The Story Rushes Forward
The Story Rushes Forward
The exhibition came to a close on the final day without any trouble. Iden, who hadn't let his guard down for all three days, finally felt the invisible weight resting on his shoulders lift slightly as the closing ceremony ended.
In the end, no movement from Endermit was captured, and no meaningful reaction appeared on the resonance circles.
However, the nobles from various regions who had visited the Northern Territory left Hellon with satisfied expressions, and the Wintel family succeeded in flaunting their power as intended.
The few weeks that followed were like the calm after a storm has passed.
Iden did not let that silence go to waste. He expanded the Black Magic detection system that Vivien and Erwin had designed.
The core was the Black Magic Resonance Device produced by Vivien.
The compact alchemical equipment looked like a small crystal ball or a decorative emblem on the outside, but it was structured so that if exposed to Black Magic above a certain level, the internal mana arrangement would immediately twist, and the surface would turn pitch-black.
The structure itself was simple, but the fine-tuning to reduce the resonance range and malfunctions was by no means an easy task. If it hadn't been for the promising alchemist, Vivien, he wouldn't have even dared to try.
Iden designated strategic locations for placement, such as major intersections, near government offices, around the Main Castle, and areas where noble families were concentrated. Erwin and Vivien personally went out to carry out the installation and camouflage work.
The devices, secretly hidden between city walls, pillars, and sculptures, became another set of eyes for the North.
When the system was somewhat established, Iden visited the Wintel Main Castle for the first time in a while.
As the Special Task Force Commander, he had to report the installation status and operation plan of the Black Magic Resonance Devices, and at the same time, he needed to grasp the movements of the Northern Barbarians for his final mission.
The report to Grand Duke Eldmonde was short and clear. Iden unfolded the documents he had prepared, explaining the distribution map of the resonance devices and the expected response system. The Grand Duke stroked his white beard and nodded.
After finishing the formal report, Iden headed straight to the Main Castle's staff room.
It was to grasp the movements of the Northern Barbarians.
Passing through the hallway leading to the Main Castle's rear garden, Iden slowed his pace for a moment. The garden visible through the window was bathed in the light of early summer, and the sound of the fountain could be heard faintly from afar.
In days where tension had become a daily routine, such a peaceful landscape felt awkward instead.
It was then.
A man walked toward him from the opposite hallway.
He stood out from the first impression. He had a medium hair tone that was neither dark nor light, and round glasses rested stably on the bridge of his nose in front of squinted eyes that were so thin his pupils couldn't be seen. A broad smile was hung on his lips.
He was a man who gave off the vibe of someone who would have sat at a desk for a long time during his school days.
Iden bowed his head out of courtesy and tried to pass by.
At that moment, the man spoke first.
"You are Count Iden Summonfield-nim, are you not?"
Iden's footsteps stopped for a moment.
"Yes, that is correct."
The man took a step closer and bowed politely.
"I have heard much about your exploits. I am Count Calden Wiss, the aide to Grand Prince Galliard-nim."
It was a soft and gentle tone. There was no sign of hostility at all; rather, he had an excessively mild impression.
"I haven't had the chance to greet you personally because I've been busy handling public affairs inside the Main Castle. Your reputation is so great that I've wanted to meet you at least once."
Iden replied with a formal smile.
"You flatter me."
"Your momentum is indeed as great as I've heard. Haha."
Calden's squinted eyes curved subtly. His exact gaze couldn't be read behind the glasses, but a strange feeling of being observed by the opponent brushed past.
Even so, no blatant wariness or probing was felt. Rather, it was closer to natural social interest.
"I look forward to being able to share a deeper greeting once a meeting is arranged soon."
He bowed his head briefly and then disappeared down the hallway as if nothing had happened.
Squinted eyes and round glasses, a mild and gentle impression that didn't resemble the North.
He was an impressive character, rarely seen inside the Main Castle.
Iden watched the direction he disappeared for a moment. If he was Galliard's aide, it was by no means a light position, and if he served the Grand Prince who was active in external activities, his radius of action wouldn't be narrow.
Nevertheless, it felt strangely bothersome that he was only seeing his face for the first time now. Even though he had frequently visited the Main Castle since the Special Task Force was established, the fact that they had never crossed paths felt awkward somehow.
However, that doubt did not last long. The Main Castle was large, and the routes of high-ranking figures sometimes didn't overlap as much as one would think.
Iden took a light breath and moved his feet again.
**
After grasping the movements of the Northern Barbarians, Iden left the Main Castle.
It was faster than expected.
The movements of the Northern Barbarians, which he thought would take at least a year, were slowly surrounding the outskirts of Hellon.
On the surface, the movements of the Northern Barbarians were limited to small-scale looting and local conflicts, but beneath that, a current of the loosely scattered tribes uniting once again was being detected.
Iden looked into the distance as he left the Main Castle. Looking at the flags fluttering in the wind and the ridges of the snowy mountains visible far away, he reminded himself once again that the silence of the North could be broken at any time.
For now, there were no signs of a direct invasion, but this silence always resembled the catching of one's breath before a storm.
It was when he returned to the mansion like that.
The air was heavy from the moment he entered the foyer. Several carriages he hadn't seen before were standing in the garden in front of the entrance, and beyond the foyer, Erwin stood with her arms crossed.
Her face was serious, unlike usual.
Iden took off his coat, handed it to a servant, and asked.
"Is something wrong?"
Erwin hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice.
"A guest has arrived."
"A guest?"
"Yeah."
