Chapter 131

Chapter 131
## Chapter 131

“Hey, Robenalt. I’ve heard there’s a man named Dereck who will be taking over the Rodelen region. Help him obtain the title of baron.”

The eldest son of the Beltus family, Robenalt, was an old friend of Linus, who had separated himself from the Belmierd family.

Linus looked like a man who wandered through gambling dens, living a carefree life, but when it came to serious matters, his piercing gaze revealed an intelligent mind capable of seeing the big picture.

No one knew why such a man had abandoned the Belmierd family to wander among rags, but at the very least, Robenalt trusted Linus’s judgment.

Robenalt, who lacked self-confidence and harbored only shallow ambitions, had never been properly recognized as the heir to Beltus.

Always in the shadow of his talented younger sister, Denise, who excelled in everything she did, Robenalt constantly watched the reactions of the vassals, making it difficult to consider him a leader.

However, sometimes, when Linus brought good liquor and they drank together, he would clap Robenalt on the shoulder and say:

“Who does everything right from the start?”

“If the time comes when my younger brother, Leonard, starts plotting something, the only person outside the family who could help Ellen would be that man. So, I want to lend him my support.”

“I agree, but it’s been a while since someone caught your attention like this, Linus.”

“Well, the affairs of the Belmierd family are their own problem, but that man will influence the Beltus family one way or another. It won’t be a bad thing.”

Robenalt didn’t know what Linus was thinking, but it seemed he held Dereck in high esteem.

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With a relaxed smile, Linus placed his hand on Robenalt’s shoulder and, with the smell of alcohol on him, said:

“In my opinion, it’s about time to reform Beltus.”

“W-what are you saying, Linus? You can’t say something like that so lightly…”

“That magic instructor of humble origins, Dereck, will try to rise somehow. In the process, he will inevitably clash with your father.”

The Duke of Beltus was someone who did not hesitate to trample and destroy anyone for power, using and even selling out his own relatives without hesitation.

What opinion did Linus have of that man, so obsessed with power? At the very least, Robenalt had never considered it.

Having freed himself from Belmierd’s influence, Linus seemed to predict the political future of the southwest even while drowning himself in alcohol and gambling.

Robenalt knew Linus’s intuition well.

The reason he could wander through casinos and live drunk without ending up on the street was thanks to that innate sense.

Linus possessed an intuition that allowed him to understand people deeply; he had an exceptional ability to measure someone’s worth.

He was painting a grand picture. Although Robenalt couldn’t see it, Linus saw the politics of the southwest as an immense canvas.

“If you give him a little push, he will help you uproot Beltus one way or another. So, if the opportunity arises, take it, Robenalt.”

“Linus… I am a man of Beltus, and I cannot remain silent if you speak ill of Beltus that way.”

“Ah, right. Sorry, sorry. Think about it carefully.”

Linus was not unaware of the situation.

Robenalt, the eldest heir of Beltus, was a narrow-minded man who lived like a machine, moving according to Duke Beltus’s orders without harboring any great ambition.

Perhaps living like that his whole life would even bring him happiness.

However, sometimes opportunities arise to break the routine.

There are moments when one faces an enormous and inexplicable wall, and moments when one must destroy the life values built up until now.

In Linus’s judgment, Dereck was more than capable of sparking such a change.

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“You and Denise live under the shadow of Beltus’s glory. Do you think this life will last forever?”

“…”

“Robenalt, you can feel deep gratitude toward the Beltus family for raising and supporting you, and you can consider loyalty a virtue, but think about it—even if only once.”

The heir of Beltus and the heir of Belmierd.

The two men, staring at each other while drinking, had completely different values and ways of life.

“You are the next leader of Beltus. Think about the importance of that fact.”

***

*Whoooosh!*

*Crackle!*

The massive magic tower located east of the main building of the Beltus residence.

The place where the mages affiliated with Duke Beltus conducted their research and training was the symbol of all magical achievements accumulated by the mages, including the Grand Duke himself.

At the top of the tower, higher than the main building, was inscribed an emergency protection circle that could be activated in times of crisis.

