Chapter 596

Chapter 596

Leo occupied himself with settling into his quarters within the sprawling estate of the prominent Gerdinger family, carefully unburdening his travel packs.

A sharp rapping vibrated against the wood—

“Enter.”

The door swung backward heavily, allowing Celia to stride over the threshold.

With her eyebrows pulled tightly together in a deep grimace, Celia crossed the room to sink onto a couch situated in the corner.

Her gaze fixed intensely on the wooden surface before her.

“What exactly is going on here?”

“A high-stakes round of Old Maid.”

Fiona, the magnificent Phoenix who had bound her fate to Leo’s and was currently maintaining her human form, glared across at Kirian. Sitting directly across the table, her expression was laced with absolute grimness.

—Ha! Where did that little bird think she was going while playing cards?

“Hold your tongue, you oversized bug.”

Fiona threw a lethal look toward Kirian.

The stakes of this intense conflict appeared to be nothing more than a pile of sweet treats.

‘Are you kidding me? A divine beast and a mythical fairy are actually putting their pride on the line for snacks?’

Celia observed the ridiculous display, her face twisted in utter disbelief.

They weren’t the only ones gathered around the board; Elsie, who governed the shadows as the spirit of darkness, and Larel, who commanded the radiance as the spirit of light, were both perched by the table watching the match unfold.

The pair of elemental beings had evidently finished their own contest. Each held a biscuit roughly the size of their own skulls in both hands, nibbling away contentedly.

Fiona, staring intensely at the oversized cards that completely dwarfed Kirian’s tiny frame as though she wanted to vaporize him on the spot, hesitantly reached out. She hovered over the two jokers nestled in Kirian’s grasp before pulling one away.

“No way!”

—Hahaha!

Kirian burst into a fit of triumphant laughter the moment he witnessed Fiona fall into complete despair.

Simultaneously, the face of the card shifted its appearance.

Celia’s eyelids fluttered and narrowed as she caught sight of the magical transition.

—My turn to draw!

Sporting an incredibly smug grin, Kirian pulled a single card from the deck that Fiona had been meticulously shuffling.

“Wait, don’t!”

—Victory is mine!

Exultant, Kirian tossed the winning card straight into the air while Fiona buried her face in her hands, utterly overwhelmed by the injustice of it all.

—With this final win, all these treats belong to—

“Cheating ruins the game, you know.”

Following Celia’s pointed remark, Fiona snapped her head up, while the pair of elemental spirits blinked at Celia in utter confusion.

Kirian, who had been in the middle of raking in his hard-won confectionery, shot a guilty look around the room before gathering the entire pile into his tiny arms and darting into the air.

—Ah! No wonder it felt so bizarre that Kirian managed to escape losing every single time. It was a scam!

Elsie offered a bright, cheerful grin as the realization dawned on her.

Curiously, she didn’t seem the least bit slighted by the fairy’s underhanded tactics.

The remaining two players, however, were absolutely livid.

“You deceitful insect! Get back here!”

—I am going to snap your tiny hands off!

Brimming with absolute rage, Fiona and Larel lunged forward in hot pursuit of the fleeing Kirian.

Celia pressed a hand to her forehead, watching the chaotic chase with a weary sigh.

“For some reason, the majestic reputation of the great spirits and the legendary three great beasts is crumbling to pieces right before my eyes.”

Having finished organizing the bulk of his belongings, Leo walked over and slid into the chair Fiona had just vacated.

“What has you looking so deeply troubled?”

“The behavior of the council elders is driving me insane.”

Celia’s expression darkened further.

She was well aware that Leo’s presence wasn’t viewed favorably by everyone within the walls of the Gerdinger estate.

The Gerdinger clan stood as one of the twin foundations supporting the massive Lodren Empire, which held undisputed dominance over the Western Continent.

To put it plainly, they were an entity whose authority ranked comfortably within the top three powers across the entire Western Continent.

Though technically recognized as subjects of the imperial throne, their actual bond was completely distinct from the rigid devotion typically seen between a ruler and a servant.

It functioned far more like an alliance of equals rather than an oath of blind submission.

Historically, since the dawn of the nation, Lodren, Gerdinger, and Rwain had existed in a delicate balance of mutual support.

Because of this historic pact, the imperial crown of Lodren granted absolute autonomy to the territories governed by the Gerdinger line.

In essence, within the boundaries of Gerdinger soil, the reigning patriarch operated with the absolute power of a sovereign king.

Yet, to sustain such immense leverage, relying solely on the primary bloodline and a handful of dedicated servant houses was insufficient.

