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“…Brother, what are you doing up?” Mircel approached, rubbing his sleepy eyes. I had only lit one lamp and stayed quiet to avoid waking him, but it seemed to be in vain.

What could I do? It was your fault for deciding to stay here for the night instead of going home. I answered nonchalantly, “Just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?”

“Just this and that.”

After the meeting ended, the Empire provided us with lodging, saying that traveling in the rain would be difficult. Conveniently, the mistress and Deisel had left for other matters, and since we were in the Empire’s territory, I thought nothing would go wrong.

Seven days. No, now six days since the day had changed. Even if it only buys us a day, they say you should be cautious in your final days, even of falling leaves.

I shook my head to dispel my loosening thoughts. Seeing my gesture, Mircel laughed as if he had misunderstood something.

“No matter how much you act like it doesn’t bother you, it still does, doesn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Aren’t you anxious? That count looked like he wanted to kill you on the spot.”

I replied casually to his concern, “There’s nothing to worry about regarding that.”

“Eh?”

Because he will die soon. I swallowed the latter part of my sentence. The Schweike family name, though not as frequent as Tenest, often appeared in the game. In none of the timelines I played was Heinrich ever the lord of Schweike.

The background story I remember described him as a weak young lord who lost his father early and took his position at a very young age. He would not become a static enemy that would haunt me continuously.

Likewise, as I mentioned before, no war would break out. I’ve never heard of a war between these two families.

However, as I organized my thoughts, a sudden suspicion arose. Could Heinrich’s death be deeply connected to the mistress?

***

“Please come inside, Count.”

Ahille walked ahead through the castle’s corridors as if it were her own home. Servants, attendants, and soldiers lined up on either side of the path, resembling a welcoming parade for the master’s return.

Heinrich, who had been standing still, followed her with complicated feelings while his eyes busily scanned the surroundings.

‘She didn’t enter with troops, so how on earth…?’

There was not a drop of blood on the floor, and there were no signs of battle on the soldiers. Given the situation, he could only think it was all due to persuasion. Ahille stepped back behind Heinrich and spoke.

“Please take a seat, Count. You’re not well.”

Her words acted as a signal, and Heinrich felt a burning pain in his solar plexus. He collapsed weakly onto the throne.

“…What is going on here? Someone answer me!”

He shouted so loudly that the audience chamber seemed to shake, but no one answered. They all just bowed their heads in shame. The response came from Ahille.

“Are you surprised? Everyone ignores your words.”

“Heh!”

Heinrich let out a hollow laugh and roared once more at the courtiers lined up below the throne.

“Who? Who among you decided to hand over Schweike to this fox? Who led this rebellion? Was it you, Chancellor? Or you, Knight Commander?”

When no one answered again, Ahille spoke with a seemingly pitiful expression.

“It’s not like that, Count. Everyone here is helping me as individuals.”

“Ridiculous! What did you promise them in return?”

Ahille put her finger to her lips.

“They agreed to keep their mouths shut. Each had a secret to hide.”

Heinrich’s eyes widened in confusion, and Ahille continued.

“A shame they’d like to erase. A crime they’d be judged for. An unrequited love. A confidential matter. Everyone has something they want to keep hidden.”

Heinrich’s face twisted in disbelief.

“That’s nonsense. Are you saying everyone here is corrupt?”

“There may be clean individuals, but rarely are their surroundings spotless. People are sad creatures tied by relationships. For example, spouses, parents, children, and siblings.”

Everyone has a painful secret. Yet, Heinrich, who had many under his command, couldn’t accept it.

“Just by blackmail? You think they’d betray me without any promises of wealth or honor?”

Ahille shook her head at Heinrich’s reaction.

“It’s not just blackmail. Everyone has at least one secret they’d do anything to keep hidden. Isn’t it the same for you, Count?”

“What?”

“During the Blackbird of Resentment expedition, you claimed the Duke arrived late, but that wasn’t the case, was it?”

Heinrich’s eyes quaked, but Ahille continued calmly.

“It was true the Duke and his forces were supposed to arrive before sunset. But as a newly appointed lord, you wanted to claim all the credit for defeating the demon. So you sent a message to Tenest before the expedition, saying the battle was over and you needed help with the aftermath by noon the next day.”

“Stop…”

“The Duke arrived earlier than planned, sensing something was wrong, and led his forces before dawn. Your reckless decision led your kin to their deaths. It’s also your fault your dantian was shattered, preventing you from wielding a sword.”

“Shut your mouth!”

“Why do you aim a sword at your savior? To hide your shame? Afraid of being judged if the truth comes out?”

“…”

Ahille’s eyes seemed to see through him, and Heinrich struggled to suppress his anger. He wanted to scream out the truth he had held back.

