The room remained silent.
Levi stared at Gaius.
The story he had just heard...
It was difficult to process.
Fifteen years ago.
A cathedral.
A ritual.
A creature that nearly wiped out an entire force of knights, mages, and Paladins.
And a Saintess who gave her life to destroy it.
Levi slowly leaned back in his chair.
"...So that's what happened."
Gaius nodded.
"That's what I remember."
Levi lowered his gaze.
"And you were there."
"I was."
"You fought alongside my father."
Gaius gave a small smile.
"Your father wasn't the man you know today."
Levi looked up.
"What do you mean?"
Gaius chuckled.
"He was reckless."
"Very reckless."
"And Duke Alaric?"
"Even worse."
Levi raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
"Your father would stand behind a spell and shout orders."
"Alaric would run straight into whatever was trying to kill him."
Gaius laughed quietly.
"They were idiots."
"But..."
His smile faded.
"They were brave idiots."
Levi couldn't help but smile.
"I can believe that."
A brief silence followed.
Then Levi's expression became serious again.
"...Gaius."
"Hm?"
"The Black Church."
Gaius's eyes immediately hardened.
"Yes."
"They're back."
Gaius nodded.
"I was afraid of that."
Levi leaned forward.
"The people we found tonight..."
"They were performing another ritual."
"And they called me..."
His voice trailed off.
"...The Vessel."
Gaius's expression changed.
He slowly stood from his chair.
"They called you what?"
"The Vessel."
For several seconds...
Gaius said nothing.
Then he walked toward the window.
His eyes looked toward the distant streets of Ravenholt.
"...That's not good."
Levi followed him with his gaze.
"You know what it means?"
"No."
Gaius paused.
"But I know enough to say that we shouldn't ignore it."
Levi frowned.
"Why?"
"Because fifteen years ago..."
Gaius looked back at him.
"They were preparing something."
"They weren't simply trying to kill the King."
"They weren't trying to conquer the kingdom."
"They were preparing for something."
Levi's expression darkened.
"And you never found out what?"
"We stopped them before we could."
"Or..."
Gaius corrected himself.
"We thought we did."
The room became quiet again.
Levi slowly stood.
"So tonight..."
"The ritual we interrupted..."
Gaius nodded.
"Could have been connected."
Levi clenched his fist.
"Then we need to find out what they're planning."
"Agreed."
Gaius turned toward him.
"But there's something else."
Levi raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Gaius stared at him for a moment.
"That thing you told me about."
"The black-robed man?"
Levi nodded.
"Yes."
"He said I was the Vessel."
Gaius's expression became grim.
"Then there's a possibility..."
He paused.
"...That they weren't there by coincidence."
Levi's eyes narrowed.
"You think they were looking for me?"
Gaius didn't answer immediately.
Instead...
He looked toward the window once more.
"...I think they already knew you would be there."
Levi remained silent.
Outside...
The streets of Ravenholt were beginning to quiet.
Children were sleeping.
Servants were finishing their work.
The city was peaceful.
But somewhere beyond those walls...
Something had begun moving again.
Something that had been silent for fifteen years.
Levi slowly looked down at his hands.
The events of the night replayed in his mind.
The ritual.
The blood.
The black-robed figure.
The words.
The Vessel.
His fingers tightened.
"...Then we have a problem."
Gaius nodded.
"We do."
Levi looked toward the door.
"Get some rest."
Gaius blinked.
"You're telling me to rest?"
"Yes."
"You?"
Levi smiled.
"I never said I was going to follow my own advice."
Gaius sighed.
"Of course."
Levi turned toward the door.
"Tomorrow..."
"We start investigating."
Gaius watched him leave.
Then...
His eyes drifted toward the darkness outside.
Fifteen years.
He had spent fifteen years believing that night was behind him.
But now...
The past had returned.
And this time...
It had come looking for Levi.
Levi's hand stopped on the door.
"...Gaius."
The Count looked up.
"Hm?"
Levi turned his head slightly.
"One more thing."
"What is it?"
Levi's expression became serious.
"Should we lock the borders?"
