The Viper's Nest
"Where on earth have you two been at this hour of the night?"
Lunia hiccuped at Stern's interrogation. He tapped his index finger against the handle of his cane, clearly displeased.
I racked my brain for an excuse. It would probably be best to say we went out for a night walk to grab some street food.
But that thought lasted only a moment.
"Just in case, I checked with my informants in the capital."
Stern's next words rendered all excuses meaningless.
"I received a report that the two of you were spotted in the Orelion pleasure district."
"..."
So we got caught.
Informants in the capital. As expected of a prestigious magic family, they had eyes and ears everywhere.
When I remained silent, Lunia hastily made an excuse.
"Well, you see, Father... Raygan is an adult now, and since it's his first time in the capital, we just wanted to take a walk together."
"..."
"Really! We didn't do anything bad."
Lunia clung to Stern's arm, her voice laced with a touch of aegyo.
A devastating blow for a doting father like Stern. It seemed to work, as his brow twitched. As Lunia looked up at him with sparkling eyes, Stern let out a deep sigh and waved his hand.
"...Lunia. Go inside first."
"What? But..."
"I said, go inside."
At his firm command, Lunia hesitated before reluctantly walking away. Just before climbing the stairs, she carefully turned her head and asked,
"...What about... Raygan?"
"Raygan and I have things to discuss privately."
Lunia scowled in protest, likely thinking I was going to take the fall because of her.
But Stern's attitude was unyielding, leaving Lunia with no choice but to turn around.
Once the sound of a door closing echoed from the second floor, Stern rose from the sofa. He walked silently to the terrace, gazing out at the scenery.
Orelion was a city that truly deserved the title of the city that never sleeps. Even though it was past midnight, the streets were brightly lit. Stern stared quietly at the night view before speaking.
"My informants shared a few interesting stories with me."
"What were they?"
"First, a story about Lunia wandering through the pleasure district. Second, a rumor about someone winning an astronomical sum of money at the Orelion Casino. And finally..."
Stern leaned his back against the railing and looked straight at me.
"A report that a mage of the Lucen family used magic in the back alleys."
"..."
"Do you have any idea who that might be?"
What should I say?
The man is a monster.
Filtering through vague, scattered pieces of information, he had already arrived at the core truth.
At this point, making excuses would only be a bad move. It was better to just apologize quietly.
"I apologize."
"Impersonating a noble family, especially a prestigious magic family, is a grave crime. If Kaiden found out, he would have done everything in his power to have you killed."
"Does the head of the Lucen family know about this?"
Stern chuckled at my question.
"Of course not. A family with a history as short as Lucen's couldn't possibly have informants stationed in Orelion."
"That is a relief."
"Well, even if he did, he wouldn't dare harm you as long as you are under the protection of the Benheim family."
Contrary to Lunia's worries, Stern did not scold me.
Instead, he let out a heavy sigh and asked,
"Why on earth did you do it?"
"Since you warned me not to cause trouble, I figured that if I had to, it would be better to use another name rather than drag Benheim's reputation into it."
"Aside from the fact that you premised your actions on causing trouble, that is indeed a logical conclusion."
Stern gave a dry laugh, then looked straight into my eyes.
"Raygan, I am truly curious about you."
"..."
"Starting from how you came to possess Benheim's secret treasure, to your unprecedented talent, the Benheim mana cultivation method perfectly tailored to your body, and even your mature personality that belies your age. Raygan... there are far too many mysteries surrounding you."
Stern's faded violet eyes shimmered, reflecting the lights of the capital.
"I am certain you have a secret. And the fact that you keep it to yourself means there must be a good reason for it."
When I didn't respond, Stern's expression softened.
"If you do not wish to speak of it, so be it. However, I must ask for one promise."
"What kind of promise?"
"As the son-in-law of Benheim and Lunia's husband, can you remain our ally for the rest of your life?"
"Of course."
For the rest of my life? I've already died once and still returned to find her.
