North Duke Quest (3)
“So you just said yes and walked out?”
“What else? Should I have flipped him off right in front of the North Duke’s face?”
“……That’s not what I meant.”
“Even I know not to pull that shit in front of the North Duke. Especially since I’m a northerner myself.”
Yanes scrunched up her face in a fierce frown. She’d told him to be careful, and yet here he was, back entangled deeper than ever. Whatever. Putting that aside.
“Why do you hate the lady so much? She’s pretty amazing, isn’t she?”
From Yanes’s perspective, Valerius’s negative view of Isolde was baffling. Known as the sharpest woman in the North, she’d shown administrative talent at a young age. And to win over the battle-worshipping northerners, she’d even trained in combat to reach Aura User level. Honestly, even from an outsider’s standpoint like Yanes’s—who wasn’t northern—Isolde seemed flawless in ability, character, and future potential.
“Even the greatest people can be ones you don’t wanna get tangled with.”
But on this point, Valerius had nothing to say. He couldn’t exactly spill that in the future, she goes nuts over the female lead, screws over the North, and becomes the villainess who sells out the duchy, teams up with the original Valerius, and plots national overthrow to marry the crown prince. Her love for the prince was the real deal, after all.
“It’s not just about taking the commission.”
The monetary reward was a straight profit on paper, but not the main point. First off, Rozanica was in a territory relatively close to the Forbidden Forest, so this was for its safety. Second, the mission would boost Valerius’s standing.
The North starts its real downfall in just seven months.
From the story’s start—the second princess’s birthday celebration—the North would descend into hell. While the duke’s kids threw their tantrums side by side, the North Duke dies in an “accident” on the front lines five months later. Once he’s gone, the North effectively becomes a warzone.
I have to save the North Duke.
To do that, he needed to stand with him on the front lines. Originally, he’d planned to join as a mercenary captain leading his own band, but racking up merits and getting folded straight into his command wasn’t bad either. The merc route took longer and risked spotty support. Even with other goals, securing pay and insurance was smart. Boosting his position was pure gain.
“Think about it yourself.”
“Huh? Think about what?”
“The Black Lion Mercenaries’ goal is the northern front. Whether as mercs or under the North Duke.”
“……I see. So that’s why you took the commission.”
Yanes stared gravely at the ceiling.
“Would you like some of this?”
“Oh. Thanks.”
Raven and Sophia sat a ways off, munching jerky side by side and watching the pair. The story was getting kinda entertaining as it went on.
“Deep down, I’d tell you to get the hell outta the North entirely.”
“Entirely?”
“Yeah. It’s gonna turn into a fucking warzone soon.”
He’d set up defenses for Rozanica, but they weren’t foolproof. In that mess, getting dragged in was all too easy. He’d originally planned to just use her, but after traveling together, some attachment had formed.
“Ha.”
But it didn’t land that way with Yanes.
“This is Valbasor speaking. The magic-less Valbasor. Lady Sophia here’s an Aura Expert, and I’m no match for you, but we’re not weak. Or are you looking down on us ’cause we’re women?”
Yanes planned to stay in the North. She needed to expand her political connections and standing to grow her merchant house. Especially the Serpia ducal family—they could fulfill most of what she wanted.
He met her fierce gaze steadily. Villainess types always had that killer edge in their eyes. Fine. Whatever. Time to get real here.
“So. What’s your angle in sticking around the North?”
“……Huh?”
“What’s the play in staying? Your Valbasor house’s main gig is the western granary breweries. And the southwest ruby mines. Even if you build big here, it’s not even 10% of that, right?”
Valerius knew Yanes well. She didn’t move without profit. Or at least some fun in it for her. For someone like that to aim for roots in the North by his side? In this brutal hellhole where commerce couldn’t truly thrive?
Doesn’t add up.
Not business. That was her goal. And top laners like him had an uncanny nose for their league, the gap to opponents.
Plus, he’d already seen her arc in the original story.
“You wanna link up with House Serpia, right?”
Valerius approached the lounging Yanes. Raven grabbed Sophia as she instinctively rose.
“The boss doesn’t attack the ‘weak’ unfairly. Trust him.”
Sophia hesitated at Raven’s firm words, then sat back down.
Valerius’s thick fingers tidied Yanes’s hair. He pondered inwardly.
