Chapter 381: The Succession Ceremony
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 381: The Succession Ceremony
True Blood is a minuscule amount of blood that can only be collected from the very center of the hearts of certain high-level magical beasts.
It is considered a valuable material in various fields, including alchemy, and the True Blood of an S-rank magical beast, in particular, can be traded for hundreds of millions, or even billions, of dollars.
I took the bottle with a trembling hand.
I drew a sharp breath at the heat and the lingering traces of magic I could feel through the glass.
“This is the True Blood of the Vermilion Bird you mentioned.”
“...Are you giving this to me?”
“Of course.”
Whoosh!
Before the duke could change his mind, I quickly tucked the bottle into my coat.
“Of course, this is nothing compared to the debt I owe you. If there’s anything else you desire, feel free to ask.”
“In that case, may I ask for a favor right away?”
It felt a bit like I was jumping at the chance, but Duke Winchester nodded readily.
“Go on.”
“I need a carriage. Do you happen to have a spare one at your estate?”
“...A carriage?”
The duke tilted his head, looking as if he didn't understand.
“I was told that in Korea, you don’t have a culture of using carriages for daily life.”
“I have a separate use for it.”
Naturally, I planned to use it in another world.
Whether it was traveling with Iris to the Santala Kingdom or roaming the Central Plains with Cheon Yeo-hwa, having a proper carriage would make things much easier.
Until now, I had either modified carriages from those worlds or simply run to the next town.
But this wasn't a one- or two-day affair; I couldn't keep traveling like that forever.
“A carriage is hardly a difficult request. I’ll speak to my family’s coachman. It should be ready by tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Still, you are quite a selfless young man. To think your only request is a carriage—”
“Would you mind taking a look at this?”
“...Hm?”
I held out my tablet to the duke.
On the screen was a list of rewards I had prepared.
“...”
“I tried to be as conscientious as possible.”
It included various instruments and materials needed for magic research, as well as rare plants for the new house I would be moving into.
For reference, I had also added about three Mana Trees, which Choi Hyena had offered to get me as a housewarming gift.
“Hoo...”
As the duke slowly scanned the list, the furrows on his brow seemed to grow three times deeper than usual.
For a man with so much wealth, he sure complains a lot.
“By the way, may I ask you something?”
“...What is it?”
I leaned back on the sofa and sipped another elixir the duke had brought.
“That dragon... why did you seal it instead of killing it?”
Delia had told me that Zerkishinia was subjugated by Duke Winchester and Duke of Rutland.
Even if it had lost a wing, if the two of them could defeat it, why had they chosen to seal it fifty years ago?
“...Zerkishinia is a magical beast that regenerates endlessly. The only means to completely sever its regeneration was Excalibur, but the King Arthur of that era had fallen in battle beyond a gate. We had no choice but to seal it.”
“Couldn’t another holy sword have worked?”
England possessed several holy swords besides Excalibur.
Sir Gawain’s Galatine was a prime example.
Known as the sister-sword of Excalibur, it shouldn't have been lacking in performance.
But the duke shook his head firmly.
“The other holy swords were not enough. The same went for the divine power of clerics. That is why Excalibur was so desperately needed.”
“Does it have some kind of special ability?”
I had never seen the status window of the unsealed Excalibur, so I didn't know its exact abilities.
At best, I knew it could create a barrier to protect its user.
“Well, Excalibur has several abilities, but among them is the power to temporarily nullify an opponent’s abilities. That is likely why the beast was unable to regenerate its wing.”
“...”
I was momentarily speechless at the duke’s explanation.
On top of unleashing slashes with absurd power, it could also nullify the abilities of an S-rank boss?
...I’m jealous.
Is this what the wealth gap feels like?
Someone like me had to fight bare-handed because of a useless demonic sword that wouldn't even listen properly. The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.
For the record, Delia had brought me the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword.
Had Duke Winchester picked it up after I left it next to Crow Mask's corpse?
