In A High End Restaurant, LeonCraft Duchy
Crack!
A sharp slap resounded through the high-end restaurant of the LeonCraft Duchy. A young waiter wearing an eye patch fell heavily to the ground, a bright red handprint quickly blooming across his cheek.
“I don’t like being served by defective filth. Get lost,” a silver-haired young man, around twenty-five years of age, spat coldly. The haughty, arrogant air of high nobility radiating from him was unmistakable.
The waiter scrambled back up, nodding frantically in terror as another server rushed over to take over their order. Once the tense exchange was finished, the new waiter quickly scurried off to the kitchen.
“Did you really have to do that, young Lord Ivan?” a knight sitting opposite the silver-haired noble asked, watching the display with a slight frown.
“That waiter with the eye patch simply reminded me of how I missed my defective, crippled sister’s wedding,” Ivan replied indifferently, picking up his crystal cup to take a slow sip of water.
“I didn’t realize you possessed such deep brotherly affection. I thought you absolutely loathed Lady Francesca,” the knight remarked.
A harsh scoff left Ivan’s lips. “Brotherly affection? Have you been drinking while the sun is still out, Albert?” Snatching the cup of water that belonged to his knight, Albert, Ivan took a sip from that as well before continuing, “I am simply annoyed. Our mother explicitly wrote in her will that the magic artifact, 'The Azure Tear,' was to be handed down to Francesca as a wedding gift. The idiot must have been given it before her departure... I fully intended to force her to hand it over to me, but I was unable to attend the ceremony.”
“Of course, what else did I expect...” Albert sighed, rubbing his temples. “I still don't quite comprehend why you are so deeply obsessed with collecting magic artifacts.”
The waiter soon returned, carefully placing their extravagant orders onto the table.
As they began their meal, Ivan leaned forward. “Well, you know exactly what magic artifacts are composed of, right?”
Albert nodded, slicing into his food. “Of course. Natural magic has long since disappeared from our world. Magic artifacts, forged from the rare, enduring remains of the original races that went completely extinct after the Great Divine War. Are the absolute only way to manifest magic in this era.”
“Exactly. Think of it, Albert. Those three divine races: the Sirens, the Mermaids, and the Fairies existed millions of years ago, yet their grand legacy survives to this day purely because their remains can perform miracles,” Ivan replied, taking a bite of his steak.
Suddenly, a fleeting image of a particular girl on her deathbed flashed behind his eyes, and Ivan's haughty expression momentarily melted into a heavy, melancholic frown. “Even after all this time, they are still not forgotten. I want to leave behind a permanent legacy of my own like that someday...”
Albert placed his utensils down against the ceramic plate with a quiet clink, his expression shifting to one of caution. “Don’t tell me this is still about Selena—”
“A library like the world has never seen before!” Ivan declared softly but firmly, slamming his cup onto the table to cut the knight off. “A grand sanctuary where thousands of rare magic artifacts are proudly displayed for all of humanity to see and utilize. That is my ultimate goal in life.”
Ivan locked his gaze onto Albert, a fierce, burning determination in his golden eyes. “Which is precisely why our sudden return to the duchy is a stroke of incredible luck for us. When I sent word to Father indicating that I would be arriving today, he requested that I meet with him the exact moment I step foot in the manor. Apparently, he has a task for me.”
Albert completely dropped his previous thoughts the moment he heard those words. His eyes widened in shock. “Wait... His Grace is giving a direct assignment to you, and not to the first young Lord?! This is monumental, Ivan. He has never allowed you to handle personal tasks from him before! This is your golden opportunity to truly prove yourself to the Duke.”
Ivan’s cruel smirk returned as he forcefully stabbed his fork into his steak. “I know. And this task is merely the very first stepping stone toward my grand library.”
Tap... tap... tap...
The rhythmic, imposing sound of Duke Harrison LeonCraft’s fingers drumming against his mahogany desk resonated through the spacious study. The Duke reached up to smooth a stray lock of silver hair before finally finishing the delivery of his orders to his currently arrived son. The usually haughty and arrogant Ivan LeonCraft was nowhere to be seen in this room; instead, his head was bowed in total submission, a look of intense, quiet determination plastered across his face.
Duke LeonCraft let out a heavy sigh before continuing. “You will depart for the Ironwood Viscounty in a week. Remember, simply disrupting their economy in the exact manners I outlined earlier will be more than enough. Send regular reports during your stay regarding any oddities you observe, and...”
He suddenly leveled a piercing, icy glare at his son that sent immediate chills rushing down Ivan’s spine.
“Make absolutely sure that you do not cause any unnecessary trouble with your sister. Even if we are actively choking the Ironwood Viscounty's resources, we still strictly need to maintain a stable diplomatic relationship with them to secure their military aid if the time comes.”
“I will carry out every single order exactly as you have decreed, Father!” Ivan replied, a fierce, ambitious spirit instantly blooming within him.
With a cold, dismissive nod, Duke LeonCraft slid a blank piece of expensive parchment across the desk. “Alright then. Begin by writing a formal letter to your sister requesting an invitation for a visit.”
Accepting the paper with a respectful bow, Ivan turned on his heel and exited the study, “This will be rather easy… Ivan muttered when the heavy oak doors closed silently behind him.