As I answered without a moment's hesitation, the wrinkles around Stern's eyes crinkled.
"Then that is enough."
Stern turned back to look at the night view.
"Raygan. The reason I accepted you as my son-in-law is because I judged that you possess both the strength and the will to protect Lunia, just as you do now."
"I know."
"As for your visits to the pleasure district and impersonating the Lucen family, I assume you had your reasons. I will not press you further on those matters."
Stern fell silent for a moment. Only when I stepped up to stand beside him on the terrace did he continue.
"...Lunia is the spitting image of her mother."
"...Her mother?"
"Yes. You snuck off to her grave before, so you must know well enough."
"..."
"Lillian. Not just in her looks, but her free-spirited, inquisitive nature is an exact replica."
A flash of longing crossed Stern's eyes.
"Lillian was a commoner, but she was more dignified and radiant than anyone else. Perhaps because her light was too intense, she left my side far too soon."
Lunia's mother had passed away when Lunia was young. Because the family elders opposed her burial in the family mausoleum, she had to be laid to rest in a public cemetery outside the estate.
It was a bitter tale.
"Perhaps that is why. Every time I look at Lunia, I see Lillian. And it terrifies me. I fear that she, too, might shine too brightly and lose her light early, just like her mother."
In my past life, Stern's fears were not unfounded. Ultimately, the Benheim family fell, and the entire continent collapsed like a row of dominoes.
Even now, after regressing, I vividly remembered the sight of Lunia consumed by her obsession with revenge.
"So, Raygan, I ask of you. As the son-in-law of Benheim, please protect Lunia."
"...I will."
"I don't know why, but hearing you say that brings me immense peace of mind."
Stern chuckled dryly.
"In any case, for the bright future of Lunia and Benheim, we must discuss the upcoming Congress."
The Congress.
It seemed this was the real reason Stern wanted to speak with me in private.
"As you know, I visited the Imperial Magic Tower with my son today. And I happened to run into the head of the Airid family."
"The head of... Airid."
"Yes. His condition was highly unusual. His complexion was as pale as a corpse. Just last year, his silver hair was full of life, but now it has turned into a dry, brittle white."
Stern stroked his chin with a troubled expression.
"While I cannot be certain if the rumors of the Black Plague are true, it is clear that something has happened to the Airid family. And it likely has some connection to the incident in Rodel."
"I agree."
I nodded.
Usephin, the heir of Airid, being found in a black mage's den. The rapid aging of the family head. And the hereditary disease known as the Black Plague.
Every piece of evidence pointed to a crisis looming over the Airid family.
In the worst-case scenario, that crisis might have originated from the Archduke of Demonic Magic.
As I fell into deep thought, Stern turned to face me.
"Raygan, how much do you know about the prestigious magic families?"
"Yes. I have a general understanding."
"A general understanding is not enough. You are to attend the Congress. Therefore, you must know more details about the five families that form the backbone of the Great Magic Alliance."
I recalled the five prestigious magic families. Along with what Lunia had explained to me in my past life, I had also gathered knowledge while living under Benheim's roof in this life.
The Great Magic Alliance was a coalition of various magic families within the empire.
The five largest pillars among them were referred to as the prestigious magic families.
Benheim of Runes.
Lucen of Sword Creation.
Airid of Spectrum.
And...
"Arkamen of Tool Refining and Maelrn of Spirit Binding. These are the five families that anchor the Great Magic Alliance."
Stern counted them off on his fingers as he spoke.
"First, you have direct experience with Benheim of Runes and Lucen of Sword Creation, so you know them well. In fact, you've even mastered and used Sword Creation Magic yourself."
"That is true."
"And you must have heard about Airid of Spectrum in Rodel six months ago."
"...I understand they use a unique magic formula that splits the mana within their bodies into colors and combines them."
Just hearing about it didn't give me a clear picture. If I could see it in person, perhaps I could copy it.
