348

Episode 348 This is certain. (1)

The soldiers looked at Giselle and Arel with a stern expression.

"Identify yourself."

Jiselle glanced at Arel. This was something that the noble's attendant had to do.

Giselle was looking away with her chin raised like an arrogant noble befitting her fake identity.

Arel, who had briefly learned manners from Claude and Belinda, spoke in a stammering voice, still feeling awkward.

"I'm Baron Dougley from the East, huh? Uh, so, the reason we're here is… … . Uh, what was that letter?"

Arel was stammering while looking at the memo Claude had written for him, 'How to introduce the lord to the soldiers when passing through the gate.'

He was from a rural village, so he couldn't possibly be familiar with such etiquette. He had only learned to read after coming to the Fenris territory, so he had difficulty reading quickly.

So even if I was taught manners, it was difficult to act naturally.

As the soldiers thrust their spears forward with suspicious expressions, Giselle clicked her tongue and stepped forward.

"I am Baron Dougley from the East. I have come to see and discuss matters with the Earl of Mowbray."

"Are you talking about your lord?"

"okay."

"May I know what your business is?"

"Should I tell a mere soldier all about my business? And that too, matters that should be discussed with the Count?"

As Jiselle glared at the soldiers with an overbearing attitude, the soldiers slowly put away their spears.

They soon carefully checked my ID and other things, then opened the gate.

The soldier spoke as if warning Giselle as she passed by.

"Your Majesty is very nervous these days. You must be careful."

"Please note."

Jiselle answered nonchalantly and passed by.

The atmosphere inside the castle was no different from what I saw from outside. Everyone passing by had a gloomy expression on their face.

Arel looked around at the people and whispered.

"Is something bad happening in Yeongji?"

"To be exact, it's not the territory but the lord that is having a bad time."

"It's a permanent resident's day, so why do people's expressions look like that?"

"Because the lord has become very sensitive. He will probably punish even the smallest crimes without mercy. So everyone has no choice but to be careful and guard themselves."

Arelle, who came to Fenris from a small village in the North, had never lived without paying attention to the lord's feelings.

Although the land was barren and barbarians frequently invaded, making it difficult to make a living, Zwalter, Giselle's father, did not harass the people of the territory.

"The lord of this place… … seems to be a scary person."

Why would you openly call him a wicked lord? I said something indirectly. Jiselle shook her head and answered.

"Not to that extent. It's just that when you encounter a problem that you can't solve, the anger affects those around you."

"Around the painter… … ."

"Yes. The human mind is weaker than you think. No matter how much you try to control it, it's not easy to suppress boiling anger. It can't help but influence others, knowingly or unknowingly."

"okay."

Arel nodded with some understanding. He too would often feel anger rising inside him whenever he thought of the barbarians.

Can you really live with such anger without letting it show to those around you?

Anyone who harbors deep anger inside cannot help but secretly vent their anger.

After understanding the situation, Arel suddenly felt worried.

"Would it be okay to meet a lord like that?"

Seeing him come to meet me while hiding his identity, he didn't seem like someone I knew. But since the person I was going to meet was angry, I was a little worried.

There are only two people here now, Jiselle and herself. She doesn't even know how to use mana properly yet.

If there is a dispute, there will be great trouble. No matter how strong Jisel is, he cannot fight against one territory alone.

Although he is a lord who always thinks of a way, he couldn't help but worry when he saw the gloomy atmosphere in the territory.

As if she knew Arel's feelings, Giselle snickered.

"Don't be so scared. I'm not going to fight you. I'm going to solve the problem of your anger."

"Why are you angry?"

"Yeah. And I came there to get new strength."

At those words, Arel's eyes widened.

In his eyes, Jiselle was an incredibly strong person. And yet, she gained new powers? He had no idea what they could be.

"Why? Are you curious?"

"...yes."

Arel nodded slightly. Of course he would do it if Giselle asked him to, but he was curious.

Jiselle explained, walking slowly.

"Ilois, the 7th Circle Wizard of the Duke's House, is a wizard of the School of Illusion."

"Welcome… … School?"

Wizards of the School of Welcome are sometimes more difficult to deal with than wizards of the School of Destruction, as they can manipulate the minds of their opponents.

Of course, it doesn't work well on those skilled in mana handling. However, ordinary soldiers can never stop the illusion magic of the high circle.

Especially high-circle magicians can show illusions to numerous people at once and cause them to fall into illusions.

What if such a large-scale magic were to unfold on the battlefield? A situation would arise where friendly forces would attack friendly forces, and all commands and operations would go down the drain.

That is why the wizards of the Welcome School are transformed into more fearsome beings than any other wizards during wartime.

"But other people think he's a wizard from a different school. He's a 7th Circle wizard, so he can use other magic quite well."

"So you're saying that you're deliberately lying to me?"

"Yes. To use at important moments. If you were to encounter it for the first time on the battlefield without knowing anything, it would be a pretty terrible situation."

"Then what is this new power… … ."

"There is no one in our territory who can stop Ilois' illusion magic. That is why we are trying to gain the power to stop it."

"Is that power here?"

"Yes. You probably won't get it right away. It'll take some time, so you'll have to prepare yourself mentally."

Jiselle didn't explain what kind of power it was. However, as he continued to speak, the atmosphere around him became heavier and Arel swallowed dryly in nervousness.

I wanted to ask exactly what that power was, but I was afraid to ask. It was a power that could stop a 7th circle magician. It must have been obtained only after going through tremendous hardships.

'I have to be strong.'

The reason the lord brought him here was obviously to train him, but he also probably wanted to give him experience.

And given the lord's nature, it was clear that the task would be extremely dangerous. It had always been that way.

Arel hardened his expression and made up his mind that he would definitely do it.

