Chapter 45: Erosion (1)
Chapter 45: Erosion (1)
“Nine pieces…”
Whether it was a side effect of the potion or not, fatigue rushed over Ronan suddenly. He fell asleep with his face buried in Cita’s feathers.
As he was about to sink into a deep slumber, someone lightly knocked on the door.
Knock! knock! knock!
It was probably Lucy coming to tidy up the bedding. Ronan, half awake, mumbled sleepily.
“Mmm… Come back later, Lucy. I’m going to rest until afternoon classes…”
There was no response. Cita was tilting its head, looking at the door. The knocking sound came again.
Knock! knock! knock!
“What is it, Lucy? Or is it Aselle?”
Getting up to check felt too heavy. He’d probably say that. Ronan grabbed his pillow and covered both ears, frustrated.
Knock! knock! knock!
“For crying out loud…”
But the knocking persisted.
Knock! knock! knock!
It was the moment the 57th knock echoed out. Ronan, who had thrown off the blanket, irritably got up.
“Who the hell keeps knocking on a sleeping person’s door as if they’re trying to beat them to death with a stick?! Are you going to bang on it like you’re playing the tambourine on New Year’s Day?”
In front of the door stood a well-dressed middle-aged man. Two knights in plate armor stood behind him. The man’s eyes widened upon hearing Ronan’s words.
“What the…!”
Judging from his expression, he seemed quite shocked. One of the knights behind him clenched the hilt of his sword and growled.
“Outrageous. If you don’t want your tongue cut off, apologize immediately.”
The knight had a rock-solid impression. Anyone with a sense of self-preservation would’ve taken his words seriously. Of course, Ronan didn’t know that.
“Huh, outrageous? Cut my tongue?”
Ronan smirked at the knight.
“You’re telling me that the guys who woke up someone peacefully sleeping by knocking incessantly aren’t ‘outrageous’? Hey, you there, want to show me what ‘outrageous’ means, huh?”
Ronan spat on the ground. The knight released an imposing mana pressure and stepped forward as if he was about to attack Ronan any second. The middle-aged man raised his hand to stop him.
“It’s alright, Dallan. Looks like he was sleeping.”
“Well, well…”
Dallan, as the knight was called, snorted. Suddenly, Ronan frowned. He saw something faintly shimmering around the sheath of Dallan’s sword.
‘What’s that?’
More accurately, there was something glimmering lightly within the mana Dorlan was emanating. It was like static electricity arcing in the air, a phenomenon Ronan had never seen before since he gained the ability to see mana.
However, an unfamiliar sense of danger welled up within him.
“It’s alright, I said.”
“Fine…”
Dallan backed off as the middle-aged man lowered his head. Then, the glimmer within the mana vanished along with the mana’s pressure. The man turned his gaze to Ronan.
“You can relax. I thought you were awake. I apologize for Dallan’s behavior.”
“What?”
Ronan lifted his head, and only then did the face of the middle-aged man come into view. Ronan, who had calmed his excitement, opened his mouth.
“…Do you know me?”
“Yeah. After all, I came here to meet you.”
The middle-pitched voice carried an air of dignity. His striking blue hair and stylish mustache left an impression. Suddenly, Ronan felt like he had seen this man somewhere before.
‘Shullifen?’
If the Imperial Sun had aged gracefully, he might have looked something like this. Ronan, who soon realized the man’s identity, raised an eyebrow.
“Damn it, Duke de Gracia?”
“Thanks for recognizing me. Can I come in for a moment?”
“Um, just a moment. Let me put on some pants.”
The door closed with a thud. The faces of the escort knights stiffened. As the door closed before their eyes, Duke de Gracia muttered softly.
“Turned out a bit different from what I expected.”
****
“Sorry about earlier. I was a bit tired.”
“Don’t worry about it. I came here unexpectedly.”
Ronan welcomed the Duke, wearing only pants and a shirt. It was his first time seeing him in person.
Fortunately, there was a table and a sofa for receiving guests.
“Please make yourself comfortable. Here’s some tea.”
“Thanks.”
Ronan placed a cup of tea he had brewed himself in front of the Duke. The Duke, who had been fidgeting since entering the room, spoke.
“Hmm… Is this the best dormitory building in Philleon?”
“Yes? Um… isn’t it quite obvious just by its looks?”
“It’s Quite good…”
It was slightly better than the lodgings for the estate’s servants. The Duke lowered his head and took a sip of tea. His eyebrows raised at the intense fragrance that wafted up.
“This… Did you brew this yourself?”
“Yes. Is it okay?”
“Not just skilled with a sword, but also talented in various ways, I see. It’s a shame to bring this kind of skill to a building like this.”
As he spoke, the Duke took another sip of tea. Ronan’s mood improved slightly, and he chuckled softly. He thought he had done well to pester Lucy to teach him.
“I’m glad you like it. By the way, what brings you here?”
