The kobold left shortly after, and the portal closed behind her.
Nina remained in front of the entrance that opened into the mountain, observing the mithril vein that extended beneath the rock. The mineral gave off a greenish glow, too clean to belong to a land as battered as Muno.
Farther below, the ground where the remains of an abandoned village had once stood had been cleared. There were no longer monsters, ruins, or weeds covering dead houses.
Only clean earth remained.
Nina breathed slowly before speaking.
"Lord Satoru."
He turned his head slightly toward her.
"You truly consider all of this to still be part of our agreement, correct?"
Satoru turned his gaze back toward the mine.
"Muno needs stability in order to recover. A source of mithril can resolve part of its economic problems, improve its position before other territories, and reduce its dependence on outside aid. If the kobolds accept settling here, you would also have workers capable of exploiting the vein without demanding too many resources from the barony."
He spoke with the same serenity with which he would explain any other matter.
"From that perspective, the result benefits both parties."
Nina closed her eyes for a moment and let out a low, tired laugh.
"I do not know whether I should admire you for saying it that way or worry."
Satoru did not answer.
Nina approached and stopped beside him. The mountain wind moved her hair and the fabric of her dress, but she did not seem to notice.
"Do you know what Muno was only a few months ago?"
"An impoverished barony, weakened by corruption, Zen's curse, and the demon's influence."
"Yes." Nina barely smiled. "That would be the correct way to describe it in a report."
Satoru observed her.
There was no mockery in her voice. Nina maintained her usual tone, though the fatigue was more clearly perceived than usual.
"For us, it was a house collapsing while we tried to hold up the roof with our hands," she continued. "Every problem we solved revealed three more. We lacked money, soldiers, routes, people, and above all, trust. Even after recovering the city, we knew stopping the fall was not enough. A land can stop sinking and still lack the strength to stand."
Satoru remained silent.
Nina raised her gaze toward the vein.
"And now we have this."
The word needed no explanation.
That was not a minor aid, nor a resource that could temporarily ease Muno's accounts. It was a mine of one of the most valuable materials a territory could possess.
In another place, a discovery like that would have been enough to found a city, attract merchants, strengthen a noble house, and change the fate of several generations. For Muno, which had barely begun to catch its breath, the appearance of that vein seemed almost absurd.
And it was not the only thing.
Satoru had already opened a path toward Yamaki. It was not a curious visit or a vague promise, but the real possibility that Muno could establish relations with the forest giants after generations of silence.
Nina still did not know what could be born from that relationship, but she understood that the barony would never have achieved something like that on its own.
First Yamaki.
Now the mithril.
Nina brought a hand to her face and laughed again, this time with a mixture of relief and disbelief.
"You have just placed before Muno two doors capable of changing its future, and you say it as if you had corrected a nuisance along the road."
"Finding the vein was a consequence of the situation."
"That is precisely the problem."
Satoru remained still.
Nina lowered her hand and looked at him from the side.
"You always do the same thing. You take something enormous, organize it inside your head, and assign it a function until it stops seeming so heavy."
"I do not consider it small."
"But you do not seem to receive it as something large either."
Satoru considered her words, though he did not answer.
Nina sighed and raised a hand to give him a small pat on the shoulder.
The gesture was simple, almost familiar.
Satoru lowered his gaze toward the hand resting on him.
Nina noticed it, but she did not withdraw it immediately. She knew perfectly well what kind of existence stood before her. Satoru could kill without hesitation, make decisions others would consider terrible, and use power that existed far beyond any human measure.
However, there were also moments when he seemed to observe the world like someone still learning what each thing was supposed to mean.
Nina calmly withdrew her hand.
"Muno has no way to thank you for this."
"It is not necessary."
"I know. That does not make things easier either."
Satoru observed her in silence.
Nina took a deep breath, as if she had finally made a decision she had been postponing for some time.
"I want to offer you a title."
Satoru did not react immediately.
"A title?"
"An honorary one," Nina clarified. "It would have lands, of course. It would not be an empty title. But you would not have to administer them personally if you do not wish to. I would find someone capable of handling those matters for you."
"Then what purpose would it serve?"
"To give you a place."
Satoru fell silent.
Nina held his gaze.
