When she was young, Irene heard a statement from the leader of a group of passing nomads. A statement that left a deep impression on her:"A lagmyx born in a nest of condors will end up devouring everything by the time it reaches adulthood."
The meaning was simple: An incompetent ruler would ruin even the strongest of nations.
Irene was not a staunch believer of titles and peerages. Like her father, she believed a person's worth wasn't measured by bloodline. Rather, it was measured by his ability to lead, by his morals and choices in difficult times.
"Thank you for coming at such short notice," said Lark Marcus. "You may raise your head."
Irene slowly raised her head and gazed at the new king sitting on the throne. Although she'd seen him during the coronation ceremony, this was her first time seeing him this close. Without the makeup and the gaudy clothes he'd worn during the coronation ceremony, he looked younger.
"I wouldn't dare refuse the summon of the crown," said Irene.
She'd heard of various stories regarding Lark Marcus before. Not only from her father, but from her friends and acquaintances in the capital.
Although the various atrocities he'd committed before had already been dismissed as mere rumor, Irene believed that some of them probably had an inkling of truth. After all, there was no smoke without fire.
"You're younger than I expected," said Lark.
I should be the one saying that, thought Irene. Judging by looks alone, the new king was probably younger than her by several years.
"I'm flattered to hear so, Your Majesty," she respectfully replied.
For several seconds, Lark sat there silently as he gazed at her. Unlike her father, Irene concealed her real thoughts well.
"I've heard a lot about you, Lady Irene," said Lark. "I believe you've been acting as your father's right-hand man since you were twelve, correct?"
She said impassively, "The circumstances back then forced me to be, Your Majesty."
"It's been fifteen years since then," said Lark. "With your help, your father managed to turn your territory into the largest grain-producing region of the kingdom. An impressive feat, I must say."
"All credit belongs to my father, Your Majesty," said Irene. "I merely followed his orders and executed them to the best of my abilities."
"Is that so?" said Lark.
Nothing good would come out of flaunting one's abilities incessantly.
Irene had experienced her fair share of troubles whenever the opposition in Golden Wheat City learned of her capabilities. She believed that it was unnecessary, even foolish, to reveal all of her cards here.
"Yes, Your Majesty," said Irene. "The rumors must have been blown out of proportion. I wouldn't dare say that I've been working as my father's right-hand man in managing the city. Everything from commerce, to the development of the agricultural sector, are the achievements of the current lord."
"Even the creation of Sahanda Road and the partnership with the Youchesters?" said Lark. "What about the Farmer-Miller Agreement five years ago? The founding of the textile workshop and the creation of the agricultural school near Fork Meadow?"
For a second, Irene's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly regained her composure. The new king had diligently done his research on her in such a short period of time.
A subtle smile started forming on Lark's face. "Are they your father's achievements too?"
Irene was momentarily at a loss for words. She suppressed a sigh from leaking out. She shook her head and said, "No, Your Majesty."
Lark chuckled. "You've been trying to downplay your achievements. I don't understand. Most people would proudly flaunt them, especially when they're before the king of a nation."
"A nail that sticks out gets hammered down, Your Majesty."
"Not if you're protected by a sturdy shield, Irene," said Lark.
"Although much of your character remains to be seen, I believe you're more than qualified to serve a cabinet position in my regimen."
Irene did not expect that she'd been summoned here today for this. She didn't expect the new king to offer her such a high-ranking position available only to high nobles.
"Irene, become my personal secretary," said Lark. "Someone as intelligent as you must have noticed already—there's a void that needs to be filled after the fall of the Kelvin Family."
Indeed, she had noticed.
Although the Kelvin Family had been leeching the life of this kingdom for generations, they held several key positions in the government.
Moreover, most of their allies were powerful and affluent individuals who'd been helping run this nation.
Although it seemed fine as of now, the void left by the loss of one of the three ducal houses would eventually be felt by the entire kingdom in the years to come.
"Is this an order from His Majesty?" said Irene, her golden eyes glimmering.
"No," said Lark. "It's a request. Or maybe the word 'offer' fits better?
No coercion. If you decline, you'll suffer no penalties or consequences."
"I see," said Irene, her voice trailing off. She looked at the ground and started to ponder. Eventually, she said, "May I ask a question, Your Majesty?"
Lark nodded. "Go ahead."
"Why me?" said Irene. "The king's secretary holds power comparable to the Royal Advisors and ministers. There are a lot of other people who fit the role more perfectly."
She was expecting a complicated answer, but she didn't get one.
Lark said confidently, "My intuition and eye for people has never failed me before. I believe that you're right for the position."
