Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Erosion
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"Nine..."
Whether it was a side effect of the sea cucumber or not, a wave of fatigue crashed over him. Ronan buried his face in Cita's feathers and fell asleep.
Just as he was about to drift into deep slumber, someone lightly knocked on the door.
- Knock knock knock.
It was probably Lucy coming to tidy up the bedding. Ronan, half-awake, mumbled in a sleepy voice.
"Mm... come back later, Lucy. I wanna sleep till afternoon class..."
No reply came. Cita lifted its head and stared intently at the door. The knocking sounded again.
- Knock knock knock.
"What the...? Not Lucy...? Asel, you?"
His body felt too heavy to get up and check. They'll stop soon enough. Ronan grabbed a pillow and plugged his ears.
- Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Damn it..."
But the knocking persisted. Knock knock knock. Precisely on the fifty-seventh knock, Ronan kicked off the blanket and shot up irritably.
"What kind of rotten bastard...!"
Sleep had long fled. His gleaming eyes burned with rage.
Ronan snatched Ramancha, which was leaning against the wardrobe. Bang! In his underwear, he stormed to the door and flung it open.
"Who the hell's knocking nonstop on a door when someone's trying to sleep?! Wanna bash your skull like a tambourine?!"
A finely dressed middle-aged man stood there, flanked by two knights in plate armor. The man's eyes widened at Ronan's words.
"What...!"
His expression showed he was quite shocked. One of the knights gripped his sword hilt and growled.
"Insolent whelp. Bow your head at once unless you want your tongue cut out."
The knight had a rock-hard, stubborn face. His intimidating aura would have cowed most people. Of course, Ronan didn't care.
"Ha, insolent? Cut my tongue?"
Scoffing, Ronan glared at the knight.
"You barge in, wake someone from a sound sleep, and you're calling me insolent? Fine, let me show you what real insolence looks like."
Ronan spat at his feet. The knight released mana oppressively and stepped forward as if to strike him down. The middle-aged man raised a hand to stop him.
"It's fine, Dolan. Looks like he was sleeping."
"But..."
The knight called Dolan gritted his teeth. Ronan suddenly frowned. Something glittered faintly around Dolan's scabbard.
What the...?
More precisely, something faintly sparkled within the mana Dolan was emitting. Like static crackling in the air—it was the first such phenomenon he'd seen since gaining the ability to see mana.
Still, it felt oddly familiar.
"I said it's fine."
"...Understood."
Dolan bowed to the man and stepped back. As his emitted mana faded, the sparkle vanished too. The man turned to Ronan.
"That's enough from you too. I thought you were awake. I apologize for Dolan's behavior."
"What?"
Ronan looked up. Only now did the middle-aged man's face register. His excitement subsided, and he spoke.
"...You know me?"
"Of course. I came here specifically to see you."
His deep voice carried dignity. His dark blue-gray hair and stylish mustache were striking. Ronan vaguely felt he'd seen him somewhere before.
Schlieffen?
This was exactly what the Empire's rising star might look like aged gracefully. Soon realizing the man's identity, Ronan raised his eyebrows.
"Damn, Duke Grancia?"
"Thank you for recognizing me. Mind if I come in?"
"Uh, one sec. Lemme just put on some pants."
Bang! The door slammed shut. The guards' faces stiffened. Staring at the closed door, Duke Grancia muttered softly.
"Not quite what I expected..."
****
"Sorry about earlier. I was pretty wiped."
"No need to worry. I showed up unannounced."
Ronan received the duke in just pants and a shirt. It was his first time seeing the man in person.
Thank goodness there was a table and sofa for guests.
"Make yourself comfy. Here's some tea."
"Thank you."
Ronan set the personally brewed tea before the duke. The duke, who had been glancing around since entering, spoke up.
"Hm... Is this Phileon's finest dormitory building?"
"Pardon? Uh... yeah? Doesn't it look like it?"
"This is serious..."