"Do not see it as a form of payment. Sincerely, we possess nothing of that size to give you. But a title can express something Muno still does not know how to say."
"What is that?"
"That you are not a stranger to this land."
The answer came out more simply than Nina expected, and precisely because of that, she decided not to add anything immediately.
"You are not only someone who appeared, eliminated a demon, and accepted to work with us. Nor are you a dangerous force it is convenient to keep nearby. You have done too much for Muno for us to continue pretending that giving you materials and a tower is enough."
"That was what was agreed."
"And it remains our agreement." Nina tilted her head slightly. "But there are things a signature cannot cover."
Satoru did not look away.
"An honorary title would not bind you to us or limit your freedom. It would only allow Muno, when speaking of you, to not have to do so as if referring to someone who remains outside his own home."
Satoru directed his gaze toward the cleared valley.
"Would the kingdom's nobility accept something like that?"
"You do not need to worry about them. As long as the baron agrees, no one within Muno will oppose it, and I am sure Leon will approve."
"You still have not spoken with him?"
"No."
The answer was direct.
Satoru looked at her again.
Nina did not seem embarrassed.
"The idea finished taking shape now. Or rather, it stopped seeming like something I could keep postponing." She raised an eyebrow, visibly tired. "Besides, if I wait for Leon to finish his duties, we might end up discussing it when he already has grandchildren."
Satoru made no comment.
Nina interpreted his silence as permission to continue.
"Although, now that I think about it, we could resolve it another way."
Satoru looked at her.
Nina brought a hand to her chin with a seriousness that did not entirely correspond to what she was about to say.
"Karina has no fiancé."
Silence fell between them.
Satoru did not move.
Nina continued, gradually letting herself be dragged along by her own ideas.
"She is not close to many men her age. In fact, she is not close to any. She has a good heart, though sometimes she throws herself headfirst into problems without thinking. She is clumsy, but also honest. After traveling with you, I doubt she has a bad opinion of you. Besides, she inherited her mother's good traits and has wide hips, so she could give birth to healthy…"
"Lady Nina."
Nina stopped.
The wind crossed the slope.
She blinked once.
Satoru was still looking at her.
Nina turned her gaze toward the mine, as if hoping to find a dignified way out among the mithril veins.
"My apologies. I believe I got carried away."
She cleared her throat and gradually recovered her composure, though the slight stiffness of her shoulders revealed a certain embarrassment with herself.
"Forget that part."
"I hardly forget anything."
"I would prefer you make an exception."
Nina closed her eyes for an instant.
She had a barony under reconstruction on her shoulders, pending negotiations with the giants, and now a mithril mine capable of altering the future of the entire region. She had no time to behave like a meddler speaking of marriages in the middle of a mountain.
When she opened them again, her voice had recovered its calm.
"The title is what matters. The rest was imprudent."
Satoru did not insist.
"I will consider it."
Nina accepted the answer with a nod.
"That is enough."
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Below, the cleared earth waited. The mountain, the mine, and the empty terrain represented a promise too large for a barony like Muno, but also an opportunity they could not allow to pass.
Nina searched through her belongings and took out a sheet, ink, and a small writing support. She began to write quickly, with firm handwriting.
She seemed far too accustomed to working in inconvenient places.
Satoru observed her without asking.
When she finished, she folded the letter and placed her seal on it.
"Could you deliver this to the baron when you return to the castle?"
Satoru received the letter.
"Thank you." Nina put away her tools. "I must return to Yamaki. I still have pending matters with Lord Ishizuchi, and I do not want to leave such a delicate conversation unfinished."
"Should I remain with you until it concludes?"
Nina looked at him for a second before gently shaking her head.
"That will not be necessary. Besides, you have already done enough for today."
Satoru nodded.
"I understand."
The space before him darkened.
"[Gate]"
The opening appeared in the air like a black and silent crack. It did not show the landscape on the other side, only a dense darkness that seemed to swallow the mountain's light.
Nina looked at it without completely hiding her discomfort.
"You must admit that your way of traveling does not help reduce the rumors."
Satoru ignored the comment and crossed first.
Nina arranged the documents against her chest and followed him.
The darkness received them without sound.
