(Arin's Perspective)
"It seems the storm has passed."
The heavy oak door creaked open slowly. Duchess Vanna glided into the office, carrying a silver tray laden with a porcelain teapot and cups. The gentle steam curling from the spout carried the soothing aroma of chamomile and honey, instantly battling the stale scent of tobacco and the lingering tension of our high-stakes negotiation.
She offered a soft smile upon seeing her husband and me sitting opposite each other. The air was no longer thick with killing intent, though a remnant of wary calculation still flickered in Duke Edwin's eyes.
Edwin grunted softly, accepting the cup his wife offered. He took a small sip, peering at me over the rim of the delicate china.
"This boy," Edwin gestured at me with his chin, "he hides a serpent's tongue behind that innocent face, Vanna. He just cornered me with profit logic I couldn't refuse. He proposed a plan to dominate the continent's medical market with his rotten fungi."
I accepted my cup from Vanna with a respectful nod.
"More precisely, it is a plan to save all layers of society from foolish deaths caused by infection, Your Grace," I corrected politely but firmly maintaining my stance. "And as a bonus, you have just secured a potential medical monopoly that will make other families bite their fingers in envy, Lord Duke."
Vanna laughed lightly; a crisp, calming sound. She perched on the arm of her husband's chair, resting a hand affectionately on his broad shoulder.
"I am glad you two came to an agreement. Elena will be very relieved to hear it," Vanna said. "You know, Arin? That girl is currently pacing in her room, anxious and waiting for you. The reason Elena fought so hard to protect you isn't just because you saved her medically."
I raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "Oh? Is there another reason?"
Although they said Elena was waiting, it seemed I wouldn't be allowed to leave this room easily. The atmosphere, previously strictly business, had shifted into an awkward family counseling session.
For the first time, I hoped Elena would barge in and rescue me from this lion's den.
"Regarding Karl Benzzi," Vanna began, her tone turning heavier and laced with worry.
"Why did Elena go so far as to stake the Rhyms Family name and trigger an inter-faction conflict just to silence Karl in the cafeteria? do you know the reason?"
I placed my tea cup on the table. "I don't know the personal details, Duchess. Elena just seemed exhausted from enduring Karl's behavior. She even called his attitude an 'assault' on her peace."
I recounted the details of the incident in the Academy cafeteria when Elena exploded. The expressions of both parents slowly darkened, turning grim as they heard the specifics of the insults their daughter had swallowed.
Edwin looked down, gripping his chair armrest so tightly the wood groaned. His face was etched with the regret of a father who felt he had failed. Meanwhile, Vanna covered her mouth with her fan, hiding the way she bit her lower lip in guilt.
"In my opinion," I continued cautiously, trying to analyze the situation objectively, "Elena didn't say those things just because of a momentary emotional outburst. It was an explosion of depression she had buried for years, bearing that harassment alone."
Silence hung in the room for a moment. Only the rhythmic ticking of the grandfather clock could be heard.
"Elena and Karl Benzzi were actually childhood friends," Vanna finally explained, her eyes gazing into the past. "Once, the relationship between the Rhyms and Benzzi families was quite harmonious. We even intended to betroth them to strengthen future political alliances."
"But everything changed when Benzzi built a secret alliance with the Delphine Family," Edwin cut in sharply, his voice deepening. "Since then, their attitude turned aggressive. They didn't hesitate to oppose our policies in the council, and even started questioning the royal family's decrees."
"Rebellion?" I asked quietly, confirming my suspicion.
"Rumors say so," Edwin answered briefly. "Our intelligence caught the stench of military preparations in their territory."
I fell silent, trying to digest the political landscape that had just unfolded before me. It turned out Elena's problem wasn't just teenage romance drama; she was swept up in the currents of a high-level power struggle.
"Since that shift in attitude, Elena started avoiding Karl. There was a specific incident that made Elena truly hate him," Vanna added, though she didn't elaborate. "But Karl became even more obsessive. He kept chasing Elena."
"And we... we were fools," Edwin struck his chair armrest lightly. "We closed our eyes. We asked Elena to be patient and restrain herself to maintain the remnants of diplomatic relations with Benzzi. We sacrificed her feelings for politics."
"It seems that was our fatal mistake," Edwin's voice sounded hoarse. "Elena was right. I was too soft! I let that little bastard poison my daughter's mind in the name of diplomacy."
I could only sit frozen. It wasn't my place as an outsider to comment on how a Duke raised his child.
"Calm down, Dear. It isn't your fault alone. It is also my fault for failing to be sensitive to Elena's inner suffering," Vanna comforted him, hugging her husband's shoulders, trying to douse the fire of regret.
