Dilemma
Ruri had arrived.
How she had reached this place was easy enough to guess.
She must have left one of the wind spirits behind and received its report.
Hearing that he was in danger, she had rushed after him without a moment’s hesitation.
It was an impressively swift response.
But it was the worst possible thing that could have happened.
She would have been the most reliable reinforcement of all—yet in this very moment her presence was pure disaster.
Because Abel was targeting Ruri.
Abel began to work his tongue.
With every word he spoke, Ferda could feel it boring straight into Ruri’s heart.
Abel saw through her with perfect accuracy.
Annoyingly clever.
So this was the deal?
Ferda instinctively knew it was the demon’s advice.
A story that would never have taken root if a demon itself had spoken it.
But when a member of her own kind said it, she could not help but be shaken.
A dilemma.
She was being forced into an impossible choice between Baldrova and the descendants of Silverwind.
I can’t abandon either side.
Ferda knew the reason.
And because of that—
“What must I do?”
He watched her kneel.
The best choice that could embrace both options at once.
And—
The worst choice.
Only now did he understand.
So this is how you entangled Ruri?
The demon’s scheme and ambition that far exceeded its station.
All of it had stretched its claws toward the child who had only wanted to protect the peace.
Is that why you never remained at Baldrova’s side?
Because you love peace,
Because you love Baldrova,
You made the worst choice of all—sacrificing yourself?
At that moment the mana circuits inside Ferda’s body began to turn.
It was a sensation utterly different from the one he had felt when he desperately searched for Baldrova.
Something he had buried deep in his chest slowly rose.
It caressed Ferda’s heart and rolled the circle in his dantian with its fingers.
Ruri’s helpless face overlapped with Baldrova’s.
She was suffering.
It whispered in a sweet voice:
Are you just going to watch?
No.
He could not simply watch.
He knew that face was not Baldrova’s.
But if Ruri disappeared, that would become Baldrova’s future.
That must not happen.
The chains of restraint shattered.
The mana that had been formed into a Red Circle secretly spread in every direction.
It swallowed everything that existed in the darkness.
And so everything lay within Ferda’s grasp.
The cave.
Ruri.
Abel.
And even the insides of Abel’s organs.
“Cough—hack!”
Abel collapsed, writhing.
Blood poured from his mouth.
He could not draw breath.
His lungs were ruined.
“You son of a—cough!”
He tried to move for mutual destruction, yet he could not budge an inch.
The dense darkness and the rampaging Red Circle.
It was more than enough to subdue a Dragon Spawn.
Abel, who had held the upper hand only moments before, now found the situation completely reversed.
“If you kill me…”
Abel spoke while vomiting blood.
“Every Silverwind will remember your face and your name.”
The price for killing a Dragon Spawn was never light.
A life spent forever hunted, praying each morning that one might still be alive to see the next dawn.
A life that could not even be called living even if one survived.
“I don’t care.”
It was already familiar ground for Ferda.
“I’m sick of the threats your kind makes.”
Ferda raised his hand.
His palm, dyed black, looked as though it held something upon it.
As if gripping a round object that filled his palm completely.
As if gripping a heart.
“If your kind wants war so badly, I won’t avoid it either.”
Ferda clenched his fist.
A blizzard so fierce that nothing ahead could be seen.
Bitter cold air slipped in now and then.
Yet an atmosphere colder still seemed to pierce Ferda’s heart.
His eyes fixed clearly on the intruder.
“A pleasure to meet you, Regent.”
The man stepped across the snow with a brazen face and introduced himself.
“I am Abel, one of Silverwind’s children. You may not remember, but I was the one standing guard at the door when the Grand Council was held.”
“…”
“What exactly are you doing all the way out here on the fringes? Did you come to enjoy the northern snow as a tourist?”
“…”
“Hmm, but for a sightseeing trip this seems like an exceptionally stupid idea. Even a foolish old man out gathering herbs would know this is Silverwind territory—never mind someone of the Regent’s rank.”
“…”
Abel walked slowly toward Ferda, mocking him all the while.
Ferda retreated deeper inside with every step the other took.
“Why so quiet? Have you frozen solid from sheer terror?”
“I was simply curious.”
“Pardon? Curious about what?”
“How could I not be curious when the beast standing right in front of me is speaking?”
There was no one before Ferda but Abel.
“Haha, is that so?”
Abel’s grin deepened.
The moment his lounging steps struck the ground, his figure vanished.
Whoosh—!
Leaving only wind and sound, he appeared directly in front of Ferda.
He laughed heartily.
“What a nasty joke. Haha!”
Abel flicked Ferda’s chest with his index finger as though giving him a light knuckle-rap.
Crack!
“Guh—!”
A vicious sound of breaking bone.
Ferda spat out pain.
“Oh dear! Does it hurt? I only tapped you playfully.”
