"Don't forget, Dante is still your son, Will."
Lady Diana stood her ground, absolute and unmoving, as her walking stick slammed against the marble floor with sharp authority. The sound echoed through the chamber, heavy with warning.
"And don't forget," she continued coldly, "I can strip you of your title if I find you unfit, nephew."
"Yes, Aunt Diana," Will replied, lowering himself to one knee without hesitation. His voice was controlled, respectful, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed him.
Lady Diana said nothing more. Turning on her heel, she made her way out of the room, her footsteps steady as she walked down the long hallway.
Candlelight flickered along the stone walls as evening slowly claimed the manor, shadows stretching and dancing with every step she took.
A drop of hot wax fell suddenly, striking the fabric of her sleeve.
"Tsk."
She halted.
"My lady." Fina hurried to her side at once, concern clear on her face as she inspected the burn. Lady Diana lifted a hand, signaling that it was nothing.
"I'm fine," Diana said calmly.
"I'll have the servants fined and the candles replaced immediately," Fina added quickly, her tone sharp with irritation.
Diana glanced at the candles lining the corridor, their flames trembling slightly. "Such a hassle," she muttered. "I should have asked Dante about replacements for these candles."
She brushed the hardened wax from her fingertips with faint annoyance. Fina handed her a damp towel, and Diana wiped her fingers clean, her expression unreadable.
"My lady," Fina said carefully, lowering her voice, "there is something I must report to you."
"Speak, Fina."
"Evan Ruthwilfer," Fina said, hesitating only a moment, "I sense that he is onto something. He may be planning to overthrow your nephew, Will Ruthwilfer. I know the brothers are already at odds, but Evan will go to any extent to ensure his son, Taka—"
"And that," Diana cut in sharply, stopping mid-step, "is precisely why this trial is necessary."
She turned her head slightly, her gaze narrowing, before shifting toward the tall window at the end of the hall. Candlelight reflected faintly in the glass as darkness gathered outside.
"As long as the trial remains absolute," Diana continued, her voice firm and unyielding, "Dante is safe. No Ruthwilfer child is to make contact with another. If they do, they must ignore it."
The weight of her words lingered in the air.
Fina could tell how serious Diana was. She stepped beside her mistress, following her gaze as they both looked out into the encroaching night, neither speaking, the silence carrying far more than words ever could.
Swoosh…!!!
Both Diana and Fina felt a familiar, heavy presence surge through the hallway. A pressure like cold steel brushed against their senses, unmistakable and immediate. They turned at once.
From the shadows emerged Lustia, Dante's Shadow General.
Fina reacted on instinct. Steel rang softly as she drew her blade, stepping half a pace forward.
Diana, however, raised her walking stick and gently but firmly pressed it against Fina's arm, halting her movement.
The former Sinner of Lust, once one of the Seven Deadly Signs and a feared general of the demon clan, now stood silently before them.
There was no arrogance, no temptation radiating from her anymore. She was nothing more than a shadow soldier bound to Dante's will.
"What brings you here?" Diana asked calmly, her voice steady and authoritative.
Without a word, Lustia opened her cloak.
Within her grasp were Ronald and his young daughter, Erona. Ronald was barely standing, his weight clearly supported by Lustia, while Erona rested against her side, unconscious but breathing.
"My liege ordered me to deliver these two to you," Lustia said evenly. "Mother of Dante."
Fina nearly choked, a burst of laughter threatening to escape her lips. Diana slowly turned her head, fixing her bodyguard with a cold, sharp smile that carried no warmth.
"Do you wish to say something, Fina?" Diana asked.
"N no, madam," Fina replied instantly, straightening her posture.
"Good girl."
Diana turned her attention back to the newcomers. She knelt slightly to examine Ronald, her eyes narrowing as she took in his battered state.
His armor was torn, bloodstains dark and dried, his breathing uneven. She then reached out to check on Erona.
The moment her fingers touched the child's shoulder, both Erona's eyes and Diana's own flared with a scarlet glow.
Diana froze.
"Child," she murmured, "are you…?"
"She is an Alderman, Lady Diana," Lustia said quietly.
Diana straightened, her composure faltering for the first time. She turned sharply toward Ronald, her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Impossible," she said. "I believed Dante was the only Alderman. But now a female Alderman?"
Ronald, clearly unsure of what to do under her gaze, forced himself down onto one knee despite his injuries. Pain flashed across his face, but he endured it and bowed his head.
"Sir Ronald Egerwood," he said hoarsely, "former Knight of the Ruthwilfer House. Now turned adventurer. Well… I was an adventurer."
Diana knelt beside him again, inspecting his wounds more closely. Her eyes caught the careful stitching along his side, clean and precise.
