Chapter 6 Part 4

Pulvius smiled awkwardly.

“Probably both… I guess?”

“Honestly, they don’t even give me time to rest. I think I’ll die young like this. Maybe I should adopt a kid.”

“Are you joking?”

“I’m serious.”

Irritated, Boris wiped his chin and put on the new clothes.

His curly hair, painstakingly grown out to his chin, had been cut off entirely during interrogation.

If they tortured an innocent person like this, they should at least give him time to grow his hair back.

Yet Pulvius handed him a long cylinder as soon as he was dressed.

Boris looked down at the cylinder suspiciously, his eyebrows arching.

“What’s this?”

“It concerns Baron Gallandia.”

“Oh, that.”

He sighed, rubbing his eyelids.

His master had ordered him to gather clearer evidence regarding the circumstances of Baron Gallandia and his daughter—Melissa Gallandia’s mother—betraying Bergritz.

He gripped the cylinder and shook it.

“So it came directly to me?”

“Yes. There was an order to deliver it to the lord via the envoy.”

Boris hesitated for a moment.

Before delivering it, he thought it would be alright to open the cylinder under the pretext of safety.

Closing his eyes tightly, he pondered briefly, then sighed, gripped the cylinder firmly, and opened his eyes.

His hesitation vanished, replaced only by a resolute gaze.

After all, Boris’s master was Alexander Bergritz.

The knight went to his master.

***

For several days, Melissa diligently trained, pretending to be a sage alongside Coloman.

The reason she could easily open the gate to the Otherworld was largely due to Bright’s spell, so she had to start from scratch.

The current training involved holding the magic stone and channeling the power inside her, transforming it into the desired form.

“The lord completely removed the magic stone, didn’t he? Does he use his power differently from me?”

Melissa asked cautiously in the headmaster’s office.

Coloman, who had been groaning over books related to spirits, looked up.

“Hmm. Strictly speaking, yes, it’s different. The lord has absorbed all the magic power from the stone into his body.”

When controlling dragons, one absorbs the magic power from the stone and forcibly releases it.

Coloman didn’t bother to add that the amount was enormous and somewhat oppressive.

“But the lord can also transform the magic stone. Transformation is necessary to freely absorb and release the power.”

“So transforming the magic stone is the basic of basics.”

Melissa sighed and smiled, clutching the magic stone, struggling just like when Coloman looked through books earlier.

Thanks to days of practice, the white light no longer blazed recklessly.

Instead, it emitted faintly like the glow of fireflies, a sign she was controlling the spirit’s power well.

“No, you’re doing well. There isn’t even anyone who could be called a teacher in this situation.”

Coloman was sincere.

A Spirit Weaver like Melissa was unheard of across the entire continent.

She might be the only one.

That she could regulate her power after just a few books Coloman gave her was remarkable.

Coloman had already seen the genius that was Alexander, but Melissa was no less impressive.

Even their dedication was similar.

“Thank you, I’ll try again.”

Just as the clear sunlight entering the room tickled Melissa’s cheek, a sheet of paper slipped from her bag.

Melissa, focused on the magic stone, seemed unaware.

Coloman tried to pick it up for her but the drawing on it piqued his curiosity.

He gently unfolded the paper and let out a brief exclamation.

“It’s a siege weapon.”

At first glance, it looked like a sketch of a half-dragon’s wing, but it was actually a siege weapon designed in the shape of such a wing.

Melissa, realizing what Coloman held, was startled.

“Co-Coloman!”

“It’s impressive.”

Melissa bent over to snatch the paper back, but Coloman leaned back, refusing to let go.

Her face flushed with shock.

“How rude!”

She protested, then quickly covered her mouth, looking bashful.

Coloman grinned.

“Not showing me something like this would be ruder.”

“…What…”

“Could you explain it to me?”

Blushing deeply, Melissa pursed her dry lips, hesitated, then finally gave in and spoke.

“The half-dragons have relatively small wings for their huge bodies. But they can fly, right? It’s fascinating, so I wondered if I could apply that somehow.”

“Hm.”

Before judging if her sketch was feasible, Coloman was amazed Melissa had such thoughts upon first seeing half-dragons.

“So I combined the half-dragon’s wings with a bat’s wings.”

Melissa lowered her head deeply as she continued.

“The bat’s wing membrane is attached to its hind legs, so it can change shape instantly. If combined with the half-dragon’s maneuverability…”

“Excellent.”

“…Really?”

Melissa slowly lifted her head.

Meeting Coloman’s sparkling eyes, her tension gradually melted away.

“Yes. I’m not well-versed in military matters either… but I know a bit about engineering. Your design isn’t entirely nonsensical. The part where you combined a dragon’s wing with a bat’s wing is impressive.”

“You flatter me.”

“No, truly impressive.”

“…Thank you. That’s the first time I’ve received such praise…”

Coloman’s gaze shifted away from the blueprint.

Watching Melissa, who was happily unsure of what to do, the scholar’s eyes held a trace of worry.

“Melissa.”

“Yes?”

At Coloman’s suddenly lowered voice, Melissa raised her still-glowing eyes to meet his.

Coloman spoke bitterly,

“The South is open-minded but also a place where loyalty is valued above life. They cherish friendships forged by trust more than familial blood ties. And marriage… they see it as a kind of vow binding two complete strangers.”

“…”

“The South will not welcome you, Melissa.”

Coloman suddenly felt concerned about the moment Melissa’s true identity would be revealed.

