Chapter 76: A Promise at Sunrise

It was rare for a royal messenger to visit. And on the rare occasions they did, they were never allies.

“…… They told me to come to the Academy?”

“Yes. They said to send one person.”

“Hmm……”

The territory was busy right now. Both my brother and I were occupied.

Needless to say, the same went for me and my brother.

Even my older sister, though she didn’t appear much on the surface, was handling quite a bit of work internally.

She often greeted those who visited the Count’s House alongside Mother. In a way, she was helping with internal affairs. For my sister, who was a training fanatic, that was the best she could do for now.

Though we were few in number, everyone was playing their part. Furthermore.

“Our family has never been summoned to the Academy before, right?”

“It was always an exception. However, they specifically mentioned we should attend this time. Hmm…… So, I looked into it.”

“What was the reason?”

Father’s explanation was long.

The current situation of the kingdom was divided into several factions. It was a sort of struggle between cliques. Among them, Marquis Owen’s House was involved in a powerful faction.

And this Marquis Owen was a man who used petty tricks so well he was called a fox.

‘He’s quite talented.’

Originally, our family did not send our children to the Academy.

There was only one reason why the royal family had the children of noble families enroll in the Royal Academy.

‘To keep the nobles in check.’

To strengthen royal authority, they held the noble children hostage.

In the case of the Royalist faction that followed the throne, they entered because they wanted to, but for the majority, it was that kind of role.

One couldn’t ignore it just because they entered at a young age. Even within the Academy, there were many conflicts. And if they couldn’t graduate, some stayed for a very long time.

In any sense, there was no better way for the kingdom to keep the noble families in check than the Academy.

Our Count’s House had been an exception to that Academy.

The royal family had understood the situation where we were guarding the borders and had many enemies.

But now they were telling us to enter. It was summer. A long time had passed since the entrance ceremony.

“Since we dealt them a blow in the intelligence war, they’re playing tricks like this. They want to pull someone away when we’re already short on hands.”

“What is their justification?”

“They said that since our Count’s House is now in a comfortable situation, we should participate. Haha.”

“…… That’s bullshit.”

To call that a justification. It was such nonsense that it made me let out a hollow laugh.

“They must think lightly of our Count’s House.”

“But the reality is that we cannot refuse to send someone. Regardless of the reason, we cannot afford to turn the royal family into an enemy.”

‘What on earth did the Marquis offer as a price?’ He managed to coax the royal family, who rarely moved, quite well.

‘The royal family might have noticed our territory’s gradual development as well.’

The royal family had eyes everywhere. For the sake of royal authority, they wouldn’t hesitate to go to war. The Marquis must have provoked them somehow.

“That is why I called you. Even if it isn’t everyone, shouldn’t we send one person?”

One person. One of us holding a heavy responsibility had to go.

It was either me or my older brother.

It would be ridiculous for my brother, who was now nearly twenty, to go to a place like the Academy.

‘Then I’m the one who has to go… *Sigh*. Do I really have to bicker with children?’

Whether looking at age or rank within the family, it was right for me to go.

“I will prepare to—”

Just as I was about to prepare, someone interrupted.

“No. You must not move right now.”

“Brother?”

“If I leave, it just means one commander is gone for a while. But you cannot go right now. You know that, don’t you? So, I will go.”

My brother, Heon, who rarely spoke his mind easily, stepped forward. In his eyes, I could see his will to take the burden upon himself rather than send me.

“Brother. It might be a difficult path. This is unreasonable. For you of all people to go because of such an absurdity is……”

I tried to stop him, but he was already firm.

No matter how many times I tried to persuade him, my brother remained stubborn.

“I’ve already made up my mind. You cannot be absent right now.”

“……”

“…… Hmm.”

For the first time, I failed to persuade him.

Not long after returning home, my brother finished his preparations for the Academy.

Father respected my brother’s choice.

“If that is your way of caring for the family, then you should go. Have a safe trip.”

The permission was easier than expected.

Tomorrow morning. Once tonight passed, my brother had to head toward the capital in the east.

Mother used the family’s funds to prepare equipment for him. My older sister, perhaps feeling upset about something, shut herself away in the training hall.

And my brother.

“Rayrn.”

He came to find me.

A situation where he hadn’t been able to rest for even a moment due to monster subjugation and organizing. Even though he might be complicated about going to the Academy at his age.

‘Brother is being himself.’

True to his heavy and steady personality, he seemed unshaken.

“Are you leaving tomorrow?”

“Yes. I came to see your face before I go.”

“…… I’m sorry.”

“It’s not something you should be sorry for.”

It would be a difficult path.

A son of a provincial Count’s House was going. Since he had no faction, there would be no one to help him. He was also older than most students. Going to the Academy under such circumstances wouldn’t be easy.

“Don’t worry. On the contrary, I’m worried about you.”

“What is there to worry about me?”

“No. Aren’t you our youngest? No matter what you do, I can’t help but be worried.”

Even though he was going on a path of suffering, my brother was probably the only one who worried about me more than himself.

We talked for a long time.

Memories of our childhood. The current situation. Stories about Martial Arts. And family.

At the end of the conversation that lasted until dawn, my brother spoke.

“Rayrn, I leave the family in your hands.”

“I will make it the best by the time you return, Brother.”

“Yes. I’m counting on you.”

“And take this with you. You can look at it when you get there.”

