Previously, Salasma's regional head, Salem, had said that the count had involved a strange witch in his search for a copy of the Book of the Divine King.
'A strange witch, huh? Come to think of it, Baroness Nord might also be called a witch…'
However, if that were the case, it wouldn't explain why she had been captured by the followers of Mezeri. Even with Azadin's sight, the body of Baroness Nord was clean.
Azadin had no eyes, and because the Beauty of Nature within him had been destroyed, he was unable to use magic. However, in exchange, he had developed powerful resistance to black mana and an extraordinary vision. This transcendent sight allowed him to perceive and sense supernatural forces subtly, and up until now, no creature had ever been able to deceive it.
As he harbored such doubts, a horse arrived at the entrance of the mansion. Baroness Nord had returned.
***
"Ah, Lord Azadin."
Baroness Nord noticed Azadin conversing with his companions in the garden, as well as one corner of the neatly tended garden stained with blood.
"What… is this?"
"A cat caught a bird."
"I, is that so?"
"More importantly, did you meet with the count?"
"No. He refuses to see anyone."
"But didn't he summon you to hear news of your abduction out of concern?"
"He told me to report to the head maid instead."
That was a great insult to a noble. Of course, a head maid was not a commoner—often, daughters of lower-ranking nobles were temporarily assigned to such positions for education.
Even so, for Baroness Nord, who was the count's lover, such treatment was an outright humiliation.
"There are reports of ogre and goblin armies moving in the inland eastern region. Refugees are continuously pouring in from the east."
"Hmm."
The Followers of Fang and the ogre that Azadin had encountered were likely just the vanguard. If such forces continued to advance, Count Kazel would soon have to fulfill his duties as a margrave.
'Yet, in such a situation, he is obsessed only with finding a copy of the Book of the Divine King?'
Azadin let out a sigh and took out a bone wand from his coat.
"Madam, could you perhaps use this magic tool?"
"Eh? Me?"
"Yes."
"Hmm… This looks like something made by the followers of the Kurt Divine Clan. The King of Fang, or perhaps the King of Claw, or King of Horn?"
"The followers of the Kurt Divine Clan searching for a copy of the Book of the Divine King… why would they?"
"From their perspective, the throne of the Yaegas clan and the king's virtue radiating from it must be extremely painful. In fact, the followers of Mezeri you encountered yesterday were unable to fully display their original abilities. Outside the world untouched by the king's virtue, they would be even faster and stronger."
The king's virtue was a large-scale barrier meant to repel the wicked. By deciphering the Book of the Divine King and resisting its light, the followers of Kurt sought to reclaim the human territories and once again dominate the entire Hubris Continent.
That was likely their goal.
Even if it weren't, it was only natural for the followers of Kurt to covet grimoires of great power.
'And yet, even after acquiring three pages myself, I still have no idea how to use them.'
Azadin couldn't help but feel frustrated about his inability to wield magic.
'The Voice of Arael, huh? Damn, it's incredible.'
Seeing his younger sister Arael, even though her magic was undeniably wicked, create an artificial spirit similar to the Emperor's Voice, Azadin felt a chill at the extent of her power.
If she were the same Arael from their childhood, he could still easily defeat her. But how much had she grown since then?
"By the way, Lord Azadin, have you eaten?"
"Oh, I had a light meal earlier."
"T, then… would you care for some tea? A fine batch of leaves just arrived. Since the back garden has been soiled, let us move to my private chamber. We can also test the wand there."
"Hmm… Alright."
Azadin saw no reason to refuse her hospitality.
***
The baroness's private chamber was a well-ventilated terrace on the second floor. It had likely been originally designed for swordsmanship practice and physical training, but the maids had decorated it with flowers and set up tables, transforming it into an elegant space.
There, dressed in a newly changed gown, the baroness greeted Azadin.
'Hmm?'
Azadin was slightly unsettled by the baroness's deep, lingering gaze.
'No… it couldn't be.'
He sat down, watching as the baroness smiled at him.
"Lord Azadin."
She greeted him with a gentle smile.
"Have you been comfortable during your stay?"
"Yes. Thanks to your kindness, I have been able to rest well."
"I'm glad to hear that. I apologize for showing my benefactor such a disgraceful sight."
"Oh, no, not at all. More importantly, the wand—"
"Yes. I must apologize in advance for displaying my poor skills. Even if I fail, please do not hold it against me."
With that, the baroness activated the wand. At the tip of the bone wand, a green flame flickered to life. The flame slowly moved in one direction before extinguishing.
A new flame appeared and traced the same path before vanishing again.
'The flame indicates direction, and the distance it burns before going out seems to correspond to the actual distance.'
The longer the flame burned, the farther away the target must be.
Azadin instantly grasped the magic mechanism behind the bone wand. But then…
"This direction is…"
"Yes, the count's castle."
"I see."
It seemed the count had already acquired several pages of the Book of the Divine King.
If he had copies in his possession, it would explain why he was so certain of their existence. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone so far as to drive out his own children to search for them.
