Chapter 94
Sf5VThe sun set, and when the first day of the banquet ended, the guests headed to the rooms they had been assigned.tLIz2
hZPVRooms in the White Palace that hadn’t been used in nearly a thousand years.k04
SFDGBIt wouldn’t have been strange if, out of curiosity, they had begun inspecting them from top to bottom—but not a single one remained quietly inside their room.aNH27f
cxMmHKBaron Elvin, whose territory was relatively close to Asagrim, was one of them.zGbhZd
RlK‘What a headache.’V6y
X5gNVElvin pressed his throbbing temples hard as he sank into thought.MYoX
gReHe was already over forty and had never dreamed of great ambitions, nor had he devoted his life to absolute loyalty.aZeLS
AVVwIWdIf this ambiguous peace could be maintained, that was good enough for him.gktV
jHau‘And now they expect me to choose between the imperial family and Calix.’RdWLZp
Hh6CA sigh escaped him involuntarily. In practice, it was a choice without a right answer. No matter what he chose, it was clear he would end up entangled in a war.e9m8xc
Vc07ZD“Out for a walk too?”O1SKsIY
j908y5At that moment, a voice from behind interrupted his thoughts. It was Baron Stellan, lord of a neighboring territory and a longtime friend.Ce4
UVRfo“I can’t sleep. Looks like it’s the same for you.”7iGzq
Law4“After hearing all that, how am I supposed to sleep?”m6h1
Q5fGFmYAt Stellan’s words, Elvin gave a bitter smile.dwxbsGK
5bLzPerhaps because they had known each other for so long, his words were honest, without a trace of pretense.Mia
cHnHe“Friend, you can’t say just anything in the duke’s territory. There are many ears listening—you should be careful.”r8P
97m“I doubt it matters. Not just us—look around, everyone’s busy whispering.”QKY
aWMZWhen Elvin looked in the direction Stellan pointed, he saw shadows here and there, murmuring in small groups. Some were gathered with close acquaintances, others with members of their own faction—all deep in conversation.qy4
h0IOf4He couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, but he didn’t need to. It was obvious what they were discussing.EQUw
UgU7l3H“Looks like they’re just as worried as we are.”oQmN9wB
j2VYcrr“Of course. One wrong move, and their territories could get dragged into war. Have you decided yet?”wEGd9pi
fnBs“Not yet. To be honest, I don’t want to decide.”2Uldy
ao9cMS“You know better than anyone that’s the dumbest decision.”Rw23BR
yEJD“I have no argument against that.”7Js
dSlQHHearing that blunt truth, Elvin let out a long sigh.3EU6OJ
5eSapoNeutrality, in the end, was just a gray stance—someone ready to switch sides at any time.p1DBE
1CRPAThat’s why neutrals were often seen as unpredictable, sometimes even more dangerous than declared enemies.vlgL
SK02SAnd if they had no real power, they could be treated like common enemies and eliminated first.8MXF
9Mq4cO“Even so, I’m afraid of deciding too soon and it all going wrong. I could end up as a human shield for whichever faction I joined.”P0hRkmH
o8wcrXC“And watching what others do while you wait, right? If everyone hesitates together, no one gets blamed.”nAx8X
nEr“You always have a way of saying exactly what people don’t want to hear.”YHfxk
uLAcT“I say it because I feel the same way. It’s pathetic, but I can’t make up my mind either.”JtGbzVm
9aSTBoth fell silent at the same time and looked up at the sky. No matter how they looked at it, every option required sacrifice.51G
nCR7oWhatever they chose, they would lose something.yIDp
g6DJust then, someone stepped between them.4d0GmMs
04a0“What nonsense are you talking about? The answer’s obvious, and you’re still hesitating?”aa5onE
bLBThe two, who had been speaking softly, felt their hearts drop to the floor.dOzi
Q7kcUbFThe one who had interrupted them was none other than Lucian.rKQqqD
bRHFOa0“D-duke, it’s an honor to gree—”VoNX
GWt“Enough. Continue your conversation.”uBd0L
8JXu7RO“……”vxpQ
sHlElvin and Stellan both closed their mouths at once.m85XAaW
gZvpUXHow could they talk about which side to choose in front of the very person involved?iA6
wlPehnAs the silence dragged on, Lucian gave a faint smile and whispered.EBfDAGs
DaE“Your dilemma seems deep. If you wish, I can give you the answer. Side with whoever wins between Calix and me.”D8UL7
v0oCREY“…?”SbCdod
