Chosen by the Northern Grand Duke

Chapter 15: Report

Once, when Elaine became Grand Duke, she said something like this:

“Truth be told, my father wasn’t without flaws. As a child, I followed him blindly, but he was ignorant. He only knew strength.”

She was right.

Grand Duke Aratus Serzila wasn’t cut out to be a gardener. He was a born warrior.

To me, it was much the same.

The Elaine of my previous life only knew strength too.

She was clever, but that was my influence. Originally, Elaine was ignorant.

‘Like father, like daughter.’

The mansion’s door was open.

Grand Duke Aratus expected my visit.

‘My evaluation’s pretty good this time.’

Proof he liked me, in a way.

Otherwise, he’d have sent knights to drag me in.

A cold wave surged through the door. The Grand Duke’s Aura, dominating the Inner Fortress.

Unlike the first day, my bones didn’t ache. It wasn’t heavy either. His Aura pressing on me only stiffened my back.

Thanks to my raised rank. And proof he wasn’t truly angry.

The Grand Duke’s study door was open too.

A sign to come in without fuss.

The door closed as I entered.

Preserved mage heads on the walls greeted me.

‘Grim hobby, as always.’

I felt no sympathy. Most Otherworld mages deserved death. But I wouldn’t revel in it.

‘Maybe now I’m not sure.’

At least Grand Duke Aratus would enjoy their deaths.

His eyes, fiercer than a Magical Beast’s, looked down at me.

“Tasty?”

He noticed my rank had risen.

And that I’d used the tunnel and taken a heart at the Border.

‘Like father, like daughter.’

I was certain again.

Aratus was clever too. He just didn’t feel the need to use it.

‘Or doesn’t want to.’

Either way was fine.

“Not tasty.”

“Your Origin says otherwise.”

“I eat out of necessity. I’m a mage.”

“Like them.”

Aratus glanced at the preserved heads.

“They don’t have Serzila’s seal.”

I showed the seal.

Given by Aratus himself.

“Think you’ve proven your worth? Just by crawling through a rat’s nest?”

“There seem to be plenty less useful than me in Serzila.”

Aratus’ eyebrow twitched.

Flames flared across my body, resisting his pressing Aura.

‘Not angry.’

If he was truly furious, I’d have died instantly, not resisted.

That was the gap between us.

“No one knew about that nest. I caught rats no one knew about.”

“Go on.”

The Aura lifted. I doused my flames.

He liked bold, capable ones.

“There are more. I’ll find them.”

“Go on.”

“I plan to enter the Border through the found tunnel.”

“Denied.”

Boom!

My body slammed into the floor. I couldn’t react. He was slightly angry.

‘This is slightly?’

Staring at the floor, I laughed hollowly.

4th Rank vaguely understood an Origin, projecting it slightly. 5th Rank fully manifested it.

6th Rank shook the world’s laws through their Origin.

‘No surprise.’

Aratus was no less than a 6th Rank. I felt a fragment of that in his faint anger.

Which made it stranger.

How could such a strong man die horribly?

“I’ve already been once.”

Despite my churning insides, I spoke without stuttering. Blood sprayed from my lips.

“That’s why you’re alive. Once.”

One more time, and I’d die.

‘If he knew Ellen went, he’d kill me now.’

The report likely didn’t mention Ellen.

I’d considered confessing, but good thing I didn’t.

“Because of the imperial decree?”

Aratus was silent. Agreement.

Serzila couldn’t encroach on the Border.

At best, they sent one or two secretly to the second wall.

Even that, if caught by the Empire or Church, would bring punishment.

“You want to dominate the Border, I presume.”

“Who said that?”

“My own guess.”

“…”

Half my body sank into the floor.

I barely raised my face to meet his eyes.

His red eyes were hard to read.

So I decided to finish my words.

“The North wants fire. But doesn’t need it. You said that.”

“…”

“I’m a mage. A mage at the Border isn’t strange.”

The Aura loosened.

Not enough to stand. A sign to keep talking.

“I’ll find out. Up to the 2nd Stage Border.”

“Go on.”

“If I’m a burden, cut me off.”

If caught, sever the tail.

Here, I was the tail.

“Can you uncover the Border?”

“My Origin suggests I can.”

I’d been to the Border and taken a heart.

“You expect me to trust your tongue?”

Only I knew if the heart was from a living or dead being.

‘Testing me?’

No. If he knew about Ellen, he wouldn’t react so mildly.

I’d be crushed, not pressed.

“Someone tampered with the 1st Knights’ wall. Go find out.”

***

‘Like father, like daughter.’

My past life’s conclusion was right.

Aratus and Elaine were too alike.

Like Elaine, Aratus wanted to conquer the Otherworld.

The Border was a bridgehead for that.

But Serzila couldn’t control it. Because of the imperial decree.

‘The decree.’

With Aratus’ nature, he’d have defied it, but Serzila lacked the leeway.

The Emperor and Church watched with hawk eyes, waiting for a misstep.

‘Aratus is already serving the Emperor’s sabbatical punishment.’

Sending troops to the Border would prompt the Empire and Church to march north.

Serzila, sending forces upward, couldn’t stop them.

