.
Ariel had no idea what in the world he was thinking.
At that moment, Owell entered the duke’s chamber.
His eyes flicked between the snacks laid out before the duke and the duke’s face.
“I’m about to drop dead from all the work, thanks to you not only smashing the training ground but also dumping the dwarves on me… meanwhile, my lord looks positively happy…”
“You’re still upset about that? I told you I’d cover the repairs from my own pocket.”
“Yes… It’s not the money, I’m just exhausted…”
Owell really did look worn out.
“Don’t be like that. Want some? It’s good.”
Ariel pointed at the apples the duke had especially ordered—top-grade ones.
“Sniff! As expected, the young lady is the only one who cares about me! You know I’m just waiting for the day my lord retires and the young lady inherits the title, right?”
“When I retire, you’ll be retired too. What will you even do with that old body of yours?”
“Even if I’m old, if I can keep working by the young lady’s side, it’ll be heaven!”
“Want me to send you to the real heaven?”
Owell munched on the apple Ariel handed him and said,
“Well, my lord, this isn’t really the time to be so carefree.”
“What is it?”
With a sly grin, Owell pulled out a letter.
“A letter from the Imperial Family. It’s an order to head to the Swaltzel Mine at the eastern border.”
Swaltzel Mine was known for producing high-quality iron and mana stones.
But thirty years ago, during the age when the evil dragon ravaged the land, it had been taken over by monsters.
After the dragon’s death, the Empire barely managed to reclaim it, but waves of monsters continued to appear regularly.
The Empire had entrusted its management to Count Reven’s house, granting them ownership of the minerals and thus a powerful source of revenue.
“Apparently, half the knights stationed at the fortress by Count Reven’s household were killed.”
“Reven… They’re part of Duke Vianeb’s faction, aren’t they? Why not leave the matter to them?”
“They already sent three knightly orders, but all failed to subjugate the threat.”
A curious light flickered across Duke Clastar’s face.
“Has some problem arisen?”
“They say the sudden increase in monster numbers overwhelmed them.”
Duke Clastar sneered.
“As if that’s something new? Monsters multiply all the time. Are they whining over something so trivial?”
“It’s not just the numbers—they say the monsters are abnormally strong. Even an Amilos appeared.”
An Amilos was a monster so powerful that even a hundred knights would struggle against it.
Owell continued,
“The Empire must have decided that Count Reven’s house can’t handle Swaltzel Mine anymore. They’ve even requested aid from the Eastern Mage Tower, not just us.”
“No way Duke Vianeb would’ve agreed to that.”
“Well, he did oppose it, but His Majesty forced it through. Seems he really wants this settled properly.”
The duke leaned back in his chair, looking bothered.
“Well, if Swaltzel Mine falls, reclaiming it will be near impossible. And without its iron, making weapons will be a struggle. No wonder the Emperor’s anxious.”
“What will you do, my lord?”
“Honestly, why should I go? Even if I do, Count Reven won’t hand over the mine. There’s nothing to gain.”
Owell shrugged.
“Yeah, the reward’s not much either. Just some gold as a token gesture.”
“But we can’t simply ignore monsters rampaging.”
Ariel listened to their exchange, her mind racing.
‘The monster population doubled all of a sudden?’
Naturally, such a thing was almost impossible.
Clearly, someone was behind it.
‘Reagan probably created those “Mines”… could this surge also be his doing? What’s he planning this time?’
The whole thing nagged at her.
She really needed to see it for herself.
“I want to go too.”
“You just got back from wandering about. Absolutely not—it’s too dangerous.”
“But you’re strong, Daddy.”
At Ariel’s words, a faint smile tugged at the duke’s lips.
“Well, that’s true.”
“I promise I won’t go near anything dangerous.”
It was rare for his daughter to directly voice what she wanted.
Faced with her earnest plea, Duke Clastar finally nodded.
“Alright. Since I’ll be there, it should be fine. But this time, you must really stay in safe areas only. The East is truly dangerous. Understand?”