I sipped my tea again, letting the family moment pass. After a while, Edwin took a deep breath and straightened his posture. His mask of composure was back in place.
"By the way, Kid," Edwin shifted the topic, looking at me with a sharp assessing gaze, but this time without hostility. "Your medical knowledge... the concept of 'little creatures in the blood', antibiotics, to the precise monster surgery techniques. The Academy doesn't teach things that wild. Where did you learn them?"
I smiled thinly. I had anticipated this question.
The image of a woman in a dirty lab coat busily stirring a cauldron in an old wooden shack flashed through my mind. The woman who taught me that science knew no boundaries of elite morality.
"My mother," I answered proudly. "Healer Aria."
"Aria?" Edwin frowned, his brow furrowing as he tried to dig into his memory. "An unfamiliar name. I have never seen that name on the list of Royal Healers or the Alchemist Association."
"Of course not, Your Grace. Because the Healer's Guild and the Church tried desperately to erase her name from history," I explained flatly.
"My mother was a pioneer of modern Biomimicry methods. Twenty years ago, she tried to publish research on this fungal antibiotic. But what was the world's response? The Church called it 'Blasphemy' for daring to heal without prayer to God. The Healer's Guild boycotted her because her method was too cheap and could ruin the market for their expensive potions."
The room fell silent again. Edwin and Vanna exchanged glances with shocked expressions.
"So, that is why you kept it as a secret trump card," Edwin muttered, starting to understand my mindset.
"After being expelled and humiliated, my mother exiled herself to the Northern Border," I continued. "Specifically in Greywood Village. If I recall geography correctly, technically that logger village still falls under the furthest administrative territory of the Rhyms Family, doesn't it?"
Edwin's eyes widened. "Greywood? The village at the northern tip bordering the Forbidden Forest? So your mother is my subject?"
"Correct. And a warning for you, Your Grace," I looked him straight in the eye, my voice serious. "My mother hates nobles, especially greedy ones. If you are thinking of sending troops to forcibly fetch her or extort her knowledge... I suggest you don't. She might poison your envoys before they even have a chance to knock on the front door."
Edwin clicked his tongue, looking slightly offended but also impressed. "A tough woman, it seems."
"Very," I emphasized. "So, all matters regarding my mother's knowledge must go through me. I am the only diplomatic bridge she won't burn."
This was an additional security guarantee. Now, Edwin couldn't just get rid of me. I was the key to accessing the source of genius knowledge that could enrich his family.
"Enough, Edwin," Vanna interjected, patting her husband's shoulder again. "This child has saved Elena's life, provided us a solution for the mine losses, and it turns out his mother lives in our territory. Give him something as a sign of goodwill."
"Something?" Edwin pretended to be confused, though his hand was already moving toward the desk drawer.
"A gift, Dear. You can't possibly let your daughter's savior go home empty-handed after this interrogation session, can you? That would tarnish the Rhyms Family knightly honor."
Edwin sighed deeply, as if giving a gift was physically painful for him. He unlocked his desk drawer with magic, rummaged around for a moment, and pulled out an object.
With a casual motion, he tossed the object toward me.
Whoosh.
I caught it with quick reflexes.
A pair of gloves.
The item was made of woven fine gold thread and high-quality monster leather that felt cool against the skin. On the back of the hand, a small purple crystal was embedded, pulsing slowly in rhythm with a heartbeat.
"Feather-Touch Gloves," Edwin explained lazily while leaning back. "It is one of the failed prototypes from my mage research team. Those gloves have an imperfect reverse gravity circuit."
"Reverse gravity?" I asked, turning the gloves over.
"Whatever object you hold while wearing them, its weight will feel reduced by fifty percent. It was originally made for construction workers, but the materials were too expensive."
My eyes lit up with delight.
To others, this might be a useless expensive toy. But for me? I fought using pure physical strength. I often had to swing a greatsword or withstand giant monster attacks.
Fifty percent weight reduction meant my speed would double. This wasn't trash; it was a Treasure.
With this, I could swing a Longsword as fast as a dagger.
"This is... incredible. Thank you very much, Your Grace," I said sincerely, immediately trying them on; they fit my hands perfectly.
"Don't misunderstand," Edwin cut in quickly with a warning tone. "I gave them so you can protect my daughter better. If Elena gets even a small scratch because of your negligence, I will take back those gloves along with your hands inside them."
"Message received, Your Grace," I answered with a smile.
I stood up, straightening my rented suit which was starting to wrinkle. My business here was done. My life was safe, an alliance formed, and I got good loot.
