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Author’s Note:

Second volume starts here.

This time, we will start with a small talk about the Adellahan family, one of the five great noble families of the Kingdom of Levios.

Sheer mountains and deep valleys, and the continent’s highest peak, Mount Erechtheion, rises remarkably in the distance.

Although the road is well-maintained, if you take one step away from it, you’ll find a primeval forest that blocks even the sun’s rays.

In these scattered basins, people gathered to build cities.

The Adellahan region of the Eruo continent.

It is a land ruled by the noble Adellahan family.

Despite the fact that it is a land with few people coming and going during the snowy period, many carriages were gathered in the city of Zareazelia that day.

These carriages are decorated with glittering decorations, and it is clear from the appearance that they are not meant for commoners.

Among them, a particularly large carriage passed through the castle gate.

The crest on the vehicle was two horses facing each other with a double-edged sword between them. It belongs to the noble family, the Adellahan family. However, in order to show that it belonged to a branch line rather than a direct line, the crest was extremely simplified and limited in color. So to speak, it was a crest that indicated the [Adellahan branch family].

[Nova.]

A woman’s voice echoed inside the carriage.

Aside from the small servant in the corner, the only passenger was her son, Novalf Adellahan.

Sitting diagonally across, the young man slowly opened his eyes and looked at his mother.

[Take off that shawl.]

Novalf sensed that his mother’s words and gaze were directed not at him, but at his own shawl, which he wore as a winter coat.

From an early age, he was known for his good physique, and even now, at the age of 20, that hasn’t changed. The shawl, made for him, was so large that a petite woman could use it as a blanket.

[Please tell me the reason. Mother, of all people, should know about this shawl…]

In response to Novalf’s question, his mother’s expression distorted slightly and she turned the fan made of bird feathers in her hand.

It’s as if her wrath was trapped at the tip of the sharply directed attack.

[Of course, I know. Then you should also know what your mother is thinking.]

Novalf understood his mother’s thoughts. But, when he thought about what it means to follow the instructions, his hands stopped.

He remained silent as he pinched the shoulder strap with his fingers.

[Nova, you don’t need to humble yourself. If you wear something like that, they might think that we’ve yielded to the main family.]

[But, mother…]

[You will be meeting your grandmother, aren’t you so stupid that you don’t know how honored this occasion is? Come on.]

After confirming that his mother’s tone had changed to something that could not be denied, he politely took off the shawl and handed it to the waiting servant.

He decided that it would be better to obey rather than continue to argue and provoke his mother.

[Handle it carefully. It was given to me by the Princess.]

[Understood.]

The shawl he was wearing was a gift from the Princess of the Adellahan family. From the point of view of Novalf, who is a branch family, and his mother, it can be said that it was a precious gift.

His mother’s idea of taking it off…no, Novalf was struggling to deal with the hatred.

[That’s fine. Fufu, trying to use her daughter to control my child is something that stupid sister would think. But, it doesn’t work for me.]

Novalf’s mother is the eldest daughter of the previous Head of the Adellahan family and the older sister of the current Head of the family.

She believes that she is the most suitable for the position of the Adellahan family head. This has not changed even now, after she had been married to a branch family without being able to inherit the family estate.

In the wake of the shawl, his mother began to rant about her own sister, the current head of the Adellahan family, Marquis Adellahan. Novalf could only give a friendly nod.

It’s like adding fuel to the fire whenever he tries to persuade her to stop. If he mishandles his mother and she ends up causing big trouble, it’ll be no good for everyone involved.

Every time he saw his mother becoming paranoid as a result of overbearing resentment, he worried about the future of the Adellahan territory.

The main family of the Adellahan family also lost many family members due to a strange disease caused by the demonic beast Yersinia.

In addition to the previous Head of the family, most of the wise old people have fallen ill, and the current Head of the family is in a predicament with an overwhelming lack of Highlords who should support it from behind the scenes.

The Adellahan territory is a steep mountainous area, and its natural barriers make it easy to isolate itself from the outside world. It is difficult to rule them with only the Head family and its vassals, the knight family, and small-scale bases existed in various parts of the territory, and the Lords of the branch families were placed there.

The Head of the Adellahan family is at the top, but the branch families are indispensable to governing the territory. That means that the influence of the branch family is not small.

While the Head of the main family fell ill from a strange disease, the Head of the branch family survived relatively often. Compared to the main family of Adellahan, the branch family is smaller in scale, and this has a lot to do with having a base in an isolated environment with few people coming and going.

As a result, the branch family has become able to speak more strongly to the main family than before.

The reason why Novalf’s mother began to openly complain to the Head of the main family was because of the disaster caused by the demon beast Yersinia.

[I wonder if she’s going to cry to the old lady again. So pathetic. Hey Nova, don’t you think so?]

And then the conversation turns to her favorite backbiting these days. Novalf was disgusted by his mother’s sarcasm, which he had grown tired of hearing.

[What is she trying to do, sending that old coot Narvasyn? Adellahan would be taken lightly by the Quordenze.]

It was less than half a month after the beginning of the new year when the letter arrived at the Adellahan family. The letter was stamped with the coat of arms of the Head of the Galiana family, but the sender was not Mylord Galiana.

We are exiled by the current Head of the Quordenze family due to our involvement in the Spierzeig family’s plan. In the future, I would like to build a good relationship with the Adellahan family. Could you please recognize us as the rightful Head of the family… The letter implied that a rebellion by a family member has occurred in the Galiana family.

Perhaps in order to gain the trust of the Adellahan family, the letter also showed the outline of the strategy planned by the Spierzeig family.

Galfis Quordenze will be held in place by surrounding him with armies led by multiple Highlords, while a separate force suppresses riverside bases such as Nambonan City to prevent reinforcements from Newnelly City. Then, by moving several noble families in the free city group to attack the Evenafis family, an ally of the Quordenze family, and cause a rebellion in the Galiana family, it will raise vigilance against the east.

Considering the content of that strategy and the underlying strength of the Spierzeig family, it was quite possible that the Quordenze family would be put at a disadvantage.

The Head of the Adellahan family immediately summoned the branch families, and it was decided that an evaluation would be carried out on how they should proceed in the future.

However, the discussion was interrupted as soon as it started.

This was because the news of the fall of Reisleaf Castle had arrived.

[But Mother, the fall of Reisleaf Castle is no small event. I wondered if it was a mistake to have Narvasyn as the messenger. The relationship between Adellahan and Quordenze…]

[Well, well! Even Nova would say something like that! The castle had really fallen, so they probably got nothing out of it. If the rumors were wrong, it would have been a shame for Adellahan, right? Uncertain information? As a fool who was made to dance, he must have smeared mud on the honor of the old woman.]

It was an incredible, almost unbelievable, piece of information.

In the first place, the Quordenze family should be in the midst of a large-scale counteroffensive from the Spierzeig family. A letter from a rebel of House Galiana makes it clear that House Spierzeig had launched the operation.

None of the Adellahan households could imagine how it would lead to the fall of Reisleaf Castle.

Therefore, it was concluded that the information was incorrect.

However, the situation progressed in an unexpected direction.

As time passed, rumors of the fall of Reisleaf Castle increased.

The eldest son of the Quordenze family defeated the eldest son of the Spierzeig family in a duel, the Knights of the Spierzeig family’s chief vassals were annihilated in the Battle of Nambonan City, the Castle of Raisleif fell and was overwhelmed by the Quordenze army, the Spierzeig army fled back to their territory… Rumors began to tell of a complete victory for the Quordenze family.

And as if to prove it, the number of letters requesting authorization from the rebels of the Galiana family increased. as if asking for help.

It’s possible that the Quordenze family really captured Reislief Castle…just as more members of the family began to think so, the current head of the Adellahan family, the Marquis of Adellahan, acted.

She decided to send a messenger to the Quordenze family to confirm if the rumors were true.

The person chosen was Narvasyn Ritabria, who had already retired from diplomacy and had retired.

According to Novalf’s mother, Narvasyn was chosen as a messenger to give the current Head of the family authority.

As the first head of the Ritabria family of knights, Narvasyn is known for running through the mountains together with his grandmother, Crowne Adellahan, as she worked hard to unify the Adellahan region. He is said to be Crowne’s most trusted Knight.

Marquis Adellahan dared to use retired Narvasyn can be considered as a claim to the branch family that she was the successor to Crowne.

[… Really, she’s a woman who can only hunt monsters. Can she really protect Adellahan with this?]

In that case, shouldn’t you, her older sister, support her? …Novalf swallowed those thoughts back. He knew better than anyone that saying such things would only incite hatred.

Seeing her mother’s voice grow louder and heat up, Novalf thought it was time to extinguish the fire.

[Mother, we are already in Zareazeria. I don’t know where the head family’s ears are. It’s better not to get caught up in trivial things, you might be taken advantage of. If you’re an intelligent person, mother, you know…]

Novalf’s mother, who was taken aback by those words, gently put the fan against her cheek in a motion similar to grooming when a cat is embarrassed, and smiled.

Zareazeria is the home of the Adellahan family, located in the northeastern part of the Adellahan territory.

It is located in one of the few plains in the mountainous Adellahan region, with many tributaries from the large river flowing through the north and abundant water sources.

However, if you take even one step beyond the great river, you will find a foggy Field that has been completely polluted by monsters.

For the Adellahan family, sitting down in Zarezeria City is also a preparation for the mature monsters that are likely to appear from the north.

At Zareazeria Castle, which is the center and center of Zareazeria City, collateral relatives of the Adellahan family and the knights of the territory gathered together.

If Wilk saw the layout of the desks in the hall, he would feel that it resembled an elementary school classroom.

Where a lecturer’s desk would likely sit is the desk of House Adellahan, and Narvasyn stood next to it.

A three-seater desk fashioned from marble, Novalf and his mother sat third from the front, listening silently to the words of Narvasyn Ritabria, who in a sense was the protagonist of this evaluation.

Narvasyn, who was sent as an envoy to the Quordenze territory, met with the current Head of the Quordenze family, Luxus Quordenze, in Newnelly, then visited Reisleaf Castle and confirmed the situation with his own eyes.

Although he is already close to 100 years old, there is no hesitation in his way of speaking, and one can see that he is fully conscious.

[…Then, it’s true…that Reisleaf castle has fallen?]

As soon as Narvasyn finished speaking, a woman from the branch family let out a voice.

