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‘The royal family might have records related to this incident. The King would probably know something.’

Such suspicions weren’t entirely baseless.

It was evident in the Duke’s strategy itself.

‘In my past life, the Duke’s faction targeted the capital directly. Back then, the Royalist faction was already weak, so it didn’t raise much suspicion...’

Capturing the King during a war was tantamount to determining the outcome. At the time, there was little reason to doubt the Duke’s intentions.

After all, most of the nobles had already sided with the Duke, and taking the capital meant the war was essentially over.

‘But things are quite different now.’

Because of him, the Duke had failed to swallow the kingdom whole. On top of that, the Duke’s faction had been designated as the enemy of both the kingdom and the church.

Even if they captured the King, they couldn’t simply seize control of the kingdom.

Yet, the Duke’s army was still focused on the capital rather than targeting the entire kingdom. Their military maneuvers made that clear.

‘The Salvation Order struck at the Shadow Knights protecting the royal family over twenty years ago. That means they’ve already clashed in the shadows once. They’re still fixated on the royal family, so it’s not just about winning the war.’

It was likely they’d been targeting the royal family since then. However, his mother’s actions had inflicted devastating damage on their plans.

This had likely forced them to change course, aiming instead to overthrow the kingdom itself.

Of course, these were merely gut-driven predictions. It was dangerous to draw conclusions about the enemy’s strategy before the war was over.

Though he knew this logically, Ghislain’s instincts, honed from years on the battlefield, told him otherwise.

To resolve his doubts, he needed to meet the King in person and ask what he knew about the Salvation Order.

‘And about the Shadow Knights too. Why was this one family tasked with guarding the royal family for generations?’

Even the book passed down from Belinda contained no clear answers about this.

With those lingering questions in his mind, Ghislain turned to Belinda and smiled.

“Pretty amazing, isn’t it? My mom was the strongest in the kingdom and the one who protected Ruthania from the shadows.”

“You must’ve been surprised,” Belinda replied with a knowing grin.

“Well, a little.”

“All of your talents, young master, come from Lady Anette. And even Miss Elena’s divine powers, too.”

Belinda seemed proud and relieved, as if she had been waiting for this moment to share just how incredible Anette had been.

Ghislain scratched his head and asked again.

“So, my mother’s real name wasn’t... ‘Elizabeth Lauren Le Yvonne de Valliere’?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Then... why did she pick that name?”

“She just wanted something elegant, fancy, and grand. She’d been planning it for ages. So, it’s all fake.”

“...And my father didn’t know anything about this?”

“No, he only knew her as a bright, fun, and noble person.”

“And her real personality?”

“Well, she was genuinely like that most of the time, but when she got angry... she was a bit like you, young master.”

Ghislain nodded in understanding. Now he understood why his own personality was the way it was.

“But still... did she really have to keep it all hidden from my father?”

If his father had known, it might have been a shock. After all, he had always believed Anette was merely the descendant of a fallen noble family.

It might have even felt like a betrayal.

But Belinda had a different opinion.

“People naturally want to hide unpleasant or unnecessary parts of their past. Especially from the people they love. What good would it do for the Marquis to know? It’d only hurt his pride. It was her way of caring for him.”

“Hmm... I guess that makes sense.”

“And there was another reason. While Lady Anette’s mana techniques and skills could have greatly helped Ferdium, they might’ve also put it in greater danger.”

“Hmm...”

It was true. According to that bastard Melkir, the Duke’s faction had repeatedly tried to track down his mother’s whereabouts.

This was probably why she had decided not to reveal her true identity in Ferdium.

Belinda smiled brightly and continued.

“Now that everything’s been revealed, I feel so much better. If you’d like, the techniques are detailed in the book. You can learn them anytime. They’re rightfully yours, after all.”

“I’ll think about it. By the way, how did my parents meet?”

“Well, Lady Anette was planning to take a brief rest in the North before moving to another kingdom. But during her stay in Ferdium, she met the young Marquis.”

“And they fell in love?”

“Not exactly. The Marquis was relentless, pestering her for just one meeting. Even though she rejected him repeatedly, he kept pursuing her. He was quite persistent.”

“...I see.”

Ghislain suddenly remembered something his father had drunkenly shared when asked about his mother.

“I confessed that I’d rip out my own heart for her if she asked. And during every argument after that, she’d ask when I was planning to do it. Hahaha!”

Looking back, it seemed his father wasn’t really equipped to handle someone like Anette. Yet somehow, through sheer love, he had managed to marry her. In that sense, his father was remarkable in his own right.

