Chapter 71

"What is it? Huh?"

I followed Talroom closely.

[Sorry, but that's a secret. We can't just say it without being sure, it would tarnish our reputation.]

"Tch."

I pouted.

'Whatever, it doesn't matter anyway.'

According to the original story, Damian's sword is made just before he sets out on his journey.

I just wanted to shorten that time a bit.

'As long as Talroom doesn't neglect his work at the forge for other reasons.'

After thinking this, I slumped into my seat.

Then I took out the Rügel bark I had brought with me.

Because of the frequent visits of the Claiders' retainers to the duchy, the city was not free either.

But the forge in Eborck is solely the property of Duke Schuetz.

'That means I can be at ease here.'

I glared at the Rügel tree in front of me.

'Now that it has passed most of the tests... '

How can I show this naturally? I crossed my arms and groaned.

[Patron, if you keep thinking like that, steam will come out of your head.]

"It won't come out."

[It means it will come out soon.]

Talroom chuckled.

[Thinking about it won't solve the problem. It will only pile up stress. Why don't you go for a walk?]

"Hmm..."

Since there was some truth to his words, I got up from my seat.

"I'll go clear my head."

[Don't go too far.]

"Okay."

I walked forward, stepping on the deep snow.

The endless snow was erasing my footprints.

How long had I walked? A red lake appeared in the distance.

'It's been a while since I've seen this lake.'

But it's dangerous, so I shouldn't get too close.

Just as I thought that,

Thump! Someone pushed me with great force.

Caught off guard, I fell to the ground.

"Ow..."

I felt pain in my tailbone.

It seemed there was a particularly sharp stone buried in the snow. Moreover, I must have stepped wrong, as my ankle started to hurt.

While I was feeling the throbbing pain,

"…!"

I had a bad feeling instinctively. I got up and moved away from the spot.

At the same time, a heavy thud was heard.

It was a sharp rock. If I had stayed there, I might have hit my head on that rock.

I struggled to get up and looked at the person in front of me.

"…Wintia."

"What are you doing?"

Wintia, who had been fuming, glared at me and said,

"It's all your fault."

Wintia bit her lip.

"If you weren't here, that position would have been mine. I would have become the daughter-in-law of the Schuetz family!"

"Who said that?"

"Our father…! And the nanny… and…"

"Only those two, right?"

"No! Everyone said it!"

Wintia shouted, still fuming.

"Pathetic orphan."

Wintia sneered.

"But this is the last time."

"What do you mean-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Wintia moved her hand.

With a whoosh, something flew and water from the red lake poured down from above Wintia's head.

"…You…"

I asked, surprised, and Wintia, drenched in lake water, smirked.

"I'll tell Father right away that you pushed me into the lake."

"…"

"And you'll become the one who, out of jealousy, accidentally stepped into the lake and drowned."

"…"

"Anyway, you can't move well with your leg injured, right?"

As she said this, red liquid dripped from the tips of Wintia's eyelashes.

I looked at Wintia and asked,

"Doesn't your eye hurt?"

"What?"

"Doesn't your eye hurt?"

I smiled.

"What are you talking about?"

"Just curious."

"Hah. Now you're saying nonsense…"

Wintia laughed mockingly and wiped the lake water off her face with the back of her hand.

"…What?"

Then, Wintia stiffened.

"Why is my eye suddenly…"

The stinging pain seemed to intensify, and Wintia began to rub her eyes more forcefully.

"You shouldn't do that. When your eyes hurt, you should keep your hands off, don't you know?"

"You…!"

Wintia glared at me with bloodshot eyes.

"What did you do to me, you wicked girl!"

"Speak properly. It's not what I did, but what you did to yourself."

"Ugh…!"

Frustrated, Wintia bit her lip and lunged at me.

"Why are you tormenting me like this! Why, you lowly orphan!"

"Is being an orphan lowly?"

"Yes! Our father said that all orphans without roots are lowly and dirty the empire!"

Wintia started hitting me hard with her fists.

'Even though she seems to be hitting with all her might…'

It didn't affect me at all, given my resilience.

I grabbed Wintia's wrist firmly.

"Are you not letting go? How dare you touch me with your lowly hands?"

"If you didn't like my lowly hands, you shouldn't have touched me."

"This…!"

Wintia struggled, trying to free her captured hand. I held her hand tightly to prevent her from doing anything else and took a deep breath. Then—

"Talroom!"

I shouted loudly.

Wintia flinched.

"What, what did you just say…"

At that moment,

Caw!

Wintia shuddered and looked up.

Bare branches and a hazy sky.

Hundreds of crows appeared there.

"Kyaah! What, what are those!"

The crows filling the sky seemed to scare Wintia, who hurriedly moved away from me.

Thanks to this, I was able to get up. My back hurt and my ankle throbbed, but I could still walk.

"Wintia."

Wintia, who had been looking at the sky in fear, lowered her gaze at my call.

"I called those crows."

"No, no way…"

"Let me tell you one more thing. Crows actually like humans more than you think?"

As I said this, one of the crows cawed.

The sky darkened with crows, snowflakes were flying, and my hair was a mess from falling.

Wintia's face turned even paler. I leaned in close to her and whispered,

"Aren't you curious? How much they like you?"

"Don't, don't come closer-"

"Want to try?"

As I smiled, Wintia, who had been trembling, collapsed onto the snow.

Then she didn't move at all.

It seemed my whispering while facing the crows was very scary.

'I didn't mean to make her faint.'

I sniffed and looked down at Wintia, then gave a thumbs-up to the sky.

Caw!

The crows began to caw as if in joy.

* * *

In the grand hall of the duchy.

A few of the Claiders' cadet branches and retainers were busily moving their eyes.

The tension was palpable, filling the air.

There was a conflict between those who insisted on a strong stance to prevent even a small share from being taken away and those who suggested bringing Damian back gradually over time.

Of course, the former's voice was louder, but the problem was the elders' reaction.

It would be good if the elders, who had shared the long history of the Claiders, supported them.

But for some reason, the elders remained silent.

'This can't be allowed to happen. We can't just let the Claiders be taken away.'

The retainers and cadet branches who strongly advocated for Damian's return reaffirmed their resolve.

'For that, we need to bring the son to our side first…'

For that, someone needed to take charge of the child and even educate him.

Someone who could strongly assert the Claiders' claim and bring the son back from Duke Schuetz.

The retainers' gazes converged on one person.

The only suitable candidate was Heron Hooper, the highest-ranking official of the merchant guild and the mentor of the late Claiders Duke.

However, Heron's face was as expressionless as always.

'As expected, it's hard to read what he's thinking.'

'What are you planning to do if you let Duke Schuetz take everything…'

'Is it really what you want to protect the Claiders?'

As they grumbled inwardly,

The door suddenly burst open.

The retainers were startled and shuddered.

A man with deep-set eyes, vivid red irises, and a cold, threatening presence. It was Erhardt Schuetz.

Although the meeting had started two hours ago, Erhardt looked relaxed as he scanned the room.

"I'm sorry for being late."

He sat down with a face that didn't look sorry at all.

"What do you want to say that you called me here in person?"

The duke's tone was sharp, but they didn't back down.

Duke Schuetz had cut off all communication and closed the gates. He could kill everyone in this room if he wanted to.

The fact that Duke Schuetz had let them into the castle meant that he found it difficult to dismiss them easily.

In other words, it also meant that Duke Schuetz cared about Damian, which made it even more important to prevent him from being adopted into the Schuetz family.

The retainers and cadet branches, who were focused on their own interests, were united