🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 6
Rune swallowed a sigh, dismounted at once, and bowed formally to the Marquis.
“I have returned.”
“……”
Even with a guest present, the Marquis couldn’t conceal his cold, sharp expression.
“It has been a while, Marquis.”
At Cailian’s greeting, the Marquis finally withdrew his frosty gaze and lowered his head.
“I greet Duke Cailian Heraith. I heard the news from Remoire. You must have endured much.”
“It wasn’t anything so troublesome.”
“I’ve already prepared rooms for the knights who arrived ahead. If you have any further instructions, you may relay them through the steward.”
“My thanks. First, I’d like to send the antidote to the Grand Duchy.”
As though he had already prepared, the Marquis nodded.
“If it is the antidote you mean, I’ve already secured the coordinates of the Grand Duchy. Please, follow me.”
He led them to a chamber located beneath the keep.
“To think there was such a room here… quite a hidden place.”
The thick stone door had no handle, making it look like part of the wall itself. At Cailian’s remark, the Marquis allowed himself a faint smile.
“Access is not simple, indeed.”
He placed his index finger into a shallow groove in the middle of the stone door. Soon, a crimson light traced the engraved patterns, and slowly, the door began to open.
“This room was prepared solely for teleportation. Please, enter.”
Carrying the wooden chest of antidotes, Cailian followed the Marquis inside. At the center of the chamber lay a massive square black slab, its surface carved with an intricately entangled magic circle. Magic stones embedded at regular intervals gleamed faintly in violet.
No wonder the place was so carefully maintained.
“The scale is greater than I expected.”
“This land is remote. Many times it has been inconvenient to rely on messengers alone.”
In the Leonar Empire, magicians were rare, and magic stones were considered exceedingly valuable.
A charged magic stone, once its energy depleted, became a useless consumable, treasured all the more for its rarity.
Especially those etched with complex formulas—such stones were nearly priceless.
“A teleportation stone among them must be one of the rarest.”
He had thought to send word with swift horses or messengers, but even Cailian hadn’t expected the Marquis to use a teleportation stone so freely.
“It is a matter worth the cost. Do not concern yourself.”
The Marquis set the chest on the slab.
“I already acquired the coordinates, but given the distance, it would be best to have a medium to increase precision.”
Cailian unclasped a brooch from his robe and handed it over. The crest of the Grand Duchy was engraved upon it—something he had received long ago from Duke Karlo himself.
“Will this suffice?”
“Perfectly.”
The Marquis placed the brooch atop the chest. At once, the carved circle flared with violet light.
Fwoosh—
Enveloped by the glow, the chest vanished.
By now, the antidote would have arrived at the Heraith Grand Duchy.
Whether it worked remained to be seen, but at last the end of a long journey was in sight. The sharpness in Cailian’s eyes softened faintly.
“I will not forget this favor.”
“If it aids Duke Karlo, then it is my joy as well.”
When they exited the chamber, Ethan bowed. Beside him stood Rune, who had just arrived to see the Marquis.
Rune bowed lightly when his eyes met Cailian’s.
‘This suits him more.’
Perhaps he had washed, for a faint scent of soap lingered about him. In a white shirt and beige trousers instead of uniform, he looked every bit the young nobleman.
At the sight of Rune, Marquis Este’s face hardened at once.
“Were you injured?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“You—! Haa… Come to my office at once.”
Barely restraining his anger in Cailian’s presence, the Marquis spoke through clenched teeth. Rune, having already expected this, nodded calmly.
“Yes, understood.”
In any case, it would be better to report about the black powder in private.
“Please rest well, Your Grace. I will see you again at dinner.”
Pressing his temples as if weary, the Marquis ordered a servant to show Cailian his chambers and turned away.
Cailian, however, quietly watched Rune’s back as he followed his father.
Overlapped with it in his mind was the small, drooping back of a boy, trailing after an angry father in years past.
Cailian raised a hand to dismiss the servant approaching him.
“If you don’t mind, I’d prefer Rune guide me instead.”
Rune blinked wide eyes at Cailian’s unhesitating use of his name.
“…You mean me?”
Rune led the way toward the guest chambers on the second floor. After handing Cailian over, the Marquis had gone straight to his office.
‘Best to face punishment quickly… this only makes me more uneasy.’
Recalling his father’s barely restrained fury, Rune bit his lip.
In Este territory, fighting monsters was an everyday affair. Yet the Marquis loathed the idea of Rune wielding a sword like any common knight.
And today Rune had even gone beyond the outer walls alone. His scolding was unavoidable.
“Do you always carry that with you?”
Lost in thought, Rune looked up at Cailian’s voice.