“Yes.”
Duke Clastar soon led his knights toward Swaltzel Mine.
Upon arriving at the fortress near the mine, a familiar face greeted Ariel.
“Glad to see you, my lady. Been a while. Didn’t expect to meet you in a place like this.”
It was Saren.
‘Wait… Isn’t he supposed to be at the Eastern Mage Tower?’
Ariel widened her eyes at him, and Saren flushed red.
“Never thought I’d run into you here, my lady. You’ve become even more dazzling since last time.”
“Is that so.”
Even at her indifferent reply, Saren pressed on, unfazed.
“Yes, my heart is pounding like crazy.”
“Humans die if their hearts stop beating.”
“Then I guess I have to see you to stay alive. Without you, my heart doesn’t beat at all.”
Ariel was left speechless.
As expected, you couldn’t win against a madman with words.
Just then, Duke Clastar cut in between them.
“This is our first time meeting properly, Third Prince. I’ve heard much about you.”
“I too have heard many tales of Duke Clastar.”
The two laughed and shook hands.
Though smiles graced their faces, the air between them was icy.
With a faint smile, Duke Clastar studied Saren closely.
‘The kid’s got a decent face.’
Though young, he was the spitting image of the Empress who had captured the Emperor’s heart.
Radiant golden hair, violet eyes, his appearance was like that of a finely crafted doll.
His cheerful smile and polite speech would easily win anyone’s favor.
But Duke Clastar found him wholly unpleasant.
Madmen recognize each other.
Though Saren smiled shyly, the deep glint in his curved eyes revealed an unmistakable madness.
The type who, once fixated on something, might even sell out his own country for it.
‘He was said to have been unable to use magic, only to suddenly awaken it recently… He must’ve been hiding it all along.’
He had deceived the Empress who protected him, and even after moving to the Mage Tower, managed to avoid her gaze while perfectly fine.
Behind that dazzling, pretty face lay a nest of writhing serpents.
Not that any of that mattered to Clastar.
What went on in the Imperial Family was none of his concern. Whether the boy carried snakes or foxes in his belly wasn’t his problem.
There was only one reason Saren rubbed him the wrong way.
‘How dare you send letters to my daughter?’
Chocolates, flowers…
Instead of studying like he should, the brat had the nerve to flirt with his precious girl.
‘Of course, anyone would like Ariel. Not just because she’s my daughter—there’s simply no one cuter or more lovable than her.’
But her being adorable and this snake trying to court her were two entirely different matters.
“I heard your magical talent awakened late. You must be busy with training.”
The duke smiled as he spoke—an elegant way of saying, ‘Stop chasing my daughter and focus on studying.’
“Oh, no need to worry. I recently reached the level of a mid-tier mage. That’s why I was able to come along on this subjugation.”
—Yeah? Not impressed.
“Is that so? You’ve only been at the Mage Tower a short while. Quite the rapid progress. His Majesty must be pleased.”
—That’s all you’ve got? Pathetic.
Neither man gave an inch as they stared at each other.
A subtle but oppressive magical aura began seeping from Duke Clastar.
Saren, not backing down, met his gaze unflinchingly.
At that moment, Ariel tugged at her father’s sleeve.
She hadn’t wanted to intervene, but the oppressive energy spilling from the duke was already making the surrounding knights pale.
Clastar looked at Ariel holding his sleeve.
At once, he withdrew his aura and smiled gently.
“Of course. I must listen to my daughter.”
Immediately, Saren changed his expression, hurrying to Ariel’s side.
“My lady, I was so scared. If it weren’t for you, something terrible might’ve happened. Look—my hands are ice cold.”
When he offered his hands, Ariel took them to check his temperature.
‘That damned snake!’
His cheeks were flushed with healthy color—he looked perfectly fine.
Yet Saren, utterly shameless, ignored the duke’s fiery glare and clung to Ariel, feigning frailty.