The protection circle, supervised by Grand Duke Beltus himself and constructed over nearly half a year by four to six mages of at least four-star rank, once activated, completely isolated the main building and all facilities, identified intruders, and unleashed magical bombardments; it was a decisive weapon for siege defense.

The circle had already begun to activate, expanding to cover the entire sky.

It was the gigantic magic circle that had never been activated since the Beltus mansion was completed.

As one of the most important facilities, control of the circle was limited to Grand Duke Beltus, a few direct relatives, and two high-ranking vassals of absolute trust.

Among them, Robenalt was the highest authority in charge of this magic tower.

“Scribe…! Legal official…! Inform the main building that the protection circle is active…!”

“Y-yes…! Young master…!”

Robenalt, clutching the necessary magic stones, hurried down the spiral staircase from the top of the tower.

As soon as the anomaly occurred in the mansion, he went up to activate the circle. Now, he just had to wait for it to deploy completely.

Though timid and fearful by nature, he knew very well what needed to be done.

The protection circle, built by numerous high-ranking mages over countless years, already far exceeded the creation capacity of any individual; it was practically a weapon of war. Activating it, even once, would entail astronomical costs, but now was not the time to think about that.

‘Once it is fully activated, I can handle the rest…’

Not even a 5-star mage could break it with fire alone; it would take a 6-star mage a considerable amount of time to destroy it.

Of course, at that very moment, a 6-star mage, the necromancer Fina, was present in the Beltus mansion, but Robenalt was unaware of this.

However, her necromancy did not focus on destructive power.

Just as Robenalt had predicted, once the protection circle was activated, the chaos within the mansion would stabilize.

With the support of the circle, Orel’s mercenaries would eliminate the monsters one by one, securing each section and maintaining the line.

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Even so, Robenalt could not help but swallow nervously.

‘I don’t know what is happening inside the mansion, but if things have reached this point… whoever is responsible must know the internal affairs of the Beltus mansion very well.’

The monsters were coming from within.

Judging by the situation, someone had prepared everything in advance.

If the plan had been so well-crafted, they would also know the power of the magic tower’s protection circle.

They would know that attacking the Beltus mansion in a siege would be suicide.

In that case, before the circle could expand completely, they would first try to capture the magic tower. The tower was the key strategic point.

And who was supposed to protect that tower?

None other than Robenalt.

“Don’t tremble… you can do this…”

Robenalt went down to the middle floor and shouted to his servants and mages.

“Take defensive positions immediately! Eliminate the monsters gathering near the tower! We must ensure there are no variables!”

“Yes, my lord!”

Normally, the servants did not follow Robenalt much.

However, they were not so foolish as to disobey orders in an urgent situation.

They immediately began inspecting the surroundings from the tower and took up defensive positions.

Fortunately, everything could be seen clearly from above.

The Orel mercenaries, who had left the barracks, began eliminating the monsters while advancing toward the main building.

The main building was half-destroyed. Considering the fire giant and the demonic hand that had covered the sky just moments ago, it was very likely that Grand Duke Beltus was fighting some entity.

“I would like to go to the main building to check right now, but I must not forget my duty…!”

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The victory condition for House Beltus was to activate the protection circle and isolate the intruders by sections to defeat them one by one.

Since Robenalt held the key to the circle, he could not act recklessly.

“What is that…?”

While observing everything from the tower, Robenalt felt something strange.

The grounds of the Beltus mansion were as large as a fair-sized town.

The massive outer wall following the perimeter was larger than those of most noble territories.

Beyond the wall, in the forest, there were armies he had never seen before.

In the center stood the main building where the Grand Duke lived.

Around it were the barracks, training fields, gardens, the magic tower, and the servants’ quarters, all protected by the outer walls.

And beyond that, there was only forest; however, he could see unknown riders advancing through the trees.

Robenalt and his servants opened their eyes wide in shock.

Private soldiers sent by Count Belmierd were approaching the southern gate of the mansion. The emblem was clearly visible on their banners.

At the front was Ellen, who had received full authority over Belmierd’s forces, riding toward them.

To the northeast were members of the Beldern mercenary group, allies of Dereck.

At the front of the line was the one-armed general, Jayden.

He was a veteran mercenary who had participated in the Dawn War and was the central figure of the Beldern mercenary corps.

