Even when she made a disparaging remark about his house, Eldrian showed no sign of irritation.
He merely shrugged and refocused his attention on the dais.
Standing beside him, Estella followed his gaze and asked,
“I didn’t think he’d come. What changed his mind?”
“If I didn’t attend an event like this.”
Eldrian replied evenly,
“People would start saying that the heir of Sunray is jealous of the heir of Blackwood.”
“With the way you’re glaring at that stage,” Estella said with a smirk, “they’ll say you’re burning with jealousy anyway.”
Eldrian let out a short laugh.
“Jealous? Of what? You have to be roughly the same strength as someone to feel jealous of them. But bringing back the scale of a Great Being? I’ve never even set foot in the Dracon Mountains, and I don’t intend to.”
Dominic Blackwood, the eldest son and heir of the Duke of Blackwood, had descended the Dracon Mountains with the scale of a Great Being in hand.
Unless the Great Being revealed itself, meeting it was an impossible feat.
Seeking it out and surviving the encounter was a miracle in itself, yet Dominic had returned not only alive, but also carrying its scale.
This had never happened before in the history of the Lunaris Empire.
Today’s banquet had been arranged in honor of Dominic, who had brought glory not only to the House of Blackwood, but to the Empire itself.
Everyone present had come — lords from distant provinces and even foreign royalty — to catch a glimpse of the legendary figure.
Despite his many achievements, this was Dominic’s first appearance at a public event.
This was his first.
Estella murmured,
“Do you think he’ll take off that mask today?”
When Dominic was young, he had suffered a severe illness that had left deep scars across his face.
Since then, he had always worn a silver mask.
Not even on the battlefield, where death was ever-present, had he ever removed it.
No one had ever seen his real face.
Eldrian tilted his head slightly.
“Who knows? I heard the encounter with the Great Being left him gravely ill. Perhaps he’s gotten worse.”
The story of Dominic retrieving the Great Being’s scale emerged a year ago.
It could have been announced immediately, but the Blackwood household delayed it, claiming that Dominic was unwell.
Estella lowered her voice conspiratorially.
“I heard something different. Some say that, because of the Great Being’s power, his scars vanished completely. He’s even grown taller. You know how plants grow larger the closer they are to the Dracon Peaks; maybe the same happened to him.”
Eldrian had heard the same rumor: that today, Dominic Blackwood might finally remove his mask.
This was the only reason why Eldrian, who usually found official gatherings tedious, had decided to attend.
He wanted to see Dominic’s face.
Several years ago, amidst a swarm of monsters on the battlefield, he saw Dominic charge forward without hesitation, sword in hand.
He could see the crimson aura blazing from his blade, a light so intense that it could have burned the sky itself.
When Dominic briefly turned and locked eyes with him, Eldrian knew he would never forget him.
“The Emperor will surely invite Dominic to the palace.”
Eldrian murmured.
Estella nodded.
“It’s the obvious move.”
“Yes, it was tolerable to choose the duke’s daughter over you as crown princess. But if His Majesty brings Dominic into the palace as well, Blackwood will end up controlling the imperial court itself.”
“The Emperor doesn’t have much of a choice. Ever since Dominic returned the Great Being’s scale, Blackwood’s renown has surpassed even that of the throne.”
“The Emperor intends to win them over, but Blackwood won’t be swayed.”
“Maybe not, but it’ll buy time. With Dominic’s fame at its peak, if Blackwood were to rebel now, countless houses would follow. The Great Being’s scale, it’s too tempting a symbol.”
“True. His Majesty needs time.”
“And in that time, we must either diminish Blackwood’s name or build one strong enough to rival it.”
The House of Blackwood was known for being a radical faction that advocated full autonomy for each territory.
However, those who understood power knew their true ambition: to devour the empire itself.
Until now, the balance and imperial factions had managed to keep them in check.
However, when Dominic Blackwood was born, the tides began to shift.
At just ten years old, Dominic took part in his first monster subjugation.
While it was not unusual for noble children to accompany such campaigns, they only observed from afar, learning from a safe distance.
Even Eldrian, who was praised as a prodigy from childhood, had not drawn his sword on his first battlefield.
But Dominic was different.
He wielded a blade larger than himself and fought.
Fearless.
Fierce.
Magnificent.
From that first campaign, Dominic Blackwood’s name spread across the empire.