“Well… I didn’t come just to talk to you. Can you wait for a moment?”
Ronan raised an eyebrow. The door opened, and the escort knights entered. Following behind them were Aselle and Marya, and Ronan’s eyes widened.
“Huh?”
“Your Grace, we brought them.”
The formal knights stepped aside. Aselle and Marya looked bewildered, glancing around.
“Um, this is Ronan’s room…”
“Uhm… What’s going on all of a sudden?”
Both of them seemed to have just woken up. Marya even mistook the knights for Philleon guards.
“Nice to meet you all. With this, all three heroes have gathered.”
At that moment, the Duke stood up. The two people who recognized his face were frozen in place.
“Gr-Gra-Gra… Gran de Gracia?”
“W-What, what’s going on here…? If I knew this would happen, I would’ve at least combed my hair…”
It was a face that could be recognized easily without any effort, thanks to various media. The Duke of Gracia, Shullifen’s father, stood before them. The head of the Gracia family, a lineage that split the empire, was right in front of them.
The Duke extended his hand for a handshake with an expressionless face.
“Don’t be so tense. I’m here to express my gratitude to you all.”
“Gratitude…?”
“Yeah. First, let’s sit down and talk. Ronan, is it alright?”
“Did you really need to ask if it’s okay to sit on my couch? Of course.”
Ronan nodded his head. Despite his cold and authoritative appearance, he seemed quite considerate.
Well, he’s Shullifen’s father after all, so his character must have rubbed off on him. After everyone was seated on the couch, the Duke began speaking.
“Then let’s make proper introductions. I am Joseph Cinevan de Gracia, the head of the House of Gracia.”
“I’m Ronan.”
“I’m Aselle…”
“I’m Marya Carabelle. It’s an honor to meet you, Duke de Gracia.”
Unique greetings were exchanged. The Duke looked carefully at the faces of the three and spoke.
“I’ve already told Ronan, but the reason I’ve come to see all of you today is… to express my gratitude.”
“Gratitude?”
“Yeah. Gratitude for saving Gran Cappadocia. As you know, the main customer of that forge was our Gracia family. Thanks to your swift action, the damage was minimized.”
The Duke was well-informed about the entire incident in Gran Cappadocia. He shared the news that there were almost no casualties, and the new Gran Cappadocia was being rebuilt in the large cooperative Ronan had discovered.
Suddenly, Ronan recalled what Elizabeth had mentioned the other day about guests coming from various places. He hadn’t expected it to be Duke de Gracia himself.
After finishing his expression of gratitude, the Duke gestured to the knights standing by the door.
“Bring them.”
Two knights briefly left the room and then returned, carrying three elegant boxes and a sword that looked to be about 2 meters long. Ronan raised an eyebrow.
“What’s all this?”
“These are items Master Doron requested me to deliver to you. Take them.”
The knights handed the items to the three. In front of Ronan was a narrow, elongated box; Aselle received a small box, and Marya’s greatsword leaned against her side.
Ronan opened his box first. On a bed of red silk lay a sleek, black rod.
“What’s this?”
He picked it up and examined it, but it hardly had any weight. Suddenly, Ronan exclaimed with excitement. There was a thin groove at the head of the rod.
“Ah!”
Ronan inserted the tip of Lamancha into the groove.
Click!
The sword, which had been sliding in like it was greased, stopped right at the front of the hilt. Ronan spoke with an excited voice.
“Damn, I finally have a scabbard. Thank you.”
“We found it during the restoration process. Master Doron insisted on making it from the same material as your sword.”
Come to think of it, the scabbard’s material was very similar to Lamancha’s blade. Ronan nodded with satisfaction. Even when he sheathed the sword and hung it on his waist, he could hardly feel the weight.
At that moment, a surprised voice came from Aselle as he opened his box.
“A bra-bra-bracelet…?”
In Aselle’s box, there were a pair of metallic bracelets. Their intertwined double helix form in a circular shape was impressive. Ronan, looking intrigued, chuckled.
“They suit you, Aselle. Is this like telling you to play house like a little girl?”
“Th-Tha-that’s…”
“Ah, it seems they were made using Madelphium’s technique. The Master was quite excited when he mentioned it. I’m curious too. Would you mind trying them on?”
Aselle nodded and slid the bracelets on both wrists. The loose bracelets naturally adjusted to fit his wrists. As Aselle felt the mana converging at his fingertips, his eyes widened.
“This, this is…!”
The flow of mana itself had changed. It felt much more efficient in movement compared to when he used his staff. In the midst of his astonished admiration, Ronan interjected.
“Wow, that’s impressive. The direction of the flow has changed.”
“Huh…? Ronan, can you see mana?!”
“Yeah, man. I’ve been able to see it since last night.”
Ronan grinned and nodded. While he couldn’t see every detail of the flow just yet, he could at least perceive that mana was flowing through the bracelet and his fingers. As Aselle clapped his hands in awe, he exclaimed.
