Chapter 168

“Gross!”

Sevi shouted, covering his face with his long hair, which wasn’t even his own.

The direction the stone was pointing was so complicated that it was unclear where it began.

“Ugh, I said the slab was gross, and now it’s really reaching the peak of grossness.”

He turned his body slightly, as if worried it might touch him.

It seemed he really disliked it. In the noisy room, only Raygrain’s blue eyes quickly darted around, scanning the air.

After some time passed, as the power of the flower gradually faded and the thread became dull, Scheuer called out to Raygrain while holding the slab.

“Your Grace.”

“Yes.”

He turned his head and gazed beyond the large window.

Soon, a low voice firmly added, “It’s heading south.”

Sevi looked at him as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

“Can you see that?”

There was no echo in response to his question.

However, everyone’s gaze in the room was directed towards the south.

Due to the disappearance of the High Priest, the imperial court was in a somewhat chaotic atmosphere. It seemed he was planning to run away until Scheuer found him properly.

Even so, thinking of him as the High Priest with such a noticeable appearance made her uneasy.

Scheuer glanced at the palace scenery outside the window, where priests were bustling about, while scribbling something on paper with her pen.

Knock, knock, again a knock echoed in the room.

“It’s Zero. Did you call for me?”

“Come in.”

Zero entered cautiously, looking much more tense than when she had seen him at the wedding. Behind him was Jess. Jess closed the door tightly and lowered his head, saying, 

“Please, go ahead.”

“We’re planning to officially visit the Netri family.”

The Blenga and Netri families had a long-standing feud, making the idea of an official visit to their estate almost unheard of in history.

Zero hesitated, knowing this, and asked gently, 

“Will the Netri family even agree?”

Thud.

Scheuer, who had been writing diligently, set down his pen with a proud smile and lifted the letter to show Raygrane with both hands.

“What do you think? I wrote it well, didn’t I?”

Raygrane briefly moved his eyes to read the contents before lightly patting Scheuer’s head.

The letter was soon to be sent to the Duke of Netri through Jess.

***

[This is Scheuer Blenga. I hope you’ve been well. We recently held a wedding, and it has made me realize the importance of family. Therefore, I would like to visit my father and Erina again. There’s no need for us to bear grudges against each other. Would it be alright if I come by this afternoon?]

The neatly penned letter conveyed a humble tone. It was a message from a member of the Blenga family sent from the palace that morning.

The Duke of Netri smiled broadly as he read the letter. 

“I knew it. They’re bowing down because of the stone tablet.”

Without hesitation, he quickly composed a reply granting permission.

Erina, watching her father, asked,

“What’s going on, Father?”

“Look. Your sister seems to be scared after seeing the stone tablet.”

Erina frowned as she received the letter. The Scheuer she remembered was not someone who would easily bow their head like this.

Thus, she asked sharply,

“Are you really thinking of allowing this?”

“Of course. It seems the stone tablet might actually be real. Considering how the High Priest, who was siding with the North, postponed the announcement,” he replied.

The High Priest, who had gone to excavate the stone tablet that morning, had returned to the palace. The sudden disappearance of the High Priest had caused a stir among the priests and knights, leaving everyone uncertain whether the tablet was fake or real.

It wasn’t until noon that the temple officially released a statement: 

“The High Priest, exhausted from his efforts in the excavation, has collapsed.”

The Duke of Netri nodded, recalling the slender and beautiful figure of Sevi. 

“He doesn’t seem particularly healthy, so this makes sense. I’ve heard that excavating a real stone tablet requires a lot of divine power.”

“But that doesn’t guarantee it’s genuine,” 

Erina replied firmly, causing his eyelids to flutter in annoyance.

Tsk. The Duke clicked his tongue, shaking his head. 

“That’s already what the priests who went to excavate said.”

Could it really be a genuine stone tablet? At this point, Erina also began to feel confused.

She glanced at the maid taking the reply of acceptance and asked, 

“What are you planning to do when you meet her?”