The various cadet branches that had split off from the core Gerdinger lineage over generations formed a massive pillar of the family’s total military and political strength.

Consequently, the sway held by these collateral lines within internal politics was incredibly massive.

“To the eyes of those branch families, I’m nothing more than an interloper encroaching on their territory, right?”

Leo offered a soft, amused laugh.

“Even if that’s true, it’s ridiculous! The legacy you are set to claim was originally meant for my Aunt! It is simply returning to the hands where it always belonged, so what right do they have to be so bitter about it?”

“It’s just standard human nature to despise surrendering wealth or status once you’ve held it. The sting is always sharper when a newcomer claims something you believed could have eventually fallen into your own lap.”

The Elders’ Council existed as an institution comprised of highly respected combatants carrying the Gerdinger blood, pulling members from both the primary lineage and the secondary branches alike.

For a legendary lineage of warriors like the Gerdingers, attempting to manage everything solely through the direct bloodline carried severe structural vulnerabilities.

Particularly during moments when the sitting patriarch made a disastrous executive decision.

An external mechanism was vital to stop the head of the house from executing dangerous, unchecked actions, and the Gerdinger Elders’ Council had been established specifically to fill that defensive role.

Given that the sheer volume of cadet branches vastly outnumbered the direct family members, the collateral bloodlines naturally commanded a dominant voice within that chamber.

Granted, the council lacked the authority to dictate the day-to-day administrative choices of the estate.

However, their collective voice carried immense weight when the topic shifted toward matters of succession and inheritance.

“Grandfather is acting completely detached. Even so, given the stakes this time, I really wished he would take a definitive, aggressive stand to back Aunt and you.”

Celia turned her lips downward in a pout.

Observing her frustration, Leo tilted his head slightly to the side.

“From what I witnessed, his dynamic with my Mother didn’t seem fractured at all.”

Leo cast his mind back to the interactions that had unfolded just moments prior.

“He seemed remarkably warm toward my Father as well.”

‘I have been genuinely eager to look upon your face. We must share a flask of wine later this evening.’

‘The… the privilege is entirely mine, honored former patriarch.’

‘Drop the titles. Address me as father-in-law.’

The image of Legas laughing heartily while clapping Dade firmly on the shoulder flashed vividly in his memory.

Ever since Leo had entered the world, Reina had never set foot within her ancestral home.

‘Actually, that separation likely extended far before my birth.’

It was almost certainly for Leo’s benefit that she finally initiated contact with the Gerdinger estate after living in isolation for so long.

All to secure a path for her child who desired admission into Lumerne.

Despite the decades of silence, the look Legas had given Reina was overflowing with profound tenderness.

He had extended that same genuine warmth to his son-in-law during their very first meeting.

Furthermore, a clear sense of awe had been visible in his eyes when his gaze shifted onto Leo.

‘Their familial connection didn’t strike me as broken in the slightest; it actually appeared incredibly deep.’

It made the immense gap in time where they remained completely apart seem highly peculiar.

Moreover, he couldn’t entirely piece together why an entire regiment of knights had been mobilized as an aggressive show of force during the Floube family’s initial formal arrival, executing orders born straight from the desires of the Elders’ Council.

Faced with Leo’s confusion, Celia let out a gentle, exhausted breath.

“You have to understand, Grandfather is completely unyielding when it comes to his neutrality.”

“Absolute neutrality?”

“Precisely.”

Celia propped her chin up with her palm.

—Clear the path! Out of the way!

Right on cue, Kirian zipped directly through the narrow gap separating Leo and Celia, desperately trying to shake off the furious figures of Fiona and Larel.

Elsie, quietly tracking the chaos, let a subtle smirk play on her lips as she lifted a single hand.

Snap!

“Wait, what?”

In an instant, the shadows cast by the nearby furniture stretched upward, ensnaring Kirian in a tight grip.

“Caught you! You treacherous little sprite!”

—Rip those wings off his back before anything else!

—Squeeeeek! Help!

—You really shouldn’t be causing a ruckus while Leo is trying to hold an essential conversation. Take your dispute out to the balcony.

Elsie spoke with a tranquil smile, and the phoenix along with the great spirit of light hauled the screaming fairy out toward the open terrace.

‘What kind of entity is that shadow spirit to manage those terrifying beings with such effortless ease?’

Celia, who was well aware of Elsie’s status as a high-ranking elemental but remained ignorant of her specific domain, stared at Elsie with profound awe.

Elsie daintily gathered the edges of her dress, offering a refined curtsy toward Celia.

“At the very least, you won’t suffer from boredom.”