“Co-Congratulations! Finally…!”
Thud!
A noise so loud it seemed like the floor might have broken. Everyone in the room turned their gaze towards the source of the sound. Marya’s greatsword had fallen over neatly.
“Ahaha, sorry… It’s heavier than I thought.”
Marya, who had stood up from her seat, picked up the greatsword. Veins popped out on her white arms as she struggled. Only after using both hands was she able to stand the greatsword back up.
“I forgot to warn you about that. I heard it’s an incredibly heavy greatsword.”
“Yes… among the weapons I’ve handled so far, this was the heaviest.”
Marya said as she twisted her wrist. It seemed like she would have to exert all her strength to swing it properly. The Duke began speaking, his gaze fixed on the waves engraved on the reverse of the greatsword.
“But that greatsword is said to be the weapon that suits you best. He also mentioned that as mana fills it, its weight increases.”
“Wait, it gets heavier here?”
“Master Doron must have a reason. It’s recommended to follow his advice whenever possible.”
The Duke spoke calmly. His trust in Doron seemed quite substantial. Well, considering that the Gracia family had deep ties with the forge that had created Gracia’s weapons for generations, it made sense.
Marya nodded her head. She looked at the knights who had brought the greatsword and smiled casually.
“By the way, you have incredible strength. I’m envious.”
The knight didn’t respond. He was the same Dallan who had attempted to draw his sword against Ronan earlier. Seeing Marya slightly dismayed, the Duke spoke up.
“Dallan, it seems your strength is impressive. Your loyalty is highly valued, but please respond in such cases, Dallan.”
“Yes, Your Grace. I will do so.”
Dallan respectfully lowered his head. It was clear that he was an extremely loyal knight, abiding by his lord’s commands.
“Understand that he’s a very proud man. That’s why I leave my security to him.”
“Wow, impressive. Did he also Awaken?”
“Of course. Nearly all of Gracia’s knights are Awakened now. Dallan stands out even among them.”
“Your praise is too much, Your Grace.”
The Duke and Dallan, along with Marya, began to chat naturally. Suddenly, Ronan whispered to Aselle, recalling the earlier situation.
“Hey, Aselle.”
“Yeah?”
“Look at that guy over there, the one who looks like a beetle. Doesn’t the mana seem a bit off to you?”
Ronan pointed his chin towards Dallan. Aselle’s eyes widened in curiosity. Focusing his attention, Aselle saw Dallan’s mana core and pulsating mana, but nothing particularly unusual.
“I-I don’t know…?”
“Damn, and you call yourself a mage? Don’t you see the glimmering in the mana?”
“G-Glimmering? I’m not sure what you mean…”
Ronan narrowed his eyes. It wasn’t visible now, but it had definitely been there a moment ago. If Aselle, who had a much keener sense, had been able to see it. Perhaps it only becomes apparent under specific conditions?
“Darn… I’m sure I’ve sensed it somewhere before.”
Under usual circumstances, he might have dismissed it as “an uncomfortable sensation” and moved on. However, if it had manifested visually, the situation would have been different. Ronan whispered to Aselle, poking his side.
“Take a closer look. It might reappear at some point.”
“Um, okay…”
At that moment, the Duke, who had been engaged in conversation, turned his gaze to Ronan.
“Oh, by the way, there’s something I wanted to hear from you.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Well, an official letter will arrive from Rodollan in a few days anyway, but I’m curious. I heard that you were the ones who captured the masterminds controlling the stone giants. Can you tell me about that incident?”
“Ah, those two idiots?”
At that instant, Dallan’s eyebrows twitched slightly. The glimmering mana intertwined with his pulse flowed up his shoulders. Ronan’s eyes widened.
“There it is!”
Ronan poked Aselle’s side again. However, Aselle only looked bewildered and tried to feel for it. It seemed he hadn’t noticed anything strange in Dallan’s mana.
Damn, is it only visible to me? Ronan stared at Dallan with wide eyes. It didn’t seem like something he could just brush off. Suddenly, a single spark flashed across Ronan’s mind.
“I remembered.”
Ronan twisted his lips. Edwon and Cyril. The same ominous feeling they exuded was now emanating from Dallan. The glimmering within the mana seemed to visualize that foreboding.
Ronan’s expression hardened. Sensing something amiss, the Duke raised an eyebrow.
“Why the sudden change?”
“Uh… it’s nothing. What were we talking about?”
“We were talking about the two people.”
“Oh, right…”
Ronan looked at Dallan again. The glimmering mana had disappeared completely. It had been a momentary lapse in emotion, like he had released his mana due to a surge of feelings.
“That was definitely a reaction to the mention of the ‘two idiots.'”
He wasn’t completely sure yet, but he felt the hunch. For sure, it had come to him. With a sinister grin forming, Ronan spoke.
“Duke.”
“Yes?”
“Have you ever heard of the Arrival of the Stars?”