Chapter 23 Part 5: The Wedding, and Elchen

Elchen was a beautiful land.

Long ago, a wise man called this place the pure white of the continent.

A rugged terrain that stretched endlessly. Fir trees that soared as if to cover the sky.

Above them, snow fell ceaselessly throughout the year.

The people of Elchen used to say.

[The Brurba runs.]

That saying represented the ceaseless snowfall that fell throughout Elchen, and expressed their awe for an animal that lived steadfastly with them despite it.

Brurba. It was an animal that only lived in cold Elchen.

It was characterized by a small, white body, and it often came down to the villages in search of food.

The people of Elchen all loved the wary but herbivorous and gentle animal like a friend.

And. Time passed.

The once abundant Brurbas almost disappeared from Elchen.

The capital of the Elchen people, the holy city of Istasia, met its demise one day for unknown reasons.

So when the Imperial Army invaded, each lord could not even offer proper resistance.

Some submitted, and some fled for their lives.

Thus, the era when Elchen became a territory of the Empire.

The Brurbas no longer ran, and the people’s hearts grew weary due to the prolonged civil war.

Still, Elchen was a beautiful land.

The scenery unfolding along with the high, black castle walls was truly majestic.

The city stood between a huge coniferous forest and a dark blue winding river.

Around the time the carriage crossed the drawbridge. A long horn sound echoed.

Boo-

The soldiers on the ramparts bowed their heads. A huge gate creaked open.

Caron, who had approached the carriage, met Rosa’s gaze.

“From here on is Elchen. Welcome to Elchen, Rosa.”

His expression was calm, as was his voice.

Yes. From here on, it was Caron’s territory.

Under the blue sky, Gothic-style mansions were lined up.

Uniquely, the city was formed in a terraced structure. It was because of the rugged terrain of Elchen.

The passage of time could be felt in the city.

‘It feels different from the capital.’

Delphinad was a fantasy-like city that everyone dreamed of. On the other hand, this place was a city that exuded a classic charm, as if the past history had melted into it.

“Caron. What’s the name of this city..?”

“Arnad.”

Caron answered.

It had a similar sound to the capital, Delphinad.

“Arnad means the star of the north. Long, long ago, it was also called Istasia.”

Only then did Rosa realize.

So this was the capital of the destroyed ancient kingdom.

Skilled Imperial stonemasons had restored this once half-destroyed city.

The sloping road was transformed into a well-paved road. Classic and elegant mansions were built on the sloping terrain.

In the middle of the city, there was a square of moderate size, and next to it stood a monument-like statue of the Emperor.

Right nearby, in the towering central tower, countless people were waiting.

Maids wearing headbands. Butlers dressed neatly in formal attire. Not only servants, but also gardeners and young pages.

They were all waiting for their master in an orderly posture.

The carriage approached the central tower.

Arnad’s chief steward, Hamel, wiped the sweat from his brow.

‘He arrived sooner than expected.’

He had barely made it in time.

The sound of the carriage approached.

The sound of hooves, the murmuring of people.

The clinking of armor gradually came closer.

The open space in front of the central tower was splendidly decorated.

Colorful flower beds and a red carpet were laid out.

The procession, which had been faintly visible, came closer.

Raising a cloud of dust, Caron dismounted from his black horse.

“Welcome, Your Highness.”

Countless people bowed their heads in unison.

The chief steward, Hamel, smiled and said to Caron.

“No, I should call you Your Grace now.”

“The title doesn’t matter.”

“In any case, congratulations on your ascension to the position of Grand Duke.”

Hamel replied cheerfully. Many people thought that he was able to hold the position of Arnad’s steward because he was at that level.

“Congratulations! Your Grace.”

Whistles and cheers echoed.

It had only been a few days since the news arrived in Arnad.

In fact, repossession was a more accurate word than recapture.

On the surface, all the castles of Elchen were retaken by the Empire.

Now, there was talk of appointing a Grand Duke to manage it, and several candidates emerged in the uncertainty.

But there was a rumor that the Second Prince, who had actually accomplished the feat, would be excluded from the candidates because he had achieved such a great victory.

In fact, to fight for the throne, it was better to build a foundation in the center than in the northern frontier of Elchen.

The Second Prince, who returned, breaking all those expectations.

There were those who liked it and those who didn’t, but one thing was clear.

‘At least now that His Highness has returned as Grand Duke, the foolish movements will definitely decrease.’

The civil war wasn’t completely over yet.

And in Arnad, too, Elchen people and Imperial people were mixed.

‘The only one who can unite those two is our Prince. Yes.’

Hamel firmly believed that.

“Where is Her Grace, the Grand Duchess?”

More than that, his eyes sparkled at the important matter at hand.

The rumored woman. The Prince’s betrothed.

A woman described by the word that didn’t suit their lord at all, a childhood friend.

Of course, only a few of Caron’s close aides knew that fact.

But everyone else was curious too.

What would the first lady of Arnad, and the Grand Duchess of Elchen, be like?

Amidst the expectations of many, the Grand Duke approached the carriage.

And when he whispered something to the window, a woman soon opened the carriage door and got off.

Sunlight-drenched silver hair. Cherry-like lips.

She was slightly, very slightly, on the short side.

But that was because the Grand Duke was relatively tall. Rather, the height difference between the two was quite good, and the way they held hands after seeming to bicker for a moment looked youthful.

“Oh my..”

And Hamel was shocked.

That lord of theirs. The lord who was usually so cold that it was difficult to even approach him.

He was holding a woman’s hand and even looking down at her with affectionate eyes for a moment.

Of course, the Grand Duchess, unaware of that fact, greeted everyone she met with a kind greeting.

Eventually.

“Nice to meet you.”

She approached Hamel.

