Chapter 12: The Count's Triumph
“Considering the influence of Count Laurel, it is not entirely impossible. After all, the power of the Laurel family originates from the Count himself.”
“Is it really that significant...?”
Evie Ariate asked with skepticism in response to Diez's words. Diez nodded without hesitation.
“You are aware of where the Count has been all this ti, right?”
“Yes, he was in Vis.”
“More accurately, he was at the boundary of Vis.”
Boundary.
The continent's sole border region situated east of Vis.
A war that began a staggering 300 years ago continued to this very day there.
However, it was not a conflict between humans, but an unfortunate incident born from the madness of a great being.
“At the eastern boundary, where Amanecer is located.”
The ominous na Diez uttered struck Evie's ears.
Amanecer.
It was once the na of a golden dragon that protected Thiendavis.
Known as ‘Amanecer, the Awakener of Dawn’, it safeguarded Thiendavis from tidal waves and typhoons.
However, due to a tragedy 300 years ago, it forgot its sacred role.
Corrupted and driven to madness by Noche's Curse.
Thus, the dragon was imprisoned in the east of Vis and continued to rampage even now.
“It's the duty of the Laurel family to imprison and monitor the rampaging Amanecer in the east. Currently, it's the task being executed by Count Laurel.”
“I understand that he plays a crucial role. But does that an he can override the opinions of other high-ranking nobles on his own? The Bayen family is also protecting Vis, isn’t it?”
Evie questioned, referring to another major noble, Duchess Bayen.
Just like Evie said, Bayen is a deeply rooted military family, and their army was active throughout Vis.
“But the roles of Laurel and Bayen are completely different.”
Diez replied lightly, picking up a teacup from the table.
He continued his explanation as he refined the tea.
“For starters, the army of Duchess Bayen manages the security of Vis. They are stationed in cities lacking self-defense capabilities, eliminate bandits, resolve incidents caused by Noche's Curse, and sotis hunt the Clan of the Night. Essentially, they are an army for the residents of Vis.”
Evie nodded, recalling past experiences.
When she was in Vis, she often saw soldiers in heavy armor marching with a flag bearing a black whale.
That black whale was the symbol of the Bayen family.
“On the other hand, the Laurel family's army, the Eastern Sentinels, only station themselves at the eastern boundary. They monitor Amanecer and prevent the monsters of the boundary from coming out.”
It ans that while Laurel's army is ant to thwart the imnse threat of Amanecer, Bayen's army aims for the peace and stability of Vis.
Evie pondered what distinguished these two, her eyebrows furrowing in thought.
“It seems the nobles have little interest in the army of Duchess Bayen.”
“Exactly. Except for nobles with estates on the lower continent, most are indifferent. Whatever happens in Vis doesn't affect the nobles of Thienda much.”
Evie pinpointed the heart of the matter, and Diez slyly smiled at her astuteness.
Perhaps the nobles of Thienda were unaware.
Unaware that Evie, who skillfully took on any topic, had only been systematically educated for two years.
Prior to that, Evie barely knew how to read, since surviving in a harsh land left her no ti for anything else.
Yet, to adapt to the noble society of Thienda, she swiftly conquered what others took over a decade to learn.
Boldly, efficiently, and persistently.
Most nobles believed Evie's only rit lay in her voice, supposedly blessed by Manyanya Tower.
But Diez, having watched Evie closely, thought differently.
He was convinced that Evie's true strength, incomprehensible to the nobles, lay in her intelligence and courage.
Feeling a renewed admiration for Evie, Diez continued without showing it.
“In contrast, Amanecer is a threat to Thienda as well. You’ve learned that Amanecer once tried to drop Thienda into the sea.”
“Yes, I know. So the army of Duchess Bayen deals with matters that don’t directly concern Thienda, while Count Laurel's army and the Grand Duke prevent direct threats to Thienda, correct?”
Evie's annoyingly precise summary finally drew a chuckle from Diez.
“Exactly. And the more important point here is that while anyone can take on the role of Bayen's army, the mission of Count Laurel can only be carried out by the Count himself.”
“Why is that?”
“Do you have any idea how large Amanecer is?”
“No, I don’t.”
“It's said that when it spreads its wings, it can cover all of Thienda.”
“That’s a lie.”
“It’s the truth. Think of Manyanya.”
When Evie expressed doubt, Diez ntioned Manyanya with conviction.
After the purification ceremony, when the murky water turned as clear as air, the bottom of the lake was fully visible.
And the silhouette of Manyanya, buried in mud and silt, nestled so deeply that its enormous body filled the lakebed completely.
Reflecting on such an imnse Manyanya, Evie slowly accepted it.
Indeed, even when cramped, it was that large, and if it spread its wings, it could cover Thienda and then so.
Additionally, Thienda was much smaller compared to Vis.
With its mountains, fields, and rivers, Vis could easily be classified as a continent, whereas Thienda was rely a tiny island barely holding a lake.
Nevertheless, Evie was quite impressed that a single creature could rival Thienda in size.
And the follow-up from Diez astonished Evie even further.
“The Count is single-handedly capturing and monitoring such a being. Alone.”
“Alone?”
“The mission is passed down to the second sons of the Laurel family. Bringing down Amanecer, subduing it again, and keeping it from leaving the east. That's their role.”
“How is that possible?”
The idea of single-handedly bringing down and restraining a dragon as large as Thienda bewildered Evie, prompting her to ask with a face full of surprise, to which Diez responded clearly.
“Just as Miss Evie monopolized the blessing of Manyanya, the Count is exclusively using the blessing of Tardes.”
The four dragons that the god fashioned following the sky.
Amanecer, the Awakener of Dawn.
Manyanya, the Ruler of Day.