The knights must have thought the same thing, but in this place where the relatives of the Adellahan family gathered together, they couldn’t say anything.

The relatives of the Adellahan family are, in other words, the Highlord’s blood relatives. Although they are not a direct lord to a particular knight’s family, there is always respect and awe in the heart of the Lords associated with the Highlords.

[Yes, but with these very eyes]

A long time ago, Narvasyn was working as Crowne’s vanguard, obtaining a number of important information and making great achievements in advancing the army. Although it is a mettle that was acquired long ago, there was a trust backed by a track record when it came to inspecting enemy situations.

[Are you sure?]

Since the members of the Adellahan family had already heard the information, most of the questions were asked by nobles from branch families.

[You mentioned that the Quordenze army didn’t show any signs of exhaustion, but is that correct for both soldiers and supplies?]

[There is no mistake in that recognition. It is a guess from seeing the common militia that was deployed, but a lot of leeway has been given.]

According to Narvasyn, when supplies are scarce, the most noticeable impact is usually visible on the equipment and treatment of the civilian militia.

However, when Narvasyn visited Reisleaf Castle, he saw the common militia being fed with hot soup to feed and to raise their spirits.

Of course, if there was not enough fuel, such as firewood, it would not have been possible to do such a thing.

[It seemed that the dead had already been dealt with. If there is no burial place other than the one I saw, the casualties of the soldiers must be negligible.]

If there were a large number of casualties in the siege battle, it would take a long time to deal with them. Considering that Spierzeig’s army will attack to recapture the castle, the disposal of the dead should be postponed. Luckily, since it is winter, corpses are less likely to rot, and even if they are left for a while, there is little impact.

If the burial of the low-priority war casualties had been completed, it could be inferred from the fact that the number of corpses to be processed was small.

[Reisleaf Castle is impregnable. I don’t think it can be taken down without damage. Or, for some reason, even if the story was just splendid, it was actually a castle made of mud…]

In response to those words, Narvasyn resolutely denied.

[Voistra’s Great Shield, its name is not deceitful. …While it’s arrogant, I saw that it was comparable to the Corbovia Line in terms of robustness. I thought it would be impossible to fall against a frontal attack.]

Narvasyn’s assessment of Reisleaf Castle roused relatives and knights alike.

The Corbovia Line is one of the defense facilities that the Levios family is proud of, and as its name suggests, it serves as a shield that protects the Corbovia Plain and the ancient city of Corbovia, the true home of the Levios family.

In a sense, the Corbovia Line was familiar to the Adellahan family. Because the shield is directed against the Adellahan family.

After all, the Kingdom of Levios is a political, economic, and military alliance between nobles, and depending on the situation, it is quite possible that the clasped hands will be separated. And the Levios family is not so naive as to let themselves defenseless against the Adellahan family, which is sometimes described as the strongest noble family in the Kingdom.

At present, the relationship is good, so the defenses are not blatantly strengthened. But even so, the Corbovia Line is built solid enough to make the Adellahan family hesitate to invade.

By having a specific comparison target, the image of Reisleaf Castle was shared among those in the hall.

The family must have truly understood the magnitude of the military exploits that the Quordenze family achieved, and the family members met face to face and exchanged words as they wished.

[You’ve done a great job. Regarding the Quordenze. What do you think, Nova?]

[This is the end of the Spierzeig family’s fate…]

Clap. A dry sound resounded in the hall just as Novalf was about to answer his mother’s question.

The place where the sound came from was in the farthest back of the room and could not be seen. However, it was Crowne Adellahan’s habit when she wanted to quieten the surroundings, and it was obvious who clapped their hands without even looking.

The relatives straightened their backs and caught their breath. Since they weren’t allowed to turn around, everyone could only stare at Marquis Adellahan sitting in front of them.

If they looked back now, they would have turned their back on the current Head of the family, but that would earn them a scolding from Crowne. She has already retired, and the person who nominally stands at the top of this hall will be Marquis Adellahan.

[The Voistra’s Royal family will finally perish…]

Crowne’s hoarse voice echoed quietly in the quiet room.

Marquis Adellahan said exactly what she thought in response to Crowne’s remarks.

[Grandmother, the Voistra Kingdom is no more. And the family name has been changed to Spierzeig family…]

[Details.]

It was a small voice, but the words could reach deep into everyone’s ears.

[Voistra has not perished. It simply remained in the empire while pretending to give in to that little boy.]

Crowne spoke slowly as if separating each word.

About 200 years ago, a chain of battles that began with the political disputes of the Zeth Church Holy High Council dragged the continent into a quagmire of turmoil.

While there are many noble families who have been tossed about by the swells of the times, becoming impoverished and ruined, the power of the Spierzeig family, who quickly saw this as an opportunity to unify the Voistra plains and establish the Kingdom of Voistra, stood out.

Crowne was of the generation that knew the heyday of the Voistra Kingdom, when it was at its most active period.

In fact, Crowne chose to use the name of the Adellahan region, which she unified, as her family name, the Adellahan family. This actually followed the method of the Spierzeig family, and it goes without saying that there was a strong respect for it.

[…with such power, the Voistra’s Royal family cannot be crushed.]

With a deep sigh, Crowne called out the name of the Head of the Adellahan family two generations ago.

There are only two old people left in the main Adellahan family, Crowne and the second generation Head of the family. In addition, the second generation is Crowne’s own daughter.

However, even though she is her daughter, the family Head was already over 80 years old and approaching the realm of an old woman.

The effects of aging that appear on Highlords and Lords vary greatly between individuals, and the second generation family Head has already weakened more than her biological mother, Crowne. Recently, the second generation family Head has often rested alone in the depths of Zareazelia Castle due to the lethargy of old age, but this time, she was asked to attend as an observer.

When the second generation Head guessed that her mother was urging her to continue her commentary, she cleared her throat before speaking.

[When the Zinkaen Empire was founded, its primary focus was on suppressing the Spierzeig family. That’s how powerful the Spierzeig family was at that time.]

At that time, there was no Noble who could single-handedly stop the Spierzeig family other than perhaps Emperor Zinkaen, the first Emperor. The two generations affirmed that the weakening of the Spierzeig family was an urgent and essential task in order to maintain the organization of the Empire.

[If that’s the case, the Voistra Kingdom will be no more…]

The second generation head sighed at the current Marquis of Adellahan, who had the temperament to spill whatever came into her mind without thinking about it. She was very similar to her mother, Crowne, in that regard.

Novalf faintly heard the voice of his mother sitting next to him, calling her [foolish].

[The effort of Emperor Zinkaen and the second Emperor Arginis can be said to have been effective. Spierzeig’s power has definitely declined. However, many people know that the Empire had a lot of trouble with the succession to the throne after that. The third generation, the current Emperor, Ferolt, did not follow the policy of the first and second generations, and relied on the Spierzeig family as the backing of his succession to the throne, which is only natural. It was around this time that he publicly led it, and it was practically like the Voistra Kingdom was revived within the Empire.]

After the second generation head concluded with that, she kept her mouth shut. Perhaps she wanted to imply that her role is over.

[Sylphazazea, Sylphazazel… Even though it’s the rule of the earth, it’s sad to see a giant tree decay.]

With a fading voice, Crowne spoke an ancient proverb. Literally translated, it means [What first fell to the ground, will fall to the ground again]. Seeds that fall to the ground eventually sprout, grow stems, grow leaves, grow into giant trees, and finally rot and fall to the ground. It is a proverb that preaches that the end of prosperity is inevitable.

Perhaps the heyday of the Voistra Kingdom came to mind in Crowne’s mind as she narrowed her eyes with nostalgia.

[…But, to break the Great Shield of Voistra, which even Emperor Zinkaen couldn’t break…]

The second generation Head didn’t miss a single relative muttering.

[Make no mistake. It’s not that Emperor Zinkaen failed to break the shield that time, he didn’t mean to.]

[No way?]

[The exaggerated reputation of Voistra’s Great Shield is nothing more than a false image spread by the Spierzeig family. Certainly, Reisleaf may be hard to penetrate, but it’s foolish to fear more than it actually is. Don’t be deceived.]

The second generation Head continued to explain to the children and grandchildren who were there while brushing her hair as if it was troublesome.

[Second …..By coming under the Empire’s umbrella before the full-scale invasion began, the Spierzeig family had an honorable record. The track record of repelling Emperor Jinkaen’s attacks.]

The Spierzeig family specially exaggerated and spread the fact that they prevented Emperor Zinkaen’s invasion.

Known as the Conqueror of the western part, it was an honor to prevent the invasion of Emperor Jinkaen, who was feared to be the strongest in warfare on the continent at the time.

By surrendering at an early stage, Emperor Zinkaen became unable to launch a second siege, and the impregnable legend of Reisleaf Castle was established. The previous generation said that in this way the Spierzeig family was able to protect their pride and join the Empire.

[Such a thing…]

[It’s true. The Spierzeig family needed to show their martial prowess so that they wouldn’t be underestimated by the other families that had fallen under Emperor Zinkaen’s umbrella earlier.]

[Those who don’t know that era, those who have forgotten it, believe in the tales of the Great Shield.]

It was a subjective way of thinking.

However, it is true that there is nothing more reliable than when the views of Crowne, who overcame turbulent times with intuition and inspiration, and the second generation Head who had a broad perspective and was good at Noble diplomacy, were in agreement.

The current Marquis Adellahan was excellent as a warrior, but she was not good at such diplomacy and domestic affairs, so she accepted it without any particular objection.

[The Spierzeig family, which has been outnumbered in the war with the Quordenze family, had no choice but to cling to the legend of the great shield they created.]

[However, the praised shield has been broken. There will be no future for the Kingdom of Voistra.]

Even though the Spierzeig family continued to lose in the war against the Quordenze family, they were never looked down upon by other families.

The existence of Reisleaf Castle has a lot to do with it. Even if the Quordenze family defeated members after members of the Former Voistra faction, the Spierzeig family would still have that Voistra’s Great Shield.

However, it was like wielding a double edged sword.

By cracking the shield, which could be said to be a symbol of military power, the surrounding Nobles became aware of the downfall of the Spierzeig family no matter what.

[If it was the Red Demon who broke the shield, then there might have been a way to deal with it…but that is also a no-brainer.]

There was a bud of reversal in the Spierzeig family. It’s victory through attrition of time.