zxF“If it’s hard to decide now, waiting until it’s clear is also an option, don’t you think?”aGredT
mSMVYThey didn’t know if he was joking or serious, and confusion overtook them both.0TOT3WC
N5dTPmIt wouldn’t have been strange if he had pressured them to support him immediately, but instead he was openly telling them to watch and wait.C7dxsVL
axTLoVe“To be honest, excessive support doesn’t appeal to me either. If someone takes the risk and supports me early, I’ll have to reward them accordingly. But the more who just sit and observe, the more I get to boast later.”uXQXDY
DMZTEa“H-ha… What a curious joke.”Vho0mHw
90g“It’s not a joke. After all, if the emperor opens just one gate, the Calix family can be swept away in an instant. Why would I bother gathering support? It’s better to leave you alone and treat you like opportunistic bats later.”X6VNBb0
TEG2“…”8ZZhu
ofrAt the word “gate,” both froze.WFpkcz
hh5It was impossible not to remember that spell that had left everyone stunned—the mass transfer of troops and supplies through magic.NOm7qu
1gYSuch an extraordinary spell surely couldn’t be used freely in war.h5C
P1cr8ddBut if it were used just once, targeting the heart of a specific family—oLNUTB
Ni6‘Even a great house prepared thoroughly for war could be wiped out in a single day.’H4iM90
7cPGNhThat thought sent chills down their spines.p8XwoGm
5D4x6Any faction crumbles when it loses its core.xCycuCW
IUeJ4jIf House Calix disappeared, its allies would fragment and scatter helplessly.EHAjg
Zq0pcW8Lucian would then become the sole victor of the North, and there would be no choices left to make.oW7
GUAL5z“If you’re not expecting rewards, choose the safe path. But whatever you decide, maintaining the status quo won’t be possible.”wUJPJke
O0k“…”Ninl
xFv1yYPWhile the two remained silent, Lucian turned and walked away.0X3
q9jBHe could feel countless eyes on his back—so many that his skin burned—but that attention was exactly what he wanted.v0OcxaF
1kGThe more eyes on him, the further that conversation would spread.6IlBw
0cU696a‘I never expected them to become my allies from just a warning like that.’EoXuZ9
PJmU9VNThe important thing was to make them remember once again how terrifying the dimensional portal magic could be.2LlgZG
4lteuDBOf course, not even Lucian himself knew its exact limitations. Neither the emperor nor Glenn had revealed them to him.vaNKZ
1fnJPJThe only thing certain was that someone had to be prepared in advance on the other side of the portal.3DlCdhi
mko‘Maybe it can only be used once every few months. Or perhaps it requires prep work on the other side—or enormous costs each time.’Nz1
wsFBut no matter what its weaknesses were, using it just once more would be enough.rec
GiZ9The moment anyone imagined that their own territory could be the next target, they would be paralyzed.4DbR
vmizh3As long as anyone could be the first target, no one would dare support Calix decisively.T7cvk
PHaEven if they later mustered the courage, they wouldn’t dare attempt anything during the Hundred-Day Hunt.5Ew
9jvVUGm“It will be a fair competition.”19G
VPkmkZKWith a satisfied smile, Lucian walked through the corridors of the White Palace.8WloWIM
B27fmIf he found others having similar conversations, he would have to tell them the same thing.da5i
TFrJiS***5BPiJ5I
yhPFMTwo days later, Lucian led the lords to the snowy mountain range behind Asagrim.O8vE
RUAZSince Asagrim was considered sacred ground, that mountain was also revered as a holy mountain, called “Bangnil.” The goal, of course, was to carry out the promised Hundred-Day Hunt.NFF
pBhheJAlthough it was an event that revived an old tradition, no one was truly pleased about it.zE5Tfyl
IMF‘Is this really okay? Is it seriously going to end without incident?’N9FRzN
Hig6j‘I’m so nervous I could go insane. They’re not going to stab us in the back, right?’9oEOy
Y7JThe participants belonged to two factions that could never coexist. It was unsettling enough to leave them alone anywhere—and now they were going into a snowy mountain range that no one else could access.pgg
zYvlTo make things worse, they would be spending no less than fifteen days in the same place.JlehN1p
b2zAAi0Even if someone had accepted without thinking, it was more than enough time to plan a side assassination.EGQypPM