"You are searching for a copy of the Book of the Divine King, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"If it's not too rude to ask, may I know the reason?"
"Hmm, that's…"
Azadin hesitated, wondering if he should reveal this to her.
"Is it because of the mission of the Herald Clan? Well, they say that the reason copies of the Book of the Divine King were leaked in the first place was because of the Herald Clan. During the Tarasar succession war, Sir Astader leaked the Book of the Divine King to the Herald Clan in exchange for their support, which allowed him to ascend as the King of Tarasar. However, when this fact was exposed, he was unable to bear the shame, abdicated the throne, and withdrew from the world to become an inquisitor of the king's church, as atonement for breaking the oath by leaking the Book of the Divine King."
"You are quite knowledgeable."
"In a noble's court, many stories circulate. As long as one doesn't drink too much, merely listening can be quite rewarding."
She cast a distant gaze toward the count's castle.
"Though, it feels like an eternity since I was truly part of that court."
"And with the count…?"
"We haven't spoken in a long time. It wasn't a proper marriage to begin with."
"I see."
"Have you ever been married, Lord Azadin?"
"No."
"You seem old enough to marry. Why not?"
"Well, with a face like this."
Azadin removed his mask, revealing his scars.
"Oh? Your eyes… Are you alright? No, but…"
"I'm not blind. My apologies for showing you something unpleasant."
Azadin put his mask back on, but the baroness shook her head.
"No, you are truly beautiful. You have a noble and elegant countenance."
"..."
Azadin felt slightly overwhelmed by the affectionate gaze she directed at him. Then, he suddenly refocused—what he needed right now was information about the count. If the count indeed possessed a copy of the Book of the Divine King, how could he steal it? That was what he needed to figure out.
And then, there was Arael. Since the Voice of Arael had already reached out to him, it was only a matter of time before her envoys came looking for him—he needed to prepare for that as well.
"Ah, by any chance, if the count has a copy of the Book of the Divine King, do you have any idea where he might be keeping it?"
"Hmm. That… I'm not sure anymore. Lately, the count has been favoring a strange woman of unknown status. According to rumors, she's a witch from the Bruma Jungle."
"A witch, you say?"
"Yes. That's why, in fact, I've been thinking of leaving this mansion behind. I planned to remarry and move to a small manor in Barony of Nord."
Having lost the count's favor, she saw no reason to remain in his court and struggle pointlessly. She would live her own life instead.
She smiled as she spoke.
"But if it is for my benefactor, I am willing to put aside my pride and do whatever I can."
She had already abandoned her attachment to the count's court, but if Azadin needed it, she was willing to help investigate.
She was saying as much.
"Ah, I see. Thank you very much."
"That being said… would you consider marrying me?"
"Huh?!"
Azadin let out a dumbfounded noise.
"I know it's embarrassing to admit, but… ever since I saw you dispatch the followers of Mezeri, I fell for you at first sight. Chivalry has long since fallen and become a laughingstock, yet you… you are as noble and beautiful as those I've only read about in old tales."
"A… B-Baroness?"
Azadin was completely flustered by her sudden proposal. At that moment, a figure rushed into the chamber—it was Midiam.
"Azadin!"
"Huh? What?"
"Arael's envoy has arrived!"
"Arael's envoy? What's that supposed to mean?"
Azadin stood up in surprise and turned back to the baroness. He had to respond to her proposal.
"I'm sorry. There's someone I like, so that's a bit…"
"Ah, I see. I envy them. To be loved by someone like you, my benefactor…"
As the baroness said this, Midiam puffed up with pride.
"Jealous, aren't you?"
"…It's not you. Do you even know what's going on right now?"
***
After enduring Midiam's absurd antics, Azadin was now faced with another bewildering reality. The so-called envoy of Arael turned out to be none other than Derick, an executive of the Korasar Peddlers' Guild, along with his entourage.
"Ahem, we meet again, Azadin."
Derick looked somewhat embarrassed. He was an executive of the Korasar Peddlers' Guild, a former herald, and a noble of the Savan family—one of the five founding families of the Herald Clan. That such a man had now sided with the traitor Arael, of course, made it natural for him to feel ashamed in front of Azadin.
"Derick, you're Arael's envoy? You didn't seem like it the last time we met. Have you always been pretending?"
"Well… not from the beginning."
"You betrayed recently?"
"Betrayal is a harsh word. Arael is the one who will fulfill our clan's deepest wish. She is, as her name suggests, the Angel of Justice."
"But didn't you, the same Derick, once flirt with that Angel of Justice, only to get your leg broken? Wasn't that why you retired?"
Arael was a peerless beauty with black hair and violet eyes, and every man of her generation longed for her. Every man—except Azadin, her blood relative.
Naturally, Derick had been no exception. He had courted Arael, but his advances had offended her. That offense had escalated into a physical confrontation, and when he lost, he suffered permanent injuries, forcing him to retire as a herald.
For any ordinary person, pride would have prevented them from ever serving the woman who had beaten them into retirement. The very idea of betraying one's clan and joining the ranks of the one who had humiliated them was unthinkable.