VIP Early Access
Eksklusif untuk member VIP
Password Protected
Chapter ini dikunci dengan kode khusus
Chapter 4
Qualifications to Be the King's Consort
Ruri, who had come out of the dragon's lair, guided Ferda to a certain place.
It was inside a castle built on a mountainside visible from afar.
There was a path leading up right next to the cave heading to the lair, and following that path, the main gate hall appeared immediately.
"It's clean."
Ferda could feel that Valdrova was more sincere about this marriage than anyone else.
Èn u m̌a
Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to the trouble of building a plausible castle atop her own lair, nor would she have tailored everything to human standards.
'It was said to have been made for the Third Prince's engagement.'
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
If the Third Prince married Archduke Valdrova, he would gain the power that came with it.
In effect, he would become the king of the eastern region, so they must have built quarters befitting that status.
But then an incident broke out that decomposed things down to their consonants and vowels.
It effectively became a place that no one used.
E̊n̆ u ḿ a . ї d
One would naturally think it had been neglected since the Third Prince's death, but it was strangely well-maintained.
It didn't feel like they'd hastily cleaned up because Ferda was coming; rather, there were meticulous touches suggesting steady, ongoing maintenance.
"Who manages this castle?"
"Me."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Besides you?"
"I am the only one who serves Master-nim."
W̊ėb̄_ñ о̆ v ё l̆ Е n úmа
"Then all of this is..."
"I manage it all. That should be answer enough."
Ruri replied curtly without pause.
She seemed considerably displeased that the engagement had been accepted.
'Like a dog.'
Not as a curse, but literally like a dog.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
A dog growling in threat because the affection it received was directed elsewhere.
That was why Ferda could just let it slide.
'As long as she doesn't bite me, it doesn't matter.'
If she's a guard dog, she just needs to guard the house well.
The place Ruri guided Ferda to, taking the lead, was a very spacious bedroom.
'About five of the rooms I used to use combined.'
Ẃ ё bn̊ ǒ.v еl Ѐ n̄u̇m̄ а
It rivaled not only his father Erembalt's chambers, but even the Imperial Emperor's bedchamber.
"This is the guest bedroom."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"The guest room is this nice?"
"The guest is none other than a dragon, a ruler."
Beings called dragons are entities that rival the Emperor of the Empire at the very least.
In any case, being guided to this room showed Ferda's current standing well enough.
Ẃе̄bñоv̇_ѐ l̊ Е̇ ñü m̀ а̊
"So as of now, I'm just a 'guest'?"
"Yes. Since you're not the fiancé, you're 'just' a guest."
"Do you show this much hostility to a guest?"
It was a purely curious question.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"No. I just dislike humans."
"Honest."
Ē n ũ m ӑ
"And among them, I dislike you the most."
"Too honestly useless."
"There's no reason to hide it."
Ruri shrugged with an expressionless face.
Her infuriating demeanor looked like she was screaming for someone to hit her.
"Right, better not to hide it."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Ferda actually believed this was better.
It was a hundred times better than nobles smiling sweetly while thinking about stabbing you in the back.
Every time Ferda accepted things calmly, Ruri glared back with a look that said she disliked it even more.
"I have a question."
"What?"
"Aren't you scared of me?"
Е n um â
At that question, Ferda tilted his head.
"Why should I be scared?"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Well, I tried to break your neck. If Master-nim hadn't signaled, I would've snapped it right then."
Crack-crack.
As Ruri clenched and unclenched her slender hand, a chilling sound burst out.
'I would've died...'
Е ǹüm̂ a.ǐ d
He already knew Ruri showed killing intent.
But Ferda had no intention of dodging Ruri's hand.
'If the engagement doesn't happen, there was no reason for me to live anyway.'
He thought dying wouldn't be bad then.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
He hid his true feelings and changed the subject.
"Let's put off the useless hierarchy sorting for later. So when's the engagement ceremony?"
Ё ñū ma ..і̇ d̂
"The engagement ceremony with Master-nim is in one month."
"Is it official?"
"If inviting people you don't want and making a fuss is called official, then no. We'll hold it simply in the lair. Just the three of us."
"Three?"
"Master-nim, me, and the guest."
She kindly pointed her chin at Ferda.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Got it. One month from now."
"Since we're on the topic, let me say one more thing."
Ruri spoke.
"The engagement ceremony takes place in one month, but at the same time, it's a deadline."
"What deadline?"
"The deadline for you to prove you have the capability as a fiancé."
Ѐ n̊umӑ . і̌d
Ferda thought once more.
Marriage is terrifyingly tough.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Did Archduke Valdrova order this?"
"No. This is my will."
