From a Broken Engagement to the Northern Grand Duke's Son-in-Law

After my audience with the king, I made my way back to the tavern district where Martel had taken residence.

Technically, the establishment belonged to Martel, but it now served as a makeshift shelter for dozens of displaced refugees.

The building groaned under the weight of so many souls seeking sanctuary within its weathered walls.

Creak.

“I expected minimal damage, but there are quite a few survivors here nonetheless,” I murmured, pulling out a chair and settling into it with a weary sigh.

Martel had been moving among the refugees, offering what comfort he could manage.

Sweat beaded his brow as he wiped his hands on a cloth and came to sit across from me, exhaustion etched into every line of his weathered face.

“Can’t be helped,” he said simply. “They are the Twelve Nobles, after all.”

The Twelve Nobles.

Among all the catastrophic entities that dwelt within the Demonic Realm, they represented the absolute pinnacle of destruction.

It seemed they were finally beginning to stir from whatever dark slumber had held them dormant.

I released a soft breath and nodded grimly.

I already had my hands full pursuing my personal vendetta against House Artezia. Now I faced the additional burden of contending with entities from the Demonic Realm itself.

Another sigh escaped me unbidden.

Clink.

“Drink this.”

Lost in contemplation, I looked up to find Martel placing a pewter mug before me. 

The lukewarm ale within gave off a rich, earthy aroma that spoke of grain and craftsmanship.

“…Much appreciated, sir.”

“Drink while you listen,” Martel instructed, his tone growing serious.

As I lifted the mug to my lips, he began speaking with deliberate care.

“The truth is, I’ve been pursuing every avenue imaginable to discover what happened to my granddaughter. I’ve commissioned mercenaries, conducted independent research, followed every lead no matter how tenuous.”

Thunk.

Martel drained his own ale in a single pull before continuing.

“One such endeavor involved extensive research into the Demonic Realm itself. After all, there remained the possibility that my granddaughter had ventured into those cursed lands. Of course, now I understand it was all meaningless effort.”

“About that—”

“Ah, I harbor no resentment toward you. I’m simply stating facts,” Martel interrupted with a wan smile. “In any case, through that research, I learned that the current state of the Demonic Realm is far from normal.”

“In what way?”

“The Twelve Nobles. They’re preparing to move again after centuries of dormancy. The Emperor surely knows this. That’s undoubtedly why he elevated you to heroic status.”

A chill ran down my spine. An unsettling realization washed over me like ice water.

Based on Martel’s words alone, the rise of the Demonkin should have been an inevitable historical event.

But I possessed knowledge of the future, didn’t I?

In the timeline I remembered, there had been no such demonic uprising.

So what fundamental change had altered the course of history?

Many things have shifted. Thanks to my interference, Lea regained her natural appearance, and the Miphra territory lost its primary source of income.

But even so... could those relatively minor changes really be the catalyst for such monumental consequences?

That can’t be the complete picture.

I shook my head firmly and fell into deeper contemplation.

Then a single, terrible realization crystallized in my mind.

“Artezia,” I whispered.

“Why do you mention those accursed animals?” Martel frowned at my unconscious utterance, but I couldn’t spare him any attention.

And for good reason.

House Artezia’s failure to claim the imperial throne represented the most significant alteration I had made to the future’s trajectory.

If they’re connected to the Demonkin, everything falls into place.

I had harbored suspicions before, but now those suspicions seemed confirmed by hard logic.

Before my regression, if Duke Artezia had possessed connections to demonic forces, the Demonkin would have gained the Empire itself as their stronghold.

That would have eliminated their need to confine themselves solely to the Demonic Realm.

In other words, it was reasonable to assume they were now planning a direct invasion of the Empire.

Two years from now.

They would launch their assault within a mere two years. Perhaps even sooner.

Still, I could consider the current situation fortunate.

Is this the result of the Mithril I offered to the Imperial Family?

An action taken purely for revenge had circled back to provide unexpected aid. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

I released a sigh of relief and drained my mug in one sustained pull.

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.

Thud!

I slammed it against the table before speaking again.

