I Want To Be Your First – R19 - Chapter 104

She actually managed to find the wizards within the span of less than a week, even though a single clue wasn’t yielded even after three months of digging throughout the entire Empire. Berthwald looked at Violet with a disbelieving gaze.

“What… you found them so quickly?”

“Yeah.”

Berthwald’s eyes turned sharper at the unhesitating response. Berthwald tapped his index finger on the table lightly and replied in an even lower voice.

“If you plan on deceiving me with a strange con artist, you’ll regret it.”

“They aren’t wizards. Call them sages.”

“This or that.”

Violet poked Berthwald in the ribs and laughed absurdly.

“What an amusing guy. Did you think that just because you couldn’t find them, I wouldn’t be able to find them? Didn’t you look for me because you thought I could find them?”

“Well… but I didn’t expect you to find them so quickly.”

“That’s all because of the good connections I have? As long as you spread the spider web out well, the information will enter swiftly. In any case.”

Violet took a thin sheet of paper from her pocket and held it out to Berthwald.

“Apparently the base is in the North, and the location is a little hard to approach. It’s in the northern side of Mount Nachtfil.”

“The northern side of Nachtfil… you say. If it’s the northern side, isn’t it a cliff?”

“Well, you’re right.”

Nachtfil, located in the northernmost part of the Aegis Pass and the end of the continent, was a very high and rugged mountain as befitting of its name, the Aegis horn.

Although it was possible to approach the southern and eastern sides, the northern side was made up of vertical cliffs, so it was impossible to even approach, let alone climb it.

Berthwald continued to question her with a hesitant look, agonising about whether to believe or not.

“There isn’t an exact location?”

“Even if it’s me, they wouldn’t say it. It just says that you’d be able to recognise it through the northern climbing route as it has a sign. Someone will be sent upon reaching the door.”

“Whether they’re human or not, to climb the northern side… there’s no way to climb up there. There are only glaciers and the Northern Sea on the northern side.”

Though he hoped for a more detailed explanation, Violet had only shrugged and said, “Right?”

“I’m not too sure as I don’t have any critical information. I guess that there’s no other route but to head up there.”

“While the information isn’t believable enough to take action… Please uncover more details.”

Violet repeatedly said to not worry, before letting out a groan as she massaged her temples.

“Come to think of it, it’s quite far if its Nachtfil. Why in the world did they head north?”

Berthwald tilted his head to the side and answered sceptically.

“The last place where the Imperial Army and the Wizard’s Association fought… was in Aegis’ territory. They couldn’t have moved south because of the Imperial Army, so it seems that all of the remaining forces remained in the North. It might be reasonable for them to hide in the North as even the Imperial Army isn’t able to enter there rashly.”

Berthwald covered his mouth and let out a sigh.

“By the way, does sending someone mean that the secret meeting has to be done in person?”

“Of course. They’re being pursued, so why would they trust a proxy? There were quite a number of times when the wizards’ base ended up in flames in this manner, so it can’t be helped that they’re cautious. You’ll have to go yourself.”

“That’s… I can understand. It’s going to take quite a while to head to the North.”

His words trailed off and Berthwald sank into contemplation. It seems that he would inevitably have to make a trip to the North in order to check the validity of this information.

“Well, in any case, I’ll be leaving now.”

The atmosphere became slightly more solemn, and Violet left the office in order to gather more information.

Just as Berthwald was hesitating over whether he should bring along Ariel or not, Vion, who was watching him, cleared his throat and stealthily cut into his thoughts.

“Count. The item that you were looking for previously.”

Vion took a small velvet box from his pocket and held it out to Berthwald.

It was an extremely luxurious jewellery box made of Blackwood with a black velvet finish. After receiving the box, Berthwald’s eyes folded slightly and gave a satisfied smile.

“Good work. It must have been hard to bid for due to the intense competition.”

“I did have a hard time bringing it out of the auction. This isn’t just a magical tool, but a very famous item. Everyone kept glaring at me.”

When the lock was opened, the appearance of two rings buried within the silk cloth surfaced.

A thin silver ring with a small sapphire embedded within, the rings looked somewhat crude when compared to the box. Berthwald examined the rings carefully before placing the box on the desk.

“However, Count.”

Vion continued speaking in a hesitant manner.

“About the matter that the two of you were discussing earlier. I think that you’re overlooking an important fact.”

“What is it?”

“Nachtfil is a sacred mountain worshipped by Northerners, so you’d need the Duke’s approval to enter the mountain.”

