Chapter 16 –
Lilliana wrinkled her nose at the lingering smell of meat on Arin’s body, but the stench from the small child next to her hit her even harder.
“Ugh.”
As Lilliana staggered from the hellish odor, the knight and the nanny nearby became visibly hostile. The knight raised his sharp sword toward Arin. Lilliana had only intended to eat some meat, not shed blood. Reluctantly, she opened her mouth.
“Stop.”
“But, Lady Lilliana—”
“I said stop.”
At her firm command, the knights sheathed their swords.
“The child followed you here, so it’s only right that you take responsibility.”
“…”
“The smell coming from the child is so awful that I’ve lost my appetite. You’ll have to make up for that.”
Arin tilted her head, not understanding what Lilliana meant. Lilliana pointed at Arin’s lunch and continued.
“That… might bring back my appetite. I’ll be taking it.”
It was a cheap price for her life, but Arin still felt unfairly robbed.
At Lilliana’s signal, the nanny wrapped up every last skewer without leaving a single piece behind. And just like that, Arin’s lunch was snatched away right before her eyes.
Growl. Growl.
Arin’s stomach roared, begging for food. Hearing the noise, Remar burst out laughing and patted her on the shoulder.
“I really thought we were done for earlier! Thank goodness it ended well.”
“Yeah… I guess so.”
As Arin clutched her growling stomach, Ad, standing next to her, watched her with concern.
Ad, now freshly washed and soft-skinned thanks to Arin scrubbing him thoroughly, had no change of clothes and was wearing Arin’s top like a dress. The sight made him look like an adorable little angel.
“Is the kid staying with you, Yan?”
“That’s not really possible. Jake said there’s an orphanage on the way to the Empire. I’m planning to leave him there.”
“Raising a child isn’t easy. You’ve made a wise choice. Just getting him to the orphanage is more than enough.”
Remar handed Arin ten silver coins.
“This is your payment for this job.”
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. You earned it. Good work! Let’s meet again sometime.”
Having just completed her mercenary registration, Arin had been scrambling to join a party heading toward the Empire. But the large mercenary groups headed there weren’t accepting someone at her level. Just as she was feeling dejected after being rejected multiple times, Remar had approached her.
Although he wasn’t heading to the Procyon Empire itself, he said he was going to Luxen territory near the border and offered to take her as a party member if she wanted.
The Black Mercenary members weren’t exactly the most sociable bunch, so they hadn’t grown close. Still, now that it was time to part, she felt a pang of regret. Holding Ad in her arms, Arin bowed deeply to the Black Mercenaries.
“Thank you so much.”
17 Days Ago
One corner of the sky above Altair Ducal Castle crumpled like paper. At the tremendous surge of mana, knights and even mages gathered under the distorted sky.
“What is this…?”
“Judging by the mana wave, it’s long-distance teleportation magic!”
At the shout from Highshan, the elder mage in charge of the Altair Ducal Castle’s magical defenses, the knights drew their swords. Whoever it was, they had teleported directly into the heavily warded castle—a sign of extraordinary skill.
As the distorted space split open, a single figure was ejected.
The man stood there, radiating a sinister air as if carrying burns that hurt just to look at. Silence fell as everyone watched him.
Vega, the First Knight Commander, and Highshan gasped as their eyes met the man’s bright yellow pupils.
“Young Master Deneb…”
Highshan’s emotional voice rang in everyone’s ears.
“Highshan, just because he looks like the missing young master, how can you be sure?”
“The Young Master was a magic swordsman, but I sense very little mana from this man.”
“Let’s investigate first. He did just break into the castle.”
As the voices questioning his identity grew louder, Deneb clenched his teeth and let out a wave of killing intent. If they wouldn’t acknowledge him, he’d make them acknowledge him by force.
The noisy crowd fell silent at Deneb’s overwhelming aura. Though his mana circle was damaged and he couldn’t show his full power, his strength wasn’t something these rookies could argue with.
At that moment, Vega stepped through Deneb’s murderous aura and knelt heavily with a loud thud.