Furthermore, Countess Rodelia’s unit was already sweeping through the gardens of the Beltus mansion.

They cast a glance at the magic tower that was beginning to emit a faint power, but continued advancing toward the main building.

“This cannot be… Has Belmierd drawn its swords against Beltus…? And Renuel too…? Who… who could have mobilized all these forces…?”

Robenalt thought, trembling.

Grand Duke Beltus never hesitated to make enemies of other powers and crush them, but Belmierd was different.

Moving Belmierd, a house that stood tall like an old lion watching the situation, would require more than ordinary trust.

‘We must complete the protection circle before it extends further…! Captain Orel is a veteran commander, but he won’t be able to stop them alone…’

How much longer until the protection circle is complete?

“It’s already over seventy percent done! Once the magic purification process of the tower is finished, we can immediately isolate each section!”

“We must finish before Countess Rodelia’s forces reach the main building!”

“Understood! Even if they reach the main building… once the protection circle is deployed, we will have many ways to deal with them!”

The tower’s servants boasted confidently.

Since it was a protection circle equivalent to a five-star level spell, they were not wrong.

Once activated, the Grand Duke’s mansion would have a real chance to counterattack.

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The protection circle would isolate each section and create an environment where they could bombard freely.

Countess Rodelia’s forces, charging recklessly toward the main building, would be surrounded and unable to act.

‘…’

However, a sense of unease gripped Robenalt.

Countess Rodelia was a veteran among veterans, someone who had commanded countless battlefields, not just on Rodentz Island.

For someone like her to burst directly into the main building without inside information about the mansion…

Anyone could see that the power of the magic circle emanating from the tower was unusual.

In an environment full of variables, the image of Countess Rodelia heading into the depths of enemy territory was strange.

An inevitable question arose.

Would a battle-hardened veteran really act so recklessly?

It was a scene plagued with inconsistencies.

As if she were absolutely certain that the path to the main building would inevitably open.

The reason she hadn’t even diverted her forces to the tower to neutralize the protection circle first…

Only one possibility occurred to Robenalt.

“A detachment…! She sent a detachment…!”

“W-what?!”

“Listen carefully, everyone…! Killing the monsters surrounding the tower is important, but… maintaining strict surveillance is even more crucial…!”

“Y-yes…! But there are too many monsters, and the situation is chaotic with the creatures that have already entered the tower…!”

“That is exactly what the enemy wants! I don’t know what trick they used, but their goal is to plunge the mansion into chaos. Taking advantage of that void, they plan to seize key facilities first. So, for now, forget about the ruckus caused by the monsters…”

Robenalt’s words were cut short.

*Boom! Crash!*

The inner wall connecting to the hallway.

A massive explosion erupted from that wall; it was at least three-star magic.

*Crash! Creak!*

*Thump, thump, thump, thump!*

The magic tower, centered around the spiral staircase, extended to the top floor.

There were already intruders who had managed to sneak in, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the monsters.

By the time Robenalt activated the tower’s protection and descended to the middle floor, they had already quickly infiltrated the interior.

*Swoosh!*

Smoke filtered through the shattered wall, and the few servants and mages in the room took up combat positions.

Dust rose from the collapsed wall. Robenalt also gripped the edge of his cloak tightly and swallowed hard.

It was someone Countess Rodelia trusted enough to turn her back on. He could not afford to lower his guard.

*Thump, thump.*

‘Damn it…! Damn it…!’

Robenalt’s heart began to beat wildly.

In a situation where his life was in danger, combined with the enemy attack, his hands began to shake.

No matter who emerged from that dust, he could not back down.

Those guarding the tower’s command room alongside Robenalt—the four servants—were mages who had already mastered second-level magic. They were not people who would be easily defeated.

In that atmosphere of extreme tension, the mages who had gathered magical power stared fixedly at the collapsed inner wall.

In that tension, where every second felt like an eternity, when the dust finally cleared, there was no one.

“…What?”

*Bang!*

By the time they realized that blowing up the inner wall had been a distraction, it was already too late.

A man burst through the main door of the command room.

The door, ripped from its hinges by the man’s weight, crushed one of the servants standing in front of it.

