Chapter 42: Spear Wraith Seren Luna (2)
The na Kyle Ragnar was not yet known across the continent.
A remote nation.
There were not many who were curious about the current situation of the Daon Kingdom.
Even so, Duke Luna knew of a place called the Ragnar Family.
“……A family that guards the Monster Mountain Range, Ragnar.”
“That is correct.”
“I have heard of it. The genius of the Ragnar Family, but I heard he went missing the year he turned thirteen?”
At the ti, it was the prevailing belief that if the Daon Kingdom were ever to possess a Master, it would be Kyle Ragnar.
However, Kyle Ragnar went missing before he could live up to those expectations.
After that, the Ragnar Family declined, and with the death of the previous Head of the Family, it was understood that their influence within the Daon Kingdom had gradually faded.
“That person is our lord.”
“……Is this what it ans for the dynasty to change? Then who will be the one elevated to king?”
“It will be our lord’s younger brother. He is also the current Head of the Ragnar Family.”
“Ah…….”
“Soon, rumors will begin to spread. Ridiculous stories like how our lord froze the Great Hall of the Daon Kingdom.”
Those who did not know Kyle might think the rumors that would spread from now on were absurd.
But those who knew Kyle accepted them as a matter of course.
Duke Luna nodded and looked at Aron as she spoke.
“So the Daon Royal Family tried to suppress my master with authority?”
“That is correct.”
“The Daon Royal Family must be in an uproar. They finally got the Master they wanted so badly, only to end up on opposing sides with the Royal Family.”
After Kyle overturned the Royal Palace, the Royal Family, which should have clashed with the Ragnar Family, found itself suddenly restrained by the appearance of the 1st Legion.
It did not take her long to foresee that much.
After all, she too was a duke of a nation.
Moreover, she was a woman who had endured within the Tylers Empire, a place far more complex and entangled like a spider’s web than the Daon Kingdom.
Aron t her gaze and spoke.
“I will not deny it.”
“What does my master want from ?”
“He likely wants you to tie down the Daon Kingdom.”
“Even without the 1st Legion confronting them at the border, my master should be capable of raising the Ragnar Family into a dynasty.”
“If it ca to that, it might take quite a long ti. The situation of the Ragnar Family is not very good.”
With Kyle’s return, the Ragnar Family had only just managed to catch its breath.
If they were to wage war against the Royal Family at this point, even victory would not truly be victory.
Duke Luna, upon hearing that, looked toward the distant mountains while stroking her chin, then turned her gaze back to Aron.
“I heard that the Ragnar Family originally generated funds through an iron mine. Have you perhaps reclaid the iron mine that was taken from you?”
“We have reclaid part of it. Even that was only possible because our lord stepped in.”
“How much ti do you need?”
“Even three months would be fine. No, if you could confront them for even one month, we will find a way sohow.”
At Aron’s desperate gaze, Duke Luna folded her arms and closed her eyes.
Choosing whether to maintain a standoff or to cross the Daon Kingdom’s border was not an easy decision.
If the 1st Legion were to confront them at the border for three months, it was only natural that the burden on the Tylers Empire would increase.
After a long deliberation, Duke Luna made her decision and opened her closed eyes.
“I will confront them. For three months, the 1st Legion can tie down the Daon Royal Family. Instead, let
set one condition as well.”
“Please speak.”
“I have heard that Ragnar not only has iron, but also top-grade monster byproducts. Grant the Luna Family exclusive rights to trade the northern monster byproducts.”
Despite her relationship with Kyle, Duke Luna was not soone who would handle matters emotionally.
Setting aside personal feelings and thinking realistically about what to gain was the duty of a Head of the Family who led a house.
However, Aron could not hastily agree to her condition.
“……There is a problem.”
“The issue would be the route to transport the monster byproducts all the way to the Tylers Empire, right?”
“Is there a thod?”
“It’s not that difficult, is it? There exists a convenient transportation facility called a teleportation gate, so what is there to worry about?”
Duke Luna also knew that, for now, it was realistically impossible.
Still, she was not making an unreasonable demand.