“Lorend Vega, First Knight Commander of Altair, greets the Young Master!”
Vega had served Altair longer than anyone. His emotional, kneeling gesture silenced any remaining doubts.
“…Raise your head.”
At the command, Vega lifted his gaze, showing complete acceptance and loyalty.
“Young Master, you must see the Duke immediately.”
“Father…?”
“The Duke… has been poisoned and is bedridden.”
Deneb felt like his heart had stopped at Vega’s words.
Deneb stood silently in front of his father, who lay in bed, unable to move.
The strong, fierce father he had known was gone, replaced by a frail, thin middle-aged man weeping endlessly on the bed.
“De…neb.”
“Father…”
“I knew… cough, cough… I believed you were alive… I believed…”
Altair’s tears soaked the pillow endlessly. Deneb carefully held his father’s thin fingers.
The broken mana circle, mana leaking rapidly from his body… As Deneb watched his father, suffering from the same poison that had nearly killed him, his eyes burned with a desire for revenge.
Feeling Deneb’s trembling, vengeful hand, Altair gently grasped it and shook his head.
“It’s okay… It’s alright.”
Their enemy was too powerful. Knowing this, Altair couldn’t let his son walk a bloody path of revenge.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock on the door interrupted their reunion.
“The Duchess has arrived.”
It was Asilla, the one who had separated father and son and sought to take over the Ducal House.
She entered, beaming at Deneb.
“So it’s true, the Young Master has returned. I’m glad you’re safe.”
“…”
“Have you spoken with the Duke?”
“We had a very deep conversation.”
Perhaps annoyed by Deneb’s cold, sharp gaze, Asilla’s face briefly twisted in irritation. She unfolded her jewel-adorned fan to hide her lower face. Behind the fan, her lips curled with frustration.
“Asilla… cough.”
At Altair’s call, Asilla lowered her gaze to the bed.
“You called for me?”
Her voice was sweet, but the sly malice hidden in her eyes was unmistakable.
“From today… Deneb will… cough… inherit the Ducal title…”
At that, Asilla’s fan trembled violently. She forced her expression back to normal, said she understood, and left the room.
The moment she stepped out, she threw her fan to the floor. Glittering jewels scattered across the ground.
“Contact my brother. Immediately.”
The maid beside her bowed and hurried away. Remembering Deneb’s piercing gaze, Asilla ground her teeth in anger.
“That insolent brat…”
During Deneb’s time trapped on the deserted island, Asilla had taken over most affairs of the Ducal Castle.
To reclaim control, Deneb began steadily winning over the knights and mages.
It took just two weeks for the 1st and 3rd Knight Divisions and the castle’s mages to rally behind him. This was possible because they cherished Deneb, a magic swordsman and rightful heir to Altair.
The only division not siding with Deneb was the 2nd Knight Division.
The reason was simple: Asilla had filled it from commander to vice-commander with her own loyal people.
The original 2nd Knight Commander, Lemaine, had been stripped of his barony and expelled as a commoner after resisting Asilla when Altair was poisoned. Deneb intended to bring him back.
“Have you found his whereabouts?”
“Until recently, he was at the Ravien Snowfield, but he’s now entered the Kingdom of Inkrian. We plan to send the 3rd Division’s Vice Commander to persuade him.”
Deneb nodded indifferently.
“And… her whereabouts?”
At that question, Vega lowered his head apologetically.
“Send more people.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Search every land, sea, and sky if you must. Find her.”
“Understood.”
The moment Vega left the office, Deneb’s brow twisted in pain. The agony from his broken mana circle made his breathing rough.
“Arin…”
Her name escaped softly from his lips.
Deneb’s face, haggard and pale from exhaustion and pain, trembled as he closed his eyes. In the darkness behind his eyelids, Arin’s smiling face appeared vividly.
“Just stay alive… please…”
Meanwhile, completely unaware that Deneb was desperately searching for her, Arin was fast asleep at an inn in Luxen territory.