Gaius went silent.
For a moment...
He didn't answer.
His eyes drifted toward the window.
Ravenholt's borders.
Its roads.
Its villages.
Its people.
Finally...
"No."
Levi raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"Not yet."
Gaius walked back toward his desk.
"If we suddenly close every road into Ravenholt..."
"The people will panic."
"Merchants will complain."
"Travelers will start asking questions."
"And if the Black Cathedral has people hiding among them..."
"They'll know we've discovered something."
Levi nodded slowly.
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Increase patrols."
"Quietly."
"Watch everyone entering and leaving."
"Especially anyone traveling alone."
Gaius paused.
"And send word to the border guards."
Levi nodded.
"Tell them to keep their eyes open."
"Exactly."
Gaius sighed.
"We don't know how many of them are out there."
"Or how far their influence reaches."
Levi looked toward the window.
"...Then we don't give them a reason to realize we're watching."
Gaius smiled faintly.
"Now you're thinking like a lord."
Levi chuckled.
"Was I not before?"
"No."
"...Fair."
Levi opened the door.
"Get some sleep, Gaius."
"I'll try."
Levi stepped out.
Then stopped once more.
"And Gaius?"
"Yes?"
"If anything strange happens at the borders..."
"Tell me immediately."
Gaius nodded.
"You have my word."
The door closed.
Gaius remained alone in his office.
He stared at the door for several seconds.
Then quietly muttered...
"...The Black Cathedral."
His expression hardened.
"Why now?"
The night slowly faded.
Hours passed without anyone noticing.
Outside the castle...
The stars disappeared one by one.
Moonlight surrendered to the first rays of dawn.
Morning had arrived.
Yet...
The lights inside the Lord's office were still burning.
Piles.
And piles.
And piles of paperwork covered Levi's desk.
Reports from villages.
Tax records.
Construction requests.
Trade proposals.
Letters stacked so high they nearly blocked his view of the window.
Levi rubbed his tired eyes.
"...Why."
He slowly lifted another letter.
Then sighed before opening it.
"Lord Ravenholt."
The letter began.
"After hearing of your rebuilding efforts..."
Levi immediately closed it.
"...Another one."
He tossed it onto the ever-growing finished pile.
A nearby stack collapsed.
Papers slid onto the floor.
Levi stared at them.
"..."
He slowly looked upward.
"God help me."
He bent down and gathered the papers again.
Ever since returning from the royal ball...
Letters had been flooding Ravenholt.
Apparently...
News traveled much faster than he expected.
The neighboring nobles had heard about him.
Some through Marquis Theodore.
Others through the nobles he had met personally.
And now...
Every single one of them wanted something.
Or rather...
Wanted to help.
Levi picked up another letter.
His eyes scanned the elegant handwriting.
"Marquis Cedric..."
He smiled faintly.
The merchant noble had apparently sent an entire proposal regarding trade routes between Ravenholt and the eastern provinces.
"Of course he did."
Levi placed it aside.
Another.
"Marquis Aldren."
A complete plan for roads.
Along with three pages explaining why his engineers were superior to everyone else's.
Levi chuckled.
"...He really wasn't joking."
Another letter.
"Count Roland."
Short.
Simple.
If Ravenholt requires assistance restoring its agricultural lands, contact me.
Levi smiled.
"Straight to the point."
Another.
"Lady Beatrice."
A beautifully written letter offering connections to several noble houses willing to provide craftsmen and healers.
Levi carefully folded it.
"She's surprisingly thoughtful."
Then another.
Tower Master Veritas.
Levi immediately frowned.
"...This one's probably terrifying."
He slowly opened it.
Instead of some complicated magical theory...
There was only one sentence.
Visit the Tower when you have time. I have questions.
Levi stared.
"...That somehow scares me more."
He placed it down.
Then leaned back in his chair.
His neck cracked loudly.
"Ouch..."
He looked toward the enormous remaining pile.
It barely seemed smaller.
Most of the nearby nobles had sent letters overnight.
Offers of grain.
Builders.
Blacksmiths.
Teachers.
Physicians.