The man’s eyes had fallen on the dagger at his waist. Its golden sheath and sapphire-inlaid hilt glittered brightly.
“Yes. Always.”
“A knight has no need for such a toy.”
A toy? At the mocking tone, Rune frowned faintly. Was it laughable for a knight to carry a blade like this?
“Unless necessary, I do not intend to stain my sword with blood.”
“Is that so? Then I suppose it was fortunate my throat was not pierced.”
“That…! I already apologized for my rudeness.”
Rune glared, suppressing his flare of emotion, but Cailian only tilted his head slightly, intrigued.
“You seem rather fond of it.”
He was right. Rune had carried that dagger for as long as he could remember. Straightening, he answered firmly, defiance in his eyes.
“Yes. It is precious to me.”
Cailian, meeting his deep blue gaze, chuckled softly—as though pleased by the answer.
“A good sight.”
What did he mean by that? Rune was puzzled for a heartbeat, but Cailian’s smile was so strikingly handsome that his lips parted in spite of himself.
‘How can a person’s smile be like that…’
He had forgotten, beneath that cold exterior, that Cailian possessed a beauty enough to stir anyone’s heart. Perhaps that was why, even with just a small smile, his features shone brilliantly.
Feeling heat creep into his ears, Rune dropped his gaze.
“Lord Este!”
A loud, excited voice suddenly broke the moment, wiping the smile from Cailian’s face.
Ethan came rushing up noisily.
“I told you to check on Seek. Why are you back already, Ethan?” Cailian asked coldly.
Judging by the way Ethan’s mouth twitched, he was about to chatter endlessly again.
“Ah, no need to worry. That beast is happily gnawing on raw chicken.”
Ethan remembered the squad captain’s disgusted face and grimaced.
‘Ah right, this isn’t the time for that.’
Recalling what Humphrey had said, he turned to Rune with eyes shining.
“My lord! Is what Sir Humphrey told me true?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
Rune instinctively stepped back under the intensity of his gaze, but Ethan only closed the distance eagerly.
“That you’ve been knighted by the Marquis himself! Incredible!”
What he’d heard from Humphrey was astonishing indeed. Though Rune wore the Light Knights’ uniform, Ethan hadn’t thought he’d gone through the official entry trials.
“I simply took the entry test as a knight.”
At Rune’s calm reply, Ethan grew even more excited.
“Everyone knows how strict the Light Knights’ requirements are. And if it was the Marquis Este himself, then surely he was twice as severe with you—ah! Don’t mistake me, I mean only his fairness!”
“Ah, yes…”
“Still, I was truly shocked! To think it was you who cut down all those orcs!”
“Cut them down? That’s an exaggeration.”
Rune rubbed at his eye awkwardly, but Ethan just grinned broadly.
“You always said you wanted to be a knight. I feel proud on your behalf.”
Ethan was genuinely happy, almost as if it were his own achievement.
And indeed, the path to entering the Light Knights had been grueling. Rune had endured twice the apprenticeship of ordinary knights before his father finally granted him the title.
‘Though even then, Father wasn’t pleased.’
It felt like all the praise he’d never received before was suddenly heaped upon him now, leaving Rune at a loss for words.
“Since the Marquis is a Swordmaster, surely you’ve already awakened your Aura?”
“No. Not yet.”
At that honest answer, Ethan looked flustered and waved his hands quickly.
“Ah! Forgive me. I spoke carelessly. Don’t be impatient—Aura is more innate talent than effort, after all. Hah, with your bloodline, it will surely awaken soon.”
“Thank you.”
Feigning composure, Rune forced a smile and clenched his hands tightly behind his back.
‘Aura…’
As Ethan said, unlike swordsmanship, Aura could not be attained through effort alone. Despite being the son of Marquis Este, Rune could barely even sense the mana drifting in the air.
It was surely one of the many reasons his father found him so disappointing.
Ethan, noticing Rune’s tightened expression, swallowed nervously, worried he’d blundered again.
‘Did I put my foot in it once more?’
Somehow, the Este heir felt different from the boy he remembered.
Desperate to fill the silence, Ethan pointed to a painting hanging in the hall, laughing awkwardly.
“Ha, haha…! That painting! I remember seeing it before. The Este estate hasn’t changed a bit.”
“…That was purchased only recently.”
“…Haha. I see.”
Scratching his neck in embarrassment, Ethan glanced at Cailian striding ahead, catching a fleeting smirk tug at his lips—an unmistakable sneer.
He then looked back at Rune silently following after, puzzled.
‘Strange. He used to be shy, but friendlier than this.’
Still, it seemed the Este heir’s blunt honesty was one thing that hadn’t changed.
