Chapter 33

* * *

The luggage was loaded onto the carriage.

Mikaelan nodded, checking off the items written on the parchment one by one.

"There's one book missing. 'Understanding Mana' is not here."

"It's in the second carriage!"

"Put all the books in the first carriage. It will be easier to find them later. Which carriage are the clothes in?"

Today was the day I, Balzac, and Joshua would depart for the duchy.

The twins spent the remaining ten days entirely in the province.

"Should we tidy up the cottage now?"

"Yeah. You can come here during the break."

After tidying up the cottage,

I ran over to Mikaelan, shaking his sleeve.

"Mikaelan, Mikaelan."

"Yes, Miss."

"How is Han doing?"

I'm talking about Han Jihyuk.

He's the one who can be my hands and feet, so it's better to have him around.

"I've added him to the duchy's requisition list."

"Okay!"

Three-year-olds can bring one guard and one nanny each.

But since I don't have a nanny, I can bring Han Jihyuk instead.

'Although I did try to find a nanny...'

I smiled inwardly.

I already have someone in mind for the nanny.

"Baby, let's go now!"

From a distance, Balzac waved at me.

Balzac has recently been calling me 'baby.'

He used to call me 'ya,' 'little you,' 'all of you,' and got a good scolding from my father, so now he calls me 'baby.'

I said, "Okay!" and ran over.

In front of the carriage where Balzac, Joshua, and I would ride, there were many servants, soldiers, and officials.

Betti and Heidi were crying as if the world was ending.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. When will we see our Miss again...!"

"Oh, oh, oh, oh!"

They had been crying for four days and were still sobbing.

"Come to Hushiki. (I'll come during the break.)"

"It's too, too far...!"

"Miss, you must eat well. Cover yourself with the blanket and don't kick it off when it's hot...!"

I endured the maids clinging to me on both sides, crying.

'I must have spoiled them too much.'

The officials and soldiers were also looking at me with teary eyes.

'Why are you...?'

"The funds for the wall repairs you gave us... We won't forget them."

"Replacing the worn-out armor...!"

It must have been tough for them.

Surrounded by employees, officials, and soldiers, I received their farewells, and Balzac suddenly picked me up.

"When were you planning to get in?"

"We should leave soon. Erylot."

Joshua, who was already in the carriage, smiled at me.

'Joshua has become incredibly kind.'

Originally, his life only had enemies and subordinates.

I was curious and asked,

"Joshua, am I a subordinate?"

"What?"

"No?"

"Erylot, you're siblings."

"Balzac?"

"It's written in the Astra family register."

"..."

...That's right.

"Let's go quickly, quickly."

"Erylot, let's depart."

"Can't I see Abammi?"

I looked at the gate with a gloomy expression, my eyebrows furrowed.

The foreigners had crossed the border again, and my father went to deal with them. He hasn't returned in four days.

The soldiers said awkwardly,

"He will write a letter."

"Being stuck at the border is terrifying. He's raging because he couldn't see you off..."

"Can't you be quiet?"

Seeing the soldiers look pale, my father must have been extremely angry.

I said, "Okay," and got into the carriage.

Then I waved out the window.

"Bye~!"

"Stay healthy!"

"Cover yourself with the blanket!"

"If anyone harasses you, send a letter!"

People shouted as they chased after the departing carriage.

Joshua chuckled.

"You're popular."

"I love our castle people too."

"Yeah."

Joshua reached out to stroke my cheek, but Balzac pulled me into his arms and growled.

"It's my turn today!"

"I couldn't be with you much yesterday because I was packing."

Recently, the two of them have been arguing over me.

They fight fiercely over who gets to be with me, and it feels like the castle might collapse.

So I set a schedule.

One day with Joshua.

One day with Balzac.

And one day with Father.

...I don't understand why Father is fighting with the kids.

The carriage, equipped with a swiftness blessing stone, was very fast.

A journey that would normally take two days by horse only took five hours.

We traveled non-stop for exactly five hours.