If the church had found it, I would have had a hard time avoiding an inquisition. I was lucky.
“...Um, by the way.”
“Hm?”
“What happened to Zerkishinia’s byproducts?”
It was the corpse of an S-rank boss.
For dragons, in particular, even a single scale was traded at a high price.
Of course, all I did was support Delia, so I wasn't expecting much.
A few organs and scales for my experiments would have been enough.
“They were all disposed of.”
“...What?”
“Surely you knew? Zerkishinia is a magical beast with no salvageable byproducts due to the potent poison flowing through its blood. Its scales and hide are also imbued with a curse, so the cost of removing the curse is double the value of the materials.”
“...”
The duke’s expression was surprisingly nonchalant as he continued with the shocking news.
Faced with this unreasonable reality, I was at a loss for words.
But only for a moment. I calmly took a breath and composed myself.
Considering the rewards I was going to squeeze—no, receive—from the British Royal Family and the duke, this whole affair was by no means a waste.
There was no need to get worked up over every little thing.
Of course, the dragon byproducts were a bit of a shame, but if I thought about it rationally, they were things I could do with or without.
“In any case, you were truly remarkable.”
“What was?”
The duke gave me a meaningful smile.
“A 5th-circle mage who can use Teleport, a spell that only a handful of 6th-circle mages can handle. Who on earth taught you?”
His voice was strangely excited.
As expected of an archmage, he must have figured out what magic I had used just from the lingering traces of mana left at the scene.
“No one really taught me. If I had to say, I’m self-taught.”
“...What?”
It wasn't a lie.
I had grasped the overall concept by reading the book on space magic I planned to give Iris as a gift, and I figured out the general structure and calculation process from the wavelength of the space magic the duke had used at the banquet.
The decisive factor was the space-travel artifact Crow Mask had used.
I referenced the flow of mana from the artifact, and thanks to that, I was able to complete the spell.
Of course, the mana consumption was excessively high, and the calculation process was needlessly complex, leaving dozens of areas for improvement.
It was essentially an incomplete spell.
“...Hyun-woo.”
“Yes?”
“Will you not seriously consider becoming engaged to Ophelia? I will pass on the title of Duke Winchester and the position of the Blue Tower Lord to you.”
The duke’s sudden seriousness made me ask back in disbelief.
“Are you telling me to go get beaten to death by Duke of Rutland?”
“I will handle him somehow.”
“I must respectfully decline.”
Even if he succeeded in persuading Duke of Rutland, if word got out that I was engaged to an eleven-year-old girl, Choi Hyena would surely beat me to death.
“...A pity.”
The duke looked genuinely disappointed.
“On another note, I heard Belmoras executives also appeared in London. What happened to them?”
“Ah, that?”
The duke stroked his beard and gave an awkward smile.
Then he subtly avoided my gaze.
“...They got away.”
“?”
For a moment, a strange silence fell.
“Haha, well, you see. Those fellows used a strange artifact, didn't they? They took advantage of a moment of carelessness and fled.”
“...”
Watching the duke shamelessly try to laugh it off, Kang Hyun-woo had a sincere thought.
I seriously want to rip out all his beard hairs.
“Now, now, the terror attack is over, so why don't we talk about something pleasant? Ah, yes. How does it feel to be a world-class prospect?”
“...”
After a moment of thought, I kicked the duke out.
*
During the London terror attack.
The Belmoras executives, Kargasan and Flema, had succeeded in buying time as originally planned, aided by artifacts and holy relics.
However, in the process, both had sustained fatal injuries.
Just as Duke of Rutland extended his fist toward the near-dead pair—
“...Pardon the intrusion.”
A crack appeared in mid-air, and an unidentified person emerged.
He single-handedly blocked Duke of Rutland’s blow and, even more impressively, did not lose control of his body in the presence of Duke Winchester.
A strange and utterly ominous man.
That was what both dukes thought.
“...Identify yourself.”
At Duke of Rutland’s threat, the man gave a small smile and bowed his head.
