The Most Famous Bard

If it were an ordinary day, Lux would be pleased that Lyora worried him. He felt mentally disturbed as he struggled to come to terms with a reality he had never encountered before.

It felt like a betrayal. But he thought again, Lyora never betrayed him. He was the one who betrayed himself.

Lyora had never asked Lux to believe that her attitude was sincere. Instead, Lux himself chose to place his trust in the Empress.

"I am well, although I feel a bit fatigued," Lux replied with an awkward smile. Lyora's gaze no longer held warmth in her eyes, pressuring him to lower his head to avoid her.

His demeanor reminded Lyora of Galen, the Duke of Stonemar, who led the capital under her authority.

The Amarthia Empire adhered to a system of feudalism, an interdependent relationship between landowners and peasants (usually).

Agriculture was the main economic activity in this system. Peasants worked on land owned by nobles or landlords in exchange for such security.

But Stonemar was a bit different. It was said that magic stones were found hundreds of years ago in this city, but people did not even know their use yet, so it was named Stonemar later.

The Duke of Stonemar profited from mining magic stones exported to other countries. 

Once the First Doomsday Wave hit Stonemar, the magic stone mines vanished as if the tale from hundreds of years ago had never been part of reality.

Galen was deeply traumatized. He lost the primary source of his region's economy, which he never thought would be lost in such a way.

The light in his eyes faded, mirroring Lux's demeanor. Lyora wondered what terrible event had caused this change in her stepson.

'It seems like he is upset by Solnisca,' she thought as she glanced at the necklace in Slade's hand.

"Before you leave, I would like to ask you something," Lyora spoke to Lux, making him raise his head.

Lux kept his legs from twitching restlessly. He was concerned Lyora would somehow discover he had received a divine blessing.

"Did the mages find traces of black magic in the mountains?"

The question confused not only Lux but also Slade.

"You're hiding something from me," Slade again lost his composure. "Did the villains use black magic on my daughter?!"

If the argument repeated itself, Lyora would be mad as she recalled Lux advising her. She answered calmly, "Sir Blayz sent me a message through the crystal ball before I went to the bathhouse. He said that his son was affected by black magic."

"Does such a claim hold truth?"

"Yes, the magic tower informed me they detected dark energy from Silverth Mansion. Dark energy is hard to detect because it's similar to the energy of dead people, so I'm worried that the villains are using black magic."

Before the Doomsday began, magic already existed, and people had a negative view of black magic. Many blamed black magicians as the reason for the gods' wrath.

The reason was clear. Dark Energy was needed for black magic. And the only way to get it was to extract it from the dead.

The practice of black magic was restricted and closely monitored in Amarthia. If one used black magic without permission, it was tantamount to challenging the empire.

Despair flashed in Slade's gaze. "A-Are those villains killing Solnisca to get Dark Energy?"

Lux felt goosebumps creeping up his spine. "B-But the search team didn't say anything about Dark Energy. It's possible that Solnisca still survived," he consoled himself.

A suffocating silence followed before Lyora shattered it with her voice.

"I also believe Solnisca is alive. Those villains might want something from me."

Those words could not calm Lux or Slade. To the people, Solnisca's disappearance was strange from the start.

The knights who guarded her were at the master level. Even in the gathering, there was no attack, except for the fire magic that could be handled.

Solnisca simply disappeared from everyone's attention. Because of that, many speculated that the one who kidnapped her was a villain of the Legend rank, which was challenging to achieve.

"Lux, you should rest and don't need to join the search for the time being," Lyora spoke again as the two people in front of her remained silent. "Sir Blayz's son will be visiting the palace tomorrow. His age is similar to yours, so I hope you will get along splendidly."

Slade frowned. "Why is Blayz's son coming to the palace?"

"I told you he was affected by black magic. The palace has the best priests who can purify him again."

"I don't know much about Sir Blayz's son," Lux said nervously.

Lyora smiled. "His name is Griswalden Silverth. He is fifteen years old and rarely goes out because he is sick. He has few friends, so you should have a good attitude towards him."

After saying that, Lyora left the bathhouse to go to her private palace. She was not going to relax. 

Her dinner consisted of tending to tasks that appeared endless. Slade and the knights accompanied Lyora, leaving Lux alone.

Lux returned to his small palace and thought about Gris curiously. All he knew was that Blayz had a son who seldom made public appearances.

After the First Doomsday Wave, Blayz became famous because he helped the economy of Stonemar. He was an alchemist born to an herb farmer.

All his savings were spent on buying land offered cheaply by the Duke of Stonemar. The herb farming he developed had a tremendous impact.

With those herbs, he made various potions and sold them to kingdoms in need. But he contributed them to the people in the empire for free.

Herbal farming developed the capital's economy. The Duke of Stonemar cooperated with Blayz and respected him as much as anyone else.

"Will I finally have the honor of meeting Sir Blayz? I'm so nervous. What kind of person is his son, huh? It seems he's lonely like me because he rarely meets other people..."

Lux grew up listening to Roderick, his late father, recounting the virtues of Blayz. His father received the bard class and had an impressive speaking ability.

Among all bards, Roderick was probably the most famous since he was a great diplomat. Lyora married him because he was an important tool for maintaining peace and securing alliances between countries.

"Father, I will do my best to continue your fight to protect this empire."

Smiling bitterly, Lux recalled the unpleasant memories of Roderick's death in the Fifth Doomsday Wave. After his father's death, he had no supporters in the palace since he was not the Empress' biological son.

Despite these bitter memories, he did not lose his spirit. Even now, he was already strategizing to attain a high status and gain the power to protect the Amarthia Empire in the future.

"I'm only two years younger than Young Master Gris, but I believe this does not make a significant difference. I must utilize Rhetoric Dominance on him tomorrow!"

Blayz adopted many victims of the Doomsday Wave. But the one who would be the heir was Gris.

Silverth had significant influence, not only in Stonemar. If Lux could draw Gris to his side, he could secure his position.

"My Lord Lirion, would you kindly explain again the blessing you have bestowed upon us?"