“Haha. Is it a gift? I’ll accept it gladly.”

I handed him a pre-prepared bundle.

He chuckled as he listened to my words, took the bundle, and left my room without any lingering regrets.

And then morning came.

“I’ll be going.”

Just as he did when he went to the northern subjugation, he left only a short greeting and hurried his steps.

And following such a brother.

“Ahem…… This Master hasn’t been able to take proper care of you. I will definitely come back sometime.”

“Take good care of my brother, Master. I will definitely reach a higher realm by then.”

“I believe you.”

My Master, Geirn, also chose to go to the capital.

He couldn’t take many guards to the royal family, especially the Royal Academy. The royal family didn’t allow it.

Still, threats were always there.

‘There’s no telling what the Marquis might do to my brother.’

The capital, where the royal family resided, might as well be the enemy’s den.

To endure, it was right to take a small group of elites. Among them, the strongest person was needed.

That was why Master Geirn was chosen. Around Master, five veteran knights of the Sidoa Knights were attached.

‘This should be enough to feel at ease.’

With those six, my brother had to endure the Academy.

Whether he faced all sorts of humiliation or assassination attempts. No matter what, he had to endure silently.

‘It’s a difficult task with nothing to gain.’

If it was my brother, he would endure and return. If something happened that he couldn’t endure. If, by any chance, harm came to my brother.

‘Then I’ll have to step in.’

No matter what happened, I would step in and punish them. Because that was my way.

“They’ve left.”

“Yes. They have.”

Thus, my brother left the family for a while, carrying our worries.

From the moment my brother left.

The people of the family began to move as if to fill the empty space.

“Only the final hurdle remains. It seems people will gather soon.”

“I will be waiting.”

Father set out far to the North with the knights to pick those to whom he would pass on Martial Arts. It was to select people in actual combat where danger lurked.

‘Just like Father.’

Mother took over the management of the castle again.

Mother, who was returning to being the most beautiful woman in the territory while practicing the Oknyeo-gong, began to do things I hadn’t even thought of.

“You have those works of art, don’t you? The ones you got from Pollen or other castles.”

“Yes. I have quite a few.”

I was the one who had already gone beyond Maim and interrogated the entire Direct Dominion, along with the administrative officers, about corruption.

I used Viscount Baxien’s data and evidence to wipe them out in one go.

Among those who committed corruption, I killed those who deserved death and made some into slaves.

It was only natural to take all the wealth accumulated through corruption.

As a result, there were quite a lot of artworks in the territory.

There was nothing quite like artworks for a slush fund. They were small, and with preservation Magic, storage wasn’t that difficult.

‘And they’re expensive too.’

If something happened, one could pack the artworks and run. One could somehow make a fortune.

No wonder there was a saying that artworks were the best for slush funds.

Mother wanted those artworks. And.

“Can you give them to me?”

“I was planning to sell them and use them as capital for the territory, but……”

“It’s the same thing. If possible, I’d like to handle them in my way.”

“Hmm……”

Mother intended to use them.

It seemed she had something in mind to do by selling the artworks.

Mother had always worried about me, but this was practically the first time she had ever asked me for something. After a moment’s thought, I nodded readily.

“I will give them all to you.”

“I don’t need that many. I’ll just take a few pieces.”

A short while later, Mother picked out a few artworks.

‘She has a good eye.’

Mother returned satisfied, having taken things that felt powerful just by looking at them.

And a while later.

I began to hear stories that art pieces were gradually becoming a trend among the noblewomen in the territory.

***

While everyone else was moving, I began to earn money explosively.

First, the liquor in the brewery began to fully ripen.

“Esty, how is the operating rate of the brewery?”

“We created new liquors and distributed them. The response was explosive.”

“I thought so.”

“What method did you use? Normally, trying to use Magic incorrectly would only result in a strange bitter taste.”

“Let’s just call it a trade secret.”

In less than one year, the liquor ripened as if it had been aged for several years.

‘It’s thanks to the Jinbeop.’

One must not use decomposition Magic. As Esty said, if Magic was used incorrectly, it would become sewage instead of liquor.

One could use Magic that manipulated time, but.

‘The cost doesn’t add up.’

Magic that uses time is high-circle Magic.

Even Haste, which speeds up time for a person to increase their speed, is at least a 4th Circle Magic.

Using such Magic to make liquor would make it difficult for even me to balance the cost.

So, I used Jinbeop.

It was a method used by many breweries in the Central Plain. It wasn’t difficult.

I just had to let it embrace natural Qi and create an environment where it ripened faster. The beauty of Jinbeop lay in subtly manipulating nature rather than suppressing it.

In such matters, Jinbeop could produce great effects with a little manipulation compared to Magic.

The liquor made that way caused a massive craze throughout the territory.

Rumors began to spread, and even the merchants from the haughty Duke’s Household of Jiseoteu came looking for it. The result was, of course, a great success.

“Oh. How did they say they made this? It’s a taste I never imagined.”

There was even a wild rumor that Duke Gisert drank it and fell in love with it.

Thanks to that, money began to pour in.

It wasn’t surprising. The liquor made from one sack of grain.

‘It returns several times over. In places where the Jinbeop worked well, it’s even ten times more.’

It became of great value.

With the money collected like sweeping it up, I.

“Pling. Let’s prepare for war.”

“Pardon?”

I used it as capital for the next step.