{About the three days before the incident with Fiona and Clifford}

With fog still enveloping the city, I gaze upon my room. With hundreds of documents spread everywhere, it would prove difficult to move around without cleaning up.

*SNORE* *SNORE*

Jane was sleeping soundly on the other side of the room. Ray had an uneasy face, not knowing what to do.

“Umm...Ja...Jane?”, sadly the poor boy’s voice never reached the intended person.

“Why don’t you sleep too, Ray?”

“Well...I would if she was not sleeping on my lap.”

“Haha~ It’s fine...it’s fine. You two were like dead logs a moment ago. You are embarrassed now?”

“He...Hey!! I would have been sleeping in my room if it wasn’t for you!”

“Ohhhh...sorry. But I needed both of your help to finalize the information before meeting with the officials.”

“But that’s tomorrow!”

“So? I wanted to be perfect for the meeting. First impressions are always needed.”

“*Sigh*...I am going to my room.”

He said while trying to push Jane off his lap.

“Drop her, Please?”, I said with a smile on my face.

Instantly blood rose up to his face and a shade of blush covered his entire face.

“Ri...Right. I will.”

Saying so, Ray gently pushed Jean off his lap. Got to his legs without any noise and awkwardly tried to carry Jane to her room.

Well, he is not courageous enough to try anything and Jane always teases him, so I don’t see any problem.

Thank god I have people like these. Jane with the ability to sniff any rumors around the Empire and Ray, a walking calculator.

It’s understandable for Jane to pass out tonight. She was bound to get tired after reading thousands of papers, all containing information about the officials and the work they did.

While there was an absence of improvement in the territory, the officials and officers did a wonderful job in keeping the place from breaking into pieces.

With no leader to lean on for support, they have kept working for the past 2 decades.

I am sure they are tired, grown weary of doing the same work repeatedly with no changes.

So, what do you think is the best gift for them would be?

Improving the territory they held onto for so long.

And that’s the whole reason for the meeting tomorrow. I will be putting a hold on the railway tracks. It’s important to get permission from Lysandra’s Emperor.

We will be discussing the new city layout, the tower, and important historic landmarks, that are emotionally attached to the people.

Lux should start their business in about a week. But is she okay?

Fiona was quite troubled on that day, it’s going to be quite troublesome for me if she is still down in the dumps. I am running out of time, my company still isn’t up and there are slaves that I have to save in Lysandra.

And just what is Alex doing? One of his nobles did slave trading with my people, why aren’t both the Emperor’s making any moves?

Does Duke of Arma have more background? Is he powerful enough to get away with everything he does? I might have to do some digging.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

“Yes?”

“My lord, Mr.Seran and Mr. Heel are here.”

“Hmm? The meeting is tomorrow, tell them to meet me at that time.”

“I did but they insisted on meeting you today, I suggest you meeting them. They have information of …”

*******

I hurried towards the guest room. Passing through various other rooms and paintings that I would usually gaze at. 

I had Sebastian fetch both Ray and Jane from their rooms. 

This is it! 

I couldn’t control my excitement after I heard what Sebastian said.

*THUD* *THUD* *THUD*

The ones that came to visit me were the officials. Seran looks after the entertainment industry and Heel has control over the agricultural part. In reality, they should not have any information that could pique my interest.

But today was different, they are here carrying information about Switon’s family. Something that I was never able to find.

All I know about the civil war is that the three sons of the former Duke fought over for the successor position. How it started or even information about the sons’ children are a mystery. 

I had Jane search all over the territory for it, but she would always turn empty-handed.

*THUCK* *OPEN*

As one of the knights opened the, I marched in with a stern face, devoid of any emotion. 

No matter who, I don’t want people to underestimate me due to my age.

The two men hurriedly got up and bowed deeply.

““Greetings to the Duke of Ellen.””

“Hello, please be seated.”

I had one of the maids bring refreshments as we all sat down. As a Duke, it’s manners to treat your guests with respect. Especially if they had information you desire.

