Chapter 7 Part 2

Aksion placed his cup down and spoke, “I hear the northern regions are being plagued by monsters. We might need to mobilize the knights when we return.”

“Monsters? Is it serious?” Elia asked immediately, concerned by the sensitive topic. The period when monsters would rampage was supposed to be a year from now.

“Monsters usually become active in the spring. This year seems worse than usual.”

“…Is that so.” If this was the average level of monster activity, it was a relief, but an increase in monsters was still a significant threat to the territory

“You’ll be quite busy once you return.” Aksion, too, had to move with his knights to deal with the monsters.

‘It seems things are different from the past, but perhaps this is for the better.’ Aksion’s rampage was still two years away. Despite his immense strength, he had lived a life of rejection.

‘I hope more people will follow Aksion.’ Elia wished everyone could see how kind and responsible he was.

‘Speaking of the party…’ Elia recalled the noble ladies’ gazes directed at Aksion. Naturally, it was expected, but recalling it now, she felt uncomfortable.

‘Huh?’ Why did her chest ache? It seemed her thoughts, which were of no help, were making her chest area feel uneasy. Aksion was watching her closely.

“So, it would be nice if Elia could comfort me,” Aksion blinked slowly.

The knights would follow Aksion, but dealing with the monsters required the cooperation of three knightly orders. Elia tightly embraced Aksion.

“You told me I could do anything, right? You’ll be fine too, Aksion.”

“Will I?” A small laugh echoed from Elia’s neck. He lifted his head slightly and looked at her.

“Elia, if you need help, please let me know anytime.”

His eyes, reflecting the candlelight, were serious. Normally, she would have said there was nothing like that. But now…

‘In the end, he gets involved.’ Elia clasped his hands. Soon, Aksion would be able to manipulate darkness freely. His abilities would be a great help in stopping the monsters.

‘I can’t avoid it, but I hoped Aksion wouldn’t have to experience it twice.’ She didn’t want him to get caught up in this fight again. She planned to leave after healing Aksion’s body. But…

Elia’s gaze fell. A purple thread was tied around Aksion’s ring finger, connected to her left ring finger. Initially a faint thread, it had grown strong enough to resemble a cord.

The resonance ritual connected them. Beyond that, how the bound thread would change was up to them.

“I’ll tell you when the time comes.”

Just as Sasha was visible only to Elia, this thread was also visible only to her as the caster. Aksion’s eyes curved into a smile. He took her left hand and kissed the back of it.

“I will follow you anytime.” His dangerous eyes remained hidden under his dark hair.

The Mahar’s mansion. Behind the main building was an annex where the elders resided. The Mahar held four regular meetings each year. Spring in the north was a precious season, a time when the year’s harvest and the rare free activities of the fiefdom’s people occurred.

Given the importance of the occasion, the meeting included the Duke of Tartan, his heir, and eight elders. Soon, everyone gathered in the meeting room. Elder Keanu Merkus, head of the elder council, glanced sideways at the Duke of Tartan and his heir, Aksion.

‘Strange.’ The Order of Silver originally belonged to the lord. Aksion had only recently begun to act in earnest.

‘How is this possible?’ He had heard that several elders had already turned to Aksion’s side. He thought having one faction was enough, but Aksion had been quietly growing his power, unnoticed by the elder council and the current Duke.

The elders exchanged glances. Those who still followed the Duke were in the majority, so the turncoats had to be cautious.

“As you all know, we convened this meeting due to the sudden increase in monsters.”

Monsters in spring were a yearly nuisance. Even they couldn’t withstand the harsh snowstorms, so they became more active when the weather improved.

After Tartan’s speech, an elder who followed him spoke. “As usual, let’s send the knights to sweep them away.”

It was a mundane suggestion. If that alone was sufficient, this meeting wouldn’t have been necessary.

“We’re doing that, but the numbers aren’t decreasing,” Tartan said.

By now, the monster sweep should have been completed. However, the monsters seemed to regenerate as many as were slain, leading to rumors that slain monsters were coming back to life.

“Their breeding rate seems excessively fast.”

“Their growth rate also appears problematic.”

Various elders offered their opinions, but no clear solution emerged. The meeting room fell silent. Tartan then pointed to Aksion.

“What is your opinion?”

The heir, who had been silent, raised his head. After surveying the elders briefly, Aksion spoke.

“How about finding the monsters’ lair and filling in the holes?”

Monsters usually crawled out from the ground, making Aksion’s suggestion reasonable. However…

“Who doesn’t know that? The question is, how do we find their lair?” mocked elder Markus Theob, a follower of Tartan.

‘How dare a cursed heir give an opinion?’ Markus had long ostracized Aksion. He knew some elders had been won over by the heir, but as a devout believer in the Light, he couldn’t accept someone with dark powers becoming the heir of Mahar.

Silence fell after Markus’s remark. He thought he had gained the upper hand, but Aksion continued.

“The northern monsters prefer water. With spring here, the most likely place is the Rimotan Caves, connected to the river.”

“The Order of Gold has already searched there. No monster lairs were found near the caves,” Tartan said, prompting Aksion to present his main point.

“Then, how about the Gruerg Swamp?”

“That’s a swamp!” Gruerg Swamp, surrounded by marshes, was a dangerous place hidden under snow. Even monsters avoided it, making it seem absurd to suggest their lair was there.

Markus rebuked the idea as nonsense. However, he overlooked one fact.

“Gruerg turns into a swamp only in spring once every five years.”

For two weeks, the Gruerg Swamp released all its stored life energy. The muddy waters transformed into clear water, and rare herbs blossomed. This five-year cycle coincided with this year.

Tartan nodded at Aksion’s words. “Now that you mention it, we’ve received reports that herb gatherers are having difficulty entering Gruerg.”

Markus’s face fell as Tartan continued, undeterred by his expression. “Assign the Gruerg task to the Order of Silver.”

“Understood.” Markus ground his teeth at the sight.

‘Assign? Isn’t he supposed to carry out orders, not receive assignments!’ The heir’s role had always been to follow commands. But now, it seemed like he was being acknowledged as an heir.

Some elders looked displeased, but those supporting the heir differed. The current Duke led the prosperity of the north, but many elders disapproved of his recent marriage to the imperial princess.

Markus believed this dissatisfaction was why Tartan’s followers had turned to the heir. However, neutral elders had a different view.

‘Is that the only reason?’

The sole condition for being recognized as the head of Mahar was the ability to freely wield holy power. If the current heir demonstrated that ability, no remaining faction could oppose him.