Galfis Quordenze, the commander-in-chief of the Spierzeig invasion, is already in his 80s. Most Highlords reach the end of their lives around 100 years old, but that doesn’t mean they don’t die in their 80s. It wouldn’t be so strange if the fire of life went out tomorrow.

For the Quordenze family, the loss of Galfis would be too great of an impact to their military. If Galfis can’t move, the invasion will have no choice but to stop there.

Even so, the Quordenze family had a relatively small number of Highlords compared to other families due to the purge of collateral relatives during the era of Cassia Quordenze, the Head of the family two generations ago. There is no guarantee that it will be able to withstand the rush of the Highlords-led army of the Spierzeig family, which has many Noble families under its control.

However, the bud was crushed.

The young eldest son of the Quordenze family had defeated the next Head of the Spierzeig family in a duel and had broken through the shield that even Emperor Zinkaen could not.

The surrounding Nobles, and the Nobles who still remember the turbulent times, would see the shadow of Galfis in his gallant figure.

In that situation, even if Galfis withdrew from the front line, the impact would be completely different depending on whether or not the fortress can be defended.

[In addition to the Shieldbreaker heir, that demon child is still alive and well. The snake now has two fangs… What a situation.]

That’s the end, said Crowne.

At the end, Marquis Adellahan summarizes the content of the talk briefly, and proposes to think about where the Adellahan family will go in the future.

While the family began to consult in low voices, Novalf heard his mother, who was sitting next to him, raising her voice.

[If the Quordenze swallows the Spierzeig…won’t it be dangerous?]

The Quordenze family owns a number of fertile breadbaskets, and maintains a strong territory with the population supported by the wheat.

If the Spierzeig territory Voistra Plain is added to this, it will grow to an unrivaled scale in terms of food production.

Since they have an alliance with the Levios Kingdom, they shouldn’t become enemies immediately, but there was no doubt that they were still a threat to the Adellahan family. If the Quordenze family defected from the Levios Kingdom, the first to confront them would be the Adellahan family, geographically speaking.

[Isn’t interference necessary?]

[Yeah, yeah. Right now, they’ve only conquered Reisleaf.]

[Before they get to the Voistra plains, we have to do something…]

Seeing the relatives start making noise, Crowne stiffened her expression and clapped her hands again.

Only a few members of the family could feel the slight irritability of the sound.

[You guys are underestimating the current generation of Quordenze. He’s a descendant of that snake girl. Haven’t you forgotten?]

It seems that they couldn’t immediately tell who the cute word “Snake Girl” was referring to, so a question mark appeared on their faces.

It was a nickname from two generations ago that made up for the lack of words.

[The Princess of Five Domains… I’m talking about Cassia Quordenze.]

The second generation Head was well aware of the existence that Crowne called Snake Girl.

Crowne doesn’t really like telling her own old tales, probably because she has many painful memories in proportion to her brave heroic tales. On the other hand, it was easy to talk about the events of other families, probably because she could talk about them as a third party.

In the previous generation, she had heard many times about the Princess who unified the five domains of Quordenze. There was a time when Crowne was conscious of it because both of them were pretty close in age.

[Kakakka. Nowadays, they call her by fancy names such as the Princess of the Five Domains, but she was a snake. The blood of the snake, its scheming nature, has been passed down to the present generation.]

The current Head of the Quordenze family, Quordenze Luxus, is a person who does not get much attention in the Adellahan family.

Especially from the branch families who had little interaction outside the territory. As Luxus had no outstanding prowess, barely anyone in the room knew about him.

Among the members of the Quordenze family, the first person they know would be Galfis the Red Demon, followed by Cassia, the princess of the Five Domains, and then Luxus.

While looking at the backs of the family members who didn’t seem to have a clue, Crowne pondered.

[…Well, let’s have a little fun. Anyone can guess when Quordenze’s attack on Othelloria will start?]

The relatives braced themselves after being asked a question by Crowne. This is because Othelloria is the home of the Spierzeig family, and the answer to that question would be equivalent to predicting the outcome of the war.

It would be embarrassing to give a silly answer here.

[If Reisleaf Castle fell, wouldn’t it take about five years?]

[I’m thinking about the same…]

[Like what grandmother said earlier, the fall of Reisleaf Castle has ruined the military power of the Spierzeig family. Is it possible to reach within 3 years? ]

[Isn’t it the same for the Spierzeig family who suffered less damage in the siege battle? There should still be some energy left. I think it will take seven or eight years. It’s the Spierzeig family we are talking about.]

[If we take all possible measures to attack Othelloria, there are other cities that we would like to take down. Considering securing Zannahorus City and Silknoon City first, I think it will take 5 years.]

Each of them predicted the fall, but on average it was around five years.

Novalf’s mother looked at her son sitting next to her after announcing her four-year forecast.

[… Answer quickly, too. Grandmother will be waiting.]

His eyes told him not to give strange answers, but Novalf ignored it and put his thoughts together again.

While she was talking about Marquis Quordenze, she suddenly talked about the fall of Otheloria. Naturally, the answer Crowne sought wasn’t a simple clash of forces or a reasonable prediction of a war.

Only after his mother started thrusting his elbows into his body did he ask for permission to speak. He was the last one.

[At the earliest, this fall.]

The room was a little noisy despite the unexpected forecast.

In response to that unbelievable remark, Novalf’s mother turned her face red like fire and turned her gaze away from Marquis Adellahan, who was sitting in front of her, as if she thought she had exposed her shame in front of Crowne and the second generation Head.

[Even though the shield was broken, to think that the Spierzeig family would fall within the year…]

[Impossible, at that speed.]

[Isn’t it a little too much for the Quordenze family?]

It was Crowne, who was also the questioner, who cut off the words mixed with ridicule.

[Interesting. I think so too.]

There is no one here who can make a fool of Crowne’s predictions.

The relatives were ashamed of their careless remarks and lowered their faces.In contrast, Novalf’s mother’s face was filled with joy and she looked down on Marquis Adellahan.

[Tell me why.]

In response to the voice behind him, Novalf looked at Marquis Adellahan sitting in front of him and expressed his thoughts.

[The current Marquis of Quordenze cannot miss the only opportunity to destroy the Spierzeig family.]

Those words summarizing the conclusion turned Crowne’s gaze into a sharp one, and the atmosphere in the hall became tense.

[Ho.]

[Speak.]

The voice of Crowne and the second generation Head echoed in the silent space.

[…Originally, it should have taken 10 years at the earliest for the fall of Reisleaf Castle. This prediction is not that difficult.]

As Novalf said, the family members, relatives, and knights of the Adellahan family had similar expectations.

As if to affirm his opinion, there are several people who silently agree.

[If they can capture Reisleaf Castle, the rest is flat land of the Voistra Plain, and the snakes that have managed to slip through the wounds will eat Spierzeig’s organs in all directions. Reaching Othelloria City with a perfect system is by no means difficult.]

After all, it will take 5 years… When he heard those whispered voices, Novalf took a pause from his words and continued after taking a breather.

[However, that is a prediction that only the Quordenze family and the Spierzeig family have seen, and it is not realistic.]

[Keep going.]

[The Levios family will not allow the Quordenze family to annex the Spierzeig territory. How long will the Quordenze family, who has swallowed the Voistra plains, keep pace with the Kingdom, no, the Levios family? Only the Marquis of Quordenze knows.]

The Levios family would like to avoid the Quordenze family absorbing the Spierzeig territory and becoming a powerful Noble.

The Nobles of the kingdom already have a strong sense of independence, and if they do not get along with the Levios family, some small and medium-sized Nobles may leave the Kingdom en masse with the Quordenze family as the leader.

[Until now, the Levios family has supported the invasion of the Quordenze family because it would weaken the power of the Empire.]

Until now, the Levios family had not openly sent reinforcements to the war between the Quordenze and Spierzeik families, but they had accepted the claims of the Quordenze side and acknowledged that there was justice.

The Quordenze family decided that it would be beneficial for the Levios Kingdom and, by extension, the Levios family to mess up the internal affairs of the Empire by developing diplomacy with Spierzeig.

[To stop this policy all of a sudden would be against righteousness. Therefore, the Levios family had to change their position and behavior little by little. I heard that the construction of a new base has begun. Of course, the Levios family should also have that information. In that case, looking ahead to the fall in 10 years, it’s a good time to start laying the groundwork.]

Novalf insisted that it is not possible to suddenly stop the invasion, so it is necessary to change the attitude little by little.

『We support the claims of the Quordenze family. This is a fight for just.』

『You’re in good shape. With this rapid advance, the burden on the people will be less.』

『If the battle drags on, the army will be exhausted. We might be worrying unnecessarily, but it might be better to pay attention to the appearance of demon beasts』

『We wonder how many years have passed since the war started. The decision to continue the war is good, but we are a little worried that there will be unreasonableness in terms of governance.』

『Shouldn’t it be time to do something about it? If peace talk is an option, then, we, the Levios family, will take responsibility and act as mediators.』

『It’s fine to expand the territory, but can it really be governed? The emergence of mature demonic beasts will not end as a problem for the Quordenze family alone.』

『As guardians, we have the responsibility to protect the land and protect the people. Is it acceptable to continue the war like this?』

Novalf gave a simple example of how the Levios family exerted pressure.

From the impoverishment of the territory and army due to the protracted battle, the story is connected to the duty of the Nobles to protect the land, and finally it is brought to the form of criticizing the Quordenze family for continuing the aggressive war.

This is just one example of Novalf’s idea, but it was a really effective claim in that it was difficult to argue against. In 10 years, it would be possible to change the attitude naturally.

[If they forcefully intervene without going through the stages and give the Quordenze family a disadvantage, the Kingdom will be shaken by discord. The prestige has been weakened by the civil war. They would avoid a full-scale confrontation with the Quordenze family at this time. In the worst case, a strong alliance between Quordenze and Zeldomitra could be formed, which spells the beginning of the Kingdom’s collapse.]

The Quordenze family is on relatively good terms with the Zeldomitra family, another Great Noble in the southern part of the Kingdom.

Naturally, if that happens, there is a high possibility that small and medium-sized Nobles belonging to each faction will follow suit and leave the Kingdom. In other words, the collapse of the Levios Kingdom.

Seeing the timing when Novalf’s words stopped, the second generation asked a question.

[I think at what stage the Levios family was willing to stop the Quordenze family. Answer me.]

[The fall of Raisleif Castle, I wonder if that was the hand.]

