Chapter 18: What is done is done

Perda climbed to the top of a solitary mountain.

He had asked Ruri to help him get there with a single purpose—to observe Valdrova’s battle.

— KROOOOAAAH!

A deafening roar seemed to overturn heaven and earth.

Today, she had stopped the advance of more than a hundred demonic beasts.

In the past, that would have been a moment in which he would not even have been able to breathe.

But now he was as calm as if he were contemplating distant mountains.

‘The effect of that liquor is undeniable.’

The fear toward dragons had disappeared, and even the fear they exhaled barely interfered with his body.

Even so, while he was surprised, he also felt curious.

“How do the others endure this? Even inside the castle it must not be easy.”

“There are artifacts.”

Ruri took a ring from beneath her skirt and showed it.

It was a common silver ring, with inscriptions engraved on its inner side.

Perda could not read those characters.

“It serves to track the location of the castle’s employees and to mitigate fear toward dragons. Up to one hundred employees can live inside the castle without problems.”

“Does it have an effect similar to what I obtained by drinking?”

“Not as much. In their hearts, the fear toward dragons still remains.”

“Even so, they prepared quite thoroughly.”

“They prepared unnecessarily much.”

“Hmm……”

After thinking for a moment, Perda spoke again.

“Did you say there are a hundred of those?”

“That is correct.”

“Then, could you not have used one on me from the beginning?”

“I could.”

“And why did you not give me one?”

Ruri’s eyes slowly shifted, and she shrugged.

“You never asked for it.”

One could feel how much she had hated the previous Perda before the engagement.

‘Although it seems she still hates me.’

But what was the point of dwelling on the past?

Perda turned his gaze downward, toward Valdrova.

If there was something different from the past, it was that now, after finishing her task, she did not immediately return but instead turned her gaze.

A pair of horns rising forward and another pair lifting toward the sky.

A presence so imposing that the word tyrant seemed insufficient.

He even felt that those golden eyes met his.

‘I can sense it.’

Since he drank the engagement wine, he felt as if an invisible thread connected him to Valdrova.

And whenever it happened, without realizing it, he would form a smile.

Valdrova, on the other hand, avoided his gaze and returned to her lair.

‘Did I put her in an awkward position again?’

Although he was already her fiancé, he had never truly spoken with her.

Every time he tried to approach, she avoided him, and the only thing he could do was observe her.

‘Social anxiety…?’

If one saw her tearing apart demonic beasts, she seemed nothing more than a barbarian.

But in Perda’s mind, the first thing that came to him was her lips.

‘She has an extraordinary talent for making me despair.’

An oasis that springs forth in the middle of the desert.

The faint warmth of a blue flame in eternal ice.

To be so close and be able to do nothing but observe her.

Like a condemned man who has an apple before him but can never eat it, who has water but can never drink it.

At least to be able to look her in the eyes and speak with her…

“Is it still not permitted to speak with her?”

“Yes. She has given the order to wait until the time comes.”

“It has been more than a month.”

“Compared to her life, it is as brief as a blink.”

The time of immortals and that of mortals is different.

Impatience began to take hold of Perda.

‘Waiting until she orders her feelings must also be part of the role of consort.’

He decided to be patient.

He still had much life ahead of him.

Ruri, who had been observing everything, looked away.

“Lord Perda.”

“What is it?”

“A guest has arrived.”

In an area Perda could not see, he barely made out an elongated figure in front of the castle.

Ruri, acting as his eyes, said,

“It seems Vernell Marquis has arrived.”

***

Vernell Marquis.

When they met again, he was in even worse condition than before.

His debts had been settled and the troublesome thugs no longer harassed him, but that did not mean his life had improved.

“Uh… I have thought it over…”

“Get to the point.”

Perda was direct.

“I am not in the mood for detours.”

He not only wanted to prevent Vernell from changing his mind, but in his dantian the Red Circle was spinning intensely.

He did not want to let that exhilaration slip away because of Vernell.

“As you said… I think it is better to manufacture weapons.”

“Have you abandoned your convictions?”

