Between an overwhelming number of books, Brand discovered a hidden drawer concealed within a bookshelf, and inside it, he found a journal and a safe.
"Well now. Without a guide, I'd have wasted about five hundred years in here."
Midiam marveled at the sheer number of books.
It was fortunate that Brand had returned to his senses at such a timely moment. If not, they might have wasted all their time rummaging through the study.
"Count Garnahair—though it's hard to believe since we've only seen him in his old age—was truly intelligent and gifted in his youth. He was a promising and outstanding lord."
"Hard to believe."
"That's what aging does to you. You change, little by little, each day, into something else."
Brand winced with pain at the recollection of the past, then stepped toward the scriptorium and began transcribing.
"I'll transcribe the important parts from the Count's journal for you. The parts about the Emperor's Treasury."
In his youth, Count Garnahair had traveled far and wide in search of the Emperor's Treasury, leaving behind his reflections. It was said he got very close to it and even came into possession of treasures related to it—among them, one of the Emperor's keys.
"Let's see…"
Azadin read through the copied pages Brand handed him.
"Where the thrones of Arangi and Banlung intersect. In the land where the serpent twists its body twice, remnants of an ancient waterfall reveal the gate of an old kingdom. Here, an ancient artisan, bound by a contract with the Emperor, forged the keys to the treasure. Two keys exist—one kept by the King of the Ancient Hill, the other by the King of the Old Furnace—and both swore loyalty to the Emperor. When the Age of Jupiter approaches, the Emperor prepared for a time yet to come, intending to leave behind power to protect humanity. Though the keys permit passage, the Treasury will only truly open in the Age of Jupiter, for which the Emperor made preparations."
Azadin clicked his tongue after reading it.
"What the hell does this mean? Even with the keys, you can't open the treasury, but you can go inside?"
"As you can see, there are two keys. What Arael took was only one of them, so don't worry too much."
"Not worrying isn't an option."
Regardless, hadn't Arael already claimed one of the two keys?
On top of that, Arael had many talented people at her side, and she herself was a powerful mage. From Azadin's perspective, there wasn't a single reason to let his guard down.
"I can't tell you how much effort the Count put into acquiring that key and trying to open the Emperor's Treasury. Even so, he couldn't open it."
"Arael calls herself a goddess, so she's probably more competent than the Count."
"Hahaha. From what this old man sees, Azadin, you too are a remarkable person. Here, take the treasures the Count kept. He stored these alongside his journal—these are dwarven treasures, and they may well be more important than the key itself."
Brand pulled out an orange pen, a black armguard, and a pair of chainmail gloves, handing them to Azadin.
"This pen is the Pen of Flame Runes. If you heat it with fire and write, it allows you to invoke flame rune magic."
Brand heated the tip of the pen over a candle flame, then inscribed runes onto his halberd with it. As he did, flames danced along the weapon, the runes embedded into it, and the blade began to burn on its own.
"Not bad."
"It's not all that useful, honestly. You need a flame ready for it to activate, and people die anyway when the axe blade ends up inside their skull, right?"
In short, enchanting a weapon with flame doesn't make much difference—people die just the same from a blade. There's an idea of holding the weapon against armor to transmit heat, but there's rarely a reason to keep a weapon pressed against armor long enough for that to work.
"Well, that's true for melee weapons."
For someone like Azadin, a herald who mainly used bows, it was a different story. He could fire flaming arrows without expending extra mana, so it was quite useful.
"The armguard is the Armguard of the Shadow Shield. That one's rather impressive. And the gauntlet is the Gauntlet of Might. All of these are treasures of the Dwarf King, priceless items, but take them. They'll surely be of great help in finding the Emperor's Treasury."
"Magical treasures, huh. Let's see."
Azadin put on the Gauntlet of Might and lifted the large bronze scriptorium beside the study.
It lifted.
But Azadin had already been physically enhanced through Kazas Haeseo, so it couldn't be said to have made a difference.
"…Doesn't do much for me. Seems like the gauntlet's magic activates the body, but…"
Azadin could feel the magic of the gauntlet clashing with the twisted grimoire's power inside his body, preventing it from working properly.
"Anyway, is it really okay to just give me all this without Sir Guillaumevalt's permission?"
"If you seek to open the Emperor's Treasury, you'll need these to earn the dwarves' trust. Of course, these are valuable treasures on their own, but Sir Guillaumevalt isn't the rigid type, as you well know."
"You broke the middle of his halberd with your own. I doubt there's any rigid part of him left."
"Haha, that's true. But all jokes aside, Sir Guillaumevalt will make an excellent count. He'll be a far greater ruler than his father ever was."
Though Brand had once tried to kill Guillaumevalt, he now spoke highly of him.
"I agree. Still, I'll discuss this with him before taking anything."
"You're a man of principle."
"More importantly, what about you, Sir Brand?"
"I'll stay here and serve Sir Guillaumevalt. I'll also hold funerals for my children, and search for any surviving kin who may have escaped."
