Chapter 77

Chapter 77

“…I talked too much. Anyway, take good care of the capital while I’m away. Don’t let yourself be swayed.”

“Yes, I will do my best.”

Viola glanced at Anthony for a moment as he was sitting opposite her. It had been five years since he sat down and held the pen that didn’t match his large physique, but it still looked awkward when paired with him.

Well, she’d get used to it. As long as Anthony was by her side, whether she liked him or hated him, he would always hold the pen.

It’s like…

“…Sir.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Sir, you’re… No, never mind.”

Viola shut her mouth and turned her gaze away, looking out the window and towards the towering imperial palace beyond.

Suddenly, Lord Eden, who had to live half his life with a bad leg because of the emperor, came to mind. He was once revered as a hero of the empire as he personally raised the empire’s status. However, people’s perception nowadays as they talked about him were mixed with comments on his paralyzed leg and persistent cough.

Nevertheless, he was also a foolish man who did not even resent the emperor until he closed his eyes.

“That is love, Vell.”

Viola slowly closed her eyes as she felt the sunlight on her face.

“The child of that young bastard lacks blood rushing to his head, but he eventually went crazy, huh.”

Count Durs stood on the watchtower and looked through the telescope at what was going on in County Norrant across the river. The soldiers of Count Norrant were encamped. As if she didn’t want to see any more, Count Durs threw the telescope she was holding at the knight next to her.

“What should we do, we would surely do it right away!”

As the knight holding the telescope huffed and puffed, Count Durs snorted loudly. Tsk!

“Arthur, you punk. Are you going to fall for the obvious number?”

“But aren’t they insulting us and the Count!”

“But what kind of guy would fall for it?”

Count Durs, waving her red cloak, turned her back and started descending the watchtower. The knight who was next to him followed haphazardly.

“No, Master! Are you going to let those fools continue to provoke you?”

“It’s not too late to think about it anymore. There is nothing to be anxious about.”

“It’s been so long, but it has already turned out like this? It’s time for us to take action too! The supplies are gradually decreasing, and the dissatisfaction of the local residents is also…”

“Stop! Shut that mouth! You seem to have a lot to say, punk!”

Count Durs finally roared at the knight’s words. She ruffled her white and gray hair and clicked her tongue again.

In that anger, the knight quickly bowed his body. Even so, Count… However, he did not give up on his words.

Of course, Count Durs knew well why the knight kept trying to urge her.

It had been a long time since the relationship between the two counties had been deteriorating to a downward spiral, and it was due to the conflict with Count Norrant, even if it only began with an absurd incident. Their friendship wasn’t strong enough, but as two lords guarding the same border, some communication happened between them. It was surprising how it could get this worse. Count Durs rubbed her forehead with her middle finger as her head got complicated.

‘Norrant, he had his eyes on something so strange… In the end, he went crazy.’

It was suspicious from the start. Knowing for sure that House Durs’ symbol is the black wolf, he lets his people hunt the black wolf!

The black wolves that inhabited the Durs County were clever individuals. They did not step on other people’s territory recklessly, nor did they attack first. But that black wolf attacked a civilian of the Norrant County for no reason?

‘Nonsense!’

With an absurd excuse, Count Norrant hunted black wolves down to their youngest pups. He insisted that he had no choice but to kill because the wolves had attacked other people, but even with that excuse, it was obviously a hunt.

Moreover, it was only two horses and a sack of gold coins that was given as a reward to indiscriminately hunt the black wolf, the symbol of the family.

Naturally, Count Durs was angry. She demanded proper compensation. However, they refused the demand, and their promised compensation was also canceled.

Nevertheless, Count Durs tried to solve it as best as possible. Her vassals rolled their feet that she had to compromise on a few things, but she did still try to leverage her age to give Count Durs one last chance to fix this. But the next day she heard the news that Count Norrant was going to do an exclusive deal with the merchant association.

Since the old days, they had to go through tough mountains in order to procure the goods to the border of Morgennis. That is why Count Durs and Count Norrant were supposed to escort the merchant guild alternately.

Then, this time it was Count Durs’ turn, and in the process, the knights attached to the escort to the merchant association heard part of Count Norrant’s plan.

‘Does he not know how to be thankful!’

Count Durs could not remain silent. She decided to take the lead first. She managed to persuade the merchant association so that she could buy most of the supplies, even at a higher price. She then decided to ruin Count Norrant’s plan.

However, Count Norrant suddenly noticed this and found a new merchant association and signed a contract. Count Durs was furious when she found out, and she thought there must have been a spy from the Norrant County in her estate.

