170 Breaking the Past
William smirked. "A wise decision. Though your wording is misleading. This has always been mine—you lot were the trespassers. By law, I should be punishing you for unlawful occupation. But since you were kind enough to keep the place in good shape, I’ll overlook it."
"...We are grateful for Your Highness’s mercy."
The knight’s jaw clenched as he spoke.
For a brief second, his eyes flashed with resentment, but the hostility quickly faded as he caught William’s gaze.
Cold.
Unwavering.
Dangerous.
Then his eyes flickered toward the fallen gate, still lying where it had landed.
The sheer power behind that strike—
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A shudder ran down his spine.
With a stiff bow, he turned and left, walking swiftly out of the manor as though fleeing for his life.
William clicked his tongue.
"If they didn’t have the courage to fight, they should’ve kept their mouths shut."
Shaking his head, he stepped through the entrance of the manor.
Despite the surrounding village’s decline, the interior of the estate was pristine—polished floors, ornate decor, and not a speck of dust in sight.
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It was clear that despite their technically illegal occupation, House Calix had gone to great lengths to maintain the place.
Glenn approached, smiling.
"At last, Your Highness, you’ve reclaimed your rightful inheritance. Congratulations."
William offered a polite nod. "This was all thanks to His Majesty’s generosity. His grace is beyond measure—I have no way to repay him, so I will serve him with all my loyalty."
He wore a carefully composed expression of gratitude.
In truth, he felt nothing at all.
This estate had no real value to him.
Compared to Asagrim, this place was insignificant—a relic of the past, nothing more.
A historical symbol, perhaps.
But now that William had been given Asagrim, this symbol no longer mattered.
Still, he would ensure that the world recognized it as his.
If only to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
Beyond that… it’s useless.
If it held no strategic value, he had little interest in using it. It would likely end up as nothing more than an abandoned legacy, left to collect dust.
Unless…
William glanced around the room, his lips curling into a thoughtful smirk.
What if there’s something worth finding?
After all, this place did hold centuries of history.
And more importantly—
It had belonged to his grandfather.
Who knew what secrets might be hidden within its walls?
"For now, search the entire estate," William ordered. "If you find anything suspicious or unusual, report it immediately. If you think something might be hidden, break it open if necessary. Just make sure we don’t miss anything."
"...Excuse me?"
The retainers blinked in surprise.
There were certain areas of the manor that only the head of the household was allowed to enter.
And now William was telling them to tear through those very same spaces?
Destroying a part of the estate’s centuries-old history in the process?
Raymond was the first to speak up, his expression incredulous.
"My lord, you can’t be serious! You know how ancient this estate is—"
"I do," William interrupted. "And you also know how valuable Asagrim is."
"What does that have to do with—"
"They overlap in significance," William said simply. "And honestly, now that I have Asagrim, do you think I’ll ever really need to come back here?"
"..."
Raymond hesitated.
It was a valid point.
This estate had been a crucial piece of history…
But now, with Asagrim restored, its importance had all but vanished.
At most, William might stop by occasionally. But to actively use it?
Unlikely.
"Rather than treating this place like a museum, wouldn’t it be better to make sure there’s nothing valuable hidden inside?" William continued. "You said it yourself—this manor is ancient. There could be anything hidden here."
Raymond still looked hesitant, but his resistance was weakening.
"Besides," William added, "in another thousand years, all of this will lose its meaning anyway. Might as well uncover its secrets now while we still can."
That argument finally convinced Raymond.
He let out a reluctant sigh and nodded.
"I see. You’re looking for magic."
William grinned. "You’re quick on the uptake."
Now understanding his lord’s intentions, Raymond nodded and stepped back.
If they were lucky, they might find an ancient magical artifact. And even if they didn’t, there was still a high chance of uncovering something valuable hidden within the estate.
While his retainers scoured the manor, William decided to inspect the study.
If his grandfather had left behind any important records, they would most likely be stored there—or in the library.
"Nothing useful here."
Thud.
William shut the book in his hands and set it down with a sigh.
The study contained little of interest—mostly financial ledgers, records of official duties, and a collection of poetry and novels.
No personal journals. No secret memoirs.
Could House Calix have taken them?
It was possible.
If they had found something suspicious while managing the estate, they could have confiscated it.
William was just beginning to entertain the thought when a shout came from outside.
"My lord! We found something!"
It was Hugo’s voice.
William’s eyes gleamed with interest as he immediately hurried toward the source.
"Did you find anything important?"
"We discovered an entrance leading to the basement, but it’s been completely sealed off. Look at this."
Hugo pointed to the entrance.
Thick iron chains and a heavy black steel lock wrapped around the door, securing it shut.
William approached, narrowing his eyes as he inspected the chains.
The door is old, but the lock and chains were installed recently.
Judging by the state of the metal, it hadn’t been there for more than three years.
William tightened his grip on his sword, then reconsidered.
If he broke the chains by force, there was a good chance the entrance would collapse.
"Felicia, can you cut through this cleanly?"
"I’ll try."
Felicia unsheathed her sword and assumed a vertical cutting stance.
Thin strands of mana stretched from the blade like threads, weaving around it in delicate layers.
The energy intensified as she poured more magic into it, refining the cutting edge to an impossible sharpness.
Then….
Schiiing.
A sound like silk being sliced filled the air.