“I am Seran, I look after-”

“Entertainment industry and you are Heel, you take care of the agricultural works. I know about you too, so let’s forego the introductions. I am pretty sure the meeting was tomorrow, is the topic you have to discuss important enough that it can’t be told in the presence of others?”

To my straightforward question, Seran with his pale blue hair started speaking.

“I am afraid so, my lord. And it is not something I could tell here.”

“I am sorry? I am afraid I can’t understand you.” 

“It is not something I can tell you, my lord. But it is possible for me to show it to you. Will you spend a bit of your time, I swear the next few hours will be the most productive ones for you.”

“Hmm…”

Weird...Seran looks at me earnestly. While Heel has a regretful face. Why? Seran wants to unveil the secret while Heel doesn’t want to.

If it is a secret that Switon entrusted them with, it is understandable that Heel doesn’t want to disclose it.

I was able to see both Jane and Ray standing outside the room with a stern expression.

[Jane.]

[Boss?]

[Wanna go on a journey?]

[I would love to.]

[Cool.]

“Alright then, Seran. You have my interest, let’s go take a look at this little thing you want to show me.”

“ *PHEW*...Please do have your people make meals, My lord. It is going to be a long journey.”

******

We four made our way to the carriages. Alice and a couple of other maids will be coming with us.

With three carriages in front and three in the back, it was evident that this trail of carriages is owned by the most powerful man of this territory.

Proudly boasting the symbol of Ellen, Raven...these carriages were pitch black with streaks of red running through them. The ones that Me, Jane, and Ray would be on had both red and green lines running through the pitch black.

Imposing.

Anyone walking along the road would know all well to get the hell out of the way. The horses were all looking strong too. But, sadly these would only stay on for a while.

While thinking about the horses, I noticed both Seran and Heel stealing glances at Jane.

Not again...

“Do we have a problem?”

“Oh! Um...forgive me for being rude, but is it really necessary to bring a Grey wit-”

*CLANK*

Just as Heel started to talk, one of the knights dropped his razor-sharp sword on to the ground.

“Oh, forgive me. I had thought a fly here wanted to get sliced in half. Please continue.”

“Oh come on, care to not slice the ground? Mr. Heel. Please continue.”

“Ri...Right. Is it alright to bring that lady with-”

“My lord.”

“EEKK!!”

“Pfft!”

Again before Heel could finish his sentence, one of the other knights kneeled in front of me by situating himself in between the officials. Startling them both while showing off his black sword. Jane giggles while Ray had an emotionless face.

“We are ready to leave.”

“All right! So, do you still have something to say?”, I said while looking at the officials.

“No...we do not. We will be traveling in another carriage.”

“Do as you want.”

In the end, their hatred towards Greys overshadows the fear over my position.

As the officials headed into their seemingly simple carriage, the knights around us all had a satisfied face. The knights who teased them also had a bright smile plastered all over their faces.

“You two...don’t take it too far.”, I said to the knights.

Bowing towards me, the knight who dropped his spoke

“We apologize for our rude behavior, my lord. But we can’t stand still when someone looks down on Miss Jane. She is the one who spent a great deal of time bringing all of us together.”

Another knight spoke facing Jane, “Miss Jane, if you ever see yourself in trouble, please do not think twice to ask for help. We, the Ellen knights, are always ready to help you.”

“Of...Of course, I will!!”

“Haha~”

Watching their conversation, Ray and I couldn’t help but smile. From the day she was born, Jane constantly faced various harassment and bullying. All because of the hair color she had.

Most of the nobles are trying hard to cease this discrimination. Some territories even went as far as to commit execution on the ones doing the harassment.

But the discrimination and hatred never end, it only grows fiercer and stronger. The action the Emperor made towards is the only thing I am satisfied with him. Going as far as to employ a lot of Greys and even organizing events every month to spread awareness.

Even these knights that spoke high of Jane, once were scowling towards her for her hair. But it all changed when she brought in various knights, watching her work day and night to bring all of their friends together changed their opinion.

Now Miss Jane is a highly respected individual in this mansion.

“So, shall we get going?”, Ray said.

“Of course, we have a long way to get to the destination.”

