Chapter 41

“My father has decided to accept your condition.”

There was no need to wait long for a response. At most, a day.

“Really?”

“And that face—after you were the one who requested it?”

“…”

He knew very well how excessive and even rude his demand had been. That’s why, in part, he had expected Marquis Fridian to be angry and refuse.

Even if things were handled carefully, problems would remain. And if they escalated, it could become a conflict between families. Still, that was preferable.

At least, better than watching Fernan fall under suspicion of being allied with the corrupted.

‘Honestly, that would’ve been the best-case scenario.’

If it were like other prophecies—where the outcome was clear—it would’ve been easy to act. But this time was different.

When, where, how, and exactly what would happen… He knew nothing beyond that something would.

When a storm brews, the wise step aside. But it seemed fate wouldn’t allow him that luxury this time.

“…Thank you for agreeing to such an excessive request.”

“My father thinks highly of you.”

Of the Pellenberg family, more likely.

‘Or perhaps the breath of the corrupted has already infiltrated.’

If trouble occurred without any clear signs, it could only mean one thing: something hidden was behind it.

And that suggested an inside accomplice.

‘How far have those bastards infiltrated?’

It wasn’t just one thing he had to watch out for.

‘And what if Aria Fridian…?’

After all, she had been the one who proposed assigning him to the task.

No… It couldn’t be. Aria Fridian was marked in the prophecy book as an ally of Aint. She couldn’t be on the enemy’s side.

‘But you can never be completely certain about anything.’

Fernan changed the subject as he considered his own contingencies.

“Then, when exactly are we leaving?”

“In six days. You said one week yesterday, so it’s the minimum.”

“Not bad.”

He would have preferred sooner, of course, but a week was still a good advancement.

“Still… was all this really necessary?”

“Yes.”

“And why?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“I disagree.”

Aria shook her head.

“Since your request was accepted, the commission proceeds as usual, and that makes me the client. In that case, there should be no secrets about the job, right?”

“The client is Marquis Fridian, not you.”

He hadn’t signed any contract with Aria, and the contract issued through her father stated the same.

“But I’m his representative.”

“Proof?”

“…Blood?”

“Bring me concrete proof that you’re his representative. Then maybe we’ll talk.”

Fernan stood up.

“Wait! Where are you going?”

“To prepare the caravan, of course. You think an operation like this doesn’t require groundwork?”

“Shouldn’t we just hop on the carriage and go?”

If there were no corrupted involved, maybe.

Fernan didn’t respond and left the room. But he wasn’t alone.

“What now?”

“I might not be listed as the representative, but it’s obvious I’m part of the Fridian family, isn’t it?”

Not a bad point. No one is more connected to a family than its blood.

“Therefore, I think I have the right to oversee caravan preparations.”

“You want to follow me around?”

“In plain terms, yes.”

“……”

Fernan wondered if he could ditch Aria by making a bold escape.

‘Impossible.’

She was an elf, and superior in both speed and agility. He could try to throw her off with artifacts, but it would be a waste to use them for that.

‘All I’m picking up at the academy branch are potions and basic consumables.’

He doubted Aria was connected to the corrupted. Either way, the important things were already entrusted to Hyde.

“Do what you want.”

“Thanks. Shall we? Where do we start?”

Aria smiled radiantly.

That forced expression drew a twinge of pity.

‘Well, if a new stone wants to push out the one that’s already wedged in, it has to work hard.’

It wasn’t like rushing around like that would earn her connections or recognition from the heirs of the other prince-elector families.

‘Don’t tell me that’s why she sided with the corrupted?’

He had no intention of insulting someone who was at least sincerely trying.

“Oh, by the way, I heard something happened at the Yacht Club. Aint received an invitation. Think I could get one too?”

“Keep dreaming.”

Or maybe she did deserve a little disdain.

***

Time flew by.

Since there wasn’t a direct transport circle to Fridian territory, Fernan departed four days early with Hyde and Aria.

The journey wasn’t particularly long. There was a transport circle in a nearby city, so they transferred there and walked to the marquis’s residence.

It took them three days. They reached the main city of the territory just one day before the caravan’s scheduled departure.

“I must also report to my father. Once we arrive at the castle, I’ll send escorts. If something were to happen to you in our territory, it would be quite problematic for us.”

Though unnecessary, it was a courtesy. Being on foreign soil, he had no choice but to accept it.

“That’s fine.”

Before going to the castle, Fernan headed first to the Golden Turtle Guild branch.

“Welcome, young master.”

The branch head, a man with a flawless mustache, greeted him politely.

“Is everything ready?”

“All prepared. The only inconvenience is the lack of good resting spots along the route, but fortunately your lordship intervened.”

“That’s good.”

Fernan inspected the supplies loaded in the carriages—ten vehicles filled with cargo. Nothing to scoff at.

‘So the World Tree sprout is in one of these.’

“Which one?”

“The fourth carriage.”

“Who else knows?”

“Only me and a few high-ranking guild officials.”

Since they couldn’t use teleportation circles, the schedule was tight.

They had to cross two territories from Fridian’s main city to Kaid Port, then sail to the academy. A journey of two to three weeks.

‘Even without the World Tree, we wouldn’t have used a teleport circle anyway.’

Transporting this much would cost a fortune in magic stones. A financial mistake. No merchant would do it.

“Hyde, has my father responded?”

“Yes. Our warships are heading to Kaid. They’ll receive the cargo along the way.”

“Perfect.”

Just as he finished verifying everything, escorts from the castle arrived.

“Young master Fernan Pellenberg. We’re sent by the marquis.”

