Episode 3
As the sun set and the night deepened, the lights in the main building began to go out one by one. Leaning dangerously out the window, Lanze counted the remaining lights.
‘At this rate, they’re probably asleep.’
Unlike that morning, Lanze quietly left the attic. Tonight, she planned to raid the family vault.
Before returning to the past, Lanze had learned the location of the vault by coincidence.
Just when there seemed to be hope that the war in the south would end, the east, where Swanhild was located, was plunged into chaos. Appelboeck, bordering the eastern frontier, had attacked the Empire.
She, too, was soon deployed to the east.
The schedule was already tight just with moving, but Lanze managed to visit the ruins of the Swanhild estate—thanks to Lennart cooperating in her little rebellion.
Her grandfather and family had all been killed in a raid by an infiltration unit.
“So it’s true that just because they passed once, it doesn’t mean they won’t come again. I guess they were here again just a few days ago.”
The eastern front was even more tense than the southern, gripped by fear that they could be targeted again at any moment.
A relative who inherited the title hadn’t even thought of coming down from the capital to rebuild, and traces of magical bombardment were still clearly visible.
Lanze moved through the rubble cautiously, Lennart watching a few steps behind.
Lost in bittersweet emotions that didn’t quite qualify as nostalgia, Lanze soon realized the presence following her had disappeared.
“Senior?”
Lennart had stopped at a particular spot in what used to be the main building. The recent attack had exposed the ground of the structure.
“Did you find something interesting?”
Lennart was staring intently at the dust-covered, stained tiles.
“There’s probably a basement under this.”
“A basement?”
“There’s a similar structure in the imperial palace. Usually, it’s a vault accessible only by blood relatives…”
The outline visible through the wreckage resembled runes. It had been hidden by furniture before.
“Then… there might still be things left inside.”
The direct line had been wiped out the day the house collapsed, and the collateral relatives were holed up in the capital. Even if they knew of the vault, none had the courage to come retrieve anything.
“Should we open it?”
Lanze hadn’t meant they should immediately rob the place, but Lennart didn’t stop her.
He knew there was no point in trying to dissuade her. Instead of wasting energy, he helped clear the debris.
Fortunately, the key section hadn’t been erased, and Lanze was able to open the basement soon.
“It’s small…”
Contrary to expectations, the interior was almost as cramped as the old attic.
Most of what was stored there were books on the family’s secret arts. Lanze wasn’t very interested.
Other shelves and drawers held magic tools.
‘Should I just sell the gold or gem components?’
While entertaining dizzying thoughts of family heirlooms, Lanze spotted an object that caught her eye.
‘A spear?’
Leaning in the corner was a silver spear, looking like a relic with no place in this era.
But Lanze instantly thought of a use for it.
Holding the spear that was taller than she was, she admired it, while Lennart tilted his head in puzzlement.
“What are you planning to use that for?”
“You know how my rifles keep breaking. Maybe I should just use something like this. It looks way more durable.”
Rifles issued to mages were meant to function like staves, but her destructive usage often left her equipment in ruins.
“That’s going to stand out.”
“Don’t worry about that. It’s a magic tool.”
When she infused it with mana, the shaft shortened like a collapsing staff, turning into a dagger-like shape.
It was fascinating for a moment, but that was all it could do.
“…Well. Not bad for a backup.”
Since it was originally from Swanhild, Lennart accepted it without much fuss.
Lanze used that spear as her staff for the rest of her life.
‘I can’t leave that behind.’
Getting travel funds was important, but this was her only chance to acquire that spear.
‘I’m not coming back here again.’
After raiding the vault, Lanze planned to set all the horses in the stable free and leave the estate. She had no other means to get money or to save her cousin’s life.
‘If my cousin’s safe, they won’t need to look for me.’
Stealing a few magic tools wouldn’t raise any alarms. The Count of Swanhild or her uncle wouldn’t care about her running away.
The hallway she targeted was oddly blocked by a console.
Lanze moved the furniture aside and recalled the memory.
She pricked her finger and let a drop of blood fall. The stone moved on its own, revealing a staircase.
Lanze reached for her spear first.
‘I feel safer with this in hand.’
She hadn’t specifically decided what to take next, so she glanced around the room.
‘Not much has changed.’
It was hard to distinguish what items might be worth money.
“…”
But there wasn’t time to hesitate.
‘Footsteps?’
