Chapter 121
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121.
A sudden gust swept across the terrace.
Maribel's words cut off abruptly.
At that same moment, the potted plant shielding us from view vanished.
The bare, weathered terrace came into full view behind Cassian Artez's back.
"...We've returned."
"Indeed."
At the most crucial moment, no less.
Had I heard just a bit more, I would have uncovered the secrets the Liarden Duke House had been concealing.
I opened the scroll hopefully, but nothing new had been revealed beyond what Maribel had already told me.
Still, what I had learned was substantial.
"You know, Ian."
"Yes?"
"About how blessings become poison."
Cassian Artez nodded, understanding my meaning immediately.
We had experienced such a state before, after all.
During the subjugation of the Flare Dragon, my condition had been exactly that—ravaged by side effects from overusing magical tools.
"The Liarden daughters possessed magical power far beyond what their bodies could contain, didn't they?"
"Exactly."
He nodded, understanding how the concept of side effects applied here.
"When a non-mage overuses magical tools excessively, problems arise. Normally, they lack the vessel to hold magical power."
"And that power came from a dragon, according to what she said."
According to conventional history, the birth of mages began when the first dragon fell into eternal slumber.
'It was likely Gaia.'
Historically, all dragons from the first onward were said to have been subjugated—though we now knew that was false—but it had never been easy for humans to overcome a dragon in a single confrontation.
During the battles, the dragon's magical power seeped into the earth and air, creating vessels for magic within human bodies, and thus mages were born.
The Temple had relentlessly promoted this theory, which only deepened their conflict with mages.
When they dragged innocent women away for their own greed, they hadn't hesitated to call them witches and oppress them.
Yet despite this, nations like Snowland and our own Empire chose not to reject mages when necessity demanded otherwise.
'The Empire itself grew to this size by strategically allying with such mages, and it wasn't always an empire to begin with.'
Thus, the Empire maintained neutrality between the Temple and the Magic Tower as a matter of principle.
This was why successive emperors could never maintain truly favorable relations with the Temple.
"Gaia appearing before us was no coincidence, and neither was the fact that the land where she slept was the Liarden Duchy."
I wished I had known this much about the Liarden Duke House when I spoke with Gaia.
Cassian Artez, listening quietly to my thoughts, spoke calmly while studying the scroll.
"You mean Gaia's blood flows through the Liarden Duke House?"
That's quite the fantasy novel setting, isn't it?
Of course, I did think it was a plausible deduction.
The moment I thought that, Cassian Artez urged me to open the settings.
Even after hearing everything Maribel had to say just moments ago, there had been no significant changes...?
Surprisingly, the contents had been altered.
As if bloodline was the crucial keyword.
"...As I thought."
And Cassian Artez wore a relieved expression the moment he saw it.
"Why is that?"
"I tried to hold onto Roselita during the Flare Dragon incident as well."
"Ah."
"So I was curious why it didn't work then, but succeeded this time even when it felt like I was dying."
As he said this, Cassian Artez pointed to Maribel's diary that I had brought in my bag.
"And the fact that Mother frequented that Abandoned Mine in particular, even though there were several places where I suspected the dragon might be sleeping."
"She was drawn to it, then."
"Yes, Gaia seemed subtly more lenient toward me compared to the Flare Dragon."
I hadn't noticed that much.
"Because Roselita is loved by the dragon."
A note of petulance colored Cassian Artez's voice.
I soothed his complaint by gently stroking his head, and I also checked the next passage.
"And the fact that the Liarden Duke's daughter should originally be the Holy Maiden is indeed..."
"The Temple is concealing something."
From what Gaia had told me and the records written from the Liarden Duke House's perspective, the Temple seemed to be distorting and defying the dragon to such a degree.
"The remaining trial must be—"
The moment I said that, I sensed a presence from afar.
"...A visitor?"
It was Parker, holding cleaning supplies.
*
"If you wished to see the Duke's Residence, you should have told me!"
While we traversed the past, time in the present world flowed in chaotic disarray.
And today, several hours or more had elapsed.
As a result, I had run directly into Parker, who had come to clean the manor.
"Of course, the garden view from this balcony was, ahem, quite beautiful in the past."
