The duel ended at that moment.
“Are you okay?”
The instant Luina was sent flying like a doll, Fernan jumped up and ran toward her.
“…I’m fine.”
Although a trickle of blood ran from the corner of her lips, her life didn’t seem in danger. In fact, her expression reflected a strange satisfaction.
Fernan poured half a healing potion over her wounds and gave her the rest to drink.
“Thank you.”
“Wow… can’t you see the hole she opened in my shoulder?”
“Do you need potion?”
“No need. With a little willpower, this heals.”
“…A hole in a body doesn’t regenerate with willpower, you know. That’s more like a troll than a human.”
As monstrous as the Altrierc bloodline was said to be, there were limits.
“Can you stand?”
“Yes, of course.”
Katrina ignored Fernan’s mutter and extended her hand to Luina.
“You can be proud of your skill. It’s been a long time since I was wounded.”
“It’s an honor.”
“Albinos has raised an exceptional daughter. If you keep growing like this, a position among the Royal Knights will practically be yours in the future.”
“You flatter me too much.”
At the highest praise Katrina could offer, Luina bowed her head.
“I’ll assign you a competent healer. Rest well today.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“I enjoyed it too. Hopefully we can do it again sometime.”
“Really?”
“Of course. You can reach out to me anytime you like.”
“Thank you very much!”
Luina’s face lit up as if she had been gifted chocolate.
***
Just as Fernan had foreseen, Luina wasn’t in condition to depart immediately. Even though she had received first aid with a top-level potion, she had three broken ribs. Thanks to her aura, she’d protected her internal organs, but bones still needed time to heal.
“Your body is resilient. I’ve aligned the bones properly, but for them to fuse as they should, you must rest for at least a day.”
“Thank you.”
The assigned healer had reduced her recovery to just one day.
“How are you feeling?”
“Perfect.”
By the next morning, her condition had improved notably, but Katrina wasn’t about to let her leave just yet.
“What’s the rush? What’s fallen can’t be picked up again. At least stay until lunch. That way we can talk about the new products.”
It was clear Katrina had taken a real liking to her.
“At your age, you already have remarkable skill. Far beyond my sons.”
“I’m honored.”
“It’s not flattery, it’s the truth. None of my four sons could defeat you.”
During breakfast they served freshly baked bread, soup, and a salmon salad.
“So, there still isn’t a product that completely removes scars, right?”
“I’ll try to develop one as soon as possible.”
“If you need it, I’m willing to invest.”
At tea time, she served the same Hersse as the previous day, accompanied by delicate treats.
“By the way, what a lovely villa.”
“It’s in a privileged spot. From here, I can enjoy the view of Lake Baikan while I drink tea. That’s why I often come to rest. And thanks to that, I was lucky enough to run into you.”
“I see.”
After a good lunch, Fernan and his group were finally able to leave Altrierc.
“And you, Ert Gismond, was it? If you ever want to spar with me, I’d be delighted.”
“N-no, I’ll pass!”
“Luina, you can contact me anytime. If I had a daughter like you, I’d be so happy. Though with my useless sons, I wouldn’t even dare think of marrying you to one.”
She even accompanied them to the port to see them off.
“It was a very enriching experience. I’d never fought a Royal Knight other than my father. It was a different kind of experience.”
Just different? No. Every Royal Knight possessed their own style and mastery—a unique culmination of their sword and teachings. Just as her father had his own, Katrina had hers. Witnessing it and feeling it firsthand was a privilege money couldn’t buy.
“If I could, I’d like to face all the Royal Knights. Though I don’t know if they’d accept.”
“If you wish, I can arrange a meeting with some of them.”
“No, thank you. I can’t always rely on you.”
The ship moved quickly until it docked in Alprosen.
It was the port city of Jessen, a place that lacked nothing compared to the capitals of the electoral princes.
Among the bustling crowds, Fernan headed first to the local branch of the Golden Turtle.
“Welcome, young master. We’ve been expecting you.”
The branch chief, informed by Duke Yvon, received him enthusiastically and led him to his private office.
“Where is my father?”
“The duke is resting at his villa on Moldin Island.”
Moldin Island, on Lake Baikan, was famous for its mild climate and beautiful landscapes. Nobility often built villas there for retreats.
‘So my father stationed himself nearby to take control if necessary.’
There was no reason for a Duke of Pellenberg to be officially in a foreign kingdom, so he used the excuse of a vacation.
“How is the situation on the Hopen plains?”
“It’s been two weeks of nonstop rain. The north is starting to flood. If it continues, the disaster will be worse.”
‘Just as I thought.’
“How has Alprosen responded?”
“At first, they were slow to act, but with the ongoing rains they sent troops to help evacuate refugees and begin reconstruction. However, with constant rain, there’s little they can do.”
As expected. The storm wouldn’t stop until it had devastated the plains. That’s what the corrupt wanted.
‘Demonic magic truly is the most refined. How the hell do they manage to keep it raining over the entire north for weeks?’
And there was still over a week of downpours to go. Even if not always torrential, it was incomprehensible even for Fernan. Not even ten Archmages together could manage such a feat.
“How are the grain prices?”
“Wheat, corn, and rice have skyrocketed. The warehouses of all the branches in Alprosen are filling up, but we haven’t received orders. The duke told us to wait for your instructions.”
