Chapter 97

“He, he, he.”

Norvek looked with lifeless eyes at the corpse lying on the floor.

It was so completely charred that it was difficult to recognize who it was. The nobles, upon seeing that horrid form, frowned and began to murmur.

“Is that really the young master Godfrey’s body?”

“It looks like the body is a bit smaller.”

“It must have shrunk from the burning. Burnt bodies usually…”

Thump!

As if ordering them to be silent, Norvek struck the wall with his cane. Seeing Norvek’s hand torn and bleeding, the nobles fell silent all at once.

Shortly after, from his trembling lips came a lifeless voice.

“I must… confirm it.”

“Whenever you want.”

Lucian shrugged once and motioned to those guarding the body.

When the soldiers stepped aside, Norvek fell to his knees and opened the corpse’s mouth.

Though it was burned to the point of being nearly unrecognizable, not to the extent that the position of the teeth had changed.

“…!”

After examining the teeth, Norvek collapsed, overwhelmed by despair.

The broken canines and incisors were, without a doubt, the same as his son’s.

Lucian murmured toward Norvek, who was kneeling on the ground.

“Have you finished confirming it?”

At that moment, Norvek’s face turned a deep red. A hatred capable of overcoming all despair consumed his entire being.

“Damn you! How dare you…! Guh!”

Thud!

Norvek, who had tried to lunge at Lucian, fell to the ground without even taking a few steps. Felicia, already prepared, had struck his forehead with the sheath of her sword.

“My lord!”

“What is the meaning of this…?!”

“Are you also accomplices in this assassination attempt?”

At Lucian’s cold voice, the knights of Count Calix’s house froze in place.

Even if their lord were a traitor, once loyalty was sworn, they had to serve him even at the cost of their lives. But the story changed if a mage was involved.

‘In the worst case, it won’t end just with me, but it’ll drag my entire family and every blood relative.’

‘If we at least die quickly, that would be a blessing. But if they take us to the capital to torture us without killing us…’

Imagining that dreadful future, the knights trembled. The matter was too serious to be resolved with just one life.

Lucian finished, like driving in the final nail.

“Those who are not involved with the mage, step back. A vassal cannot know all of his lord’s plans. I understand your position.”

“…”

With that veiled absolution, half threat, the knights dropped their swords with miserable expressions.

There is no greater dishonor for a knight than failing to protect his lord.

But if they refused that absolution, it wouldn’t just end in dishonor.

After confirming that they had stepped aside, Lucian gave the order to the common soldiers.

“Tie up the traitor.”

***

The assassination attempt by Count Calix’s house, its failure, and the hiring of an unauthorized mage, something strictly forbidden by the Empire.

Whatever the case, it was an incident far too grave to overlook, so naturally, the banquet was suspended.

But the cancellation of the banquet didn’t mean the lords scattered.

‘Calix is finished. That young duke will take the position of northern ruler.’

‘How does he plan to handle the consequences? What will happen to Calix’s territories and allies?’

‘The change begins here, in Asagrim. Until we’re driven out, it’s best to stay as close as possible.’

Calix’s collapse didn’t simply mean the disappearance of one faction.

The impact would directly affect the other lords, and the power structure would be reorganized.

On top of that, a mage had appeared, so the punishment the Empire would dictate was still pending. There was no reason to leave Asagrim, where they could follow the developments in real time.

“I’m sorry that the banquet ended early due to an unexpected incident. For those who wish to continue touring the White Palace, I will offer rooms, so please stay as long as you like.”

Lucian had no intention of kicking out the lords. On the contrary, he even gave them a proper excuse to stay longer.

‘It would be troublesome if, when the power dynamics change later, they come with complaints. If there are objections, let them speak here and now.’

When there are changes, it’s natural that some win and others lose. The important thing is whether they can accept it or, unable to do so, choose to resist.

There was no problem with the former, but the latter were best kept in sight and watched early on. That way, they wouldn’t become unexpected variables, and plans could be made to deal with them.

“We must escort that mage to the capital immediately.”

As soon as the matter seemed resolved, Glenn sought out Lucian and insisted firmly.

Unlike his usual rationality, his attitude was inflexible to the extreme.

“You know it well, Your Highness. An unauthorized mage is a crime in itself.”

“Of course I know. But…”

“No buts. In matters related to mages, no exceptions are allowed. I ask that you understand.”

“Even if that means sacrificing the Order of the Blue Rose and His Majesty’s elite troops?”

At Lucian’s direct reply, which no longer held any courtesy, Glenn flinched. For the first time, Lucian had raised his voice against him.

“He’s the only witness who can reveal the conspiracy Calix has been weaving. And you intend to escort him away immediately before even using him as a witness?”

“As I already said, in matters of mages, there can be no exceptions.”

“Then how am I supposed to prove anything without witnesses? If Calix presents a believable excuse, with what evidence will we refute their lies?”

“…”

“In the worst case, they could paint me as a wretch who falsely accused a rival just to eliminate him. You know this as well as I do, Sir Glenn.”

