A Father's Desperation and a Blacksmith's Deal
In the end, the first day of the council concluded without any real progress.
The council was scheduled to last for five days. During that time, each family would undoubtedly busy themselves behind the scenes, trying to align their interests.
Sure enough, before returning to their quarters after the meeting adjourned, the mages gathered in small groups, chatting and catching up.
Lunia, perhaps worried about Petra whom she had met before, headed toward the Lucen mages, while Stern approached the president of the Imperial Magic Academy to speak with him in private.
Amidst the bustling crowd, someone approached me.
"Are you Raygan of Benheim?"
An old man with a full head of white hair stood before me.
It was Count Oswald Airid, the head of the Airid family.
"I have come to offer my thanks. Things were too chaotic back then for us to meet face-to-face."
Oswald placed a hand on the head of his daughter, Yusefin, who stood behind him.
Yusefin stared blankly at my face for a moment before giving a silent, polite bow.
"I express my deepest gratitude for saving my daughter. House Airid will not forget the grace you have shown us."
I nodded, taking the opportunity to examine the physical condition of both Oswald and Yusefin.
A 7th-circle and a 3rd-circle mage, respectively.
Oswald, in particular, was an archmage of outstanding achievement, his level seemingly on par with Stern's. Indeed, if one had to name the two most influential families among the great magic houses, it would undoubtedly be Benheim and Airid. It was only natural that the head of House Airid possessed such formidable power.
Yet, despite his high circle, Oswald's complexion was terrible.
His skin was deathly pale, his hair completely white, and the mana radiating from his body felt turbid and unstable.
Above all, a sinister, insidious energy was flowing through his entire mana circuit.
My expression hardened instinctively.
It was a familiar energy.
"...May I ask you something?"
"If you intend to pry into the internal affairs of House Airid, I must decline in advance."
Oswald drew a firm line, as if he had already read my intentions. But I pressed on regardless.
"I heard a contagious disease called the Black Sickness is spreading within your family. Is this an illness that existed in the past? If it's a recent outbreak, when exactly did it start?"
"Did you not hear what I just said?"
"I heard you. And I asked anyway. This is a crucial matter, so please answer me."
At my blunt demand, Oswald's face contorted with anger.
"You do not even share a drop of Benheim blood, yet your meddlesome nature rivals that of Stern himself."
Oswald looked down at me with clear displeasure and continued.
"Raygan von Benheim, do not misunderstand. The only reason a man of my standing deigns to speak with a lowborn wretch like you is out of respect for the service you rendered my daughter. It is not because House Airid owes you anything. Furthermore, the only reason you are not dead where you stand is not because of your own worth, but because of the weight of the Benheim name behind you. Keep that in mind."
"I might be able to cure that sickness."
"Silence. Utter one more word, and this will escalate into a conflict between our families."
Oswald threatened, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. But I couldn't back down here.
"Stop it."
Despite Yusefin's quiet warning, I opened my mouth.
"I have seen that disease before—"
"Hey, Raygan! What do you think you're doing?!"
Before I could finish my sentence, someone rushed over and grabbed my arm.
It was Arno.
"Are you insane? Didn't you hear Father tell you not to cause any trouble?"
"I heard him."
"If you heard him, why are you picking a fight with the head of House Airid?!"
I wanted to argue that I hadn't been picking a fight at all, but rather trying to help, but Arno clearly had no intention of listening.
"Use your head! If the Lord of Airid hadn't shown restraint, you would have been torn limb from limb with a single flick of his finger!"
"I highly doubt that."
We were in the council hall, after all. No matter how short-tempered Oswald Airid might be, he wouldn't dare use force in a place like this. Besides, judging by his physical state, he wasn't even in any condition to cast high-tier magic. That was why I had taken the gamble.
But Arno, completely unaware of the situation, dragged me away while breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Y-You... From now on, you stay glued to my side. I'm going to watch you to make sure you don't do anything stupid."
"Tsk. Well, if my little brother-in-law insists, I suppose I have no choice."
"Who are you calling your little brother?!"
Arno yelled, his face flushing.
Paying him little mind, I glanced back toward Oswald. He was already leading his daughter out of the hall, but just then, Yusefin turned her head to look at me.
When our eyes met, she silently mouthed a single word.
