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

“You’ve arrived?”

The acting head of House Praha greeted us upon our arrival in the North.

Lin Praha stood before us—a Master-level knight and an ill-fated genius who had lost an arm.

She regarded me with a bitter expression before speaking. “The blacksmith has been well received. A smith capable of working with Mithril... such talent will be invaluable to our family.”

“He’s highly skilled. Build him a proper forge, and he’ll more than earn his keep.”

“I believe so as well. Father would have been pleased.” Lin’s voice faltered, and she fixed her gaze on me again. “Have you heard the news? The Patriarch has gone missing.”

“Yes, I received your message.”

“Oh, so it did reach you?” She released a faint sigh.

Her tone could have been taken as sarcasm, but it merely reflected her frayed state of mind. There was no intent to mock or insult.

“We wanted to hurry after receiving your letter,” I explained, “but an incident delayed our return.”

“…My apologies. My nerves are shot, and I lashed out. These dark thoughts keep creeping in, even though I know you wouldn’t have just run away.”

“It’s quite all right. This is a family matter and your reaction is only natural. For you as Acting Head, and for me.”

“Family...” A strange, hollow laugh escaped her as she nodded. “Yes, I suppose you are family to us now, Sir Louis.”

“His Grace the Grand Duke will be fine. He’s an immensely powerful man. Probably sitting by a campfire right now, grilling some meat.”

“Ha... I wish that were true.”

A faint, fleeting smile crossed her face. Lin rubbed her temples and sighed.

After a moment of silence, she continued. “We’ve searched every location where we believe Father might be, but we haven’t found a single trace. Worse, we’ve lost contact with the troops we sent in as well.”

“How many battalions were deployed?”

“Forty percent of the Northern forces.”

My god…

Diverting even thirty percent of the North’s forces would make defending the duchy difficult. Fifty percent was required just to contain the monsters pouring from the Demonic Realm.

At this rate, an attack from a neighboring territory could destabilize the entire North.

Then again, I doubted whether any lord would be so bold… until I remembered the lunatics of House Artezia.

We had to be cautious. No, she had to withdraw the troops. It was an absolute necessity.

The Elder Council must have opposed this plan from the start, which meant Lin had likely forced it through. If this situation continued, she could be stripped of her position as Acting Head.

“You must withdraw the troops immediately,” I said.

“Do you share the same opinion as those old men?”

“Yes. Because it’s what’s best for the North.”

Lin gave a mirthless laugh. “You sound just like them. Now that you sit on the Elder Council, have their thoughts begun to take root in your mind?”

It felt like she saw my words as a betrayal, all the more because I’d called us family.

But my stance would not change.

I held her gaze, my expression firm. “You can say what you will, but my answer remains the same. The troops must be withdrawn.”

“...”

“You must consider the North’s security. Push forty percent of your forces into the Demonic Realm to find His Grace, and you’ll be unable to repel an external invasion. Worse, if those soldiers die in there, the problem will only grow.”

“But we cannot simply abandon my father.”

“Of course not. Abandoning the Grand Duke is not an option.”

Lin’s expression seemed to ask: Then what are you proposing?

I held her gaze, continuing in a low voice. “I have a location in mind. Withdraw all but ten percent of your forces from the Demonic Realm. My unit will go in their stead.”

“We couldn’t find him with forty percent of our men, and you intend to succeed with a mere ten?”

“Yes. If my prediction is correct, it’s somewhere that can only be accessed by one who has mastered a special technique.”

A passage that could only be traversed by mastering my master’s Aura cultivation technique.

Lin Praha stared at me silently, her gaze piercing.

Outside her office, my unit and Lea were waiting, each having returned stronger than before. Lin knew this was a result of my efforts.

She must want to trust me one more time. Besides, it’s not as if she has any other options.

I waited silently for her answer.

She spoke before long. “Very well. I will order all but ten percent of the forces to return to the capital.”

“An excellent decision.”

“However, allow me to ask one favor of you.”

A favor…

“What is it?”

“Please, save my father. I don’t know what he means to you, but I need him.”

Was it because of her arm? She likely believed herself unfit to lead the house. That had to be why she was so desperate to find the Grand Duke.

Sure, it was possible he would return and resume his position, just as she wished. But I could say with certainty that one day, Lea would grow stronger than her father.

And when that day came, the line of succession would change.

It was impossible to know how long we would be in the Demonic Realm, so perhaps it was a distant future. Even so, it was no longer an impossible dream.

I met Lin Praha’s gaze and nodded. “I will.”

She seemed pleased, as a wry smile returned to her lips. “You’re good with your answers.”

“It’s a specialty of mine.”