From the fact that the answer came out immediately, it was clear that Novalf understood this problem well.

[As long as the Spierzeig family still owns the Voistra Plain, the Quordenze family will not be able to relax and will have to keep pace with the Kingdom. On the other hand, the Spierzeig family, who have lost the Reisleaf Castle, now had fangs pressed against their necks and cannot move satisfactorily. It can be said that the most appropriate state for this is peace after the capture of Reisleaf Castle.]

Novalf’s answer seemed to satisfy both the second generation Head and Crowne.

Crowne’s voice became slightly higher.

[That’s right, the current generation of Quordenze was well aware of that. He must have been furious, even though he could fight Voistra because of Levios’ alliance, it was also because of that alliance that he cannot go all the way. It’s frustrating, but there’s no way to break through it. As long as Reisleaf stood, there’s no way to do that. They’re using Levios to fight Voistra. But by doing so, the ties will inevitably catch them.]

Reisleaf Castle can be taken down. However, it cannot be dropped at once. And if time passes, the Levios family will move to a ceasefire.

Things cannot be settled with a simple force alone. Crowne, who had a lot of trouble unifying the Adellahan region, had experienced it firsthand and understood the Levios family’s way of thinking.

[Just as great-grandmother said, Marquis Quordenze had no way to go beyond Reisleaf.]

[But, the shield is broken now.]

[Yes. In a way that no one expected, the capture of Reisleaf Castle, which would have taken more than 10 years, ended in less than half a month.]

Before anyone knew it, everyone was listening to Novalf’s words.

[Marquis Quordenze has already moved… No, there’s no way he won’t move. He’s a strategist who built up the diplomatic isolation of House Spierzeig…the former Voistra faction through plotting between the Kingdom and the Empire. It’s safe to assume that the other families, including the others, are already behind. I don’t think that the Levios family will be able to interfere so easily even if they start moving now. They’ll try to escape from interference like a snake dancing. If it’s only a year or two, they should be able to deal with it.]

He predicts that the social circle that opens in the Royal Capital in the spring will develop into an unprecedented diplomatic battle.

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[The only time they can overthrow the Spierzeig family is now, when they can slip through the interference of other families. To do that, they must take control of the city of Othelloria first. Once they do, Levios family intervention will no longer have any effect.]

If the Othelloria City, the cornerstone and home of the Voistra Plain, falls, there will be no hope of a comeback for the Spierzeig family.

Their prestige will be completely destroyed, and the nobles under their control may give up on the Spierzeig family and not send out reinforcements. If that happens, it will be a one-sided undertaking, the work of crushing Yokozuna Sumo.

Novalf asserted that the Spierzeig family’s fate after losing the Othelloria City would be the same as prey waiting to die as it is entwined in a coiling snake.

[It’s not too early for the capture of Othelloria City to begin this fall. If you think about destroying the opposite. The more time it takes, the more interference from the outside increases and the invasion becomes more difficult. If the Marquis of Quordenze really wants to destroy the Spierzeig family, he will probably think of invading Othelloria as soon as possible.]

The only sure way to attack is to take several important cities located in the Voistra plains and isolate Othelloria. However, considering the uncertainties of the movements of other families, it does not lead to a certain path to the downfall of the Spierzeig family.

When Novalf finished speaking, Crowne clapped her hands twice in satisfaction.

[It looks like it.]

It was the best evaluation given by Crowne.

Novalf’s mother relaxed her cheeks and looked proudly at her son.

Marquis Adellahan, who lost the main role of the story to Novalf, opened her mouth with a slightly flustered look.

[Well then, we also need to think about our future policy. After all, we should think about Quordenze. By sending Narvasyn as a messenger, we are able to obtain information earlier than the Levios and Milendorva. We have to take advantage of this.]

It seemed that they’re pulled back to reality, and the family and relatives began to discuss in their own way.

Novalf’s words were unexpected for his family and relatives.

Nobles and knights tend to be short-sighted and only see their territory. At most, it would be about being conscious of other houses adjacent to the territory.

Most of the people gathered in the hall were astonished that the Quordenze army had taken Reisleaf Castle. However, it was never due to predictions of future continental affairs or turmoil in nobility diplomacy. They were merely wary of the emergence of an individual who possessed the strength to break through the huge wall of Reishleaf Castle, and the eldest son who excelled in martial arts.

It can be said that the difference between those who consider Nobles as individuals and those who consider Noble families as groups has become conspicuous.

And it could be said that most of the Adellahan family, including the Marquis of Adellahan, are the former. It was unexpected for the generation two generations ago that Novalf of the branch family was the latter.

[By the way, is there anyone familiar with the rumored Wilk Quordenze?]

[He is the eldest son who has not been nominated as a successor, I hear that he has only appeared in front of the Nobles of the Quordenze faction.]

[Considering that he is the grandson of Duke Galfis, isn’t he a considerable warrior?]

[Is it true that the eldest son of the Spierzeig family was defeated in a duel against him? It’s hard to believe.]

[Wilk-dono is a boy who has just fought his first battle, isn’t he? Commoners like to uselessly exaggerate their stories, so you should listen to them half-heartedly.]

Marquis Adellahan winked at Narvasyn as he answered her relatives’ questions.

Upon seeing Narvasyn’s silent affirmation, the relatives stopped talking in the name of argument and focused their gazes.

[What kind of rumors are you hearing?]

Novalf’s mother answered Narvasyn’s question on behalf of her relatives.

[The rumors I heard were greatly exaggerated. When the Spierzeig family counterattack occurred, the rumored Wilk-dono was attending a New Year’s event at Newnelly Castle…]

Some people nodded as they must have heard the same rumor. Novalf’s mother spoke verbatim about the rumors she had heard.

When Wilk heard about the raid on Nambonan City, he persuaded his father, the Marquis Quordenze, who was reluctant to send reinforcements, by performing a passage from the play “Princess of Five Domains”.

Wilk, who was allowed to receive reinforcements, rushed to Nambonan City with a very small elite force made up of only knights, military officers, and Lord-class soldiers, launched a surprise attack on the flanks of the Spierzeig army, which was attacking the city. He killed the enemy officers one after another.

Then, in a one-on-one duel with Verret Spierzeig, the commander-in-chief of the Spierzeig army detachment, Wilk won in the blink of an eye. In order to save his grandfather Galfis, he once again led the army to attack Reisleaf Castle, and successfully took it down.

As she said this, Novalf’s mother began to feel ridiculous. No matter how funny and exaggerated the commoners were, this is too much of a made-up story.

[…I’d like to hear a little more realistic story. Have you heard anything from Duke Galfis?]

The other family members seemed to have the same impression, and they looked like they didn’t believe it.

Narvasyn took a deep breath and opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

[Unfortunately, I was unable to meet with Wilk-dono.]

In order to reliably scout out Reisleaf Castle, the messenger’s pretext was [Congratulating the Quordenze family, who successfully captured Reisleaf Castle, and General Galfis, who was the commander-in-chief of the invasion.]

A heir to a Noble family who has not been nominated as the next Head of the family is, so to speak, a private person and cannot be forced to meet. Even more so when it comes to the Great Noble Quordenze family.

[But, two things are certain.]

Narvasyn is the type of person who doesn’t talk about vague facts very often.

If he is certain, then it can be said that it is information worth believing. The expressions on the relatives’ faces changed to serious ones.

[One. We have confirmed the body of the eldest son of the Spierzeig family, who was nominated as the next Head of the family, Verret Spierzeig.]

A sense of awakening spread throughout the hall.

It was only natural since the fact that the next Head of Spierzeig had died was revealed.

[Are you sure of that?]

[I wonder if there’s a mistake.]

On the way to Reisleaf Castle, Narvasyn decided to spend the night in Nambonan City.

At that time, a civil officer of the Quordenze family allowed him to confirm the body.

If he becomes the next Head of the Spierzeig family, information such as his hair and eye color will flow. Even if you haven’t met them in person, you can still recognize them to some extent.

Hair color, eye color, age, and facial look. Information obtained from the corpse clearly indicated that it was Verret Spierzeig.

Narvasyn briefly explained how he had made the decision, and proceeded with the story, leaving the relatives still a bit confused.

[Two. I have confirmed the knight who was killed in the battle of Nambonan City. Frankly speaking, it is annihilation.]

Knight Zannahorus, Knight Deonona, and so on, Narvasyn listed the names of the knights.

At first, the relatives thought that he was just listing the knights who served the Spierzeig family, but they soon realized that it was a recitation of the slain knights and officers.

They were moving their heads left and right to check each other’s reactions to the reading that didn’t quite finish.

There were rumors that several knights of the Spierzeig family had been killed, but the specific names were unknown. They were surprised once again that there were a lot more big names than they had expected.

[I never thought that even the knight Zannahorus was defeated…]

[The chief knight of the Spierzeig family, no way.]

[This is certainly…annihilation, isn’t it…]

To the appalled relatives, Narvasyn added that he secretly interviewed citizens in Nambonan City, confirming the fact that a battle actually took place in Nambonan City, as well as the bodies of knights and officers.

[I would like to add that there were many citizens who testified that Wilk-dono did rush to Nambonan City, which was in dire straits, and mowed down the enemy army in one fell swoop. The rumor may be closer to the truth.]

Not wanting to imitate unreliable information, Narvasyn stopped his words there.

This honest attitude conveys that he recognizes the death of Verret and the annihilation of the knight as the truth.

[Is there anything else that bothered you? I would like you to tell me what you felt when you actually visited the Quordenze territory.]

Narvasyn then gave a slightly hesitant gesture. He seemed to be wondering whether to say it or not.

When Marquis Adellahan saw this, she looked at him as if urging him to talk. As expected, if asked by his master like that, Narvasyn had no choice but to answer. So he opened his mouth gravely.

[The thing that caught my attention…is Verret’s corpse]

[The corpse?]

In response to Marquis Adellahan’s backlash, Narvasyn continued.

[There was no damage other than the one shot of the spear that would have taken his life, and he was kept mostly pristine.]

Narvasyn reiterated how Verret’s body in the coffin appeared to be asleep, except that the neck and torso were separated.

In the battles between Highlords, since powerful magic attacks with murderous intent flew about, many of the corpses are unbearable to see. A clean corpse is relatively rare.

Of course, it’s rare for the victorious side to end up unscathed, and there are many aftereffects left by the magic that was cast into them.