Observing us sitting close together in the corner of the balcony, he fortunately(?) misunderstood our presence in a favorable light.
We had come to the Duke's Residence searching for a date location, and had simply rested there.
"In any case, the topmost balcony with the better mountain view would be far more suitable now."
Parker wore a subtly embarrassed expression.
Since mountains were merely natural features, it seemed he felt saddened that this was all the Duke's Residence had to boast.
Yet simultaneously, he could not hide his desire to show us around the manor.
The moment he discovered us, he had hastily organized his cleaning supplies and urged us to follow him.
"The adjacent room where you two were is the chamber the Young Duke once occupied."
He threw open the door to reveal the room we had only glimpsed beyond the balcony in the past.
"Though my hands alone could not restore every chamber, I have done my utmost to maintain this successor's room."
Parker then strode forward and drew back the large cloth draped over the furniture.
In an instant, the vacant room was filled with an uncanny sense of habitation.
A table bearing faint scratches from a misused pen nib, wooden furnishings and drawers maintained through years of careful oiling.
And a bed positioned near the balcony.
Seeing Maribel lying there moments before, I was seized by the sensation that she might return at any moment.
"Have you been maintaining this manor all this time, Parker?"
"Not I alone. We all come when time permits to sweep and polish. This place is special to us."
I perceived regret in his eyes.
I was curious about that profound gaze, lost in contemplation beyond mere reminiscence.
Moreover, to hold such reverence for a house long since extinguished, and to continue maintaining a manor whose master would never return.
Cassian Artez too bore an expression of bewilderment at all these points.
Yet simultaneously, he gazed about Maribel's room with eyes mingled with interest and affection.
"Why is it special? The Liarden Duke House, as I understand it...."
I therefore spoke carefully, ensuring my words sounded like the curiosity of an outsider.
"I understand that those who would return are no longer coming. However...."
Parker's gaze quietly turned toward Cassian Artez.
"It has not entirely disappeared, has it? And I still have duties to fulfill."
"Duties, you say?"
At my question, Parker scratched his cheek.
"It is far too embarrassing to speak of, given that I failed to protect my master."
At those words, we realized, as he had anticipated, that he was a retainer of the Liarden Duke House.
"Here, as the butler of Liarden, my duties... remain."
"Would it be terribly rude to ask what that might be?"
Parker offered a kind smile.
"Of course, there is only one person who can properly answer that question."
Even as the Manager spoke, his gaze remained fixed solely upon Cassian Artez.
"Victor, you said?"
"That is correct."
Cassian Artez answered naturally, pretending to examine the room as he glanced around.
"While I should trust your words, I cannot shake a lingering sense of unease, no matter how much I contemplate it."
The Manager spoke while meeting Cassian Artez's gaze directly.
"Are you truly not the son of our Young Duke?"
*
A brief silence descended upon us.
The Cassian Artez I knew would have immediately denied his words.
To reveal one's identity during an inspection was akin to dereliction of duty.
Even though the schedule was nearly concluded and Parker appeared to be nothing but a decent man.
The Cassian Artez I knew would never hesitate here.
Yet I too refrained from opening my mouth to cover for Cassian Artez's actions.
It felt as though this was entirely his choice to make and his burden to bear.
Though if this dereliction were later exposed and the Emperor petulantly seized upon it, I would share that fate.
It seems I'm at a disadvantage here?
While such thoughts crossed my mind, Cassian Artez slowly opened his mouth.
"Is that a matter of great importance to you, Manager?"
Parker seemed to interpret this as an affirmation, and his expression, now tinged with tension unlike before, gave a slight nod.
"Then tell me plainly—are you the son of the Young Duke?"
The Manager leaned forward, his face earnest and imploring.
Cassian Artez murmured quietly to himself, "Not the Second Prince, but the son of the Young Duke."
Soon, as though his resolve had solidified, he opened his mouth.
"If the Young Duke the Manager speaks of is named Maribel Liarden, then she is my mother."
In an instant, the Butler's face flooded with joy.
"At last, at last.... I am finally able to fulfill my final duty as Butler. The day has come to entrust Liarden's treasure to its rightful master...!"
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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