It was only slightly better than the servants' quarters at Grancia manor. Shaking his head, the duke sipped the tea. The intense aroma made his eyebrows rise.
"Did you brew this yourself...?"
"Yeah. Not bad, right?"
"Not just the sword—you've got talents in all directions. Too good for a place like this."
The duke took another sip. Ronan grinned, feeling a bit pleased. Good thing he'd nagged Lucy into teaching him.
"Glad you like it. So, what's the occasion?"
"Ah... It's not just for you, actually. Mind waiting a moment?"
Ronan tilted his head. Then the door opened, and the guards entered, followed by Asel and Marya. Ronan's eyes widened.
"Huh?"
"Your Grace. We've brought them."
The knights bowed and stepped aside. Asel and Marya looked around in confusion.
"Th-this is Ronan's room..."
"Yawn... What's going on?"
Both seemed freshly woken. Marya had mistaken the knights for Phileon security.
"Pleased to meet you. Now all three heroes are gathered."
The duke rose. Recognizing his face, the two froze.
"D-D-D-D-Duke Grancia...?"
"Wh-what brings you here...? I would've at least brushed my hair..."
His face was one you could spot in any publication without effort. Duke of Grancia, Schlieffen's father. Patriarch of one of the Empire's two great houses stood before them.
The duke offered handshakes with an impassive face.
"Relax. I'm here to express my thanks."
"Thanks...?"
"Yes. Let's sit and talk. Ronan, alright?"
"You asking if it's okay to sit on my sofa? Obviously."
Ronan nodded. Despite his cold, authoritative look, he was quite considerate.
No wonder Schlieffen turned out decent. Once seated, the duke spoke formally.
"Proper introductions, then. I am Josef Sinivan de Grancia, head of House Grancia."
"Ronan."
"A-Asel..."
"Marya Karabel. An honor to meet you, Duke Grancia."
Unique greetings exchanged. The duke eyed them carefully.
"As I told Ronan, I'm here today to give thanks."
"Thanks?"
"Yes. For saving Gran Cappadocia. As you know, we Grancias were their biggest clients. Your quick actions minimized the damage."
The duke knew the full story of the incident. He shared that casualties were nearly zero and that a new Gran Cappadocia was being rebuilt in the massive cave Ronan had found.
Suddenly, Erzsebet's words from days ago came to mind—visitors from all sides would come. He hadn't expected Grancia so soon.
Finishing his thanks, the duke gestured to the knights by the door.
"Bring them."
The two knights left briefly and returned carrying three ornate boxes and a greatsword that looked over two meters long. Ronan raised an eyebrow.
"What's all this?"
"Items Master Doron asked me to deliver. Take them."
The knights handed them out. A narrow, long box to Ronan; a small one to Asel. Marya's greatsword leaned against her.
Ronan opened his first. On red silk lay a sleek black rod.
"What is it?"
He picked it up—barely any weight. Suddenly, he gasped. A thin groove ran along the head.
"Ah!"
Ronan slid Ramancha's tip into the groove. Click. Oiled smooth, the blade stopped precisely at the hilt. Ronan spoke in awe.
"Damn, a scabbard at last. Thanks."
"He found it during repairs. He insisted I tell you it's made of the same material as your blade."
Indeed, the scabbard matched Ramancha's blade. Ronan nodded, satisfied. Hung at his waist, it weighed next to nothing.
Then Asel, opening his box, yelped in surprise.
"Br-bracelets...?"
A pair of metal bracelets in a double-helix loop. Peering in, Ronan chuckled.
"Suits you, Asel. Maybe 'play house like a girl'?"
"N-no, that's not..."
"Ah, he said they incorporate Mado Delphium tech. He was thrilled about it—I'm curious too. Try them on?"
Asel nodded and slipped them on both wrists. Loose at first, they auto-adjusted. Seeing mana gather at his fingertips, Asel's eyes widened.
"Th-this...!"