*******

*RATTLE* *RATTLE*

*UGH! Just how bumpy is this road! Even with this suspension, the carriage is throwing me left and right! Boss, Ray!! How are you managing to stay asleep!”

“Jane, shut up. We have been traveling for over five hours, and my ears are tired of hearing you complain. Can’t you at least stay silent!”

Ray who was already sleepy found Jane’s relentless complaints annoying.

“In some weeks’ time, this particular road will have countless carriages moving about. The road will be fixed too.”

“The river, huh. Wasn’t it expensive?”, Jane asked.

“It was. The number of zeroes on the paper still haunts me.”, Ray continued.

“Well, how much do you think a river is worth? We have complete control over this region. We have over 9 such rivers under our control. And I will be buying 6 more by the end of next week. Two of which lies in Hastings.”

“Boy, we are going to be rich!”

“We will, I have already received the patent for the technology we created. Just a little more time and our funds will increase many times.”, I said while smirking.

“But my lord, I thought you would compete with Luxion in their battleground. You know, I figured you might be selling food. You have talent in that area, after all.”, Alice, who had been staying quiet all this time, asked me.

“Uh-Uh.”, I instantly refused her head, “Jane and Ray should already know this”, to which they nodded  “Luxion’s control over the food industry is immense. And Fiona is akin to an Empress in the food department. Not only food, but they also have a wide range of other goods-”

“Like clothes, cosmetics, carpets, furniture. Etc.”, Jane continued.

“Right. It’s impossible to go against them in this line now. Alice...what do you think Fiona will do after she sets up her company here?”

“Ummm...Lady Fiona might spread her goods vigorously?”

“Partially right. She will be selling her goods, but once her business settles...I can swear, she will be going around buying rights over restaurants and other shops.”

“Rights?”

“In other terms, she will be buying a lot of shops. For normal people, shopping means buying clothes, groceries, etc. But for people like Fiona, shopping means buying companies and their line of work. She will go around looking for broken restaurants that have the potential to shine.”

“She already has a list of restaurants that have potential”, Jane said.

“And her funds are never-ending.”, Ray continued.

“Once she enters our territory, Luxion will be like a parasite, slowly gnawing away my power over the territory. The restaurants will have their original name, but at the end of the day their parent company will be Luxion.”

“Th...Then how will you control them?!”, Alice looked at me with concern.

“Simple, if a parasite takes control over the host. Then all I have to do is take control over the host.”

“??”

“““Roads.”””

All three of us were in sync. After chuckling for a bit, Jane continued the talk.

“Alice, with boss’s technology...the way how things will be transported in this Empire will change.”

“Just a little more time, and Elz...despite being a new conglomerate, will have hundreds of contracts and deals.”, Ray said while smirking.

“...”

Alice, who couldn’t understand, stayed quiet for a while. 

Yes, Luxion is like a parasite. But this is the reason why I wanted her to come in. I want her to stimulate the economy. Once the word about Ellen spreads, countless companies like Luxion will flood here, looking for opportunities to settle.

But for me, Luxion being under Fiona and Duke Landon’s control is the easiest to look after.

But things might get a little shaky in the future. After Duke Landon, it will be Silas who becomes a Duke. And the relationship I and Silas share is far from peaceful. But Luxion will always be under Fiona. So, I can only pray that there will be no problem in the future.

*SPLASH* *SPLASH*

All of us turned our heads to gaze at the beauty of the Pasline River.

Boasting a width of about 350 meters, the Pasline river runs through a lot of territories in Zemira and ends at the edge of Lysandra after passing through the forest of Peace.

There are barriers that prevent people from flowing into the forest of peace. But we don’t physically block the water flow. Despite passing through the forest of Peace, the water stays clean, ready for drinking purposes.

And I have bought rights over these lands. It did cost a large chunk of my wallet...but it was worth it. 

The raging water that threatened to wash away anyone seemed pleasing to me. After all, these fast water flow rates are the ones that are going to grow money for me.

The carriages moved on, having lush green forest on one side and the river on the other.

After a few moments, the carriages came to a stop.

