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Episode 75. Loyalty
“…Loyalty.”
“…….”
“…Loyalty!”
“…….”
“My Lord!”
“Huh? Ah, yeah?”
Stefan snapped out of his thoughts.
His attendant was shaking his shoulder, looking worried.
“Are you okay? You haven’t said anything all day in the carriage.”
“Ah, I’m fine.”
Of course, he was fine.
Stefan turned to look outside the window.
They were already moving, having left Herman Pascal’s house.
“When did the carriage start moving?”
“Thirty minutes ago, my lord.”
“Thirty minutes…”
He had no memory of those thirty minutes. In fact, he didn’t even remember finishing his meal.
His mind was covered in a thick fog.
And the moment that fog began to clear, it tried to swallow him again.
That fog was made of Herman Pascal’s words.
It was clear. Herman Pascal had tried to interfere with his thoughts.
For someone like Herman Pascal—one of the most respected merchants—this was unusual.
Had anyone ever really paid attention to the Eastern Region before?
Stefan kept thinking and thinking.
But this wasn’t a problem he could solve just by thinking.
“Where is the carriage going?”
“Where else? Home, of course.”
“Ah, yeah… I guess so.”
That was too obvious a question.
Why had he even asked that?
Deep down, something inside him was telling him not to go home.
Then where should he go?
The destination was clear.
“How are the horses?”
“They’re fine, my lord.”
“Then let’s not go home. Change the destination.”
“Where to, my lord?”
“To Valdrova Castle.”
“It’ll take several days. We didn’t prepare anything. No extra clothes, no letters to inform anyone. Shouldn’t we just go back home?”
“Stop talking and go.”
His vacant expression was enough to silence any further protests.
The driver sighed and changed the route.
Stefan’s mind was still clouded.
He walked through the fog in his head.
The Far East.
What kind of place was the Far East?
It was an unclaimed wasteland.
Sometimes, fools dreaming of a “gold rush” would venture there, but they all failed.
It was obvious.
The “curse” in that land was a disaster even immortals couldn’t overcome.
How could mere humans succeed?
Like moths flying into a fire, the outcome was always the same.
So why was he different?
Why did he believe he could do it?
“Is it because of the mana stone?”
He had been completely drawn to that mana stone.
But his father, Herman, hadn’t been.
Neither Tilda nor Murchet showed any interest in it.
If they had, they would have tried to take it away from him or stop him.
Then… was he wrong?
He wanted to believe in himself.
But Stefan knew himself too well.
He always thought he was being objective.
But that confidence often turned into arrogance, leading to failure.
His father, Herman Pascal, had shown him the downfall of many arrogant merchants.
As a wealthy merchant and as a father, he had given Stefan advice.
Was he being arrogant again?
Was he just blinded by some foolish hope, thinking Ferda was a savior?
What if Ferda was just another fraud?
What if he ended up like all those other merchants—ruined because he trusted himself too much?
Was he really prepared to risk his whole life on this?
He was afraid.
Afraid of staying trapped inside the empire, slowly fading away.
He needed something to forget that fear.
Alcohol? Women?
Or maybe…
“Loyalty!”
“Whoa! What?! Why?! What?!”
“We’ve arrived, my lord! Please, get yourself together!”
“What? We arrived at Valdrova Castle? In just a few minutes?”
“What are you saying? It’s been four days!”
He had been in a daze for four days.
He smelled awful, having barely washed.
His expensive tunic was stained.
Why had he come here?
He realized his question was wrong.
He came here to find the answer.
Stefan walked into the inner castle, looking for Ferda.
Ferda was with the chief researcher, Vernell.
It seemed they had just finished a conversation.
“What is it?” Ferda asked.
“Well, um…”
What had he planned to say?
The words circling in his head were only one thing.
“I’m pulling out of this.”
He didn’t trust himself.
He was scared of ending up penniless.
He was ready to walk away.
But Ferda spoke first.
“Actually, I have good news. The Chancellor of Escolia made a big proposal to Vernell.”
Stefan’s throat caught.
“What kind of proposal?”
