Chapter 137

Heaven Forges Bonds, People Build Affection (3)

Seraphia said a visitor had come for me. That meant someone had specifically come looking for me.

The matters of Veneron viscounty and Father's will had both been settled. At this point, the only person I could think of who might come to see me was...

'Ian!'

He had returned. Hearing rumors of the upheaval in the Kingdom of Battenberg, he had decided the time had come and sought me out.

I asked urgently, "Who was it? No, where is he now?"

"The visitor left because you weren't here, Brother."

"Left?"

"Yes. They only came to deliver a letter anyway."

"... A letter?"

"One moment."

Seraphia rummaged through a drawer and carefully took out a sealed letter.

"It's from someone named... Iliana."

"Ah."

She had said she would write often. This must be one of her letters.

I knew I shouldn't feel that way, but I couldn't help being a little disappointed. I broke the seal and read it.

* * *

Hello, Lord Adrian.

It's been a while since I last wrote. Have you been well?

I've been doing very, very well. All thanks to you!

You know, I tried something called chicken skewers for the first time. They were so delicious! They were juicy and full of sauce, and the moment I took a bite, it felt as though the whole world lit up!

Oh, of course, they couldn't compare to monster meat. That Rex meat we had was the most delicious thing in the world!!

And thanks to you, Lord Adrian, I've been able to focus on my research without a single worry lately. I'm learning lots of new magical theories, and recently, I've even started studying ancient magic books.

I think I might get some interesting results. I'll be sure to show you when I do! There's so much that I think you would find interesting!

And there's something else...

I've become a fully qualified mage!!

I still can't believe it! I thought my heart would stop when they announced my name!

Honestly... these days, I'm so happy, and I look forward to every new day. So much that I wonder if it's all right to be this happy. Waking up every morning is such a joy!

Thank you... truly, thank you.

I'll study even harder, keep working, and keep growing! So I can become a mage who lives up to your expectations! So I can show you a much more impressive version of myself the next time we meet!

Please always take care of your health and stay safe, Lord Adrian!! Promise me!!

I'll write again!

-Yours respectfully, Iliana-

* * *

She really had become much brighter. The change in her demeanor was obvious even through a letter.

In particular, there was Kraven, the endowed chair mage who had supervised her. Perhaps because Adlan's efforts had gotten him expelled, she no longer seemed to be walking on eggshells.

Iliana had become so positive that even the smallest things could make her laugh. And under the protection of the royal court, she no longer had to suffer Marquis Segretus's pressure.

But the stone that sticks out gets chiseled down.

'The other elder mages will start trying to keep Iliana in check soon.'

Langrid Mage Tower was the cradle of all the continent's mages, a sanctuary that no outside power could easily touch. In other words, the royal court's authority could not protect her from opposition within the tower itself.

At Langrid Mage Tower, ability alone was no longer enough. The aspirations of Arcanis Rilsein, the first mage, had been forgotten over the long years. As Iliana grew and distinguished herself, elder mages who envied her would begin to emerge.

But Adlan was steadily collecting evidence even now, in preparation for that. When the time came, I would blow up the shell trading company and bring down the elder mages all at once.

For that reason, too, I had to work concealed in the moonlight.

I carefully folded Iliana's letter. Then something in the postscript suddenly caught my eye.

[P.S. If there's anything you need me for, please don't hesitate to ask!!]

'I should ask her a few things about limits.'

If I raised my understanding of Limit[M], I could create new fusion skills like Monomolecular Blade[S].

Just as I was thinking of writing Iliana a reply...

"Who is it? A friend of yours, Brother?"

Seraphia asked with sparkling eyes.

But Iliana wasn't a friend. She was the commander of Magic Command. My superior.

I couldn't explain that, though.

"Something like that."

"You actually have a fr—!"

Seraphia hurriedly clapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes darted from side to side as she gave an awkward laugh.

"B-but... you must be especially close if you're exchanging letters."

"You could say that."

She was my superior, but she was also the one I had been closest to. Unlike with the other heroes, there had indeed been something special between us...

"You denied it so vehemently last time."

Kai suddenly cut in. He gave me a bizarre look, then spouted something insane.

"Are you exchanging love letters?"

Kai had seen Iliana in Frecce. He had spouted the same insanity then, and now he was at it again.

"... Love letters? It was a woman?!"

At Kai's remark, Seraphia's eyes went round. Countless guesses and imaginings seemed to race through her head.

"D-don't tell me she's your girlfriend?!?!"