“So that’s why Belinda stayed here to take care of me and Elena.”

“Yes, Lady Anette wanted me to live a peaceful life here. And the Marquis entrusted me with you two.”

As she said this, tears welled up in Belinda’s eyes. It was clear she still missed Anette dearly.

Ghislain looked at her sympathetically before a new question crossed his mind.

“Wait a second. Why didn’t the royal family search for my mother? The Duke and Melkir kept looking for her, didn’t they?”

Someone so extraordinary disappearing wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by the royal family. Yet, there were no records of a search, nor had he heard any stories about it.

Belinda scoffed.

“The Shadow Knights operated independently, even from the King. No one knew their true identities. They recruited only orphans, so there were no family connections to trace.”

“Wait, not even the King met them?”

“Only the commander, who always wore a mask, had direct contact with the King. So even if they wanted to find them, it would’ve been impossible. Honestly, they might’ve been relieved they disappeared.”

An organization so secretive that it even withheld information from the King. It was impressive, but also a double-edged sword.

If their leader ever had a change of heart, they could easily assassinate the King.

The royal family must have found the existence of the Shadow Knights deeply unsettling.

“I see. That’s why the Salvation Order and Melkir tried to seize control of the Shadow Knights—to capture the King more easily.”

“Exactly. But they failed. Lady Anette did leave a letter before she departed, though.”

“A letter?”

“She advised the royal family to create a new protective order or family since the Shadow Knights had disbanded. She had dealt with all the threats targeting the royal family at the time, so her work was done. Staying behind would’ve been too dangerous.”

“I see... that makes sense.”

Most of his questions were now answered. Though he still wondered how such an organization had been created and sustained.

‘I’ll have to ask the King about that.’

It was awe-inspiring and surprising to learn that his mother had been the leader of such an incredible group—and the strongest in the kingdom at the time.

Shaking off his thoughts, Ghislain turned to Belinda.

“That’s enough for today. If I have more questions, I’ll ask later. You should get some rest too. We’re leaving early tomorrow.”

“What about you, young master?”

Ghislain smiled faintly as he stood.

“I have to finish convincing Elena.”@@novelbin@@

***

“Huff…”

Ghislain exhaled deeply, glaring at his reflection in the mirror.
The red handprint on his cheek hadn’t faded yet. He had deliberately blocked the flow of mana to prevent it from healing, all to make sure everyone noticed the mark Elena had left on the face of Ferdium’s heir, the Lord of Fenris, and the Northern Army Commander.

Sibling squabbles, as always, could be hilariously petty.

“Ha, I don’t have time for this.”

While he had been handling matters in Ferdium, news arrived that the Duke’s army was on the move.

As expected, the Delfine forces were advancing in three directions, one of which targeted the Northern Army. Their rapid pace meant a confrontation was imminent.

Ghislain had planned to give his knights a day to rest after their forced march, but the situation with Elena threw a wrench into those plans.

“I have to convince her by the end of today.”

Morning had come, and if he couldn’t persuade her before the day was over, they wouldn’t be able to depart at dawn. Determined, Ghislain steeled himself and went to see Elena. Time was of the essence, and he had to give it his all.

Knock, knock.

A cold voice responded from behind the door.

“Don’t come in.”

Click.

Ghislain ignored the rejection and opened the door anyway, stepping inside without hesitation. His sister’s objections meant nothing to him.

“Ah! I said don’t come in!”

“Elena, calm down and hear me out for a second.”

“No! No, no, no, no!”

“Your talent shouldn’t be wasted here in the North. You have the potential to be the best.”

“I’m going to become a graceful lady! I’ll marry a dashing nobleman! What battlefield?!”

In the past, he might have teased her, scoffing at the idea of a poor noble’s daughter marrying into high society.

But now, things were different. Thanks to Ghislain, the Ferdium family had become one of the most prestigious households in the kingdom. Suitors from countless noble families had been sending marriage proposals for Elena, to the point where they were sifting through them to choose the best match.

The only real issue was Zwalter, their overly protective father, who tore up every proposal the moment it arrived.

With a slightly wistful look in his eyes, Ghislain spoke.

“You’d be better suited charging through battlefields like a raging bull. You could become a terrifying legend. Doesn’t that sound amazing?”

“Argh! You’re so annoying! Get out!”

Their exchange was typical sibling banter, but it wasn’t making any progress. Ghislain sighed, pounding his chest in frustration.

“You could be the ultimate weapon! No, calling you a mere weapon doesn’t do you justice. You’d be a walking siege engine! Imagine: ‘Elena the Siege Engine!’”