“I’m afraid that will be difficult. I ask for your understanding.”
“Then die.”
The words had barely left his mouth when a heavy energy instantly dominated the space.
Duke of Rutland unleashed his killing intent and charged at the man.
CRACK—!!!
But the attack was once again blocked by an opaque barrier.
At the sight, the two dukes felt a sense of bewilderment for the first time in decades.
The man gazed into the air and muttered softly.
“...Sir Tristan has fulfilled his role, so I believe it is time for us to depart.”
Swoosh—
At that moment, the surrounding space began to darken.
Soon, Kargasan and Flema were sucked into the darkness.
The sight was so alien and ominous that it piqued Duke Winchester’s interest.
“...The authority of a demon.”
“The authority of a god, rather. Is it not the privilege of a believer to distinguish between god and demon?”
With those final words, the man vanished along with the darkness that had descended upon London’s sky.
Having let the enemy escape right before his eyes, Duke of Rutland was unable to suppress his rage and began to relentlessly wipe out the undead legions scattered throughout London.
Duke Winchester, on the other hand, quietly looked up at the ominous night sky, lost in deep thought.
The brief peace had come to an end, and an era of turmoil was approaching.
*
On the afternoon of Duke Winchester’s visit, I was discharged from the hospital.
Not long after, a messenger dispatched from the royal family came to see me.
He handed me an invitation.
“...A ball to celebrate the end of the terror attack?”
For a moment, I almost let out a derisive laugh.
If nothing else, one thing was certain: the British Royal Family was out of its mind.
Just three days ago, a massive terror attack across the UK had left countless people dead or injured.
The property damage was snowballing with each passing moment, and recovery efforts were still in full swing.
And they were holding a ball in the midst of all this?
...I thought it was just a few nobles, but is the royal family corrupt as well?
Just as I was scowling at the invitation, a soft hand wrapped around my arm.
It was Delia.
“The Queen must have made this decision for the sake of the citizens. So please, don’t be too angry.”
“A decision for the citizens?”
She was in the same carriage as me, on her way to attend the ball.
Delia was dressed in a pure white gown embroidered with gold thread. Her succession ceremony was scheduled to take place at the ball tonight.
“The Round Table is a spiritual pillar for the citizens of Britain. But the recent terror attack left two seats vacant, didn't it? The Queen’s intention is likely for me to fill that void to alleviate the public’s anxiety, while also encouraging donations from the nobles.”
“Donations?”
“Yes, the balls held at the royal palace often serve as charity events. Especially if the Queen announces her intention to donate first, the other nobles won’t be able to just stand by and do nothing.”
In short, the plan was to cover the reconstruction costs by shaking down the nobles.
It was, admittedly, a rather rational method.
And only then did I understand why Duke Winchester had groaned so much when he saw the list of rewards I had given him.
With his estate half-destroyed by the terror attack and a donation to make at this ball, his finances were likely tight.
Of course, that was none of my business.
After all, worrying about the rich is the most useless worry in the world.
In any case, thanks to Delia, my foul mood had lifted considerably.
I looked away from the invitation.
It was time to focus on what really mattered.
“Lia.”
“?!”
I gently pulled Delia’s waist toward me.
For the waist of a knight who had sliced off a dragon’s wing with a single stroke, it was far too slender.
And soft.
Most of all, the scent that had been tickling my nose was strangely addictive.
“That dress looks good on you.”
For the record, we were the only ones in the carriage.
Which meant there was no need to be self-conscious.
“If you call me Lia right next to my ear...”
Delia’s face turned beet red, as if it might burst at any moment.
But she didn't push me away.
Instead, she subtly leaned against me.
“What’s wrong with Lia? It’s a nickname.”
“A-A nickname...”
In the end, Delia lowered her head in embarrassment.
But the corners of her slightly visible lips were twitching, as if they were about to break into a smile at any moment.
Finding her reaction cute, I stroked her waist and looked out the window.
In the distance, Buckingham Palace was coming into view.