On the other side, the air changed immediately. The mountain disappeared, replaced by the immense presence of Yamaki's central tree, the raised roots, and the distant murmur of a village that continued with its life beneath that shade.
Since Nina and the kobold had been in an isolated area, no one was nearby to witness their arrival.
Nina breathed with discreet relief when she felt solid ground beneath her feet again.
Satoru turned toward her.
"Then I will return to Muno."
"Yes." Nina inclined her head slightly. "I will continue the conversations with the giants."
Satoru placed the letter inside his clothing.
Before he opened another portal, Nina spoke again.
"Lord Satoru."
He stopped.
Nina observed him for an instant. There were many ways to say what she was thinking, and many phrases appropriate for a viscountess addressing the man who had just changed the future of her territory.
In the end, she chose the simplest.
"Thank you."
Satoru remained still for a second, then inclined his head only slightly.
"I will keep that in mind."
Nina did not know whether that was an appropriate response to gratitude.
But coming from him, she decided to accept it.
The space darkened again before Satoru.
Satoru returned to Muno Castle shortly after.
Some people stopped what they were doing, glanced sideways, and then continued with their tasks.
As the days passed, that normality was beginning to seem less feigned.
Satoru crossed without hurry.
He did not need to search too much for Baron Leon. The lord of Muno was in one of the inner offices, surrounded by papers, maps, and two officials who looked on the verge of exhaustion.
The barony's recovery had returned movement to the castle, but it had also brought to the surface problems that had remained hidden beneath decay for years.
When Satoru entered, the officials stood almost at the same time.
Leon raised his gaze and took barely an instant to recognize him.
"Oh! Lord Satoru. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Baron."
Satoru took out the letter and handed it to him.
"Viscountess Nina asked me to deliver this to you."
Leon received the envelope with a mixture of curiosity and caution. He recognized Nina's seal immediately, so he did not ask unnecessary questions. He carefully broke the seal and began to read.
At first, his expression did not change.
Then his eyebrows drew together slightly.
Leon continued reading. His eyes went over the lines a second time, as if he wanted to confirm he had not misinterpreted some part.
The surprise was not loud, but it was evident. First came confusion, followed by brief discomfort and finally by tired resignation.
The baron slowly folded the letter.
"I see…"
One of the officials looked at him with concern.
"My lord, has something happened?"
Leon did not answer immediately. His fingers remained over the letter for several seconds.
"It is nothing urgent." He paused. "Although perhaps it is. I am not sure."
Satoru did not ask about the contents.
Leon appreciated that lack of curiosity.
"Lord Satoru, thank you for bringing it."
"I merely fulfilled what was requested."
"Yes, of course." Leon placed the letter in one of the desk drawers, though he did not lock it. "Even so, thank you."
Satoru inclined his head slightly.
After a few seconds, Leon looked toward the servant waiting beside the door.
"Find Soruna. Tell her to come as soon as she can."
"Yes, my lord."
The servant withdrew.
Satoru observed the order without showing interest. If Nina's letter had caused some reaction, Leon did not seem willing to explain it at that moment, and he had no reason to insist either.
"Then I will withdraw."
"Of course." Leon seemed to hesitate. "Lord Satoru."
Satoru stopped.
Leon looked at him as if he wanted to add something, but ended up gently shaking his head.
"It is nothing. Thank you again."
Satoru left the office without saying anything else.
When the door closed, Leon looked again at the drawer where he had placed the letter.
Then he let out a long sigh.
"Nina…"
The word came out with fatigue, though there was no true reproach in his voice.
Soruna found Liza in one of the castle's side corridors, near the inner courtyard.
Liza had just returned from supervising part of the soldiers' training. She carried the new spear wrapped in dark cloth and kept her usual expression of serenity, though Soruna had already learned that such calm did not mean the absence of fatigue.
Liza maintained her discipline even when she was exhausted.
"Miss Liza."
Liza turned immediately and performed a measured bow.
"Lady Soruna."
Soruna smiled softly.
"Do you have a moment?"
"Yes. Do you need something from me?"
"I wanted to speak with you."
Liza nodded without showing resistance, though her posture became a little more attentive.
Soruna noticed.
It was not exactly fear. Liza did not seem like a woman who frightened easily, much less after everything she had faced. It was the habit of remaining prepared before any conversation with someone of higher rank.
