Chapter 4

The Room of the First Patriarch of Elheim was the place where the spirit stone and the Heirloom of Elheim were kept.

Jurien, The First Patriarch and the first Awakener of Water, is said to have designed this room himself.

Walls made of material similar to spirit stone had not worn down even after so many years.

‘The report of the stone shining was true.’

In the first patriarch’s room, the Duke of Elheim lost his composure and swallowed his breath.

Originally, the spirit stone was placed on a silver pedestal in the centre of the room. But now, it was floating in the air and was scattering a brilliant blue light.

The Duke opened the door with Aynias and called for Lianrius to come in .

“Lianrius.”

Except for direct descendants of Elheim, people were prohibited to enter this place, except under inevitable or special circumstances.

“Come this way.”

“The spirit stone really is shinning .”

Standing next to the Duke, Lianrius looked up at the spirit stone.

“If you can sense something, you can say it.”

A blue stone with a watery surface. But he couldn’t sense anything.

“I’m not sure, Father.”

Despite the boy’s indifferent answer, the Duke smiled gently.

“It is likely that the power of water isn’t as good as you are yet to come of age. Don’t worry, Lianrius.”

Liarte’s voice overlapped with that of  the Duke.

“Don’t worry, Lianrius Elheim.”

“After coming-of-age ceremony, you will not need her either.”

It was a daytime appearance that he had never seen before.

“I will not waste my time on such useless things again.”

Lianrius himself didn’t know why he thought of Liarte at that moment.

The Duke seemed to misunderstand Lianrius.

“So first of all, raise your hand.”

‘Elheim’s youngest son everyone loves.’

As if trying to erase Liarte’s voice, Lianrius put his hand on the spirit stone without hesitation.

Flash.

The softly shining spirit stone flickered once.

Mana fluctuated under the transparent crystal of water.

Blink, blink.

The Spirit Stone began to flicker faintly as if warning.

It was somehow unstable, but no one noticed.

When Lianrius released the stone, the movement of the light stopped.

“I’m sure you are the one who will wake up the spirit stone.”

The Duke’s voice trembled.

Now that the capacity of water in the family is weakening, he must have possessed a great power for the spirit stone to wake up.

“Is that so?”

Lianrius looked down at his hand. He couldn’t feel anything. However, it was true that Spirit Stone blinked.

“You met the conditions left by Jurien.”

There were two conditions to identify the real Owner who will awaken the spirit stone and revive the family.

He/she must have more powerful water power than anyone else.

It must be the Awakener of the water that has waited for the longest period to bloom.

Awakeners usually gained abilities within a few days of being born and as the awakening period increased, the more powerful they became.

Lianrius was the only one who awakened after a long period of 7 days in this family.

The time to indulge in foolish joy was not long.

“Your Grace!”

The Knight Commander of Elheim, who had been guarding the gate, hurriedly opened the door.

“What’s going on? I told you not to let anyone in here!”

The Knight Commander rarely showed a stubborn attitude.

“There has been a situation, therefore I came to see you in person. The carriage has now arrived outside the gate.”

“Are you a guest who can get in the way of doing something serious at this moment?” The Duke expressed displeasure.

Even if It’s the Imperial family, they couldn’t touch the Duke of Elheim so easily.

“That, it’s Birce.”

“How dare you talk about Birce in front of me?!”

The Duke got upset at the word Birce and screamed.

Originally, Birce was labelled as a close enemy to Elheim, but after the assassin case broke out, only pure hatred and the desire to see Birce collapse was left.

Thinking up to that point, enraged with anger, the Duke fumed even with just a mention of the word ‘Birce’

“How dare Birce come here?”

The Knight Commander knelt down on one knee.

“I saw it with my own eyes. Birce’s symbol was engraved on the wagon, and they brought a visitor’s note.”

The Duke breathed in to keep his composure.

“So It’s a visit.”

“It seemed genuine, even from a distance.”

The visitor’s note was a certificate written by the temple and the Imperial family.

A protocol stating that the opponent’s family will not be harmed.

A person with a visitor’s note could not harm the visiting family, and a family welcoming a visitor could not betray a guest.

If this was violated, the entire empire can turn against the house under the permission of the Imperial family and the temple.

“It’s not the Duke of Birce. Rather, it’s the Young Heir of Birce.”

“Lead the way. “

Birce’s successor was visiting Elheim.

He didn’t know the purpose behind the visit, but he had no intention of tolerating it.