We arrived at the entrance of the duchy.

The entrance was lined with a huge number of carriages.

"Wow..."

"There's no need to be surprised. They're all here for the bloodline education."

Joshua's comment made Balzac grimace.

"Why are there so many kids in Astra?"

"It's a legacy from the previous generation, what can I say."

"Huh?"

When Balzac asked what he meant, Joshua replied with a look of disdain.

"The previous generation was a madman obsessed with collecting blessings. Do you know how many blessings he attached to his children to see his grandchildren?"

"Oh... Grandfather was forced to marry nine times. That's why there are so many people here."

"Well, the previous generation was particularly obsessed with bloodlines, but even in other noble families, they have many children. Blessings are wealth, after all."

'Wow...'

I blinked, looking at Balzac and Joshua.

'Even though they're still young, they know so much about family matters.'

They understand the hierarchy well.

Now I understand why adults don't react so strongly when I use difficult words.

Anyway, we had to wait a very long time to pass through the gate.

Even after we finally passed, we went straight to the hall without unpacking.

Standing in front of the hall, a guard loudly announced,

"Lord Balzac, Lord Joshua, and Lady Erylot of the Diamond Province have arrived!"

The massive doors opened.

As soon as we entered the hall, at least twenty children focused on us.

"Balzac, you're as intimidating as ever."

"Joshua was second last time, right?"

"Bad luck."

"Ah... The older brothers are here!"

Amid the whispers, someone said,

"Filthy blood."

In an instant, all eyes were on me.

The looks in their eyes were mocking. Some children made disgusted faces.

At that moment,

Bang!

Balzac kicked the table.

"Joffrey, I warned you not to speak recklessly."

"B, Balzac."

Joshua glanced around.

"How can you lose your fear after not seeing each other for a few months?"

The boy called Joffrey shouted, his face red.

"Did I say anything wrong?! And it's none of your business anyway!"

"He's my brother."

"He's my brother."

Balzac and Joshua said simultaneously.

'When they do this, they really look like twins.'

The hall buzzed.

The twins, who were always described as 'having no affection for people' in 'The Ice-Black Hands,' must have been quite a shock to their cousins who had watched them grow up.

'Wait, does this mean... I have a backer?'

Of course, Father is a backer, but he can't directly interfere with the education of the three-year-olds.

'So I needed a backer in the education hall...!'

A bell rang in my head, and trumpets blared.

I clasped my cheeks with both hands.

'Good job, me!'

Most Astra bloodline members have offensive blessings.

In contrast, my blessing is for reading comments, which is not helpful in emergencies.

But Balzac and Joshua are the strongest among the Astra three-year-olds.

'The little brothers are reliable.'

I smiled inwardly.

At that moment,

"Lord Debussy has arrived!"

'Lord Debussy?'

The guard announced loudly.

Balzac, Joshua, and I quickly took our seats.

Lord Debussy entered with people wearing black robes and academic caps.

Lord Debussy, standing on the platform, said,

"I am Oberic Debussy, in charge of the bloodline education."

I looked at Lord Debussy in surprise.

Originally, someone else was in charge of the bloodline education.

Lord Debussy was my grandfather's closest confidant and was responsible for maintaining the family.

I tilted my head, then nodded, 'Ah.'

'The other person couldn't handle the three-year-olds.'

So, they put Lord Debussy, who had influence among the three-year-olds, in charge.

"You will be allocated everything based on your rank, including your room, servants, and pocket money."

A girl with short hair sitting at the front raised her hand.

"Is that why we haven't unpacked yet, because we haven't been assigned rooms?"

"You're correct."

With that, the children started asking questions.

"Is it based on the previous quarter's rank?"

"I... I wasn't feeling well... I didn't participate in the previous quarter... How can I know my rank?"

"The previous quarter's rank is a mess! I couldn't take the test because I was injured during external training!"

As the hall became noisy, the professors standing behind Lord Debussy looked frustrated.