I8yHowever, those involved seemed completely calm.Adka5
Ps6L87q“Ahem. Then, we shall begin the Hundred-Day Hunt.”ICMsRqv
7JvxJyJBaron Elvin, who had ended up becoming the judge just because of a brief conversation the previous night, explained the rules.5Xi6Q
d57DRFor fifteen days, they had to survive in the snowy mountains by hunting alone, and the winner would be declared based on who brought back the most valuable game.oSe
bUVnvfrHowever, if anyone died during the process, regardless of their haul’s worth, it would be considered an automatic failure. Simple rules.EeJBMN
Gs3omr“Lastly, we’ll inspect your belongings. Carrying food is absolutely forbidden.”tbhxjwR
es7z“Check everything you want.”tuC
NmCGSx“I didn’t even bring a single piece of dried meat.”vOZ
AVKLucian and Godfrey, Norvek’s eldest son, answered almost at the same time.a3il
GaVyxWHAs Elvin conducted a light inspection, he noticed something odd.Wosk
92iy‘What’s this? A tattoo?’A5w
M3j8LRAll the participants from Count Calix’s house had a lightning-shaped tattoo engraved on the palms of their hands.0vY0
4d5XEvIt glowed faintly, suggesting it had been done with a special kind of ink.fbn
Eju8‘I don’t recall Calix having a tradition of tattoos like this.’i3X5
SUYGMElvin felt slightly uneasy, but decided to let it go. After all, as just a baron, pointing something like that out to Calix would only earn him their wrath.OzM
zqEFiBesides those unfamiliar tattoos, there was nothing particularly suspicious.INUdDE
aWT“All right. Then, both of you may go. We’ll meet again in fifteen days.”Qtdpt
3YeWith the signal marking the start of the Hundred-Day Hunt, Lucian and Godfrey dispersed in opposite directions.EgD
KUmEbjhIt was only natural—to avoid overlapping hunting areas.1CkDJeR
D1MipBut as soon as eyes turned away from them, Godfrey’s eyes gleamed coldly.j8O36z
k5ttYQu“No one’s watching?”Msfvx
p5V5w“At least not where they can see.”80S
N8U“Good. From now on, we’ll pursue him. And mage—don’t forget, your role is the most important.”nQmVo
QCaAt Godfrey’s sharp gaze, Colin nodded.y8t8a
uIZlo“Don’t worry. Preparations are already complete. I’ll just need you to buy me a little time.”Geqa
AQxZ“I know. You said your magic takes quite a while to activate.”iIleV
GeEPg“That’s right. Also, once the target’s position is fixed, it can’t be changed. If he suspects and moves beforehand, the lightning will strike an empty spot.”ajzOee9
vBSRm“Buying time isn’t a problem, but are you sure we won’t get caught in it too?”IurAZgw
dmdGodfrey had never seen it with his own eyes, but he’d heard that Colin’s magic summoned real lightning.OSea
RR8elTfIf it could completely burn down a small hill, the range had to be considerable.Rfhdx
6CZw48If they were close enough to speak with the target, there was a high chance their own group could be hit as well.FPeD
dx4U9“Don’t worry. Didn’t I give you all a mark?”SaKYi
BFr6X“You really think this little tattoo will let us dodge a lightning strike?”ZbQ
PCSSo“More precisely, the lightning disperses around it and doesn’t come close. It’s a technique that could be called the essence of my magic.”1fc6fr
jXWColin spoke with a smile full of confidence.9BnP
r2s“At the School of Celestial Astrology, we call it a lightning rod.”uXya3
mMPwB“A needle that avoids lightning? Sounds convincing. Though calling it a needle when it’s a tattoo is a bit odd, isn’t it?”nH4
RLpk3“It’s because originally it was crafted as an actual needle. With the development of magic, it could be replaced by tattoos.”Mp1AC
GXcmCDsIt wasn’t some improvised trick, but a secret passed down through generations.Gengg0
EgsnjMHearing that, Godfrey and the others finally relaxed. If it was a hereditary secret art, its level of refinement had to be high.GTDB
kpE“Then, as long as we have this lightning rod, we’re safe, right?”590Y
cw7V“Yes. As its name implies, it’ll protect you from lightning. If you maintain a distance of ten steps, lightning will never hit you.”O60
EAXpd“Great, I’ll trust your words. Everyone, make sure this lightning rod doesn’t wear off! It’s our lifeline!”gz8efJ8
oJghZ6“Yes!”Baor0
JOgqsK5With that confirmation, Godfrey led his group and began to pursue Lucian—unaware of Colin’s face behind them, barely suppressing a grin.FNqm
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