Chapter 107

Nothing less than eleven members of royalty and nobility had been murdered.

An event that could not, and should not, be overlooked.

The entire schedule of the Continental Conference, the largest event on the continent after the Empire’s Founding Day, was suspended.

“Hail the Duke!”

“Hail the Duke!”

Aware of the gravity of the matter, the lord of Vienderk himself appeared in Valerich, accompanied by hundreds of troops.

Duke Gransis Vienderk was a man of imposing presence. His face was completely clean-shaven, and his eyes were sharp. His hair, slicked back to reveal his forehead, was the same dark blue as Rosalia’s, and his deep brown eyes made it impossible to read his thoughts.

“I deeply regret the unfortunate incident that occurred here in Valerich. Regarding this matter…”

In a speech at the banquet hall, he publicly declared three points.

1. He would take responsibility and find the culprit.

2. The entire investigation process would be transparent.

3. There would be appropriate compensation for the deceased.

It was the best he could offer immediately. At the same time, Vienderk’s forces mobilized to track down the killers.

After calming public opinion, Duke Gransis’s next move was to visit a hotel.

“It’s been a while, Rosalia.”

Specifically, to see his daughter, who was staying there.

“It’s been a while, Father.”

Rosalia responded without emotion.

“I heard you’ll be presenting your research at the conference.”

“Yes.”

“What happened must be a great inconvenience.”

“Yes. I just hope it’s resolved quickly and the conference can proceed.”

“To meet those expectations, we’ll have to work even harder.”

“Is that even possible?”

In response to his daughter’s doubt, the duke gave a faint smile.

“Seems you’ve forgotten who I am after spending so much time away.”

“Eleven people died.”

“Even if twice that number had died, it would be no problem.”

“You say that, but you’re furious.”

“They’re bastards who ruined a Vienderk event. As lord of these lands, how could I not be furious?”

However, he showed nothing outwardly. Always calm, yet with a hidden edge—that was Duke Gransis.

“I have high hopes for your presentation.”

“Is there a reason for that?”

“Because it will be Vienderk’s. I’ve also waited for the moment you’d honor the family name.”

Rosalia only let out a sarcastic laugh. The duke showed no displeasure and stood up.

“I must go. Affairs are urgent and I can’t indulge in this reunion much, but once everything is over, we’ll meet again.”

After leaving Rosalia’s room, the duke didn’t head outside, but to the adjacent room.

Knock knock—

The door opened.

“Fernan Pellenberg.”

“…Greetings, Your Grace.”

Fernan bowed his head.

“May I come in for a moment?”

“Of course. It’s not a worthy place, but please enter.”

“Wouldn’t that be admitting that Vienderk poorly manages its hotels?”

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I was joking.”

The duke sat casually on the sofa.

“Tea?”

“No need. I’ve heard you took good care of Rosalia.”

“How could I possibly care for the professor? If anything, it was the opposite.”

“Rosalia isn’t someone who takes care of others.”

Fernan remained silent. It was true, but he couldn’t speak ill of her in front of her father.

“I know you helped a lot with her research. I’m grateful.”

“We only helped each other because we both needed it.”

“And that makes it all the more valuable. You helped her without expecting anything in return.”

Nothing in return? Fernan sensed the choice of words was too deliberate to be a mistake.

“It was an investment. No need for thanks.”

“Regardless of the intention, as a father, I must thank you for helping my daughter. Ah, you know something? I had a younger brother.”

Of course, he knew.

“As a child, I adored him. He was so lovable, always following me and asking to play. We were close.”

That brother, Owain Vienderk, was fairly well known.

“If he wanted something, I gave it to him. It didn’t bother me; he was my only brother. I shared with him, gave him what he asked for.”

“…”

“But at some point, he crossed the line.”

From beloved little brother, he became a rival for the family headship.

“I gave him one and he asked for two, gave two and he wanted four. That I could still bear. But when four became eight, and eight sixteen, I couldn’t allow it anymore.”

Now, that brother lived in ruin, under the family’s strict watch, as a defeated man.

“He didn’t know moderation. Only then did I realize how greedy he was.”

The duke looked at him with snake-like eyes. After that, he fell silent. The silence weighed on Fernan.

“I’ve strayed. What I wanted to say is—yes, you probably already know.”

The duke smiled.

“Rosalia’s research received an initial investment from us.”

He gently touched Fernan’s shoulder and left, followed by his guard.

“Remember it well.”

Duke Gransis disappeared.

“…Does he take me for an idiot?”

Fernan dropped onto the sofa, letting out a dry laugh.

Bragging about minimal early support and using it as an excuse to claim rights?

Only Vienderk could pull something like that. A move Rosalia, as a daughter of that house, couldn’t reject.