All of us got down, the knights were checking the area for any potential danger. Alice and the other maids were admiring the beauty of the surroundings.

Jane and Ray however were having their sights on the officials who closed in on us.

“My lord, the carriages can’t go any further. If it doesn’t inconvenience you, can we move to the area on foot?”

I unconsciously furrowed my brows. We are already in the middle of a remote area, and he wants us to move even further? 

Looking back, I was able to see the happy maids gazing into the river while laughing.

I am not sure...but it would be dangerous to bring them with me.

Keeping Seran on hold, I beckoned a knight who rushed to me. 

“Take two more of the knights and follow me, the rest will be staying. Make sure that the girls stay safe.”, I whispered into his ear.

Without any response, the knight instantly goes to work. In a matter of few minutes, I along with Ray, Jane, Seran, Heel, and three other knights ventured deep into the forest, leaving the carriages behind.

As we move forward, the Pasline river sometimes disappears from our vision only to re-enter again. But the violent sound of the river never left us.

*CRACK* *THUD*

“Ow!”, Seran flinched in pain as he once again kissed the floor.

“Careful.”, saying so Heel effortlessly pulled him back.

This happened a couple more times, and I along with the knights noticed the difference. 

Yes, the sun is going down...so the visibility should low, it makes sense for Seran to trip but…

Hmmm….am I looking too much into it?

Casting away my doubts, our little journey ended an hour later. Ray is gasping for air, while Jane is exploring the area. The knights stayed close to me unfazed.

Our destination was a cliff, below which the Pasline flowed the fastest. Fall into the river and all we can ever do is wait for the body to reach the forest of peace.

“My lord.”

Both Seran and Heel came near us.

“Do you know about the family line fo Switon?”

“Yes. The former Duke, Rick Switon is a man who is obsessed with power. Rising the weakest Dukedom to the strongest in its prime time. He wielded so much power that even other kingdoms stayed conscious of his name.”

The first time I heard of this story from my mother, I thought that some other Kingdom might have caused the decline of Switon. 

“Right, now what caused the civil war?”

But I was wrong, there was no other kingdom...it was his own blood that caused the war.

“Rick was obsessed with power, drowning under the pleasure of influence he had...he refused to pass his position to his sons. He also failed to inform who the heir is. The sons grew up, and over time, Rick’s grandchildren too grew up…”

“And?”

Is this a history class?

“Things finally started heating up. Rick’s children who were patiently waiting became anxious. Fearing over the possibility of what would happen if they don’t pass the territory and the title of Duke to their own children. Rick passed away, we don’t know if it was an assassination or natural or even suicide. Every parent’s dreadful nightmare is to see their own children threatening to kill each other.”

“What happened after that?”, Seran pushed for more answers.

Looking at the rock I was leaning on, I continued.

“War. That is what happened. Overnight, the Switon dukedom split into three different parts. The borders of these parts were always engaged with never-ending battles and the Empire did not attempt to stop them.”

“Why? Wasn’t the Switon their own nobles?”, Ray joined in.

“It was too much of a hassle. There is a point in supporting if there were only two people competing. But with three, if the one the Empire supports falls down first, the other two would obviously bare their fangs. And to top it all off, 2 decades ago, the borders between the Trelia Kingdom and Zemira Empire were blazing with activity.”

With Jane and Ray’s nodding as approval, I moved on.

“The Empire’s troops could not push back the Trelia Kingdom because of the high altitude they had. The Empire being busy with the Trelia Kingdom couldn’t spare time to babysit the Switon. The battles between Trelia and Zemira continued and the Civil war in Swito grew vigorously. Scary times those were. Peace only existed in dictionaries.”

“However…”, Seran said.

“My mother being the new Empress, stopped the battles between Trelia and Zemira.”

“How? I couldn’t find anything no mat-”

[Hush, Jane! No one must know that you are a walking database]

[Sor...Sorry. But what’s a database?]

[Never mind…]

“She spoke. Her voice reached the ends of the battlefield. No soldier could imagine a new Empress brave enough to visit the battleground herself.”