Trade agreements.
Everything Ravenholt desperately needed.
Levi sighed.
"...At least they're helpful."
He grabbed another document.
Then another.
And another.
Minutes became hours.
The sun gradually rose higher.
Birds began singing outside.
Servants quietly walked through the castle corridors.
Yet Levi remained seated.
Still writing.
Still signing.
Still reading.
His handwriting had slowly become less elegant.
"...Approved."
Stamp.
"...Approved."
Stamp.
"...We'll discuss this later."
Different pile.
"...Denied."
Stamp.
Another stack collapsed.
Levi slowly lowered his pen.
He stared blankly at the mountain of documents surrounding him.
"...I went to one ball."
"One."
He leaned back dramatically.
"And somehow came home with enough paperwork to rebuild half the continent."
A soft knock echoed against the door.
Levi didn't even look up.
"Come in."
The door slowly opened.
A servant stepped inside carrying a fresh stack of letters.
Levi's eyes widened.
"..."
The servant smiled awkwardly.
"These arrived this morning, my Lord."
Levi stared at the stack.
Then at the servant.
Then back at the stack.
"...Put them down."
The servant carefully placed them beside the desk.
The pile somehow became even taller.
Levi covered his face with both hands.
"I miss the freedom I had already."
The morning continued.
And so did the paperwork.
---
Several hours later...
Levi was still sitting in the exact same chair.
His posture had slowly deteriorated.
His hair was slightly messier.
His eyes were tired.
And his pen was practically being dragged across the paper.
"...Approved."
Stamp.
"...Approved."
Stamp.
"...Need more information."
Another pile.
Levi reached for another document.
He stopped.
"...What's this?"
It was a trade proposal.
From another nearby noble.
Levi read through it.
Then blinked.
"...They're offering grain?"
The proposal included several shipments of grain at a heavily reduced price.
Levi stared at it for a moment.
"...Why are they helping this much?"
He leaned back.
The answer was obvious.
The ball.
Marquis Theodore's introductions.
The conversations with Cedric, Aldren, Roland, Beatrice, and Veritas.
Everyone had seen Ravenholt's condition.
Everyone had also heard Levi's plans.
And apparently...
They believed in them.
Levi smiled faintly.
"...Maybe I made the right impression."
He signed the document.
"Approved."
Stamp.
He placed it onto the finished pile.
Then another letter caught his attention.
This one was from a noble house farther away.
Levi opened it.
"We have heard of Lord Ravenholt's efforts to restore his territory..."
Levi continued reading.
"Should you require craftsmen, we can provide—"
He stopped.
"...Craftsmen too?"
He rubbed his forehead.
"I don't even know where I'm going to put all these people."
A knock came from the door.
Levi didn't look up.
"Come in."
A female servant entered.
"My Lord."
"Hm?"
"There is a message from Count Gaius."
Levi finally looked up.
"What is it?"
"He says the children are doing well."
Levi smiled.
"Good."
"He also says several of them have asked when you're coming back."
Levi paused.
"...They did?"
"Yes, my Lord."
A genuine smile appeared on Levi's face.
"I'll visit them later."
The servant nodded.
"There's one more thing."
Levi's smile faded slightly.
"What?"
"The Count also asked me to remind you..."
She glanced at the piles of paperwork.
"...To sleep."
Levi stared at her.
"...Gaius is becoming annoying."
The servant covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Levi sighed.
"Fine."
He picked up another document.
"After this."
The servant looked at the mountain.
"My Lord..."
"...What?"
"You said that about the last twelve."
Levi froze.
"...Did I?"
"Yes."
"...Traitor."
The servant smiled before bowing.
"I'll leave you to it."
She closed the door.
Levi looked back at the paperwork.
"...Everyone has become far too comfortable telling me what to do."
He picked up his pen again.
But this time...
He noticed something beside the paperwork.
A small envelope.
Unlike the others...
It wasn't sealed with a noble crest.
Instead...
There was a familiar royal insignia.
Levi stared at it.
"...From the capital?"
He slowly opened it.
Inside was a short letter.