'Sorry.'
Just a single, silent word.
A smirk slipped onto my face. At least the daughter had better manners than her father.
In any case, that brief encounter had allowed me to grasp the nature of House Airid's problem. I had even begun to piece together a potential solution.
'...To think they've already made their move this far.'
The Black Sickness.
When I had only heard rumors, its true nature had been unclear. But seeing a patient with my own eyes made everything crystal clear.
The cause of the Black Sickness was...
"My, the son-in-law of Benheim is quite the bold one, isn't he?"
A cheerful voice interrupted my thoughts.
Turning toward the source, I saw Iline Arkamen, the head of the Arkamen family.
"O-Oh... Lady Iline?"
Arno brightened, clearly recognizing her. Iline greeted him with equal familiarity.
"My, look how much you've grown, Arno! I heard you reached the 4th circle? This big sister doesn't have much to offer, but how about I forge a staff for you?"
"A-Ah, no, thank you. I'm fine."
Arno scratched his head, looking bashful.
"Arno, are you close with Lady Iline?"
"Of course. Lady Iline visits Benheim at least once every two or three years. Besides, House Arkamen maintains friendly relations with all the magic families."
It was just as Arno said.
The Arkamen elders standing behind Iline all possessed gentle, benevolent expressions, and their conversations with the surrounding mages carried a warm, amicable atmosphere.
Compared to the tense, cutthroat vibes of the other four great magic families, their house was remarkably social and open.
"Anyway, kiddo. Would you mind keeping me company for a bit?"
It seemed Iline had taken a keen interest in me.
"What is this about?"
"It'll only take a moment. There's a private room over there. Why don't we have a little chat?"
Iline pulled my arm with a playful grin. Just then, Stern, having finished his conversation with the president, approached us.
"Lady Iline. I hate to disappoint you, but Raygan is Benheim's son-in-law. His partner is already decided, so I must ask you to refrain from any inappropriate advances."
"Oh, my. How scandalous! What do you take me for? I have absolutely no interest in a greenhorn ten years younger than me. Well, to be precise, I am interested in his body—if you count the mana core beneath his skin as part of it."
"...Of course. A sparrow can never resist a grain of wheat."
Stern wore an expression that said he had expected nothing less.
It seemed Iline's interest in me stemmed entirely from my mana core. Even to a genius blacksmith and alchemist like the head of House Arkamen, my atypical core must have looked incredibly peculiar.
"So, what do you say? Will you let me study your mana core? From what I can see, its structure completely defies conventional common sense. If I can analyze it, I might be able to develop a brand-new power source for magic engineering."
Her eyes sparkled with intense passion as the words tumbled out. It was precisely this obsessive devotion to her craft that had allowed her to become the head of her family.
I pondered for a moment, then looked Iline in the eye.
"In that case, Lady Iline, would you like to make a deal with me?"
"Ahaha! A deal? That is House Arkamen's absolute favorite word. After all, a good deal always brings a worthy reward."
Iline flashed a sly smile, forming a circle with her thumb and index finger to represent money.
"So, kiddo, what are the terms of this deal of yours?"
"I will allow you to study my mana core to your heart's content. In exchange, I want you to align with Benheim during this council."
Hearing this, Stern let out a dry chuckle, while Iline's eyes widened in surprise.
"Hmm... By aligning, do you mean Arkamen should support Benheim's agenda?"
"Precisely. Didn't you say earlier that you didn't care either way? If so, it shouldn't matter to you if you vote in our favor. Simply by supporting an agenda you have no stakes in, you gain the exclusive privilege of researching my body."
I spread my arms wide as I spoke.
Iline burst into a hearty laugh at my display, then turned to Stern.
"My goodness, old man. Where on earth did you find such a shrewd little rascal?"
"I ask myself the same question. He never ceases to amaze me."
"Hmm..."
Iline appeared to ponder for a brief moment before extending her hand.
"To be honest, there isn't much I can decide entirely on my own as the head... but well, why not? Let's say yes for now."
I took her hand.
The deal was struck.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
In a private room behind the council hall.
Iline Arkamen observed the gray-haired youth before her with intrigued eyes.
'Raygan von Benheim...'
She had kept her eye on him from the moment they first met. The reason, of course, was Benheim's unprecedented move of taking in a commoner mage as their son-in-law.
