Chosen by the Northern Grand Duke

Chapter 32: Relocation (1)

I was swinging my sword.

The motion felt oddly familiar. Elaine concluded it was the same as when I fought the ragged Magical Beast.

So, it was another dream. A lucid one at that.

But Elaine didn’t appear directly in the dream. She was like air, merely observing the dream world.

-You really have no talent.

The dream Elaine teased me playfully.

-The Grand Heir has no talent for magic either.

-That’s not entirely wrong.

Elaine chuckled.

Now that I looked, it was the training ground she used. They seemed quite close.

Come to think of it, it was the same in yesterday’s dream.

No, in that dream, they seemed even closer.

What was the difference?

Elaine thought it was a matter of time.

It’s just a dream, but if she had to pinpoint it, that was it.

In yesterday’s dream, Elaine was the Grand Duke; in this one, she was the Grand Heir.

-Rest a bit.

The difference was clear.

If Grand Duke Elaine was arrogant and languid, Grand Heir Elaine was full of vitality.

Her speech was different too.

Grand Heir Elaine spoke just like me.

Or perhaps the real me spoke like the Grand Heir Elaine in this dream?

Grand Heir Elaine and I sat roughly on the ground, chatting. We laughed, got angry, got annoyed, and laughed again.

They were clearly doing so, but for some reason, Elaine’s ears couldn’t hear it.

-Kubel?

Suddenly, her ears opened.

Surprisingly, it was when a name she knew came up.

-Who’s that?

-You don’t know? Another mage like you?

-Pelatz, you say?

-Who’s that bastard?

This time, Elaine tilted her head.

-A knight from Iagar.

-Damn, he must’ve died by your hand.

-Bastard.

-Calm down. Fire, fire.

Before they knew it, flames roared on the training ground floor.

The dream me seemed to have a fiery temper.

-You started the joke first.

-I can, but you can’t.

-That’s selfish.

-You’ve already had your fun.

-I said I was sorry how many times?

Elaine didn’t know this conversation.

What had I had my fun with? She wished she could dream about that too.

If it’s a wild dream anyway, a fun one would be better.

-You need to cool down a bit.

-I’ll do that when you become Grand Duke.

-That’s a promise.

Elaine grinned.

She brought up the original topic again.

-Kubel. He’s with the Liberation Tower. A mage identified this year. They say over forty imperial knights and Church paladins have died by his hand.

That Kubel?

Elaine scoffed.

Indeed, a wild dream was just that.

-The Church and Empire put out a bounty. A request for cooperation came to Serzila too.

-Why tell me that?

-If you don’t like it, I’ll refuse. He’s a mage like you, isn’t he?

It wasn’t a significant request.

More like a plea to kill him if found in the North.

-I doubt a guy like Kubel would come to the North.

-Well, I think so too. Just saying, in case.

-Why did he kill those knights?

What reason does a demon have to act like a demon?

In the past, she’d have thought that. Elaine listened closely.

-Revenge. They say he lost his daughter. Branded a mage.

A priest of the Sun Church personally tied her to a cross and set her ablaze.

-They purified an entire village. With fire. A small village… ah, Drot. Western Empire.

Purification. Burned them all to death.

Flames rose again in the training ground.

Fiercer than before, they seemed to respond to my emotions. This time, Elaine didn’t stop it.

-This Kubel must’ve honed his power for revenge. In the Liberation Tower.

-How old?

-Kubel? Oh, the daughter. Thirteen when she died.

Shura was still ten.

“Three years!”

Elaine bolted upright.

Her body was soaked in sweat, and she was on a bed.

“Grand Heir?”

Arika, sipping tea in the corner, widened her eyes.

“Is something wrong?”

Arika didn’t think it was mere sleep-talk.

Elaine was the perfect Serzila.

Laziness was proof of innate talent. While she slacked in training, the Grand Heir handled all duties swiftly and perfectly.

The fake identity of Elaine was to inspect the domain directly.

She mingled with children to protect Serzila’s future and frequented taverns to check on its present.

Even with two bodies, it’d be a busy schedule, yet Elaine kept it daily.

Thus, Arika’s eyes were filled with admiration for her.