“They want us to be the main event at the exhibition in Halim, two weeks from now.”
It felt like a hammer struck his head.
The fog cleared.
A beam of light broke through.
“Congratulations! The main event of the Escolia Exhibition?! That’s huge, isn’t it?!”
“Yes. It’s an honor for any scholar.”
It was a big deal among scholars.
It was also something merchants would take notice of.
And anything that caught the eyes of merchants usually meant money.
“This is amazing! We can’t just let this go by! How about a celebration?”
“Haha, isn’t it too early to celebrate?”
“What does it matter?! I’ll pay for it myself! Let’s have a big feast! Hahaha!!”
Stefan laughed loudly.
His gestures were more exaggerated than usual, but no one questioned it.
“Stefan.”
“Yes?”
“Weren’t you going to say something?”
Stefan scratched his head and laughed.
“Oh, that… I just came to say, let’s do our best! Hahaha!”
The fog in his mind was gone.
He would believe in himself.
Even if he ended up penniless.
He would move forward without regret.
One Week Later
A shocking announcement shook the continent.
Iorga and Valdrova officially declared an alliance.
The continent of Serdes was in an uproar.
A guardian dragon and a dark dragon—like water and oil, they were never meant to mix.
There had been meetings in the Grand Council, but their conflicts were never resolved.
An alliance between a dark dragon and a guardian dragon was unbelievable.
People doubted Iorga’s decision.
“Isn’t this a huge mistake?”
But Iorga’s stance was clear.
—Although Valdrova once brought destruction, its regent has shown determination to cleanse the cursed lands. I support his resolve and will stand with him.
It was the perfect excuse.
Her support gave strength to the young regent’s declaration.
Still, most believed the conquest would fail.
“Even with the Blue Eyes’ support… how can a mere human succeed where everyone else has failed?”
Since Godwin’s death, no one had entered those cursed lands and returned.
Yet…
Some people held hope.
“Maybe it’s possible.”
“If he succeeds, reclaiming the Eastern Lands will be a great achievement.”
Either way, the winds of change had begun to blow.
For a lonely ship lost at sea, any wind was welcome.
Halim
A city of gambling and entertainment.
Ferda had visited once before to recruit Zed.
Now, he returned for the exhibition.
This time, Ruri wasn’t with him.
He had enough people now.
Besides, another dragon spawn had settled in Valdrova.
Ruri still didn’t trust Isabella completely.
Before leaving, she gave him one warning.
“Don’t gamble.”
“But we’re low on funds. Gambling could—”
“Do. Not. Gamble.”
Her silver eyes burned with killing intent.
It felt like she was about to blast him with magic.
It made him wonder…
What if I bet all my money just to see her reaction?
But he had only one life.
So, he reluctantly kept her warning in mind and headed for Halim.
Arrival at Hallim
They arrived at the entrance of Hallim. Just one step remained before entering the magic barrier that protected the city.
“Let go of my arm, you crazy woman.”
Jedd forcefully pushed Penelope’s hand away, trying to shake her off. But she clung to him desperately, whining nonstop.
“I heard it in hell! Demons can’t enter Hallim! If they try, their bodies melt! My cousin even died that way!”
“I told you, it’s fine. That’s just a lie to scare you. Trust me and step inside.”
“Are you sure? I won’t die?”
Jedd got tired of answering. Instead, he grabbed Penelope’s arm and dragged her forward.
“Nooo! What are you doing?! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to— huh? Nothing happened?”
As soon as she entered the magic barrier, she realized she was perfectly fine. Her tearful, terrified face vanished, replaced with a smug expression.
“So, human magic circles are nothing special.”
Jedd stared at her with a tired look. The others also seemed unimpressed.
Was bringing her a mistake?
Penelope carried Sitri’s Life Vessel. Just in case, Ferda decided to keep her close. Besides, they still couldn’t fully trust her.
People worried that traveling with a demon might cause trouble. But that fear turned out to be unnecessary.
After absorbing Sitri’s Life Vessel, Penelope had gained a strange ability—ordinary magic could no longer detect her as a demon. As long as she looked human, she was human.