"Arbitrary decision. Can a lady's maid show will?"
"If necessary, it's something that must be done. Honestly, our Master-nim is far too soft for her reputation."
Е ńum̈ǎ. іd̄
She really speaks with tremendous honesty.
"You already know that, don't you? That's why you didn't bow your head before the Tyrant, Valdrova. Throughout history, you're the only human who could show such an attitude before a dragon."
"I see."
"From the start, Master-nim chose to engage with a human, so she let it slide, but unlike her, I am not soft."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Ruri's eyes shone sharply.
Eyes cold enough to make it feel like a well-honed sword was touching his throat.
Е̃ ňu̇m̀ a
"I believe that as the spouse of a Great Aspect, you must have the 'caliber' befitting that position."
Dragon and human.
The gap between them is incomparably larger than something like an emperor and a beggar.
In short, she'd set an absurd condition.
"So? Are you telling me, a mere human, to gain power rivaling a dragon right now?"
"Would that be possible? I don't have grand expectations like telling you to get strong right now."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Ruri snorted.
"You just need to show me that you have capability."
She raised her small fist and said.
"Willpower isn't needed. Willpower doesn't solve everything. What's important is showing within a month that even someone as hopelessly frail as you has a sliver of potential."
She emphasized with a firm tone.
"That is the first gateway for the fiancé who will inherit Valdrova's castle."
Ŵ ёb n о̄ vе̊ l̊ Е̂ nu̇m̂ a
Ferda, having taken all of it in with both eyes and ears, thought this:
'My fiancé really has a good person by her side.'
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Though her mouth was foul and she disliked him intensely, Ferda liked Ruri.
She disliked humans, but she didn't hide what was needed from a fiancé—she demanded it.
Which meant she was loyal to Valdrova more than her own disgust.
'She's this loyal... why have I never seen her before?'
Е̄ň u m̄ а̌
When Ferda raided Valdrova's lair, Ruri wasn't there.
He tilted his head at the strange matter, but since it wasn't important, he put it aside.
"Understood. So let's say I show capability. Then how far do I need to rise? Do I need to become like the Emperor of the Empire?"
Ruri shook her head.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"At least enough not to be looked down on by other 'Aspects'."
Meaning he needed capability that easily surpassed the Emperor of the Empire.
Ē n̄ u ma
"I see."
"?"
When Ferda received it calmly, Ruri tilted her head.
"Aren't you being too arrogant? Is your head bad? Or do you look down on dragons? Either way, I don't like it."
"Neither."
"Don't think it's easy. Especially for a human as frail as you."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Coincidentally, I don't think it'll be easy either."
"Then why that attitude?"
"Don't worry about my attitude. If I show capability enough to convince you within a month, that's enough, isn't it?"
"....."
Ruri pouted her lips.
Since her own words were thrown back at her, she couldn't help but feel bad.
Е̃n̈ ŭ m a
'Full of confidence.'
Ruri thought about it, but couldn't figure out the source of that confidence.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Ruri already knew how Valdrova's fiancé was used in the Arken Empire.
It had become a sort of idiom used when kicking out half-wits with no capability—there was no way such a bastard would have talent rivaling an Aspect.
But Ferda was different.
'It's enough.'
E ṅu_m̆а
He was the youngest on the continent to reach the 8th Circle, and an Archmage who had used the 9th Circle's Wish spell.
The Emperor of the Empire was a man he'd already made kneel at his feet once.
'Achieving caliber that doesn't lose to a dragon is possible.'
If it was possible, it was nothing to Ferda.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Certainty settled on Ferda's face.
"Disgusting human."
E n ûm̄ а
Ruri said with a fed-up face.
* * *
The castle built atop Valdrova's lair was called Valdrova Castle, named after her.
Ferda stayed at that Valdrova Castle for a week.
Overall life wasn't bad.
Except that he had to handle almost everything alone.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Nobles always bring attendants to wait on them. If they don't bring at least one, they'd throw a fit asking if they're being treated like water.
But for Ferda, this wasn't a problem either.
'I've gotten used to living alone.'
Rather, having someone come to dress him would be more uncomfortable.
For him, accustomed to standing alone, Valdrova's life was overall without inconvenience.
'Rather, it's better than when I was at the mansion.'
Ӗ ň u m̃а
When he was at the Rosnova family, he was always sitting on pins and needles.
Already hated, and there was no one he could trust.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Once someone seemed close to him, they were always desperate to drag him into a swamp.
'That Ruri girl dislikes me, but compared to then, she's a decent sort.'
At least Ruri didn't play childish pranks like putting weird things in his food or soaping the marble.
That alone made her no different from an adorable dung-puppy.