And to mention, the Emperor is famous for being a war strategist. The Trelia started to lose motivation because of these two. But it disgusts me to acknowledge him, so I’ll keep silent...

“Trelia being on high ground, lacked food supplies. And the food supplies listed by the nobles of our Empire were priced outrageously. Mother stopped the war by mediating between the Trelia and Zemira’s Nobles.”

People might think that the battle was for Trelia to acquire more power, but all they ever wanted was food and agricultural lands. Which the Empire, after mother’s order, gracefully offered. 

But, I can’t imagine all the nobles readily accepting mother’s command. Just what did she do to them?

I don’t know. The history book didn’t list every little detail, and I never asked anyone.

“Anyway, as a final push, the final three-way battle between the sons not only reaped thier own life but also the life of their children.”

“...”

No one was fazed, after all...this is a story that everyone knows. But is that it? Is this the end? How did they die? How did the children die? They were only about 14 years old at that time...they weren’t allowed to fight in the war...so how did this final battle reap their life? 

“You are right, Lord Arthur. But this wasn’t the end.”

“What do you mean, Seran?”

“The treasure. What happened to the vault of Lord Rick which was rumored to possess a great amount of gold and jewelry. Legendary weapons that Lord Rick spent his life collecting.”

“Wasn’t it spent on the war?”

Or that was what I heard. But seeing Seran rock his head sideways, I was thrown into a state of confusion.

To my surprise, Seran pointed towards the rock I was leaning on.

“Please take a closer look.”

Looking back, I keenly examine this rather large rock that seems natural with the surroundings. I take a few steps back and notice that the rock has a rather roughly made egg shape. Nothing seems wrong.

Moving closer again, placing my palms on the rock,

“Is something wr-”

*WHIZZ*

“WHAT?!”

“What happened?”, Jane shouted. Ray too looked stunned.

I was able to sense it. The flow of magic, the thick lines of sigil that the rock is covered with, which extends to the ground.

Is no one able to see this?!

*FWOOSH*

Flying up into the air, looking down….I saw...

“What the-”

Green sigils enveloped the whole area. With the rock as the center, even enveloping the area where the others stood, the sigils reached the edge of the cliff on one side and extended into the forest on the other.

Beautiful…

It was beautiful and captivating. I could spend hours investigating the sigil and still end with more to find. Just how many days did it take to make a sigil of such perfection?!

And no one is able to see this...is it because of how sensitive I am to magic? 

Might be…

With excitement, I step down to the ground and bombarded Seran with a question.

“Just what the hell is this place?”

“Fufu~ My lord, history did not happen the way you said. Yes, the outline is the same but the details differ.”

“???”

“The grandchildren of Lord Rick were young, less power-hungry, and more on the innocent side of the world. This innocence helped them find the source that caused hatred between their parents. All of them were having keen on swiping Rick’s treasure away. And the children who found this treasure hid it away under this rock with advanced magic beyond our understanding.”

“Hmmm…So, the reason you brought here was to-”

“To open the vault, My lord.”, Heel answered.

“Is that so...but before that, how do you know about this area, Seran?”

“I was guided here once by the Young Master. He informed me that the vault can only be opened by the one possessing the key.”

“Key?”

“Yes, My lord. He even said something about...A building without a name might possess the key of the highest value.”

“Building without a name? What the hell does that mean? Over 90 percent of the buildings out there do not have a name!”, Jane complained.

“Hmmm...so we do not have a key, then why did you bring me here, Heel?”

“Me? Oh...umm. I think you might be able to open it, My lord. You are rumored to be strong...strong enough to hold two other princes in line.”

“...why did you bring me here, Seran?”

I said while looking towards Seran.

“It’s my duty to inform the new Duke about the secrets this land holds. That is what the young masters wished too.”

An earnest answer and an answer that seems selfish...but also seems more realistic.

But they are different from each other. 

“Move backward.”

I said while waving them away. The knights covered Jane and Ray, protecting them from any potential danger.

I place my hands on the rock and poured magic into my hands.