Levi read it.
His expression softened.
Then...
He smiled.
"...Seraphina."
He carefully folded the letter and placed it beside him.
For a moment...
He simply sat there.
Thinking about the night before.
The gardens.
The old oak tree.
Their conversation.
Her hand in his.
A faint smile remained on his face.
"...I really should write back."
He reached for a fresh sheet of paper.
Then stopped.
His eyes shifted toward the mountain of documents.
"...After these."
Levi sighed.
"Definitely after these."
He began writing again.
Outside the office...
The castle continued moving.
Servants hurried through the halls.
Guards changed shifts.
Workers carried supplies through the courtyard.
And beyond the castle...
Ravenholt continued to wake.
The territory was changing.
Slowly.
But undeniably.
And at the center of it all...
Levi remained buried beneath paperwork.
Trying to build a better future...
One signature at a time.
A few hours later...
Levi was still buried beneath paperwork.
His eyes were beginning to hurt.
His hand was beginning to ache.
And his patience...
Was hanging by a thread.
He reached for another document.
"...Next."
Before he could even read it—
Knock. Knock.
Levi sighed.
"If that's more paperwork, leave it outside."
The door opened.
Levi looked up.
Then paused.
Standing in the doorway...
Was a familiar dwarf.
Thick beard.
Broad shoulders.
Heavy leather apron.
Burn marks scattered across his arms.
Behind him stood several other dwarves, each carrying packs of tools and equipment.
Levi blinked.
"...Torgrim?"
The dwarf raised an eyebrow.
"You remember me?"
"You made my armor."
"Aye."
Torgrim stepped inside.
The other dwarves followed.
Levi looked at the group.
"...What brings you here?"
Torgrim scratched his beard.
"That's the funny part."
"We don't know."
Levi stared at him.
"...You don't know?"
Torgrim shook his head.
"Your father sent for us."
"He told us to travel to Ravenholt."
"And..."
He shrugged.
"That's about it."
One of the dwarves behind him nodded.
"We weren't exactly given an explanation."
Another spoke up.
"Just that Lord Ravenholt might need us."
Levi stared at them for a moment.
Then slowly leaned back in his chair.
"...My father really does enjoy being mysterious."
Torgrim grunted.
"Seems so."
Levi looked at the dwarves again.
Then...
His eyes drifted toward his armor.
Or what remained of it after everything he'd been through.
He sighed.
"...Actually."
Torgrim looked at him.
"Hm?"
"My armor needs repair."
Silence.
Torgrim's eyes narrowed.
"...How badly?"
Levi stood from his chair.
"Pretty badly."
Torgrim immediately walked closer.
"Show me."
Levi reached behind his chair and pulled out a damaged piece of his armor.
Several deep marks ran across the metal.
One section had been badly scorched.
Another had been bent slightly out of shape.
Torgrim stared at it.
His expression slowly changed.
"...What in the bloody forge happened to this?"
Levi scratched the back of his neck.
"Long story."
Torgrim turned the piece over.
"This isn't ordinary damage."
"No."
"Magic?"
"Some of it."
Torgrim grunted.
He examined another section.
"Heat damage..."
"Impact damage..."
"Mana residue..."
He looked up.
"What have you been fighting?"
Levi smiled awkwardly.
"...A few things."
Torgrim stared at him.
"That's not an answer."
"I know."
One of the younger dwarves leaned closer to inspect the armor.
"Master..."
"What?"
"This can be repaired."
Torgrim nodded.
"Aye."
He looked toward Levi.
"But we're going to need the rest."
Levi nodded.
"Take it."
Torgrim blinked.
"You're trusting us with it?"
"You made it in the first place."
A small smile appeared beneath Torgrim's beard.
"Fair enough."
Levi began removing the remaining damaged pieces.
As the dwarves carefully collected them...
Torgrim glanced toward the towering paperwork.
"...And what in the world is all that?"
Levi looked at the mountain.
"That's another problem."
Torgrim chuckled.
"Looks worse than the armor."
"It is."
"At least armor can be repaired."
Levi sighed.
"...Exactly."