‘Killing him might be right.’

The Emperor was a hindrance. The more I thought, the more I felt Elaine’s regrets.

The future of falling to the Otherworld was bad enough, but the Empire and Church were maddeningly frustrating.

That only a returnee could solve it was even more so.

‘The more I provoke, the more she dreams?’

I wanted Elaine’s memories to return quickly.

How many dreams would make her feel the dissonance?

‘But it’s Elaine.’

No matter how I imagined, I couldn’t picture her accepting the return.

She’d dismiss it as dreams to the end.

“Then tell me my secret.”

Her words came to mind.

Her secret of being a woman. Would that make her accept the return?

I doubted it.

I’d already contacted Ellen.

She’d think she was exposed, not that I returned.

‘Should I not have contacted her?’

Then I couldn’t have provoked her.

Contact was the right choice. She was dreaming.

‘Tricky.’

I clicked my tongue anew.

‘Elaine should’ve been the returnee.’

That foolish superior got it wrong.

I should’ve been the one dreaming.

“Need to rest first.”

My insides settled, but my body ached.

Especially my neck, from defiantly meeting Aratus’ eyes in his brutal Aura.

“Should take a day.”

I planned to head to the 1st Knights tomorrow.

I walked the snow-covered path.

Servants I passed avoided my gaze. Knights’ looks were unkind.

No big deal. I’d experienced it before, and it’d resolve later.

Probably faster this time.

What surprised me was the lit annex.

A maid delivering food already? But inside, Ellen waited at the entrance.

“How’d it go?”

Her voice was sharp.

Her face looked startled, half-apologetic.

‘Official in the Inner Fortress too?’

Shameless or clueless?

The former, given she was never caught in my previous life.

“Roughly sorted. Got permission to search new tunnels. Can go to the Border through the found one.”

Ellen’s eyes widened.

“His Grace allowed that?”

Thanks to offering myself as the tail.

I didn’t plan to explain.

“That’s right.”

“What about me?”

Ellen asked reflexively.

“Didn’t mention you.”

“Why?”

“Want to come again? Didn’t know.”

“…”

Ellen bit her lip.

After a while, she spoke as if finding an answer.

“I’m your watchdog. Don’t know what you’d do alone.”

“His Grace allowed it.”

“…”

“Kidding. A reliable vanguard like you puts me at ease.”

Ellen’s eyes narrowed.

“Sneak along?”

“No other way. How could a hostage like me ask to borrow Inner Fortress talent?”

“…”

“If I mentioned you, I wouldn’t have gotten permission. I’d have been scolded for thinking I could handle the Border alone.”

Ellen nodded slowly.

Aratus was that kind of person. It made sense to her.

“If it’s a burden, don’t come.”

“…I’ll think about it.”

She said, but I was sure she’d come. Her face was already excited.

“The next tunnel might lead to the 2nd Stage Border.”

I said in passing.

Ellen’s face flushed more.

“If you find the informant, it’ll help. If I’m right, they’re tied to another tunnel.”

The informant noticed me eliminating the Flower District’s business. So they reported me.

If they’re gone, great; if identified, still a gain.

“So the Grand Heir’s visit was pointless? She came to free you.”

Elaine’s visit threw my plan off slightly.

The informant now knew Serzila backed me.

“That’s why we hurry. Before they vanish.”

“Or tell other associates.”

“You catch on quick.”

Ellen looked proud.

“They won’t vanish completely. People might, but tunnels don’t.”

Ellen would call a Bureau agent.

Or already had.

“Got it. But is this place always so empty?”

Nodding heavily, Ellen scanned the annex.

No people, barely traces of them.

“Servants?”

“They come at mealtimes.”

“Otherwise?”

“Just me.”

Except for the meal-bringer, the small annex was always just me.

There was a time that bothered me. Not now.

“Why?”

“Few weirdos want to hang with a mage. You’re the odd one.”

“Personal tastes don’t matter. It’s Serzila’s rule.”

Ellen frowned.

A guest’s annex should have resident servants.

The guest system was obsolete, but it was Serzila’s rule.

Rules must be followed.

Even if I was a hostage, not a guest.

The Grand Duke ordered my capture.

“Why’re you mad?”

“…Not at you. At the Inner Fortress ignoring rules.”

“Loyal, huh? People might think you’re Inner Fortress staff.”

“The Bureau’s involved enough.”

“Aren’t you a rookie?”

“So what?”

Ellen brushed it off.

Her anger lingered. She kept scanning the annex.

“No need to be mad. I like being alone. Now too.”

“Telling me to get lost?”

“Not lost, leave carefully. I need rest today. Got plans tomorrow.”

Ellen, about to get angrier, tilted her head.

“What plans?”

“Going to the 1st Knights.”

“Why there?”

To mingle with knights?

A mage?

“His Grace said to earn their respect. Condition for the tunnel matter.”

“If you don’t?”

“What can I do? Give up the tunnel.”

“…”

Ellen nodded heavily.

She looked resolved, likely to follow.

“Don’t follow, absolutely.”

“…”

“You’ll disappoint me if you do.”

Disappoint.

For some reason, that word scared Ellen.