Use this one. Eat her up.
She hadn’t been around long, but Yanes had proven damn useful. Especially as an elite intellectual properly educated in this barbaric medieval dump—that was a real asset. Considering the effort he’d sunk into turning his sole advisor Raven, Yanes at a higher level was mouthwatering talent. Even factoring her villainess flaws, the risk was low. Her original actions were mostly Isolde’s fault anyway.
Thinking of the plot, better she boss mid-tier for Isolde than he grab her here. Plus, her life goal wasn’t that vicious.
Too good to pass up.
Weaken Isolde’s retard squad, offload annoying admin crap to her.
“Hey. Pink Ward.”
“……Yeah?”
His unexpectedly gentle, delicate touch flushed Yanes’s cheeks. The contrast to his rough vibe stirred some inexplicable feeling. But locking eyes with those ashen depths, she swallowed dryly. Eyes like a piercing blizzard, clouding her mind.
“What exactly stops mana use in Ma Force Insensitivity Syndrome?”
Her dreamy daze snapped to a venomous scowl at the casual probe. Pure self-defense.
“Don’t get mad. Just spit it out. I’m proposing a deal.”
Yanes choked on her retort at his follow-up. Thoughts swirled; she hesitated, then spoke.
“People with Ma Force Insensitivity Syndrome can’t accept external mana.”
She bit her lower lip. Academy days, bearing the magic house name yet failing basic mana control. The mockery still ground her teeth.
“Got it.”
Ma Force Insensitivity was like blocked meridians in wuxia. Barely any base mana for survival, let alone using it. Yanes survived on merchant success and good eats; otherwise, she’d be dead.
“The only way is tapping latent mana in high-grade potions like elixirs.”
“I see.”
Valerius stroked his chin. There was a way.
“Listen up, Pink Ward.”
“……Can you drop the Pink Ward? It feels so weird. Why pink?”
“Fine. Pingwa. You know what’s deepest in the Forbidden Forest?”
Irked at his dismissal, her anger faded at the question. The Forbidden Forest was one of the empire’s top ten no-go zones—info was scarce.
“Honestly, no clue.”
“Know why it exists? Fifteen hundred years ago, it was a white dragon’s corpse.”
“……What? The Forbidden Forest is a dragon corpse?”
News to everyone—even Sophia and long-time Raven.
Of course; it was a late-game reveal after the North’s fall, via the night spirit.
“Skin melted to earth, blood to trees, bones to curse.”
“W-wait. No way? Dragon heart?”
The unrotting, undecomposing dragon heart.
“Yeah. Dead center of the Forbidden Forest: white dragon heart.”
One of the world’s great treasures, naturally emitting ultra-dense mana. Make elixir or transplant it—perfect cure for the “incurable” syndrome.
“The Forbidden Forest has to go eventually. I’ll clear it myself. And secure that heart.”
“…….”
“I’ll give you first dibs. Might just hand it over if needed.”
An outrageous promise. Tackling a forbidden zone personally was bold enough; offering such treasure? Anyone else, she’d scoff.
……But he might actually pull it off.
Valerius’s grit and big-picture vision far outstripped mortals. And he’d never lied once.
He truly believed he could solo the forest and was ready to pass the heart.
“……What do you want?”
Cure for her syndrome. Return as a mage. Restore Valbasor glory. The heart fixed it all.
So Yanes asked with un-merchant-like sincerity.
“Got a blood family to protect?”
“No. But Lady Sophia’s my family.”
“Sophia got blood family?”
“I’m all she has.”
Valerius straightened his clothes. He pulled a small pendant from his neck—black lion engraved—and hung it on Yanes’s.
“Welcome to the Black Lion family. Become a true top laner.”
His thick hand patted her head.
Raven sighed, pulling his own pendant.
“Welcome to the Black Lion family, Lady Sophia. Become a true top laner.”
“Dunno what top laner means, but I like the sound.”
“Same at first. Now it’s jungler treatment.”
Suddenly Black Lion members, Yanes and Sophia reeled from the warm chest feeling.
“We’ll clear out. Talk it over.”
The inn room felt quiet and cozy after Valerius and Raven left.
“……Family. Been a while.”
“Yeah, miss. Been ages since I said or heard it.”