Chapter 67
After passing through the first gate, our group finally reached the inner fortress of the Terrarium.
There, we were greeted by a sight so unbelievable, it was hard to think we were inside a fortress.
Across the inner city, fruit orchards stretched out in every direction, the fruits ripening in a fresh green glow under the gentle warmth of the sunlight streaming down.
Tiny holes—so small they couldn’t be seen from below—were scattered across the ceiling, allowing rays of light to shine through.
Water channels, drawing from underground streams, were dug throughout the area, perfectly suited for crop cultivation.
People carried away leftover grass and stems after harvesting the fruit, loading them onto carts bound elsewhere—likely to be used as fodder for livestock.
There wasn’t even a trace of the foul smell one might expect from animals, but no doubt a barn was set up somewhere in the inner fortress.
The novel’s words came to mind:
“Even under total isolation from the outside world, the Terrarium can sustain itself for half a year.”
At the time, I thought it was an exaggeration—how could such a number of mouths last six months?
But now that I saw how everything was structured, it looked like they could survive a full year without much trouble.
“Truly… they lack for nothing.”
“I was shocked the first time I came here, too. My family’s lands could never dream of anything like this.”
“Is that so?”
Priana chimed in knowingly, as if remembering her own first time here.
Islyn nodded in agreement.
“This is only after the first gate, you know. Beyond the second one… you’ll see things even more amazing.”
“Hmm…”
I narrowed my eyes at Islyn, but she turned away innocently.
As expected from the capital of a kingdom, this place made ordinary territories look laughable.
Compared to the crumbling Impera County, it was like comparing an ant to an elephant.
We followed the water channels for a bit, watching fish dart energetically beneath the surface, before passing through the second gate.
Apparently, they’d been informed of our arrival in advance; as soon as our carriage appeared, the gate swung open.
Just as Islyn had said, what lay beyond looked like an entire city.
Buildings lined up densely like the banking district of the Golden Bank.
Among them, two structures immediately caught my eye—
a tall spire and a large, circular building reminiscent of a colosseum.
Priana looked up at the spire with nostalgic eyes. From inside, young voices shouted in unison, full of energy.
“That’s the Zenith Knight Academy, isn’t it?”
“Mm… yes, though not the one I graduated from. The original is elsewhere.”
“Right.”
Strictly speaking, the spire here inside the Terrarium wasn’t the original Zenith Knight Academy.
The real one lay in the territory once ruled by the fallen Kazan Empire.
After the empire’s collapse, the academy had also faced dissolution—
but since it was such a prestigious training ground, the Alliance decided to split it apart and distribute it among the kingdoms.
‘So this one’s basically a branch campus, while the main academy’s somewhere else.’
Across from the spire stood another building—the Lattice School of Magic.
Slightly less prestigious than Zenith, but still a highly respected magic academy.
Like Zenith, Lattice too had been divided and spread out after the empire’s fall.
Both institutions had once been symbols of the Kazan Empire’s might—proof of how powerful that nation truly was.
I did want to take a look inside the knight academy, but as a noble, I couldn’t afford such a whim.
In a world where every action among nobles was scrutinized, a noble attending a royal social ball who suddenly went to a knight training school?
That’d be gossip fodder for months.
‘There’ll be another chance to visit later.’
Suppressing the urge, I turned my attention forward. We soon arrived at the First Banquet Hall, where the social ball was to be held.
“You’ve arrived!”
A man in a neat suit greeted us warmly the moment we stepped inside. His clean-shaven face and tidy appearance said plenty about his personality.
“I am Hazel Winston, Fourth Steward of the palace, assigned to host tonight’s guests. You must be Lord Ian of House Impera, yes?”
“That’s correct.”
“Ahaha! It’s an honor to finally meet the young lord who defeated that band of brigands! Now then…”
The man—who looked like he might snack on nuts in his spare time—signaled to the attendants beside him.
They immediately began unloading our luggage from the carriage.
A few of them glanced curiously at our magical carriage, but soon focused on their tasks.
“Magnificent carriage you have there,” Hazel said lightly, breaking the ice with a harmless joke.
I only chuckled faintly in response.
Seeing that I wasn’t much for conversation, he simply smiled.
“Since the hero of today’s investiture has arrived, the ceremony will begin shortly. Here’s the schedule for the event.”
He handed me a small parchment covered in neat handwriting, then guided us to the guest quarters near the hall.
Behind us, more nobles arrived in a glittering line of ornate carriages.
Yet even among their luxurious rides, my carriage stood out.
They tried to act unimpressed, but their eyes betrayed their curiosity—
especially when they spotted the lion crest engraved on the side.
“W–Wait, the Impera family came in that?”
To them, the Impera family was a laughingstock—a crumbling house led by a spoiled brat.