The perfect Serzila wouldn’t just talk in her sleep.

“…It’s Elaine. Not Grand Heir.”

“My apologies.”

Elaine looked around.

A modest house. An Intelligence Bureau safehouse.

She’d stayed here last night, too tired to go to the Inner Fortress.

“I apologize again for yesterday.”

“It’s fine. I understand.”

Elaine waved her hand dismissively.

Even that seemed generous to Arika. Elaine sometimes found such gazes burdensome.

“Don’t worry about Harad. I’m watching him.”

Elaine said, preparing to leave.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Arika bowing deeply, almost excessively.

“Investigate as I asked yesterday.”

“Yes. I’ll prepare all information on Iagar and related matters. Are you returning?”

“I’m going to Shura’s house. I have a bad feeling.”

“As expected…!”

For some reason, Arika’s admiration deepened.

Elaine tilted her head and left.

Arika naturally followed, and Elaine let her.

Last night’s behavior was unfortunate, but Arika wouldn’t act that way toward Kubel and Shura.

Elaine had already warned her sternly.

“You probably know already… but I passed information to the mage, I mean, Harad.”

“What?”

“I thought it unnecessary for you to step in, Elaine.”

Elaine didn’t understand, but her steps quickened. Cross, fire, village… the dream’s words swirled in her mind.

Kubel’s house came into view.

It looked fine from the outside. The door was locked, but when Elaine pulled lightly, it opened with a click.

…Harad was on the first floor.

“You’re late.”

Harad was in the same clothes as last night, but his expression was grim.

“Shura’s dead.”

“What…?”

* * *

Elaine’s face hardened.

Arika, beside her, looked similar.

“…Did a Church priest come?”

Elaine, frozen like a statue, spoke cautiously. My eyes narrowed.

‘The Church? Not the Liberation Tower?’

It seemed she’d had another dream.

I recalled that in my previous life, Shura was burned by the Sun Church.

“I was joking.”

“What kind of joke…!”

Her reaction was intense.

I quickly bowed my head. A sword flew like a boomerang, embedding in the wall above me.

Elaine and Arika’s contemptuous faces were a bonus.

“She almost died, though.”

I approached Arika, smiling, and extended my hand.

“Thanks. If not for you, they’d be dead.”

“She wouldn’t have died.”

Arika, as expected, didn’t take my hand.

“Elaine would’ve handled it.”

Arika was certain.

Elaine looked clueless.

Since she’s not the Grand Heir now, just a fake identity, Arika must think she’s acting.

‘Impressive.’

I marveled at Arika’s blind faith.

She was always like this.

Her admiration for Elaine pierced the heavens.

If the Red Tower had Herbis, Serzila had Arika.

Because Elaine appeared perfect outwardly.

In my previous life, Arika strove to match Elaine’s pace, unaware of her true nature.

‘If you think about it, she’s a victim.’

But Arika wasn’t a sparrow whose legs tore chasing a stork.

She had the ability and passion to follow, if not stand beside, the stork that was Elaine.

‘That passion sometimes goes overboard.’

Last night’s confrontation was likely due to that passion.

She wanted to see what kind of mage dared associate with the heavenly Elaine.

“What’s that?”

After checking on the unharmed Kubel and Shura upstairs and scouring the first floor, Elaine asked sharply.

“A mage. Don’t know the name; killed him before asking.”

I said, looking at the scorched floor Elaine pointed to.

“And that?”

“A magic circle. Used by low-rank mages to boost power or borrow another Origin’s properties.”

“…”

“This time, it was both. Meant to blow up the house. Kubel might’ve survived, but Shura would’ve died.”

Not fire, but something related.

They’d used an item from a mage with that Origin as the circle’s core.

“…I didn’t know.”

“An item long held by a mage can serve as a magic circle’s core. It’s altered by the owner’s mana…”

I stopped explaining.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know about magic circles.

Elaine was blaming herself. While she slept, Kubel and Shura nearly died.

“You were here since yesterday?”

“Correct. Arika slipped me the info when she grabbed my collar.”

“…I really didn’t know.”

“I know.”

Then Arika silently laughed.