"We can walk a little," Soruna proposed. "It will not be a long conversation."
"As you order."
"You do not have to say it as if it were an order."
Liza blinked.
Soruna let out a small laugh, sweeter than mocking.
"Come."
They walked toward a less trafficked gallery. From there, part of the inner garden could be seen, along with the distant movement of the servants. It was not a completely secluded place, but it was quiet enough that others would not hear them easily.
Soruna rested one hand on the stone edge and observed the garden for a few seconds before speaking.
"I have heard certain rumors lately."
Liza did not change her posture.
"There are many rumors in the castle."
"That is true." Soruna turned toward her with a slightly mischievous smile. "But some repeat themselves more than others."
Liza held her gaze.
Soruna's smile was playful, but not cruel. She was an educated lady, with gentle gestures and a pleasant voice, though in her eyes there was a frankness that reminded one too much of Karina when she decided to speak without measuring the consequences.
"They say you and Lord Satoru have a rather close relationship."
The blush appeared immediately on Liza's face.
It was not intense enough to make her lose composure, but it was clear enough for Soruna to perceive it. Liza lowered her gaze slightly and then breathed carefully.
"That is not the case."
The answer was firm, though the color remained on her cheeks.
Soruna tilted her head a little.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Liza raised her gaze. "Lord Satoru is my Master. He has given me more than I could ever have hoped for, but the relationship those rumors imply does not exist."
Soruna observed her expression with attention.
Liza had answered too quickly for it to be the first time she had heard that question.
In truth, it made sense.
After Satoru's public return to the castle, the scene at the entrance had been impossible to ignore. He had touched Liza's cheek in front of everyone and stopped over the scar she carried.
It was not a long or exaggerated gesture, but it was enough to ignite the imagination of half the castle.
At first, there were murmurs among maids and soldiers. Then came the poorly disguised questions in the corridors, the glances during training, and the conversations that stopped every time Liza approached.
The situation did not improve when both of them began to become known figures in Muno.
Satoru, because of his experiments, his interventions, and his difficult-to-ignore presence.
Liza, because of her missions, her strength, and the respect she had earned among the soldiers.
The more people spoke of them separately, the easier it became to join their names within the same story.
Liza must have heard it too many times.
Soruna let a few seconds pass before responding.
"I understand."
Liza inclined her head slightly.
"I apologize if those rumors have caused trouble for the Muno house."
"That is not what I meant."
Soruna looked at her with greater calm.
Liza remained silent.
"At first, I thought it was only the castle's curiosity. You know how people behave when a public scene leaves too many empty spaces." A soft smile appeared again on her face. "And I must admit that, when someone as serious as Lord Satoru shows concern for a person, even a well-educated lady can feel curious."
Liza's blush deepened slightly.
Soruna did not insist on the joke.
"But listening to you answer, I think the matter is not so simple."
Liza lowered her gaze.
"There is nothing more to say. Master granted me a place and a life I never would have imagined. I only wish to be useful to him."
"Only."
Soruna's word was low.
Liza went still.
Soruna observed her seriously, though without harshness.
"Miss Liza, I do not intend to mock you or make you uncomfortable. Nor can I claim to know what Lord Satoru thinks."
Liza slightly raised her gaze.
"He is not an easy person to understand," Soruna continued. "He does not say sweet words or make gestures that are easy to interpret. At times, he can show consideration in such a quiet way that one does not know whether she has just received a show of affection or if he simply finds no sense in acting otherwise."
Liza could not deny that description.
"But you have been by his side longer than almost all of us."
"That is because I am his servant."
"Perhaps."
Liza tensed her fingers.
Soruna did not affirm anything more. Instead, she asked a question.
"Do you believe he would treat you exactly the same way if you were anyone else?"
Liza slightly parted her lips, but did not answer.
Soruna allowed the question to remain between them.
From the garden came the sound of the servants working and the murmur of two soldiers crossing another corridor. The life of the castle continued without paying attention to the conversation.
Liza lowered her gaze toward her spear.
"Lady Soruna, I am not someone who can ask for more."
Soruna did not take her eyes off her.