If Alexander used and discarded her, it might end quietly without rumors.

But lately, rumors had openly spread that Alexander invited the most famous jewelers from the capital to examine the rings—even in the North.

Marriage. He intended to make the Spirit Weaver an ally through marriage.

If Alexander won the war, the chances of the Bright family surviving were slim.

With Franz’s death, Melissa would be seen as the woman who betrayed her fiancé and won over his brother.

The vassals would turn on the hostage woman rather than the lord they loved.

Not only the vassals, but the servants, soldiers, and knights in the manor would likely resent her as well.

“Much of the truth in the history between spirits and humans has been distorted. Your position as a Spirit Weaver won’t work in your favor. Most likely… you will have to keep it a secret.”

Coloman wanted to persuade her to accept sufficient compensation from Alexander and leave once the war was over.

 Melissa didn’t seem to crave the position of Alexander’s wife.

It was too much to say that.

“I’ll try.”

Yes, it felt like she was trying too hard.

Melissa immediately answered, clutching her collar.

“I’ll do my best. As for marriage… I don’t mind if it doesn’t happen, but he wants it. If possible, I want to stay in Tavalon too.”

She had never truly belonged anywhere—an illegitimate child and a hostage.

She had always been an outsider.

Her world was only the manor.

But Melissa had seen Tavalon—

A prosperous territory filled with freedom, laughter, and warmth.

She wanted to belong here in any position.

And like everyone else, she wanted to be free and return to the Gallandia estate to see her grandfather.

“I’ll do my best to be accepted.”

Melissa spoke so desperately that even Coloman couldn’t say another word.

“I was worried for nothing. You’ll do well, Melissa. You’ve already captured me.”

“…Thank you.”

Melissa gripped Coloman’s hand tightly, her eyes ready to spill tears.

“I really will work hard.”

“Melissa.”

Boris, standing behind as her guard, quietly called her.

Melissa wiped her eyes and turned to Boris.

Boris had been tense these past few days.

He expected Melissa to blame or resent him after learning the truth about the letter from Alexander.

Yet Melissa still smiled innocently whenever he saw Boris, so it seemed Alexander planned to keep the truth from her.

“You’ve already captured me too. It will be fine.”

Boris spoke words he didn’t really mean.

But it was a prelude to what he was about to say next.

“But the lord is not a good man. Probably no one can truly capture him.”

Boris knew well enough that Alexander was just pretending to be completely smitten with Melissa.

He acted a bit strange, but it was clearly an act.

Alexander had longed all his life to perfectly control dragons, and now the woman who could help him succeed was right before him.

If possible, the lord might even sell his body.

Today’s conversation would all be reported to Alexander through Boris.

Boris mixed a little humor into the few words he could say and smiled.

“So don’t give him your heart too much.”

Melissa didn’t seem to be in the mood to heed her advice.

Perhaps she understood Boris’s warning but chose to ignore it.

After all, would Melissa want to listen to the words of a mere guard when Alexander had clearly set his mind on winning her?

Melissa was very lonely.

Boris recalled the letters Melissa had sent when she was engaged to Franz.

“Dear Grandfather, I earnestly hope to see you someday. But don’t worry, this hope does not trouble me. That’s all for now. Your Melissa. P.S.: Will I be able to see your face at the wedding?”

It was only natural that such words had been repeated many times over ten years.

She had lived under the likes of Lutelros and Bright, constantly tormented by Franz.

After a moment, Melissa smiled gently.

“He already have my whole heart.”

Her smile was unusually bright, almost radiant.

“I believe he will cherish it.”

For a while, she stared into the void and then picked up the magic stone.

“Then I’ll try again.”

She had to try.

Trying was her strongest skill, and she could do it.

Still, she couldn’t understand why she felt so lonely.

Probably because she hadn’t seen Alexander, busy preparing for war.

With that thought, she once again tried to breathe the spirit’s power into the magic stone.

***

Alexander stood still as he repeatedly received the investigation reports on Baron Gallandia.

His expression was unreadable, and the intelligence agents and Boris standing around him maintained a tense silence, waiting for his response.

When Alexander received the first report, he said nothing. The second time was the same.

But today, the third time, his silence was tinged with sharpness.

“Hah.”

A breath escaped his lips, ambiguous whether it was a sneer or a hollow laugh.

Alexander angrily brushed his face and resumed reading the report.

[Celestine Gallandia, daughter of Baron Gallandia, exhibited exceptional responsiveness to magic stones. She had a dedicated laboratory, and owned hundreds of magic stones. The main point: she temporarily opened a portal to the spirit realm using the magic stones. It is presumed she encountered spirits at that time.]

[And she developed a relationship.]

He bared his teeth in a grin.

[The House of Bergritz apparently desired the child. Attached is a fragment of a letter as evidence.]

The letter’s content was mostly lost, with only a wax seal bearing the Bergritz family crest remaining intact.

[Celestine Gallandia revolted to protect Melissa Gallandia. The identity of the child’s father, a spirit, is unknown, but the hut where they lived together was found. It is estimated they lived there together for about five years.]

The back pages contained detailed drawings and floor plans of the hut’s interior.

“Were the hut’s belongings brought separately?”

“Yes.”

Boris, whose dark circles beneath his eyes grew darker from guarding Melissa and working as an intelligence officer, answered briefly while ordering subordinates to bring in several wooden crates.

“They brought everything.”