Iden's eyebrows twitched minutely. From what he had experienced so far, 'unannounced' visits were usually not good news.
"...Who is it?"
Iden asked with a voice full of wariness.
And the name that came out of Erwin's mouth forcibly pulled up a past he had forgotten for several weeks.
"Count Belgorden Rivan."
The air sank.
"...."
Iden's gaze slowly hardened. His heart didn't beat fast. Rather, he became excessively calm.
Belgorden Rivan. The father of Edom Rivan and the absolute authority of the Rivan Count family. The head of the family who ran the household like an organization and evaluated his children based on 'performance.'
To his visit, Iden's reaction was dry, as if what was bound to come had finally arrived.
Since he had released Lady Erika because there was no special justification, this visit was no different from a scheduled sequence of events.
However.
It was just a pity that the warning not to cross the line and not to seek contact was so easily broken.
"What should we do?"
Erwin added. She was observing Iden's expression. Surprise, anger, agitation. None of them were blatantly revealed, but it was clear that his eyes had sunk even colder.
"Did he come alone?"
"Yes. Lady Erika wasn't with him."
He thought it was only a matter of time before the name Rivan flowed into the North, but he didn't know it would be this fast.
"What did he say his business was?"
"I don't know that. Just... that he wanted to share a 'personal story' with Count Summonfield-nim."
A personal story.
A faint sneer brushed past Iden's lips.
When Edom Rivan ran away from home three years ago, the Rivan Count family did not look for him. No, they didn't even try to look for him. For the head of such a family to come now and talk about a 'personal story.'
He slowly took off his gloves.
A determined light flowed through his blue pupils.
Exhaling a short breath, Iden moved his feet. While heading to the drawing room along the hallway, he didn't think about anything.
He was simply facing a task that needed to be finished.
It was just clearing away one annoying problem before the great undertaking of defending against the offensive of the Northern Barbarians.
It wasn't that memories of the past didn't flash by, but they couldn't disturb his stride.
The moment he stood in front of the door, he paused for a moment.
Belgorden Rivan.
The head of the Rivan Count family had personally come to this land of the North.
Iden grabbed the handle.
And he opened the door.
**
Inside the drawing room, it was silent. The flames burning in the fireplace flickered low, and the faint snowy light of the North seeped through the window, casting long shadows on the red carpet.
A man standing in the center with his hands behind his back.
Count Belgorden Rivan.
He wasn't tall, but his shoulders were broad and his posture was straight. He had dark blue hair mixed with a bluish tint combed back neatly, and a well-groomed mustache and beard trimmed below his jawline added a heavy authority to his face.
On his dark navy formal attire, the crest of the Rivan family was exquisitely embroidered, and the rings worn on each finger subtly flaunted the family's wealth and years.
Although the inside was currently festering, the Rivan Count family was still showing off its health.
As the door opened, his gaze slowly rose.
And he smiled brightly.
"Ah—."
A low and soft voice.
"How long has it been? My son."
Iden's eyes looked at him without wavering even an inch.
Belgorden stepped forward with his arms wide open, like a father meeting a beloved child he had been away from for a long time.
"To think you've become such a gallant man. What could be more joyful for a father than this?"
The footsteps crossing the drawing room carpet were natural, and his expression was excessively benevolent. As if the gap in time, the three-year absence, and everything that had happened in between were nothing.
At that sight, Iden felt like he was going to vomit, even though he hadn't personally experienced Edom's past.
"My son—."
It was before those words were completely finished.
A blue light spread from beneath Iden's feet.
The air condensed as if contracting instantaneously, and an exquisite circular pattern unfolded on the floor. The central axis of the multi-layered Summoning Circle rotated, and mana was rapidly compressed.
Belgorden's footsteps stopped.
The space between him and Iden distorted, and a black crack opened up.
And—
With a low sound like metal scraping, a massive figure rose.
A Black Knight.
It was a summoned beast clad in black plate armor from head to toe. The inside of the helmet was complete darkness, and patterns like red cracks were thinly spread. A greatsword was held in its hand, and the tip of that blade tilted accurately toward Belgorden.
A distance of just one step.
Between Iden and Belgorden, a perfect barrier was erected.
The temperature in the drawing room dropped in an instant.
Belgorden's arms were stopped in mid-air.
A few seconds of silence.
And Iden slowly opened his mouth.
"I do not know what kind of story you heard from Lady Erika, but if you approach any further than this, I will take 'proper' measures."
His voice was calm. There were no ups and downs of emotion, no agitation.
"...."
Belgorden's pupils narrowed minutely. However, the smile on his lips did not disappear easily.
He slowly lowered his arms and looked at the tip of the Black Knight's blade.
"Indeed...."
In his small muttering voice, an effort to hide his agitation and contain his hypocrisy was embedded.
"You really have changed a lot, Edom."
Iden's gaze became even colder.
The offensive of the Northern Barbarians had come a step closer.
Before that, he, who wanted to finish the annoying business, revealed blatant hostility.
Now.
Since he was a 'Count' of equal standing, not a young lord belonging to a Count family, there was no need to bow down, nor any obligation to treat him well.
Count Belgorden Rivan.
He had never experienced him personally, but even with just the residual memories of Edom, the head of the family and father who called forth loathing was by no means a person to be close to, nor a family member to show favor to.
To Iden, he was nothing more than an annoying burden with whom he didn't share a single drop of blood.
The Black Knight's greatsword tilted one inch further forward.
The air in the drawing room tightened tensely.
"Heh, hahaha. My son. Why are you pointing a sword at this father of yours?"