And they weren’t wrong. Barely half a year ago, the family had been on the brink of ruin.
‘Not anymore, though.’
I gave them a sly grin before heading inside.
“People seem quite intrigued,” Islyn noted.
She’d caught the nobles’ stares too, and looked rather pleased with herself.
This wasn’t just some rented luxury carriage.
No, this was a magical carriage—a rare and costly creation not yet widely available, nearly impossible to buy even with gold.
Only a handful existed in the entire kingdom.
‘Now they’ll think twice before looking down on me.’
Knock, knock.
“Milord, the ceremony will begin soon.”
“Understood.”
“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call.”
The attendant bowed and left quietly.
So far, everything inside the Terrarium had been perfect.
Even the refreshments had no strange taste or aura. Nothing suspicious whatsoever.
Everything was running smoothly—
except for one thing.
Beep.
A soft chime came from Islyn’s chest.
She pulled out a small egg-shaped glass orb—a communication magic sphere.
“…My lord, a call from the Count.”
“Hm…”
It was from Aemon Impera, my father—the head of the Impera family.
With a conflicted sigh, I took the orb.
“Yes, Father.”
[Hahaha! Ian! You’ve arrived safely?]
“Yes. The ceremony is about to start.”
[Good, good. I’m glad everything’s going smoothly.]
“…”
That was what weighed on me most—
Aemon Impera wasn’t invited to this event.
Officially, it was because I was representing the family, and having both of us attend would be redundant.
But in truth, it must have stung him deeply.
[Sorry for taking your time, son. I just wanted to hear your voice. Let’s see each other soon, yes?]
“I’ll come visit soon, Father.”
[Haha! You sound more grown-up these days. Well, I suppose you are one now.]
“…”
[Alright, then. Do well tonight.]
And with that, the call ended.
It was a brief exchange—too brief for father and son.
Even through the orb, I could sense the sadness in his voice.
‘We haven’t talked much lately.’
I’d been too busy to visit. Even after the Golden Bank incident, I’d only seen him once.
‘Once things calm down, I’ll bring him here. I’ve been worried about Ilene, too.’
He might not be my real father, but one thing was certain—
Aemon wasn’t a bad man.
He may have turned a blind eye to Ian’s past misdeeds, but never out of malice.
Just a clumsy father with an impossible son.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, my lord!”
“Yes, sir.”
After fixing my attire, we headed to the banquet hall.
It was already bustling with nobles.
“Ahem!”
They all stopped chatting the instant they noticed me.
Dozens of eyes turned my way.
‘What are you looking at?’
I bit my tongue to keep from saying it out loud.
They might all look refined in their dresses and suits, but underneath—
they were vultures, every last one of them.
In the novel, these same people would soon tear each other apart over the throne, spilling innocent blood for their own gain.
No matter how they polished their appearances, the filth underneath never changed.
No one approached me—probably due to my reputation.
‘Fine by me.’
After some time, the hall’s great doors swung open, and the noise died instantly.
A man strode in, straight-backed and imposing, his presence overwhelming the entire room.
A wolf emblem was engraved on his chest, and his sharp, slit-like eyes gleamed with a fierce dominance.
His thick black beard framed eyes as sharp and deep as the beast on his crest.
‘That man is…’
One of the seven greatest powers on the continent—
King Erengold II.
Beside me, Priana swallowed hard, mid-bite on a biscuit.
She looked tense—perhaps remembering that, in another life, he might have been her master.
“Breathe.”
“H–Huh? Ah, yes!”
Erengold walked with calm, dignified steps toward the throne at the end of the hall.
“Let us begin.”
With nothing more than that, the investiture ceremony began.
The steward’s written script turned useless.
No introductions, no speeches—Erengold didn’t bother with such formalities.
‘All I have to do is kneel before him, right?’
Following what I’d memorized, I stepped forward and knelt on one knee on the red carpet.
A royal attendant stepped forth, reading aloud a letter of commendation praising my achievements.
I kept my head bowed, but could feel Erengold’s piercing gaze burning into me.
When the recitation ended, the king rose from his throne.
On a velvet cushion beside him lay a single ring.
‘That should mark the end of the ceremony.’
The Oath Ring, symbol of a vassal’s loyalty. My father Aemon had one too.
It wasn’t magical—just a luxurious ring of gold and gemstones.
‘My rank will probably be… a viscount or a baron.’
Most likely baron, an honorary title at best.
Erengold picked up the ring—a heavy gold band with a large red gem—and handed it to me.
‘Huh… this looks a bit grand for a baron’s ring.’
A strange feeling crept up my spine.
Then, at last, Erengold spoke.
His words echoed through the silent hall—
and left every noble in the room stunned.
Even I had to wonder if I’d heard him wrong.
“I hereby bestow upon Ian Impera the title of Count.”
