Rumein took off his glasses and breathed out a long sigh.

  The reason he looked so exhausted was because he had just been told about Calian’s plan to wield the sword called Lennon Brissen’s betrayal.

  And it wouldn’t even be Calian who wielded the sword, they would be handing that sword to Marquis Brissen, to cut down his own son by his own hand.

  “I can’t believe he wants to buy the Marquis with money,”


  It wasn’t only surprising to know that there was enough money to even make that plan possible, but more surprising was the very thought of playing the Marquis of all people, with money.

  Alan, who was watching, said,

  “It would be better for me and Baron Polun to proceed with this. Perhaps we can leave your Majesty and Calian uninvolved in this matter,”


  It meant that the fact that Calian had stepped forwards and attacked someone from Randall’s side would not be made known to the world.

  Alan’s plan was to frame the money as having come from Melphir Polun, and to go forwards with the negotiations with Marquis Evan Brissen himself.

  Of course, even if he did it that way, Randall will have noticed, but if Calian didn’t come to the forefront, he wouldn’t have raised a problem openly.

  Listening to Alan’s explanation, Rumein considered it, thinking deeply for a moment, before nodding.

  “Do it that way then,”


  As soon as he agreed, Alan got up from his seat and went outside the palace. It was to meet with Marquis Brissen straight away.

  That day, there was a regular meeting of the central aristocrats.

  Evan Brissen, who was stepping out of his mansion to make his way to the royal palace, stopped for a moment, looking towards the main gate.

  As time passed, and he didn’t move, the butler stood behind him turned to the main gate to see what was happening. Evan, who had been still for a while, opened his mouth,

  “I’ll stay home today.”


  The butler didn’t know why Evan had changed his mind at the last moment, despite having exited the mansion with all preparations to leave having been completed. But he knew what would happen if he asked questions about something that Evan did not think to tell him about, so he simply bowed his head without question.

  By the time the butler had raised his head again, a small wagon had begun to make it’s way through the main gate of the mansion in the distance.

  The carriage looked ordinary, something any noble could get their hands on, and it was decorated in the crest of the Polun family. Evan, who watched the carriage for a moment, eventually turned around,

  “Guide him to the study,” he said, heading back into the mansion.

  Once again, the butler’s expression slipped into confusion.

  Evan was someone who would always greet his guests in the drawing room, so to bring a complete stranger into his study was an usual course of action.

  However, all the butler could say was,

  “Yes, my lord.”


  The carriage approached the mansion at a leisurely pace and when it paused, the doors slowly opened and the butler took a surprised breath at the person who appeared from inside it.

  Instead of Melphir Polun, who have a somewhat was soft and mild impression, there was a mage with a sharp and cunning impression.

  It was Alan Manasil.

  He had come in Melphir’s carriage because he had no reason to take his own carriage and create strange rumours. Alan had pretty much copied Calian’s method when he had gone out in Alan’s carriage to recruit Melphir.

  After stepping down onto grounds he had thought he would never have to come to, Alan easily swept passed the wary eyes of numerous knights and under the guidance of the butler, entered the room where Evan was waiting for him.

  Evan had already taken a seat at the table that was placed in the study.

  In terms of age alone, he would have been about five or six years older than Alan and the turquoise hair, that was threaded with white was proof of that.

  Alan opened his mouth first,

  “I am Alan Manasil.”


  It was hard to understand how he managed it, but Evan nodded like it was his first time hearing that name in his life, and briefly answered,

  “Evan Brissen.”


  Without any flowery language or tangents, that was the first meeting of an Archmage with a Swordmaster.

  Evan opened his mouth, gesturing for Alan to take a seat on the sofa in front of him,

  “If you had told me of your visit in advance, I would have prepared a better welcome,”


  “I thought you might prepare a little too much, which is why I just came like this instead,”


  Alan’s sharp eyes were bent into half-moon smiles.

  How could he allow Brissen to prepare a welcome for him? Be it poison or sword – instead of such a grand welcome, it was better to come unannounced.

  Alan, who was now sat in the domain where Evan held authority, opened his mouth again, as always, going directly to the main topic at hand.

  “The Marquis’ second son seemed to be looking fondly towards your first son,”


  Alan, who only said that much, fixed his eyes on Evan.

  Evan was silent for a moment, but he understood that his son must have betrayed him.

  Evan sill spoke without a single change of expression,

  “That is rather unexpected news. However Lennon is not good enough to be able to do that,”


  It meant that he was not brave enough to stand resolutely on the other side and betray his father, brother and sister. Alan replied with a smile,

  “Your evaluation of your second son is rather harsh,”


  It seemed the Marquis didn’t want to just take Alan’s word for it – that Lennon had betrayed him.

  Alan shook his head and held up one finger, twirling it in the air.

  A leather bag appeared on the table where there had once been nothing. Evan’s brows twitched when he saw that.

  The reason why he had bothered to greet Alan in the study instead of the drawing room was because of the magic interference device that was installed here – just in case things turned to blows with Alan.

  However, seeing as Alan had so casually done magic without incantation, it seemed to be a useless measure for him.

  Alan took out some documents out the leather bag and placed them on the table in front of Evan. He spoke leisurely as he did, as though he knew what had made Evan frown.

  “Would I be someone who would face issues because of a little magic interference toy? Please don’t think of me as a mage with only fame.”


  Alan picked up the documents and directly handed them to Evan,

  “And these will probably be more reliable than your son,”


  Evan reached out and accepted the papers.

  It was a summary of the matters in Latran, including all the information that had been gathered from Hale, Malcolm and Eyla. While reading, Evan’s face could not be seen over the documents, but Alan could see the way his hands began to shake little by little.