The relatives must have thought that Wilk was injured to some extent when they heard about the duel between Highlords. But that was denied by Narvasyn’s testimony.

[Are you saying he defeated Verret with a single blow!?]

[How glorious…]

[As expected of Duke Galfis’s grandson. He seems to share his rough temperament]

While his family focused on the fact that Wilk had defeated Verret in one blow, Novalf was concerned about something else.

He asked Narvasyn, trying to shake off his inexplicable eeriness.

[A mostly pristine corpse…that’s a little hard to believe. Was that on Wilk-dono’s orders, Narvasyn?]

[Yes, that’s what I heard from the Quordenze civil officer. It seems that he received a direct order from Wilk-dono himself.]

Novalf’s mother whispered into her son’s ear.

[Nova, I wonder what’s wrong. It may be hard to believe that a 12-year-old boy can decide the duel with one blow, but…]

Wilk’s age and Verret’s age were already known information.

However, 12-year-olds and 19-year-olds are like a boy with a shotgun fighting a young man with a machine gun on Earth. And depending on who they are, it’s not as if they can get out unscathed. Moreover, in a situation where the knights were annihilated and the situation was inferior, you can take any number of measures.

[That’s not it.]

But, that wasn’t what Novalf was concerned about. What he was worried about was Wilk’s behavior after defeating Verret.

[The Spierzeig family is the arch-enemy of the Quordenze family. Why did he do nothing even after killing the next Head of the family?]

It seems that the relatives noticed after hearing Novalf’s question. Questions were raised one after another.

[Sure, that’s strange.]

[Fumu…he should have just thrown it away and burnt it black.]

[If Narvasyn is right, then why did he go out of his way to prepare a coffin for Verret?]

On the Eruo continent, cremation is considered a good thing, and the best funeral is to burn the bones down to ashes. Conversely, half-cooking or charring is considered the greatest blasphemy against the dead.

Beating the next head of the enemy family in a duel and obtaining his body would be a military exploit for his own family, but at the same time it would be the greatest opportunity to bring shame to the enemy family.

For boy nobles who tend to like brave things, they would burn and carbonize the corpses to the extent that it became unrecognizable as former humans, and display them at the entrance of their home city to boast about. If he was the boy described by the rumors as charging the enemy army, annihilating the knights, and going into duel, he would definitely do it.

[…According to Duke Galfis, Wilk-dono doesn’t like playing with bodies like that.]

[Is it a matter of likes and dislikes?]

[It’s foolish to throw away your military exploits.]

[I wonder if Marquis Quordenze doesn’t say anything. Even though it’s an honor that your son got…]

Perhaps it was because he had only heard rumors about the existence of Wilk as a positive factor, but the slight negative factor caught his eye.

Novalf feels a little disappointed when he sees his relatives who inflate their negative elements like a commoner’s daughter and start to evaluate them like backbiting.

For him, Quordenze Wilk’s actions were more eerie than stupid.

[Ufufu, maybe Wilk-dono doesn’t have a very good relationship with his father, Marquis Quordenze?]

The words of his mother jumped into Novalf’s ears as he was thinking about the nature of the creepiness.

The one who responded was Marquis Adellahan.

[What do you mean?]

[Isn’t it true that Marquis Quordenze really hates the Spierzeig family, who murdered his own brother? Isn’t it a rebellion against his father that Wilk-dono abandons his own military exploits and treats Verret’s corpse with respect? Isn’t it common for young children to make such trivial allegations?]

[… It’s not possible without such a thing, but isn’t that just a lack of reason?]

[Of course, that’s not all.]

Novalf’s mother stood up on the spot and continued to present her theory.

[Rumor has it that Wilk-dono, who received news of the raid on Nambonan City in Newnelly, urged Marquis Quordenze to depart for the front, right? He used the words of her grandmother, Duchess Cassia, to rouse Marquis Quordenze.]

Then she giggled.

[As many of you may know, Duchess Cassia once gave up on the family head at the time when they were tossed around by the Voistra’s Royal family. Fufu, don’t you think it’s very similar? Wilk-dono decided that the Head of the family was unreliable and followed his grandmother who was a Hero?]

Oh, my relatives growl.

This was because what she said had a certain amount of logic to it, and it matched perfectly with the image she had initially envisioned as a bloodthirsty, combative Noble boy.

[…Then, it is quite conceivable that there will be a gap between the current generation and the next generation in the future policy against Spierzeig.]

[We can’t just treat the eldest son of the Great Shieldbreaker unreservedly, so Marquis Quordenze might have a hard time.]

[Well, well, well! It’s sad to have a parent and child fight.]

[It may be a trigger to interfere with the invasion of Spierzeig territory. Wouldn’t it be better to try contacting Wilk-dono once?]

Perhaps thinking that there was some sort of breakthrough in the fact that Wilk had returned to being a violent Noble boy, the relatives were all at once excited.

Crowne, who was peeking at them from behind her wrinkled eyelids, uttered a purr like a roaring tiger.

[Cease now.]

Her voice was so small that it was easy to miss it.

However, the relatives who were present remained silent as if their hearts were being grasped, and unintentionally almost looked back at Crowne.

Those who felt the pressure on their backs and are dripping cold sweat are by no means a minority.

[You fools don’t even realize that you almost fall into the snake’s coil.]

Everyone, including Marquis Adellahan, looked like a child being scolded by their parents, and everyone waited for the continuation of Crowne’s words.

[Are the peaks of Adellahan shaken so easily by rumors?]

Everyone understood what Crowne was trying to say. To be blamed for foolishness of imagining the other party with mere rumors and changing the policy.

After Crowne’s words once again caused them to prostrate and showed remorse, her widened eyes closed again.

[Slowly…little by little, the current Quordenze is slithering toward us. We are Adellahan. We must stand like the peaks of tranquility and immovability.]

No one can refute, just accept the sermon.

Crowne spoke in a solemn tone as if reprimanding an unsuccessful child, reciting the family motto [Protecting our land].

[… To confront a snake, you have to figure them out first. Their mother was a woodcutter. However, the snakes born from it are not necessarily the same.]

In silence, everyone thought about the meaning of “woodcutter” and looked at Marquis Adellahan.

Marquis Adellahan, who was pressured by her relatives’ gazes, squeezed out her voice.

[By woodcutter, do you mean the woodcutter snake?]

In the region of Adellahan there is a poisonous snake called “The Woodcutter”.

They are good at climbing trees and have a habit of stealing eggs from bird nests and eating them, so they often get entangled in tree branches. And when people were swinging axes to get lumber, the vibrations would drop them.

The woodcutter snake’s venom is actually not that strong. Depending on where you get bitten, death isn’t that common.

But, commoners are very afraid of this snake. That’s because the poison causes excruciating pain that ordinary people can’t stand. There is even a story that one had to cut off their bitten arm with an axe to escape the pain.

There are various theories as to why this poisonous snake came to be called the woodcutter, but the two most common theories are that [it falls on you when you work as a woodcutter] and that [If you’re bitten you must cut off your arm with an axe.].

Crowne likened Cassia to a woodcutter serpent.

[Snake girl has that kind of temperament. It’s a snake that shows off the dreadfulness of its poison, confuses the enemy, and drives them to self-destruction.]

[You think Marquis Quordenze is different?]

Crowne didn’t answer the family’s question. I guess you want to tell them to think about it too.

Novalf organized the information he had gathered so far in his head and imagined Marquis Quordenze, whom he had never met. What came to my mind was not poison, but a snake that kills its prey by constricting it with its long coiled body.

Each of them seemed to be thinking, and the hall was enveloped in silence.

In the suffocating atmosphere, Marquis Adellahan said.

[Regarding our future policy for the Quordenze family, I don’t think we should move easily now.]

Marquis Adellahan was well aware of her lack of diplomatic ability, so she didn’t want to make a sudden change in policy. It can be said that it was the best timing to propose to maintain the status quo because Crowne had just told her to take a solid stand.

And it was Novalf’s mother who objected to this.

[Is it really better to maintain the status quo and take no measures? I think it would be better to take this opportunity to think carefully about the relationship with the Quordenze family.]

Another relative followed, as if to go along with it.

[And at this rate, the Quordenze family will swallow the Spierzeig territory, right? It is better to import food from many sources. If there is a major famine like five years ago, we will have no choice but to rely on the Levios family again.]

The Adellahan territory does not have much food production due to the small area of farmable land.

The people are not so poor that they suffer from starvation, but it’s not uncommon for the drought to get a little worse and the situation close to famine.

On the other hand, the stone materials that can be mined in the Adellahan region have been considered to be of the highest quality since ancient times, and have extremely high brand value. As a result, there was plenty of financial leeway, and food was often imported from other food-producing families, including the Levios family.

Most recently, a large-scale famine occurred in the Adellahan region five years ago, and the people of the territory suffered from starvation. And in that time, they were able to deal with it by importing food from the Levios family.

[Hmph, in the current situation, if we ask for reinforcements, they can’t refuse. Novalf, you must have had a hard time because of the Levios family.]

Another branch of the family turned to Novalf, and Novalf’s mother agreed.

[Yes, yes. I never thought that I would have to send my child to the battlefield because of the Levios family’s failure. Even though our belief is to defend our land…no way, the Royal Nobles will fight each other.]

[You must have been heartbroken, too.]

About a year ago, the Adellahan family received a request for reinforcements from the Levios family. This is because the Milendorva army, led by Princess Orshian, has begun a large-scale invasion on the Levios territory across the river.

Disputes between Nobles have nothing to do with the Adellahan family, but it was difficult to refuse. This is because they owed the Levios family assistance during the great famine.

Marquis Adellahan didn’t want to send personnel from the main house, which had already been reduced in number due to the disaster of the demon beast Yersinia. This is because there is concern about physical disabilities due to residual magic in battles between Nobles.

At that point, it was Novalf, a son from a branch of the family who got sent.

[At that time, he was so anxious that I couldn’t help it. If grandmother hadn’t accompanied him…my hands would still shake.]

His mother was furious like a raging fire when known that her son was used as a reinforcement without permission. It is no longer possible to know whether it was because he thought of his son, or if she was angry with her sister, who was the main Head of the family and took control.

Just when everyone thought it would develop into a civil war between the main Adellahan family and the branch family, their anger ended in an unexpected way. Crowne declared that she would serve as Novalf’s lieutenant.

