Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 23: A Different Focus
Around the time the carriage crossed the outskirts of the capital Helon, Iden looked beyond the window and inhaled briefly.
It was a scenery completely different from the west.
Instead of warm earth color and flowing melted water, what filled the vision was endlessly continuing snowy scenery.
The snow was excessively bright to the point of dazzling, and the wind was sharp like a blade cutting flesh.
The cold that squeezed through the gaps of the carriage slowly encroached on the interior.
And that cold was announcing the return to the heart of the North.
'I'm back.'
It was after 1 year.
And the return after 1 year was different from when he first stepped on Helon as the Blue Wolf Corps.
At that time, he was one mercenary, and now he was a person returning upon the Grand Duke's call.
Emotions were bound to be special.
The shoulders of Erwin sitting opposite such him trembled subtly.
"......It's cold."
Words flowed out low along with faint breath.
Erwin was hugging her arms, but the thin coat seemed terribly insufficient to block the North's cold.
To her born in the west, this kind of cold was no different from experiencing for the first time.
Probably, the clothes and cold weather gear packed in her luggage bag were also predicted based on 'Hamelon people standards'.
"...."
Iden moved silently seeing that appearance.
Unpacking the luggage placed on one side of the carriage, he took out a thick woolen cloak and padded gloves.
Things he had been using since mercenary days.
They looked crude, but there was nothing like this to survive in the cold.
"Please use this."
Erwin hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Iden.
"It's okay, I—"
"It is not okay."
Iden cut her off firmly, and draped the cloak over her shoulders.
Following that, he also held out gloves.
"Helon's cold is hardest on the first day. Until the body adapts."
In those words, conviction from experience was contained.
Erwin didn't say more, and quietly fastened the cloak.
As the thick cloth wrapped her body, the cold that was digging in until just now softened significantly.
"...Thanks."
It was a short word.
Iden answered by nodding.
The carriage continued to run across the snowy fields of the North.
The dazzling scenery spread outside the window, and two people sharing each other's body warmth inside.
Helon's castle walls were not yet visible, but the North's cold was already welcoming them.
The procession passing through Helon's castle gate arrived before they knew it soon divided into two.
Some carriages and guards stopped by the roadside, and Erwin said preparing to get off the carriage hurriedly.
"Since I'm here, I intend to greet my relatives first. I should get off here."
As Iden nodded, Erwin got off the carriage.
Before getting off, she tried to return the cold weather gear received from Iden, but due to him persistently refusing, Erwin got off without giving them back.
Just before closing the door, she hesitated for a moment, then looked back at Iden.
And leaving a meaningful farewell, she closed the door.
"See you later."
Greeting saying that.
There was no time to ask the meaning, and Iden had no choice but to watch Erwin receding away.
**
The carriage moved quickly again.
Now the procession carrying the Grand Duke, sinners, Iden, and family members headed straight to the Wintel family's Main Castle.
The expression 'endlessly spread' was not an exaggeration.
When thinking one wall was crossed, another gate appeared, and garden and inner castle, again garden and corridor continued.
Although there were no gold curtains or brilliant decorations like Hamelon, the grandeur buried in crudeness definitely had different dignity.
If Hamelon is a nouveau riche's castle, this place feels like seeing a godfather's castle.
Iden, getting off the carriage, walked following Eldmonde.
People were already standing in line at the Main Castle entrance.
Family members, staff, core figures of the military.
As those standing at the peak of Northern power sent gazes simultaneously, Iden unconsciously caught his breath and corrected his posture.
Eldmonde entered the Main Castle passing through them as if nothing.
Iden also followed behind, and the place arrived was the Grand Duke's office.
When the door closed, outside noise was completely blocked.
Iden stood in a soldier's posture, and Eldmonde took off his coat hanging it on the chair and sat down slowly.
And without any notice or omen, he opened his mouth.
As if a beast reveals fangs only now, as if intending to turn this place into a hunting ground if needed, Grand Duke Eldmonde unfolded sharp spirit.
"Edom Rivan."
Rapidly changing atmosphere.
Iden's expression hardened in an instant.
Although he tried to hide it, it was agitation revealed reflexively.
But, Eldmonde seeing that reaction rather raised the corners of his mouth as if satisfied.
"Fortunately, you smell like a human."
Eldmonde stopped speaking for a moment.
He neither glared at nor pressured Iden.
Just with the gaze unique to a person who looked into records for a long time, he was looking at one person as if organizing.
"I didn't doubt your origin from the beginning. Nor was there reason to doubt."
He broached the subject like that.
"However, I just tried checking a few things before bringing you here."
Iden became nervous.
He already knew.
Background check was finished, and yet he brought him to this place.
It wasn't unexpected.
Because he considered if his background was dug, it would eventually reach that end.
Just, he was nervous not knowing what he intends to plot with his atmosphere making this office a hunting ground in an instant.
Fortunately, Eldmonde continued speaking calmly afterward.
Rivan Count family's youngest, appearance, status, time attending Academy, and the fact that he disappeared suddenly one day.
Even to the point that the last confirmed destination was the North.
He already knew everything.
The blue-grey haired youngest of Rivan Count family disappeared, and not long after, 'Summoner of the Dark Night' with the same hair color showed prominence in the North.
He didn't consider all of that as coincidence, and connecting broken links, he derived one conclusion.
Intersection of Summoner of the Dark Night and Edom Rivan.
Iden was silent.
He neither denied nor affirmed, and silence itself was acknowledgment.
Eldmonde continued speaking foreseeing that reaction.
However, the following words were lightly ventilating the heavy air pressing the space until now and overturning the context.
