Chapter 28: Three Dukes

Several days after the incident, Count Shadowstep arrived in the capital. It took him a day to arrange a meeting with Duke Bron. The meeting wasn’t held in person, but through a magical projector—an advanced magical device owned only by dukes and the Crown. It required multiple Dark Arcane Stones and Wind Arcane Stones to operate.

The Count couldn’t help but compare it to the magic tools in his own territory: Wind Mail and Wind Whispers. One transmitted letters, the other transmitted voice. Even then, he had to limit their use; his territory lacked the mana to sustain them freely.

Count Shadowstep was not the poorest count in the land, but his people were among the most impoverished. Not because he was a tyrant, but because of circumstance. Unlike other nobles who could focus on economy and comfort, he had to defend the empire from the ever-present threat of the forest. The imperial court provided subsidies for this duty, but those funds were spent on maintaining knights and mages. With monsters spawning frequently, trade caravans avoided the region, stunting commerce and growth.

The image of Duke Bron flickered to life before him. A man of thick eyebrows and commanding presence, Bron spoke with a calm that belied his authority.

“So, thank you for the report, Count Shadowstep. I’ve heard from Elynias that you exterminated over fifty bandits. Hm… Hunting bandits is not supposed to be your task.”

“Indeed, Milord. However, these bandits attacked my knights. And in Shadowstep, attacking a knight is the greatest taboo. We risk our lives daily to defend the Empire from monsters of the forest. To be stabbed in the back by our own people—it is unacceptable.”

“Hm… I understand. But bandits are like wildfires. Chaotic. Opportunistic. I also heard you mobilized nearly a quarter of your knights to pursue them? Thank goodness Count Elynias is on our side. Otherwise, this could be seen as an invasion.”

“I believe these so-called bandits were hired by Duke Luca, Milord. Their aim was to steal my mage.”

“That is a serious accusation, Count.”

“Indeed it is, Milord. But the caravan master testified that the bandits specifically targeted my knights among the entire convoy. Moreover, they had horses. And mages.”

Duke Bron leaned forward slightly. “Mages? With bandits?”

“Yes, Milord. Two of them, confirmed by my knights. They used spells during the ambush.”

“That… changes things.” Duke Bron caressed his beard. “Is that true?”

“Yes, Milord.” Count Shadowstep nodded.

“That’s troubling. Do you have any suspects? Why was your knight targeted?”

“I believe my knight was targeted because his daughter is a Level 7 mage, Milord. I believed Duke Luca was behind this, though it was only a suspicion. There were no concrete proof yet.”

“…The Crown didn’t inform me of this,” Duke Bron muttered.

Level 7 mages were so rare that the entire empire might only gain one or two each year. That explained the secrecy—information about Alicia had been withheld. The Crown likely intended to recruit her directly once she enrolled at the academy.

“I see. Then I owe Duke Luca an apology—perhaps I was too hasty to accuse him. Still, will I have your support, Milord? I plan to escalate this issue to the Justiciar.”

“Hm… A Level 7 mage is a precious asset—even to me. But in the end, she’ll be assigned to your territory, won’t she? Why should I pick a fight with Duke Luca—and possibly The Crown—over this? I’m already stretched thin with matters on the Western Frontier. I can’t spare additional resources. Besides, you can manage without her, can’t you? I’ve heard your daughter is a high-level mage as well. It wouldn’t be wise to appear greedy.”

This was the moment that made Count Shadowstep nervous. The empire frowned upon the monopolization of high-level mages. They were national assets, meant to serve the empire as a whole—not be hoarded by a single noble house.

“Milord, mages must be used for the greater good of the nation. I believe that—rather than being controlled by greedy merchants like Duke Luca, or reduced to symbols by the Crown—high-level mages should be deployed to guard our borders where they are truly needed.”

“I see… So, you’re saying you’ll lend your mages to the Western Frontier in the future, in exchange for my support now?”

“As long as it’s not permanent. Alicia is deeply attached to my daughter and her father—both of whom serve under House Shadowstep.”

“What are their elements again?”

“Then you have my support. I’m glad you weren’t blinded by greed. Don’t worry—your territory is vital to the empire. Without it, monsters would run rampant throughout Althemer. This meeting is dismissed. Glory to the Althemer Empire.”

“Glory to the Althemer Empire.”

Count Shadowstep exhaled slowly, the weight on his shoulders easing. With Duke Bron’s support, he finally had a chance at victory. But one troubling question remained: who had orchestrated the bandit attack? Was it Duke Luca? Or the Crown?

If the Crown had been involved, even Duke Bron’s support would not be enough. In that case, he would have no choice but to make concessions—possibly painful ones.

Count Shadowstep was considered an outlier in Althemer’s nobility, often dismissed as a backwater noble. His influence at court was minimal.

“Rodrique, there’s no way the Crown would be involved… right?”

“I couldn’t say, Milord. The law states Alicia should belong to your territory, but this sort of political maneuvering is beyond me.”

“Yeah, me too. Laws are meaningless if it’s the Crown or dukes pulling the strings—they’re the ones who write them. Let’s go to the palace. We have documents to submit.”

