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Chapter 50
“….”
Denok did not answer immediately.
He silently observed me for a while, then finally let a faint smile cross his lips.
“You’ll understand tomorrow.”
And just as he said, the long-awaited next day arrived.
After finishing breakfast, I followed his lead as he guided me somewhere.
“This is… the portrait room?”
It was indeed the portrait room I had once visited with Vernon’s introduction.
“He said he would show me the aides, so why are we here…?”
I was just about to ask when Vernon, who had been following behind us, silently stepped toward the tall windows.
One by one, he carefully drew the curtains closed.
The bright room that had been filled with sunlight instantly sank into darkness.
And then—
A faint, tingling sensation brushed across my skin. It was familiar.
Following the flow of mana, I turned my head—and froze.
“Denok?”
At the center of the now-dark room, Denok was bathed entirely in a glowing blue light.
Faint lines of azure swirled around him like a storm, wrapping him in a vortex.
The invisible currents of mana, which normally only appeared when I used my ability, now shimmered into sight before my eyes.
“What is this…”
“Fascinating, isn’t it?” Vernon’s voice came softly as he approached, a calm smile on his lips.
“This isn’t just an ordinary portrait room?”
“Haha, Luciano is not called a House of Mages for nothing,” he replied with quiet pride.
Lowering his voice, Vernon explained:
“Since outsiders of different birth and blood are being brought into the family, caution is only natural. There must be safeguards.”
“…There’s really magic like this?”
I asked almost unconsciously.
Imperial magic was usually rooted in nature—light, fire, water, wind.
It was always about bending the laws of nature to human will.
But this—this was entirely different.
It was as if an entirely new set of laws had been written, using mana to build a world of its own.
An inexplicable exhilaration surged within me, and my eyes lit up before I even realized it.
“You’ll be witnessing something quite rare today. Ah—perfect timing. They’ve arrived.”
Vernon turned toward the door with a smile.
“Ah, greetings!”
“Well, this is quite the sight indeed.”
I blinked in surprise.
“Two of them?”
I distinctly remembered that only one was supposed to be chosen.
As always, Vernon answered my unspoken question.
“His Highness said he could not bear to lose either one. So he gave Emil 3,000 gold as well and hired them both.”
He explained further that this was possible thanks to the funds saved from recently trimming the cadet branches and cutting unnecessary expenses.
“Denok… he’s surprisingly generous when it comes to people.”
It was a side of him I had never seen before.
Still, with those two at his side, I felt certain the ducal household would remain strong even after I was gone.
Emil would serve with unwavering loyalty, and Kyle would add sharp execution to Denok’s decisions.
Feeling oddly reassured, I found myself smiling warmly at them.
Meanwhile, Gerald, who had escorted them in, guided the two men slowly forward until they stood before Denok.
The blue aura around Denok had grown even stronger, the mist-like currents beginning to take shape.
Soon, they coalesced into luminous runes that circled him in the air.
I stared, breath caught in my throat.
This wasn’t just Denok’s mana alone.
“…The flow of mana—it’s converging here from all directions.”
Like streams flowing together into the sea, faint traces of mana seeped from every corner of the portrait room, gathering toward him.
And then I realized—
“The portraits.”
Each painting around the room was faintly but undeniably radiating mana.
All of it was converging into Denok, filling and saturating the space.
“These portraits are special because they contain the spirits of our ancestors.”
Vernon’s voice continued quietly.
“Every head of House Luciano leaves behind a portrait upon reaching adulthood. Each year thereafter, they perform a ritual to imbue it with their mana.”
Over time, the layers of mana condensed, forming something akin to a magic stone.
This room wasn’t a simple gallery—it was the Hall of Succession, a space where the time and legacy of the Luciano family were preserved.
It was here that new members were formally acknowledged before the ancestors, swearing loyalty and sealing their vows.
At his words, I found myself gazing again at the portraits.
The silent faces seemed to be holding their breath, as if watching.
“So… what happens when they make this contract?”
I glanced forward—Emil and Kyle now stood directly before Denok.
Vernon’s calm reply reached my ears:
“The Luciano oath is unique. The moment the contract is made, His Highness’s mana flows into their hearts, binding both sides with compulsory restrictions.”
Denok would be obligated to protect them, connected by mana in place of blood.
In return, those who pledged loyalty would be bound to serve faithfully, body and soul.
But then came the shocking part—
“…Their hearts? What about them?”
“If they ever lose their loyalty and betray him, the mana will rupture their hearts.”
“What?” My jaw dropped in disbelief.
Vernon continued kindly, as though to reassure me.
Both men had been fully briefed, and if they had not wished to proceed, they could have simply taken the 3,000 gold and left.
They had been warned, and they had agreed.
That didn’t make the revelation any less staggering.
“That’s… a rather ruthless method.”
Denok, who valued people so much, would resort to something like this?
The thought unsettled me.
Sensing my pale expression, Vernon added quickly:
“But the benefits are great. With the oath, they will be under the protection of past heads, and within the territory, they wield authority almost equal to the Duke’s own deputy. Not to mention…”
He leaned closer, whispering the salary into my ear.
I blinked.
It was… a considerable amount.
“…I see the cadet branches don’t undergo this oath?”
If they had, betrayal could have been prevented early. It felt like a wasted opportunity.
“Correct. The oath is reserved only for aides and those who form a direct bond with the Duke.”
Hearing this, I couldn’t help but wonder if even the late Duchess had once stood here, bound by the same contract.
Of course, such a thing was beyond my reach.
Just then—my senses prickled. Denok’s mana had shifted, growing volatile.
“…Oh…”
The glowing letters circling him began to spin faster, whirling around in a storm.
I forgot even Vernon’s presence, my attention consumed by the scene.
The runes floated in the air like stars, twinkling, almost as if arranging themselves into sentences.
And then—
BOOOOM!
In an instant, the gathered mana burst outward, surging like a tidal wave.
