IMTDIK 70

Episode 70. Hatred and Obsession

“Wow. I always wanted to enter Valdrova Castle at least once. I never thought I’d get this chance.” Erdes moved her feet as if dancing, making a big fuss. Her steps were wild and careless, but no one said anything. That showed how serious the atmosphere was.

“But why is it so quiet? It’s strange that the Regent himself is guiding us. Did you kill everyone because you didn’t like them? Or are you preparing to betray us?” She spoke in such a rude way.

“The people working in the castle are all ordinary humans. They wouldn’t do such things,” Ferda replied.

“Oh, that makes sense. I mean, the knights here are a guy who looks like a bird and another one crying with snot dripping down. I wonder what kind of foolish things the others are doing.” Erdes giggled loudly. She acted like a carefree child. But no one could ignore her. This woman was the strongest magician on the continent. With just a flick of her finger, she could destroy entire families. Even kings bowed their heads when she appeared. She was a walking disaster, a wild magician who caused chaos wherever she went.

That was why Ferda gathered all the people inside the castle. The workers here were not used to formal settings, nor did they have the strength to endure such pressure.

“Anyway, coming here in person is a big deal. Valdrova Castle is really huge. I once tried to sneak in, but the barrier was too strong to break.”

“Should I be happy about that?” Ferda asked.

“Of course! The strongest magician in the world is praising your barrier! If even I couldn’t break it, then no other human could either.”

Ferda mumbled to himself.

‘You were completely defeated by me.’

Goz was the one who responded to Erdes’s words.

“This castle was built for a dragon. Of course, a human wouldn’t be able to break it alone.”

“Are you defending them because they’re the same kind as you? Ugh, dragons are hard to understand.”

“Watch your mouth, Erdes Roton,” Goz warned.

“Yeah, yeah.” Even though she was annoying, Ferda agreed. It was surprising that people who hated Valdrova were now defending her. Did enemies still protect their own rules?

While Erdes grumbled, they arrived at the end of the red carpet. It felt like standing at the end of a fuse, ready to explode. Would this bomb go off or fail? With that thought, Ferda opened the door.

Inside was a VIP room made of gold and red marble. A single maid stood ready to serve. She lifted her wide skirt and greeted them.

“Welcome. I am Ruri, a servant of Lady Valdrova.”

She stood calmly, but her eyes avoided Goz on purpose. Goz, however, didn’t seem to care about her. It was suspicious how his reaction was so different from before, when he tried to take her.

Meanwhile, Erdes giggled and threw herself onto the sofa.

“Oh, why do you all make the mood so scary? That’s why men are no good. In a fancy place like this, you should laugh and have fun! Hey, maid, can you bring me some tea?”

“I will prepare it right away,” Ruri answered.

But before she could move, Ferda raised his hand to stop her.

“This is tea for the greatest magician in the world. Should you be the one to prepare it?”

“Then…”

“I will serve it myself.”

Ferda had a reason for stepping in. He felt something strange about Erdes’s behavior. If left alone, she would control the situation as she pleased. Ferda decided to serve the tea himself.

But he didn’t stand up. Instead, shadows moved from beneath his feet and shaped into a hand. It was Ferda’s Shadow Hand.

Erdes’s face hardened. Using black magic so openly was like begging to be killed. But Ferda didn’t care. He poured a cup of tea with perfect manners.

“This is the finest tea from the western highlands. Please, have a cup.”

The steam rose gently, but Erdes only stared at Ferda. Her dead fish-like eyes were filled with killing intent.

“Unfortunately, I’m not thirsty.”

“Didn’t you just say you needed a drink?”

“That’s true. Women are hard to understand, aren’t they?” She smiled, but there was murder hidden in her gaze.

Ferda, however, calmly took a sip of tea. Now, maybe she would shut her mouth for a moment.

“Let’s begin the conversation.”

Goz leaned forward, ready to talk.

“Tell me why you secretly entered our territory.” He wanted to understand the situation first.

Ferda answered.

“There was a research facility for demons near there.”

“A research facility from your imagination?”

“Didn’t a landslide happen there recently? As if something exploded?”

“……” Goz didn’t reply. That meant it was true.

“I discovered the demons’ project and tried to destroy everything. I had to act quickly.”

“So, you used the Bending Bridge to come here first?” Goz mentioned the Bending Bridge. That meant Erdes must have told him.

“Why didn’t you inform us?” Goz asked.

“I had to do it secretly.”

“And why is that?”

“I said it was secret, didn’t I?”

Goz’s face twisted angrily. He looked ready to bare his claws.

“Ferda Valdrova, you not only trespassed into our land, but you also killed his son with your own hands. If you don’t want war, you better explain yourself.”

Ferda had no reason to avoid war, but he didn’t want to start one either.

“As I said, I did kill Abel Silverwind. And yes, I caused trouble. But I didn’t do it because I wanted to.” Ferda continued.

“He was a demon worshiper. He tried to gain power through rebellion with the help of demons.”

“How did you find that out?”