Novalf’s mother must have thought it would be a great opportunity to sell her son to Crowne, and after that declaration, she became amusingly cooperative with reinforcements.

[Mother…..]

The blatant allusion to Marquis Adellahan made Novalf feel like he was having a headache.

[Mother, I think I had a rather good experience. It’s not like I can see grandmother commanding the army directly with my own eyes every so often. So, about that…]

He tried to silence my mother somehow, but it was a bad move.

[Ufufu, it might be exactly what Nova said. There aren’t many people who were able to directly learn from grandmother’s command. I’m sure it will be of great use to you in the future.]

It was already too late when Novalf thought, “Oh my God.”

Currently, Novalf is the only young nobleman who has directly seen how Crowne commands her army. That includes most of the current members of the Adellahan main family and branch families.

Due to a strange disease caused by the demon beast Yersinia, all the children of the main family died of illness, leaving only one Princess. Novalf’s mother thought that having a male Noble from a branch family who knew Crowne’s command here would be a big advantage.

[Reinforcements have resulted in spreading our military name, but we should think carefully about the future. We are not subordinates of the Levios family.]

[I don’t really like it, but our relationship with the Quordenze family is important.]

[Hmph, you can’t trust a collateral-killing snake.]

The Adellahan family and the Quordenze family have little interaction. It was related to the actions of Cassia Quordenze.

In the Adellahan family, whose branch family has considerable power, the impression of Cassia Quordenze, who went around purging collateral relatives, was very bad.

From the point of view of a branch of the Adellahan family, Cassia’s actions were like burning the bridge behind her.

However, the way she fought against the mature demon beast that appeared in Evermil city and died as a martyr is the most precious thing as a Noble who is the guardian of the land. There was something that touched the heartstrings of the Adellahan family, whose family motto is [Protecting our land], and whose family head is chosen from the female line.

As a result, even if their impression about Cassia was bad, they couldn’t completely dislike her. She was in a very delicate position.

Marquis Adellahan felt a little relieved when the branch family thought that the relationship with the Quordenze family should be closer than it is now.

However, there was, of course, her sister’s intentions.

Novalf’s mother smiled and smiled as she wanted to continue the conversation here.

[Come to think of it, Wilk-dono doesn’t seem to have a fiancée yet.]

Marquis Adellahan’s expression clouded over.

[Since ancient times, marriage has been the surest means of bringing families closer together. Considering the future with the Quordenze family, it may be one of the choices.]

Seeing Marquis Adellahan on the brink of rage, Novalf’s mother realized that this was the upper limit.

From the older sister’s point of view, it was easy to estimate the capacity of her younger sister’s anger.

[Fufu, I was a little hasty in coming to a conclusion. Even though you, the Head of the Adellahan family, have to decide. Ohohohoho…]

As expected, she can’t directly say here that the Princess should be sent to another territory as a wife. At least Novalf’s mother had that level of common sense.

But the people here are aware of her true intentions. [I’ve sent my son to another family’s war for the Adellahan territory, so you should also send the Princess to another family for the Adellahan territory].

The Adellahan family continued to be headed by a female lineage, but that is by no means an absolute rule.

The de-facto first Head of the family, Crowne, chose a successor purely on merit, and as a result, only a woman was chosen. In other words, it is not impossible for a male family head to stand up as long as it is accompanied by strength.

If the situation on the continent were greatly shaken and a strong family head was needed, who would be called upon? It must be Novalf, who is in the prime of his youth and has received praise from Crowne. Novalf’s mother thinks so.

[…Yes, that’s right. The one who decides is me, the head of the Adellahan family. Not you.]

Marquis Adellahan’s voice was tinged with anger.

The words that pierced through the center of her complex made Novalf’s mother extremely angry. It is no longer a conflict between the main branch families, but a rivalry between sisters who are on bad terms.

Just as the knights’ minds were filled with the worst possible situation, the two generations slammed the desk.

[Dismiss]

With those reluctant words, the day’s evaluation came to an end.

Novalf returned to the mansion prepared for his relatives in the city of Zareazelia and went out into the garden with a sword in hand.

[Ha!]

One of his ways to relieve stress was to keep swinging his sword without using physical enhancement magic.

Taking the trouble to come all the way to Zaleazeria City just to see a sister fight, and it’s a fight between his mother and his aunt. He was of course overwhelmed with anxiety.

[Ha!]

The sword he had wielded many times since childhood, however, lacked delicacy.

With a face that looks like he’s stepped on a bitter bug, Novalf looked down at his own palm.

[It must be rough.]

Novalf turned around at the sudden voice he heard.

[Great-grandmother and grandmother. Also…the Princess too.]

Crowne, the second generation head, and the current Princess of the Adellahan family, Calmia Adellahan, were standing there.

Novalf put his sword back in its scabbard and bowed on one knee.

[Nova, stop calling me princess. Neither mother nor aunt are here.]

In response to Calmia’s words, Novalf turned his gaze to Crowne and the two previous generations, but the two looked uninterested.

When he called out [Cal] in a low voice, Calmia closed her eyes and smiled.

[I heard that my marriage was a hot topic in today’s evaluation. What is auntie thinking by marrying me into the Quordenze family? It would be disrespectful to the other party to send a faux Highlord like me.]

[…Cal, don’t be so condescending.]

[It’s not demeaning, it’s a fact.]

Calmia didn’t become servile, she simply responded indifferently. There’s a reason why she describes herself as a [Faux Highlord].

The Highlord is born with a strong body, and even if their upper body is separated from their lower body, they would continue to live until they starve to death.

However, that does not mean that they are always born healthy. Calmia was born blind despite being a Highlord. Considering that most ailments can be cured with healing magic, it can be said that her case is a very rare existence.

For a Highlord who could wield powerful magic, even if they are blind, their capability in magic will not be affected in the slightest. However, it was the value of the Eruo continent that she was still recognized as an inferior existence because of her blindness.

The Highlords are a symbol of strength, and there should be no flaws in it…that’s what most people think.

Calmia did not attend today’s evaluation session either due to that reason.

[Things are not what you see with your eyes alone. Calmia, because you are blind, you use your head to judge things. That is the most necessary power to protect our home.]

Crowne agreed with the words of the second generation head and looked at Novalf.

[Is it possible to say that the people in Adellahan right now are those who can only perceive things with their eyes? Also, they are all those who can only see the ground they stand on. To think that we have become too binded by the land we must protect…]

Rather than a scolding word, it was a word full of regret.

Crowne is, so to speak, the mother of Adellahan. She feels that if someone has to take the blame for raising such thoughtless children, then it should be her.

The second generation head looked at Novalf with a curious gaze.

[It’s only natural because Calmia has taken care of me, but Novalf, I was surprised by your broad perspective. Your speech in the previous evaluation was truly wonderful.]

He humbly accepted the words of praise from the second generation head.

[Is it due to your stay in the royal capital?]

Novalf guessed that the second generation head’s real question was, [Where did you acquire that thinking ability?]

[Yes. Studying abroad in the capital was a boon to me.]

In the Royal Capital, Levios, there is an educational institution that gathers the sons of Royal Nobles.

It is currently closed due to the confusion caused by the demon beast Yersinia, but Novalf had been there before it was closed, so he had experience staying in the Royal Capital for several years.

Having met many Nobles and seen their relationships, he was able to acquire a way of thinking that was not tied to his hometown.

[I see. I know because I have had a similar experience. Living in another territory will allow you to see things you couldn’t normally see.]

The second generation Head, when she was a child, stayed in the Levios territory. She was sent to the Levios family as a hostage for her real mother Crowne, who was desperate to protect the newly established Adellahan family.

At that time, the second generation head learned about the nobility and the Noble family from the first King Levios, and sometimes from his younger brother, the first Duke of Milendorva.

She is the most adept at noble diplomacy in the Adellahan family because of her talent, but more than anything else, she was able to broaden her knowledge by interacting with many Nobles under the protection of the Levios family when she was young.

[…that’s why Nova was chosen as a reinforcement.]

Calmia said with a slightly resentful tone.

One of the reasons Novalf was chosen for the Levios family’s request for reinforcements was because he had experience staying in the Levios territory, so he would be easier to move than others.

Calmia was opposed to sending Novalf as reinforcements, but Marquis Adellahan, who was always ill-treated by her older sister, did not change her decision.

[Hey, Nova, is your body really okay? I feel like your magic power is still wavering.]

Calmia’s white hand touches Novalf’s thick arm.

Perhaps because she is blind, her sensitivity to magical powers has become extremely high.

And because of that, even the invisible magic scars that Novalf had hidden became known.

[Is it the wound from that time?]

Novalf nodded at Crowne’s words.

[Yes. The frequency has decreased considerably, but my arms sometimes go numb like his.]

Novalf showed his right arm as thick as a log so that the three of them could see it.

One wouldn’t be able to tell with the naked eye, but Calmia was the only one who could see it. On his arm, she could feel a very small amount of alien magic power that was not Novalf’s, a residual amount of magic.

[You’re the only one who directly confronted her. Tell me about the battle with Orshian Milendorva.]

[Yes… The first time we collided with the Milendorva army was a place far away from the great river.]

Novalf advanced to the Levios territory as the commander-in-chief of the reinforcements sent out by the Adellahan family.

The Milendorva army had already crossed the river and invaded the Levios territory. The goal of the operation was to destroy it and dampen the momentum of the invasion.

As soon as they ran into the Milendorva army, the Novalf army and the Levios army immediately went into battle.

Although the two armies repeatedly clashed, Levios’ side basically had the overwhelming advantage.

The main factors were that the Levios army, which had a geographical advantage, was an ally, that Novalf’s tactics were skillful, and above all, that Adellahan Crowne was attached to Novalf’s troop as his lieutenant. The fact that there was a great Hero of the continent greatly boosted the morale of not only the Adellahan soldiers, but also the Levios soldiers, and conversely, the Milendorva soldiers were terrified.

The Milendorva army, which had cut deep into the Levios territory, was gradually exhausted, and the battle line retreated until the great river could be seen in the distance.

It was just then that the incident happened.

[At that time, I received a blow from Princess Orsian, who ran through alone…….. It was an unbelievably powerful magical power.]

Princess Orsian must have been impatient, despite being the commander-in-chief, she began to charge alone.

