Chapter 33
A woman entered with a knock, her vivid orange hair standing out. She wore a thin leather vest over a maid’s uniform, which made Elruana guess she was a newly hired servant.
“Hello! I’m Ssing, assigned to be Lady Elruana’s escort.”
Ssing introduced herself cheerfully, smiling brightly at Elruana and Rui. Elruana remembered the Duke of Spes mentioning that she’d be assigned a personal escort today.
“Is ‘Ssing’ your real name?”
Elruana found it a rather unique name, and Ssing responded brightly.
“It’s more like a nickname! I go ‘ssing-ssing’ fast, so I’m called Ssing! Please speak comfortably with me.”
Elruana had never heard the word “ssing-ssing” before, but she could guess the kind of energetic feeling it conveyed. Just as she was about to say she looked forward to working with her—
“I’m twenty years old. I was born in Querel, where the Empire’s largest diamond mine is. I grew up there, but then a band of thieves took over the mine, and my parents died. I was rescued by the Spes Knights when they came to reclaim the mine, and I ended up indebted to them. That’s when I discovered my talent with the sword, and I’ve been with the Spes family ever since. Becoming part of the First Knight Order after that is honestly a tear-jerking story—you’d need three nights and days to hear it all, so I’ll tell you when there’s time. The Duke is actually my savior. I’m honored to serve you both. I will protect you with my life, my lady. You can count on Ssing! I was chosen as your escort because I’m rather ordinary and unnoticeable. That makes me perfect for the job. ‘Ordinary’ and ‘Ssing’ are practically the same word. This maid uniform? Just a disguise! But doesn’t it totally look like a maid’s outfit? I’ll be by your side in disguise at all times. By the way, what does a maid usually do? The Duke’s estate didn’t have any maids—there were no ladies to serve, so no head maid either. But now that you’re here, I hear they’re hiring maids and appointing a head maid. Oh! I was still introducing myself, wasn’t I? My birthday is on the second day of the Floss Festival. I like lamb, and there’s nothing I dislike—I eat everything well. My favorite dance is the waltz, though I’ve never actually been to a party. I do get invited, but I avoid those things. I like yellow best. Summer is my favorite season. My hobby is chatting. And…”
Can’t… breathe.
Ssing’s introduction continued for quite a while, without a single place to take a breath. Just when it seemed over, it jumped back to her childhood. She explained that the family next door had five members and that the youngest boy was also named Rui. Only after this did she finally stop.
It took Elruana an entire hour after Ssing started speaking before she could respond.
“Nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine! I’m so happy to serve you! Oh! As for Sir Rui’s escort, that’ll be Alex, but he’s currently out on a mission. He’ll greet you when he returns.”
Ssing clasped her hands joyfully. Elruana asked worriedly,
“Are your legs okay? You’ve been standing for an hour.”
“I’m sturdy enough to stand for three days straight!”
Ssing truly lived up to her name—bursting with energy. Unlike the dazed Elruana, Rui was intrigued by her.
“Ssing! Your belt looks interesting.”
“You’ve got sharp eyes, little sir. I told you to speak casually with me.”
“Okay, Ssing!”
“Then let me show you something special for having such good eyes.”
Ssing untied the belt around her waist and held it in her hand. With a flick of her wrist, it waved like a ribbon, then suddenly lashed out with sharp precision. Elruana’s lips parted slightly as she watched the spiral motion transform into a swift, piercing strike. Ssing used it as if it were a third arm.
“What is that?”
“A whip.”
Elruana had only known whips as tools used while riding horses. Seeing it used like this was fascinating. Rui also watched in wonder before bursting into laughter.
“I use it as a secondary weapon. It’s made to be worn like a belt. It looks ordinary, but it’s made from a monster’s sinew, so it’s extremely tough and expensive. I use a sword for official knight duties, of course. But having a whip as a backup has unexpected advantages. No other knight uses one, so it gives me a unique edge. And there are a lot more benefits too. For example…”
After that, Elruana had to listen to another hour-long explanation about “times when a whip as a backup weapon gave her the upper hand.”
Behind the clapping Rui, the sun slowly began to set.
As Elruana watched the orange light dye the world, she recalled what the Duke of Spes had said: It might be uncomfortable to be together 24/7.
24 hours a day…
Something told her it was going to be a rough ride.
The Duke of Spes poured the iron marbles from a box onto the table. They scattered with clattering sounds before settling in disarray. As he watched, the Duke declared,
“Let’s begin by spending time with the iron marbles.”
Thus began her first lesson.
