Fence
Fence
Located on the outer edge of the exhibition hall, a small secret room where external noise could not reach was originally prepared for VIPs, but it was currently being used for a different purpose.
With thick doors and walls and a space without a single window, it was the optimal place for social gatherings and sharing secret conversations.
Iden brought Erica inside.
He only maintained the binding tentacles during the transport; after entering the room, he loosely tied her feet but released her mouth and hands.
To keep her completely detained during the three-day exhibition, a minimum level of daily life had to be possible.
Meals, hydration, and even waste disposal. Complete binding would only cause unnecessary commotion.
As soon as the tentacles slithered back, Erica immediately pushed off the floor and stood up. Then, as if she had been waiting, she exploded.
"What do you think you're doing—!!"
She twisted her ankles violently. The black tentacles stretched slightly before tightening again, pressing into her flesh. Her fine shoes scraped the floor, making a sharp sound.
"Let go! I said let go of this!"
She stomped her feet, twisted her body, and tried to tear at the tentacles with her hands, but the texture woven from mana was not the kind that could be broken by the strength of an ordinary human. Rather, the more she pulled, the more the surface smoothly contracted, winding deeper.
She bit her lip as she looked down at the tentacles wrapped around her ankles. She didn't even care that the hem of her dress was crumpled and the exquisitely tailored skirt line was ruined.
Then, an exhausted Erica glared toward Iden. Now, both seduction and calculation had vanished, replaced by raw, pure hostility.
"Release me—! Release me right now!"
She shouted, twisting her feet once more. At that moment, the tentacles tightened further.
Erica's words were cut off. Her head snapped back as if her breath had been choked out.
"Keuk...! What on earth is the meaning of this!"
Her voice echoed throughout the secret room.
"Are you in your right mind?! No matter if you are the Captain of the Special Task Force, is it acceptable to imprison a young lady of another territory in this manner?"
Her face was flushed red with anger. The image of her being consumed by anxiety and fear just a moment ago was nowhere to be found; instead, her familiar arrogance and aggression had been revived.
"Do you look down on the Rivan Count Family? If this fact becomes known—"
Iden looked at her silently before lightly snapping his fingers.
Instantly, the residual light of the Summoning Circle remaining on the floor flashed, and tentacles sprouted once more. This time, they didn't bind her entire body, but they tightened around her waist and chest, pressing hard. It was a ruthless pressure filled with killing intent.
Erica's breath escaped as if the air was being squeezed out of her.
"Keu-heuk...!"
Iden's voice was low and sunken, almost entirely devoid of emotion.
"I am performing a mission to prevent Endermit's terrorism. Intentional contact and acts of causing confusion near the exhibition hall are considered interference."
He took a step forward. It was a chilling stride, like that of a Grim Reaper.
"If necessary, I will even carry out summary executions for elements that interfere with the mission. Even if I have to borrow the name of Grand Duke Eldmonde."
That one sentence was not an exaggeration. Eldmonde had certainly said so. If necessary, those who cross the line, even nobles, are no exception.
Erica's lips parted and then closed. The vitriol she had been pouring out just a moment ago seemed to get stuck in her throat.
She had only been interested in the fact that the Captain of the Special Task Force was Iden Summonfield; she had no interest in his authority and discretion, so she had to shut her mouth.
Summary execution.
She also knew the weight of those words. And she knew very well that a Northern Grand Duke was a being capable of erasing the Rivan Count Territory from the map.
In an instant, the air in the room changed. Even Erica, who had experienced numerous battles in high society, instinctively realized that this man was not joking right now.
"Once the exhibition ends safely and the investigation of suspicions is over, I will release you, so you do not need to waste your energy needlessly."
Silence flowed for a few seconds. Then, she shifted her approach.
"Then tell me the truth."
Her voice lowered.
"Do you really... not know me?"
Iden's gaze wavered minutely. For a very brief moment, an afterimage in his memory flickered. A hallway from his childhood, a hand slapping his cheek, the sensation of fingernails scratching below his ear.
However, he did not let that show on his face.
"I do not know you."
He cut her off coldly.
Erica's eyes distorted. A complex light mixed with anger, anxiety, suspicion, and denial.
"No, that scar is—"
"Then."
He turned away without saying anything more. Right now, he had to focus on the present rather than the past.
Erica shouted urgently.
Her outstretched hand struggled as if trying to catch even his shadow.
"An-Answer me before you go—!! You, Edom Ri—!?"
However, that cry, bordering on a struggle, did not fully reach him. This was because the door had closed first.
The thick door closed, muffling the sound. In a space thoroughly disconnected from the outside, Erica was thus sentenced to detention.
Iden looked at the two guards he had stationed outside the door. They were individuals he had personally selected after discussing with the Guard Captain belonging to the Wintel family.
"Distribute meals and water according to the set times. Have her handle waste in the space prepared inside."
"Yes, Count-nim."
Iden looked at the door one last time. He could feel the frantic shouting and the signs of struggling coming from inside.
He withdrew his gaze.
His decision as the Captain of the Special Task Force was already made.
Whether she was kin or whatever else, the mission came first for now.
When the first day of the exhibition came to a close, the Helon Main Castle still held the heat of the day.
A faint lingering scent drifted through the hallway outside the banquet hall, and the excited reviews of the nobles who had looked at the paintings scattered and vanished like whispers everywhere.
After all official schedules were over, Iden borrowed a small reception room inside the Main Castle. Compared to the flashy banquet hall, it was a relatively quiet and cozy space.
Simple refreshments and tea were placed on the round table, and the darkened garden could be seen through the window.
Emiline spoke first.
"You really worked hard today, Count-nim."
Her expression was much calmer than usual. Even though she must have been nervous greeting guests all day, there was now a hint of determination mixed in somewhere.