“Ha... Fine. You may leave. And though you must be tired from your journey, I need you to depart at once.”

That was what I wanted as well.

“Very well.” I nodded and rose from my seat.

It was time to head into the Demonic Realm.

* * *

The path to the Demonic Realm was anything but smooth.

The pass where we had dispatched the Seventh Elder was now saturated with thick, cloying demonic energy.

“Did my sister say anything?” Lea asked quietly, walking beside me as I strode forward with a frown.

She was likely asking if Lin had noticed my demonic energy.

She wouldn’t have.

I recalled our meeting and gave a slight, confident nod. I hadn’t used my demonic energy in her presence, and one would need to be a Grand Master—or possess an equivalent level of Aura sense—to feel it while it lay dormant.

Like Lea, who was right next to me. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye.

It’s not just that her Aura sense is exceptional. Her overall abilities must be approaching the Grand Master level.

A genius. The word seemed tailor-made for her.

“She said nothing,” I replied. “It seems I hid it well enough.”

“Oh, that’s a relief. I was worried she might get the wrong idea. By the way, what’s with all these soldiers?”

Those?

I glanced back at the large contingent of troops following us—the ten percent of the Northern forces Lin had promised.

I could have asked for the soldiers already in the Demonic Realm, but fresh troops were better than exhausted ones. The men who had been grinding away in there deserved rest.

The Demonic Realm was no place for the weary.

And the task I have for them is far from easy.

Their role, this ten percent of the Northern army, was to serve as bait.

They would guard the area while my unit entered my master’s hidden area, drawing the attention of the Demonkin. Without them, finding our enemies would take far too long.

The Demonkin are reluctant to attack those stronger than themselves.

A swarm might be different, but even then, with my master and the Grand Duke present, they would hesitate to attack recklessly. And with Mihaila joining us, their hesitation would only deepen.

I nodded, certain of my plan.

“They’re here to replace the forces already inside,” I told Lea.

“Oh, that’s good,” she said with a bright smile. “With them here, you won’t have to overexert yourself.”

This lady had a talent for captivating people.

“Just watch where you’re going. We’re about to arrive.” I deliberately ignored her charm and fixed my eyes forward.

“Honestly! You complain even when I worry about you? Hmph. At least suppress your energy. It might be fine for us, but it would cause a huge problem if those knights noticed.”

“Fine.” I gave a reluctant nod.

What they thought of me was unimportant, but it was better to remain undetected if possible.

After some time, Lea spoke again. “Ah, we’re here.”

We had reached the entrance to the Demonic Realm.

The landscape presented a stark contrast to the cliffs and snow-covered ground behind us. A sudden expanse of moss, wetlands, and some kind of viscous substance.

It looked like a jungle, and the transition wasn’t gradual. It was as if a line had been drawn in the world, separating one reality from another.

“A different world,” Kai murmured beside me.

Roxen and Lancelot stared ahead, their faces tense.

While this was new to the others, for Lancelot and Roxen, the Demonic Realm had been the goal of their training. Facing it now must have been a profound experience.

Roxen, in particular, burned with thoughts of revenge. Murderous intent practically blazed in his eyes.

“Pepia,” he muttered.

Just then, Mihaila moved to stand beside Lea and me. “Whoa,” she breathed. “This place is a complete mess. The demonic energy is even stronger than before.”

“Than before? You’ve been here?” I asked.

“I have. A long time ago, when the Holy Kingdom came on a ‘purification’ mission. I accompanied His Holiness the Pope. Of course, I was just a girl then, with barely a speck of divine power to my name. But even back then, the demonic energy here was foul... now, you can barely breathe.”

So bad you can’t breathe...

I mulled over her words.

This had never happened before my regression. It was a butterfly effect of my actions, and the cause was almost certainly House Artezia.

But did House Artezia truly possess the power to increase the density of demonic energy in the entire Demonic Realm?

I doubted it. The House Artezia I knew and the one that existed now were on completely different levels.

I won’t know for sure until we explore, but... something is here.

I was certain something about House Artezia had changed, and I had a premonition that I would uncover the truth during this expedition.

Behind me, the knights swallowed nervously. I glanced back at them once before taking a long, deep breath.

“We have to go in regardless, Mihaila.”

“Hmm? Who’s arguing? Just stating the facts. Besides, I have no intention of turning back now.” A grin spread across her face as she looked toward the Demonic Realm with anticipation.

The end of the North. The cradle of Demonkin and monsters.

The Demonic Realm.

“Let’s go,” I said, and began to walk forward.

To find the Grand Duke. To face my master again. To hunt the Twelve Nobles.

And to uncover the secrets of Duke Artezia.