And he never stopped. Without regard for his own safety, he threw himself into every task: clearing the labyrinths of Blackwood territory, hunting beasts in long-neglected imperial lands, and even venturing to remote provinces that the court no longer had the strength to protect.
The Duke of Blackwood’s son was, of course, precious to him.
And yet, despite the countless dangers of the battlefield, he sent his eldest son to fight.
This alone earned the Duke of Blackwood the respect of many, and Dominic’s admiration had long since turned to reverence.
Blackwood was currently more popular than the imperial House Estrava family.
Rather than petitioning the Emperor, lords from every province, as well as foreign rulers, sought aid directly from Blackwood.
Although Dominic had been bedridden since returning from the Dracon Mountains and could no longer lead campaigns as before, his reputation had not waned.
He had achieved too much for that.
People merely worried for his health and prayed for his recovery.
Now, Dominic, whom everyone had longed to see well again, was about to appear in public for the first time since his illness.
“The House of Blackwood is entering.”
When the herald made his announcement, silence fell over the hall.
It was even deeper than the hush that had greeted Eldrian’s arrival.
All eyes turned towards the great doors as the Blackwood family entered.
Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Eldrian watched them approach: the Duke and Duchess; their eldest daughter, Isabella; and their second son, William.
Finally, Dominic Blackwood appeared.
As always, he wore that dazzling silver mask.
Flash!
Light from the chandeliers caught on the polished metal, scattering into a brilliance that drew a soft gasp from the crowd.
‘He’s really grown.’
The last time Eldrian had seen Dominic was four years ago. Back then, Dominic had been around eighteen.
‘He was slender then.’
Now, his frame was broader, his shoulders strong, his height slightly greater.
‘And… is his hair color a bit different, too?’
As Eldrian searched his memory, observing every small change, Dominic, who had been standing quietly beside his parents, raised a hand toward his mask.
‘He’s taking it off now? Clever.’
If he were to remove it later while receiving his honor in the Emperor’s presence, no one would dare display open admiration.
In the Emperor’s presence, all praise must first be given to the throne.
If Dominic intended to reveal his face, now was the perfect time, before the imperial family arrived.
Everyone seemed to realize what he was about to do.
The vast hall fell silent, everyone holding their breath.
“During all this time.”
Dominic began, his hand still resting on the mask, his deep, steady voice resonating through the chamber.
“I refrained from showing my face out of childish vanity, ashamed of its scars. Even so, you all looked upon me with kindness. For that, I am deeply grateful.”
A hero had no need to apologize, yet he did so humbly and no one could dislike him for it. In that instant, Eldrian was certain Dominic’s popularity had doubled.
“From this day on, I will face you all openly, as I am.”
The silver mask that had concealed his face since childhood was finally removed. For the first time, the face beneath it was revealed.
He had a strong, well-defined jawline. He had a straight brow, thick lashes, and gentle eyes that sloped downward at the corners in the Blackwood way. He had a high nose. His eyes were a deep, polished green.
The man behind the mask was strikingly handsome, so much so that one might wonder why he had ever hidden his face at all.
As Dominic brushed back his hair with effortless grace, he locked eyes with Eldrian across the hall.
Eldrian stared back, narrowing his eyes and adopting an impenetrable expression.
“Wow,” Estella murmured beside him, “he’s gorgeous.”
At her words, a cold smile curved Eldrian’s lips.
“Yes. He is.
“Wait, where are you going?”
Estella asked, startled, as Eldrian turned without hesitation. The ceremony had only just begun, but he was already walking away.
“That’s not Dominic.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
Estella demanded, but Eldrian didn’t answer aloud.
‘The man I saw on that battlefield…’
‘That wasn’t him.’
✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦ ✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦ ✦❘
On that day, Dominic presented the Great Being’s scales to the court. Shimmering in radiant hues, they flooded the hall with brilliance, causing every heart to beat faster in awe. Even a palm-sized scale had an overwhelming presence, and no one dared to suspect that it was fake.
The Emperor praised Dominic’s many feats and bestowed high honors upon House Blackwood. He appointed Dominic, who was only twenty-two years old, as Vice-Commander of the Imperial Golden Lion Knights, the Emperor’s personal order.
It was an unprecedented promotion.
The Emperor also announced that Isabella Blackwood, Dominic’s elder sister, had been chosen as Crown Princess Consort.
It was the autumn of Year 1023, the very same day, far to the south, when a small fishing village named Ernel burned and vanished from the map.