"Do you even realize what you've done?!"
A few days after the social event ended.
Dmitry, returning from his training, bit his lip hard.
"…I know."
"You know, and yet you acted so recklessly?"
In front of him, his father was shouting, with a letter in an envelope beside him.
"Today, we received this letter from the Speda Ducal Family! Read it!"
The content was predictable.
Sure enough, the letter from the envelope was a protest about his behavior at the social event.
"What were you thinking?"
"It seemed like the right time to challenge them."
Hunting a Direwolf at the coming-of-age ceremony was considered bragging.
He had assumed it was just a bluff.
Even if it were true, he didn't believe she had done it alone. He saw it as a perfect chance to undermine Luciana, a rival faction member.
"Just making excuses, after losing the argument and leaving the social event early, only hurting your own standing."
Indeed.
Although it was frustrating, he had no comeback. Everyone knew Luciana usually responded to his challenges with light denial or silence.
But this time, she had actively defended herself and even counterattacked.
"I've told you repeatedly. Flaunting your petty pride and making an enemy of the Speda Ducal Family's daughter does our family no favors."
His pride wounded.
Dmitry's face twisted in anger at his father, Count Baltrion's words.
He was proud of his physical strength, superior to his peers.
In the North, the creatures hunted at coming-of-age ceremonies were a way for noble heirs to show off their prowess.
Dmitry was no slouch himself, having caught a notorious Northern orc a few months ago.
But Luciana's Direwolf catch had outshone his achievement.
Already often compared in terms of family status and prowess, he felt inferior and jealous.
These dark emotions soon found an outlet. He was sure he could outdo Luciana in political maneuvering, "Spend a month in confinement to cool your head."
But even there, he had failed.
"Damn it…"
Back in his room, Dmitry unleashed his anger on the floor.
His father, the family head, had ordered it. He couldn't seek revenge against Luciana and had to lay low in the estate for a while.
But in his frenzy, Dmitry suddenly calmed down.
"Actually, this is good. There's a martial arts tournament in a month. With the Amplification Orb…!" His room filled with a sinister laugh.
Dmitry's mind was already a month ahead, imagining himself defeating Luciana.
* * *
"That guy, he wore a thick mask at the social event. Is he always such a troublemaker at home?"
Even in the strictest noble households, there are blind spots.
Spaces between the floors of the tall, dignified buildings – one such unavoidable gap.
Here for one reason.
[Luciana's Affection: 40 (Trust)]
[Current Psychological State]
[Pleased that Hans, disguised as herself, had tricked Dmitry Baltrion.]
[However, she regrets not having a plan to cause substantial harm.]
The affection, jumping from a negative to a notable positive, was a satisfying shift from the first impression.
This infiltration also gave insight into simple psychological states, suggesting a plan for real damage.
If I could check the Speda Ducal Family's rivals while also growing stronger, why not?
-What? You want information on the surrounding nobles?
Preparation was easy.
Yegor happily provided a map when asked about understanding friends and foes after the social event incident.
Dmitry Baltrion, you've made a mistake. If you thought it would end with public embarrassment, you were sorely mistaken. He was going to pay dearly for his arrogant actions against Luciana at the event.
"Using your family's relic, huh?"
Security magic alarms? Just a touch and they're useless.
Not for nothing is it called a master key.
"But a martial arts tournament…"
True, between the coming-of-age ceremony and Dmitry's recent mention, the North seemed to focus heavily on military training from a young age.
And Dmitry seemed confident.
Even if relying on a relic's power, there's no rule saying you must compete on pure skill alone.
"Using a relic to push forward is the right approach."
Both Luciana and this guy, high nobility certainly has its perks in creating a gap with better equipment.
"Sorry, but that just makes it more tempting."
Clearly, the relic Dmitry mentioned, the Amplification Orb, must be linked to enhancing certain abilities.
It was something I needed as well.
"Shall we go get that item then?"
I jumped down from a narrow space where only bugs would roam, landing in the corridor. I had the Face-Changer Mask with me. It clung to my face as I put it on.
Definitely high quality.
The person I disguised as had free access to the mansion and the vault where the relic was stored, and was also an easy character to impersonate.
That person was…
"Who's there?! Oh, it's you, young master."
Dmitry Baltrion.
A soldier guarding the large door to the basement bowed his head to me.
I remembered Dmitry's behavior and spoke.
'I am a spoiled brat.'