“We’ll escort you.”

Ten elves, all with cold expressions and impeccable postures. None looked weak.

“Let’s go.”

It was time to meet Marquis Fridian.

***

The House of Marquis Fridian.

Though long established in the southern continent, they were originally not part of the Empire.

They were the former royal family of Elven—the kingdom of elves.

A lineage that revered the sacred World Tree and ruled the forests.

Fridian territory, as if not forgetting its past, looked clearly different from the rest of the Empire’s domains.

‘More than history—it’s a matter of racial identity.’

A forest-woven city, pointed ears, and even from afar the World Tree was visible.

He’d heard that spirits wandered there, but Fernan, with his weak spiritual affinity, couldn’t see any.

“Welcome.”

Marquis Fridian was an elf of youthful appearance. Though elves lived about as long as humans, their features remained young much longer—so it was unsurprising.

With similar hair color, he looked more like Aria’s brother than her father.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Marquis. I’m Fernan Pellenberg, responsible for this caravan.”

“I know. I’m the one who asked for you, so of course I know who you are.”

He laughed heartily—somewhat at odds with his appearance. Not a bad impression overall.

Fernan had expected him to be upset about the abrupt schedule change.

It had to be one of two things: either he was genuinely kind, or what mattered wasn’t the schedule—it was that Fernan himself was responsible.

“I’ve had a meal prepared. Aria told me you hadn’t had lunch yet.”

“Much appreciated.”

In the grand hall were only Marquis Freid Fridian, his wife, daughter Aria, Fernan, and Hyde.

“Do you like it?”

As he lightly cut his steak, Fernan replied:

“Yes. Now I understand why elven cuisine is said to be so refined.”

“Elves do appreciate fine dining.”

Marquis Freid smiled with satisfaction.

“Don’t you wonder why I asked for you specifically?”

“Aria gave me a basic explanation. Isn’t that it?”

“Of course not. Having you in charge does involve the Pellenbergs more, but even without that, I couldn’t take it lightly, could I?”

And that was true.

Even setting aside their status as prince-electors, the Fridian family was powerful and wealthy in their own right.

As long as they paid the price, the Golden Turtle Guild would do its best.

“So what do you want, then?”

“Just as I’m asking… have you considered getting engaged to Aria?”

“I refuse.”

Fernan replied instantly, without a shred of hesitation.

Even though the Fridians had gained a prince-elector seat and had the support of all the Empire’s elves, Fernan wasn’t about to tie himself to a political marriage.

From the beginning, he had better options than Fridian.

“Hmm, was I too blunt?”

“Yes. You were.”

“I see.”

The marquis let it go easily.

Neither his wife nor Aria reacted—they just continued eating. And the marquis shifted topics naturally.

“Then let’s talk business. I already spoke to the branch head, but since you changed the schedule, I want to hear the details directly.”

“Yes, I was just about to bring that up…”

And until the meal ended, not once did the marquis ask why Fernan had brought the departure forward.

***

“It’s a letter from the young master.”

The duke slowly read the letter, written in neat handwriting.

“I’m glad to hear everything went well. Proceed as planned.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And what do you think?”

“I don’t believe the young master has any reason to lie.”

“I think the same.”

They had already received the second piece of evidence at the estate.

The two corrupted individuals who attempted to assassinate Aint Armian.

After confirming that those corrupted had infiltrated the Golden Turtle Guild as members, the duke understood they were trying to drag the Pellenbergs into the mire.

“Those insects dare…!”

A thousand years was a long time.

Long enough for humans to forget the existence of demons, and for even the prince-electors to forget the fear they once inspired.

“It’s absurd that we failed to notice how many corrupted had hidden themselves within the family and the guild.”

The duke let out a bitter smile. It was, without a doubt, a personal failure.

“And the Dragon God Cult?”

“They said they’ll deliver what was promised shortly. They’re aware of the corrupted too, so it was easy to negotiate with them.”

Once the supplies from the Dragon God Cult arrived, they would begin a thorough search for the corrupted infiltrators within the family.

Of course, they couldn’t do it openly.

The fact that no one knew the corrupted had begun acting again was precisely their greatest strength. And the opposite applied as well.

Believing they hadn’t been discovered… That false sense of security was one of the two most powerful weapons the Pellenbergs had right now. The first, of course, was money.

“For now, comply with all of Fernan’s requests.”

“Yes. We’ll do everything we can.”

Tap, tap.

Even so, the duke tapped his fingers on the desk as if something still didn’t sit right with him.

“…We’d better prepare for the worst.”

“Sir.”

“He’s willingly walking into an obvious trap set by the corrupted. Even though he’s asking for support and taking precautions, what if it’s not enough?”

After all, these were the first corrupted to appear in a thousand years. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

“If the transport operation fails, both the guild and the family will lose all credibility. And as head of the Pellenbergs, I can’t allow that.”

“Sir.”

“Immediately gather the Red Turtle Company…”

“Sir…!”

The butler interrupted the duke. A serious breach of decorum, but between them, it had long become a common practice.

“The young master will be fine. He detected the demonic presence before any of us and is already dismantling their plans.”

“That’s what worries me most.”

The duke’s eyes turned cold.

“It might’ve been coincidence that he discovered the mana stone vein…”

But repeatedly detecting signs of the corrupted and preparing against them was another matter.

The duke, despite his vast information network, hadn’t even suspected a thing. How in the world had Fernan uncovered them?

“When this is over, I have many questions to ask him.”

Many, indeed.

But besides that…

“What if I just hire a bunch of mercenaries and send them too?”

“…Sir, please…”