His words were peculiar, considering his young age. But surprisingly, Irene found them genuine. Her intuition told her the young man was telling the truth.
How strange, Irene thought.
Lark tapped his armrest twice. "Again, no coercion. Take your time and discuss this offer with your father."
Irene fell silent for a moment. She bowed her head. "Please grant me a couple of days to think, Your Majesty."
"Granted," said Lark. "I look forward to your answer in a few days, Lady Irene."
"My heartfelt gratitude, Your Majesty."
After the meeting, Irene left the throne room. Her mind muddled with thoughts from the meeting with the new king.
What is he doing here?
She was surprised to see a familiar face upon leaving the room.
Kalavinka Kelvin, the undefeated admiral of the sea. The boy was well-known for having never been defeated by the Mullgray Pirates.
Although the ports and the Kelvin Duchy had been destroyed by the demons, based on what Irene heard, Kalavinka noticed the arrival of the demons before everyone else. It was a pity they didn't have an army capable of stopping the demons' advance stationed at the ports. Had things been a little different, this boy would probably have been able to stop the demon horde.
Seeing him here, Irene came up with a conjecture. It seemed that the new king was trying to gather talented people by his side. Surprisingly, he did not discriminate between factions and houses.
Irene met Kalavinka's gaze. The boy immediately lowered his head and stared at the ground.
"It's a pleasure meeting you here, Lord Kalavinka," said Irene politely.
Although the Kelvins had lost their ducal status, she still treated him with the utmost respect. His father was the scourge of this nation, but she believed the boy was innocent.
He looked up at Irene and opened then closed his mouth. Unable to find the courage to utter a word, he nodded instead.
Irene smiled kindly. "It seems you'll be summoned inside soon by His Majesty. I'll be on my way, Lord Kalavinka."
Irene bowed her head and walked away, disappearing from sight.
Irene was right, the guards standing at the entrance to the throne room called for Kalavinka.
"Kalavinka Kelvin," said one of the guards. "His Majesty is calling for you."
Kalavinka swallowed dry spit. For several seconds, he stood and steeled himself.
"His Majesty is waiting," said the guard.
Kalavinka slapped his cheeks twice to rouse himself. "Yes!"
The door to the throne room opened, revealing the luxurious carpet that led all the way to the king.
Kalavinka nervously walked forward and knelt before the throne.
Unlike King Alvis, Kalavinka did not know the new king's demeanor.
The boy prayed to the Gods that the new king wouldn't mind his stuttering voice and awkward gait. He fervently prayed the meeting would end in a smooth manner.
"K-Kalavinka K-Kelvin greets His Majesty!"
He sounded weird, Kalavinka knew. His voice was a mixture of crescendo and decrescendo, like a squealing boar being butchered by a hunter.
An awkward silence fell.
The ice was broken by the king. "You may raise your head."
Kalavinka raised his head and gazed at Lark. Although Lark was older than him by only a few years, he looked so dignified—they were beyond comparison. For a moment, it even felt as though Duke Drakus had become younger and ascended the throne.
"First, I must apologize for what happened to your family," said Lark Marcus. "Although Duke Kelvin committed various crimes worthy of the death penalty, it still pains me that a house that served as this kingdom's pillar since the time of its founding has fallen into ruins."
Kalavinka lowered his head and clenched his fists.
He was reminded once again of the death of his father. Thankfully, the hair covering his face was hiding the dark circles around his eyes. It also partially covered his sunken cheeks.
One of the kingdom's pillars since the time of its foundation— Kalavinka had not expected the new king to recognize their house's contribution to this nation.
Although they'd become the laughing stock of the people, although they'd become subjects of mockery and ridicule, they couldn't erase the fact that the House Kelvin helped found this nation.
Their history dated back hundreds of years.
It vexed Kalavinka that the people easily forgot everything they'd done for this kingdom after a single scandal. Forget the fact that most of his brothers had been imprisoned for treason, even their remaining soldiers and servants had left them. Some had gone as far as stealing the remaining assets of the family, leaving their estate empty.
It was unforgivable, but Kalavinka couldn't do anything but watch as everything was taken from them. He was helpless, powerless.
"Treason is a crime punishable by death," said Lark. "Normally, all family members, down to the fourth generation, are executed."
Kalavinka shivered.
Now that he thought of it, although Calisto and the other remaining members of the Kelvin family involved with the underworld syndicate had been thrown into prison, none of them were executed like their father.
"But I couldn't do that," said Lark. "After all, you wouldn't want to work with someone who'd ordered the execution of your entire family, right?"
Kalavinka looked at Lark. Although he understood what the new king was implying, the boy still asked, "W-What do you mean, Y-Your Majesty?"