With those words, Brand bowed deeply to Azadin.
"Azadin of the Herald Clan. No matter how many times I thank you, it won't be enough. In my madness—whether it was delirium or a vision granted by the spirit of madness, I don't know—I saw you become a knight among knights, a great hero revered by all."
"..."
Prophecy of madness. It was a worldly superstition, the idea that prophecies uttered by madmen would inevitably come true. Predictions like the Era of Jupiter were feared because they passed through the mouths of lunatics and were seen as such prophecies.
According to the laws of the king's church, madmen who spoke of the Era of Jupiter were supposed to be executed. But in truth, such executions rarely occurred, because harming a madman who spoke of a prophecy of madness was believed to bring misfortune.
And now, Brand—once lost to madness—was saying that Azadin would become a great hero?
"A hero, huh?"
Azadin gave a bitter smile.
"I only saw it in my delirium, so I don't know whether it was delusion or foresight. But I pray that all the archangels watch over your path. May you find great fortune in battle…"
Brand sincerely bowed his head and gave his thanks to Azadin.
***
"Somehow, I feel like I'm being used far too conveniently."
Shati was casting a healing spell on Guillaumevalt's arm, setting it with a splint.
"Ugh… I-it itches like hell."
"Don't scratch it. You'll bleed. The itch is in the bone, not the skin, so scratching is pointless. I'll have to wrap it thicker. Seriously, warm-blooded creatures—no regenerative ability at all, whining over a little broken bone."
"Hrm. Would you consider staying in Lantarik?"
"What, do you people think I'm some kind of medicine or something? How about taking better care of your own bodies? I need to leave. This is magic from the Kurt Divine Clan, and while Kurt's authority may be vast, those who serve the Yaegas should at least show a bit of restraint, don't you think?"
"Well, it's not just that… We've already squeezed all the info we can out of you, and now that you've been branded a traitor by the Nagas, wouldn't going back just mean endless suffering?"
"They'll understand if I explain."
"You're saying the Nagas are that understanding?"
"..."
Shati knew very well that her fate had been twisted beyond repair, and that unless she returned with something like a copy of the Book of the Divine King, forgiveness would be almost impossible.
'Not to mention, I already had the Book of the Divine King taken from me by that bastard. I'd need at least three pages… no, more than that….'
She was thinking that when Azadin stepped out from the study.
"Shati. The treatment is done?"
"Yeah. Well, the bone's still going to stay broken for about two weeks, but compared to the slow natural healing of warm-blooded creatures, this is more than enough."
"So I hear. Then, take care of yourself, Count Lantarik."
"Where are you headed?"
"I need to report that Arael's group took the key. I'll return to my clan and speak to someone of higher rank. Hopefully, I can have the curse of service lifted."
"Will that be okay?"
"I guarantee it'll be lifted."
"...Excuse me?"
"Arael lured me in with the promise that she'd remove the curse. Unless the elder council is stupid enough to keep using the curse as a weapon… and they're not that stupid."
At Azadin's words, Guillaumevalt was caught off guard.
'Well, it's probably true… but still, to speak with such confidence about something so crucial to his own life, based on nothing but a hunch? Should I say he's remarkable? His martial skills are impressive, but what's truly terrifying must be his composure and mind. The Herald Clan really is frightening.'
"Oh, and I forgot to mention—there were dwarven treasures in your father's study, and Sir Brand said it wouldn't be a problem for us to take them. But still, I thought I should talk to you about it."
"Take them."
"I haven't even told you what they are yet."
"What you've done for me has already far exceeded anything I could repay. What would I begrudge? Besides, if Sir Brand says you need them, then you must."
"Thanks… No, let's say I'm borrowing them. I'll return them someday, without fail."
"Ha ha. In that case, I'll be waiting. In the meantime, I'll shelter the people of Salasma suffering from famine and the refugees left by the war. Thanks to your help, I've gained the title of Count Lantarik, and I intend to be a ruler I'm not ashamed of. Someone the Emperor's herald, Azadin, wouldn't find disgraceful."
"That's… a bit much."
Guillaumevalt's conviction made Azadin feel rather ashamed of himself.
***
As the sun set, lanterns were lit across Lantarik.
This city, no less than Salasma—perhaps even more prosperous economically—was abuzz with expectations for its new count.
"Sir Guillaumevalt, huh. Isn't he a bit too ugly?"
"I heard he's a dunce."
"Now Young Master Adler, he's handsome."
To the common folk, nobles were little more than gossip fodder with their fancy clothes and appearances. In that regard, people supported Adler over Guillaumevalt.
Azadin smirked bitterly as he listened to the conversations spilling out of taverns.
"Judging the person who'll shape their future based on looks alone, really."
"They've simply lost all expectations of nobles," said Zebeck.
The very man who belonged to an institution that preached it was only natural for the Yaegas Divine Clan to rule the world was now criticizing the decay of the noble class. Not exactly something a devout holy knight should say.
Had something changed within Zebeck's heart?