Chapter 101: Vol 6 – mini-Intermission – Lord’s Secret

POV: Leon Donan

 

“Baronet Leon Donan, come here.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

His Majesty lead me to a chapel near the castle, at the center of which floats a crystalline thing with 20 sides--it shines a deep blue light, while hovering calmly.

He is waiting for me in front of the crystal.

“Leon, this is a City Core.”

City Core?

I find myself unable to tear my gaze away from the City Core, it’s almost as if I’m charmed.

“This is the reason that a King and governing Lords are different than other nobles.”

“Reason?”

His majesty solemnly nods when I parrot his words as a question, “That’s right. The City Core draws in the abundant Magic Power from The Source. It’s an Artifact that exists for the purpose of letting its master make use of vast pools of Magic Power--much more so than a Human could normally dream of.”

As if responding to his majesty’s voice, the City Core flashes its blue light once.

“Even though it’s said that the City Cores are Artifacts, it’s unknown if the Core is actually made or if they develop naturally from pooling Mana. There was a certain King who once asked the gods--but they never answered.”

“Who would be able to create Artifacts like this?”

“I have no idea. At the very least, the method to create one is long lost. Once, the Bornean Sage, Trazayuya, attempted to recreate one. But he only managed to make a counterfeit with a much lower performance.”

I wonder why his majesty brought me here?

“Ahh, I went off topic, didn’t I?” The King asked.

“Yes, your majesty. But I heard some really interesting things.”

“Although it goes without saying that the content of this conversation is secret. Revealing this to others is useless.”

“--I understand.”

Cold sweat ran down my spine.

Why would his majesty tell me such a secret?

“Now then, let’s get back to the topic. The master of the City Core can allow others certain permissions, allowing them to use it in Ritual Magic. Some of these Spells include: creating walls that can defend against attacks from high-ranking Demons, Attack Magic that can reduce armies to ash, or Climate Magic that can manipulate the weather.”

“That’s like--” I hesitate, these next words could be heretical or sacrilege.

“Like a living god?” His majesty continued the words for me, speaking easily, “There’s no need to worry. The Gods will not needlessly interfere with Kings or Lords. It was decided in a covenant between the gods and the Ancient Kings.”

The king said this. But there was a large country, that was comparable to the old empire, that was destroyed after angering the gods.

“The story keeps wandering off. The Lord is special because they can wield the power of the Core to transcend human limits.” His majesty looks at the City Core, then back at me, “The rank of a Lord depends on the scale of The Source that they control.”

The King stops talking, looking at me as though to judge my reaction.

I nod, to show that I understand.

But, upon hearing his majesty’s next words, I am dumbfounded.

“Leon, today, I will grant you the Muno House Name. Go to Muno City, release the cursed and blocked City Core, and become the new Lord.”

--Muno?

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The same territory where the nobles who’ve announced their candidacy have all died one by one. To become the Lord of the ‘Cursed Territory’?

However, this is a Royal Order.

I do not have the right to refuse.

Right now, the only thing I can do is lower my head and answer, “By your will!”

 

***

I wasn’t able to get control of the Core in the end--but I kept my candidacy to be the rightful Lord.

The Core had been sealed and cursed by the No-Life King Zen, his shadow protected the seal and even with the help of the Saintess, I barely managed to escape alive.

However, since I’m just the temporary Lord, I am not able to use the Magic Power of The Source to manipulate the weather, which has resulted in famines often occurring all throughout the territory--and I am unable to stop the people from leaving.

I was only able to become the true Lord after 16 years.

I had to wait until a merchant, who had become an adult only a few years ago, uncovered the plot of the Demon all by himself, and even saved the territory from the swarms of undead Monsters.

***

I want to grant the rank of Honorary Knight to Tek for his achievements, but since I don’t have the City Core--I can’t officially confer peerage to him.

Of course, I could ask Nina to write a letter of recommendation to Duke Oyugock, but I’d like to reward him with my own hands.

When I proceed to the Sanctuary where the City Core sleeps, inert for the last 16 years--I only wanted to look at it, not to attempt to fight the curse, since said curse could easily kill me.

However, I notice that the curse…Is gone.

With a feeling of anticipation, I walk in front of the Core and tentatively place my hand on it.

<Welcome, qualified one. Do you wish to become the Lord of this land?> A female voice greets me, though her voice is emotionless.

I answer as clearly as I can, “I do.”

<Registration complete, I now serve Lord Leon Muno.>

Two flashes of light emerge from the City Core--one of which becomes a ring on my finger, the other flies into the ground beneath me.

When I concentrate on the ring that I’ve received, the things that I could do by utilizing the City Core appear in my mind. Apparently, the Demon wanted to do something by stealing the Magic Power from The Source.

For the time being, I activate the Weather Control ritual Magic.

I should also be able to grant the young hero, Tek, his rank too,

 

“****, Weather Control: Warming!”

<Executing Command. Territory-Wide Temperature: Raise 15 C. This will occur over the next few days.>

I don’t know how much 15 C is. But if I raise the temperature, the number of people dying because of freezing to death should decrease.

The next morning, I perform the ritual to confer peerage to Tek using the City Core without any problems.

The City Core brings power beyond that of normal people--I vow to use my power for the sake of the people…without drowning in it.

Author's Note:
Leon Donan is the current Baron Muno. (In case it's not obvious in the writing).

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