"Annoying me first thing in the morning. Just open the door."
"Excuse me, but may I ask why you're going to the basement?"
But this soldier was the type who wouldn't forget his duties even in the face of a noble's intimidation.
"I don't need to tell you."
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you down without a reason. It's the master's orders."
Using authority wouldn't work on someone so principled. 'Should I just overpower this soldier? I can pick the lock and go in.'
But I immediately dismissed that option. It was too risky without a surefire way to overpower him.
"Tch. I came for a relic."
So I confidently made up a story.
"A relic, you say?"
"Yes. There's a martial arts tournament in a month. I need the Amplification Orb for it."
"Did you inform the master about this?"
This vault surely contained relics that only the master could use.
In other words, even as an heir, there were limits to what relics I could take.
If he mentioned the Amplification Orb so boldly, it must be within an heir's authority to take.
"Do I need my father's permission to take out such a relic? Just use your discretion."
Even if the soldier was principled, in a hierarchical society, there are ranks among humans.
Compared to Luciana, a Count's heir certainly had enough clout to override principles.
"Alright. Come this way."
Eventually, the giant door opened without much resistance from the guard.
"The Amplification Orb is in room 108."
"What are you waiting for? Lead the way."
He shook his head and replied.
"I'm only assigned to guard this door. I can't enter. You know that, right? The guardian will attack me."
'I didn't know there was a double guard.'
"Tch. That's your problem. I'm here, so there won't be any issues."
"I'm sorry. The master said that the Ice Spirit only recognizes Baltrion blood. Even with you present, there's no guarantee it won't attack me."
"Useless. I'll go in myself. Just close the door."
"Yes, understood."
A bit of a problem. They even unleashed a high-quality guardian that reacts to bloodlines.
"The Face-Changer Mask is useless now."
Once inside.
As soon as the door closed, I took off the now-useless mask. The spirit wouldn't be fooled by it anyway.
"The lock on the vault can be picked, but the real problem is the Ice Spirit."
The situation was worse than before.
While I could have an advantage over the guard using trickery, it was useless against the Ice Spirit.
"Damn. It's a shame to leave now after coming this far. I just need to sneak out the Amplification Orb quickly."
If only I had a bit more time, I could have taken all the relics.
Regretting, I headed towards room 108, as instructed by the guard.
The vault was secured with a double layer of magic, likely involving blood or iris recognition.
But to my master key, all locks were equal.
Just as I was about to use the tool…
"Damn it. How did it sense me so quickly?"
As if to drown out my grumbling, a harsh gust of freezing wind swept through the vault.
"You're not of the Baltrion bloodline."
An ice sculpture of an old man with a meticulously groomed beard stood before me.
It was undoubtedly the Ice Spirit the guard had mentioned.
"Eliminating intruders."
Despite its kind appearance, it held an icicle spear that looked deadly. It pointed it at me and began to slowly advance.
* * *
Alex, the guard protecting the Baltrion family's vault, couldn't believe his eyes.
"Are you deaf? I said I came for a relic, now open the door!"
To his confusion, Dmitry, who had entered the vault just an hour ago, was making the same demand.
Was he dreaming?
Rubbing his eyes didn't help. The young master, clearly upset, didn't disappear or turn out to be a hallucination.
"Sir, excuse me for a moment, please."
Slightly flustered but having grasped the situation, he realized one of them must be an audacious thief.
"What the… Are you crazy? Why aren't you opening the door and instead…!"
Respect for Dmitry was the last thing on Alex's mind. He first needed to confirm if this was indeed Dmitry.
"Please forgive my rudeness."
Dmitry tried to resist, but he couldn't escape the burly grasp of the gatekeeper, a former knight.
Alex pulled out a small needle, pricked Dmitry's finger, and let the blood drop onto a magically imbued paper.
The Baltrion family crest bloomed on the paper, proving Dmitry's innocence. Only then was he released from Alex's grip.
"How dare you touch me! You'll pay for this!"
Despite the real Dmitry's furious threats, Alex feared something else more.
Would the Count dismiss him, or worse, order his execution?
He didn't know, but he had to clean up the mess.
"Emergency!"
-Ding Ding Ding!
The bell that only Alex could ring, indicating an intruder in the vault, echoed throughout the Baltrion estate.
"We must catch the thief!"
Preparing for what might be his last duty as a guard, he rallied all available forces within the castle.