Disclaimer: Some words or phrases may be lost in translation. The word might not have a literal translation in English or there may be sayings in Korean culture that I am not familiar with.
(athanasiafrost)
So, that evening, he decided to kick her out.
Not because she had engaged in any particularly suspicious behavior or lacked the capability to do so. Rather, he sensed that if her actions persisted, they would introduce an unpredictable element into his life, which was already a mere shell.
“Eloise. Do you remember when you were eight years old?”
The strange things he uttered that night is an evidence of her influence.
He wished to maintain the emptiness in his life until its end. He was reluctant to unveil too much of his genuine emotions to the woman who hit the nail on the head. He wanted the strange night to end that night.
But external reasons changed his decision. He looked at the window where the pitch-black night was falling along with his complicated feelings.
Eloise, who disliked the midnight sun in the South, he pondered whether she would find restful sleep on this particular night.
Back when I was at ‘Ace,’ I never put in this much effort. It was all about dull memorization, but there was a finish line – I was told to survive.
After days of cramming, Braeden seemed satisfied with my background knowledge and pulled out a new book.
“Alright, from now on, we’re diving into the history of the Noavik duchy. To understand that, we need to start with the origins of demons. Madam, you grew up in the South, so you might not know much about it, right?”
I have a rough idea. I learned theology from a somewhat knowledgable teacher when I was young…”
It’s a stretch to call her a teacher, but that’s the only title that fits Barbara somewhat normally. Braeden frowned, acknowledging,
“Well, theology usually deals with only a few types of demons. Unless you majored in theology, you wouldn’t be equipped to teach it properly.”
Barbara did major in theology and conducted research, though I kept that to myself.
“A long time ago, demons were created during an experiment involving sacred power and time in a temple. That’s why demons are weak in holy power and why top-level demons drop the ‘Time Stone.’”
I’d known this since childhood, but I nodded, feigning moderate surprise.
“Afterward, the temple considered it punishment for their arrogance in tampering with the gods’ power, so they halted all scientific experiments.”
This was old news, basic knowledge Barbara had explained ages ago.
“Demons come from this world. The stronger the demon, the less time it can stay here. Just existing takes up so much energy that it becomes unbearable. Higher temperatures make it even harder for them to last.”
There’s a clear link between temperature and demon activity – they swarm in the north but avoid the south entirely.
Demons usually arrive from the other world around midnight, so high-level demons rarely appear after dawn. The ones that can endure until daylight are usually the weakest.
In the capital, daytime is peaceful because retired priests can handle the lowest-level demons easily.
“And here’s a fact that very few people in the North are aware of.”
Even though I already knew all this, I feigned interest as Braeden lowered his voice and continued explaining.
“The person actively involved in those scientific experiments was the first head of the family, Dante Noavik. He also held the rank of high priest at that time.”
“… Oh.”
This was a bit surprising.
Even Barbara hadn’t told me this. If she knew, she surely would’ve shared it.
It was genuinely new information. The first head of the Noavik family was a high priest and the one behind the failed demon-summoning experiment. I was genuinely shocked and swallowed nervously.
“It’s said an astronomical amount of gems were invested in those experiments. Most scholars speculate that demons drop gems because of these experiments.”
Despite having exorcised demons and amassed numerous gems, I’d never thought about their origin. It felt like this mystery was finally unraveling. I nodded eagerly, absorbing the explanation.
“Dante Noavik gained abilities close to demons due to the experiment. He could sense the highest-level demon and discern the power of the ‘Time Stone.’”
It felt like scattered knowledge was finally coming together. I knew the Noavik family had unique abilities, but this was the first time I learned the reason.
“To take responsibility for summoning demons, Dante settled in the north, the area most haunted by demons, and declared an unwavering fight against them.”
“Huh…”
I exclaimed without realizing, forgetting to blink. Today’s lesson was surprisingly interesting, a welcome change from days of memorizing genealogy and geography.
“As generations passed and northern blood mixed, the high priest’s blood weakened, and the northern traits became dominant. Nowadays, everyone, including Duke Johannes, exhibits the distinctive features of the northern race, right?”