Since I also had the prism given to me as a gift by the Airid family, I might be able to grasp the structure of Spectrum Magic if given the chance.
"Next is Arkamen. They are a rather unusual family."
"In what way?"
"Unlike other magic families, Arkamen does not possess a unique magic formula."
A unique magic formula was the core element that distinguished a prestigious family's mages from ordinary ones.
Rising to the ranks of the prestigious magic families without such a secret technique meant there had to be a compelling reason.
"The mages of Arkamen are not pure spellcasters. They are closer to blacksmiths, alchemists, and engineers."
In fact, I had heard the name Arkamen quite often during my mercenary days, long before I met Lunia in my past life.
That was because obtaining a weapon or armor crafted by Arkamen was the ultimate dream for any prominent mercenary.
The spaulders I wore in my past life had been crafted by Arkamen. I remembered them being incredibly light and sturdy compared to ordinary armor, serving me well.
"Since Arkamen is the most open and amicable among the prestigious families, there is no benefit in making an enemy of them."
In short, there's no need to be overly wary of them.
As I nodded, Stern continued.
"Finally, Maelrn of Spirit Binding. They are masters of spirit magic."
"Oh..."
Spirit magic.
I had encountered several mages who commanded spirits in my past life.
Because spirit magic consumed less mana than standard elemental magic and offered superior flexibility, the spirit summoners I met on the battlefield were either reliable allies or highly troublesome foes.
"However, Maelrn's unique magic formula is fundamentally different from ordinary spirit magic. True to its name, it is called Spirit Binding. Instead of simply summoning a spirit and forming a contract on equal terms, they forcibly bind the spirit to serve as their thrall. Since its structure is entirely different from conventional spirit magic, it is more than worthy of being called a unique magic formula."
"How intriguing."
Forcibly enslaving spirits.
Putting aside whether such a thing was even possible.
"But it sounds somewhat similar to black magic."
"Haha. Yes, I understand your concern. However, Maelrn is a family far removed from black magic. Since their history is as long as Airid's and Benheim's, there is no doubt about their purity."
Stern spoke to reassure me, but wasn't there a possibility that even the ancient Airid family had colluded with black mages?
There was no guarantee that Maelrn wouldn't do the same.
If they attended the Congress, I would need to keep a close eye on Maelrn as well.
Perhaps my thoughts showed on my face, as Stern spoke up.
"Raygan, I understand your curiosity, but do not think of associating with Maelrn."
"Why is that?"
"Maelrn is a highly reclusive and exclusive family. They rarely show themselves outside of the Congress. To put it nicely, they are mysterious; to put it bluntly, they possess a strong sense of elitism."
Then how did the reclusive Maelrn family end up annihilated by the Archduke of Demonic Magic in my past life?
Lunia hadn't explained that part to me.
Perhaps their isolation had left them vulnerable to being picked off one by one.
"In any case, with these five families and the Imperial Magic Academy, a total of six organizations form the core of the Great Magic Alliance. Other minor magic families will attend, but they will have almost no say."
"...So it is a structure where only the powerful have a voice."
"Astute."
Stern nodded with a bitter smile at my remark.
"It is exactly as you say, Raygan. They call it the Great Magic Alliance, but in reality, it is a den of jackals eager to check and tear each other apart. Not many families will readily agree to Benheim's proposals at this Congress."
Hearing Stern's explanation, the Great Magic Alliance was practically a battlefield ruled by the law of the jungle.
"So keep this in mind."
Stern gripped my shoulder, his hand tightening.
"This Congress will not be a noble gathering to condemn black mages and discuss continental peace. Rather, it will be a viper's nest tangled with the conflicting interests of the five families. Therefore, you must use those eyes of yours to discern what will benefit Benheim and what will harm us."
"Yes. I will keep that in mind."
I knew that all too well, even without him telling me.
This Congress.
I had to catch the tail of the Archduke of Demonic Magic, no matter what.