Even if the Highlords attacked, the army had its own way of fighting, and as long as there were enough numbers, it should have been easy to contain the attacking highlord…

The magical power of Princess Orshian, as if showing off her true power, was so powerful that it shocked Novalf and even Crowne.

From the moment he stood on the battlefield, Novalf’s judgment was delayed for a moment due to her magical power, which had a sense of eeriness.

And in the next moment, Princess Orsian’s longsword shattered Novalf’s war axe.

A second attack from Orshian landed on the disoriented Novulf, but it was barely stopped by another waraxe.

Unable to withstand the impact of the attack, Novalf fell off his horse and fell to the ground. Another blow aimed at the nape of his neck was successfully blocked with the treasured sword that was hanging on his waist.

And the one-on-one duel ended there, just like that.

Crowne assaulted the troops that Orshian had left behind. Soldiers who lost their guide, Orshian, had their physical strengthening magic canceled. Unable to move satisfactorily due to the recoil, their lives were scattered one after another before the overwhelming attack of the Highlord Crowne.

It is said that Orshian, falling into Crowne’s provocation, withdrew from Novalf and returned to her own unit.

[…I was able to prevent the first blow, the flash of the blade, but I couldn’t prevent the murderous magic because I was careless. It’s an embarrassing story.]

The blow that smashed the great war ax caused Novalf’s right arm to be severely exposed to magical energy, accumulating a lot of magical residue.

In the end, his right arm became useless for about a week after that, and even after this time passed, his arm still went numb from time to time.

[Nova…]

Calmia let out a cry that seemed like she was going to cry at any moment, as she gripped Novalf’s arm tightly.

[I heard from your mother, but it seems that your actions after that were quite impressive. It’s been rebuilt well.]

After one-on-one combat with Orshian, Novalf continued to pursue the Milendorva army while hiding his disabled right arm.

As a result, the Milendorva army was not able to push back across the river, but they succeeded in reducing their sphere of influence.

[No, it’s thanks to great-grandmother for being my lieutenant. Besides, I felt that Princess Orshian had little experience in leading an army, so I thought she was being impatient. I don’t think the same move would work next time. I don’t think so.]

Novalf’s strategy against the Highlord possessing extraordinary magical power was simple.

[Ah, I heard that from my mother too. It seems that you used a similar formation to when fighting a mature demon beast.]

[Kakakka, that made me laugh. To liken that Princess to a demon beast.]

Seeing the opponent as a rampaging mature demonic beast rather than a human, he moved his army. And the operation was a success.

Orshian retreated with her weakened army, unable to use her abundant power satisfactorily.

[She can’t command an army at all…as rumors say, Princess Orshian must be from a shadow house. Even so, I can understand why they suddenly adopted her.]

[Umu, if she’s an adopted daughter from a shadow house, it makes sense that she doesn’t know how to lead an army… Mother doesn’t seem to agree.]

Nobles usually have a presence called the “Shadow House”. As its name suggests, it is an existence that always hides in the shadows and never appears on the surface.

In Noble diplomacy, the number of family members is extremely important. This is because the number of Noble families, that is, the number of Highlord, is directly linked to military power. If we were to use the Earth’s military as an analogy, it would be similar to how many aircraft carriers a country has.

Whether it is large or small, in most cases, having other people know the exact number of family members is a disadvantage. If there are too few, it will be considered easy to attack, but if there are too many, it may incite a rebellion.

Therefore, the Nobles completely hid the existence of some of their blood relatives from other families. Although it is actually a Noble family with 20 Highlords, only 10 people can be seen on the outside. It can be said that in most cases the actual number of relatives does not match.

The existence of Shadow House is also an important factor in preventing enemy invasion.

When invading enemy territory, the invaders’ side have to advance while fearing that the Highlord ambush will come out from an unexpected place.

Most Nobles hint that they own a shadow house, and in cases where they are easily attacked but don’t have the strength to send an army, they will build a mansion that looks like a shadow house Nobles live in. The enemy will be wary of the Shadow house members who may be there and will not attack.

[Milendorva must not be so foolish as to keep her as a shadow house member forever.]

Crowne and Novalf, who actually felt Orshian’s magical power, denied the words of the second generation head and Calmia.

[I agree. The fact that she has that much magical power means that it shouldn’t have been intended to grow in the shadows.]

In general, the Shadow House’s Highlord tends to be a bit weak. Because of the cold-handed position of being forced to play the role of shadow and not being treated like family, they have no choice but to be wary of rebellion.

We can only teach them how to use magic and how to train them, and in the event that an enemy invades them, the knights will effectively act as generals, so there is no need to teach them how to lead soldiers.

Calmia raised her eyebrows at Crowne and Novalf’s words.

[Since the Milendorva family had suffered a series of defeats, shadow house members are also a valuable fighting force. Naturally, shouldn’t they be training them? Considering that it was hidden for use in a surprise attack, it’s not that strange…]

Calmia’s idea made sense, and Novalf did not have the material to completely deny it.

It can be said that the rumor that Orshian was from the shadow house of the Milendorva family is half-truth in the Noble circles because there is a part of it that fits this theory.

[It can’t be helped if you’re just stuck with where you came from. From now on, don’t forget that the opponent you’re facing is no longer a shadow house member, but the Archduchess Orshian Milendorva.]

The second generation Head let out a sigh.

Only Calmia noticed that her exhalation was heavily colored with fatigue.

[…This does not bode well. Yersinia’s disaster, Orshian Milendorva, and this time Quordenze’s shieldbreaker.]

Calmia went behind the second generation Head and stroked her back.

[Is it Wilk Quordenze? I’ve heard his name several times from peddlers.]

Novalf was a little surprised that an unexpected person came up with the topic.

[Oh really?]

[Yes, it seems that the name was known among the merchants even before him being known as the shieldbreaker. Look, there’s the Newnelly silk, right? I heard from a peddler I’m a fan of, that they didn’t actually make it themselves; it was Wilk-dono’s idea.The peddler was from Nambonan City, so I was able to hear a lot of stories, you know? Though I don’t know how much of it is true…]

Novalf knew the name of Newnelly silk, but did not know that Wilk was involved in its production.

[Is Cal also buying Newnelly silk?]

[No. I’m buying books.]

Calmia’s hobby is reading. Since she herself is blind, she enjoys reading books by having her servants read aloud for her.

Novalf had found and sent her favorite books several times during his stay in the Royal Capital, as he knew about her hobby.

[Hearing the story of the shieldbreaker, it gives the strong impression that Wilk-dono is a ferocious person. But, I thought that he was a rational person instead. How does Nova feel?]

Novalf was unable to answer that question immediately. I couldn’t find the words to respond.

Little by little, he connected the words to the ambiguous sensation he was feeling, and slowly answered the question.

[From Wilk-dono…..I get the impression that he is cold-hearted and cunning.]

Hearing those words, Crowne, the second generation head, and Calmia agreed as well.

[I understand what you mean. I also feel a little scared of Wilk.]

The word “scared” made Novalf feel a little unsatisfied.

He had heard rumors about this boy named Wilk, and he felt something strange…eerie.

[Why do you think so?]

He replied to Crowne while recalling the part that felt eerie.

[The duel and the annihilation of knights. A 12-year-old boy cannot do both. It’s abnormal.]

Putting it in words may have helped him clear his mind, he was able to reason much more than he thought.

[Motivated by the passion and momentum peculiar to boys, he accepted the duel, and luckily was able to defeat Verret…..This is all I can believe.]

Due to the strength of the Highlords, it is not uncommon for boys, especially when they are young, to be overflowing with a sense of omnipotence and run wild.

Because he has a magical power, if he grows up to be such a naughty boy, the people around him will have a hard time.

For a young nobleman to engage in such acts as one-on-one combat, 89 out of 90 cases are due to his youthful mistakes.

[However, Wilk-dono also annihilated the knights and military officers on the battlefield. This is the part where military power matters, not individual power. It can be said that it depends on how well you can move your subordinates. Suffice to say, a boy who’s going into a one-on-one duel with recklessness can’t do this.]

Novalf asserted that his knights and military officers should not be able to work satisfactorily while carrying a runaway Young Master.

[If you want to maximize the power of the army, it would be best to entrust everything to the battle-experienced person like knight Gatoren, while Wilk-dono devotes himself to be a decoration. But then, the duel won’t occur.]

Even if the knight planned a strategy, there was no way he could include the high risk between the Nobles within his strategy.

In the first place, if you were a Noble who thought it was good to throw the whole battle to such a knight, you would probably refuse even if you were asked to fight one-on-one.

[I think it’s good to see Knight Gatoren commanding us to wipe out the enemy. Talent is important in pitched battles, but experience is more important than that. It’s a heavy load for Wilk-dono, who has just completed his first battle.]

Since last year’s first battle in Nambonan City, no large-scale battles have taken place. If it’s this level of information, Novalf knows it through peddlers and the likes.

In other words, it was clear that Wilk Quordenze had little battlefield experience.

[The real figure of Wilk-dono that can be inferred from there…that is, a person who has the audacity to go into a duel between Nobles if he sees an opportunity, but at the same time he understands his own shortcomings and has the magnificence to accept the wisdom of a more experienced man.]

[I can’t believe that he’s a 12-year-old boy.]

[I can’t believe it either…..but now that Narvasyn has seen it, I have to believe it.]

Narvasyn, who actually visited the Quordenze territory, confirmed both rumors. So it should be seen that the duel and the annihilation of knights actually happened.

While Novalf said it himself, he was once again made conscious of that alien existence and became creeped out.

“That’s why,” thought Novalf.

[Wilk is of the same age as Princess Orshian, but the way they use their army is completely different. Princess Orshian had too much personal power but unable to control her army. But, Wilk-dono…]

[He uses the military as a tool to ensure that he kills their enemies.]

Novalf nodded at Crowne’s interruption.

[Yes, I think he understands the military very well because he is the eldest son of the prestigious Quordenze family. …..If you think about it, there may have been some ulterior motives for going into a duel. If he doesn’t have a reputation as a Noble who can fight, there will be a difference in control.]

Even in a pitched battle where the Highlords’ armies collide, the knights are basically the main ones fighting. For Nobles who would want to do away with injuries and illnesses, the physical disability caused by residual magic is the most terrifying thing.

For that reason, the presence of Nobles who boldly attacked would be troublesome for the enemy. We must always be on guard for the appearance of our own Highlords, making it difficult for us to march swiftly, and as a result, restricted in our actions.