The most suspicious one was the second son of Count Norrant, who married her granddaughter. She got so restless and distracted. Besides, he was sending letters to somewhere suspiciously. So Count Durs, who was not happy with it, hurriedly chased away his grandson-in-law back to the Norrant County.

It was a pity for her granddaughter, but Count Durs benefitted better by expelling Count Norrant’s second son. It was a fact that Count Norrant had joined a religious group and was preparing for an ancient and absurdly dangerous ritual! That’s why they killed a black wolf as a sacrifice!

In fact, Count Durs was a generous person by nature. Shortly after ousting Count Norrant’s second son, Count Durs sent a letter to Count Norrant, saying that she would forgive them if they confessed everything and stop now and she won’t tell Her Majesty because of the friendship they have built. Then, a letter from Count Norrant flew in again with a double insult.

The negotiation was broken.

The problem was after that.

‘He looks like he has been pretty much out of control since then, probably because he thought all of his plans were exposed.’

Count Norrant seemed no longer willing to hide his dangerous desires. He began to isolate Count Durs, monopolizing the market by bribing the surrounding merchant associations. Saying that Count Durs was senile and insane. Because of this, Count Durs also stopped trading the Arms Exchange.

Of course, Count Durs wasn’t one who could stand still, but in the end, she decided to use her strength to stop Count Norrant’s insidious plan.

She wrote an accusation against Count Norrant through their collateral family with a foothold in the capital. And she even filed an appeal to the emperor, citing the number of soldiers that had recently increased unusually. For this reason, Count Norrant was currently restricted from access by outsiders, so support and supplies were not smooth.

And now, Count Norrant was currently encamping at the furthest side to avenge all his plans against Count Durs. This was the precursor to the territorial war.

Count Durs sighed heavily inside, thinking of the young man who had gone so far. Stupid punk. Trying to destroy his family because of his stupid choice.

“Count.”

The red-haired knight, Wessen, stood beside her as he had been waiting for Count Durs to come down from the watchtower.

“Has Sir Henzen arrived?”

“Yes, he is waiting for you in the parlor.”

“Yes, well done.”

Count Durs hurriedly headed for the eastern wing. In the parlor there, Seaz was waiting for her, just as Wessen had said. Count Durs quickly dismissed her knights and approached Seaz.

“Count.”

“Sir Henzen, I believe you have brought me good news.”

Hearing Count Durs’ words, Seaz’s deep red eyes shone brightly.

“Don’t worry. Their plans are in my hands.”

The man drew a smile from the corner of his mouth.

Andra stretched her eyes away from the desk after ten hours. As she sat all day looking through the books and papers, her back got all stiff. She took a breath as she rolled up her fist and tapped her waist, looking at the scroll and its interpretation that was almost finished. It took a week for her to finish the interpretation today.

‘This is a victory for humankind. Well done, Andra Avellin!’

Andra praised herself and put down the interpretation, the culmination of her labors, for a moment. Then, she picked up the scroll and slowly read the words from top to bottom.

Red and darkness mixed, and the wrath of the First God descended. A great roar poured out, and the sky and the earth shook indiscriminately. The crown of gold, piled high, will fall, and everyone will cry out. In the midst, the fool walks the foolish path.

Wisdom create tears, and ideals create pain. The sun sets, darkness rises. Wings melt and fall— Doom.

The fool, be buried. Then tears and pain cover the fool. The nine gods make a bridle. Darkness is swallowed up and the sun rises.

The world is in chaos. Crown of gold, splendid power, close your eyes. Opening your eyes is possible only in the eighth task. So where the sun sets, the Dragon Mountains that cross the two worlds, the gods fall asleep at the end of the world.

This was obviously a riddle no matter how many times she read these words, but she couldn’t exactly figure out what it meant before.

But now she knew. Andra picked up the interpretation with a proud face. Of course, she wasn’t sure if her interpretation was correct, but as a result of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data through Dean and Anat, the first myth became briefly as follows.

A great upheaval occurred in the world. Dean received the wrath of the First God. And so Hezel, the Magic Kingdom that once shone with gold and built upon a splendid civilization, then collapsed.

Dean tried to rebel against the primordial god, but Anat, the god of wisdom and ideals, protected him. Judgment came. Dean must be punished.

The nine gods… (There seems to be an element related to the eighth task. It is still difficult to accurately interpret it.) Dean was eventually punished.

The Magic Kingdom was on a brink of decline. The eighth task must be erased (solved?) to come back? (This part still has a lot of room for interpretation. More data is needed later.) So, the Mezei Mountains that cross the unknown continent and the Shehera continent in the southwest, the god fell asleep at the end of the world. (???=the Sky Island, a picture of the original plate?)

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