“Heh… It’s that important to you, huh? Fine, I have nothing to hide now.”

In front of the courtiers who were already controlled, Heinrich decided there was no point in keeping secrets.

“Why do I resent him? Because he never said a word. He didn’t rebuke my foolish decision or hold me accountable. He just looked at me with those indifferent eyes like I was a worm!”

Heinrich shouted as if pouring out everything inside him, then caught his breath and continued.

“So, I thought I had to kill him before he could ever speak.”

“Exactly. That’s how deeply people want to hide their secrets.”

Ahille’s expression showed no emotion toward her own secret. Seeing her calmly reveal people’s secrets, Heinrich retorted sarcastically.

“Where did you hear that story? From the Duke? He must be another man swayed by a woman’s charm.”

“The Duke is not that kind of person, and you know it. I heard it from one of your loyal subordinates who knew the secret.”

When Heinrich glared, one of the courtiers lowered his head even further.

Ahille spoke as if advising Heinrich.

“People who swear loyalty to protect their secrets wouldn’t hesitate to betray a lord. Confiding a secret or two isn’t a big deal for them.”

He finally realized. The secrets revealed were not only his own.

“Heh… Indeed, you wove this web well. A true witch… a man-eating witch.”

Heinrich, adept at various schemes and plots as the head of a renowned count family, had never heard or experienced such comprehensive manipulation.

‘I underestimated her, thinking she was just a woman. I can’t even begin to guess when or where she started preparing.’

He could only sense that there was no way to escape her grasp. Heinrich lowered his shoulders in defeat and asked.

“So, what do you plan to do now?”

“It was supposed to be a warning.”

“Huh?”

Ahille’s smile vanished.

“I intended to end it with a warning.”

At her nod, a servant approached with a box. As he opened it in front of the throne, a sharp blade glinted and a sickening smell of blood filled the air.

“This is…?!”

Heinrich’s face turned pale.

Inside the box were the severed head of an old man and a sharp dagger.

“Doesn’t it look familiar? I believe you ordered this.”

Ahille pulled out a shiny metal object from her bosom and continued.

“I was curious about why you were so confident. So I investigated and found out about this audacious plan.”

The item in her hand was a counterfeit key to the seal of the “Blackbird of Resentment,” hidden beneath Tenest Manor, the core weapon to win the war.

Heinrich nearly gasped in shock.

‘How does she know this secret known only to me and my son?!’

It was a plan to release the monster and create chaos, a secret kept from even his loyal subordinates.

Ahille, aware of everything, spoke as she toyed with the key.

“It’s a bit different from the original, but the patterns engraved are the same. It seems the maker left blueprints before being eliminated.”

She knew everything.

The plot to unleash the monster at Tenest Manor, the plan to use the chaos to win the war, and the hidden whereabouts of his son.

‘If she has the key…’

Aol’s revenge no longer mattered. Heinrich grabbed the dagger from the box, intending to slit Ahille’s throat if her answer warranted it.

“What about Adero?”

Unable to control his emotions, Heinrich asked urgently. Ahille’s expression softened as if thinking of her child.

“Rest assured. I, too, am a mother with children. I have lines I won’t cross.”

Heinrich looked at the dagger. Understanding immediately, he chuckled bitterly.

“Heh, heh, you want me to kill myself with this dagger right here, for the sake of my son’s uncertain fate?”

Ahille stepped closer, making it easier for him. Her composed, superior gaze angered Heinrich, and he gripped the dagger tightly.

“Daring to look down on me like that, you truly are an arrogant woman.”

He reached out his arm, the dagger aimed at her heart. Despite his shattered dantian, he thought he had more than enough strength to kill a mere woman.

At that moment, a beam of light pierced through the partially open inner door, illuminating the throne like a sharp spear.

Thud!

With a short, wet sound, blood splattered onto the floor. The dagger had found its mark in Heinrich’s abdomen.

“Urgh…!”

Heinrich groaned in pain as he pushed the dagger deeper into his own flesh.

The courtiers, witnessing the gruesome scene, bowed their heads in dismay, but Ahille kept her eyes fixed on him, watching his final moments.

“It’s all going to be okay, Count. Your son will inherit the lordship of Schweike, never knowing the dishonorable past of his father who made such an extreme choice.”

As his vision darkened, Heinrich’s face twisted with agony and regret, but strangely, her words sounded like a sweet whisper.

***

Deisel welcomed her mother as she returned from her errands at the front gate.

“So, once we deliver this key, my son’s job will be done,” she said, handling the key her mother had given her.

Even though it was a counterfeit, it was made from a special material that was not easy to destroy, being a key used to seal the Blackbird of Resentment.