“Don’t worry. Would I really abandon you?” 

The Duke continued, humming as he spoke. 

“It would be wise to deploy some of the royal knights for the northern expedition. We should take what we can from there regarding the subjugation of the monsters.”

“Father.”

“Scheuer is also said to be able to heal wounds inflicted by monsters with her powers. So, there should be no problem even if we’re not from Blenga when it comes to defending the North.”

He was already lost in his delightful imaginings and was not listening to Erina.

In truth, Erina was not interested in the North at all. Her priority was always to maintain her own position. She was merely trying to eliminate anything that could hinder her standing.

However, the Duke seemed different. 

“I’ve never liked the way that arrogant North thinks they can strut around just because they can defend it.”

Blenga was synonymous with swordsmanship, and he disliked remaining as the second-best family in a lineage known for the same skills as the Netri family.

In such a situation, where the Blenga had to bow their heads first, his arrogance seemed to reach the heavens. He already seemed to think that the North was also part of his territory. Thinking that communication was no longer possible, Erina bowed her head and had no choice but to leave his office. Anxiously, her steps quickened as she headed to her room.

‘Why is he coming all of a sudden? Since when did he think like this about Father?’

Scheuer had been watching from a distance at the banquet. She couldn’t have been unaware of his golden eyes subtly observing her. His gaze occasionally shifted toward Silcaro. 

‘Is he coming to take away my last remaining power?

She still had some power left. It was faint, and she could hardly bloom anymore, but still, the flower of her family was with her. As soon as she entered her room, she opened “that book” she had borrowed from Silcaro. Inside, it clearly outlined how to reclaim her powers.

‘I just have to not wield a sword. Yes. If I don’t wield a sword, at least I won’t lose what I have now.’ 

Erina bit her lip tightly. She had seen the words in the book so many times that she could almost memorize them. She remembered the day she obtained this book. The uneasiness of not knowing which family she might be sold to made the royal library expansion party she attended alone anything but enjoyable. Yet, she had to smile.

After all, it was better to marry someone who could understand her when she wielded a sword as a last resort. However, the men who came to greet her in succession were all the same. 

‘You are beautiful, Lady Erina.’

‘Oh, your hands are too rough. I will send you some good perfume later.’

What did it matter that the one wielding a sword had rough hands? But hearing it repeatedly made her weary of extending her hand for greetings, and her nerves became frayed. And then she met Silcaro for the first time. He greeted her kindly.

‘My lady, may I have the honor of greeting you?’

Should she extend her hand? In the midst of her hesitation, he swiftly seized her lingering hand and gently kissed the back of it, saying, 

‘It is an honor to meet the noble daughter of the Netrifamily.’

His golden hair brushed against her hand, causing a ticklish sensation. He smiled slowly and locked eyes with her. 

‘Your hands are beautiful. Your efforts shine through.’

‘My hands?”

‘As someone who also wields a sword, how could I not know? To have calluses like this means you’ve practiced for a long time.’ It was the first time someone acknowledged how hard she had worked.

The conversation about swords felt refreshing and enjoyable. 

‘Ah, I was a great admirer of Lord Austin from the Netri family.’ 

The person he mentioned was a renowned ancestor of the Netri family, famous for their beautiful family flower. It felt like Erina had awakened from a dream.

‘Indeed, people remember those with powers.’ At her gloomy remark, Silcaro gently asked, 

‘Do you dislike being the family flower? That’s unexpected from the Netri family…’

‘I’m the second child. It’s unfair. I have more skills than my sister and I love swords.’

The emotions she had bottled up burst forth like a tide. 

‘If only no one had powers, then I could have been recognized for my skills instead.’

Silcaro looked surprised at her words. Oh no, she thought. He was someone she had just met today, and a member of the royal family at that. As she tried to quickly add an explanation, Silcaro smiled brightly. 

‘A world where skills are recognized. I wish for that too.’

“I never wish to be easily defined.” – Franz Kafka