"But contrary to what you may think, I had no intention of mocking you, Lord Duke. Being the lowest in rank here, I merely intended to greet you last."
Viscount Kuransibil Twork quickly added in a calm, measured voice that betrayed no emotion.
To most, he might have seemed like a man who lacked emotional highs and lows. But Elric knew better.
Just as Count Caliger Franz hid his sinister nature beneath a mask of authority, Viscount Kuransibil also harbored a ruthless side behind his calm facade.
The two men, once hailed as the shield and sword of Melvinger, had always worn different masks, and even now, that hadn't changed.
Even though Viscount Kuransibil appeared to be bowing respectfully, Elric was sure that inside, the man was plotting how to reclaim his pride and dignity from this humiliation.
However, the most crucial thing right now was to break their spirits.
If Elric lost control of the situation, all the glory and accomplishments he had earned under the name of Melvinger would be stolen by these men. He could not afford to lower his guard.
Elric didn't bother responding to Viscount Kuransibil. Instead, he shifted his gaze back to Count Caliger Franz and spoke with a sharp tone.
"Count Caliger. Do you have anything more to say?"
Ignoring Viscount Kuransibil entirely, Elric's dismissal caused the viscount's expression to crack, revealing a hint of frustration. But Elric didn't care.
Count Caliger, after a brief moment of contemplation, decided.
'…I have no choice.'
Given that Herman and Sailor clearly sided with Elric, he had no option but to take a step back. To push forward now would only hurt his position further.
"I was in the wrong, Radiant Star Duke. Please forgive my rudeness."
Elric waved his hand dismissively, indicating he had no interest in continuing the conversation, as if he were brushing aside an insignificant subordinate.
Like Viscount Kuransibil, Count Caliger's face twisted in frustration, but Elric remained unfazed.
In fact, he looked down on them, chin raised slightly, a mocking expression on his face—challenging them to retaliate.
The reversal of the provocation, which had begun with Count Caliger extending his hand for a handshake, only served to make the count even more furious.
Just as it seemed this tense exchange was coming to an end—
Flicker!
Suddenly, the Magical Amulet around Elric's neck began to glow.
At the same time, a ring on Count Caliger's right hand, specifically the one on his fourth finger, also began to emit the same light.
"...!"
"...!"
Elric and Count Caliger's gazes locked midair, both sensing the unusual connection between their magic items.
***
"...Elric Melvinger has changed quite a bit since his childhood."
Viscount Kuransibil ground his teeth as he left the command post, so hard it seemed as if his teeth might break.
The shock he had received from facing Elric was immense.
It had been over 20 years since the Twork family had severed ties with Melvinger, and Viscount Kuransibil had assumed that time had changed Elric as well.
Still, it was unsettling to see the once feeble Elric transform into the figure he had encountered today.
"He was like Melvinger itself."
Today, Elric had reminded him of someone from his youth.
Someone Viscount Kuransibil had deeply respected, not just as a lord, but as a person he admired and wanted to support.
A figure he had always tried to catch up to, only to find them further ahead each time.
This person had represented a wall that made Viscount Kuransibil keenly aware of the limits of human potential—a man named Usdun Melvinger.
For a brief moment, as Elric stood before him, the image of Usdun Melvinger overlapped with his own, sending chills down Viscount Kuransibil's spine.
The past, filled with both fond memories and bitter regrets, had resurfaced like an old ghost that clung to his ankles.
'I have to do something.'
This realization forced Viscount Kuransibil to make a quick decision.
'If I don't take advantage of this war to eliminate Elric Melvinger—or rather, the Melvinger lineage altogether—I'll never be free of them.'
It wasn't just anxiety—it was a desperate realization.
If he missed this opportunity, he would never escape the shadow of the Melvinger family.
Originally, he had joined this campaign to gain information about Interesia, but now that hardly seemed important.
Bam.
Bam.
As Viscount Kuransibil's thoughts deepened, so did the sound of his teeth grinding.
But Count Caliger, who had followed him out, barely registered the noise. And even if he had, he would have understood why Kuransibil was so furious.
After all, Caliger himself was just as enraged, having suffered the same humiliation.
Though Viscount Kuransibil and Count Caliger had temporarily united against the common threat of Melvinger, their relationship was far from amicable.
In fact, their two families had been bitter enemies for centuries.
The feud between the Franz and Twork families dated back hundreds of years, originating from a rivalry over who was Melvinger's first vassal.
The shield and sword of Melvinger—each family had vied for the superior title, which inevitably sparked fierce competition between the two.
