Clack.
As the door to the office closed, Dielo slowly opened and closed his eyes.
His gaze turned cold as he stared at the spot where the contract had been.
Knock knock.
At his signal on the desk, Rick silently entered the room.
He looked relaxed, as though he already knew what he was here to do.
“Should I follow him?”
Dielo gestured with his hand.
“Yes. Track the man who just left… No, the one who was swayed by Cartiel.”
Mirta.
Dielo smiled coldly.
As he gazed out the window, he continued,
“For now, he’ll be cautious of Argentta’s watch. But if he tries to contact Cartiel—report to me immediately.”
He would personally take care of it.
He flicked his fingers, briefly summoning a small flame that vanished in an instant.
“Got it, sir,” Rick replied cheerfully, despite the grim order, and slipped away quietly.
Dielo didn’t concern himself with the man’s reaction.
He knew well what kind of person the current head of Argentta’s intelligence division was.
From this moment on, Mirta would be under constant surveillance—more so than when he was within Argentta’s walls.
Every move would be monitored.
“‘They need confidence to succeed in betrayal.’”
Dielo chuckled softly, recalling what Croa had said moments ago:
“Betrayal isn’t easy. You only do it when you’re sure you’ll succeed.”
His smile deepened.
“You’re right, Croa. Those who believe themselves clever won’t betray unless they’re sure it’ll work.”
Scrape—
The sound of his chair echoed as he stood and walked slowly to the window.
He looked out at the carriage leaving the estate.
“But they think they have that confidence.”
He spoke softly, as though Croa were there listening.
The current young head of the house, who seemed unable to wield his full power.
The newly arrived Fero from the Allozé family—a situation like a candle in the wind.
To make matters worse… that Fero was fake.
And soon, Argentta would be manipulated by Allozé, at least temporarily.
Even if the head had arranged this marriage contract strategically, some within the house were bound to find it unstable.
Especially with the real Fero expected to arrive at any time.
It was natural for some to want to flee.
But Argentta’s code would never forgive such betrayal.
Perhaps it was time to purge a few.
That afternoon.
Dielo was said to have left on a sudden deployment.
“No warning at all?”
It was surprising.
No matter how small the matter, he always shared it with me—but this time, he must not have had the time.
“Yes. There’s been trouble in Zone 4,” Pielle replied as she continued teaching me about the duties of the mistress of the house.
I paused, halfway through receiving the next document.
“You mean the Sea of Infinity?”
“Yes.”
Pielle glanced out the window.
From here, the sea was visible in the distance.
Of course, you couldn’t see the monsters or horrific creatures that lurked within it.
“He must still be concerned about the last large-scale attack.”
No matter how kind or gentle he seemed, he was still the powerful head of the house.
He wouldn’t be injured by mere monsters.
“He’ll return safely…”
I accepted the document from Pielle again.
The file was titled simply:
“…‘Shadow’?”
As I flipped through it, I saw that it was another tradition dating back to the founding of House Argentta, alongside the magical contracts.
Pielle explained simply as I read the lengthy description.
“‘Shadow’ refers to the messengers who deliver goods to the families of those who die in service of Argentta.”
“Oh…”
That was something Allozé didn’t have.
As I flipped through the papers, a certain entry caught my eye:
[Additional Shadow Assignment This Quarter]
And below it, a familiar name:
“Roa…”
The man once branded a traitor.
I’d heard that after his death, he was buried near the sea as a symbolic gesture of his final stand.
So his family would now receive support as part of the ‘Shadow’ program.
“His Grace specifically requested that Roa’s efforts—burning himself to stop the chaos—be taken into consideration,” Pielle added, perhaps noticing my reaction.
I smiled faintly.
“I figured he would.”
Just as Pielle was about to respond, she fell silent.
“Pielle?”
When I turned to look at her, I caught a fleeting, strange expression on her face.
“…Families supported by the Shadows live in far greater comfort than the regular commoners of the estate. Many within Argentta are satisfied with that alone.”
“Wait… ‘not the commoners’ of Argentta?”
I raised an eyebrow.
I had assumed this kind of support wasn’t given to everyone in the territory.
What Pielle likely meant by “Argentta” was the people working inside the ducal household, not just any estate resident.
But wouldn’t giving such preferential treatment spark criticism from the others?
Apparently not. The statistics told a different story.
Argentta’s estate had one of the highest loyalty ratings to its ruling family.
In fact, many parents even taught their children about House Argentta early on, hoping they’d be chosen to serve there.
“So what’s the requirement to become part of ‘Argentta’?”
In response, Pielle lit a small flame on her fingertip.
The flame typical of those who could wield Argentta’s power.
“It’s this ability. I’ve heard that those working in the main households of Allozé and Cartiel also possess their families’ unique powers…”
She tilted her head slightly, as if asking if that was true.
I nodded.
“Yes. In Allozé, those who can control water usually serve in the mansion. But… it feels a bit different there.”
Just being in the Allozé mansion didn’t guarantee water magic.
And while the head of house could bestow some power, they rarely did—who would want to give away part of their own strength?
Especially the greedy Duke of Allozé.
I flipped the page and tilted my head.
“Some people without powers work in the mansion too… And I’ve never heard of anything like the ‘Shadows’ or these magical contracts.”
This was clearly a tradition unique to Argentta.
Pielle gave a soft smile at my words.
“That’s likely the reason why the atmosphere here differs from that of the other two ducal houses.”
She pointed to a section of the document.
It outlined the welfare offered to those who become part of ‘Argentta’—the elite inner circle of the ducal household.
Once someone became part of Argentta, their families would begin receiving Shadow support.
Their loved ones could also choose to live anywhere within the Argentta territory, including dedicated residences near the ducal mansion.
Moreover, each ‘Argentta’ worker received a monthly stipend in gold—equivalent to a full year’s salary for an average household.
“…Wow.”
This kind of policy not only raised Argentta’s reputation within its lands, but also greatly enhanced loyalty and a sense of belonging.
Just then—
Knock knock!
A sudden, urgent knock on the door.
It wasn’t Dielo’s office—it was mine.
Someone was urgently seeking me?
“What is it?” I asked loudly.
The door clicked open.
“Excuse me, my lady.”
The man’s appearance was disheveled.
Dust clung to his trousers and hair—he must’ve just returned on horseback.
“Zone 4 is requesting additional forces.”
“What?”
My eyes widened.
“But Dielo’s already gone there, hasn’t he?”
In all of Argentta, no one wielded the family’s power as strongly as Dielo Argentta.
And yet they needed reinforcements?
“His Grace gave the order personally.”
I opened my eyes wide in shock.
“…Ah.”
Pielle looked surprised too, though for different reasons than mine.
After Croa Allozé and Dielo Argentta were married…
Just before the real Fero would arrive at this mansion…
A certain incident would occur.
In Zone 4, Radius Argentta would go berserk and die.
Right now… that moment was fast approaching.
I fixed my gaze on the knight.