However, as my eyes fell upon the golden crest engraved on the back of the gloves, an old memory buried deep suddenly surged to the surface.
A memory from twelve years ago. A gray sky covered in smoke, the smell of blood and mud, and that golden back.
I stopped right at the threshold. My hand holding the doorknob paused.
"Your Grace," I called softly without turning.
"What else? You want extra pocket money?" asking Edwin cynically.
I turned slowly, wearing a serious face. This curiosity had haunted me all my life. While I was facing one of the most influential people in the kingdom, I had to ask.
"Twelve years ago. At the Northern Border, near Greywood Village. When the winter monster wave occurred and destroyed half the region..."
I swallowed, trying to string the words together so I wouldn't sound insolent.
"I saw a Knight. He wore full golden armor that shone blindingly like the sun. He slaughtered hundreds of monsters alone without anyone's help. That golden armor... bore a crest very similar to the lion carving on your desk and on these gloves."
Silence.
The room's atmosphere changed drastically in a split second.
Edwin's expression, previously calm and authoritative, suddenly turned rigid and pale. The glass in Vanna's hand trembled; she covered her mouth with her fan, her eyes widening in utter shock.
"The Golden Knight..." Edwin whispered. His voice was no longer the voice of an arrogant Duke, but the voice of someone speaking a taboo name. It sounded heavy, wary, and... fearful.
Edwin stared at me sharply, but this time it wasn't business intimidation. "Why do you ask about him?"
"He saved me and my mother back then," I answered honestly. "Since that day, I aspired to be a knight because of him. I just want to know... who is the Golden Knight really? Is he an ancestor of the Rhyms Family?"
Edwin stared at me for a long time. His gaze was hard to interpret. There was a mix of deep respect, primal fear, and dark secrecy there.
Slowly, Edwin stood from his chair. He walked toward me until we were only a step apart.
"Forget what you saw, Kid," Edwin said coldly.
But this time, the coldness was different. This wasn't a threat to kill me. This was a stern warning for my own safety.
"There are things in this kingdom far more dangerous than monsters or noble political intrigues," he continued in a whisper that pierced the ears. "And the person you asked about... is one of them. His name must not be spoken carelessly."
He turned his face away, looking back at the stack of documents on his desk as if wanting to bury this topic as quickly as possible.
"Go home. And remember this one thing well: Never ask about the Golden Knight again. To anyone. Or you will invite a disaster you cannot handle."
I fell silent. The hair on my neck stood up.
I had just touched a secret far darker and deeper than just drug business or inter-family feuds. If a Duke of Edwin's caliber was afraid to talk about it, how terrifying was that figure?
"Alright. I understand," I said quietly. "Good night, Your Grace, Duchess."
I opened the door and stepped out of the suffocating office. The mansion corridor felt cold and empty.
The office door closed behind me. Silence.
My legs felt like jelly. Not from fatigue, but from the residual adrenaline of the deadly negotiation earlier. I had just sold bread mold for my life.
"Arin!"
Two beautifully dressed figures immediately ambushed me in the hallway. Elena and Rose. Elena's face was pale with worry, while Rose stared at me sharply as if checking if my head was still attached to my neck.
"You survived?" asked Elena, her voice trembling. She scanned my body from top to bottom. "Father didn't... break your fingers, did he? Or force you to sign a slavery contract?"
"Almost," I replied with a long sigh, trying to look relaxed even though my back was soaked in cold sweat. "But relax. I managed to convince him with... business charm."
"Business charm?" Rose raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You sold your kidney?"
"No, no. I sold the future of the medical world," I grinned broadly, then lifted both my hands now wrapped in black leather gloves with golden embroidery.
"And as a bonus, Duke Rhyms gave me this."
Elena's eyes widened when she saw the gloves. She covered her mouth with her hand, shocked half to death.
"That is... Feather-Touch?!" Elena squeaked, stifled. "Father gave one of his favorite failed collections to you?! Those are the gloves he wore when hunting Wyverns!"
"Oh really?" Rose was surprised.
Elena smiled brightly, color returning to her cheeks. "Father gave you a personal gift... that means he approves! I mean... approves our cooperation!"
"Yes, yes. Cooperation," Rose cut in while rolling her eyes. "Come on, let's go home. Your face is pale as a corpse, Arin. You need sleep before the fatal date tomorrow."
I nodded weakly. "Correct. Tomorrow is the day I might die of social exhaustion."
Although relieved, the question didn't disappear. Edwin's warning only made my curiosity burn brighter in my mind.
Who exactly was the Golden Knight? And why did the mighty Duke Rhyms look... afraid when I mentioned him?