"Summoning Arts is not common magic."
He tapped the desk lightly with his finger.
"You must also know well why Summoning Arts is ostracized in noble society."
At Eldmonde's question, Iden had to be silent again even though knowing.
Timing missed his expectation by far and flow unpredictable even an inch ahead.
Grand Duke Eldmonde Wintel.
Iden, facing his true value, had no choice but to prepare for the next move with silence.
Eldmonde spoke from the external reason.
"Voodoo magic used by barbarians, gloomy sorcery. Pretext of harming noble dignity. That is their justification."
Even though being the same noble, Eldmonde drew a line calling them 'they'.
And in that subtle line, Iden could barely read the flow.
That his fangs were not to bite his nape.
"External reason is only to hide the twisted truth."
His eyes became cold.
"Precisely awe and jealousy."
Summoning Arts is powerful and highly utilizable.
But one must be born with it congenitally, and even if inheriting blood, it is a rare power allowed only to a few.
Structure where the absolute majority not having that power suppresses the minority.
Because they believe they learned swordsmanship and magic by effort not talent, they cannot endure power given by birth.
So they ostracized.
So they despised.
Neglected to be used in circus or manual labor.
Iden felt his resentment and remorse mixed in the words stretching like a long speech.
Even a sense of helplessness of unknown reason.
Iden, listening to those emotions, suddenly recalled the sensation felt in Hamelon.
The day of the award ceremony, the white lion that entered with Eldmonde.
The mana resembling the texture felt weakly at that moment.
At that time, it was a sensation he had no leisure to pay attention to, buried in the Grand Duke's presence.
"...!"
Iden's pupils dilated.
At that moment, mana blooms from Eldmonde's hand.
Mana began to draw a white exquisite summoning circle on the office floor, and soon the white lion revealed itself.
—Grrr...
Iden swallowed his breath.
Only then did he realize.
How the Northern Grand Duke found the connection point between the blue-grey haired Summoner of the Dark Night and the youngest young master of Rivan Count family in a distant land.
Eldmonde continued speaking mixed with remorse stroking the summoned white lion's mane.
"Decades ago, when this body roamed the battlefield, there was no prejudice. It was a society where capable Summoners were treated well. Because war dilutes all prejudices. But after retiring, the logic of the absolute majority dominated the world again."
His gaze headed to Iden.
And Iden could realize what the vague sense of helplessness felt in his words was.
Helplessness absolutely not suiting the great Northern Grand Duke who overwhelms the earth just by existence.
That was.
Deep regret for not being able to continue fighting against the logic of the absolute majority as a Summoner.
Because he, who became Northern Grand Duke passing the battlefield commander, had to dedicate his body to protect his people.
"I want to raise the status of Summoners again. The reason you abandoned your name is not important for that. Because to me, you are just one Summoner."
He spoke without hiding.
"If subjugating Northern foreign tribes is the family's long-cherished desire, raising the status of Summoners is a personal long-cherished desire and for those despised calling innate ability a curse like you."
War with Northern foreign tribes to come.
Meaning asking to overturn the board with Summoning Arts at the center.
Meaning wishing to become an existence beyond 'Summoner of the Dark Night' becoming the center of the front line.
Northern Grand Duke Eldmonde.
He was focusing on the 'duel' not 'capture' of the Northern Barbarian Chief regarding his achievement.
He was focusing on the 'Summoner' blocking the collapsed castle wall gap single-handedly, not the 'victory' of Hamelon Engineering Unit.
"I have seen many Summoners so far, but all showed prominence only in 'Summoning Arts' itself. There was no one with extraordinary insight, bold driving force, and excellent sense like you."
Eldmonde's pupils stare at a distant place beyond the window.
Once, his past overturning the battlefield board and roaming the entire area is drawn vaguely.
"Guys knowing only looking forward are overflowing. One reading the flow not the front overturns the board."
Such Grand Duke Eldmonde proposed lastly.
"How about it. I will transmit everything of mine to you, so will you try overturning the board again with me. For those oppressed and despised just for the reason of being born with extraordinary power."
Iden's blue pupils emit deep light.
Bringing heels together strongly, he straightened his waist and saluted.
There was no reason to refuse.
The blind spot of the next plan was 'saving the Wintel family eldest son dying during war caught in the opposing forces' scheme'.
Refusing a proposal coinciding with the plan would be an act done by fools.
And it wasn't a seat refused from the start.
He followed promptly at the proposal asking if he would follow, and didn't come with a resolve to pull out feet promptly at fear not even started yet.
Crisis is opportunity.
To him who arrived here living like that until now, it was rather like a sweet proposal.
Like that, in the small office, a big board was being woven.
**
The corridor heading to the Northern Grand Duke's office was always quiet.
Emiline, hearing the news that her father returned, was naturally moving her steps there.
Although she hadn't even looked around the Main Castle completely not long after returning from the trip, greeting for return couldn't be delayed.
It was then.
The office door opened and a man walked out.
Blue-grey hair, coat not yet organized over uniform.
It was an unfamiliar face.
The man bowed lightly passing by Emiline.
Polite greeting neither more nor less.
Gaze didn't stay for a moment, and disappeared beyond the corridor immediately.
Emiline stopped one step late.
'...Who is it?'
It was a face she saw for the first time.
But strangely, a face giving groundless déjà vu as if brushed by somewhere.
But rummaging through memory, nothing came to mind.
She shook her head.
'Must be a mistake.'
New people always come and go in the Wintel family Main Castle.
Along with father's return, it would be just another talent called coming.
Emiline moved her steps again without thinking more.
It was after the man's back figure completely disappeared from view.