As if to justify their choice, Raygan's mana core was not just unusual—it was downright alien.
Yet, his core was not the only peculiar thing about him.
'What a bizarre child.'
Ever since they were in the council hall, Iline had been closely watching where Raygan directed his gaze. He had been paying precise attention to Lucen and Airid.
He had glanced at Maelrn as well, but seemingly realizing they posed no threat to Benheim, he had instantly lost interest.
Whether Stern had tipped him off or not, it meant Raygan instinctively knew exactly who to watch out for in this hall.
And finally...
'Does he have some kind of personal grudge against the Imperial Magic Academy?'
Iline was far too sharp to miss the blatant hostility in his eyes when he glared at the chief investigator.
For the mere son-in-law of a noble house to harbor such animosity toward an investigator on the imperial payroll...
'How fascinating.'
He was truly an intriguing youth.
More than just researching his mana core, she found herself wanting to keep him close and unravel his secrets.
It was almost a pity she couldn't.
"Alright. Shall we start by checking your physical condition?"
Iline hummed a cheerful tune as she pulled a large apparatus from her travel pack.
"What is that?"
Raygan asked, frowning.
"A mana scanner. It's incredibly expensive, so don't break it, okay?"
"A scanner?"
"Yes. I'm going to use this to measure your mana core with extreme precision. I want to map out its structure like a blueprint. I'm hoping I can use that design to create some new magic tools."
As Iline brought the scanner closer, Raygan shook his head.
"There's no need for that."
"No need? Why? Are you shy? You don't have to take your clothes off, you know."
"No, it's just that using a machine is unnecessary. Could you give me a sheet of paper?"
"Paper?"
Raygan picked up a pen and immediately began sketching something on the spot.
His hand moved without a single moment of hesitation.
A moment later, he handed over the paper, which featured what looked like a crude scribble.
"...Is this what you need?"
"Huh?"
Taking the paper, Iline's jaw dropped.
She had thought it was a mere scribble, but it wasn't.
This was a blueprint.
Though it appeared rough at a glance, it was a comprehensive schematic containing all the vital information—the circulation path of the mana, the principles of the barrier walls, and even the exact positioning of the core.
"...Did you... just draw this right now, off the top of your head?"
"Yes, well... If it's too difficult to understand, I can explain it to you verbally."
"No... There's absolutely... no need for that."
Iline shook her head slowly as she stared at the schematic.
While outstanding mages were capable of deep internal meditation to perceive their own bodies, none of them could draw a blueprint of this precision.
It was only natural. Humans could not physically look inside their own organs. Mages were no different; they merely felt the sensation of mana flowing through their cores. They did not truly know how their mana circuits were intertwined, how they circulated, or precisely when they amplified.
Yet, this youth had mapped out his own internal structure as perfectly as if he had disassembled a machine and laid out its parts.
This was a realm that could not be explained simply by having good intuition.
"How... did you do this?"
Iline's gaze turned dead serious.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Yusefin."
In the lodgings where House Airid was staying near the council hall.
Oswald Airid looked down at his daughter's pale face as she lay in bed.
"How do you feel?"
"I'm fine, Father."
Yusefin answered weakly.
But contrary to her words, beads of cold sweat were forming on her forehead.
The Grand Magic Alliance Council had dragged on for hours. On top of that, she had been forced to participate in the social gatherings afterward, causing her physical condition to deteriorate rapidly.
"Hold on. I will prepare the medicine."
Oswald pulled a small box from his robes.
Inside the box was a syringe filled with a dark red liquid.
"..."
Oswald hesitated for a brief moment before bringing the needle to Yusefin's thin arm.
It was an injection to halt the progression of the Black Sickness.
An item obtained through a secret deal with black mages.
It was not a complete cure. It couldn't prolong her life indefinitely. But for now, buying time was enough.
The dishonor of colluding with black mages was of no consequence compared to his daughter's life.
"..."
Not long after the medicine was injected, Yusefin leaned back against the bed, her breathing noticeably easier.
Oswald stroked her hair gently.
"...Do not worry."
Even if it cost him his life.
He would save this precious, fragile life.
Yusefin merely nodded, her face expressionless as always—neither smiling nor crying.
"...Yes."
For Oswald, that was enough.