Fernan had to decide the exact moment to maximize profit.
‘Not yet.’
The rains would continue, and prices would keep rising. The grain had to be released slowly, just before the absolute peak.
‘We’ll save the crown prince—but we’ll collect the reward.’
The profits from the grain would reach a satisfying amount.
“It’s not time yet. I’ll give the order.”
“Yes, we’ll be ready. Oh, and…”
The chief pulled out an envelope bearing a whale emblem—the royal family’s symbol.
“A servant of the crown prince delivered this in secret.”
“Thank you.”
Once in his room, Fernan opened the envelope. Inside was a brief letter and a small pendant.
[When you arrive, deliver this pendant at Jessen’s town hall. In a few days, I’ll come find you at the branch.]
The message was short, but clear.
Fernan ordered Hyde to deliver the pendant to the town hall.
The next day.
“Are you Fernan Pellenberg?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m sorry to inform you that His Highness is no longer in the city. He left yesterday for the north. If you wait a few days…”
He’d already left?
Fernan’s eyes opened wide.
***
A difference of just half a day.
Knowing the other’s destination, it wasn’t hard to close the gap.
“Welcome!”
Roderick Fisher handed his tired horse to the stable boy and entered the tavern. After scanning the bustling hall, he spotted who he was looking for.
‘Aint Armian!’
A face he’d seen to the point of exhaustion in Frazia.
For an instant, he felt the urge to kill him. It wasn’t common for Aint to stray from Fernan’s side or leave the Academy. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity.
‘…Impossible. It’s too late now.’
He thought twice. If he wanted to kill him, he should’ve done it earlier. Now Aint was far too strong, especially against the corrupt and monsters. Killing him alone was unfeasible.
And worse yet, by his side were Aria Fridian and Verian Kalburdern, two of the Academy’s top students.
‘…Wait, only two? Weren’t there three?’
Where was Fernan?
Roderick sat in a corner and ordered a dark beer.
He waited, assuming Fernan was in the bathroom, but finished his mug without the boy appearing.
‘Fernan Pellenberg isn’t here?’
They were supposed to have traveled together by boat. Where the hell had he gone? He couldn’t make sense of it, and anxiety began to grow.
‘Without Fernan, Aint can’t be controlled.’
Aint, with his opposing energy, was immune to hypnosis. The only way was to tighten control over Fernan and manipulate Aint through him. But Fernan was absent.
After thinking it over, Roderick decided to approach directly.
“Well, what a surprise to see familiar faces here.”
“Oh, Captain Roderick?”
“That’s right. Miss Aria, it’s been a while.”
He casually drew closer and sat at their table.
“What brings you here?”
“You know how mercenary life is—traveling all over the continent for assignments. My men are around somewhere.”
“It’s been a while, Captain. We owe you a lot from back then.”
“It was nothing, just doing my job.”
With a rough laugh, Roderick drank from his new mug and asked:
“And you all? It’s not holiday season at the Academy.”
“Something we had to take care of.”
Something surely related to Esrin. Roderick clenched his teeth in silence.
“I see. If it’s a secret, I understand. By the way, just you three?”
“Yes, why?”
“Oh, I thought if Fernan were nearby, I might drop a gold coin.”
“How materialistic.”
“Mercenaries live off that.”
“True.”
Aria and Roderick exchanged a smile.
“Fernan’s not here. He must still be at the Academy.”
“Ah, right, of course.”
‘Lies. I know he’s not there. So where the hell did he go?’
The meal lasted about half an hour. Roderick tried several times to coax out information, but always got the same answer. In the end, he had no choice but to leave.
“It’s been a pleasure. We’ll meet again.”
“Yes, take care.”
When he and his men left the tavern, Aint’s eyes darkened.
‘What do you think?’
— Just as Fernan said.
‘Yeah. It’s incredible. How could he foresee all of this?’
He remembered his words:
“If anyone asks about me, never answer. Just say you don’t know.”
And so it was. An enemy had come looking—Roderick Fisher, a corrupt.
Fernan had already told Aint the truth. Though he had once wanted to kill him, he chose to ignore him and use him when useful.
‘Why is he looking for him?’
— Isn’t it obvious?
Gardner Alfenparsen laughed inside his mind.
— Whatever Fernan did, it must’ve been something the corrupt absolutely hate.
— Leave it. Fernan knows what he’s doing.
The confidence in his voice sparked curiosity in Aint.
‘So now you trust him. You used to just call him rich.’
— Back then, there was no other way to see him. But he’s proven himself. I won’t deny what I’ve seen with my own eyes.
‘Still, you called him rich for a long time. The Pellenbergs have been the richest family on the continent for a thousand years. How could they be?’
Gardner let out a dry laugh.
— Because in my time, they were. On the Pandrein continent, they were barely known. Compared to Lutar, they were nothing.
— But after a few deals with demons, they amassed colossal wealth. The demons didn’t value gold or metals, and Pellenberg took advantage of that.
With that, the demons tried to use them to divide humans, and the Pellenbergs, happy to receive what the demons didn’t need, grew excessively.
‘Wow… the Pellenbergs really are impressive. Then and now.’
— They’re obsessed with money. But if they’re on your side, there are no more loyal allies.
Reassured, Aint returned his focus to the meal.
____
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