“No, I have not abandoned them. As you said, manufacturing weapons can also serve to maintain peace. I was just… afraid of criticism.”

Vernell looked at the letter of appointment he was holding.

“I will manufacture weapons. To eliminate the demonic beasts of the far east. But I wish that those weapons not be used in wars between humans. At least while I am still alive.”

“That I cannot promise.”

Perda did not lie; he told the truth.

“I see…”

Vernell did not show great disappointment.

Even if he was a frog at the bottom of a well, he still lived in society and knew how things worked.

The development of weapons can overturn the balance of war depending on who advances first.

And in that field, magitechnology would become an innovation that accelerated everything.

“You do not need to feel so guilty. Think of it this way—if you forge a sword, with what do you stop it?”

“If a sword is created… then a shield and armor are created to block it.”

“If a sword is created that pierces even that armor and shield, should we surrender and remain watching the ruin?”

Vernell finally understood.

“No. We must create even better armor and shields.”

“You manufacture weapons, but at the same time you manufacture shields. If you want to avoid war, you must continue developing. If you stop…”

“The adversary will take a step forward.”

It was a race that could not be stopped.

Before his eyes, a reality he did not want to imagine took shape.

In his nose, there still seemed to linger the faint aroma of coffee, black tea, and ink.

He deeply missed Escolea.

At least there, that small room had been his world.

‘But I cannot return.’

Magitechnology was a desire he wanted to fulfill at all costs.

“Of course, when there is room later, I will allow you to research applications in other fields. But the priority is to develop a tool that pushes the front line of the far east. If you achieve that first, I will have no intention of interfering.”

“Y-yes, understood.”

“Good, I think that is clear…”

Perda then moved on to speak seriously about Vernell’s research.

“Tell me first what you need to begin.”

“More than tools, I need demonic beast corpses.”

“Corpses?”

“I must observe them first. The tools come afterward.”

Vernell scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.

“Actually, if they were alive, the progress would be greater… although capturing one is not easy at all, haha…”

Perda nodded calmly.

“Understood. Then is capturing one alive enough?”

“Yes, capturing it… uh… wait, do you plan to capture one?”

Vernell asked, startled.

“If we want to accelerate progress, we must do it. There is still a long road ahead; the first step must be large.”

“It will be quite difficult… but very well. Thank you very much, your… highness.”

“Call me regent. It is the official title now. And you have nothing to thank me for.”

Perda stood up and put on his coat.

“We leave in three days. Prepare yourself.”

“Excuse me? Leave… where to?”

“Were you not the one who said it? We are going to capture it.”

“W-we?”

Vernell’s eyes widened so much that his pupils seemed to shrink to points.

“Did you think you would sit here waiting for someone to capture it for you?”

“Uh… most people do that…”

“A ridiculous joke. How could I stand by watching while dozens die for the whim of a scholar? At moments like this, one moves.”

Perda patted him on the shoulder.

“Is it not the belief of scholars that the truth sets a man free?”

“T-that is true, but…”

“If you sit waiting for the truth to fall into your mouth, it will not happen. You will have to move your body.”

“Uuugh…”

“Prepare yourself well. You must be in the best condition.”

Vernell’s face turned pale.

‘I should not have come!’

What is done is done.

***

Perda and Vernell rode toward their destination.

Following the road, they saw a group waiting for them.

Thirty subordinates lined up with discipline, and at the front, a man on horseback wearing half plate armor.

He was the guide waiting for Perda.

Arwen dismounted and greeted him respectfully.

“I greet the consort of Grand Duchess Valdrova, His Excellency Perda Valdrova, regent. My name is Arwen. I have been sent by order of Count Consilus to assist you.”

“A pleasure. Did you receive the orders properly?”

“Yes. I was informed that we would hunt a demonic beast.”

Perda corrected him.

“Not hunt. Capture. We are going to capture it alive.”

“My apologies. I must have misread the document.”

In truth, he had not misread it.

It was so absurd that he had assumed it was a mistake.

“It does not matter. Where is it?”