However, there was someone capable of handling it. That person was Aol, who possessed the original key.

“I received a letter saying he would pass through the Athera Fortress. We have agreed to meet there, so you should go first.”

Athera was not far from here.

“I have some matters to attend to here, so I entrust the rest to you.”

“Yes, mother. I will take care of it.”

“It’s been a while since you’ve seen your father, hasn’t it, Deisel?”

Ahille moved to handle the aftermath of Heinrich’s death. Deisel, feeling she had more to say, called after her mother.

“There isn’t much time left to kill him. But if father returns, will it still be possible?”

He was indirectly expressing that it would be best to act now. Ahille looked at her son and spoke.

“Hersel will not become the lord. Even if he is around, there are still plenty of opportunities.”

Her voice was flat and emotionless. Deisel felt unsure and lowered his gaze.

His mother was hesitating. Though she could have killed Hersel at any time, she hadn’t done so yet, which was proof enough.

‘Why…’

The same went for his father. He didn’t think Hersel was suitable for the lordship. His mother merely outlined the plan, but it was his father who first proposed the wager. Of course, it was to dilute his mother’s intent to kill Hersel preemptively. There was no doubt about that. He openly stated it was to spare Hersel’s life.

– That boy had no one to guide him. As a father, it’s my fault. So I want to give him one last chance. If he comes to his senses through this, watch over him a little longer. That’s what family is supposed to do.

Even if he was a blood relative, Hersel was a worthless son. Handing over power that could turn the territory into hell just for the sake of sentimentality.

“Deisel.”

Deisel lifted his head at his mother’s call.

“From your expression, it seems my answer wasn’t satisfying. I’d like to explain more clearly, but there isn’t enough time.”

Ahille sighed and then smiled as if remembering something.

“Do you remember when you were four? On your birthday, when you said you wanted to take your father’s place?”

“Yes, mother.”

“You were such a clever child, even at that young age.”

Deisel smiled faintly at the memory, his voice softening.

“You promised to let me sit in that seat.”

“Yes, so don’t worry. I only make promises I can keep.”

Ahille gave him a meaningful look before walking away. Deisel watched her retreating figure, letting the fake smile fade from his face.

“…I wonder if she still means it.”

Recently, Deisel had noticed his mother’s growing interest in Hersel. If his mother, who he trusted, hesitated, there was no telling what could happen.

The thought of Hersel taking the lordship made Deisel’s insides churn.

“I can’t accept it.”

The fact that someone like Hersel, who was no more than dust to him, had become a member of Edel Klais before him, the arrogance he displayed during the meeting—it was all unacceptable.

But most of all, the feeling of inferiority Hersel evoked in him was intolerable.

‘The barrier that blocked my path was a rotten fence, easy to break with a kick!’

Everything felt unstable. The source of his anxiety wasn’t just Hersel. Mircel, who was rising from below, was also a threat.

‘Maybe my mother sees me as a rusty nail to be pulled out.’ He doubted it whenever he saw her eagerly waiting for Mircel to grow.

Each time, Deisel thought that sitting on the throne was a temporary position, something he held for Mircel. Given his lifelong focus on this goal, the current situation was unbearable.

“I’m the one who’s tried the hardest. Not those two damned brats.”

As he muttered in anger, blood dripped onto the floor. He had squeezed the key so hard that its jagged edge had cut into his hand.

Staring blankly at the key, Deisel felt a soothing sensation spread through his dry thoughts.

The anxiety that had plagued him could be resolved directly. There would be no need to watch out for Mircel, nor feel the humiliation caused by Hersel.

In his hand, he held the key to making that possible.

***

Chirp, chirp—

A bird called out in the night.

Aol stood on the Athera Fortress wall, waiting for his son.

But as dawn approached, there was still no sign of anyone.

As the first light of dawn began to rise, Koullo spoke.

“Young Master Deisel has not arrived.”

Originally, they had planned to rest for two or three days, but now they needed to move sooner.

“Tell the knights to prepare to leave in an hour.”

***

As we traveled back to the estate by carriage, a flock of crows cawed. Mircel, yawning next to me, asked out of boredom.

“Brother.”

“What now?”

“That crow we have at home—can you beat it?”

What a ridiculous question.

But since the monstrous bird wouldn’t be resurrected, I could bluff a little. Might as well strike a pose.

“If I fought it, one of us would die.”

-Pfft.

Donatan clicked its tongue.

-You’re just a snack for that thing, Hersel.

Annoyed by its mockery, I replied confidently. It was an overly dismissive statement.

‘No? More like a two-bite snack.’

I had ‘one-second invincibility’ after all, so two hits would do it.

-…That’s quite the boast.