This wasn’t just any crime—it was one capable of leading to the annihilation of an entire house. Norvek would never admit his guilt or confess willingly.

Besides, Lucian was the sworn enemy who had killed his heir. To hurt him, Norvek could throw away any pretense and go all in.

“After having crushed them on moral grounds, if we fail to properly counter a cheap excuse and end up stumbling, what do you think will happen? The scattered will regroup, and claiming injustice, they might even choose war.”

“…”

“With just that mage’s testimony, Calix won’t be able to do anything and will collapse. And even so, you want to take him away right now? Do you really intend to sacrifice the lives of the Order of the Blue Rose and the elite troops in a war?”

Faced with such a reasonable argument, Glenn had no response.

Just as Lucian said, this was a moment that required flexibility.

Adhering to principles to the letter meant risking too much when so many things depended on the confession of a single mage.

“Report to His Majesty the Emperor. He is the one who sets all principles, so we must listen to his decision. If, after learning the situation, His Majesty orders us to uphold the rules, I will obey immediately.”

“That…”

Glenn was about to say something but shut his mouth. Strangely, unlike before, his expression was grave. Lucian couldn’t figure out what was going on.

‘Could the magic artifact be broken? If that were the case, he could just tell me…’

At that moment, a possibility crossed Lucian’s mind.

There was only one situation where, even with the artifact in good condition, it would be difficult to contact the emperor.

“Don’t tell me something’s happened to the emperor?”

“No!”

Glenn vehemently denied it, but his reaction said it all. Something was definitely wrong with the emperor’s health.

‘He hasn’t died or collapsed. If that were the case, there’d already be obvious chaos. He must still be able to carry out public activities, but his condition is worsening.’

The reason to avoid contact was probably to preserve his mental stability or not interfere with his treatment.

The more he was disturbed, the worse it would be for his body. Of course, they couldn’t openly admit that the emperor’s health was deteriorating.

“Very well. In two days, I will report to His Majesty personally. But if His Majesty orders that we bring that mage immediately…”

“Then we will hand him over without delay. I swear it.”

“I will trust in Your Highness’s oath.”

Glenn maintained his composure as if nothing had happened and left the room.

Lucian, now alone, leaned back in his chair with a bitter smile.

‘At least I’ve managed to keep him alive for now.’

He had feared that, the moment they made contact, the emperor would order him taken without leaving any room to maneuver.

But things had gone well. He had even gained two extra days thanks to the emperor’s unexpected health condition.

‘Now everything depends on how well the other one does his job.’

Lucian recalled the man he had sent before Glenn arrived. The board was already fully set on his end. He shouldn’t fail.

***

In the underground prison, Norvek stared blankly into the void with bloodshot eyes.

There was nothing there, but Lucian’s face appeared with almost tangible clarity.

“I’ll kill him… I’ll kill him no matter the cost!”

A demon that had suddenly appeared in the north, snatched the name of Grimaldi, ruined his grand plan, and on top of that, had taken his son.

As long as that bastard remained alive, Norvek could not die in peace. He had to drag Lucian down to hell with him.

‘I don’t care about the grand plan or anything else anymore. If I can just take him to hell with me…’

He had no method or plan. The only thing he had was a hatred that poured endlessly from the deepest part of his gut. In a way, he had fled from reality by taking refuge in that hatred.

That’s when, after a long time of useless rage, a mocking voice rang out from outside the cell.

“Norvek Calix. What a pathetic sight. I thought you had some grand plan, and look at you now, falling so miserably.”

Norvek first thought it was a guard mocking him, but he quickly realized it was someone he hadn’t seen before.

He wore a deeply pulled black hood and had his face covered—clearly an intruder.

“Who are you? How did you get in here?”

“Let’s just say I’m someone who hates Valdeck. And how I got here isn’t important, don’t you think?”

Clink.

“…!”

The man pulled a keyring from his clothes. It was identical to the ones carried by the jailers. Norvek’s eyes widened.

“That’s…!”

“Shh. Be quiet.”

Click, click.

The man tried the keys one by one in the lock. The first four or five failed, but the sixth one fit.

Click.

“There we go!”

With a triumphant gesture, the man approached Norvek and began trying the keys on the shackles.

After several attempts, he found the right one. Norvek stared in disbelief at his freed arms and legs, touching them as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Can you move? If not, I’ll leave you here.”

“…Idiot. I may be old, but I haven’t been tortured. Of course I can move.”

“Then follow me. The guards will be back soon, hurry up.”

The authoritative tone made Norvek frown.

That brat was speaking like he was giving orders to a subordinate. Suddenly, Norvek became aware of his own discomfort and let out a dry laugh.

‘How ridiculous. Do I still have pride?’

He was no longer in a position to speak of pride. Just minutes ago, he had sworn he’d sell even his soul for revenge against Lucian.

‘Yes… if I can sell this petty pride instead of my soul, I’ll do it without hesitation.’

Pride didn’t matter—only vengeance did. Clinging to it now would only make him miss an unrepeatable opportunity.

Norvek cast aside all doubts and followed the masked man, convinced this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance granted by fate or the gods.