Berthwald slowly raised an arm from its folded state and held his forehead.

He forgot about the reason for Nachtfil’s fame while being blinded by the thought of whether or not he should go to the North. Just as Vion had mentioned, Nachtfil, which appeared in the founding myth, was a place that’s famous amongst Northerners for being a sacred mountain.

The thought of encountering that fastidious duke caused his brows to knit together inadvertently. Vion kept an eye on his Lord’s mood as he continued to add.

“I think that in any case, you’ll have to personally meet the Duke. When should the letter of visitation be included?”

“The north is quite far away, so it’ll take at least ten days to reach even if we move as soon as possible. Just write that I’ll pay a visit within this year. And…”

Berthwald’s face stiffened and his words trailed off. A small voice came to mind.

Not too long ago, the words that Ariel said while they were on their way back from Nedik.

The precognitive dream of a typhoon occuring in Rach on the day the new warship, Vermilion, was delivered.

“Has a typhoon ever occured in Rach around this time of year?”

At the sudden topic, Vion’s eyes widened and he shook his head.

“As far as I know… It has never happened. Isn’t it currently during the dry season?”

Berthwald looked at Vion, who was saying the same things as he did, with an arid gaze, and let out a short sigh.

A typhoon at this time of the year was ridiculous. But for Berthwald, who knew that her precognitive dreams weren’t just nonsense, he couldn’t just dismiss it as a joke.

“Vermilion will be entering Rach the day after tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, apparently it departed from the East three days ago. A port entrance ceremony is planned to occur at that time. The navy admiral, Viscount Joviem, is in charge of….”

“When it arrives, send it back to the port of Yeden. Cancel the port entrance ceremony too.”

Vion blinked and tilted his head like he had heard mistakenly.

“What? Cancel it?”

“There’s a typhoon coming. Send all the other vessels in the port to the port of Yeden. Just in case, evacuate all residents near the port, and close the free market as well.”

“Do you mean to close the port?”

“Yeah.”

There would be a huge loss if the port of Rach, which is the Empire’s largest trading route and the South’s largest trading port, was closed for one day.

It was already unbelievable that it would be suddenly closed, but a typhoon of all things? A typhoon during winter. It can’t be described as just a bad joke.

But the look on Berthwald’s face didn’t seem like it was a joke. From the way he’s frowning and sighing, much less a joke, he himself seemed to be in quite an awkward situation.

Though it wasn’t difficult to find out what was wrong if he made up his mind, most of the time there was a good reason when he spoke such absurdities, so Vion decided to not quibble over it. He only swallowed down the various questions he had and answered with an, “Understood.”

After Vion left, Berthwald, who became the sole occupant in his office, spun a pen with a single hand and thought about his upcoming schedule.

The management of the territory and port could be left to Shane like before, and matters of the Assembly were left in Pelman’s hands, so it would be quiet for the time being. All that was left were the New Year’s greetings and various miscellaneous affairs such as managing the aristocratic society.

As there wasn’t anything that’s too complicated, he could head to the North after wrapping them up cursorily.

“The Ducal castle.”

While he had pondered over whether he should take Ariel along, he decided to give up on that as he was worried that if he brought her back to her parent’s home when it hadn’t been long since she had gotten used to the South, she would prefer the North over Pahar.

Actually, rather than Ariel being fractious, he was more worried that Gwen might cling onto her sister.

If he leaves, the mansion will be vacant… How should he settle Ariel’s guard?

Vion has to accompany him to guard him and for miscellaneous work, but he was troubled as there wasn’t anyone that’s as talented and reliable as Vion.

There’s no need for an escort since she’ll only be staying in the mansion anyways, but after the kidnapping incident and the incident where she ran away from home, Berthwald thought that he should put a guard and a watchman by Ariel’s side. A brusque type that can effectively subdue an enemy in times of danger, and can carefully observe Ariel and report even the most trivial of matters.

As it’s someone that will be with Ariel at all times, someone that will make a pass at her needlessly is rejected. A man that’s apathetic to not just Ariel but women would be quite suitable…

…Someone that isn’t that interested in women, brusque, good at swordsmanship, and is loyal to him.

“Hmm.”

After agonising, Berthwald admitted that those conditions were quite demanding, and decided to ask Violet and Wilhelm to recommend suitable talents.

All that remained were miscellaneous work. There’s quite a lot of work to be done before the sun sets.

Berthwald prioritised the remaining work and began to deal with them in order of urgency.