Chapter 7: Chapter 7
Chapter 7 - I Am Curious as Well
Ferda was studying while staying in the guest room.
Wearing an expression that suggested he thought he had misheard, he asked,
"Meet the lords?"
"Yes."
Luri nodded.
"Do you know why my mistress is called Grand Duchess Valdrova?"
"I do. She killed the Black Dragon, Godwin, and the Arken Empire granted her that title."
The Black Dragon, Godwin.
The embodiment of darkness and the source of all evil.
He was pure, unadulterated evil, a creature that desired nothing more than chaos upon this continent—so much so that he had even contributed to the birth of the Demon King.
The one who ultimately ended his life was none other than the Red Dragon, Valdrova.
"I’ve heard that after earning the title of Grand Duchess, she established her domain along the Far Eastern Front."
"That’s correct. You’re more knowledgeable than you appear. Do you know how many territories are under Lady Valdrova’s rule?"
"Fifteen, isn’t it? One hundred and eight if you include the outlying villages."
"...And the total population?"
"If I remember correctly, it’s 5,256,532 people. Though I have no way of knowing the recent births and deaths."
Hearing even that answer, Luri openly frowned.
"You certainly know quite a lot for someone who claims to have no interest in power."
There was a trace of disgust laced with Dragon Fear.
Ferda merely shrugged.
"If I’m to become someone’s spouse, wouldn’t it be shameful not to know anything about my partner?"
"That’s a convincing excuse."
Of course, Luri didn’t believe him.
The suspicion she had already harbored toward Ferda was steadily becoming certainty.
In truth, that wasn’t why Ferda had studied these things either.
Because I was bored.
After opening his Circle, he had far too much free time.
Back when he had struggled desperately to break through his Circle, even an entire day hadn’t been enough.
Now, he had nothing to do.
There was no need to waste time studying things he already knew.
So he had simply decided to read more about Valdrova.
"Anyway, wouldn’t it be a good idea to meet the lords?"
"I have no interest. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I’d rather not."
"Whether you’re interested or not, once you marry my mistress, you’ll officially become her husband. If my mistress oversees affairs outside the territory, then you, her husband, will oversee everything within."
"So I’ll be the lady of the house."
"Yes."
A man becoming the lady of the house.
Among the nobility, that implied the man was less capable than the woman.
It was considered an utterly humiliating position.
Though... perhaps it’s not something to be ashamed of.
His spouse would be none other than the Tyrant known as Valdrova.
Her race alone existed on an entirely different level.
The current Ferda wasn’t strong enough to stand beside her as an equal.
Even so, simply becoming her spouse and managing the internal affairs of her domain was already an impressive responsibility.
So I’ll be the one managing the lords...
After pondering for a moment, Ferda finally answered.
"Very well. I’ll meet them."
"Then I’ll summon them immediately."
Luri bowed politely before leaving.
Ferda had always been exceptionally perceptive.
He had noticed from the very beginning that there was something unusual in Luri’s gaze.
He had already understood her intentions.
As expected... she doesn’t trust me.
People covet what they see.
Even a good person, when presented with power, inevitably wishes to grasp it.
And once someone has obtained power, they never willingly let it go.
That was simply human nature.
But I’m curious as well.
Just as Ferda didn’t know Luri, he didn’t truly know himself either.
What kind of choice would he make if he weren’t consumed by thoughts of revenge?
That was why he had decided to test himself.
He wanted to see what decision he would make on the stage she had prepared.
"Very well. I’ll meet them."
***
There was a joke about the nobles of the Cerdes Continent.
The farther away from the capital a noble lived, the slimmer he became.
The central nobles were generally fat.
The nobles stationed on the front lines, however, stayed lean.
They never knew when monsters might attack, and they constantly had to remain battle-ready.
There was simply no opportunity to grow fat.
Yet the lords of the Far Eastern Front looked nothing like that joke.
"Sir Bosch! Your belly has grown considerably!"
"Hahaha! I’ve been under a lot of stress lately. My mouth keeps getting dry, so I end up eating all the time."
The Far Eastern Front Council Hall.
Fifteen lords had gathered there, their double chins wobbling as they laughed.
It had been a very long time since all of them had assembled in one place.
"By the way, why were we summoned so suddenly? Things have been peaceful lately, so Her Grace shouldn’t have any business requiring us..."
"You really are out of touch. Didn’t Grand Duchess Valdrova recently take a fiancé? We’ve been ordered to meet him."
"A fiancé?"
One of the lords, hearing the news for the first time, looked utterly shocked.