They had the legitimacy and, beyond that, they weren’t afraid of Pellenberg.

But that was mutual.

“How ridiculous.”

Pellenberg wasn’t afraid of Vienderk either.

The problem lay elsewhere.

“I doubt that was the only reason…”

And the duke knew it too—he definitely knew.

This was bait. The question was what he was really after.

‘As if I didn’t already have enough to worry about… damn it.’

Fernan rubbed his temples.

***

The search for culprits by Vienderk had begun.

They pointed to the corrupt as those responsible for what had happened.

It was an obvious deduction.

No one in the Empire had any reason to cause such chaos within Vienderk’s territory.

The same applied to the other kingdoms. Among the dead, there was no common link except for being nobles or members of royalty.

It had been an indiscriminate killing, and if it wasn’t the work of the corrupt, there was no other justification.

The duke first ordered an investigation into people close to the victims, as well as tracking their recent activities and monitoring everyone they had come into contact with.

Since some of the victims were of royal blood, the city hall building—where the conference was originally to be held—was transformed into temporary lodging to confine them there.

“What a situation…”

“We came to enjoy a festival and ended up in this?”

“I came for business, and now they’ve got me detained. Of course, we can’t exactly refuse to cooperate in a situation like this…”

“Vienderk promised to compensate us for the lost time.”

“They must regret it too. Of all times, the damned corrupt had to attack now.”

That’s how they gathered around five hundred people. Anyone who could be even slightly connected had been dragged there.

Afterward, the duke requested support from the Cult of the Dragon God, and they accepted.

They didn’t have to look far—there were already about a dozen priests present for the continental conference.

Just before they intervened, Fernan quietly approached.

“It’s been a while, young master Fernan. I’ve heard our saint owes you a great deal.”

The man leading the priests was Cardinal Gailand Pitra.

He had graying hair and beard, deep wrinkles, and a slightly hunched back. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary old man—except for his gaze. His eyes fixed on Fernan with an almost sickly gleam.

Not just him—the pope and much of the Cult treated Fernan with that same reverence.

After all, the Pellenbergs were the Cult’s greatest patrons and clients.

“It has been a while, Cardinal Gailand. Don’t say that—I’m the one indebted to you. Though I didn’t expect you to come in person.”

“The continental conference is the celebration of all magicians, don’t you think? I came to enjoy it as well, but I never imagined something like this would happen.”

“Not even the corrupt expected it. Right now, they must be trembling.”

Fernan was relieved that it was him who had come.

‘What a relief. If it had been Cardinal Alby or Cardinal Bador, Aint might not have had a chance to act.’

After all, everyone in the Cult was a magic fanatic, and Gailand, as a cardinal, was far from weak.

But everything depended on perspective.

“And what brings this up, young master?”

“I heard Vienderk asked the Cult for help locating the corrupt.”

“That’s correct.”

“Would it be possible for me to assist as well?”

“You? In the investigation? But young master Fernan, you’re no longer a suspect.”

“I wouldn’t go as a suspect. And I wouldn’t go alone—I’d like Aint to be with me.”

The cardinal’s expression changed.

“Young Aint is here?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve heard much about him from our saint.”

He meant Jace.

“Really?”

“Yes. He said, ‘Aint Armian has regained considerable power; he could be the central figure if a war against the demons breaks out.’”

Gailand nodded.

“Very well. I don’t know what you’re planning, but if the saint spoke so highly of him, Aint will be of great help in locating the corrupt.”

“Thank you for accepting such a bold request.”

“Besides, I suppose you won’t put us in a difficult position, right?”

“Of course not.”

The cardinal smiled slyly and added.

“Although, truthfully, even if you do cause some trouble, it doesn’t really matter. I know you’ll compensate any loss many times over, right?”

‘Greedy leeches—and they still say they don’t know what I’m after.’

Inwardly, Fernan muttered curses, but outwardly, he returned a polite smile.

“Of course. After all, we’re old friends.”

And among friends, there shouldn’t be any distinction between what’s yours and what’s mine.

‘Sorry, but the credit for catching the corrupt won’t go to the Cult—it’ll go to Aint Armian.’

‘The worst-case scenario is that the corrupt have already escaped the city…’

Even though Vienderk’s soldiers were checking entry and exit logs and tracking anyone who had left the city up to three days before the attack, any makeshift perimeter would still have holes.

‘For now, I can only trust Vienderk.’

Among those detained, at least one corrupt had to be there.

‘Just one. As long as you find even one, Aint…’

Then Fernan could deliberately turn him into a hero.

The rise of Armian was just beginning.

And the parasites who wanted to suck gold from that rise, let them—at the end of the day, that’s all they’d be.