The royal palace—nestled beside the prestigious Royal Academy—was nothing short of magnificent. Magic lamps lined the corridors, glowing day and night. The soft blue light at the entrance marked the building as exclusive to noble affairs.

“Should I wait in the white section, Milord?” Rodrique asked, referring to the area reserved for attendants and common staff.

“No. You’re with me. A count must look presentable. I’d be mocked if I carried my own documents. Just look busy—carry these scrolls, follow behind me, and keep your head down.”

“Yes, Milord.” Rodrique bowed respectfully.

The receptionist, a noble-born woman from a landless house—a common fate among court aristocrats—returned after several hours.

“We’ve received your petition, Count Shadowstep. A preliminary investigation will begin in one week. Your subjects, Alicia and John, must be present at that time.”

“One week? So fast. What happened?” Count Shadowstep murmured.

“We’ve received word from both Duke Bron and the Mage Union,” the receptionist explained. “They expressed concern that the freedom of a high level mage might be at risk. That prompted us to expedite the investigation.”

“If the Mage Union is involved, then Duke Slane must have a hand in this as well…” the Count frowned. “This has escalated far beyond my expectations.”

“I’m afraid so,” the receptionist replied with a wry smile.

“I must hurry, then. Thank you for prioritizing our petition. May the Crown bless you, Lady Ella.”

“And may the mana bless you, Count Shadowstep.”

The Count raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. “May the mana bless you”? Althemer was no theocracy. All citizens, even nobles, were to swear loyalty to the Crown above all. She must be from Slane dukedom then.

“How is it, Milord?” Rodrique asked as they left.

“We must return to the Crossing immediately. The trial will begin in a week.”

“So soon? I thought issues like this could take months.”

“Duke Slane is involved. He holds sway over the Church of Mana. If that’s the case, then he must’ve already known Alicia is a Rank 7 mage. With all three dukes involved, the case is deemed critical. ”

“If Duke Luca is involved as well, then we’re looking at a three-way struggle.”

“Four,” Count Shadowstep corrected. “Don’t forget the Crown. The whole Empire is watching Alicia now.”

“That’s troubling…”

“We can’t waste time, Rodrick. Prepare the carriage.”

“My name is Rodrique, Milord. You used it correctly earlier.”

As the Count and his steward exchanged banter, Alicia and Elidranthia had already returned to Shadowstep Crossing.

“Alright!” Eli declared, fists clenched in determination. “Father entrusted me with this mission. We will capture those bandits!”

Now that she had been granted real authority, Elidranthia intended to wield it to punish evildoers. She had experience in guerilla warfare from her previous life, and this was the perfect chance to put it to use.

“We’ve finished sweeping the northern forest,” Lain reported. “The trail led us to a cave. Sir Jadenbale and his team are raiding it as we speak.”

“Do they need reinforcements? We might outnumber them, but they have mages.”

“We expect this to go smoothly,” Lain replied. “The enemy may have mages, but we have horses. It’s hard to land a spell on cavalry. Relax, Lady Elidranthia. You should follow Alicia’s example… well, maybe not that indulgent, but do save your strength. If anyone gets wounded, we shall rely on you, milady.”

Lain glanced toward Alicia, who was helping herself to bread, sausages, and fruit laid out on the table. After eating her fill, the sloth of a mage promptly found a bench and fell asleep.

“…You’re right. I am tired.” Elidranthia was exasperated and amazed at the same time at how Alicia can be so nonchalant.

“We thank you for rushing to our aid, Lady Elidranthia. But as Lord Shadowstep said, your life is far more important than ours.”

“Very well. I shall abide by your counsel. Bring me food, then I shall retire for the day.”

“Of course, Milady.”

“I read this town was the only way into other territories—so why is it so run-down?”

“It’s because Shadowstep is a poor territory, milady. With constant attacks from the Chaos Gods, even farming has become difficult.”

“I see…”

But they were mistaken.

Shadowstep was a rural fortress town built for defense, guarding the empire’s border against monsters. Nearly the entire budget was funneled into military essentials—food, weapons, and knights—leaving amenities neglected.

Without inns, taverns, or luxury shops, no mage or merchant wanted to stay. With no entertainment and constant danger, skilled craftsmen refused to settle. The seasonal monster stampedes only made it worse. For over a hundred years, Shadowstep had remained a harsh, utilitarian stronghold—devoid of specialties, tourism, or innovation.

To its residents, the blame fell solely on the seasonal monster attacks. After all, over 80% of attacks originated from the nearby forest, and the rest occasionally spawned in the fields. They assumed nothing could be done.

What they failed to realize was that other territories were attacked too. Monsters can spawn everywhere. In fact, Shadowstep had the lowest casualty rate during monster attacks. Their knights were the most seasoned, their response the swiftest.

But no one paid attention to that.

They only saw the frequency of attacks, the number of monsters that attacked—and ran. Thus, Shadowstep remained rural area to this day. People believed it was simply a wall against monsters.

Such is the fate of Shadowstep.