Because the Duke of Spes favored hands-on practice over theory, Elruana had to keep her eyes on the iron marbles on the table the entire time.
Half a day later, the Duke said,
“Now, pick three marbles that you like.”
“From the marbles?”
All the marbles were the same size and weight. It was hard to choose a “favorite” among them. Elruana blinked.
The Duke raised one corner of his mouth.
“Don’t overthink it. Just go with your instinct.”
Go with her instinct?
Elruana studied the marbles and picked two at random. For the third, she pulled out one from her pocket—the one Rui had drawn a face on.
“From now on, you’ll practice with these three. Keep them with you at all times and start by trying to talk to them.”
“Yes.”
She realized it was just like what Rui had told her the day before.
Looking down at the marbles in her palm, Elruana whispered, “Hello.” Of course, there was no reply.
Feeling a bit awkward, she asked,
“You said to communicate with them. Will I eventually hear their voices or something?”
“No. But you’ll come to understand them with your heart.”
“With my heart?”
“When you’re close to someone, you can tell how they feel just by looking at their face.”
“So I need to become close with these marbles?”
“Exactly.”
If the Duke hadn’t said it so seriously, Elruana would’ve thought it was a joke. She placed the three marbles on her palm and looked at them.
How do you become friends with a marble?
Elruana had no friends. There weren’t many peers in Aden, and even when there were, she didn’t fit in with them as a noble.
‘Do you guys know what a friend is?’
As she stared at them, the marbles moved just a little—about the width of a fingernail.
‘Hmm. I kinda get it, but I kinda don’t.’
Elruana didn’t notice the Duke’s gaze sharpen. Normally, it took years of training to move a marble even that much—even if it was a compatible medium.
Eventually, her eyes felt dry from staring too long. She looked up and asked the question that had been on her mind.
“Why do people associate alchemy with potions, glass bottles, and such?”
“The Spes family’s alchemy comes from a dragon. You know the dragon was a close friend of Emperor Cantio, right? The first Duke of Spes journeyed with them. The dragon gave us a gift.”
This part Elruana already knew. The Duke continued.
“The first Duke’s compatible element was water. Many stories were inspired by him, and that’s how the image of alchemy developed. We didn’t correct the misunderstanding—because letting people think that way keeps us safe.”
“Because if someone knows your affinity, they can prepare countermeasures?”
“Exactly. Some nobles will figure it out anyway, but we don’t need to help them along.”
Elruana nodded. She then firmly grasped the three marbles in her hand. She was being greedy—to protect herself and Rui by becoming the heir. So she had to live up to expectations.
Sensing her nervousness, the Duke added,
“No need to worry. You’re the first child born from both the Cantio and Spes bloodlines. The union of two houses blessed by dragons—that power is unmatched.”
“…Yes.”
That only made the pressure worse.
Clearing her throat, Elruana asked what she’d been meaning to confirm.
“Can you tell me the boundaries—what I can and can’t do?”
“You can do anything.”
The Duke’s firm reply left her even more confused.
“Still, please set limits. Like how much money I can spend in a month, or what not to do with royals. Dave said unless I kill the First Prince or cripple someone, you’ll handle it. But problems still come up, right?”
“I don’t want to encourage hurting others, but if it’s necessary, kill them.”
That response completely overwhelmed Elruana.
“How will you manage the fallout?”
“The Duchy of Spes has long been prepared for independence. That’s why the imperial family can’t easily touch us. Also, the taxes we pay are significant. If they want to keep receiving those, they’ll behave.”
The Duke added calmly,
“Don’t set limits. That’s why I’m here.”
“It’s not a temporary phenomenon.”
Kazar, having surveyed Aden, spoke gravely. There was still not a trace of mana to be seen. While Kazar took the matter seriously, Line just stared blankly around.
Only a few, including Kazar, could actually see mana—so others couldn’t really understand or worry about what they couldn’t see.
“There’s still no mana?”
“Not a speck. The western magic tower clearly did something…”
It’s natural for mana to vary in concentration, but for there to be none at all—that was impossible, unless someone had intentionally removed it.
Line frowned.
“Is that even possible? I’ve never read any record of something like this. Then again, most people wouldn’t even notice a drop in mana levels.”
“Something feels off. Find out more about what the royals heading to Aden have in common.”
Kazar’s eyes narrowed as he looked toward the distant lord’s castle.
“The local lord must be in on it.”
“This place is tiny. There’s no way something’s happening without the lord knowing.”
Line was right. The family had no power or wealth, so it would be easier to persuade them than for them to scheme alone.
Kazar started walking. His steps naturally led him toward the Vita family’s two-story house.