Hamel, who had been momentarily flustered, quickly came to his senses and smiled broadly.

“It’s an honor. Your Grace, the Grand Duchess. I am Hamel, the chief steward of the inner castle.”

He was a young man with a rather friendly impression, dark blue hair, and in his thirties.

He was twin brothers with the knight’s aide, Pavel.

“I’m Rosa Anencia.”

A voice as clear as dew.

For the first time, Hamel understood his lord.

‘With such a childhood friend waiting..’

He could have become not just a demon of the battlefield, but a demon god.

Arnad’s inner castle was beautiful at first glance.

Located at the highest point of the city, it reflected the cool Elchen sunlight with its ivory-colored exterior walls.

A round arched gate.

The carriage passed through it, receiving salutes from the knights.

The wide courtyard of the castle was decorated as a garden.

In each of the four square sections, there was a cobalt blue fountain.

The main tower.

In other words, it was the same concept as the main building of a mansion.

In fact, unlike the image of a typical tower, it had the feel of a tall and sturdy building with many floors.

When the carriage stopped in front of the beautiful ivory main tower, a dozen servants began to carry the luggage.

“Come, Rosa. I’ll introduce you to the mansion.”

Caron took Rosa’s hand and led her.

The first place the two went to was a beautifully decorated greenhouse in the castle courtyard.

“Wow-“

Rosa let out a gasp of admiration.

It was winter outside, but inside, it was spring.

“Is this your first time seeing a glass greenhouse?”

“Yes. I heard there was one in the Imperial Palace.”

It was Rosa’s first time actually seeing a glass greenhouse.

Greenhouses had been developed in Elchen since ancient times.

As it was a cold and barren land, they needed a space to grow plants.

“Now. You will manage this place.”

At Caron’s words, Rosa was surprised.

“Uh.. Can I?”

“Of course. It’s the right of the lady of the house.”

The right of the lady of the house was to take care of all the household affairs of the mansion.

That included managing the garden and the greenhouse.

“Every year, within the budget allocated in Navians. Decorate it as you like, within reason.”

Navi was the budget given to the lady of the house at the beginning of each year.

“Hmm.. But is that okay?”

It was Rosa who was hesitant.

‘I’m only the lady of the house for a year, after all.’

As if reading her thoughts, Caron was silent for a moment.

A moment later. He spoke to Rosa.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s only for a year. It’s better than no management at all.”

“It seems to be sufficiently well managed, though..”

The garden was indeed well managed, so Rosa tilted her head.

“..Is that so?”

Of course, she didn’t know at the time. But Caron decided to transfer the gardener who had done his job too well.

With a bonus, out of conscience.

He had that much conscience.

“Enough. Let’s go to the training grounds.”

Before Rosa could say anything else, Caron hurriedly took her arm and led her somewhere.

This time, it was outside the inner castle.

On the outskirts of the castle wall, there was a large training ground.

The knights who had just arrived were unpacking their luggage together.

They were laughing, talking, and even playfully brandishing their swords at each other.

‘It doesn’t look like they’re very disciplined.’

But of course, Rosa knew that was the strength of these, the Arnad Knights.

Caron looked at them from afar.

He seemed to have forgotten to introduce the training grounds.

In fact, what Caron wanted to show Rosa was his knights, rather than the training grounds. Because they were his people.

“It’s quite a different atmosphere from what I expected.”

Rosa opened her mouth.

“How so?”

“If it’s a knight’s training ground, I thought it would be a bit more solemn.”

“Usually, it is.”

Caron nodded. And he added a word.

“But if the atmosphere were that solemn, they wouldn’t be able to mingle with each other.”

Status, gender, age.

He didn’t look at any of those.

Only skill and will.

Most of the Arnad Knights had voluntarily joined the order.

Among them were those who had been impressed by fighting alongside Caron on the battlefield, or those who had sworn allegiance out of a debt for saving their lives.

Fallen nobles of the Empire, Elchen people, and wandering mercenaries.

They all had diverse backgrounds.

But their goals were all the same. To end this long civil war.

Each. Had a story. Those who had no story to begin with didn’t end up on the battlefield.

“Even if they don’t.. it will definitely happen. Because that’s what war is.”

Caron’s expression had become serious.

Nothing was truly over.

In fact, the reason he had hurried was because of that.

Retaking seven castles didn’t mean that Elchen had completely entered a stable phase.

“There are still things to be dealt with.”

Suddenly, Rosa blinked, feeling that Caron was unfamiliar.

‘Caron. He’s carrying a lot on his shoulders.’

It was a thought that suddenly occurred to her because his profile still looked young.

He was only twenty years old.

But Caron was responsible for this vast castle, the city, and a province.

The Second Prince of the Empire, the Grand Duke of Elchen, and the master of Arnad.

Those were all words that referred to Caron.

Suddenly.

Caron realized his mistake.

Worrying Rosa was not his intention at all.

“Of course. There’s nothing for you to worry about..”

He was going to say there was nothing at all.

Rosa spoke with a serious look.

“I’ll help you.”

A faint breeze blew.

“Geez. I was trying to look cool.”

Rosa awkwardly smiled and brushed back her disheveled hair with one hand.

Caron thought.

It wasn’t a serious problem.

The fact that there were still things to deal with was just as it sounded.

‘Still..’

Just that Rosa said those words to him. That she offered him her kind support.

His heart was happy.

He had no idea how she would help. He couldn’t even imagine it.

‘But..’

She was kind. So he didn’t want to tell her the truth.

Let’s just bury this misunderstanding.

So Caron decided.

“Then. Shall we go back to the inner castle? I’ll show you where we’ll be living.”

“Alright.”

Rosa quietly followed him.

The warm afternoon sunlight shone on the two.

Following that sunlight, Caron’s heart seemed to overflow.