Chapter 10 – The Master of the Northern Social Circle (Part 1)

Meanwhile, Reubellina, who had been venting her emotions while pacing in the office from which Tartenon had departed, suddenly realized something as she looked around. The incident between her and Viverna at the wedding banquet was not a trivial matter.

‘Well, it’s only natural since the master of the social circle is changing.’

Reubellina was well aware of the power struggles within. She herself had done things to sit at the top. Although she never harmed anyone, she mastered all other schemes and strategies. Reubellina began to piece things together one by one.

“Tartenon might not know, but women tend to be more vicious.”

There was no way Viverna, who had been humiliated at the banquet, would stay still. Reubellina was certain that she would definitely do something. This prediction was not a guess but a certainty.

‘The more I think about it, the stranger it seems.’

No matter how rudely she was treated, Viverna was Tartenon’s aunt. So why was she being so ostracized? Seeing even the Marquis of Istorium come forward to support Tartenon, it seemed that many things were intertwined in the North.

‘Should I really be getting more involved here?’

The death of the former Grand Duke, Tartenon becoming the successor at a young age, and Viverna existing between them. What was Viverna thinking when she pushed away her young nephew?

‘Could she really have stepped up to become the claim the Grand Ducal position?’’

Viverna lacked the military power to become the Grand Duke of the North. Tartenon, recognized as a Sword Master upon manifesting aura immediately after his coming-of-age ceremony, held that position. How could she think of taking such a position?

Viverna was the Grand Duke’s aunt. Supporting the Grand Duke would have brought her unparalleled glory in the North.

‘But she pushed him away?’

Unless she made a significant resolution, there was no reason to push away Tartenon, who had just become the Grand Duke. It didn’t make sense. Logically.

“The former Grand Duke who died during a hunt. Viverna, who asked the Grand Duke to hunt. And she rejected her nephew, the current Grand Duke.”

As Reubellina connected the dots, she reached a conclusion.

“Could it be that she killed the former Grand Duke?”

Reubellina was shocked by her own words and covered her mouth. She quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard, but there was no one.

“Teryn.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

As soon as she called, Teryn appeared. Since coming to the Northern castle, Teryn had been protecting Reubellina from unseen places as her secret guard.

“Go to the capital and find out if Viverna is contacting any nobles.”

“Do I have to go personally?”

“Yes, you must go personally.”

“If I leave, you will be unguarded.”

“But there’s no one else I can entrust with this task but you.”

“What about Armur of the Northern branch?”

“It’s hard to say he’s entirely my person yet.”

“I see.”

Reubellina gave a firm order to the hesitant Teryn.

“Go.”

“Understood. Then I will request reinforcements from the Ducal house for your protection in the meantime.”

“From the Ducal house?”

“Yes.”

“All right, then.”

Reubellina answered nonchalantly, and Teryn disappeared.

“A thorough investigation is necessary.”

The North was a place far more complex and entangled with various interests than she knew.

“How did it come to this, really…?”

When she first left the Duke of Asillious’ residence, she never thought she would think so much about the North. Especially seeing people getting scammed here and there, she wanted to help somehow.

Not only did they get ripped off because they couldn’t properly gauge the prices of goods sold in the capital, but they also bought cheap necessities at high prices. The fraud by the Phineus’ couldn’t even be called fraud because merchants from other regions were busy inflating prices in the North.

If not for Armur verifying and reporting the merchants from the East and West trying to settle in the North, the Northerners’ wealth would have been completely drained.

‘Sending people at the right time wasn’t a bad move.’

Indeed, Armur had a good eye for people. Those he sent precisely understood the prices of goods sold by merchants from the East and West and prevented them from charging more than the transportation costs.

Having been deceived once by the Count of Phineus, the Northerners didn’t easily trust merchants from the East and West, and eventually, they withdrew from the North.

Reubellina was amazed to see what happened in just two weeks. The Northerners’ closed-mindedness was more remarkable than she thought.

Armur’s boldness in selling goods through these tightly-knit people was impressive. Although he borrowed the name of the Grand Duchess, Armur was indeed different. Instead of trying to sell goods at high prices, he sold them at fair prices and gained the cooperation of the Northerners.

He bought the pelts of beasts hunted by the Northerners at fair prices and hired Northerners on the way back to the capital. Surviving in the North meant they were stronger than most mercenaries.

“It wasn’t a loss for the people of Speraum territory either.”

Besides selling pelts, they found ways to earn money by guiding and protecting the merchant guilds. Previously, they couldn’t think of earning money in any other way than hunting and gathering. Life was tough and harsh. However, Armur suggested new ways for them and continued to provide various ways to earn money.