*WHIZZ*

Again, I am able to feel the magic flowing from the rock. Just how big is the magic stone to not only power the sigil but also leak magic, and for over 2 decades?!

*BOOOMMM*

“Kyaa!!!”

I tried to create an explosion by focusing all of the magic to my hand...any rock should be blasted to smithereens by thi-

“What the fuck!!”, Ray’s voice reached my ears.

After the dust settles, the rock stayed strong and tall. Not moving an inch from its initial position. 

Interesting…

“My...My lord? Can this be broken?”, Heel asked me.

“Hmm? Of course, it can! I just have to rest for a bit.”

“Is..is that so?”

“It is! Now, why don’t we all enjoy the view near that cliff...fresh air might do me good.” I said walking towards the cliff.

I noticed Seran staying near the rock while Heel followed me.

[Boss? You are acting weird…]

[Jane...tell the knights to knock off Seran silently. No noise by any means.]

[Eh? But why?]

[Do as I tell...I will explain to you later.]

[O...Okay]

“So, Mr.Heel. How long have you been working in Switon?”

“Me? Let’s see...I would say for about 21 years, my lord.”

“Damn, 21 years? That’s higher than my age!”

“Haha~ is it?”

“It is!! Tell me-”, I noticed that the knights have taken out Seran and dragged Seran to the side, “Tell me, Heel. What kind of reward do you want?”

“Re...Reward? Hmm...Money has no use to me. But, My lord…”

“Yes?”

“I know I may be overstepping my boundaries, but can I take a look into the vault...of course, if you allow it.”

“Of course! But before that…”

*FWOOSH*

As I raised my hands up into the sky, one of the knights threw a sword perfectly into my grip.

“My...My lord?”

“It was nice knowing you, Heel…”

*STAB*

As I thrust the sword into his body, blood spurts out of his mouth. His eyes that were filled with surprise reflected my cold-blooded face which had shining crimson eyes.

“Bye, Heel.”

Time slowed down as Heel’s body disappeared into the Pasline riv-

Or that was what should have happened.

“Ahh!! I can’t do it after all…”

Leaving Heel near the cliff, I return to the rock. I saw an unconscious Seran on the side. 

The knights were confused with my behavior. They knew that I was about to kill Heel, but here I am, without a drop of blood on me. As for Jane,

“Why did you try to kill him?”

“...”

“His records are clear! I personally checked them before leaving!!"

Ray kept silent the whole time.

" *sigh*... He is not clear Jane. If anything he is suspicious."

"How?!"

"He lied about the number of years he worked for Switon. He himself said he worked here for 21 years."

"Which he did!!! Agh!! Why did I leave it back home!!!", rummaging through her bag, Jane frantically screamed.

"This documents that you found have 21 years on it, yes. I agree too. But the same does not apply for the ones that Sebastion brought me."

"...?!?", Jane's face continued to grow more confused.

"Sebastian brought me documents which he found from the former Ducal mansion. They contained the names of the employees and officials under Switon. It had Seran name but Heel's was missing."

"My...my lord!! There could have been a mistake there!! Lord Rick might have forgotten to add my name!”

“ *sigh*...that was what I hoped for too, Heel. But you see, Nobels especially the higher ones are very adamant about recording each and every employee they have. I do too.”, I said placing the palm on my chest.

“Th...then. Ask Seran! He will know!! I have been working with him for the past 21 years!”

“And? How would I know if he is not lying?”

“Ah…”

“Ray, what do you think?”

“Hmm...it’s better to kill him.”

Even the weak Ray is able to speak of these words.

“Why?”, I asked.

“You are a Duke. Just because you find kindness in your heart to spare this person, who knows...this dude here might cause the death of millions under your command.”, Ray said pointing towards Heel who was now in tears.

“Wh...What could I even do?!?!”

Jane became too silent, she had her sights fixed to the ground.

*SIGH*

“Prevent him from escaping…”

“Yes, My lord.”

As the knights held Heel in place, I made my way towards Jane.

“Jane…”

“....”

“Jane...why are you sad?”

“N...No. My job is to get you information. But what would happen if I….give you the wrong information? People might die because of me!!”

