5. Preparing for a duel – 11

Nineve’s main building, the chairman’s office located on the top floor.

The place that symbolizes her authority, where Lysithea von Edelstein, who is the head of the board in charge of everything in Nineveh, which boasts a population of over 100,000, and is regarded as the strongest among existing humans, usually handles her business. .

However, right in the chairperson’s office, Lysitea von Edelstein gave up her seat to someone else and just stood quietly in front of him.

… Yes, as if she were a lady-in-waiting serving the daughter of an aristocratic family.

And there was a woman sitting in the seat where Lysithea von Edelstein should have been sitting, looking at some papers with a serious expression.

Her name is none other than Erekaya Del Pendragon.

She was the only princess of the Duke of Pendragon, who was praised as the greatest family in the empire, and at the same time, her lord, whom Lysithea von Edelstein had decided to serve as her master for eternity.

“…..”

Erekaya, who looked at the documents in her hand without saying a word, sighed and put the documents on the desk.

“Is this all there is to this investigation?”

“Yes that’s right.”

The chairman of the board nodded softly while putting on an expression of regret at Erekaya’s words.

“Little Princess, no, Erekaya-nim, as you asked me, I investigated all of the current head of the household over the past 20 years. And that’s what this investigation is all about.”

A few days ago, Erekaya instructed the chairman of a very secret request.

It was an order to investigate all the past activities of the current head of the Pendragon family and her father, Duke Pendragon.

It was not clear to the chairman that the request was made by the only daughter he cherished and trusted the most, not a political opponent of Duke Pendragon, but she obediently carried out Erekaya’s instructions.

The current Lysithea von Edelstein is Erekaya Del Pendragon’s sharpest sword and at the same time the most trusted tool.

Isn’t a useful tool from ancient times a law that faithfully fulfills the owner’s orders without questioning them?

So, in just a few days, the chairman investigated all of Duke Pendragon’s activities over the past 20 years, and the documents currently in Erekaya’s hands were the result.

“What Erekaya-nim asked me about was the head of the household. And as a result of the investigation, it was confirmed that the head of household did not have any private meetings with other women.”

“… is that so.”

“In the first place, the head of the family has been very busy for the past 20 years. I’m sorry to tell you, but even if the head of household wished to have an affair with another woman, I think he did not have enough time to do so.”

At the words of the chairman, Erekaya took a closer look at the documents in her hand.

… Certainly, as the chairman said, her father had faithfully fulfilled his duties as head of the duchy and head of the family for the past 20 years.

The fact that the Duchy of Pendragon, which boasts a size larger than most principalities, has been running smoothly without any friction until now, can be said to be the best proof of Duke Pendragon’s innocence.

This made it certain. Her father, Duke Pendragon, never betrayed his wife and daughter.

It was fortunate indeed. The fact that her father never did anything wrong. The fact that I’ve never done anything embarrassing to tell anyone.

However, the statement that the father did not commit an affair with another woman means-

‘… jin.’

One way to identify the man’s identity was in line with the meaning of his disappearance.

jin.

A man who claims to be a descendant of the Seven Heroes. A man with skills that even she, who has reached the level of a master, cannot fathom. A man who knows the secret martial art of the Pendragon family, the ‘Dragon Dance’.

… And he lacks synesthesia, an ability that only Pendragon’s lineage should have, and is tied to her by a strange relationship of unknown origin.

Yes. Jin and Erekaya are not known for what reason, but they were bound by some kind of relationship.

Synesthesia, which always gave Erekaya only the ‘correct answer’, was whispering that she and a man named Jin could never be called strangers.

Until now, she had guessed that the identity of the man named Jin was a blood relative different from hers, but unfortunately, her guess was wrong.

Then, what is his true identity? What kind of person is he that makes him care so much about himself?

“Lysitea.”

“Yes, Erekaya-sama.”

“How did the background investigation of the man named Jin go? Did you find out anything about the man’s origins or background?”

At Erekaya’s words, the chairman shook his head left and right.

“I’m sorry, but the investigation on that part has not made much progress yet. To be honest, I didn’t find anything.”

“… Didn’t you find anything?”

Now, it goes without saying, but Lysithea von Edelstein is a very capable woman. It’s not enough to investigate a person’s 20 years of history in just a few days, to the extent that it is possible to condense it into a few documents.

It’s not that such a chairman has difficulty digging into a person’s past, but he couldn’t find any information?