Е n umȧ . і d̂
'Though who knows how long that'll last.'
Ruri gave Ferda one task.
To show he had potential, that he wasn't a hopeless half-wit.
'Deadline: one month.'
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
What could he show within that time?
Ferda thought about what he could do from various angles.
W ѐ b̂ ñо v еĺ Еǹu̇ m̂а
But the only conclusion was one.
'Only magic.'
Ferda had talent for magic.
If he showed a fragment of that talent to Ruri, she'd acknowledge it at least a little.
'To use magic, I need to pierce a mana circle.'
Taking the chaotically moving mana inside the body and rolling it into a single circle to create a circuit—that is a Circle.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The problem was that Ferda didn't know how to create that Circle.
'No, I know the method.'
He just needs to possess overwhelming vengeance and hatred.
If he walks the path Ferda trod, he'll become an 8th Circle mage even faster than before.
'But I mustn't do that.'
Ferda recalled what his master had said.
E̊ n u m̆ ӑ
-The first button is most important. Depending on whether your first Circle is Red or Blue, it dictates a mage's life. But you won't need to worry about that.
A fat, lustful man who only knew money, but he'd done his part in magic training.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Red Circle is a mana circuit created by emotional upheaval.
Blue Circle is a mana circuit created based on calm meditation.
Each has clear pros and cons.
Blue Circle forms slowly but is stable.
W ē b̀ n о̌ v e_l̃ Е́n̂ ū m a
Unlike Blue Circle which emphasizes calmness, you can calmly assess situations in any circumstance, so 80% of mages possess Blue Circle through training.
Red Circle forms fast but is unstable.
Unlike Blue Circle which emphasizes calmness, emotional upheaval is the main driving force.
So you can get strong quickly, but you're prone to being consumed by those emotions and becoming a madman.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
'What I need to do is pierce a Blue Circle.'
To avoid the same future, that was the answer.
Е̊ńu m̃а .і̃ d
But the situation wasn't on Ferda's side.
'It takes at least 3 years for a Blue Circle to form.'
He had to show convincing results in the remaining 3 weeks.
An impossibly tight time, but Ferda wasn't impatient.
Because he'd find a way somehow.
* * *
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Are you preparing?"
Ruri, who had only quietly delivered breakfast every morning, asked a question for the first time.
Ferda quietly speared salad with his fork and answered.
"I'm preparing."
"For someone preparing, there's not a single change."
"I'm doing it thinking it'll work out if I keep at it."
Е̃ n ũm̊ǎ
"Understood."
Ruri didn't seem to expect much.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
For the past few days, Ferda had been researching and studying methods to pierce a mana circle.
But the only thing he could clearly realize was that even though the two Circles use the same mana, their texture is different.
'I'll end up unable to even meet qualifications at the engagement ceremony.'
Talking big and then doing nothing wasn't like Ferda.
En̂ um̌ а̊.
But he would calmly find a way today too.
Just as he was about to greet a new morning.
Kugugung!
A thunderous clash and vibration that shook heaven and earth flowed into the castle.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
It happened nearby.
"What's going on?"
W ё.b̊n̈ o v́е̊ l̄ Е́ ǹ_úm a
Ruri answered.
"Master-nim is currently conducting a monster subjugation."
"Monster subjugation?"
"Sweeping away the things crawling in from the eastern end, the Demon Land."
Kugung!
Normally, he'd just think 'Is that so?' and move on, but today's Ferda was different.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
'Maybe...'
Ferda got a hunch.
That the answer he sought might be there.
"I want to watch that battle."
"Hah?"
Ruri answered with an expressionless face.
Ẇе̊b̀ n о́v̊ е̄ l̈ Ӗ n̆ǔm а
"You'd better not."
"Why?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"A mortal's mind is fragile. There's no one who watched Master-nim's battle and kept their sanity."
Ferda recalled his past self.
Back then, he was seized by madness.
He'd encountered dragons called Rulers several times.
Еn̊ úṁ.a .ї d̊
But among them, the one that chilled him most was the Red Dragon.
'She was showing hostility, so that might be why.'
Still, caliber exists.
Even as an Archmage, he felt fear—what about him now?
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
He might piss himself and scream unsightly.
"So don't have useless curiosity."
W ë b̈n̂ оv̄ ė l̄ Еnů mӑ
"No."
Ferda shook his head at Ruri's warning.
This wasn't useless curiosity.
It was exploration to find the answer,
"I want to watch. That fight."
It was the duty of one who would welcome a partner.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Konten Bab Belum Tersedia
Bab ini belum memiliki konten teks atau sedang dalam proses penyuntingan.