"I want you to work for me, Kalavinka," said Lark. "If the reports I've read are all true, it'd be foolish of me to let an individual as talented as you go."
Lark pointed his index finger at Kalavinka and released a thread of mana.
"Tell me, what do you see?" said Lark.
Kalavinka immediately replied, "A-A seagull?"
Lark smiled. "I see."
Lark snapped his fingers, and the thread of mana changed shape once again. Although Kalavinka was not certain, it felt like the thread of mana had become thinner.
"How about this one?"
Kalavinka looked at Lark, then at the image in front of him. "I-It's a sword."
Lark leaned back on his chair and muttered to himself, "I see. My hunch was right."
For several seconds, he stared at the boy kneeling before him. Lark said, "Five years. Work for me for five years, Kalavinka, and I promise that I'll help you rebuild your household. Freeing your brothers is feasible too, depending on the circumstances by that time. Listen, your talent is not limited only to sea battles. I'm sure you'll do well even on land."
Not only limited to sea battles?
Kalavinka was flustered. He didn't understand what the new king was trying to say.
"W-What do you mean, Your Majesty?"
"The first image, the seagull," said Lark. "It's made using very tiny threads of mana that are almost invisible even before a trained magician's eyes. As for the second one, the image of a sword, it's made not by mana, but by life force."
Life force? It's possible to create images using life force?
Kalavinka had never studied magic, and this was the first time he'd heard of this.
"L-Life force?" he said worriedly. "T-Then, Your Majesty…" Lark chuckled. "Don't worry. The amount I used is so minuscule that I'll be able to easily recover it by tomorrow."
For some reason, it seemed that the new king was really pleased with him.
Was seeing those images really an impressive feat?
"Even I could hardly discern the shape of the sword I made using a tiny portion of my life force," said Lark, amused. "Honestly, I was worried that it would end up taking a weird form, but judging by what you said, it did look like a sword."
Kalavinka realized that despite being the caster, Lark couldn't see the sword as clearly as him.
"I've read the reports," said Lark. "You noticed the demons several hours before they even arrived at the port."
Kalavinka hesitantly shook his head. "I… d-didn't know they were demons at that time, Your Majesty. I-I just felt that several creatures were headed toward us."
"Kalavinka, you have a natural talent in discerning the mana and life force of all creatures in this world," said Lark. "It's no wonder you've never been defeated by the pirates. It'd be near impossible to defeat someone who can accurately gauge your exact position on the sea. Although my perception of mana is probably higher than yours, your ability to see through a person's life force exceeds mine."
Lark extended his hand. "You've seen the demons, Kalavinka. They will come again and invade this nation. And I need your help defending this kingdom."
The tentacled monsters who parasitized and slaughtered the people of the port—Kalavinka vividly remembered them. Sometimes, they even appeared in his dreams, together with the naval soldiers who died just so he could live.
Kalavinka knew he would be lying if he said that he didn't want to take revenge on those demons.
Kalavinka gnashed his teeth and firmed his resolve.
For the first time without stuttering, he spoke, "Rebuilding our ducal house, releasing my brothers from prison. If I work for you for five years, can you promise me that you'll grant all of those, King Lark?"
Lark nodded. "Of course. But know just one thing. The next duke of the House Kelvin will not be your brothers, but you, Kalavinka. I have no desire to give power to treasonous bastards. Keep that in mind."
*** After leaving the castle, Irene went back to their estate in the capital. Unlike most nobles, their mansion was located not in the Inner District, but the Middle District.
Irene divulged everything that had transpired to her father.
After hearing the story, Lord Chase chuckled. "What's there to think about? You've been looking for a way to improve the lives of the farmers of this kingdom for years now. Becoming the king's secretary would give you the power to shift the reformation in the direction you want, my dear daughter."
Lord Chase placed his large, hairy hand on top of his daughter's head.
He ruffled her hair gently.
Irene lowered her gaze. "But, Father, you've heard the rumo—" "They're called rumors for a reason," interjected Lord Chase. "I've met King Lark before, when he was nothing but a lord of a small town in the middle of the wilderness. Listen, Irene. That young man discovered the way to cull the black famine and disseminated the information to everyone without seeking anything in return. How much do you think such a piece of information is worth?"
Irene could easily come up with an answer to her father's question:
Tens of thousands of gold coins. And if the deal was executed perfectly, it would be feasible to obtain more than that.
After all, the black famine was a problem that haunted not only the Kingdom of Lukas but also its adjacent nations. Even the Great Empire suffered annual crop loss due to the pesky swarms.
"We can stay here for a couple more days," said Lord Chase. "Try to come up with a decision by then. Take your time, my dear daughter."