The presence of Nobles who know the balance is very important in the sense of a zone of control. In fact, the Quordenze family had a Noble named Galfis who broke through such balance, that the enemy side always had to keep the appearance of Galfis in the corner of their heads, causing them to always fall behind the bold actions of the Quordenze army.

[Since he defeated an older nobleman, Wilk-dono himself must have a strong personal power… Oh, come to think of it.]

Calmia said as if she remembered.

[At some time last year, there was a rumor that Quordenze’s eldest son defeated a mature demon beast that appeared in the Quordenze territory.]

[Ah, now that I think about it, my mother said something like that… Unreliable gossip exaggerated by commoners. What kind of story is it?]

[It’s a story about a mature monster that appeared in Newnelly defeated in one night. I can’t help but think the same as auntie did.]

[…That’s a lot of exaggeration. The mature demon beasts that appear in Newnelly are generated in Newnelly Field, don’t they? I heard that Newnelly Field is a large-scale one. Which means a Yersinia class mature demon beast would be born out of it. I don’t think it’s the truth, but even so, it should be a once-in-a-century catastrophe. There is no way to defeat it in a week, let alone overnight.]

Even though he felt something stuck in his chest, Novalf pretended not to care.

[Probably, even in the Newnelly Field, it was just subjugating a monster that jumped out because it didn’t grow enough. It’s supposed to be, and it’s a good subject to teach their son about demon beast subjugation. If it’s Marquis Quordenze, it wouldn’t be so strange to send Wilk-dono to gain experience. If it’s an immature demon beast instead, then it wouldn’t be so dangerous. Because there’s no such thing… However, for commoners, all vicious magic beasts might seem like mature magic beasts, let alone the eldest son of a Noble coming to subjugate them.]

Midway through, Novalf was at a loss as to whether he was telling Calmia or himself.

He was so wary of Wilk that even he couldn’t comprehend it.

[You seem to be very wary of Quordenze. But, as mother said, you won’t be able to hold a spear if you’re entwined by a snake.]

But, he didn’t know the reason for his caution, and Novalf was in a hurry.

As if asking for help, he turned his gaze to Crowne and the second generation Head.

[Great-grandmother, grandma… Why do you think Wilk-dono treated Verrett’s corpse with such respect?]

[I see, where are the roots?]

This was what Novalf had been worrying about since the time of the appraisal.

There was a time when Crowne thought of his hesitation.

[I can think of a number of reasons, but I can’t say for certain. But I can see why you find the Quordenze kid creepy. You sense a difference in beliefs with the Quordenze kid from the handling of corpses.]

[Belief…..?]

[Yes. People are more cautious of those who have an incomprehensible principle of action. You could say that they are like priests to Nobles, or Nobles to priests. You meet many Nobles in the Royal Capital. That’s why you unconsciously try to match them with the Quordenze kid, and as a result, you notice the slightest difference. …..He looks like us, but he’s not us, so be careful…]

[Both my mother and Calmia feel that the way Wilk Quordenze treated the corpse is strange, but that’s all. There are more things that cannot be measured. Just as you sensed, he may be living with a completely different set of values than ours. Be wary because he operates on a theory that is completely different from our predictions…..hmmm…!]

In the next moment, the second generation Head covered her mouth, as she spat out something on the ground.

No matter how you looked at it, the reddish-black blood that spread out didn’t look like healthy blood.

[Grandmother!?]

[Don’t make a fuss. I’m just out of power, it’s no big deal.]

After confirming that Calmia, who had been around before, had cast healing magic on his grandmother, Novalf relaxed his body.

The second generation head continued to vomit blood on the ground, but it was the blood that remained in the mouth, not new bleeding.

[Recently, I’ve only felt pity for those who were born into fragile flesh. Damn it.]

[Grandmother, magic power…]

The strong body of the Highlord is maintained by magic. In other words, without the magical power welling up from the body, the body would no longer be different from that of Serf.

As a Highlord ages, there will be days when their magical power does not come out. It’s not that the output drops, it’s that there’s no output at all.

The intervals at which magic power ceases to come out gradually narrowed, and eventually no magic power came out.

It can be said that this is the lifespan of a highlord, and soon after that, the body will also come to an end. It’s not known yet whether they’ll die because their magic runs out, or if their magic runs out because they have reached the end of their life expectancy.

[…As you can see, I don’t have long to live. The time will soon come when I will become ashes in the wind of Adellahan.]

[Grandmother, please don’t say such things. I want to hear more about your story…]

Because of her blindness, Calmia was raised without being cared for as much as her other siblings.

It was mainly the second generation Head who took care of her, and could be said to be the most important family to her.

[It’s not just me, my mother will eventually die too. If you just follow our footsteps in the old days, Adellahan will soon fall off the cliff.]

These were words of regret, not complaints about Crowne and the current Adellahan family, who had completely relied on them for generations.

Their only regret is that they neglected their children’s education because they devoted themselves to the big project of unifying the Adellahan region.

[Novalf.]

She stared at her grandson with quivering eyes. Even though she didn’t have her magic, Novalf felt like he’s being squeezed.

[Quordenze will devour Spierzeig. The fat serpent that swallowed its huge prey will not be able to move for a while. However, the serpent may seek prey again when the Voistra plains become flesh and blood. Answer based on your convictions.]

Novalf remained calm despite his bloodshot eyes.

This is because he judged that his grandmother was not asking him to look at the situation and make predictions, but to answer with his beliefs as a member of the Adellahan family.

And the answer was already in his heart.

[Crush Quordenze’s ambitions.]

Novalf continued as he and the second generation head silently stared at each other.

[The Quordenze family advocating hegemony over the continent leads to the path of destruction. Sylphazazea, Sylphazazel, even if they conquered the continent with martial arts. They’ll end in corruption, power struggles, and the devastation of the land. Just like the turmoil of the priesthood 200 years ago brought chaos to the continent.]

He insisted that mistakes should not be repeated.

[Nobles rooted in the land protect their hometowns and prevent the integration of power by maintaining a coalition system of nobles. I believe that the society that the first King Levios aimed for, is exactly what a Noble should be, the protector of the land.]

A narrative without any hesitation. Crowne, and the second generation Head, felt his conviction there.

In order to understand the essence of the nobility, he researched, explored, toiled, and even took in the wisdom he obtained from the outside world without being bound by his hometown or customs, and sublimated it into his own thoughts.

[Is that…your answer?]

Novalf silently affirmed.

His eyes were filled with youthful idealism and a sense of self-confidence akin to arrogance, but the second generation Head rather liked it.

[Grandmother…I don’t mind either. There are still a lot of things that look young, but Calmia will support them.]

[Of course.]

Crowne stood in front of the bewildered Novalf.

[You, be my adopted son.]

Being adopted by Crowne means leaving the branch family and becoming a member of the main family.

For a moment, Novalf was at a loss for words due to the sudden turn of events.

[If you just marry Calmia, who will be the next Head of the family, people around you will be noisy. It would be easier for you to move on once you come to the main family and cut off your old ties.]

It immediately struck Novalf that Crowne was probably referring to his mother.

If he just marries Calmia, his ties with the branch family will continue, so there will be many troubles.

But, if he becomes an adopted child of Crowne, even if the branch family says something, it will be easy for them to reject it.

[You should know that the current head of the family needs a son-in-law. In addition, you are respected by Levios for the Orshian incident, and it is politically significant to welcome him to the main family and make him a son-in-law.]

Everything the second generation Head said made sense.

However, Novalf felt the second generation Head’s affection for Calmia from every part of her words.

[Nova…you don’t like me being your wife?]

[That’s not true. But…]

For Novalf, Calmia was a Princess to be respected, and at the same time a woman to love.

However, due to the scale of the matter, Novalf was at a loss as to how to digest it, and it was difficult for him to react.

[I have been thinking about it… No, it’s just a hunch.]

Crowne said to Novalf, who was confused about dealing with Calmia.

[If all the rumors about Quordenze were true.]

Crowne continued, ignoring him who remained silent.

[As soon as I heard of Voistra’s surprise attack, he persuaded my father, crossed the river with a few knights, launched a surprise attack, defeated the enemy, and won the duel of the Nobles. Following the momentum, he went on to conquer Reisleaf Castle.]

[I might be thinking too much… If someone else had said that, I would have discarded it, but I don’t know, great-grandmother’s intuition is often right. For better or worse.]

[If such a person becomes the Head of the family, Quordenze will be able to change. Like a water snake that climbs the mountain and becomes a dragon.]

A feeling of “what if” sprang up in Novalf.

He gulped down his saliva, but the sound was surprisingly loud.

[Quordenze’s kid will appear in the Royal Capital in the spring. If so, I must see it with my own eyes. In order to take you, the position of the husband of the next Head of the family Calmia is indispensable.]

[Will great-grandmother go to the Royal Capital in the spring?]

[It’s no coincidence that such detailed rumors are circulating. If you want to see my child, come to the Royal Capital…the current generation of Quordenze implicitly says so. Using the common people is the work of a snake.]

[However, that would benefit the Quordenze family…]

[As you say, if Grandmother goes to the Royal Capital, Quordenze will be able to breathe easier. …..However, it can be said that overlooking this is an even worse move. Knowing the capability of Quordenze will be more beneficial later on.]

Neither the second generation head nor Crowne said anything more, but there was a lot of worry involved.

The current Marquis Adellahan, who is weak in Noble diplomacy; Calmia, who is visually impaired and easily underestimated; and Novalf, who has lived in a branch family and has absolutely no experience in diplomacy. Nobody would think that these three people alone would be able to overcome the turbulent society of the Royal Capital.

And considering the second generation head’s condition, the only other people who could leave the territory would inevitably be Crowne.

In addition, Crowne, who is well-known throughout the continent, can be a trump card in diplomatic battles.

However, there was another reason that even Crowne herself had not noticed.

Having once lived in a world of fierce rivalry, and having competed with many influential people, she felt the heat of the times again, and it unconsciously made her heart dance.

The only person who noticed the ups and downs of her emotions was the second generation head who had personally seen the former Crowne.

[That’s the end of the conversation. What is your answer? What would you do as a Noble, Novalf Adellahan?]

In response to Crowne’s question, Novalf held Calmia’s hand and answered with just one sentence.

This was the family motto of the Adellahan family, and it was also the conviction of the nobility.

[Protecting our land.]

A new wind blows in Adellahan.