“That… yes.”
“Anyway, for the Noavik duchy members, fighting demons is like fate.”
Braeden continued speaking seriously.
“Now, many years have passed. The people of the North may have forgotten Dante Noavik’s mistake, but they hold onto the spirit of Noavik, who led the fight against demons to protect the people. In essence, the Noavik motto is ‘Take responsibility, risk everything.’”
Braeden concluded with a solemn declaration, placing his hand on his chest as if embodying Noavik’s blood.
“But.”
I wasn’t particularly moved by the emotional conclusion, so I raised my hand and asked a serious question.
“Why doesn’t the Duke embody Noavik’s spirit?”
“Yes?”
“Instead of leading demon exorcisms in the north, he’s always in the capital. Is catching the ‘Blue Ruby’ more important than Noavik’s spirit?”
“That’s a good question. Dante Noavik’s sense of mission has one blind spot. Have you noticed anything?”
“Hmm… Noavik’s special ability is related to the highest-level demon and the ‘Time Stone,’ but doesn’t the highest-level demon mainly appear around the capital?”
“You are clever, madam.”
Braeden grinned and gave me a thumbs up.
“Exactly. It appears around the main temple, where it was initially summoned. The higher their level, the more likely they are to linger there.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Do you know why this isn’t common knowledge among civilians?”
“Huh. You probably don’t want the public to know that demons exist because of the temple.”
“Exactly. It’s not a proud history, even in the North, so only a few people in the Duchy of Noavik are aware of it.”
“… Is it okay for me to be in that minority?”
“It’s because you bear the Duke’s name. Any true hostess of Noavik must know this.”
I smiled awkwardly. I was about to be expelled right away, but due to Princess Yujei’s visit, Johannes ordered my education. So, people were mistakenly assuming that Johannes had finally accepted me as a true Northern hostess.
It was a harmless rumor, so I didn’t correct it, and Johannes showed no intention of doing so. Perhaps they suspected a spy from the Kingdom of Emmenta in the castle.
And there’s another important thing. Noavik’s abilities can be measured by the power of their lineage.”
“Oh, really?”
“Fortunately, most Noaviks born in a single generation had similar abilities, so there were very few cases of controversy over selecting a successor.”
Braeden sighed lightly for a moment and continued speaking.
“However, the birth of Duke Johannes Noavik brought about a rare case where ridiculous differences between siblings caused trouble.”
At the mention of Johannes Noavik, I was surprised and widened my eyes.
Now, a dilemma arises here.”
Braeden spoke with a serious expression.
“Should someone with Noavik’s abilities be in the North or in the capital?”
“Uh… hmm…”
It was a challenging problem with reasons on both sides.
To catch the highest-level demon, one had to be in the capital, but considering Noavik’s symbolism, staying in the north was necessary. I hesitated and then answered.
“Top-level demons don’t appear often, and there’s no need to do anything that benefits the people of the capital… Wouldn’t it be more reasonable to appoint him as the successor to the North?”
“Yes. There were a lot of opinions like that, especially in wartime situations.”
Braeden sighed lightly, then smiled and extended his hand.
“Okay, I know you’re having a hard time walking with your crutches, but let’s move around for a bit. I will explain the rest in the corridor.”
“Corridor?”
I asked with wide eyes, not knowing what the corridor was. Braeden smiled kindly and explained.
“It’s a place where portraits of the Noavik family through the ages are collected.”
“Oh.”
I had never imagined such a place with collected portraits. My eyes widened, pondering if such a tradition existed in a historic noble family.
“Do you have portraits of the Duke and Leo there?”
“Not yet. The final family portrait depicts the ancestral Duke Noavik and his wife, Princess Reina, and the Duke as a child.”
After hearing Braeden’s explanation, I nodded, indicating my understanding. This meant that we could see Johannes’ deceased family members. I took Braeden’s hand, got up, grabbed my crutches, and left the room.
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Athanasia Frost 