Tardes, the Watcher of Dusk.
And Noche, the Observer of Night.
These once glorious beings, who nurtured the continent, each faced a different catastrophe due to Noche’s defection.
Amanecer, driven mad and rampant.
Manyanya, exhausted, fell into a deep sleep.
Tardes, gravely wounded and silent.
Noche, shattered to pieces and the origin of the curse.
Among them, like Manyanya, Tardes once lent its blessing to humans it cherished.
However, unlike the gentle blessing of Manyanya, its blessing was extraordinarily fierce and destructive.
Receiving that power and battling Amanecer for a lifeti was the duty and harsh mission of successive Counts of the Laurel family.
“Therefore, the Count is the only being capable of stopping Amanecer. In essence, he is the savior protecting Thiendavis from the mad dragon.”
Diez's grand evaluation left Evie speechless.
The daunting influence of the Count was far more imnse than Evie had imagined, and realizing she had been oblivious to it was quite a shock.
Evie, who had been rapidly acquiring knowledge, found herself needing to choose what to retain and what to discard.
Information about Zion Laurel, a Count who had disregarded Thienda for the past seven years, was naturally thrown out.
Thus, Evie's understanding of the Count was only skin-deep.
The knowledge that Laurel's brother was stationed in Vis, and perhaps related to Amanecer, was all she had.
However, the facets of the Count newly revealed by Diez far surpassed Evie’s interpretation, leaving her quite flustered.
“I... insulted such a person, didn’t I?”
Evie muttered with a suddenly shocked expression.
Though she hadn't been there, she’d heard stories of the eastern boundary several tis.
A land where the venom of the deranged dawn dragon, Amanecer, ignited the ground, and boundless monstrous offspring, reversing nature’s order, continued to erge, baring their fangs—a hell in this world.
And Zion Laurel—alone in such a place, monitoring the dragon...
“Isn't he superior to , then?”
Evie said, her voice tinged with a sense of crisis. Diez coldly agreed.
“Of course, the Count is far superior, and in terms of significance, it's a landslide victory. It’s inconvenient without water, but should Amanecer be released, it’d result in annihilation.”
Upon hearing this, Evie's face beca even paler.
By now, she had no choice but to acknowledge it.
There was indeed enough power backing the Count’s statent about preventing Evie’s saintess appointnt; his words were no re bluff.
“However, that doesn’t an the Count can command or coerce other great nobles. The Sedros, Bayens, and Montres all have roles just as vital as Laurel’s.”
As Evie's face turned ghostly white, Diez offered a not-so-comforting reassurance.
Yet, those words scarcely reached Evie.
‘To whom does such an extraordinary person owe a debt?’
The reason the Count approached her was even more suspicious.
He swore on his family, so it couldn't be a lie, and yet no clear picture erged.
Simultaneously, a sweet possibility lood beyond the doubts.
If the Count was that extraordinary, wouldn't it be possible for him to protect her from the tower’s master?
If indeed there was a duty for him to safeguard and look after her.
Evie recalled the events at the tower from the previous day.
The Count had seen her in her wet ceremonial dress and offered his coat.
He heaved Miel Sedro, a fellow noble, aside to aid Evie.
And when she'd toppled him, even pinning and covering his mouth, he neither shook her off nor rebuked her.
rely extended his hand to gently press her cheeks.
Evie suddenly rembered the sensation of the Count holding her cheeks.
Embarrassed, she fanned her face to cool the rising heat.
Truly, that incident was utterly exasperating.
Such was not an action befitting a lady.
Yet, it was a kind of contact that would never occur without interest.
‘He’s certainly been lenient with .’
After much contemplation, Evie conceded.
Though neither kind nor affectionate, let alone polite, the Count had been quite indulgent to her.
Enduring even the vile words she spewed due to the curse, a stranger noble could not have been more generous.
With that, Evie considered if she could cautiously put a little trust...
‘No, snap out of it.’
Realizing her heart was leaning, Evie shook her head swiftly.
In this world, nothing cos without a price.
Every affair arises only to those deserving.
Thus, if luck seemingly beyond one’s reach arrives without cost, it must be t with suspicion.
After all, bait always cos with a trap.
“...You're right. Like you said, other nobles exist and the Count has a lot to his na, so he will likely act within reason.”
Evie remarked calmly, pulling her anxious heart back to balance.
She wouldn’t trust the Count just yet.
Yet, she wouldn’t dismiss favorable possibilities either.
The Count professed his purpose as repaying a debt.
Supporting and protecting Evie entirely for that reason.
Preventing her saintess appointnt was part of that effort, which ant the Count didn’t have many cards to play.
No matter what, he wouldn’t harshly push soone he aid to protect.
With things in this perspective, Evie held faint hope.
The Count would be as subtly generous as before—a truly futile hope.
.
.
.
The next day, the reserved Zion Laurel, Count of Laurel, finally declared his stance on Evie Ariate.
It was precisely a week after the infamous banquet.
“I, Zion Laurel, firmly oppose the appointnt of Evie Ariate as the saintess, who has disgraced the Laurel Grand Duchy.
Nevertheless, should the decision-makers insist and appoint her, I declare I shall suspend the mission of monitoring Amanecer until this decision is retracted, to restore honor.”
The Count’s statent was brief.
Yet, it was sufficient to throw the Thienda nobility into upheaval.
In essence, it was a threat aid at all Thienda, with the intention to strangle every noble's neck by ticulously issuing orders.
Because of this, the nobles, their heels proverbially on fire, collectively directed their arrows at one point.
Daring, they accused Evie Ariate of a virtual treason against the protector of Thienda, Count Laurel.
Despite having proclaid he would protect and care for Evie, the Count was now poised to dismantle everything of hers first.
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