"Did a person with dark skin and white hair heal you?" she asked.
Ronald exhaled heavily, his breath trembling as he nodded faintly. "I know," he replied slowly, "but I don't know."
Diana's expression shifted. She understood immediately.
"Do you know why he sent the two of you to me?" Diana asked.
Ronald let out a weak, almost amused chuckle. "I believe it's because he trusts you, madam. He told me to place my trust and faith in you, and to protect my daughter, Erona. We are both from Vidalier."
At those words, both Diana and Fina's eyes widened.
Only hours ago, within the meeting hall, the Ruthwilfer elders had been examining the current status of the Ruthwilfer children and the paths of their journeys.
And now, Vidalier had come to their doorstep.
"For now, let's get the two of you treated. And you, Erona," Diana said as her gaze softened slightly, though her tone remained firm, "we need to talk."
Her hand rested briefly on the child's shoulder, the faint warmth of power lingering between them.
A day later, Dante and Kaen, his female feline slave, finally arrived at the borders of the Dwarven Kingdom.
"Nya, Master," Kaen said, her ears twitching as she scanned their surroundings with wide, curious eyes. "This place… I've never been here before."
"All the more reason to come," Dante replied calmly, his gaze fixed ahead. "Especially now."
The air felt heavy as they approached the massive entrance carved into the mountain's face.
Steel-plated walls rose high above them, reinforced with gears, pipes, and thick iron plating that bore the marks of old craftsmanship.
Without warning, a thunderous blast tore through the air.
A shell shot straight toward them.
Dante stepped aside in a blur of motion, while Kaen leapt back instinctively, landing low with her claws scraping against stone. The projectile smashed into the ground behind them, sending debris flying.
Both of them looked up.
Mounted along the high steel walls was a massive steampunk cannon, its barrel still smoking.
"Nya! What's with them?!" Kaen yelled, her tail bristling as she hissed, eyes locked on the weapon above.
"The Dwarven people sealed themselves away," Dante said calmly, brushing dust from his coat, "and cut off all connections to the outside world due to past experiences."
He looked up at the walls, his expression unreadable.
"They were once pillars of support before the Hundred Year War against the demon clan. But after the demons were sealed away, the world didn't find peace."
Dante's voice remained steady.
"Instead, it descended into civil wars among the other races. Lands, gold, resources… all were fought over."
Kaen listened quietly, her ears flicking as she stayed alert.
"In fear of extinction," Dante continued, "the dwarves withdrew. They hid themselves deep within an unknown territory, erased from maps and records alike. Until now, no one truly knew what became of them."
Kaen glanced back up at the towering walls, swallowing slightly. "Nya, Master… that's big information. How do you know all this stuff?"
Dante finally looked at her.
"I read," he said simply. "In the end, knowledge is both absolute chaos and absolute peace, Kaen."
The cannons above remained trained on them, silent now, as if waiting for their next move.
"What should we do, mas—!"
Kaen's words caught in her throat.
Her eyes widened as Dante walked forward, calm and unhurried, straight toward the massive gates.
Steam roared above them as the cannon recharged, metal plates shifting while glowing plasma gathered at its core.
"Master—!" Kaen hissed, panic creeping into her voice.
Dante didn't stop.
"You're going to kill me?" Dante called out, his voice echoing against steel and stone. A faint smirk crossed his lips. "Go ahead."
He slipped his hand into the storage ring Fina had gifted him before their parting, its surface glowing briefly.
With a heavy thud, a massive chunk of metal materialized in his grasp. Dante slammed it into the ground, the impact shaking the earth beneath their feet.
"Kill me now," he continued coldly, "and you'll lose the last of this."
He pulled back the cloak covering the object.
The metal beneath was revealed, ancient and unmistakable.
The cannon froze mid-charge.
Its glow dimmed. Steam hissed as its barrel lowered, power draining away in silence.
Moments later, the enormous metal gates groaned open.
From within stepped a mature woman, her presence commanding and undeniable.
She was human-like, yet her dwarven features were clear, her frame strong and refined, her figure ripe as fine wine, seductive yet dangerous.
Confidence radiated from her as she approached Dante with slow, deliberate steps.
Behind her, dozens of dwarves poured out, weapons raised. Firearms, blades, and steampunk-crafted machinery gleamed under the fading light, all trained on Dante and Kaen.
The woman stopped several paces away.
"This…" she finally said, her eyes narrowing as she studied the revealed scarlet metal. Her lips curled into a mocking glare as she looked at Dante. "Answer me this, human."
Her voice carried authority, sharp and unwavering.
"How did you acquire the lost holy metal," she demanded, "Kalikrikthar?"
The air went still.
---
Chapter 47 — End.