Chapter 10 – The Master of the Northern Social Circle (Part 6)

Reubellina felt sorry for making others suffer because of her. If the stones from this mine turned out to be just useless blue and red stones, she would be extremely frustrated.

The thought that things could turn out completely different from what she expected made Reubellina’s fingertips cold. At that moment, Tartenon took her hand.

“Do you dislike camping?”

“No, it’s not that……”

“Then are you upset about the mine’s condition?”

“Well, yes. That’s right.”

“Are you trying to find other jobs for the miners?”

“……”

Reubellina hesitated on how to answer Tartenon’s question. She wasn’t trying to find other jobs for the miners. What she wanted was to develop the mine so that more people could work there.

“That’s not it.”

“Well, let’s look inside first.”

“There are no guides since no one is working, but we do have a map of the mine.”

“A map?”

“Yes.”

Tartenon reached out to Bruelin.

Bruelin took out some documents he had hidden in his coat and handed one of them to Tartenon. After examining the map briefly, Tartenon handed it to Reubellina. She studied the map carefully.

The mine’s structure was simpler than she thought. It was just a straight line, nothing else.

“If you want to investigate, let’s go in right away.”

“Alright.”

Tartenon instructed a few knights to escort them and reached out to Reubellina. Just as Bruelin, Heather, and Hemil were preparing to enter together, it happened.

“Die!”

A dagger flew towards Reubellina. Tartenon swiftly drew his sword and blocked the flying dagger, and with a clang, his knights shouted.

“Ambush!”

Arrows and daggers flew from all directions. Realizing it would be difficult to protect Reubellina without cover, Tartenon grabbed her hand and rushed into the mine.

“They went into the mine! Catch them!”

“Run!”

The knights wielded their swords to block the assassins chasing them. Heather and Hemil were busy eliminating assassins emerging from the rear. Even Bruelin swung his sword, killing the incoming assassins, but some managed to slip through.

The assassins who entered the mine threw something at the entrance. The knights who were about to follow shouted upon seeing the object.

“It’s a bomb!”

“No!”

Heather shouted and tried to rush in, but Hemil held her back. With a loud explosion, the entrance collapsed, and the furious knights killed the remaining assassins one by one.

“Don’t kill them all! We need to find out who’s behind this!”

At Bruelin’s shout, the knights’ eyes turned red with anger. The air was thick with killing intent, and red blood splattered. Neon, looking at the blocked entrance, smiled while eliminating the assassins.

‘Everything is going according to plan.’

***

Tartenon and Reubellina kept moving further inside. They couldn’t stop as they heard someone chasing them from behind. Then Tartenon realized that the number of pursuers wasn’t that many.

“Reubellina.”

“Huff, huff! Yes…?”

“Hide here for a moment.”

“What?”

Reubellina hid behind a protruding rock as Tartenon instructed. Two large rocks were enough to conceal her small frame.

“What about you…?”

“Are you worried about me?”

Tartenon chuckled. Before she could ask what that laugh meant, he turned and stepped forward.

“How foolish! Coming in here!”

Onduras, who had been closely following, stood before Tartenon.

“Who sent you?”

“No need for you to know!”

Onduras’s subordinates threw small daggers at Tartenon. Dodging the flying daggers, Tartenon decided not to unleash his sword energy, fearing the narrow passage might collapse.

“Even the great Grand Duke is helpless in such a place!”

At Onduras’s mocking words, Tartenon’s brow furrowed.

Glancing at where Reubellina was hiding, Tartenon’s sword glowed faintly. The approaching enemies didn’t realize what that light meant.

“Blade.”

Tartenon swung his sword vertically. The thin thread-like sword energy shot towards the subordinates behind Onduras. The blue thread of the sword didn’t touch the mine’s walls but only cut through Onduras’s men.

With a thud, the subordinates fell, and Onduras’s face turned pale. It was a gruesome sight. The ground was stained red, and only Onduras remained standing.

Desperately looking around for a way out, Onduras found nowhere to escape except behind him, but it was uncertain if he could survive even if he fled that way.

The decision was quick. He couldn’t do it. Great fear immobilized him. Onduras, who had thought he feared nothing, couldn’t even breathe properly in front of Tartenon.