... What was wrong with her now?

The Sovereign of Bitter Cold and the Legion Commander of Bitter Cold. Trust those two, with their shared bitter-cold background, to make such a perfect double act.

"Is she really your girlfriend?!"

The question wasn't worth answering. To borrow Kai's phrasing, it was utterly useless, worthless trash.

Ignoring Seraphia, I walked out of the office.

"Whyyy...! Why won't you answer?! Brother! Brotherrr!!"

Seraphia flusteredly tried to stop me, but I ignored her completely.

* * *

A thick blanket of snow covered the snowfields.

CRUNCH.

As the sound of a footstep spread across the quiet expanse, thousands of Vister recruits held their breath and swallowed hard.

At last, a lone man appeared.

'Lord Adrian...?'

'He's changed?'

Adrian had left for the royal capital only a little over a month ago. There was no visible change in him.

And yet, was it his presence? An overwhelming dignity emanated from him. Apparently, more had happened than the rumors alone suggested.

CRUNCH.

Once again, the sound of Adrian's footsteps spread with an oppressive weight. He crossed the snowy landscape and climbed onto the castle wall.

At last, he looked down at the Visters.

"You are Visters."

A brief statement. But everyone understood what it meant.

"Criminals."

The atrocities they had committed in Violess. They might have been struggling to live, to survive, but that did not make their deeds any less criminal.

The past could not be erased. Time gone by could not be turned back.

It was as though Adrian were telling them they were not soldiers of the county. Merely criminals.

The thousands of Visters lined up in the snowfields bowed their heads.

"What does this look like to you?"

Adrian's voice rang out again. They raised their heads toward the castle wall. He was holding something.

"S-Solarium... sir," someone answered.

"Do you know how much Solarium is worth?"

"One hundred thousand gold... as I understand it."

An enormous sum, enough for one person to live a lifetime of leisure.

Adrian threw it to the ground. After trampling it mercilessly underfoot, he asked again.

"What is it now?"

"S-Solarium... sir."

It was covered in dirt, but that could simply be wiped away. Solarium was still Solarium.

"And how much is it worth?"

"Still one hundred thousand gold..."

"Is that so?"

Adrian clenched his hand and crushed the Solarium.

"What is it now?"

"A-a lump of gold."

"And its value?"

"The same as a lump of gold."

"How much is that?"

"Around ninety thousand gold..."

Only the value of its craftsmanship had been lost. The difference wasn't great.

Solarium was merely a shape. What determined its worth was the gold it was made of. Crushing it did not change how much gold it contained.

"Gold's value doesn't change with its shape. In fact, more exquisite craftsmanship can make it worth even more."

Adrian turned his gaze forward. Meeting the eyes of the thousands of Visters one by one, he spoke.

"The same is true of people. Of you."

"Being sullied and trampled doesn't erase your worth."

The Visters' eyes widened. Their thoughts froze, as though an artery in their minds had been severed.

"Just as this lump of gold has not lost its worth."

The lump of gold in Adrian's hand was filthy. Caked in dirt and trampled underfoot, it had even lost its luster. It could no longer be called a jewel.

And so... it felt familiar. It looked just like me, like all of us, sullied by the filth and stains of our past.

"I don't think you're good people. If any of you think otherwise, cut the bullshit."

Adrian's eyes gleamed sharply.

"You are evil criminals."

They could not deny it. Nor should they.

Yet Adrian went on.

"But you will not remain criminals."

He was telling them they could change. They could not change the past, but...

"Only two kinds of people say people can't change. Those without the will to change, and those so convinced they're right that they rush to judgment."

They could change the path they would walk from now on.

"I am your proof."

The wastrel of a count's house. The Adrian of the past, whom they had heard about in the county, had been an object of contempt. A corrupt, broken wastrel lost in drink and pleasure.

They said everyone had shaken their heads. Everyone had given up, convinced the wastrel could never change.

Yet he had changed, for all to see. No one called Adrian a wastrel anymore.

In the county, he was no longer an object of contempt, but of awe and respect.

"The lives you led were undoubtedly wrong. But your will to live was unwavering."

The violence and beatings that repeated every day in Violess. The days spent searching corpses in the streets for scraps of bread. The desperation of falling ill without being able to obtain even a single dose of medicine. The moments spent enduring pain and fighting death.

A lawless city where, when survival was at stake, the weak were utterly trampled and the strong took everything.

"No one could say they would have chosen differently if they had been in your circumstances."