“Cough, cough!”
“No, but I really only tapped you—how can a rib break from that? Hmm? How is a man of the Regent’s station supposed to function with such a frail body? There won’t be anything left of you when you try to perform at night.”
Ferda spat out the blood that had pooled in his mouth.
His face was as indifferent as if he had merely spit.
“You talk far too much.”
“Wow, I’m genuinely impressed. I heard you mouthed off to Lord Goz without fear. So it wasn’t just because you had Lord Blancaros as your backer.”
Abel seized Ferda by the collar and lifted him.
He raised his nails in warning.
“But keep running your mouth at a child of Silverwind and it won’t end well. Mercy is a concept far removed from our kind, you see.”
Ferda calmly checked the mana he still had left, expression unhurried.
Enough for a few fourth-circle spells.
Is that enough to defeat this Dragon Spawn?
Impossible.
This was on an entirely different level from fighting dark elves.
Yet he refused to show even a flicker of disadvantage.
Ferda answered with a snort of laughter.
“So the children of Silverwind… are the sort who recommend dealing with demons?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. I already know you’re the one who will clean up after Sitri. What you were after is the demon we need to rescue, isn’t it?”
The hand around his throat tightened for an instant.
Just enough to make breathing slightly difficult.
It meant Abel had been shaken.
Ferda continued without pause.
“What exactly did you plan to do by climbing into bed with that bitch? Tired of the rules you kept for hundreds of years and ready to enjoy a messy sex life?”
“Ha! Do you think we’re beasts like you, breeding and raising children? Fighting is far more entertaining than that dull nonsense!”
His vertically slit pupils flashed sharply.
“Right now an unworthy creature sits on the throne. That bastard claims to be Silverwind’s heir while carrying our father’s soul.”
A blade of rebellion aimed at Goz Silverwind.
“Strange. You don’t seem any more worthy yourself.”
“Ah, I know. If I opposed Goz I’d be reduced to a bloody pulp in seconds. The commander is that strong.”
He smiled thinly.
“But Ruri Silverwind is different.”
A familiar name had surfaced.
“Do you have any idea how remarkable that little girl is?”
“I know she is strong.”
“It’s not merely strength. She was the captain of the Silverwing mobile brigade and the only person who could ever challenge Commander Goz of the royal guard. When the question of who would succeed Lord Silverwind was raised, only the two of them were ever mentioned.”
“So Goz wants to kill her?”
“No. The commander wants to keep her at his side. That is also why war has not yet broken out.”
So that was why war had not begun?
“What do you mean?”
“If war ever starts between Baldrova and Silverwind, whose side do you think Ruri Silverwind will take? If she insists on standing with Baldrova, she must die. Commander Goz will not permit that death.”
It was unexpected.
The reason war had never started until now was because Ruri was there.
Whatever Goz’s actual stance, Abel’s intention in bringing it up was crystal clear.
“But you are different from Goz.”
“Ruri is a warrior who does not draw her sword. What else is there to do with a warrior like that?”
“Take the sword away, of course.”
“Exactly. Holding a peerless blade and refusing to use it is a sin in itself. I simply intend to use the sword that Ruri Silverwind is not using.”
Ferda understood.
That was the condition of the deal with Sitri.
Ruri, who possessed the power to oppose Goz.
In exchange for making that power entirely his own, Abel was providing support from the shadows.
Stagnant water is bound to rot.
Even a Dragon Spawn was powerless before the passage of time.
His greed was trying to kill everyone.
Ruri…
Ferda called the name inwardly.
A peculiar irritation rose from deep in his chest.
That irritation settled into the form of killing intent.
It forced its way past his lips as laughter.
“Truly remarkable.”
“Haha, so now that you’re about to die you finally have the energy to flatter me?”
“No. Recognizing one’s weak points and compensating for them is important. Being able to borrow what you lack is fundamental.”
Ferda laughed along with him.
“What astonishes me is that a thick-skulled bastard like you even possesses a brain capable of thinking about such fundamentals.”
Crack!
Abel snapped Ferda’s index finger.
“Guhhh…”
“You really run that mouth of yours far too freely. This won’t do. I’ll have to play with you a little longer.”
He left the broken index finger and seized the middle finger next.
“That’s how that bitch Ruri will finally submit, after all.”
“Ruri won’t even blink.”
That child hated humans.
And she hated Ferda.
Nothing he did ever satisfied her; everything he did only made her dislike him more.
So no amount of threats would change anything for her.
And before she even arrived, you would already be dead.
At that moment another sound cut through the blizzard.
A small figure visible amid the pure-white snowflakes.
“What… are you doing right now?”
It was Ruri.
The expression on her face was nothing like the one Ferda had imagined.
She was shaken.
The report Ruri received from the spirit had been simple.
That Ferda had made a deal with a demon for the sake of infiltration.
And that he had fallen into a trap.