"What kind of lunatic would agree to become engaged to the Grand Duchess?"
"Exactly. Unless he’s a complete fool, he should know exactly what an engagement to her really means..."
"Looks like they managed to find the greatest idiot of all."
At the same time, they became curious about who could possibly have accepted such a fate.
"They say he’s the third son of House Rosnova."
"House Rosnova? That’s the family of the guardian knights of the Arken Empire! I’ve heard every one of their bloodline is exceptional..."
"Apparently not the third son. They say he’s weaker than not only the rest of his family, but even ordinary soldiers. His own father supposedly cast him aside because of it."
"Weaker than a regular soldier? That’s a genuine defective product."
"Hah! And we have to waste our time meeting someone like that..."
"And the defective brat is even late."
The elderly lords all wore irritated expressions.
The thought of some green youth swaggering around already angered them.
"So, what are we all going to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"If he’s to become the Grand Duchess’s husband... he’ll still have status. How are we supposed to treat him?"
The oldest lord answered first.
"He’s doomed to be torn apart by Grand Duchess Valdrova sooner or later anyway. Why should we bow our heads to him?"
"Exactly."
"Why should we lower ourselves before him?"
Everyone seemed to agree.
"Lord Ferda Rosnova has arrived!"
All the lords straightened their clothes and assumed solemn expressions.
They were rulers who governed the frontier settlements.
Their plan was to crush the spirit of the newcomer from the very beginning.
As the doorkeeper announced his arrival, the council chamber doors swung open.
Gray hair.
Blue eyes.
As befitted the future husband of Grand Duchess Valdrova, he wore a crimson ceremonial robe embroidered with the Valdrova crest in gold.
That much was exactly as they had expected.
What they hadn’t expected was Ferda himself.
They called him defective...
That’s one handsome and intelligent-looking defective.
Compared to a family of warriors, his body might have appeared frail.
Yet every step he took radiated perfect etiquette.
But what left the deepest impression on them all was his eyes.
They weren’t simply the arrogant eyes of a rebellious young man.
Within those blue eyes lay the stillness of a tranquil lake.
His appearance and presence were utterly at odds with his age.
Without realizing it, they all tensed.
Ferda finally spoke.
"Answer me."
The voice of a young man who had only recently come of age.
Yet it carried the weight and resonance of a middle-aged man who had weathered countless hardships.
"Before long, I will become the husband of Grand Duchess Valdrova."
Ferda clasped his hands behind his back.
His blue eyes slowly swept across each of them.
It was an incredibly rude gesture.
Yet not a single person spoke.
Rather—
They couldn’t.
How can a mere brat have eyes like that...?
Just what the hell is that boy?!
It felt as though they were standing before a savage beast.
Not one of them could resist.
They were completely overwhelmed by his gaze.
Only then did they realize the truth.
"In that case... should I address all of you with honorifics, or should I speak down to you?"
The greatest fool who had agreed to marry Valdrova...was no defective at all.
***
Approximately thirty minutes earlier.
Ferda had arrived at the Far Eastern Front Council Hall.
Since this was official business, he had traveled by carriage.
He checked his pocket watch.
"I’m terribly late."
Ferda was strict about punctuality.
Even being one minute late irritated him.
Ten minutes was practically a capital offense.
However, Luri—the very cause of the delay—answered in a businesslike tone.
"You don’t understand. Being ten minutes late is the foundation of establishing dominance."
"Is that really necessary?"
"It’s a basic custom among dragons, and the most important moment for establishing hierarchy."
"Even if I have no interest in such things?"
"Please remember at all times whose husband you are about to become."
The husband of Valdrova.
Hearing those words, Ferda instinctively began thinking.
Luri walked a single step behind him.
As they followed the red carpet together, a question suddenly crossed Ferda’s mind.
If I become Grand Duchess Valdrova’s husband... where exactly will I stand in the hierarchy?
The world of nobles was complicated in its own way.
Among the central nobility, rank was determined by official position.
But in the frontier, where the sword mattered more than the law, those who had served for many years commanded the greatest respect.
Officially, as her husband, I’d practically be a king... but that alone won’t be enough...
Ferda was currently eighteen years old.
To everyone else, he was simply an inexperienced young man.
If a suddenly appeared fiancé started acting like royalty, resistance from the lords would be inevitable.
As he continued walking, Ferda arrived at the entrance to the council chamber.
Inside, he saw fifteen seats arranged in a circle.
The seat directly opposite the entrance remained empty.
It belonged to Valdrova.
Which meant it would become Ferda’s seat.