It seemed she was mocking me for falling for Elaine’s act.

‘Her faith is almost awe-inspiring.’

I marveled again.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought I could handle it alone.”

“…”

Elaine couldn’t respond.

In this land, no one can kill a child without Serzila’s permission.

Last night, Elaine had said that confidently.

“You don’t need to carry everything alone.”

I said to Elaine.

My eyes saw Elaine, the Grand Heir.

“This time too. Arika gave the info, and I handled it. Your words were kept.”

“…”

“Even if you carry just enough, Serzila will run fine on its own.”

I’ll make it so.

I swallowed the rest. It wasn’t for the current Elaine.

I also held back telling her to let go of everything.

That wasn’t something to say, even as empty words.

The North needed Elaine. Perhaps I did too.

“Just do it moderately. Nothing good comes from excess.”

I emphasized again.

Arika, standing behind Elaine, had a cold expression, like a teacher eyeing a troublemaker tempting a model student.

* * *

‘This change isn’t welcome.’

In my previous life, Shura died three years from now.

It was the work of a wandering priest during a pilgrimage, but I don’t know the details.

Maybe they luckily sensed Kubel or Shura’s oddity, or maybe not.

‘Probably not.’

Perhaps the Liberation Tower induced the priest’s visit.

Even now, isn’t it?

An explosion in the heart of Serzila’s domain.

The Liberation Tower’s rebel faction was excessively radical.

Of course, they likely thought Kubel killed six of their mages, but even so, their extremism was overboard.

In my previous life, Kubel must’ve refused to join them multiple times.

Given the rebel faction’s nature, coercion fits better than giving up. Especially if revenge blinds them.

It was a biased assumption.

I didn’t particularly like the Liberation Tower’s rebels.

“I stopped it, but it was my fault.”

“No. Thanks to you, we’re safe.”

“Wrong. It was a mistake for me to come here in the first place.”

Without Arika’s info, it would’ve been disastrous.

Kubel and Shura should’ve been safe without such help.

“You and Shura should’ve been completely safe without me.”

That’s what I promised when convincing Kubel.

“I swear, Kubel. No matter how long it takes, Elaine and I will deal with the rebels involved.”

“There’s no need to…”

“Didn’t I say? Prove your worth, and I’ll vouch for you.”

That vouching had already failed.

I had to take responsibility.

“And you should be angrier. Shura almost died.”

Suddenly, I let out a hollow laugh.

“How pathetic must I have seemed?”

It felt like I was talking to myself.

At least, that’s how Elaine took it. The air grew hot. My Origin seemed to respond to my emotions.

…Like in the dream.

“There’s an Intelligence Bureau safehouse. It’d be safe there.”

“No. There’s a surer place.”

I put on the shirt hanging on the chair and headed for the door.

“Kubel, pack your things.”

With that, I left Kubel’s house.

“…?”

Elaine, left behind, stared blankly at the open door.

She didn’t know where the surer place was, but it was clear I wasn’t going to fight.

“Arika.”

“Yes, Elaine.”

“You know where they are?”

According to Arika’s info, there were three mages.

But only one body’s trace was in this building.

“Yes. I’ve tracked them.”

“We’re going there. As Harad said, it’s my responsibility too.”

Feeling Shura’s presence upstairs, Elaine left.

Arika, about to follow, glanced at the scorched floor. The intruder mage’s trace.

‘Died without a fight.’

No signs of battle on the first floor.

Ambush? No. The body died far from the circle. It meant they sensed me but couldn’t resist.

‘The coward of Iagar.’

That coward, upon arriving in Serzila, defeated three 1st Knights members.

His personality was entirely different. Despite being an intelligence agent, Arika never grasped my true nature.

But she was certain I wasn’t a coward.

The Intelligence Bureau was wrong. I was the opposite of their intel.

So, her judgment was right again.

Elaine, no, the Grand Heir, had seen through the bureau’s error early and approached me…

“As expected of the Grand Heir.”

Arika followed Elaine’s back.

* * *

I said,

“I need a separate annex. Give me one.”

“…”

“Not for me, for that damn mage.”

“You’ve lost your mind.”

The Grand Duke slammed me into the ground.