But the real troublemaker is her personality.
Ferda expected her to be loud and annoying, but she was even worse than imagined.
She was like a storm. Trouble followed her no matter what.
How did Sitri even lose his Life Vessel to someone like her?
Still, there had to be a reason. Ferda didn’t overlook such things.
“Tell me about your abilities. Since you’re Sitri’s descendant, do you use illusion magic?”
“Yes! I know some tricks, like illusions and deception spells.”
“An Arcane Trickster, then.”
“Oh, I like that name! That’s exactly what I am!”
She nodded proudly, but Jedd scoffed.
“Arcane Trickster? More like a walking disaster.”
“What did you say?!”
Her pink eyes glared at him. Jedd didn’t back down and leaned his face closer.
“Did I lie? You bring trouble every single day!”
“That’s not my fault! Who told you to mess with that crazy witch? You go around flirting with every woman!”
“Do you think I wanted to?! I know I shouldn’t have, but—!”
The two bickered endlessly.
Ferda ignored them and thought about their abilities.
An Arcane Trickster, Penelope. A Thief, Jedd.
“You two actually make a good team.”
“…Excuse me?”
Jedd looked horrified.
“Sorry, but can you not pair me up with this crying idiot?”
“Don’t you like her?”
“Why do you make it sound like I fall for every random woman? She’s literally a walking disaster!”
“I don’t like him either! I prefer women! Beautiful women! I want to absorb their essence!”
“You sucked my essence just last night!”
“I need to eat, okay?! Just a little, to stay in this human form!”
Ferda sighed.
Too noisy.
“I take it back. I’ll find you both new partners.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
They had just been fighting, but now both looked hesitant.
What’s with these reactions?
“Ahem. Actually… I’d like to keep things as they are for now.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s good at sweet-talking and looks handsome enough to help me seduce pretty girls…”
Ferda understood her reason. But Jedd?
“She sucks essence from women, and I erase their memories after, so…”
Ferda realized something.
They’re both the same type of scumbag.
A perfect match.
No separating them.
Exhibition at Hallim
The Escolleia Exhibition was being held in a grand casino in Hallim. It was one of the largest casinos in the city, perfect for attracting nobles, merchants, and scholars.
Ferda arrived on the first day, just before the opening ceremony.
“Oh! Regent! You arrived safely!”
Stefan, who had been waiting nearby, walked up and greeted Ferda respectfully.
“I’m fine. What about you?”
“I’m good as well. We set up the exhibition booths as planned. Would you like to see them?”
“That’s why I’m here.”
Stefan led the way as Ferda observed the event.
Scholars displayed their inventions in booths, while nobles and merchants wandered around, inspecting their work.
For researchers, money was always a problem.
This exhibition was their chance to secure funding. If lucky, Ferda himself might become one of their sponsors.
However, as he walked through the booths, he wasn’t impressed.
Nothing catches my eye.
Most of the inventions were just theories or lacked practical use. That’s why they were placed at the outer edges of the exhibition.
But as he moved toward the center, the booths became bigger, and the items displayed grew more impressive. Some were even useful in the future.
At the very center was Vernell’s booth.
With support from the Pascal Trading Company, his booth was just as grand as the ones backed by large sponsors.
“What do you think?”
“You did well.”
“Right? We even brought expert decorators! Haha!”
The flashy design naturally attracted attention.
The booth was ready, but the main exhibit was still missing. Ferda’s group had it, and they were waiting.
“So, where are the Mana Stones we prepared?”
“Vernell has them. He went to the inn.”
“Without saying anything?”
Ferda knew Vernell had worked hard. He hadn’t slept properly for days. Maybe he wanted to rest before the event started.
“I’ll go get him.”
“I can do it—”
“No, I will.”
Ignoring Stefan’s protests, Ferda walked toward the inn.
But Vernell wasn’t in his room.
Instead, Ferda found him in a hallway, talking to someone.
It was Bernard, the Chancellor of Escolleia and the event’s organizer.
Ferda stopped and listened.
“Vernell Marquis.”
Bernard’s voice was cold.
“I am very disappointed in you.”