That is impossible. If she puts her mind to it, it will be possible to dig up even the emperor’s hidden past.

“It wasn’t just a record low, there really wasn’t anything. I couldn’t find anyone who knew about him, and it’s been impossible to even figure out where he was born and raised until now. He’s like… It looks like someone who fell from the sky.”

At the words of the chairman, Erekaya let out a sigh. In the end, nothing was found out. Does this mean that everything is in place?

“Lady Erekaya, would it be all right if I shared my personal opinion?”

“What is it?”

“This is something I’ve said before, but I think it’s clear that the man has some connection with the Pendragon family.”

“… Is that the sound again?”

In fact, Erekaya herself also thought that he had some connection with the Pendragon family, but pretended not to know anything and frowned.

At this point, when nothing was certain, it wasn’t a good thing to have someone else talk about the fact that he might be Pendragon’s blood relative.

… Even if it was the chairman, Erekaya’s most trusted vassal.

But at that moment, Erekaya heard words that were hard to believe.

“The etiquette that makes up the man named Jin is definitely something of the kind that cannot come about without being taught by Pendragon. He definitely has some connection to Pendragon, and in fact has achieved something with it.”

“… Yeah?”

did you get results? By what means? Didn’t I just say that I couldn’t find any information about him?

“Erekaya-nim said this. As far as Erekaya-sama knows, there is no man of Erekaya-sama’s age in the current Pendragon duchy, and crucially, the man’s hair color is not purple, so there’s no way he inherited the Pendragon lineage… Isn’t it?”

“Yes, it was.”

“But in fact, what would you do if Erekaya-sama’s guess was wrong from the very beginning? What if that’s why Erekaya-sama didn’t notice the truth?”

“Am I wrong?”

what the heck is this again? Erekaya’s guess was wrong from the start?

“After the man entered Nineveh, I searched through Pendragon’s ancient writings. And as a result, I was able to find a record that was quite interesting.”

Here, the chairman hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“According to the records, 50 years ago, one of Pendragon’s branch families gave birth to a clan with black hair, not the purple hair that symbolizes Pendragon’s lineage.”

“… Black hair?”

In an instant, Erekaya’s heart thumped greatly.

“In the case that a blood relative of Pendragon was born with black hair, the elders of the family erased all records related to him and said that the family, including the baby, was banished from the family. This record, which I was able to obtain, is also a record that I was barely able to obtain.”

Saying that, the director carefully took out from his bosom a piece of paper that was too worn out and now faded.

“Of course it is not certain. There is no solid evidence that he has any connection with Pendragon, so it’s just a feeling. In addition, although it is very rare, it is not that there are no people with black hair on the continent… .”

No hard evidence? Is it just a heart attack?

no. Not like that. Erekaya knows ‘convincing evidence’ that the chairman does not know about.

That is, Jin has the supernatural ability of synesthesia, which is only born with Pendragon lineage.

Fifty years ago, a family was banished from the family because they were born with black hair.

And the Duke of Pendragon, who destroyed all records related to him.

Jin can’t find any records related to the past.

The jet black hair he has.

The ‘dragon dance’, far more advanced than Erekaya knew.

Although rude and rough, Pendragon’s etiquette lies at the root of his actions.

… And, an unmatched sense of synesthesia that is powerful enough to cause resonance with her.

“… ah.”

All the puzzle pieces come together and point to one truth.

But the truth was not as romantic and beautiful as she thought.

Erekaya Del Pendragon had this imagination about Jin’s identity.

In fact, he imagined that his true identity was not different, but that he was her half-brother.

She is his only sister, and he is her only brother, but the absurd imagination that they might have met fatefully in Nineveh after living without knowing each other’s existence.

However, reality was different from imagination.

Erekaya Del Pendragon was the perpetrator.

A person who is at the pinnacle of perpetrators who kicked out a family just because he was born with black hair, erased all records related to him, and took away all the rights he should have enjoyed.

And Jin was the victim.

A victim who lived a life full of misfortune, deprived of all rights as a descendant of Pendragon just because his parents were born with black hair 50 years ago.

Erekaya del Pendragon and Jean were not family. Erekaya del Pendragon and Jin did not have a loving relationship like brother and sister.

To a man named Jin, a woman named Erekaya Del Pendragon is nothing else.

Taking away everything he should have enjoyed, taking away even his name and origin, and finally ruining his life-

He was one of his most hated enemies.