"It weighed on my mind that I couldn't greet you properly because I was busy. I also worried I might be a hindrance to your mission. So, I prepared this place because I wanted to personally express my gratitude."
Emiline looked around at Iden, Erwin, and Vivien gathered in their seats.
Erwin, who had been active as part of the Special Task Force; Vivien, who had provided advice for the battle scenes with high-ranking officials; and Iden, the protagonist of the exhibition.
Emiline was expressing her gratitude by inviting all three.
It was the first time three women and one man had gathered together.
Iden shook his head lightly.
"It was simply the mission I was assigned. There was no particular commotion today, either."
At those words, Erwin cut in from the side.
"It's not like there was no particular commotion, right?"
When Iden glanced at her, she shrugged and picked up her tea.
"Well. It wasn't to the point where it could be specified as a commotion."
Vivien was quietly holding her teacup, but her gaze repeatedly landed on Iden before pulling away. It was a look that showed questions still remained unasked.
And.
She seemed to want to voice those questions today of all days.
After a brief exchange of light conversation, Emiline cautiously brought up a topic.
"I heard the story about Lady Erica Riban."
The air sank subtly.
"I heard a detention order was issued..."
Iden was silent for a moment. He was the one who had ordered that no one approach the secret room during the exhibition period. Securing safety was the primary justification, but it was also to prevent unnecessary rumors from spreading ahead of time.
"Did you judge her to be a danger factor?"
"I couldn't rule out the possibility."
He added, choosing his words carefully.
"We are investigating whether there is a connection with Endermit. If there is no connection, she will be sent home after the exhibition ends."
He was calm on the outside, but his inside was complicated.
Erica was calling him 'Edom' with a gaze that was almost certain.
If she caused a scene or leaked this fact to the family, he couldn't rule out the possibility that it wouldn't end as a simple incident.
Of course, even if that were the case, nothing would change, but the position of Eldmonde, who had fully supported someone who had flowed into the North while hiding their identity, could become difficult.
Especially now, when the status of 'Summoners,' who were ostracized in noble society, was rising, it would definitely not be an incident that started and ended well.
It was not unprecedented for a child abandoned by noble society to succeed and establish a new family.
Strictly speaking, it was a [Desertion], but if one were to be even more precise, Edom Rivan was treated worse than an abandoned child, so there was nothing to be problematic.
Noise and discord might arise during that process, but Iden had no intention of getting swept up in that whirlpool.
Not causing a whirlpool would be the best choice for them, but if they intended to cause a whirlpool for the sake of 'Profit' which was prioritized like family tradition, he was prepared to draw his sword.
The best thing would be to seal Erica's mouth, but that was no easy task.
No matter how much he was a Special Task Force Captain with absolute power at his back, disposing of someone whose charges had not been proven was an abuse of authority, and Iden also didn't want to do scummy things like fabricating charges.
There had to be an objective justification.
Simply because she was clinging to a blood relative would only buy him resentment in noble society.
Especially from the moment he had the Grand Duke at his back, it was natural for opposing forces to arise.
Giving them good bait to bite into was something to be avoided.
A moment of silence settled over the table.
Iden raised his gaze and looked at Emiline, then Vivien, and finally Erwin.
Emiline saw him as Iden himself, set him as the protagonist of the exhibition, and raised the status of the Summoner of the Dark Night.
Vivien had watched his transformation, reconciled with the past, and knew his real name.
Erwin went without saying. She was a comrade-in-arms who had entrusted her back to him in the engineering corps, on the battlefield, and in every process thereafter, and a precious companion who would be with him in the future.
If anything, he felt sorry toward her.
Since she had even put her life on the line for him, it would have been right to reveal it to her before the others.
Anyway.
He thought that treating them with lies was no longer right.
And he thought now was the right time to reveal it.
Because those who looked at him truthfully were gathered here right now.
"There is something I would like to tell you."
The gazes of the three people turned toward him simultaneously.
Iden slowly continued his words.
A calm yet serious voice followed.
"I was... originally the youngest of the Rivan Count Family."
The air became quiet as if it had stopped.
Vivien, who already knew, also stopped in surprise.
Because she hadn't expected him to reveal his identity here and now.
However, Iden only continued his words while meeting the gazes of the three directly.
"Edom Rivan, that is my real name."
Emiline's fingertips trembled minutely.
"Ye-Yes? You were originally a noble?"
Her wide-open eyes looked as if they might spill over.
Erwin stared at him without saying anything.
She was also hearing this for the first time, but to her, who had spent a much longer time with him than the others gathered here, her gaze seemed to say that Iden's 'identity' didn't matter at all.
To her, he was just Iden Summonfield.
"I threw everything away and left. The family, and the name. I became a mercenary with a commoner's status, and since then, I have lived under the name Iden."
It was a calm confession. Without excuses or exaggeration.
Vivien, who had been very curious about his past, also listened intently, not wanting to miss a single word of his story.
With an interested, and again, interested gaze.
"It is true that I flowed into the North while hiding my identity. However, I had no intention of deceiving you all. It was simply a choice to survive and a path taken to become a better person."
A look of satisfaction and interest filled Erwin's eyes.
She thought while leaning her chin on her hand and leaning forward to listen to his story.
As expected, this man is my husba—.
"I am merely sorry for revealing it to you at this point."
Iden added at the end.
"Nonetheless, I judged that staying in this position while deceiving you was not right. I thought it was my duty to at least reveal the truth to those present here."
Only after finishing his words did he let out a short breath.
Candidness.
Somehow, he felt relieved.
It felt as if he had finally done what he should have done.
Quietly, yet an irreversible line was drawn.
No.
A fence was built.
A fence that gathered everyone in one place.
A fence where a fierce battle (?) would unfold.