“It’s so incredibly loud that my skull is throbbing.”

Leo’s dry comment caused Celia to break into a sudden fit of laughter before she picked up the thread of their conversation.

“To finish what I was explaining. Grandfather, occupying the seat of the supreme elder, forces himself to remain perfectly detached from every internal conflict that arises within the house. He enforces that exact same strict impartiality within the council chambers to act as a buffer between the core lineage and the branch families. Because of that duty, he buries his personal affections beneath his obligations.”

Celia let out another soft sigh.

“That doesn’t mean he harbors any resentment toward you. As you saw firsthand, his affection for Aunt remains completely undiminished, and he genuinely wished to build a proper relationship with Uncle and yourself.”

Though Leo had stepped onto Gerdinger soil multiple times previously, his grandfather’s refusal to grant him an audience was likely a calculated move to maintain a flawless boundary between public duty and private emotion.

If the retired patriarch were to explicitly throw his weight around while Leo’s legitimacy as a true heir of the Gerdinger line was being openly debated, it would have provoked severe outrage from the cadet branches.

“Furthermore, he was incredibly desperate to finally meet you. My father mentioned to me that Grandfather’s current morning routine consists entirely of waking at dawn and instantly demanding the latest publications.”

“The daily prints?”

“Yes. My father told me he actively hunts for any article that features your name and spends hours clipping them out for a personal archive.”

Naturally, Celia’s achievements received the exact same dedicated treatment.

“For this specific visit, his anticipation to finally meet your entire household was through the roof.”

“He sounds like an incredibly affectionate grandfather.”

“He completely dotes on us.”

A soft, warm smile graced Celia’s features.

Then, just as quickly, her lips formed a dissatisfied pout once more.

“Which brings me back to my point—why won’t he just take charge and clear these obstacles out of your way!”

“He has a massive burden to carry as the supreme elder. I can respect that choice.”

Leo let out a quiet chuckle.

Hearing his understanding perspective, Celia’s frustration softened into a mild grin.

“If you truly grasp his situation, then make sure to spend real time with Grandfather over this school break! Display some of your incredible abilities for him!”

“You’re the one who ought to be performing tricks for his entertainment.”

“I’ve already provided more than enough spectacles, haven’t I?”

“There’s always room for more.”

“Why you—!”

Leo deftly shifted his weight to avoid Celia’s playful swipe, a sudden thought crossing his mind as his expression turned contemplative.

“By the way, wasn’t there a student attending Lumerne who hailed from one of the branch families? What was his name again?”

Celia stared at Leo, who was tilting his head in genuine confusion, with a look of utter exasperation.

“How is it possible that you can’t even recall the identity of someone belonging to your own clan? His name is Barden Gerdinger.”

“Ah, right, that was it. Whatever became of him?”

“…He ended up getting thrown out during the first term of this academic year.”

“Is that so? That explains why I never crossed paths with him.”

Celia looked completely speechless at his detachment.

“What’s the current status of brother Lys?”

“Brother Lys was deployed to put down the uprising threatening the eastern borders.”

Celia let out a heavy breath.

A handful of months back, a violent insurrection had suddenly ignited across the eastern sectors of the Lodren Empire.

An entirely abrupt revolt.

Had the imperial throne been enforcing tyrannical decrees or squeezing the populace dry with unpayable tax burdens, the unrest would have made perfect sense.

Yet, conditions were entirely peaceful.

“In reality, someone of Brother Lys’s caliber shouldn’t need to be mobilized for a minor provincial rebellion, but… the crown insisted on dispatching him because investigators uncovered several highly troubling irregularities surrounding the whole affair.”

“I hope he remains out of harm’s way.”

“Please! There is absolutely no way anything could happen to him! We are talking about Brother Lys!”

Celia threw her chest out proudly, her eyes gleaming with absolute confidence.

“Stop wasting your energy fretting over Brother Lys and focus on your own situation instead. The members of the Elders’ Council are going to be watching you like hawks, desperate to find any excuse to strip away the inheritance meant for you.”

Faced with Celia’s urgent warning, Leo simply let out a low, confident laugh.

“There’s no need to stress over that.”

Leo slowly closed his fingers into a tight fist before opening them again.

“To speak plainly, I never particularly desired vast swathes of land or grand titles. My initial plan was to steer completely clear of massive political feuds whenever possible. However, after witnessing the sheer disrespect they directed toward my Father and Mother, stepping back is no longer an option.”

The corners of Leo’s mouth curved upward into a sharp, icy smile.

Catching sight of that specific expression, a sudden wave of intense chills rippled across Celia’s skin.

