Chapter 110: In the Na of the Blood Pact (5)
Special.
Yet, I couldn’t quite grasp what made so special just yet.
Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t need to worry about revealing my identity in front of Arcan?
Was that really considered special?
At the mont, I was just feeling unfairly judged under Nella’s suspicious gaze.
“Did you decide on a na for the guild? You’ve been tearing your hair out over it since yesterday.”
“Was I?”
“Yes. I thought you were going to go bald.”
“…Not yet.”
“The longer you overthink it, the harder it’ll be to decide. Go with whatever cos to mind first.”
“Whatever cos to mind…?”
“Think about the important monts in your life. If you try to find sothing that expresses yourself and paves your way forward, you’ll find your answer.”
She really was different. The advice of a priestess had a certain depth to it.
Comparing her advice to Reto’s, it was clear Reto had lived long for nothing.
It felt like a burden had been lifted off my chest.
So this is why people seek fortune tellers and tarot card readers.
It wasn’t for nothing that Nella was called the top choice among n and the Mada of the Blue Rose.
She had a way of piercing through to the heart.
“Thank you for the advice.”
Nodding deeply, I settled onto the ground in a comfortable position, crossing my arms and closing my eyes.
I began to reflect on the day I first arrived in this world, and on the relentless fight to survive.
The first mory that surfaced was, of course, my first kill.
For soone who had lived an ordinary life in the modern world, there’s nothing more impactful and shocking than taking a life for the first ti.
The icy gorge, the ancient runes—mories from there began to flow into a state of self-imrsion.
I killed Donecollint and seized his power. I used that power to eliminate Arena and take her heart. Then, with that heart, I gained even more strength from the abandoned mine.
Ancient runes, the heart, and the Ring of Desire.
The process of acquiring one strength to obtain another.
As scattered fragnts of mory began piecing together like a puzzle, a single word struck like a bolt of lightning.
“…Ah.”
I let out a quiet exclamation and snapped my eyes open.
Lifting my head, I noticed Nella had left, and the sky around had dimd.
Had it already beco night? No—it hadn’t.
Above the roof, the crimson sun was beginning to rise. Incredibly, a whole day had passed, and morning had co again.
Ti… had passed just like that?
[Impressive.]
“…What?”
[A state of oneness. That’s how true contemplation is achieved. It seems teaching you has been worth it.]
Oneness with what now?
Since when was contemplation sothing that could be taught?
Reto was growing more shaless by the day.
I shook off my tangled thoughts and stood up, brushing off the dirt.
It felt strange, suddenly finding myself at the start of a new day.
It was the day of the Blood Pact ceremony. Yet, now that I’d found a na for the guild, I wasn’t sighing anymore. In fact, I was… excited.
Just then, Nella’s voice ca from behind .
“Good thing you’re awake. I was starting to wonder what I’d do if you didn’t get up.”
“I was sitting there for a long ti, wasn’t I?”
“You looked so focused I didn’t want to interrupt. Did you find the na?”
“Thanks to you.”
I smiled brightly and nodded at her question.
“Then it’s ti to get ready.”
“Huh? For what…?”
“Co in!”
At Nella’s call, a group of people flooded into the training yard.
Among them were the wolfman butler and his attendants.
“W-Who are they?”
“Did you think you’d step onto the stage looking like that? Co on, there’s no ti! Get moving!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
At her clap, the group rushed toward like soldiers responding to a drill sergeant. Their arms were full of grooming tools and lavish outfits.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Bright fireworks exploded in the sky.
Dorneth had declared today a special commorative holiday for Beneta and announced a festival.
The townsfolk erged after a long ti indoors to enjoy the festivities.
Apart from the restricted central area of the grand plaza, rchants set up shop all over the city, forming a sprawling market.
There were sights to see, food and goods to try, and gas to play. Children’s laughter brought smiles to the faces of the crowd.
“This is a lovely scene.”
From inside the moving carriage, Nella smiled as she gazed at the lively streets. She turned to , tilting her head.
“What’s with that look on your face? You look like soone who’s lost their mind.”
“…It’s nothing.”
I shook my head and straightened up.
Finally, I was starting to feel like myself again.
The process of being sward by dozens of people and transford had been exhausting.
How do nobles go through this kind of routine every day?
For the first ti, I had to admit that their perseverance was admirable.
Exhaling deeply, I turned my gaze out the window. The vibrant energy outside was palpable even from inside the carriage.
“Were there no festivals like this before?”
“Things have been so chaotic lately. People were too busy worrying about upsetting the lord to even think about a festival.”
“Ah, right.”
Under Dominic’s hand, many were kidnapped or disappeared.
Even Dorneth’s beloved Sharbadin had been among them.
Co to think of it, this was my first ti experiencing a festival in Beneta as well.
The territory of the outcast races, fated for ruin.
Yet now, as the curse of the abandoned mine lifted, Beneta was beginning to bloom into sothing beautiful.
It was a bittersweet sight.
It felt like sothing I had achieved with my own hands.
“But… I don’t see any other carriages?”
“No other carriages are allowed in the inner city today. The only ones permitted to ride are the Blood Pact participants.”