Someone was coming this way.
‘Just my luck.’
She hadn’t even dawdled, but still ended up running into someone.
Since all nearby rooms were empty, their destination was surely this vault.
Lanze braced herself, staring at the entrance. There was no time to run. She had to either knock them out or come up with a convincing excuse—and she wasn’t confident in the latter.
‘If it’s my uncle or the Count, this could be bad.’
If it were one of her cousins, she could easily take them down, but her uncle had real combat experience. He’d served in the military before the incident with his brother. Not an easy opponent.
As for the Count… she didn’t feel great about that.
‘I can’t just hit him.’
Though people often said she lacked common sense, Lanze at least knew that attacking the elderly was generally considered wrong.
‘Either way, I’ll have to look for an opening.’
Jumping straight into combat wasn’t a good idea.
Lanze shrunk the spear and hid behind a drawer. She needed to identify the intruder before deciding how to act.
Soon, a man came down the stairs, his face clearly angry even at a glance.
‘The Count.’
The worst possible person to deal with.
“You opened the vault without my permission. Who’s there?”
He stood firmly at the foot of the stairs. He seemed sure the intruder was still inside.
‘Was there some kind of alarm?’
When Lennart discovered the vault, the mansion had been in ruins, so she never found out. There might have originally been other security measures.
Lanze gave up thinking and stood up.
“I’m sorry. I was just taking a look.”
“How did you get in?”
“Um, it just kind of opened…”
She waved her wounded hand awkwardly, pretending she had opened it by accident. She was of the bloodline too. It wasn’t a completely unbelievable excuse.
Of course, it was suspicious from every angle. Lanze knew that, but kept her expression steady. Still, her lips started to twitch.
The Count stared at her with a pale face.
‘What?’
It wasn’t anger—it was shock.
“Who on earth are you?”
He finally spoke after a long silence.
“And you say you opened this door…?”
Lanze darted her eyes around.
‘He doesn’t recognize me?’
Now that she thought about it, this was before they had ever met.
Hoping he wouldn’t notice the spear tucked in her belt, Lanze introduced herself.
“I’m Lanze Baer.”
“Baer…”
Realizing he wouldn’t know the name, Lanze added kindly.
“Rudia Baer is my mother.”
Whether it was because she reminded him of someone unpleasant or for another reason, the Count’s face drained of all color. He grabbed her shoulders.
“And you say you opened the vault?”
“I’m here, so I must have, right?”
Unable to hold back, Lanze completely contradicted her earlier excuse. The Count, stunned, just muttered to himself.
“That can’t be…”
Seeing him react this way, Lanze grew uneasy too.
‘You were so eager to use me when you needed to.’
Even if it was before her cousin’s accident, it was only a two-month difference.
Seeming to reach a conclusion, the Count grabbed her and dragged her along.
“I need to see this with my own eyes.”
Lanze followed him, resigned to whatever would happen.
Upstairs, he closed the vault door behind them. Neither of them found it remarkable that the tiles seamlessly slid back into place.
The Count gave Lanze a complex look. He probably thought he was just staring normally, but Lanze glared back at him.
“Open it again.”
Sighing through her nose, she obeyed his request.
As soon as a drop of blood hit the floor, the entrance to the vault reappeared.
‘Ouch.’
She sucked on her pricked finger and frowned.
The Count looked like he might collapse.
“…My lord?”
Even Lanze tilted her head in concern.
‘Is he sick?’
His condition was dire. He staggered backward, almost falling despite standing on flat ground.
Lanze instinctively caught him.
Her partner had always been a stickler for things like honor and chivalry, so Lanze had picked up the habit of being kind to children and the elderly. Thanks to that, she was able to act politely toward the Count, despite her minor grudges.
But the Count tested her patience. If he’d pushed her away shouting “Don’t touch me!” she could’ve accepted it.
“Uh…”
Instead, the Count suddenly embraced her.
Lanze froze, shocked at the inexplicable situation, and then screamed inside.
‘What the hell is this?!’
Even to her, the Count’s hug was beyond comprehension.
“Yes! So that’s what it was all along!”
Worse, the Count was overwhelmed with emotion, spouting nonsense.
“Now everything makes sense…”
“What does?!”
Lanze couldn’t take it anymore and blurted out the question, but the Count didn’t hear it properly.
His mind was too full to allow for any normal curiosity.
That’s a better thing to experience