Jiselle changed the subject as if trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, and if I solve the lord's problem here, there will be other benefits."

"What is that?"

"The lord here refuses to belong to any one place. It would be better if he joined us, but if he doesn't join the Duke's family, we'll have fewer enemies to fight against. It's beneficial in many ways."

Arel nodded as if he understood. As expected, the lord never did anything without doing it.

Other people always tried to nitpick and tackle Giselle's plans, but Arel never did.

'If that's the case, my lord, then that's the case.'

To him, Giselle was a god. Whatever Giselle said was always right. This was a follower in a different sense from Dominic.

To that extent, Arel trusted and followed Giselle, who had saved him and become his teacher. In fact, as a country boy, he did not have the knowledge to argue about anything.

The two of them chatted away as they headed toward Yeongju Castle. As they walked, all they could see were people wrapped in a gloomy atmosphere.

As we arrived in front of Yeongju Castle, this time knights and soldiers blocked our way again.

"Stop! What brings you here?"

It was a little more formal than at the castle gate, because most of the people who came to the castle were not commoners.

Jiselle said with a snicker.

"I am Baron Dougley from the East. I have come to help you solve your lord's problem."

"Difficulty… … you mean?"

"Yes. I am a very famous exorcist."

* * *

The Earl of Mowbray was always in a bad mood.

It's not because of the state of his estate. His estate is quite a wealthy estate.

It had been run well without any financial problems, and it was not a place so weak that other lords would attack it rashly, so there was no great concern about it being invaded.

He had only one concern: his son.

"How is Edwin?"

"I invited the wizards in secret and showed them, but it's still the same."

"What about gagging?"

"I made a clear promise. If even the slightest rumor spreads, I will move the army and kill you, even if it means ruining the territory."

"Yeah, but I guess we can't stop the rumors like this forever."

Count Mowbray took a deep breath and calmed down.

Although rumors have not yet spread, the problems of his son and successor, Edwin, have been around for quite some time.

Since he was young, I didn't like his weak personality, so I raised him strictly.

As a result, his son gradually began to avoid him, and it became difficult for him to even see his face.

The more I did that, the more severely I was treated. I controlled every single action and didn't stop scolding them even when they made small mistakes.

― You idiot! Are you saying you can't even do this?

- You pathetic bastard! What the hell do you know how to do!

- So you are saying that you can be called the successor to the territory?

With each yell, Edwin became more and more tense. The tension was so high that he was bound to make more mistakes.

The more this happened, the angrier Count Mowbray became. There was nothing he liked about it.

But over the past year, Edwin has been acting increasingly strangely, and now he has gone completely crazy.

No, to be exact, it would be more accurate to say that it was written on something.

He spews out curses and magical energy with a strange appearance. Can this simply be called madness?

At first, I thought he was crazy. So I called a priest and tried various methods, but nothing worked.

But after he started to openly emit ominous aura, he couldn't even summon a priest.

"Be careful not to let rumors spread."

"All right."

It is said that there are cases of being possessed by evil spirits. Although not everyone has actually seen it, there are documents from the past about people who experienced similar things.

The ominous magical aura that Edwin exuded was the kind of aura that only black magicians could use. If word got out, my son would die.

If it had been anyone else, the Earl of Mowbray would have personally stepped in and burned him to death, but he could not kill his son, the heir to the Earldom.

"I'll go and take a look."

Count Mowbray walked slowly.

The castle here was very large. There was even a small forest and lake around the castle. Thanks to this, there were few people behind the castle, and I was able to hide my son away from people's eyes.

The only people allowed near the tower where his son was imprisoned were the soldiers guarding the tower, a few servants to deliver food, and the count himself.

Count Mowbray, who had climbed to the top floor of the tower, spoke to his soldiers.

"Open it."

At the command of Count Mowbray, the thick iron door opened slowly.

"Kurrrrrr… … ."

As we entered, we heard a howling sound like that of an animal.

Count Mowbray looked at his chained son with a pained expression.

The son was originally handsome enough to look delicate, but now he looked like a skinny corpse.

What was even more terrifying was that black veins were popping out all over his body and his eyes were pitch black.

Who could see this and not be possessed by an evil spirit?

Moreover, this aura that stabbed at the flesh was definitely not something that an ordinary person could produce.

As soon as Edwin saw the Earl of Mowbray, he sneered at him with bloodshot black eyes. His voice was as unpleasant and disgusting as boiling phlegm.

Each word came out awkwardly and brokenly, as if his tongue was not moving properly.

"Kruk… … . Isn't it pitiful that my son is living like this? Hurry up and let me go… … ."

At first, the Earl of Mowbray thought his son was acting crazy.

I thought they were causing such a commotion because they were afraid of strict education and reprimands.

But as time went by, his condition got worse and now he has truly turned into a devil.

Did my son really make a contract with a demon like a warlock?

Count Mowbray shook his head. Not just anyone can make a contract with the Demons. His son had no knowledge of such matters.

Even in these circumstances, Count Mowbray did not stop scolding his son.

"You pathetic bastard, how mentally weak must you be to be eaten by such an evil spirit?"

"It's because of you. It's because you don't treat your son like a human being. Krruk… … So it's so easy for him to come in when he's mentally broken and weak."

"It's because of me?"

"Yes… … . It's because of you… … . This appearance is just the anger inside him… … . I just help him release it… … . So it's all because of you… … ."

Edwin repeated the same words over and over again, words that tore at his father's heart without ceasing.

Count Mowbray took a few deep breaths before speaking with difficulty.

"Don't you want to come out of my son's body? If you want, I'll give you another body."

Count Mowbray was willing to provide a better body even if the opponent was a demon, because he could use the death row inmates.

But the evil spirit spoke, tilting its head from side to side several times in a strange manner.

"I can't get out of this body."