“…What? So everyone knows who’s in this carriage?”
“Of course.”
I looked outside again.
As the carriage passed, the crowd sward to catch a glimpse, their curiosity evident in their wide eyes.
They stared with intense interest before turning away.
Would they react like this if it were just the lord in the carriage?
In human territories, people would bow low and show their reverence.
“Obedience, discrimination, authority—those are human tendencies. This is Beneta. Here, there’s only respect and admiration for the lord.”
“What if the lord doesn’t earn respect?”
“Then they have to step down.”
“And they do?”
“Of course.”
If a lord lost public support and was told to step down, they actually would?
Not even democracies back in my world could pull that off easily.
Compared to the humans’ obsession with lineage and power, the mindset of other races was astonishingly progressive.
It was spicier than even the most radical democratic ideals.
As I was marveling over this, I suddenly felt a sharp gaze.
Soone was watching , blatantly.
It was impossible not to notice such an obvious stare.
It ca from a group far removed from the mixed races around us—humans.
“There are a lot of human rchants here.”
“They’re here because they heard the curse on the abandoned mine was lifted. To humans, a dwarf-run mine is like a goose that lays golden eggs. They’re probably here to curry favor with you.”
“With ?”
“You’re the one who broke the curse. They see you as soone with significant influence over the mine’s future. Plus, you’re human, a fallen noble—soone they feel they can communicate with.”
“But I have nothing.”
“Do you think they’ll believe that?”
“No, they’ll think I’m full of crap.”
With nothing but the Ring of Desire and no stake in the mine, I wasn’t worried.
As soon as the Blood Pact ceremony ended, I planned to leave Beneta with Nella.
“Once the ceremony is over, you’ll leave imdiately, right?”
“Yes. I need to head to where I think Lochter might be.”
“Have you decided on a place?”
“I have an idea.”
“And I’ll be going with you.”
“That’s right.”
I needed her with to pinpoint Lochter’s location if he awakened as a Na Holder.
“Hmm, I should let the master know just in case. It could get dangerous.”
“You’ll need protection. Make sure to ask Fenry to send soone strong.”
While I would do everything to protect her, it would be tough on my own. If we encountered a powerful enemy, defending her and fighting simultaneously could lead to mistakes. My crude fighting style wouldn’t help.
Although I was training for over 20 hours a day, I still needed backup. Given Nella’s importance within the Black Rose, Fenry would likely assign a capable escort.
“Please halt.”
As we reached the entrance to the grand plaza’s central area, knights stopped the carriage.
However, the mont I pulled back my hood to reveal my face, the dwarves stiffened their backs and saluted.
“An honor!”
“An honor!”
“……”
What is this, a cult?
What kind of honor?
Recently, the knights had been looking at strangely. Probably the influence of those club-wielding dwarves.
I’d need to have a talk with them later to figure out what rumors they were spreading about .
Crrrk—
The carriage rolled into the grand plaza.
As we entered, flanked by a retinue of knights, the loud commotion began to settle, replaced by murmurs of curiosity.
Unlike the crowded outskirts of the plaza, its center was completely empty.
At the heart stood a grand, towering platform—the stage for today’s Blood Pact ceremony.
“But where’s Fenry? And Lord Dorneth?”
“Sigh…”
At the ntion of their nas, Nella let out a small sigh and shook her head.
Were they fighting again?
“They’re both waiting.”
“Waiting? For what?”
“They’re trying to make the last entrance.”
“…The last entrance?”
Did they really believe in the logic that the protagonist shows up last?
At this rate, neither of them might show up at all.
I stayed in the carriage, waiting for the others to arrive. If I stepped out now, I’d suffocate under the bombardnt of stares.
Even back in school, I was too nervous to participate in class elections.
“Were previous Blood Pacts this public?”
“No. Back then, only key figures gathered, and the ceremony was held quietly. There was no benefit to making it public.”
“So what’s different now?”
“There’s a lot to gain this ti. You weren’t part of the Blood Pact discussions, but there were extensive talks and decisions made.”
I had been invited to the etings but skipped them to focus on training.
Beneta and the Black Rose—their interests weren’t mine.
The public announcent of the Blood Pact ceremony.
For Dorneth and Fenry, it must have been important to make sothing widely known.
When declared in the na of the Blood Pact, such announcents carried imnse weight, capable of moving hearts.
That was the power wielded by leaders of great factions.
We’d soon find out what declarations they planned to make.
Deng—!!!
A resounding bell filled the air over Beneta.
It was the signal for noon.
As the bell tolled, the atmosphere grew restless.
From both sides of the grand plaza, pathways opened, and two lavish carriages appeared simultaneously—one surrounded by elves, the other by dwarves.
Showing up at the exact sa ti… They must have really not wanted to lose to each other.
That had to have been coordinated.
The two carriages stopped near ours. On cue, Dorneth, Fenry, and I stepped out of our carriages.
Whaaaaaaa!!!
A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd.
Dwarves, elves, and a human.
After 100 long years, a human was joining a Blood Pact with other races.
The Blood Pact ceremony had begun.
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