“I said I don’t want to!”

“Why not? It’s incredible! A human siege engine!”

“It’s not incredible at all!”

“This is for your own good!”

“No, it’s not!”

“Just do it already!”

Even the usually composed Ghislain couldn’t help but get angry when family didn’t listen. And since reasoning with her was going nowhere, he decided to play dirty.

“I’ll talk to Father and have him send you to the Northern Army.”

“What?! Are you insane? Stop right there, you lunatic!”

Elena chased after him, her expression panicked.

Ghislain held the reins of Ferdium’s power. If he demanded that she be sent to the Northern Army, their father and the retainers would have no choice but to comply.

At that moment, the retainers were gathered in the great hall, discussing the recent assassination attempt and working to strengthen the castle’s defenses.

Taking advantage of the timing, Ghislain walked in and addressed Zwalter directly.

“We need to send Elena to the Northern Army for training.”

“Hmm… Must we?”

Zwalter had already been briefed about Elena’s latent divine powers, which was certainly good news. However, he couldn’t bear the thought of his daughter enduring harsh training or the dangers of war.

After all, the Northern Army was constantly on the front lines. Sending Elena to such a perilous place was unthinkable.

“Father! Father! I don’t want to go! Please don’t allow this!”

Elena burst into the room, clinging to Zwalter’s side. Looking at his beloved daughter’s pleading eyes, Zwalter spoke firmly.

“Is it necessary to force her? Besides, isn’t she still too weak? The Northern Army would be far too dangerous for her.”

“She’ll be stationed at a rear post, so there’s no need to worry. I’ll personally train her and make her stronger in no time.”

“Hmm… Even so, it’s too dangerous. I can’t allow it.”

Ghislain countered with a calculated remark.

“Father, even if an assassin were to strike, you’re skilled enough to hold your ground until reinforcements arrive, right?”

“Of course. I’m capable of that much.”

“But Elena and Rachel wouldn’t survive a single mistake. After this recent attack, I’ve realized they need to be able to protect themselves.”

“Hmm… Wouldn’t it be better for her to train here?”

“I can train her faster than anyone else. You know that.”

“Hmm…”

Zwalter hesitated. Realistically, the chances of another assassination attempt were slim, but Ghislain wasn’t wrong about the risks.

While Zwalter deliberated, Ghislain shot a sharp look at the chief steward Homern and the treasurer Albert. The message was clear: if you want to keep my favor, you’d better speak up.

Catching on, both men stepped forward immediately.

“The young master is correct. Lady Elena should at least acquire some basic combat skills.”

“Indeed. We’ve neglected this matter for too long. With the young master’s guidance, she’ll progress quickly.”

Neither had a choice in the matter. They knew Ghislain was the type to strip them of everything if they displeased him. Giving up their comfortable lives wasn’t an option.

Encouraged by their example, the other retainers also voiced their agreement. Even Zwalter, as much as he adored Elena, couldn’t help but feel swayed by their collective opinion.

Elena, however, was livid.

“What’s this? You all just want to get rid of me, don’t you? This is too much! Are you all scared of my brother?”

Crunch!

The armrest of Zwalter’s chair shattered under Elena’s grip as her strength flared. She no longer hesitated to show her power.

Even Zwalter, taken aback by her display, muttered nervously.

“Maybe… Maybe it’s not such a bad idea after all…”

“What?! Father, you too? I’m not going! If anyone tries to make me, they’ll regret it!”

Fuming, Elena stormed out of the hall and slammed the door to her room behind her.

Zwalter massaged his temples in frustration before addressing Ghislain.

“Do whatever you want. You’re not the type to listen to anyone else anyway.”

“Thank you, Father. I’ll handle this.”

Leaving Elena to her tantrum, Ghislain decided to get some rest.

The next morning, Ghislain and his knights prepared to depart. Rachel, looking slightly apprehensive, approached him.

“Uh… What about Elena? Am I going alone?”

Though their social statuses differed, Elena and Rachel were inseparable friends. Even Ferdium’s strict social norms couldn’t keep them apart.

Ghislain reassured Rachel with a sly grin.

“Don’t worry. Elena will be coming with us.”

As he tied a black cloth over his eyes and a few knights followed suit, the group’s appearance transformed into that of a band of dangerous marauders.

Massaging his neck, Ghislain muttered to himself.

“Why does everyone make me use force? Things would be so much easier if they just did as I asked. Don’t you think?”

Sometimes, even with family, a little bit of persuasion was necessary—no matter how messy it got.