Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke

208 The Calm Before the Storm

The liquid inside glowed softly.

Colin flinched. "W-What is that?"

"Nectar."

"…That's a bold name. Though I admit, it does look beautiful."

William chuckled.

"Before I hand this over, let me ask you something. I've heard that mages draw upon mana for their spells. Would a potion that benefits knights also work for mages?"

"Of course," Colin said, smiling wryly.

"The reason mages don't practice both magic and swordsmanship isn't because they interfere with each other. It's simply that human lifespans aren't long enough to master both. Not to mention, constantly switching between the two can lead to confusion."

William's grin widened. "And what if I had a potion that drastically increased mana flow without interfering with the body's natural cycle?"

"…That would be a miracle," Colin admitted.

"With greater mana control, spellcasting would become easier… and without any side effects? Every mage in existence would kill to get their hands on it."

He let out a short laugh. "But no such potion exists."

William smirked and tossed the vial to him.

Colin caught it reflexively, staring down at the shimmering liquid in confusion.

"…What exactly is this?"

"A miracle potion."

"…Excuse me?"

"Drink it. And while you're at it, start thinking about what kind of contributions you can make as Chief Mage."

With that, William turned and left the room.

For a moment, Colin simply stared at the vial.

Then, after a brief hesitation, he uncorked it and took a sip.

Seconds later, a sound rang out from his room—A scream or maybe a roar.

Something between agony and ecstasy.

Meanwhile, in the north, word of Glen's return to the capital spread quickly among the noble houses.

With the imperial inspector gone, the northern lords saw no reason to linger in Asagrim.

There was no more information to gather—nothing new to learn.

And with Norbeck still at large, his recent escape from prison put everyone on edge.

"If we leave our lands unattended for too long, that old man might pull something again."

"It's better to leave now. If we overstay our welcome, we might raise suspicions."

"We've gotten everything we came for. It's time to return home and reconsider our positions."

William did nothing to stop them.

The balance of power in the north had been decided.

The nobles had accepted that fact.

There was no need to keep them here any longer.

'A few unexpected events popped up along the way… but overall, this ended better than I expected.'

He had wrung every possible concession from the Emperor, and Glen's departure had come at just the right time.

There had been some deviations from his original plans, but the final result was everything he had aimed for.

A satisfied smile crossed his lips.

And then—

Boom!

"Lord William!"

"S-Something terrible has happened!"

The door burst open as three of his retainers rushed in, their faces pale.

William frowned.

It wasn't unusual for Hugo or Raymond to react like this, but even Felicia looked shaken.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The Sword Saint—Sir Aizen—is on his way here!"

"…What?"

Before he realized it, William was already on his feet.

Aizen Brightner is coming to the north?

He turned to Felicia, who gave him a stiff nod, her expression still grim.

"It's not just a rumor. There are too many eyewitness accounts. My father is truly coming here."

"…Why?"

"We don't know for sure. The rumors say he's coming to see me, but…"

Felicia trailed off.

William understood her hesitation.

Aizen despised unnecessary noise and formalities.

If he truly intended to visit his daughter, he would have done so discreetly.

Yet, instead of traveling quietly, he was making a spectacle of his arrival, drawing attention from all sides.

"There are only two possibilities," William said. "Either someone forced him into this, or he decided it was necessary."

"The former is impossible," Raymond stated firmly. "No one has the authority to order the Sword Saint around except the Grand Duke, and… well, he's dead."

"Which means it's the latter," William muttered. "But why?"

His mind raced through possibilities—and then, his face darkened.

The others stiffened as well, realizing the same thing.

The only reason Aizen would abandon his former liege's house was—Betrayal.

If he had deemed the new lord unworthy, it made sense for him to leave.

But there was one problem—even if the Grand Duke's death had driven Aizen to this decision, he had traveled too quickly.

For him to be approaching now, he would have had to set out almost immediately after the Grand Duke's passing.

Which meant—

"Jordi, you bastard."

William clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Doubt turned to certainty.

Raymond, Felicia, and Hugo reacted much the same way.

They had all been indebted to Duke Siegmund in one way or another.

And now, they knew—his death had not been a battlefield tragedy, but his own son's treachery.

"…I can't believe this," Raymond muttered, trembling with rage.

As someone who had served the Duke for years, his fury ran deep.

William took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay focused.

"When the time comes, I'll let you have one of his limbs," he said. "But for now, let's focus on what's in front of us."

"…Yes. I suppose the anticipation will make it all the more satisfying."

"Revenge, like good wine, is best savored after aging."

They forced themselves to set aside their anger.

No matter how much they cursed Jordi now, it wouldn't affect him in the slightest.

Rather than wasting time on empty rage, they needed to confirm exactly what he had done.

'We need to send someone ahead to check the situation.'

Aizen's status meant he would be treated like royalty along the way, and waiting for him to arrive naturally would take too long.

William needed information now.

"Hugo, go out to meet Sir Aizen."

"Me!?"

Hugo pointed at himself, stunned.

Raymond, an experienced knight, and Felicia, Aizen's own daughter, were standing right there—why was he the one being sent?

"B-But I've never even spoken to him before!"

William smirked. "You've spoken with everyone else, though."