***

Michael, who waited in front of the closed gates of Elheim, called Walter.

“What do you think will happen now?”

“What do you think our visit will be like? You won’t be able to see it, but I’m still on the lookout for a danger.”

Michael grinned at Walter’s words.

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

Isn’t the Duke of Elheim famous for his unilateral hostility toward Birce?

“How many men are guarding the gate now?”

“There are countless… Oh, I see.”

Walter nodded his head.

There were many knights guarding the walls and gates, but none of them appeared to be the Awakeners of Water.

Even though assassins came in a while ago and the security was so strict. The water users had disappeared.

“What the hell happened to all the Awakeners?”

“Well.”

Michael’s senses were whispering that there was something going on.

‘I wish it was as fun it could be.’

The Elheims, who were obsessed with their family, their lineage, and awakening and proud of themselves were too boring.

At that time, the gates of Elheim slowly opened.

And the Duke with a stiff face appeared with the knights in tow.

“What brings Birce’s successor here?”

“I’m here to request something from Elheim.”

The visitor’s note shook and fluttered in Michael’s hand.

‘He looks exactly like his father.’

Michael’s gentle attitude resembled the Duke Carmen Birce.

“I brought the visiter’s note formally, so check it out.”

It was difficult to read the gaze because of the velvet eye patch filled with Michael.

At first glance, he seemed to be smiling, but was he really laughing?

Now that the Duke has determined that Lianrius was the Awakener of the Spirit Stone, he did not want the people of Birce to know, however it was impossible to dismiss the person who brought the visiting note.

“….It’s really is a visiter’s note licensed from the imperial family and the temple.”

“If you are reluctant to let me visit, you can tell me to go back right now.”

Michael, who confirmed the Duke’s acceptance of the visit, said softly.

“It’s a natural instinct to fear the power of death.”

The ridicule that The Duke was frightened was too much for him to accept.

I don’t think it’s a big deal to have a kid like this in.

“I don’t intend to dismiss the heir, so come in.”

His voice reverberated through his teeth.

After a while.

‘The Duke is gentler than I heard from my father.’

In the middle of the enemy’s camp, Michael, who held teacup, remained calm.

“My eyes are completely blind. I would have called a healer if it were an injury, but it’s a powerful curse.”

“……so?”

“If there’s a water awakener who can lift this curse, I’d like some help. “

Duke Elheim’s face was hardened to the point that it could no longer be pitiful.

Birce does not forget favors.

If it were a normal family, he would treat Michael and put a debt on Birce, but the Duke’s deep-rooted hatred brought only resentment.

“What level of curse is it?”

”Even the saint could not restore my sight.”

“I understand.”

The Duke answered once. However, he had no intention of helping Birce.

“That would put a lot of pressure on the one curing the curse. Can I attach a condition?”

“As long as you can help me.”

Michael was a mysterious man.

“The deadline is one month, wait for the voluntary Awakener to appear. They may lose their life by removing the curse, so I want to leave it to choice rather than force.”

In other words, it meant to wait quietly for the  volunteer .

It was a good proposition, but it meant that no one would be willing to cure the curse.

“It’s a curse that even a saint couldn’t get rid of.’

No one in the current family has ever had such a powerful awakening, except for

Lianrius.

Even if there was, there was no way they would be willing to help Birce.

They’ll be afraid of the curse’s reaction, so they won’t willingly volunteer.

It was unlikely for Birce’s successor to recover his sight.

“Yes, I will wait for the choice as the Duke said.”

Somehow Michael’s voice sounded unnaturally low.

“Slowly for a month.”

When the Duke looked back, Michael was putting down his teacup.

***

At midnight, Liarte woke up.

‘Michael Birce.’

Liarte had only one purpose.

Before her return, no one was able to release Michael’s curse.

His visit to Elheim was just an incident in which Elheim insulted Birce’s successor.

The Duke’s judgment that he thought things would end like that was wrong.

Michael, who became the next Duke, pushed Elheim to the brink of it’s fall.

The only thing he wanted in the future was the destruction of Elheim.

Lianrius’s abilities weakened after his coming of age ceremony.

Michael could not restore his sight even after Liarte died.

‘But I can do it.’

She was convinced that it would be possible to get rid of the curse if she tried it herself.

Even if she wasn’t able to solve it, if she helps, she’ll be able to put Birce in debt.

Soon, Liarte arrived in front of a spectacular door for the honored guests as as she remembered.

Inside it, sat Michael.