This girl….she is older than me. But due to the constant harassment she faced...I believe her stability is crumbling. Forced to not believe anyone...she only relied on her family and money. The only ones that do not betray her.

*PAT*

“It’s not your mistake nor your job...people always die. There is nothing we could ever do about it. We are not gods. We are only human beings. But we can reduce the number. And that is what I am going to do now.”

“Hmm…”, She nodded as I continued to pat her head.

*SLAP*

“I am not a kid! I am older than you! Just because you are taller, don’t think you can pat my head!!”

“Huh?! You little...Ray! You are the same age as her...you think you can pat her?”

“He doesn’t have the guts to do it!”

*PAT*

““Eh?!””

“You idiots...don’t you think we have more important matters to attend to?”, with his hand on Jane’s head, Ray spoke.

*SLAP*

“Right...boss, what if Heel just lied to you? You know...to get on your better side? By saying he worked here for longer...you might get a little soft on him.”

“That’s plausible.”, Ray too agreed with Jane’s hypothesis.

“No...that is not correct.”

““How?’”

“On our way here...remember how Seran tripped every other time?”

“Yeah...even I did sometimes”, Ray commented.

“But Heel was perfectly fine...even when the sun went down, Heel did not trip even once. What’s more...he knows the perfect way to avoid obstacles. Even the knights found it weird.”

For this line, both Jan and Ray turned their head towards Heel, who was still crying. The knights and Heel are not able to hear our conversation. 

“You are gonna kill him with that as the proof?!”, Jane quietly shouted at me.

“Of course not you idiot. Ray...let’s see, a sigil from there”, I said pointing towards the cliff and then pointing towards the other side with where the forest started “till there. Take that as the diameter, a sigil of such size...how much do you think it would cost.”

“That big?!...let’s see. I’d say about enough money for you to open 8 more of your warehouses and buy 1 more river.”

“That’s expensive…”, Jane agreed.

Ray to ensure that we don’t get ripped off, studied the basics of magic and learned how sigils are priced.

“It could be more...it’s just the basic I am stating. If it is complicated and has a lot of other advanced stuff in it...then it could easily exceed my estimate by many times.”

“Then let’s go with that...because this rock did not break even when I poured my magic into it.”

“...?!”, both Jane and Ray looked surprised.

“From the beginning, this whole area is suspicious.”, I said looking around.

A beautiful cliff which had the Pasline river running under it. Lush green forest on the other side, and the occasional wind which brought cold air towards us, make this place one of the best areas for a picnic...but look at us, talking about murder and killing of all things.

“Suspicious?”

“Yeah. Seran said that he was brought to this area by the grandchild of Rick.”

“What is suspicious about that?”, Ray asked me.

“Leaving aside the matter of him bringing only Seran here and not others...who do you think made this area?”

“...”

“You have not seen the sigil...but I did. And let me tell you, it’s massive and it is the second most advanced sigil I have ever seen.”

“Then...where was the first?”

“All the way in the capital...the Imperial vault.”

“...!”

Stunningly identical and equally strong. I can’t think of anything else. These kinds of sigils can’t be broken through, they could only be released with the appropriate key.

“Impe...Imperial vault?!”, Ray screamed in a quiet voice.

“I am not allowed to say this...but I need Jane to carry her own investigation.”

“...”

“Of course, the kids could have not built this. They were only 14 at that time. Yes, they might have informed someone about the treasure...and that someone might have personally carved this sigil, to forever close the treasure.”

“...why would you want to seal money off?”, Ray asked me.

“Yeah...why didn’t that someone take the money and run off?”

“If it was money...they might have taken it. But if it was something other than money...what about a treasure that they didn’t want to bring out? And even if there was money down there, maybe that someone’s position did not allow them to take it.”

“Huh?”

“Aghh!! Think about it! A sigil of this size can’t be made by any commoner...they must have years of experience!”

“Oh...yeah.”

“...who do you think it was?”, Jane asked me.

“I...don’t know. And that’s what I want you to find.”, I said looking towards Jane.

