Chapter 76
At the banquet, it seemed highly likely that the shared struggle against the monster had forged a bond of camaraderie between Maya Pendragon and Seren Baker.
Extreme situations tend to create ties between people.
It was only natural that Seren Baker would flee to Marquis Rebour, the head of the western nobility.
If she was trying to escape from the marquis’s clutches, she would need the help of someone with enough power.
And Marquis Rebour was someone Seren Baker could cling to by appealing to blood ties.
But Maya Pendragon chasing after Seren Baker to persuade her? That doesn’t make sense.
Lyserfield’s intuition spoke to him.
There was something more to this.
“…The west, huh.”
…What business would the House of Beiadon have there?
Marquis Rebour never did like me much.
The Imperial Family had always kept a close watch on the two dragon houses.
Not only had they played a major role in founding the Empire, but they also bore the honor of being descendants of “dragons.”
They were dangerous people who could, at any time, invoke the myth of the founding era and reach for the throne.
That was the biggest reason why the Imperial Family consistently reduced and falsified information about them, and worked to corrupt their houses.
They had helped during the founding, yes, but not the current emperors.
The Pendragon family was already in disgrace, clinging to its tattered honor.
But the Beiadon family was a different case.
Isolated completely in the north, they severed all ties with the Imperial Family and never even came near the capital—not merely because they didn’t cross the line, but because they stayed away entirely.
…Until now.
The sudden appearance of the Grand Duchess had caused a massive stir.
The union of the two dragon houses was something no one had ever imagined.
And the Grand Duke still hasn’t shown himself.
Was it truly a coincidence that the ledger went missing during the banquet?
In any case, given that he had never seen the Grand Duke in person, wasn’t it possible that the person recorded in the magical sphere was him?
Did the Grand Duchess really attend the banquet alone?
She seemed unaware… but still…
Recalling Maya Pendragon’s reaction, Lyserfield frowned.
The ledger clearly recorded details of Marquis Rebour’s accident.
Lyserfield knew that the marquis was still searching for the one who had caused his wife’s death.
The surest way to find out was to go there himself.
There was no need to leave behind seeds of doubt.
When you pull weeds, you have to take out the roots so they don’t even dream of growing back.
“So be it.”
“I’m truly grateful you’d send someone. I really—”
“I’ll go down there myself.”
“…Pardon?”
“It concerns your daughter. How can I just watch?”
Lyserfield smiled.
“If I’m going to all this trouble, you can at least bring me some news from the Tower when I return.”
Lyserfield liked prompt communication—he had a knack for leaving people no time to think of anything else.
Yet the Tower Master still hadn’t submitted his research report on the monster.
And when he came to the palace that day, he’d disappeared with a face white as a sheet.
“Make sure you find out exactly why the report hasn’t been submitted yet.”
“Y-Yes, of course.”
Count Baker bowed deeply, tense as a bowstring. Lyserfield rose from his seat.
“Oh, and check on Graham’s condition.”
The culprit who tried to kill Marquis Rebour’s wife was none other than Sir Graham, the current head of the knightly order.
Only two people knew that fact: Lyserfield, who wrote the ledger, and Graham himself.
If the ledger had been taken to Marquis Rebour, then two more names were added to the list: the Grand Duke—or Grand Duchess—and Marquis Rebour himself.
“Just make sure he’s still breathing. That’s all that matters.”
If the ledger could be retrieved, Graham’s death was a small price to pay.
“…What? Ah, yes, understood.”
It was a strange request, but Count Baker didn’t object.
Lyserfield didn’t like people who questioned his words.
On the way there…
Recalling the report from Marquis Rebour (which he had received but hardly cared about), Lyserfield’s eyes narrowed.
There had been an insect swarm attack, apparently.
How many days has it been since Maya Pendragon went down there?
If they had joined forces to help each other, they might have tried to resolve the situation.
He had a good feeling about this.
And Lyserfield’s intuition was one of the main reasons he had made it this far.
He decided to trust it.
At that moment, as Tristan was comforting Maya, his barrier shook violently.
“Ugh—!”
“What’s wrong, Tristan?”
Maya asked urgently.
“We need to move. Now.”
Just as Tristan was waiting for the right moment, watching the emotional reunion between Maya and Kendrick, blood spurted from his lips.
Cough!
Maya’s tears hadn’t even dried before she ran to him in a panic.
“W-What’s happening?!”
Her voice trembled—so unlike her usual self. She had never seen Tristan in pain before, and that made her even more flustered.
“I think I kept the barrier up for too long. We need to do something about those insects…”
The swarm filling Tristan’s barrier was far bigger than before.
“They’re multiplying?”
“Yes. I can hold them back, but I can’t kill them.”
“I should’ve thought of that sooner… Let me out. I’ll take care of them.”
Maya berated herself as she summoned the White Dragon again.
But the dragon’s voice was grim.
“…Even I can’t take out that many at once.”
Pendragon swordsmanship was agile and elegant, but the sheer number of insects was overwhelming.
“This city is almost a ghost town, isn’t it?”
“Mm…”
The longer they delayed, the worse Tristan’s condition would get.
As Maya racked her brain, Kendrick raised his hand.
“Why don’t we do what I’m about to suggest, using the empty houses?”
When he finished explaining, everyone clapped in agreement.
If they did that, not even the smallest bug could escape their blades.
The problem was choosing which house to use.
Even if the city was abandoned, these were still people’s homes—it wouldn’t do to use them recklessly. That would only spark accusations of abusing their power.
One day, people would return and live here again.
“…I’ll offer my own estate.”
After a long pause, Hayden raised his hand.
The Rebour family’s villa stood near the road at the city’s edge.
It wasn’t very large—and that was only natural.
It was where Hayden and Kleine secretly stayed whenever they visited.
They could have stayed at the lord’s castle if they accepted an invitation, but doing so would have drawn too much attention to the marquis and his wife.
The moment they stayed in the lord’s castle, all eyes would have been on them.
It was a house filled with precious memories of his wife, but this was a matter of survival for the entire region.
Kleine…
He knew Kleine would be heartbroken later, but there was no other choice.
As they headed for the villa, Tristan’s breathing grew ragged.
“The insects… they’re clumping together now.”
Alec, supporting Tristan, frowned.
“Wait—shouldn’t the giant monster we fought have been the strongest? Why does it feel like things got worse after killing that butterfly?”
Hayden asked in dismay.
Maya was just as puzzled.
“It knew it was going to die, so it poured all its power into them. Smarter than I thought.”
The White Dragon, watching the swarm batter the barrier, explained calmly.
Maya had to agree. If it knew death was inevitable, there was no need to keep strength in the main body.
She had thought the fight was over quickly—but clearly, the butterfly had been no simple foe.
“I’ll seal every gap in the villa.”
Kendrick, having regained his composure as they flew toward the villa on wyvern-back, brushed back his hair.
The formal uniform he wore felt cumbersome.
He didn’t much like Maya being so close to the Grand Duke, either.
But there was work to do.
The insects were no ordinary pests—they were born of a monster.
If even a few got out, it would be a disaster.
The moment they landed in the villa’s rear garden, Kendrick’s hands began to move.
His gestures were elegant, like those of a conductor leading an orchestra.
He took command of the swords in Maya and Tristan’s hands with graceful sweeps of his own.
A hazy, vapor-like power streamed from his fingertips, glowing white like the Pendragons.
Icicles sprouted from every gap in the villa.
Whenever light flared from Kendrick’s hands, frost and ice blossomed like flowers throughout the rooms.
So this is Kendrick’s power.
It was Maya’s first time witnessing his full magic in action, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