Adrian's voice was unwavering.

"Wash the filth from your bodies. Refine yourselves, and let the worth within you shine brilliantly. Until then, fail and despair as often as you must."

Every word he spoke sank deep into the Visters' hearts.

"I will shoulder every consequence for you."

An icy wind swept across the snowfields. Everyone held their breath.

"Are you afraid you'll cause me harm?" Adrian said. "Don't flatter yourselves."

The cold air settled heavily around them.

"Your failures and despair are nothing that can affect me."

Fail as much as you like. Despair without fear.

"You are soldiers of Whitewolf county."

With those final words, Adrian descended from the wall.

After he left, no one moved. No one spoke. Only silence settled over the snowfields.

Then Sarpedon, once the leader of the Black Grasp, broke the silence with his trembling voice.

"J-just so you knooow...!!"

His large eyes were already brimming with tears.

"I-I'm not cryiiing...!! You fucking bastaaards...!"

Tears spilled over his fiercely contorted face.

And then...

"Wh-who... who said anything...! Hic!"

"O-over something like this...! Wh-who would cryyy...!"

"I've been s-stabbed...! Hic...! In the fucking gut...! So many tiiimes...!"

"I...! Didn't even cry... wh-when my mother d-died...!"

Sniffling rose from every direction.

"Hngh...!"

"... Me neither, I'm not cryiiing...!"

"S-soldiers don't cryyy...!"

Tears filled their eyes. Though the wind blowing across the snowfields was cold...

"Huhuhuh...!"

"Waaaah...!"

Within their hearts blazed a passion hot enough to burn even snow.

* * *

The Solarium had been one of the jewels worth 2.5 million gold that I'd received from Leon.

'Maybe I shouldn't have crushed it.'

I'd wasted ten thousand gold for nothing.

Just as I was regretting that...

◆What was that!! What was that just now!!

◆What was that wicked little bit of rabble-rousing, playing everyone's hearts like that?!!!

Translucent messages suddenly appeared before my eyes. It had been quiet lately, only to return fully loaded with hysterics...

◆The soldiers' affinity toward you is breaking past its limit!!!

Beginning with that notice, a stream of messages obscured my vision.

◆Close your eyes. Dark, isn't it? That's your future in the military.

◆... No, not that!

◆Close your eyes. Is it dark? That is this county's future without you.

◆... With words like those, you have raised the soldiers' morale!

◆They say people will lay down their lives for someone who recognizes their worth!

◆Starting today, the soldiers are more than your supporters. They have become one with you!

◆What does that mean, you ask?

◆The soldiers' affinity toward you has entered the [Loyalty] state of the 「Bond Tier」!!

◆But heavens above and stars beyond!!

◆How is this possible when there wasn't even a Connection Quest?!

◆What a sensation! What a shock!

◆So utterly astonishing~ I'm fainting!!!

◆You have acquired the Bond Skill, Oath of Loyalty[U]!!

... It really never changed. Though the way its hysterics evolved by the day was impressive.

Anyway.

'This wasn't what I was aiming for.'

As it had said, there hadn't even been a Connection Quest.

They had helped me in the fight against the Memorier, and above all, I had simply needed to raise their affinity before making runesteel armor for them. I couldn't have them running off with the expensive runesteel armor I'd outfitted them with.

Just don't betray me. That was all.

I hadn't expected such an explosion of loyalty.

Apparently, the effect of the <King of the Underworld> Title, which increased the success rate of negotiation, intimidation, and persuasion by [+250%], had worked remarkably well.

◆Oath of Loyalty[U]

: Upon acquiring this skill, the player forms a [Powerful Oath] with targets in the [Loyalty] state through mutual trust and devotion. All stats of sworn targets increase by [+20%], and they gain [Immunity] to [Fear and Confusion] effects.

Additionally, any effects involving [Betrayal, Desertion, Refusal of Orders, etc.] toward the player are [Nullified].

It was a very good skill. Exactly the effect I had wanted.

Even the additional effects were good, and above all, being a passive skill made it perfect.

Wasn't it said that heaven forges bonds, but people build affection?

The Visters of Violess. Bonds I had never formed in my previous life.

Back then, I hadn't even been given the chance. But in this life, a new bond that we would build together was beginning.

As I dismissed the messages...

"... Bernard?"

Head Steward Bernard was running toward me from afar. He would soon become a viscount, but he didn't look as though he had come to thank me for that.

"What's the matter?"

"Well..."

Bernard caught his breath and spoke again.