In certain eras, the more powerful family became Melvinger's "right hand," while the weaker one was relegated to being the "left hand." Naturally, the family demoted to the "left" would fight fiercely to regain their position, constantly striving to grow stronger.
Melvinger had never intervened in this rivalry—if anything, they encouraged it.
As long as it didn't lead to internal conflict, the competition between the two houses only spurred both to greater heights.
This suited Melvinger just fine, as it made it easier to manage both families.
But that was only true when the Melvinger family was at its peak.
After the Great Demon War, when Melvinger's power waned, the Twork family, who had been the "left hand" at the time, immediately broke away.
They declared their independence, growing stronger at a rapid pace.
Though still ranked as mere viscounts, the Twork family's military strength was said to rival that of some border nobles.
As the sword of Melvinger, they had always honed their skills not only in magic but also in martial arts.
Regardless, the centuries-old feud between the Franz and Twork families continued, and today was no different. The tension between the two lords remained palpable.
It was an uneasy alliance—they were rivals, united only by their shared animosity toward Melvinger.
But even without the long-standing feud between their families, Count Caliger had other pressing concerns.
'Of all times, why does the key to Interesia have to react now?'
Interesia—the so-called Melvinger Treasury.
Count Caliger had the information about it. He had even involved Viscount Kuransibil in his plot to check Melvinger's power because of it.
But he hadn't shared all the details with Kuransibil yet, claiming it wasn't the right time.
And he had no intention of sharing it anytime soon.
To Caliger, Interesia was now the rightful property of the Franz family, a prize they deserved for all their years of service to Melvinger.
But now, of all times, the key has been activated.
'I never imagined the Magical Amulet had evolved so much. Damn it! If I had known, I would have brought it out sooner.'
Elric surely wasn't a fool. He must have realized by now that the ring on his finger held some secret related to Interesia.
Elric would undoubtedly try to take it from him. And Viscount Kuransibil would surely start asking questions as well.
In hindsight, Count Caliger regretted bringing the ring with him at all. His distrust of his own family—of his own children, had led him to carry it personally, which now seemed like a grave mistake.
The whole situation was growing more troublesome by the minute.
'Wait.'
Suddenly, another thought occurred to Count Caliger.
'Magical Amulet…? Then could it be the key to unlocking Interesia's final secret?'
The realization struck him like a blow to the back of his head.
Why hadn't he thought of this sooner?
There was a massive secret within Interesia, known only to Count Caliger.
Though the treasury contained many of Melvinger's valuable assets, the final chamber, the most important room, remained sealed.
No one, not even the previous Count Franz, had been able to open it. It was said that only the current head of the Melvinger family could pass through its doors.
For years, Count Caliger had struggled to unravel this mystery, but now it seemed the answer might be closer than he'd thought.
The Magical Amulet, a relic passed down through generations of the Melvinger family, could very well be the key to the final chamber of Interesia.
'Even if I am wrong, it is still worth investigating.'
Count Caligar recalled the Magical Amulet hanging around Elric's neck.
Wasn't it completely different from what he had known all this time? No matter what he did, Elric must have restored it.
If so, it was a reasonable inference that the Magical Amulet, which holds numerous secrets, had some kind of connection with Interesia.
'The question is, how do I take it from him?'
Count Caliger's eyes gleamed with malice.
What had started as a plan to avenge his son and restore the honor of the Franz family had now become something far more significant.
He no longer cared about revenge. Now, his goal was to seize the power of Melvinger for the Franz family.
This marked a significant shift in his strategy.
Before, Elric's death wasn't a necessity. Now, it was.
Elric would undoubtedly try to steal the key for himself.
But now, there was no room for compromise—they would have to kill each other.
And luckily for Count Caliger, he had just the ally in mind.
Though it disgusted him to work alongside such a beast, he needed every resource he could muster.
'Maybe I'll even get rid of him afterward.'
And with Elric's glory stolen and Melvinger's legacy in his hands, he might even claim the title of Duke for himself.
"Hey, Kuransibil."
Hiding his true intentions, Count Caliger called out to Viscount Kuransibil.
The viscount's sharp gaze briefly flicked to the ring on Caliger's right hand before meeting his eyes.
'As I thought.'
Seeing Kuransibil's interest, Caliger decided to go all in. There was no point in hiding it now.
"Do you know what this ring is?"
"What is it?"
"This is Interesia—the very history of Melvinger itself."
"…!"
Viscount Kuransibil's eyes widened slightly, clearly caught off guard by Caliger's directness.
"How about we share it? Care to hear my proposal?"
Count Caliger's eyes gleamed with malice, scheming light as he laid out his plot.
[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]