"Master has already given me too much," Liza continued. "Before meeting him, I had nothing I could consider mine. I had no name, no future, and no reason to think beyond the next day. Now I have a place to remain, sisters to protect, and a spear with which I can serve him."
Her voice did not tremble, though it became lower.
"Desiring more than that would be…"
The phrase remained unfinished.
Soruna understood that it was not only a difference in rank.
Liza felt that crossing that limit would be the same as taking something that had never belonged to her.
The mischief disappeared completely from her face.
"I am a noble," she said after a few seconds.
Liza looked at her.
"And Hauto is a commoner."
Liza did not answer.
Soruna smiled slightly, though this time without playfulness.
"I will not tell you that position does not matter. That would be a comfortable lie. It matters, it weighs, and it can make things much more difficult than they should be." She lowered her gaze toward her own hands. "But it cannot decide everything either."
Liza remained still.
"If I had allowed my position to make all the decisions for me, Hauto would not be by my side. And if he had decided he was not worthy of even looking at me, I would have lost something important without having the chance to choose."
The words reached Liza in a way that made her uncomfortable.
They were not an order, nor an affirmation that their situations were the same. Soruna was only showing her what could happen when a person decided in advance that she had no right to desire anything.
Liza's face turned red again, though this time it was not the nervous blush provoked by the rumors. It was something more contained and difficult to hide.
"I…"
Her voice barely came out.
Soruna did not pressure her.
Liza lowered her head, and her fingers loosened slightly around the cloth covering the spear.
"I do not know if…"
"Soruna!"
Karina's voice came from the corridor before she could finish.
Both turned.
Karina appeared at the end of the gallery with quick steps, her face slightly irritated and Raka hanging from her neck.
"Sister, you said we would spend time together today. I have been waiting for so long!"
Soruna recovered her usual smile, though her eyes kept the seriousness of the conversation for an instant.
"Karina."
Liza straightened her back immediately.
Karina first looked at Soruna and then at Liza. The warrior's expression, the slight blush still remaining on her face, and the way she held the spear made her tilt her head in confusion.
"What?"
Liza looked away.
Soruna let out a small laugh.
"It is nothing. I have finished speaking with Miss Liza."
Karina looked at one and then the other, clearly convinced that something had indeed happened.
However, before she could insist, Soruna approached and took one of her hands.
"Let us go. I would not want to make you wait any longer."
Karina allowed herself to be guided, though she continued looking at Liza over her shoulder for several steps.
Liza remained beside the gallery as the two of them walked away.
The conversation had ended, but Soruna's words were still there.
She lowered her gaze toward the dark cloth wrapped around her new spear and tightened her fingers around the shaft.
She did not know what Satoru thought.
Nor did she know whether she had the right to expect something different from what she already possessed.
However, for the first time, she could not reject that possibility with the same certainty as before.
****
Around her, there was no ground, no walls, and no recognizable horizon. Only a bluish expanse, crossed by distant lights that remained motionless in the distance.
The small figure with a childlike appearance seemed carved from pale blue crystal. A short distance away, a thin man with black hair rested with absolute comfort, indifferent to his companion's unease.
"It seems he has settled in Muno."
The man looked at her with some surprise.
"I did not expect you to remain interested in him."
"He has already interfered twice with the birth of a Demon King."
The girl took a moment to continue.
"The first has only been delayed. The second was stopped, although he does not seem aware of either thing."
The man let out a calm laugh.
"And what of it? It has happened countless times. At times, the birth is completed, and at others, it is not."
She remained silent.
"I have not felt Akon again."
The man's nonchalance did not disappear.
"Akon often disappears for long periods. It would not be the first time."
"One of the world trees began behaving strangely when she disappeared. The problems continued for several days before stopping."
The man stopped smiling.
The crystal figure lowered her gaze slightly.
"I have a bad feeling."
"Then, the newcomer…"
"I would prefer to end him. There are too many variables at the moment, and I see no reason to keep ignoring one that has already interfered before."
The man remained silent for a few moments before relaxing again.
"We can wait. Let us see how events unfold and decide afterward."
She did not seem satisfied, but she did not insist again.
*****
Author's Note
Thank you very much for reading.
I do not have much to add this time. Things are beginning to move, and soon we will start bringing in more active scenes again.
As for this chapter, what did you think of it? I hope you liked it.
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