Instead of walking over to it, however, Ferda remained standing in the center and looked at each of them in turn.
"Tell me. Before long, I will become the husband of Grand Duchess Valdrova."
It was a genuinely sincere question.
"In that case, should I address all of you respectfully, or should I speak down to you?"
Meeting each lord’s eyes one by one, Ferda tried to determine exactly where he stood.
Every lord stared back at him with tense expressions.
They exchanged glances with one another, hesitating to answer.
Ferda scratched his head.
"Hmm, was my question that difficult?"
"N-Not at all..."
"It’s just..."
The reason they couldn’t answer was simple.
The moment they answered whether he should use honorifics or speak informally, the hierarchy would immediately be established.
Who could have imagined that this brat who had arrived as the Grand Duchess’s fiancé would begin by forcing everyone to choose their place in the pecking order?
The oldest lord was the first to speak.
"We are lords who live under the light of Grand Duchess Valdrova. Naturally, it is proper for us to show respect to the man who will become her husband."
"Is that so?"
"However, every lord gathered here serves the nation with unwavering loyalty and devotes himself to the people. It would therefore be proper for Your Lordship to show us the respect befitting our positions as well."
It sounded like an answer.
But in reality, he had simply deflected the question by implying that it all depended on Ferda’s actions.
After listening, Ferda asked,
"What is your name?"
"I am Ulvera Consilus."
"I see. Count Consilus, then? Would that be the proper way to address you?"
"Yes."
The elderly lord gave a faint smile and nodded.
"So."
"...Yes?"
"So, should I speak respectfully, or should I speak down to you? You haven’t actually answered my question."
Narrowing his eyes, Ferda stared directly at him.
Looking rather troubled, the elderly lord answered again.
"It would be proper for you to speak down to us."
"I see. Now you’ve answered me, Count Consilus. If I had addressed you respectfully first, it would have made all of you rather uncomfortable, wouldn’t it?"
"N-Not at all. The way you’ve addressed us now is perfectly appropriate."
Although politics was new to him, Ferda understood exactly what had just happened.
He had seized the initiative over the assembled lords.
That wasn’t my intention.
Feeling that an explanation was necessary, Ferda spoke.
"There’s no need to worry. Becoming the Grand Duchess’s husband won’t really change much. I have little interest in what any of you do. So continue governing your territories as you see fit. Whether you exploit your people or rule with generosity—it makes no difference to me."
"What exactly do you mean by exploitation?"
A man abruptly rose to his feet, clearly unwilling to let those words pass.
He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with a fierce expression.
Compared to the others, he was young, and a Mage’s insignia was pinned to his chest.
Hearing him, Ferda realized something.
That was a poor choice of words.
"I meant no offense. The words simply came out that way."
"It seems you’ve grown arrogant simply because you’re engaged to the Grand Duchess. You’d do well to mind your manners, young fiancé! If we stood here as Mage against Mage, you would have fallen to your knees before me!"
"What?!"
"W-What are you saying?!"
The older, portly lords hurriedly tried to stop him, sweat pouring down their faces.
It was as though everyone were watching a lit candle sitting beside a powder keg.
The entire room held its breath.
"Hmm..."
Ferda wasn’t particularly angry at the disrespect.
Instead, he found himself wondering something else.
Can I beat him?
Having awakened as a Mage, Ferda could now perceive Mana with his own eyes.
The amount of Mana contained within the man named Teshalos was anything but ordinary.
Tapping his forehead lightly with his index finger as he thought, Ferda asked,
"What is your name?"
"Teshalos of House Wolcher!"
Ferda silently repeated the name.
Teshalos Wolcher...
I’ve heard that name somewhere before.
Since it wasn’t important at the moment, he pushed the thought aside.
"What Circle have you reached?"
"The Fourth Circle. I am a Mage capable of casting Fourth-Circle magic."
"Hmm. Respectable."
"...Respectable?"
Teshalos, a Fourth-Circle Mage, was dumbfounded.
A Fourth-Circle Mage was treated as a valuable asset anywhere on the continent.
Husband or not... should I just kill him?
Teshalos could feel his blood beginning to boil.
If Ferda weren’t the Grand Duchess’s fiancé, he would already have cursed him out and launched a spell.
"You’ve piqued my interest. So I’d like to ask you for one favor."
"After showing such insolence, you still dare ask something of me?!"
His face flushed bright red.
Seeing that, Ferda nodded.
"I think you’ll like this request as well."
He smiled faintly.
"Fight me."
He had trained enough.
Now it was time to test himself in a real battle.
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