Lord Debussy rapped the podium.

"Your rooms will be assigned based on the results of the test you will take today."

Today?!

The hall fell into confusion.

Balzac, leaning on his crossed arms, clicked his tongue.

"They're not giving us a break."

Joshua, sitting upright, said casually,

"Our cousins must have prepared a lot during the break, so it's not bad to check from the beginning."

Lord Debussy smiled, looking at the confused children.

"From now on, you will be playing a treasure hunt."

"A treasure hunt?"

"Treasure?"

"Yes. I have hidden slips of paper with numbers written on them in various places. The more valuable the location, the higher the rank. You must find the slips by the time the evening banquet starts."

Saying this, Lord Debussy turned over a large hourglass on the platform.

The sand inside the hourglass fell to the bottom.

'The test ends when the sand runs out.'

The children immediately left the hall.

Balzac and Joshua also stood up.

"Joshua, where are you going?"

"Who would be foolish enough to reveal their strategy to the enemy?"

"Tsk."

Balzac, with his arms crossed, asked me,

"Baby, where are you going?"

"Hmm... to the library."

"Okay, let's see who finds it first."

The three of us quickly left the room.

We passed through the hall used for the three-year-olds' education...

"What are you doing?!"

"You, what about you?"

"Huh?"

The three of us ended up going together.

'Could we have the same destination?'

I wasn't the only one thinking this; Balzac and Joshua's eyes narrowed.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Without a word, the three of us started running.

And we arrived at...

'Grandfather's office.'

That's right.

We weren't the only ones to come to the office.

Most of the children who arrived first were gathered in front of the office.

'They all figured it out.'

If the most noble place in Astra is the head of the family's room!

"When will the head of the family come out?"

"Stop pushing."

"Is he inside? Can't we go in?"

The children whispered to each other.

I quietly looked at Grandfather's office.

The most predictable place.

Rank.

Test.

When I combined all the hints from Lord Debussy, the answer was clear.

'Use everything you have to open that door and go in.'

Children with powerful parents would contact their parents.

Children with good connections would use their connections.

Children with physical strength would sneak into the office.

A treasure hunt to truly determine the 'rank.'

"Ah."

Joshua's chuckle came from beside me.

The smart one had figured out the test's purpose.

Only Balzac,

"Why? What is it? Why do you all look like you know something I don't?"

─looked bewildered.

* * *

As time passed, the children with high ranks began to figure out the test's purpose.

They scattered to devise their methods.

Joffrey frowned.

'What's going on? Where are they all going?'

Isn't this the most valuable place?

Frowning, Joffrey nudged the girl next to him.

"Hey, Dione."

"Eh, eh?!"

"Where are they all going?"

Dione, with her raven-black, curly hair, was not pretty and timid, but sometimes she had good ideas.

"Where are they going?"

"Um, they seem to be looking for a way to get into the office..."

"Way?"

"Um-hum. Getting into the office is the real test..."

As Dione spoke in a low voice, Joffrey's face turned red.

"Why didn't you say that before!"

"J, Joffrey asked me just now..."

While Dione hesitated, Joffrey quickly ran off.

'That filthy blood is going somewhere too.'

Thinking about how he got hit by Balzac because of that, he felt angry.

It seemed he was heading towards the annex.

'Seems like he's away from the twins...'

Joffrey smiled.

Since it was his first time at the bloodline education hall, he should make him go through the initiation.

And he should make him feel his place.

'That filthy blood will clearly understand his place.'

Joffrey turned towards the annex.

Looking around for Erylot, he saw a yellow head disappear around the corner.

Following it, he found a storage room for cleaning supplies.

'So, he's going to the storage room?'

Since he couldn't get into the office, he must be trying something else.

Joffrey smiled and carefully approached the storage room.

And the moment Erylot went inside,

Bang!

He closed and locked the door.

"You stay here until the banquet ends. This is the price for a filthy blood daring to come to Astra Castle!"

Laughing, he left without looking back.