He couldn’t speak properly due to the overwhelming fear. Tartenon just stared at Onduras without moving. The killing intent pressed down on Onduras, making him kneel. The arrogant attitude he had shown earlier was gone. Tartenon’s cold eyes met his.

Onduras, trembling, couldn’t look away. He knew he might die if he did.

Tartenon, wiping the blood from his sword, spoke.

“This is how it’s done.”

As Tartenon took a step closer to him, Onduras trembled and backed away. Feeling his hand wet, he bit his lip in terror. He had killed many, but this was the first time he faced such a deadly threat.

As the leader of the assassins’ guild, he had faced numerous threats, but never such overwhelming killing intent.

‘So this is why he’s called the Grand Duke of Death…’

His fear-stricken mind couldn’t think straight.

Tartenon asked Onduras.

“Who ordered this?”

“I-I can’t reveal the client… Ugh!”

Tartenon’s sword slashed Onduras’s thigh.

“There are many ways to kill a person, but do you know the most cruel one?”

“Gah, ahhh!” 

“The fear of bleeding out. Knowing you’ll die but struggling to survive. Letting them know that the outcome won’t change.”

“Please, spare my life, ugh…!!”

“Quiet.”

Tartenon’s voice was devoid of emotion.

“If my beloved fears because of you, I will do worse.”

Onduras, feeling the chill in Tartenon’s whispered words, couldn’t even scream. Seeing the blood flowing from his thigh, he gasped heavily.

Tartenon asked again.

“So, who’s behind this?”

***

Reubellina witnessed everything but pretended not to notice and walked steadily. Tartenon moved quietly by her side. As they passed the area reeking of blood, Tartenon carried her out of the place.

‘Well, everyone has their reasons.’

She didn’t think Tartenon’s actions were excessive. If he hadn’t acted, they would have been the ones to die.

Reubellina wanted to thank Tartenon, but her mouth wouldn’t open. She felt any words would be awkward, so she kept silent. Understanding her feelings, Tartenon also said nothing. They walked back the way they came in silence.

‘To think Inferno is behind this.’

He was truly irredeemable trash. To think he wanted to kill her, the Grand Duchess of the North.

‘No, did I do something so wrong?’

No matter how much she thought about it, she hadn’t done anything wrong. It was Inferno who betrayed first, and it was Inferno who didn’t appreciate her devotion. Was he feeling regretful because the fish in the fishbowl had escaped and was living freely?

She already knew that they valued the wealth of the Asillious Duchy more than her. However, the current situation was beyond acceptable. No matter how high the authority of the imperial family, attempting to kill someone who could be the heir to the duchy was a significant issue that could be brought before the noble council.

‘But that’s only when the truth is revealed.’

If she died here, it was easy to predict that they would use her death to pressure Tartenon and the North.

“Ugh, the more I think about it, the more annoyed I get.”

“What is?”

“Isn’t it obvious? How foolish must I have seemed for them to try to kill me?”

Reubellina clenched her fists in indignation. Tartenon looked down at her and gently stroked her face.

“It’s not you they underestimated, it’s me. They were under the illusion that they could take your life.”

“No. This is a challenge against me!”

Biting her lip, Reubellina resolved. Once she got out of here, she would use all means to stir up turmoil in the capital.

In front of her, a dead-end blocked by a large stone appeared.

“What’s going on here?”

“…It seems someone used a bomb.”

Tartenon answered, smelling the gunpowder in the air.

“Is there no other way out?”

Reubellina took out a map and carefully examined the path. There was only a way inward, and this was the only exit. The torches lit the mine, but they did not know how long would they last.

“It doesn’t seem like there is.”

Tartenon’s defeated voice came as he looked at the map Reubellina had taken out. She sighed, having anticipated this but still disappointed by Tartenon’s confirmation.

“What if we move those stones one by one?”

“The top might collapse.”

Small stones were falling from above. Reubellina plopped down in front of them.

“Are we going to die here like this?”

“Let’s wait. My knights outside will find a way.”

“…How long do we have to wait for that!”

“Then let’s think of another method.”

“Hmm.”