She judged that if it were Kyle Ragnar, he could settle matters decisively with the Daon Royal Family and make the north independent while the 1st Legion bought ti.
Aron sensed the intent behind her words, but since this was a kind of transaction, he wanted to be certain.
“You know that it is difficult at the mont.”
“I know.”
“Then do you require a contract docunt?”
“What contract? I know well that my master is not foolish enough to break a promise, so there is no need for that.”
They could first make a verbal promise, and after the standoff ended, et Kyle and draw up a contract.
At Duke Luna’s gaze as she said that, Seros, who had been quietly watching, let out a soft chuckle.
“I promise that the promise will not be broken.”
“That will be enough.”
After promising a three-month standoff, Duke Luna looked up at the sky.
After a long while, she lowered her head and shifted her gaze back to Aron.
“I do not want my master to be put in a difficult position either. The mont the Daon Royal Family touches the troops at the border, the 1st Legion will march on the Royal Capital.”
“But why did you ntion monster byproducts rather than exclusive iron trading rights? If Your Grace had wanted exclusive iron trade, we would have granted it.”
It was unexpected.
The iron produced from the Monster Mountain Range was so valuable that sellers could na their price.
If the Luna Family were to enter an exclusive trade with Ragnar, they could firmly establish their standing even within the Tylers Empire.
Yet Duke Luna made an unexpected choice.
At Aron’s question, which seed difficult to understand, she let out a small smile.
“On the day when my Aura Hall was blocked and I could not even lift a spear, he accepted
as a disciple. My master ultimately cured my illness and opened my Aura Road.”
“……Are you repaying that debt of gratitude?”
“How could I repay that grace with sothing as trivial as this transaction?”
When she t Ian Kailers and beca his disciple, Duke Luna thought she had encountered the greatest fortune of her life.
A person who not only saved her, who was dying from illness, but also opened her blocked Aura Road.
In the end, being able to reach the Master-level Realm was thanks to Kyle’s grace.
“I must repay this grace to my master over my entire lifeti.”
“So that is why you confessed so persistently?”
“……Do you want to die?”
At Aron’s words, Duke Luna’s eyes narrowed, and killing intent leaked out.
She had confessed to Kyle countless tis, and in order to sohow win his heart, she had trained with the spear like a madwoman.
Because he said he liked strong won, she had risen all the way to Master.
And when she went to see Kyle again after that, she was rejected on the grounds that she did not have a feminine disposition.
Separate from that debt of gratitude, Duke Luna genuinely adored Kyle.
Having felt killing intent after touching the wrong nerve, Aron flinched his shoulders and erased the smile from his lips.
“……I spoke out of turn. I apologize.”
Liking soone does not require a reason.
Simply being by that person’s side made her happy and content.
Because she was a duke of the Empire, she could not ignore practical considerations, so she rely created reasons and set conditions.
If it were up to her heart, she wanted to do everything Kyle wished without any conditions.
However, as the head who led a family, that was difficult.
“If I can make even a small connection, I’ll be satisfied with that.”
“……Was it to that extent?”
He had not known that the affection she held for Kyle ran this deep.
He had thought it was simply because he was her master, or because Kyle was a figure who exerted considerable influence within the Empire, and that she had fallen for that image.
Just like the imperial won who tried by any ans to marry Kyle.
Sensing his thoughts, Duke Luna glared at Aron, and he quickly waved his hands before he could feel killing intent.
“Surely you didn’t think I saw Your Grace the sa as those imperial won who desperately try to marry our lord. Your Grace is clearly different.”
“Yes. If I were rely that kind of woman, I would probably have confessed to my elder brother first before confessing to my master. But I don’t really like faces like that.”
At the abruptly jabbing remark, Seros frowned.
It seed that her impudence needed to be corrected at least once.
“Luna, may I take that as aning you want to fight right now?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m still no match for my elder brother.”
“Tsk.”
At the sound of Seros clicking his tongue, Duke Luna let out a small laugh.
“At least it’s a relief. Seeing you safe like this, I can finally set my mind at ease. That my master has at least my elder brother by his side.”