At least, that was the shape of what the spirit had witnessed.
So Ruri had flown at once to Count Consiler’s territory and confirmed Ferda’s location.
The entire process had taken five minutes.
Carrying a plan to snatch Ferda and escape immediately, she stepped into the cave.
But she was already too late.
Inside waited a Silver Dragon Spawn—
and Ferda, battered nearly to ruin.
“What… are you doing right now?”
A menacing killing intent rolled out from Ruri’s body.
Even though she was a Dragon Spawn, her aura was strong enough to release Dragon Fear.
That killing intent locked onto Abel, yet he showed no panic.
He simply smiled brightly at her appearance and spoke.
“Ruri Silverwind. We meet again. Do you remember me?”
“You were the one with Percival.”
“Oho, so you do remember. Well, it hasn’t even been two weeks, so of course you would.”
Abel smiled thinly.
That smile grated on Ruri.
She wanted to leave this place at once.
The more unpleasant she felt, the harder her expression became.
“Release Lord Ferda.”
“I refuse.”
“If you refuse—”
“What will you do? Start a war?”
At those words Ruri hesitated.
“You have entered Silverwind territory. And this human here is the same.”
“…”
“I have every legitimate justification. Ruri Silverwind. As a Silverwind yourself, you know this perfectly well, don’t you? Those who trespass on our land are either arrested… or, if they resist too violently…?”
She bit her lower lip and forced the words out.
“Summary execution…”
“You know it well! Yes! Execution!”
Abel shouted as though delighted.
She could never accept that.
“If you kill her fiancé, Lady Baldrova will not stand idle. Then all of Silverwind will have to face her.”
“Go ahead and try! If you can! Then war will break out!”
Abel cackled, mocking her.
“And what would you gain from that? Silverwind’s children would die one after another, and your master would have yet another burden of guilt to carry.”
“Ugh…!”
“Do you want that? If so, go ahead and run around shouting it to the world!”
Ruri was deeply shaken.
Every word he spoke struck precisely at her weak points.
“Ruri. This bastard is acting under a demon’s orders.”
“A demon’s…?”
Crack!
“Oh my, you keep saying unnecessary things. Don’t you realize your life is in my hands? Why do you keep running your mouth?”
Deeper loathing filled Ruri’s gaze.
To Abel, even that loathing was merely adorable.
“Let’s say I did take a demon’s hand. Go ahead and testify if you like! Claim that this bastard was bewitched by a demon and is holding two trespassers who entered without permission! But no one will listen.”
He acted as though he had nothing to hide.
And on the surface, he truly had nothing to hide.
“There won’t be a single trace of any deal with a demon on my body.”
That was probably true.
Ferda himself had made a deal with Sitri, yet no contract seal had ever appeared.
All they had was suspicion.
But no one would believe that suspicion.
The turncoat Ruri versus Abel of the royal guard.
The difference in who spoke the words was already decisive.
“You can kill me right here. But what do you think will happen to you?”
“I…”
“You already betrayed Father, and now you won’t even be able to protect what you wanted to protect. How utterly incompetent.”
Abel continued to goad her.
No words left Ruri’s mouth.
“Incompetent Ruri. There is nothing you can do here.”
Ruri thought about what the best choice might be.
If she left him alone, war would come.
If she did not leave him alone, war would still come.
The wall she had protected would crumble.
Variables.
She could not control the variables.
She never had been able to.
“What…”
With trembling lips she carefully asked.
This was the only way.
A small sacrifice that could protect everyone.
“What must I do?”
Ruri knelt.
Even Abel, who had been laughing in mockery, looked startled.
“Haha… it was real.”
Abel’s body trembled.
“Ruri Silverwind is actually kneeling.”
He had never imagined it.
The unbreakable wall of the North.
The nightmare of the frost giants.
Ruri Silverwind, standing at the center of that renown, had collapsed from a few mere words.
A thin smile curved Abel’s lips.
Ruri Silverwind’s power is mine now.
That sense of accomplishment lasted only a moment.
“If that is your will.”
Then Ferda’s voice reached them.
“Then do it.”
At the same time Abel’s body jerked violently.
“Guh—!”
Abel vomited blood on the spot.
Strength drained from his entire body and he dropped to his knees.
He released the collar he had been gripping.
Abel felt it with perfect clarity.
Something was crushing his heart with tremendous force.
Was it Ruri’s doing?
Impossible.
She could use spirit arts or simple magic, but she could not touch the inside of a body without leaving external wounds.
Only one variable remained.
Abel lifted his blood-smeared head.
The Ferda he had been toying with now stood tall in that place.
Blue light blazed from his eyes.
As expected, it was his doing.
But there was one thing Abel had not expected.
It was the darkness.
A pitch-black darkness so absolute that even a Dragon Spawn’s eyes could not pierce it filled the space.