‘Oh, that’s right.’

The memory of their very first encounter flashed vividly in her mind, back when he treated her with the absolute dismissiveness of a common servant.

‘His temperament was never actually gentle, was it?’

He was the type of person who would systematically dismantle anyone foolish enough to initiate a conflict with him.

She had completely lost sight of that fundamental truth.

“Commander Lys! A contingent of rebel horsemen has been identified advancing rapidly positions ahead!”

Lys, who had successfully marched into the insurgent-controlled territories of the east alongside the elite Gerdinger knights, pushed himself up from his chair the exact moment the scout delivered the urgent update.

“I shall handle this advance on my own.”

“Pardon? But sir…”

“Are you questioning my capability?”

Lys offered a gentle, serene smile as he asked the question, causing the battle-hardened knight to visibly flinch before quickly shaking his head in denial.

“Absolutely not, my lord.”

The warrior standing before him was the designated successor destined to command Lodren’s most formidable military order.

On top of that pedigree, he had previously occupied the seat of the student council president back at Lumerne.

He was even recognized as a master swordsman who had performed monumental deeds when the terrifying Erebus fragment manifested during the previous summer season.

A figure whose extraordinary achievements easily earned him the title of a living legend.

A disorganized group of rebel cavalry stood absolutely zero chance of matching his prowess.

Stepping out completely unescorted onto the boundless plains, Lys walked forward with steady strides, making no move to grasp the hilt of his weapon.

‘The ideal outcome here is to force a surrender without spilling blood.’

While Lys had accepted the mandate to crush the insurrection, his objective wasn’t the total slaughter of the rebellious populace.

The truth of the matter was that every single kingdom harbored elements that were inherently dissatisfied with the ruling administration.

The reigning sovereign of Lodren possessed exceptional leadership.

Even so, that excellence didn’t automatically guarantee that every local lord and peasant found a compelling reason to offer unwavering devotion to the crown.

Depending entirely on personal profit and political alignment, anti-imperial factions would inevitably crystallize among the high nobility, just as factions of the common citizenry would naturally curse the throne’s name from the shadows.

Because of those realities, minor regional uprisings were a common occurrence.

‘However, the nature of this specific conflict is completely bizarre.’

It had originated as nothing more than a localized disturbance within a minor fiefdom.

Yet, this particular conflict had managed to endure for several consecutive months, maintaining its exact scale without expanding its reach or suffering total defeat.

The moment the neighboring provincial rulers, mobilized by the sovereign’s explicit decree to crush the unrest, sent word that the territory had been fully secured, the violence would instantly flare up anew.

‘The noble who originally ignited the spark of this treason fell in battle near the very beginning.’

Despite that loss, the local populations surrounding that specific domain continued to hurl themselves into battle.

‘An armed resistance entirely devoid of a central leader.’

The situation defied all logic.

The high court of the empire had clearly deduced that something deeply unnatural was unfolding beneath the surface.

It was precisely why they turned to the Gerdinger house, which maintained extensive land holdings throughout the eastern territories, to step in and forcefully pacify the region.

‘My primary goal must be uncovering the true catalyst behind this persistent unrest.’

To achieve that breakthrough, he required prisoners who were capable of rational speech.

Even if they wore the mantle of traitors, there was no inherent purpose in taking their lives.

Had they been nothing more than lawless marauders pillaging adjacent provinces or executing innocent townspeople, his approach would be vastly different.

However, analyzing their strategic choices up to this current hour, these were clearly individuals driven by a desperate grievance, forced to take up steel out of sheer necessity.

Under those conditions, the correct path was simply to break their resolve by presenting an overwhelming, unassailable wall of military dominance.

Thump, thump, thump!

From across the horizon, the line of insurgent horsemen came thundering forward.

‘Their posture in the saddle and their grip on their lances is incredibly unrefined. These are definitely not soldiers who have undergone any form of structured military training.’

With that observation cataloged, Lys slowly extended his hand upward.

Fwoosh!

The iconic, deep crimson flames of the Gerdinger line erupted into the sky, casting a fierce glow over the battlefield.

In that exact instant.

“Eeeek! Mercy!”

“A monster! Those are the flames of a fiend!”

“The throne has deployed a monster who wields the fiend’s fire to slaughter us all over again!”

The horsemen who had been charging directly toward Lys shattered into a state of absolute hysteria, breaking formation and fleeing frantically in every conceivable direction.

Lys, witnessing the sudden, chaotic retreat, let his magic dissipate into nothingness as his brow furrowed in deep confusion.

“The fire of a fiend? And what do they mean by ‘all over again’?”