Arwen pointed toward a spot in the forest.

“We were reported that from that direction emanates the characteristic energy of a demonic beast.”

“How many?”

“By the recent expansion area, it appears to be only one.”

“Then it will be easy to capture.”

“You see…”

Arwen continued in a serious tone.

“By the estimated size, it surpasses that of a gray bear. Even eliminating it would be complicated for us.”

That is to say, capturing it would be even more difficult.

But that did not apply to Perda.

“The larger, the better. We must capture it.”

He patted Vernell.

“It will be useful for your research.”

“Haha… y-yes…”

Vernell smiled stiffly while screaming inside.

‘Do not say that!’

The soldiers’ gazes fixed on him.

‘So this bastard is the culprit.’

‘It is already difficult to kill it, and he wants to capture it?’

‘If I die trying to catch it, I will curse you until the day you die.’

The curses seemed to echo in his head.

“Haha…”

Vernell laughed.

One had to laugh while one still could.

***

Arwen advanced first.

They left the horses behind so as not to provoke the creature.

“To which circle have you reached in magic?”

Perda asked as they followed Arwen.

“My limit is the third circle.”

“Blue Circle?”

“Yes. A mage must at least be Blue Circle… Are you Red Circle?”

“That is correct.”

Vernell covered his mouth.

“I-I am sorry! I should not have…”

“It does not matter. Then, third circle.”

The title for those of the third circle was Magic Worker.

Many could not overcome the barrier of the fourth circle, which is why they detested that term.

“Can you use Magic Shot?”

“Yes. I can generate and fire spheres, although the effective range is—”

“As long as you can generate them, that is enough. How many?”

“Uh… twelve.”

“And if you make them large?”

“Four.”

The average for the third circle was fifteen shots.

“You are below normal.”

“Hah… that is correct.”

It hurt, but it was true.

His first dream had been to be a mage.

‘In the end, the only thing I knew how to do was not magic, but study.’

And even that he had ruined chasing absurd dreams.

“It is enough. You only need to support me.”

“S-support you?”

“I will take care of everything. You just execute simple instructions. Understood?”

“Support you? How…?”

“It will be so simple that even a three-year-old child would understand. Do not worry.”

Vernell could not imagine the plan.

“Excuse me, Lord Regent… which circle are you?”

“Me? Second.”

“S-second?”

“Does it surprise you that I am below you?”

“It is not that…”

He could not understand it.

‘Was the mana I saw real?’

He had always believed that Perda was hiding his level.

But he was only second circle.

‘What can someone of second circle do…?’

At that moment, Arwen raised his hand.

“I detect its presence.”

“Good. Well done. I will call just before the capture. Wait.”

“Excuse me?”

Arwen thought he had misheard.

Perda frowned.

“Reprimand the one who drafted that document. I said I needed guidance and support for the capture, not that you would do it. Do you want to capture it yourselves?”

“Should we not?”

“I see knightly spirit.”

Perda gave him a pat.

“Do not take your life lightly. You are a knight of Count Consilus and of the grand duchy.”

He put on his leather gloves.

“Let us go. When I give the signal, prepare to capture it. Vernell.”

“Y-yes!”

Perda walked with his hands behind his back, with an elegance unbefitting someone heading toward death.

‘I am going to die!’

For Vernell, he was nothing but a herald of death.

***

After ten minutes in the forest, they found the creature.

‘A contaminated one.’

It was not a beast born that way, but a corrupted animal.

Originally, it had been a bear.

Now it was barely something that had been “a bear.”

A creature whose mere existence seemed irrational.

“Ugh…”

“Do not vomit. If it detects us, it will be problematic.”

“Ugh…”

Perda fixed his gaze on the target.

“Generate the mana spheres on your fingers.”

“Yes.”

Vernell created a pure sphere.

“Now, at my signal, throw them at me gently one by one.”

“Eh?”

At him? Not at the bear?

“At you?”

“Yes. Throw it.”

Vernell closed his eyes and threw one.

“Eh?”

At that instant, something astonishing happened.