The mana flow itself had changed. Far more efficient than with a staff. Mouth agape like a fool, as Ronan interjected.
"Whoa, neat. The flow direction's totally different."
"Wh-what...? Ronan, you can see mana?!"
"Yeah, buddy. Started last night."
Ronan grinned and nodded. He couldn't see every detail yet, but he could track mana flowing from bracelets to fingers. Asel clapped in delight.
"Congrats! Finally...!"
- Thud!
A massive crash shook the room, like the floor breaking. Everyone turned. Marya's greatsword had toppled spectacularly.
"Haha, sorry... Heavier than I thought."
Marya stood, veins bulging on her pale arms as she lifted it. Using both hands, she propped it back up.
"I forgot to warn you. It's an insanely heavy greatsword."
"Yeah... Heaviest weapon I've ever held."
Marya rotated her wrist. Full power needed to swing it properly. The duke eyed the wavy pattern on its flat.
"That greatsword suits you best, he said. It grows heavier as it absorbs mana."
"It gets heavier?"
"Doron has his reasons. I recommend following them."
The duke spoke calmly. His trust in Doron was evident—a forge serving Grancias for generations. Marya nodded, then smiled at the knight who'd carried it effortlessly.
"You're crazy strong, sir knight. Jealous."
The knight didn't respond. It was Dolan, the one who'd tried drawing on Ronan earlier. Seeing Marya's awkwardness, the duke spoke.
"Dolan is strong. I value your loyalty, but respond in situations like this."
"Yes, Your Grace. I will."
Dolan bowed politely. Obeying only his lord—a model loyal knight.
"Forgive him. He's very rigid. That's why he guards me."
"Whoa, cool. Awakened aura too?"
"Naturally. Nearly all Grancia knights manifest aura. Dolan's exceptional."
"Too kind, Your Grace."
The duke, Dolan, and Marya chatted naturally. Recalling earlier, Ronan whispered to Asel.
"Hey, Asel."
"Hm?"
"Quit yapping and check that beetle-lookin' guy. His mana's weird, right?"
Ronan nodded at Dolan. Asel squinted. Focusing, he saw Dolan's core and pulsing mana—nothing special.
"Dunno...?"
"Damn, and you're a mage? Can't you see the sparkles in his mana?"
"Sp-sparkles? No idea what you mean..."
Ronan furrowed his brow. Invisible now, but definite earlier. He'd thought Asel, with keener senses, would see it. Some condition required?
Shit... Definitely felt it before.
Normally, he'd dismiss it as unease. But seeing it made it real. Jabbing Asel's side, Ronan whispered.
"Watch closely. It'll show again."
"O-okay..."
Then the duke, mid-chat, turned to Ronan.
"By the way, there's something I wanted to ask you."
"Yeah? What?"
"Rodolan's official dispatch comes in days, but I'm curious. I heard you caught the ones controlling the cave giant. Can you tell me what happened?"
"Ah, those two morons?"
Dolan's eyebrow twitched faintly. Sparkling mana crept up his shoulder. Ronan's eyes widened.
There!
He jabbed Asel again, but Asel just shook his head in confusion—no anomaly detected.
Damn, just me? Ronan glared, eyes bulging. Couldn't ignore this. Then—a flash of insight.
Got it.
Ronan twisted his lips. Edwon and Syrila—the same ominous vibe from them clung to Dolan. The sparkle visualized that malice.
Ronan's face hardened. The duke tilted his head.
"Something wrong suddenly?"
"Uh... Nah. Where was I?"
"About to talk about the duo."
"Right, so..."
Ronan glanced at Dolan again. The mana was gone. A momentary emotional slip.
Definitely reacted to 'morons.'
Not certain yet, but his gut screamed it. After a mental plan, Ronan's lips curled slyly.
He spoke, eyes fixed on Dolan.
"Your Grace."
"Hm?"
"Ever heard of the 'Coming of the Stars'?"