“Argh!”

*Bang! Crash!*

The servant, trapped under the torn-off door, tried to struggle, but a first-level combat spell, Fire Arrow, pierced through him.

The servant foamed at the mouth and lost consciousness due to severe burns and pain. One of the four had already fallen at the start of the battle.

“You…!”

At that instant, Robenalt gritted his teeth and gathered his magic.

The white-haired man in mercenary attire who burst into the room, Baron Dereck Lydorf Ravenclaw, was already preparing another spell. He had been reciting it even before entering, so it was impossible to catch him.

*Flash!*

First-level transformation magic, Light Creation.

Dereck’s movements, specialized in orchestrating the battlefield and overwhelming enemies, represented an insurmountable barrier for scholars accustomed to noble culture.

“Argh!”

In an instant, everyone had to close their eyes against the sudden flash.

Taking advantage of that brief moment when the enemy’s vision was obstructed, Dereck jumped over the desk near the door and lunged, knocking down one of the servants.

He drove a knife into the servant’s thigh and, before the man could even scream in pain, grabbed him by the throat and threw him backward.

His movements flowed like water.

In this way, Robenalt lost his second servant.

“Attack…! Attack!”

*Thud!*

“Gah!”

And just as another servant, who had barely recovered his sight, was about to scream while gathering magic, Dereck’s boot shot out and struck him in the throat.

After knocking down one servant and kicking backward, one of the remaining two lost his breath for a moment, but with almost superhuman mental strength, he maintained his composure and launched a first-level combat spell, Magic Arrow, aiming at Dereck.

*Thud!*

The magic arrow grazed Dereck’s shoulder, but the impact hit him squarely.

The pain was intense, but Dereck gritted his teeth and endured it, as if he were already used to it.

His expression, scowling for an instant, was that of a berserker impassive to pain.

Living as a mercenary surrounded by labyrinths and monsters meant taking direct hits from magic or swords on more than one occasion.

The difference between those who endure pain and those who do not is clearly seen in actual combat.

“A tantrum…!”

“Stop! Curse you!”

When Dereck grabbed the servant who still possessed some sanity by the neck, the last servant drew his sword and lunged at him.

But when Dereck used the other servant’s body as a shield, the attacker’s sword stopped prematurely.

“Ugh…!”

A moment of hesitation.

Dereck, a veteran of real combat, did not miss that opportunity.

He threw the unconscious servant aside and kicked the hilt of the sword, sending it flying from the servant’s hands.

While the servant, now disarmed, looked at him in terror, Dereck had already closed the distance and slammed his fist into the man’s solar plexus.

“Whew, huff…”

The last servant rolled on the floor, and Dereck pounced on him, pinning him down.

Shortly after, his breathing normalized; he was unconscious.

How many seconds had passed until that moment?

In that instant of confusion and held breath, all the servants in the command room had fallen. Only Robenalt and Dereck remained.

Sitting atop the last unconscious servant, Dereck confirmed he was completely out of combat and immediately looked up.

The last guardian of the command room, Prince Robenalt, was now reflected in his eyes.

‘A tantrum…!’

Immediately, fear invaded Robenalt’s heart.

Even so, he gritted his teeth and grabbed the magic wand on the desk.

“Baron Ravenclaw…”

“…”

Dereck, who didn’t even respond, looked as if he were possessed by a specter.

The Dereck who roamed the battlefield was completely different in aura and presence from the one who sat quietly in a noble mansion.

Fina had once said that Dereck’s true abilities only surfaced in blood-soaked places.

And now he proved it: his gaze was frigid, infinitely cold. Compared to his kind treatment of Aiselin, the difference was enough to turn anyone’s blood cold.

— Robenalt. If you ever meet Baron Ravenclaw, it would be wise to be very careful.

The words of his old friend Linus, spoken through laughter, resonated in his mind.

‘Gasp… gasp…’

When Robenalt was young, he once encountered a wild wolf in the forest while returning by carriage.

Facing that beast, which radiated an experienced presence even amidst its murderous intent, it was impossible to distinguish who was the hunter and who was the prey.

An immense fear gripped him.

The feeling he had now was exactly the same.