“Master Martel.”

“What is it?”

“Six months. I need you to forge us into something formidable within that timeframe. Would such a thing be possible?”

Six months.

That represented the optimal timeline I could manage—not because of the demonic uprising or any related concerns, but because of the Northern Grand Duke.

My father-in-law possessed exactly that much time remaining before he would vanish from this world.

Even though I had connected him with my master, it remained prudent to prepare for any contingency.

I bowed my head respectfully toward Martel and made my earnest request.

“I humbly ask this of you.”

“Lift your head. Yesterday I was the one bowing, and today you’re doing it.”

Martel patted my shoulder with gentle firmness.

“Of course I’ll make it possible. However... it’s going to prove extraordinarily difficult. For your companions, certainly, but especially for you.”

“I understand.”

“Indeed. The realm of Grand Master isn’t a threshold one can cross easily.”

I nodded at Martel’s words with full comprehension.

I understood the reality. The probability of failing to reach that level within six months remained discouragingly high.

But I had to attempt it nonetheless.

Six months from now, I would face Duke Artezia in final confrontation.

Martel rose from his chair and spoke with quiet determination.

“Then let us begin immediately.”

“Yes.”

Thus began the Special Taskforce’s most intensive training regimen.

* * *

Meanwhile, at that same moment, Lea sat by her window, sighing as she stared into the distance with unfocused eyes.

Outside, northern knights conducted their daily training exercises. Among them moved several who had declared their intention to join the Special Taskforce.

“I want to join them too,” Lea murmured softly, her breath fogging the glass.

Her fiancé had maintained complete silence since their last walk together. No letters, no messages, no contact of any kind.

Had something terrible happened to him? Or had his heart simply grown cold toward her?

She couldn’t determine the truth, and the uncertainty consumed her thoughts, keeping her awake through countless nights.

“Shouldn’t he at least send word...” she whispered.

Lea released a long, frustrated breath.

At that moment, her door opened and Lin entered. The current Acting Head of their family smiled with faint amusement as she spoke.

“Watching other men train, I see. Sir Louis would be devastated if he saw.”

“That’s not it,” Lea protested weakly.

“Hmm, teasing you isn’t as entertaining anymore. Is it because Sir Louis isn’t here to defend you?”

“Ugh, honestly!”

When Lea burst out in exasperation, Lin finally snickered with satisfaction.

“There’s the spirited response I expect from my sister!”

“Why are you here anyway?”

“I came to deliver news.” Lin produced a letter from her robes with theatrical flourish.

Pouting from the teasing, Lea muttered quietly, “What news could be so important?”

“Oh... you don’t seem particularly interested.”

“So what is it?”

“What else could it be? A letter from your beloved, naturally.”

In an instant, Lea surged forward and snatched the letter from Lin’s hands with desperate eagerness.

“Hah. Where’d your disinterest go?” Lin huffed quietly.

Lea ignored her completely and began reading with intense focus.

By the time she reached the final paragraph, Lea was clutching the letter with trembling hands, her knuckles white with tension.

“No contact for all this time, and now he casually mentions staying in Diva for six months?”

“My, your beloved has proven quite thoughtless.”

“And what’s this about the rise of the Demonkin and defeating one of the Twelve Nobles?” Her voice carried a mixture of worry and indignation.

“This won’t do. I need to find him immediately.”

Lea’s eyes flashed with determined fire as she stood abruptly.

She immediately began issuing instructions to the maids, demanding they prepare a traveling carriage and her warmest cloak.

“This time, I’ll capture his heart for sure,” she declared with fierce resolve.

“I’ll be expecting good news, then,” Lin said, wearing a knowing smirk. In her hand remained a neatly folded note written in elegant script.

—P.S. Please ask Lea if she would be interested in learning, should Master Martel offer to teach her.

“Well, that doesn’t seem to be the important part to her,” Lin murmured with mischievous delight, watching Lea pack her travel bags in the distance.

* * *

Elsewhere, within the halls of House Artezia.

“Everyone has gathered.”

Duke Artezia’s crimson eyes swept around as he spoke with quiet satisfaction.