“It wasn’t hard. He confessed everything himself. Maybe he thought he had already caught me, or maybe he mistook me for a priest he could confess to.”

Goz didn’t get angry when he heard “demon worshiper.” That meant Sitri had already confirmed the contract. The situation shifted slightly.

Ferda decided to say something unnecessary.

“Do you know what he said? He called Goz Silverwind nothing more than a pretender. He said your power didn’t suit you.”

“Looks like even the Silverwind clan has internal complaints. Some small fish must have grown greedy—”

“Shut up,” Goz snapped.

“You know I’m on your side, right?” Erdes smirked. Goz silenced her before she could poke his wounds any further.

“Doubting my strength is normal. It’s natural for Silverwind’s descendants to challenge me. But making a deal with demons is different.”

What Silverwind sought was pure strength. The power inherited through blood, steel, and wind.

“But what does that have to do with you killing him? Are you saying you did me a favor?”

“Of course not. I told him that if he wanted a rebellion, I’d help him.”

The wind stirred. Hearing that someone had openly planned his death made Goz furious.

“But he refused. Not because he was noble, but because he needed me for his plan.”

The wind stopped.

“A mere human like you?”

“He planned to use me to lure out and absorb someone’s power.”

“Who? Valdrova?”

“No. Ruri.”

At those words, Goz’s body stiffened. Erdes looked curious and turned to Ruri.

“Ruri? Who’s that?”

“She exists,” Goz replied vaguely.

Erdes was unwavering. She glanced at the silver-haired maid and clapped her hands.

“Oh! That little girl? She still has traces of a small body. So that’s her?”

“Erdes Roton. You are not here to gossip.” Goz’s slit pupils glared fiercely. His gaze was even harsher than before.

Erdes awkwardly smiled and pretended to zip her mouth shut.

Goz accidentally looked at Ruri. She stood with her back turned, unable to face him.

Ferda continued explaining.

“Ruri came to save me, and in the end, she had to kill Abel.”

“Hm. Then let’s bring Ruri here to testify.”

‘Fine. I have nothing to hide.’

Just as Ferda was about to agree—

“No need. That’s enough,” Goz interrupted.

Erdes looked displeased but turned to Ferda with a grin.

“Well, now that the two men have spoken, it’s my turn.”

Was there even a turn in this messy conversation? Ferda held back his sarcasm. Erdes stretched and smiled lazily.

“Well, it was a touching story, Regent Ferda. But I don’t believe it.” That was expected.

“There should be proof of his contract with a demon.”

“Yes, I found it. It was hidden in a tricky place. His heel. No wonder Silverwind didn’t notice.”

So, it was a place easy to overlook. But Erdes was looking at Ferda strangely.

“But I am Erdes Roton.” The greatest magician of the continent. The one who made history. The war hero and lawless tyrant. An expert in black magic. It is said that love and hatred are two sides of the same coin. Erdes hated black magic. And because she hated it, she knew everything about it.

“I can tell when a demon’s contract was made.” She smiled like a spider watching a trapped fly.

“The contract on Abel Silverwind was freshly made.”

‘My throat is dry.’ She spun her finger in circles like she was casting a spell and continued speaking.

“Meeting Abel Silverwind was probably one of Sitri’s traps. That whore set it up. It was meant to keep you from thinking about other things, and if you did, there was someone to punish you. A perfect card, even if you died, there would be no trouble afterward. But for some reason, she didn’t use that trap. Instead, Abel Silverwind put a contract seal on you and helped you.”

I almost wanted to respect her. Even while trapping me, she was very clever. Can someone see this far ahead just because they hate something so much? This was on a completely different level from what Ferda could understand.

“Why would a demon help you? If she just left you alone without putting a seal, Silverwind would have come after you, and you would have been sweating while trying to explain yourself. The war would have been certain. But why did the demon give up on such a chaotic situation, something demons love the most?”

My mouth was dry. I focused, making sure my throat wouldn’t move nervously.

“There are three clues that lead me to my conclusion.”

Eredes lifted her index finger.

“First, you use black magic.”

She raised her middle finger.

“Second, a great demon from Hell saved you instead of trapping you.”

Then her ring finger.

“Third, I keep smelling a faint scent of a demon in this house.”

She struck right where it hurt. There was only one conclusion Eredes must never reach.

‘Penelope.’ I was already walking a tightrope, balancing on whether I had made a contract with a demon or not. If she found out I was hiding a demon, Eredes’ hostility would turn completely against me. And that hostility wasn’t just troublesome. Eredes was someone the Empire’s first prince, the second most powerful person after the Emperor, was trying to befriend. She could block the development of the Far East. Everything was tangled up in a huge mess.

‘That’s a problem, but…’ If, during my explanation, she discovered that I had a way to control a great demon’s life, that would be an even bigger problem. She would become obsessed with Penelope no matter what. That couldn’t happen. Everything in this castle existed only for Valdrova.

Just as Ferda was about to speak, Eredes smiled and asked,

“You’re a demon’s child, aren’t you?”