Chapter 50
“Does this mean the rumor is true?”
“This is absurd…!”
“It can’t be…”
Swoosh.
“Are you saying that you did not properly inherit the position of the head of the family from the previous lord?”
Oselt raised his hand to silence the surrounding elders, who had begun clamoring noisily, and asked the question calmly.
However, his expression was colder than anyone else’s.
“N-no! Of course not!”
Creel quickly interjected.
“The previous lord told me he lost the ring a long time ago…”
“The previous lord?”
“Yes. As you know, his health was failing toward the end of his life, and his mind wasn’t sound either. He said he couldn’t recall where he placed the ring.”
Creel shifted all the blame onto the previous lord, who was now deceased and unable to defend himself.
“He apologized to me and handed over this fake ring as a replacement. Since then, I’ve done my best to locate the lost ring, but so far, I’ve found nothing.”
“…”
Despite Creel’s excuses, the expressions of the elders remained grim.
They had observed the Ellsia Count’s family for a long time, but this was an unprecedented situation.
A fake ring?
Never before had a head of the family failed to inherit the true heirloom ring.
More importantly, could Creel’s words even be trusted?
Did the previous lord truly lose the ring?
The mysterious circumstances surrounding the former lord’s death resurfaced in their minds.
The suddenness of his passing had been a shock to the elders.
Those who remembered their unanswered questions at the time now found it difficult to dismiss the unease stirred by the current lord wearing a fake ring.
‘But…’
The previous lord had been gone for some time, and they had personally verified the handwritten will that passed the title to Creel.
“I, too, am deeply saddened by the ring’s disappearance, but we cannot spend our time blaming a departed man.”
Creel, sensing the growing doubt, spoke with more conviction in his voice.
“Regardless of the situation, I am the disciple recognized by my master. Please remember that one fact.”
“Hmph.”
“But without the heirloom ring…”
“The previous lord lost it, didn’t he?”
“Even so…”
A head of the family without the heirloom ring was unthinkable.
The elders’ expressions grew increasingly troubled.
Knock, knock.
“May I come in?”
At that moment, the doors to the meeting room opened, and someone unexpectedly entered.
It was none other than Chaian, the Master of the Magic Tower.
“This is a family meeting.”
Oselt, the head of the elders, frowned deeply at his uninvited presence.
“Outsiders are not permitted to enter this space.”
Despite the cold admonishment, Chaian maintained his bright smile, nodding as if he completely understood.
“My secretary insisted on delivering something to you.”
“Secretary?”
As he finished speaking, several figures stepped into the room.
Ceres led the way, followed by another hesitant individual—none other than Herion, the healer of the Ellsia family.
“Why are you here…?!”
Creel’s face twisted with anger at her unexpected arrival.
Oselt turned his gaze toward Herion with narrowed eyes.
“Everyone, leave this place immediately! This is not a space for just anyone to enter!”
Creel’s voice was louder than ever, betraying the growing sense of dread he felt at Herion’s appearance.
“U-uh…”
Herion herself was just as confused.
She had been accompanying Ceres frequently in recent days, but she never imagined the destination Ceres mentioned would be the family’s meeting hall.
Not understanding why Ceres had brought her here, Herion stood uncertain and flustered.
“If she delivers this, we’ll leave immediately.”
Ceres stepped forward, shielding Herion from Creel’s piercing glare.
“What exactly are you here to deliver?”
“Oselt, there’s no need to listen to this. I will handle it—”
“Let’s hear them out first.”
“What?”
“I said, let’s hear what they have to say.”
“…”
The warning bells in Creel’s mind rang loudly, urging him to eject them immediately.
However, Oselt’s resolute tone rendered him speechless.
He couldn’t afford to provoke the head of the elders.
“Well then, what have you brought?”
Oselt’s interest in Ceres piqued the moment she entered the room.
A young lady who, at best, appeared to be in her late teens.
Despite stepping into a room filled with numerous elders, including himself, her demeanor was calm.
This level of composure in such an unusual setting captivated his attention.
She behaved as though this kind of situation was entirely familiar, unnervingly so.
“This.”
Responding to Oselt’s inquiry, Ceres reached into her pocket and produced something, holding it out to him.
Her casual manner, as though she were handing over a mere pebble, made Oselt glance at the object without much thought.
But his eyes widened the instant he saw it.
“That’s…!”
The reactions of the others upon seeing the item in Ceres’ hand mirrored Oselt’s.
“Could it be…?”
“Is that…!”
Bang!
From jaws dropping in shock to some leaping to their feet, the room was filled with astonishment.
In her hand rested a red ring.
It looked identical to the one Creel was currently wearing.
The only notable difference was the deeper, more vivid hue of the gem in the center.
The red glow from the ring in Ceres’ hand seemed almost alive, pulsating incessantly.
“It’s a fake! It must be fake!”
Creel stood abruptly and shouted.
It couldn’t possibly be real.
Why would the ring he had searched for so desperately for so long suddenly appear in the possession of this unrelated woman?
It had to be a forgery, crafted by those plotting against him.
‘Could it be that wretch…!’
Creel shot a murderous glare at Herion, who stood there with a clueless expression.
He was convinced that she was the mastermind behind this.
Despite being ignored and treated as invisible for nearly three years, she had stubbornly remained.
Now, she had orchestrated this calamity!
“Fake?”
Ceres briefly regarded Creel with disdain before turning away.
She didn’t even bother to engage further.
Proving the authenticity of the ring was a simple matter.
“Jubellios.”
She softly uttered a name.
Fwoooosh!
“…!”
The meeting room was instantly engulfed in searing heat.
With an intense surge of heat, a massive bird appeared in the room.
[What’s this? Why is it so cramped here?]
Realizing the space was too small to spread its wings, the fiery bird quickly shrank in size.
Despite its reduced form, the heat radiating from its body was overwhelming.
The bird circled the room once before settling gently on Ceres’ shoulder.
“That… that… that…!”
“The Spirit of Fire…!”
The onlookers could barely string words together, their eyes wide with shock.
‘This is why the ring cannot be faked.’
An otherworldly presence bound solely to the true heirloom ring.
The Spirit King of Fire.
For generations, the Spirit King of Fire, Jubellios, had been sealed within the Ellsia family’s heirloom ring.
Only the rightful head of the family could summon him.
“That is undoubtedly the true heirloom ring.”
Oselt, the head of the elders, couldn’t take his eyes off Jubellios and murmured in awe.
It had been a very long time since he had last seen the Spirit King of Fire in person.
Though bound to the ring, he was nonetheless the Spirit King of Fire.
Even the family head couldn’t summon him lightly, for dealing with such a volatile entity was no easy task.
Summoning him risked incurring his wrath, and most family heads had refrained from doing so.
‘But…’
…What is this?
[Impressive, isn’t it? My mere presence changes the atmosphere entirely. Look at those eyes filled with awe.]
“Of course, the air feels different. Your heat is unbearable. You’re the worst in summer.”
[That’s because of my greatness.]
“Quiet. This isn’t the time for you to talk.”
[Can’t I even speak? I may be bound to this ring, but I am the great Spirit King of Fire…]
“Shut up. Unless you want me to toss you back into the water.”
[…]
Although their voices were low, making it hard to hear their exact exchange, the way Jubellios visibly deflated at her words left Oselt slack-jawed.
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