Heres Lycaon, the second-born of the Marquis Lycaon’s family.

He had been going through the toughest times of his life. Rolling in bad luck was one thing, but this was extreme.

‘Ever since narrowly escaping Geoffrey, who saw me as a thorn in his side, things have been quite intense.’

Unable to return to the Marquis’s family, he had been in the capital for a few days.

Selling a cufflink embedded with a gem meant he didn’t need to beg, but a few hours later he experienced the devastation of humanity when pickpocketed. Yet, when someone threw an old hood over him as he sat on the street, his faith in humanity was restored.

Thus, while hiding under the hood, Heres didn’t forget to search for the magician who had saved his life.

‘If it’s the magician who has no grudges against the Marquis Lycaon’s family, I might know how to manipulate magic power from them.’

But before he could find anything, an incident happened.

A ‘trial’.

-Aaah!

Escaping from the monsters, he narrowly survived by jumping into a golden protective barrier.

He thought the world was ending when he saw a giant snake emerging from a hole in the sky, but later heard that there was a hero who defeated it.

Roshanak Aper.

Heres’s ex-fiance!

“Daughter of Count Aper…?”

Heres, pathetically tied up in the carriage, widened his eyes at the sight of the woman entering.

Twice she saved his life: once from Geoffrey, and another from the disaster in the capital.

‘When I was suddenly tied up and dragged away in the carriage, I thought it was the end. I never imagined I would meet her this way.’

He may be looking miserable in front of his former fiance, but things seemed to be resolving.

Speaking of which, Heres quickly examined her.

The reason he believed that Roshanak Aper, who saved him, was the magician was because of rumors that she had summoned a ‘talking bird’ at the noble meeting.

But now, he didn’t see the bird.

“Young lady… do you happen to keep a bird?”

“A bird?”

“Huh?”

Just then, a bird named Koko, who had been out for training, flew in and perched on Rosha’s shoulder.

Seeing this, Heres’s face brightened instantly.

Froy, who had been watching, asked suspiciously,

“Heres Lycaon, the second son of the Marquis Lycaon’s family, was known to be dead. What’s your purpose around here?”

“Purpose? I have one. To meet my ex-fiance.”

At the phrase ‘ex-fiance’, Froy’s eyebrows twitched. Regardless, Heres continued speaking to Rosha.

“Young lady, we met in the back alley of the mansion in the capital before. I’m grateful for that time; you saved my life.”

“…”

“But the reason I came… I feel like you might know the solution to my problem. I have nowhere else to go anyway.”

He asked with desperate eyes:

“Is there really a way?”

The problem he was talking about probably meant that he was born with a constitution that prevented him from accumulating magic power.

And as he guessed, Rosha did know the solution.

‘First, force open the blocked path around the heart, then use the ‘Elixir’ from the secret shop.’

Though it wasn’t easy and she wanted to feign ignorance… she had experience with someone of this condition.

Knowing the desperation, she couldn’t coldly ignore it. Heres had changed a lot too.

“…It’s not easy, but there is a way.”

Reluctantly, Rosha nodded, and Heres started pleading.

“Woah, young lady, I apologize for the past. I’ll apologize on behalf of our family. But please know I never used the Necklace of Suggestion. My father never entrusted it to me.”

“…”

“If the young lady needs anything, I’ll cooperate. If you plan to do something in our territory, you’ll need me. There are many places that only open when accompanied by our family’s direct lineage. So…”

“I see the situation, but it doesn’t sound very earnest.”

“Ah, right. I apologize, young lady. No, Lady Roshanak. My thoughts didn’t reach that far… I apologize.”

Koko, who had been continuously poking at her, finally seemed a bit satisfied and nodded.

Rosha looked at him, who stared back with desperate eyes, and thought.

‘I actually have a use for Heres.’

As long as Heres Lycaon was believed to be dead, he was a weakness of the Marquis Lycaon’s family. After all, the Marquis initially explained his disappearance that way.

-Our family noticed this crisis early on and tried to stop it. However, our power was insufficient, and we even lost our son in the process.

But what if that son appeared alive?

Moreover, what if it turns out that the next heir, Geoffrey, tried to kill him?

‘It would probably be a big blow.’

Moreover, Heres knew all the secrets of the Marquis’s family.

By his words, being of the family’s direct lineage might also be useful in the Lycaon territory.

“…There’s no other way.”

Froy, who had weighed all of this, murmured softly. Heres, hearing that, seemed to visibly relax.

Bang!

Suddenly, there was a loud slap, and he fell immediately.

The culprit was Froy, who had struck the back of his head with magic.

When she looked at Froy with stunned eyes, he spoke as if it was nothing,

“I made him faint for now because it doesn’t seem necessary at the moment. It might be better if his appearance is revealed later. I’ll take care of him for a while.”

…It was kind of a valid point.

But wasn’t that a bit too forceful?

Koko also shivered and mumbled:

“Ugh, it’s killing my brain cells.”

* * *

The next afternoon.

In the reception room of the Marquis Lycaon’s mansion, two people were seated.

It was Rosha and Cassis.

“I never thought I’d be back here with you again.”

Cassis, who was looking around the brightly decorated reception room, murmured.

It had been just over a month since their last visit regarding the engagement.

‘It was so long ago for me that I don’t remember much.’

The reason the two from Aper’s estate visited this mansion was simple. They had other dealings with Marquis Lycaon, and they had come to seek permission to visit the diamond mines in advance.

Maybe that’s why.

They were kept waiting in the reception room.

“He sure is taking his time.”

Cassis, with his arms folded, mumbled.

Indeed, the Marquis Lycaon’s family wouldn’t have been pleased by their sudden visit. They probably would’ve made some excuse to send them away.

But this time, they couldn’t.

‘Because the council issued us a special pass.’

Those with the pass were to be welcomed and assisted, as per the recent imperial edict.

Moreover, they were accompanied by imperial knights, so they had to let them in.

It was around this time.

With a sudden noise, the reception room door opened, and Geoffrey entered. Without any greetings, he sunk into the sofa and directly asked:

“Why have you come to our domain during such busy times?”

From his tone, he didn’t seem pleased. It was expected.

‘You must be crazy because the territory is getting more and more trashed.’

‘Oh, is it because it’s been a week since I said I’ll pay off the debt soon?’

“The second trial will open soon. It will be held in the Marquis Lycaon’s territory. We’ll handle it without major damage, so consider our family’s debt settled.”

“…What?”

“I assume you already know. It’s in the diamond mines of the Marquis Lycaon’s territory.”

Of course, thanks to selling the magic stones at the secret auction, she had more than enough money to repay the debt.

But why pay the debt when the trial is set to take place in the Marquis Lycaon’s territory?

‘Let’s consider the trial as repayment.’

If the trial isn’t resolved within a certain time, the demons inside are released.

Only she could handle the trial in time, so it was also beneficial for the Marquis Lycaon.

Upon hearing Rosha’s words, Geoffrey’s face went stiff.

But only for a moment. His reply was rather audacious.

“A trial? What are you talking about? We’re very peaceful here.”