He currently occupied the ducal study—a space normally reserved exclusively for the duke’s private use.

However, others now filled this sanctum. Not servants or retainers, but something far more significant.

Women and men, elderly and children, even beings that weren’t entirely human. 

Creatures with no apparent common traits had assembled in the duke’s audience chamber, their conversations creating a low murmur of anticipation.

“When do we begin?”

“Being around these disgusting non-humans makes my skin crawl.”

“Silence, human. Before I separate your head from your shoulders.”

“Ahaha! Brother, can’t we simply kill those things?”

These individuals displayed no discipline whatsoever.

Normally, the host of such a gathering might feel compelled to restore order, but watching them, the duke smiled with bloody satisfaction.

Everyone I wanted is here.

From Death Veil’s shadowy Veilwarden to an imperial marquis, several Aura Masters, and even an Ogre chieftain. All were exactly the people he had sought.

The amount of scheming and time invested to gather them all in one place had been considerable.

“Everyone be quiet. Our leader appears ready to address us.”

Fortunately, the eldest marquis smiled diplomatically and quieted the assembly with practiced authority.

The duke nodded acknowledgment to the marquis and opened his mouth to speak.

“Your presence here confirms that you all agree with my intentions.”

Silence fell like a blanket.

“So let me speak briefly before we move to more substantial matters.”

The duke snapped his fingers with sharp precision.

Instantly, their surroundings plunged into absolute darkness, and points of light began manifesting in the void like distant stars.

At first glance, they resembled fireflies dancing in summer twilight.

Though such a sight should have inspired wonder, no one present showed the slightest amazement.

“You’re all remarkably stoic,” the duke chuckled softly. “First, the reason you’ve gathered here is to gain the power of the Demonkin. Your motivations are varied.”

Snap!

As his fingers snapped again, the points of light began moving with purposeful motion.

The brightly shining stars all turned black in perfect unison, their vitality draining away like blood from a wound—as if they were being corrupted.

“Some seek revenge, others desire wealth, still others crave greater power. All these reasons and desires have led you to this moment.”

As the duke spoke with measured cadence, those gathered in the audience chamber maintained absolute silence.

“So you can truly share that power with us as well?” the marquis asked with careful casualness.

“Of course.” The duke nodded and reached into his robes with deliberate motion.

Swoosh.

He produced a small, dark pill that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.

“This is called a Demon Core. A miraculous compound that initiates demonification when consumed.”

“Side effects?” someone asked from the shadows.

“Naturally, they’re extensive. To maintain demonification while preserving your sanity requires intensive training over an extended period.”

“Anything else we should know?”

“You cease to be human... that’s the primary consideration.”

The duke spoke as if discussing the weather.

The marquis twisted his lips into a predatory smile and nodded with evident satisfaction.

“That’s the most appealing side effect I’ve ever heard in my entire life.”

The others reacted similarly to the marquis, their eyes gleaming with avarice as they fixed their gazes upon the pill.

The duke’s grin widened as he continued.

“I’ll distribute these to each of you. Since they were created by one of the Twelve Nobles themselves, the effects should prove significant. However, proper conditioning will be essential.”

“How long?” a childlike figure raised their hand inquiringly.

“Well... you’ll require at least one full year of consistent training.”

“But that’s too long.”

“Even so, it represents a worthwhile investment.”

The duke’s eyes flashed with dark promise as he continued.

“After all, training for one year to become emperor of the entire continent... isn’t that the most profitable arrangement imaginable?”

As the duke lightly drummed his fingers against the armrest, the stars began shining once more. But they no longer bore their original pristine white radiance.

Black stars. Black stars emitting tendrils of black light that seemed to devour the surrounding darkness.

The duke’s lips twisted with dark mirth as he continued.

“One year from now. During that time, I will transform each of you into true Demonkin.”

BOOM!

The stars exploded in perfect synchronization and vanished entirely.

“So look forward to it. The continent will lie prostrate beneath your feet.”

Change was stirring in the Imperial Capital.

A new evil had drawn its first breath.