With a little more time, Armur could be accepted as Reubellina’s close aide like Teryn. But for this task, Teryn’s strength was needed. Specifically, the strength of the Duke of Asillious.

‘This is about investigating the death of the former Grand Duke.’

Hence, she couldn’t speak carelessly. Asking to investigate Viverna naturally meant investigating the death of the former Duke as well.

‘Then I just have to wait for the results.’

Nothing else was needed. Only the truth.

‘Telling Tartenon the results is another matter, though.’

Perhaps Tartenon already knew. That there could be another reason for his father’s death.

Reubellina’s thoughts continued until Paddington came to find her for dinner.

***

“Neon.”

Viverna called his name with a face full of sorrow.

Since collapsing at the banquet and being carried out on a stretcher, Viverna couldn’t show her face in the social circle. Tea parties were filled with ladies trying to bring her down, and the young ladies siding with Reubellina openly mocked her, saying they would collapse if they were at a disadvantage.

All of this was Reubellina’s fault.

Of course, the situation worsened because Tartenon fully supported Reubellina, but Viverna blamed it all on Reubellina. She didn’t have enough power to completely turn against Tartenon, the Grand Duke of the North.

Her power had been dwindling day by day since the incident. Desperate, she sent people to the capital and received Inferno’s confirmation to cooperate in eliminating Tartenon.

‘That fool better act as planned.’

The second prince, Inferno, was a pompous fool. He didn’t even recognize the importance of the North and showed his inferiority complex towards Tartenon. But Inferno, with his noble bloodline, was a pretty decent card. Especially since he showed hostility towards Tartenon, Viverna liked him very much.

As Viverna intended, Inferno cooperated in sending assassins. However, the target of these assassins was different from what Inferno knew. Viverna told Inferno that the target was Tartenon, but the actual target of the assassins would be Reubellina.

‘But it’s better to be sure.’

So Viverna called in Neon. It was time to move the Northern knight she had planted.

“I heard you’re going outside Speraum castle to inspect the mines.”

“Yes, Lady Viverna.”

“Then, Neon. Can you do something for me?”

“Of course.”

As always, Neon did not refuse Viverna’s request. Few would refuse a request from her, who held a claim to the Speraum Castle.

Thus, Viverna was confident. Since the target was Reubellina, not Tartenon, there was no way to fail.

It was a bit regrettable to use the card Neon too early. Neon was second in command in the Northern Knights led by Tartenon. His swordsmanship was excellent, but he also had symbolic significance as he was personally selected and taught by the former Grand Duke.

If it became known later that a skilled knight chosen by her late brother followed her, the Northern nobles might change their minds. They might even spread the opinion that the late Grand Duke had other intentions. However, it wasn’t easy since Tartenon was a Sword Master.

So this time, she decided to send Neon. If Neon helped eliminate Reubellina, the justification would be clear. It could be framed as a righteous knight eliminating a witch from the capital who was wreaking havoc in the North. She had already found people to spread such rumors.

‘As long as it succeeds.’

Although a slight unease crept in, Viverna didn’t think this plan would fail. If things got tough, she could always block the entrance to the mine that Reubellina entered as a last resort.

If Tartenon entered with her, it would be better to kill them both. Only then could she seize the Grand Ducal position.

“You know that the Grand Duchess has slandered me with her wicked words, right?”

Before Viverna could finish speaking, Neon’s expression changed. Seeing his indignant face, Viverna smiled with satisfaction. It was easy for her to manipulate a naive knight into betraying his lord. As long as her last name was Speraum, the Northern knights would not suspect her.

They were too simple-minded to think that someone with the Speraum name would harm another Speraum. In the Speraum family, which had few descendants, the first rule was to protect each other. Anyone who broke this rule, regardless of their status, was killed. Though it was an old and forgotten rule, it still existed. And Viverna was using this rule to recruit knights.

“So, for the sake of Speraum, I must make a decision.”

“But Lady Reubellina was chosen by the Grand Duke.”

“Even so, that person is an outsider. If the Grand Duke had chosen someone from the North, I wouldn’t have said anything. Naturally, I would have gone and greeted them first.”

Though Viverna never had any intention of doing so, she fabricated her words calmly. Neon, taken in by her words, nodded.

“It’s time for the knights to move to protect Speraum. Protect me.”

“Yes, Lady Viverna.”

“Dispose of that witch and show that justice in the North is still alive.”

“Yes.”

In Neon’s obedient eyes, there wasn’t a trace of doubt. The steadfast knight, unable to look around, was a loyal sword to his lord but sometimes his rigidness choked his own neck.

Viverna smiled in satisfaction at Neon’s response.