“……Our lord would live just fine even without . It’s simply fortunate that I can remain by our lord’s side.”
Seros turned his body.
Since everything that needed to be agreed upon had already been discussed, there was no need to remain here.
“Then take care, Luna.”
“You too, elder brother. I heard there are monsters living in the Monster Mountain Range, so be careful.”
“I already ran into one of the monsters lurking in the mountains. It stirred my competitive spirit for the first ti in a while.”
“……To that extent?”
“It was at a similar realm to mine.”
At his words, Duke Luna’s mouth fell open.
Seros was known as the second strongest in the Tylers Empire by martial might.
To think it was at a similar realm to him…….
She looked at Seros with incredulous eyes, but his words were not finished.
“I heard there are seven such monsters. It’s interesting. Should I say it’s been a while since I felt this competitive spirit?”
“……What about my master?”
“Don’t worry. Even if it costs
my life, I will protect our lord.”
“Please don’t say things like that. To my master, you are a aningful person.”
“Does it look that way?”
“Even if he speaks bluntly and decisively, my master cherishes you. That much is certain.”
She thought it was simply that he did not know how to express emotions.
If Seros had not returned together to Ragnar, he would have thought that way about Kyle for the rest of his life.
But after returning to Ragnar, Kyle changed.
Watching him from his side, Seros realized it.
‘……He must have known he would return to Ragnar soday, so he tried not to grow attached.’
From the mont they returned to the Ragnar Territory, things subtly changed.
And there was no way Seros would miss even that slight subtlety.
The fact that Kyle, who had always remained detached and issued only strict orders to the mbers of the Special Operations Unit without forming attachnts, had changed.
Seros turned his body again and looked Duke Luna straight in the eye.
“I cannot understand what feelings led our lord to remain in the Empire. No, I can’t. How could soone like
possibly understand?”
“Elder brother.”
“That is why I intend to protect him. I will strive for the sake of the Ragnar Family that he so desperately wants to protect. So do not let the Tylers Empire beco our lord’s enemy.”
At Seros’s warning, Duke Luna nodded firmly.
There was now one more reason to further strengthen Emperor Adrian’s authority.
‘There’s no need to worry about the other grand dukes, but the problem is Duke Laika.’
While Duke Luna had been away for a short ti, Duke Laika’s faction had been steadily growing.
Of course, compared to Emperor Adrian’s forces, it was still far inferior, but it was impossible not to be concerned.
‘If my master had not supported His Majesty, the imperial throne would have gone to Duke Laika in the end. For him, now—when my master is not in the Empire—must be an opportunity.’
While Duke Luna was lost in thought, Aron and Seros left without another word.
Only then did she look at Seros’s group as they departed without hesitation, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
‘I wish I had a chance to visit the Ragnar Territory soday.’
With that thought, Duke Luna also turned her body.
Kyle, who had been relaxing at his mansion for the first ti in a while, drank alcohol and reminisced about the past.
― I like you, Master.
― I refuse.
― ……At least tell
the reason you’re refusing.
― Because I like strong won.
It had rely been an excuse.
But Seren Luna, at Kyle’s words, swung her spear with desperate, life-or-death persistence.
And as ti passed, when Seren rose to Master and confessed again, Kyle refused just the sa.
― I refuse.
― You said you like strong won, so I reached Master. What’s the reason this ti?
― I do like strong won, but I want to et a feminine spouse.
― ……I’ll try.
That was her last confession.
In order to cultivate a feminine side, Seren worked to build refinent.
She even temporarily put down the spear she loved so much, and was so earnest that she went as far as taking bridal lessons to beco a good partner.
“……I should avoid her.”
If they were to et again this ti, Kyle was certain that Duke Seren Luna would confess again.
That was the kind of woman she was.
She possessed a strong temperant and a tenacious personality that would take whatever she wanted no matter what.
In the Tylers Empire, he had rejected her with all sorts of absurd and unreasonable excuses just to shake her off.
And now that he had returned to Ragnar, there were far too many reasons to refuse.
“I hope she ets a good person.”
Looking out the window, Kyle continued to pour drinks until late into the night.
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