“Leave it to me! This time...no information will be wrong!”

“Haha...I leave it to you.”

As I see Jane nodding enthusiastically about her new work and Ray talking to her, I drift off to my own thoughts.

Someone who held power to build this massive sigil and still not take any money from the inside.

It can’t be the tower of Magic. The first they might have done is dig this place and take all the treasure.

The same goes for any Imperial Magician.

That person should have also been close with the kids, for them to trust that person. The kids when in trouble turned towards that person for help. So, who could it have been?

That person is also generous enough to leave this area untouched. Why? They are either not greedy or they are not here in this world anymore. 

Why...Why?! No matter how I think, my thought always ends up with that person!!

Arthur, I want to save Switon...that place was so vibrant during my times. Children happily humming around...people busily moving around, but still finds time to greet each other...I want to bring that area back to its former glor-

“Boss?”

“Haaah!!”

I tried to regain my breath really quick.

“Hey...are you alright?!”

“Ye...Yeah.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, Ray. Nothing is wrong.”

“Shall we retreat for today?”, Jane suggested.

“Yeah...that would be for best. But before that…”

*SWISH*

The knight caught the sword I threw at him.

“Make it seem like a monster killed him…”

“My lord...please save me!!! I did nothing wrong!!”

“I don’t know! How would I know you did nothing wrong?! All I can do is make your death seem like a natural one. Your family won’t get any compensation if I or him kill you ourselves!!”

“Bu...But my so..son!”

“I’ll save him! I’ll make sure that your wife and son will never have to worry about money anymore! I’ll give them all the money they need!”

“Boss? I don’t money is the problem here…”

Am I losing it? What kind of thing am I telling to a person who is about to die?!

“ *Sigh*...do as I say. He is being controlled without his own knowledge. And Heel…” While bowing down I continued.

“I am truly sorry. I know you have worked hard for this territory for a long time, but I don’t know who is behind you. And you are refusing to tell me their name. As for your son, I know he will be losing a father figure, but I promise to give them a satisfactory life. If war happens, I promise to rescue them myself. And believe me, my memory never fails me. So please…”

I said looking towards the knights…

“MNGGG?!”

Heel’s eyes bulged as the knights covered his mouth. 

“My lord, we will do the necessary. Please head back to the carriage.”

“Hmm...okay. And make it painless.”

On our way back to the carriage, threw the thick forest...with a ball of light in my hand.

“Jane...get a letter ready to send to the Capital.”

“?”

“We will be asking for reinforcements. This area is not guarded well...and we don’t have too many personals at our disposal. If the Capital sends knights to guard this area for monster movements...it could also serve as a way for us to look out.”

“Look out?”

“Yes...with Heel dead. The one who controls him might come here. Then all we have to is have Ron tail him back. Heel might not know who is controlling him. But we can’t afford to be lenient anymore.”

“Okay, Boss.”

“Ray...send a letter to Fiona. I want Luxion to start their business in a week.”

“I’ll do it.”

“As for Seran...I’ll tell the knights to lock him up somewhere. It could be disastrous if the one controlling Heel comes after Seran.”

“Yeah...let’s do that.”

“The next few months will be busy...I am going to be rushing things.”

Because there is a lot of uncertainty that has popped up. If the person looking for the treasure is patient enough to place a pawn here for years, then I too will have to wait.

It’s dangerous for me to open that treasure now. Yes, I could use Lux to drain all the magic away. But I want to use the key made by the person. A key only known to the kids.

But it can wait. Before anything, I have to secure my position in between the nobles. I have enough money to carry me for years. And with the business that should start in a few weeks, money should not be a problem.

But I want to meet the person. The individual who made this sigil.

Artique

Hmmmm....did you like the chapter??? Well, I certainly enjoyed writing it. And as for the release schedule...I am sorry but there isn't really one. I will be trying to push a chapter of this size once per 10 days. I know it's less, and you all deserve more. But my schedule doesn't allow any more time. Well, enough of that. Tell me what you think about the chapter down in the comments!! I really enjoy reading every comment that pops up!!