"Those bastards I want to rip apart are here, huh."
A chilling voice rang out.
A rough timbre like scraping iron. The aura it carried surpassed mere menace, laced with clear killing intent.
Cornelia, who had closed her eyes, snapped them open and saw it. Enoch, unable to contain his emotions, right in front of the soldier kowtowing on the floor.
At this very moment, Enoch's rage was undoubtedly crushing the vast banquet hall—and all the nobles who prided themselves on their stature. Even Cornelia herself.
'Why...?'
It was a meaningless act, an inefficient one. No matter how quickly he rushed over, the soldiers would already be dead, and fighting without proper preparation raised the odds of defeat.
But Enoch spoke without hesitation, as if he couldn't care less about any of that.
"Lady Hilda, Sir Calton. You two, follow me. We're heading into the dungeon right now. I need someone to handle the stray monsters."
"It's dangerous, Young Master! Even for you, going to fight a dark wizard without a priest! And it's inside the dungeon, no less!"
The silver-haired maid who appeared to be his exclusive attendant startled and tried to stop Enoch, but he merely swept his blazing golden eyes over her. Sizing up her resolve, as if gauging her mettle.
"Yeah. Karen, I saw you fight last time—you're pretty good. If you're worried, come along. Someone like you won't lag behind."
"That's not the issue, Young Master!"
Ignoring Karen now clinging to his arm and pleading, Enoch shouted.
"Captain and Vice-Captain of the Golden Lion Knights, step forward!"
"...Golden Lion Knight Captain Reig. I receive your command."
"Vice-Captain Kelby. I receive the Patriarch's command!"
The moment Enoch's words fell, two middle-aged men leaped from among the VIPs and dropped to one knee.
Enoch issued his orders smoothly, as if he had prepared them in advance—as if he were seasoned in such matters.
No one would believe this was a young noble who had just finished his succession ceremony.
...In truth, he had run a small organization in Calypso Territory, so it was like a mid-level manager welcoming new hires.
To Cornelia, already overwhelmed by him, it seemed like an innate gift.
"You two, protect Lady Jevella. Dark wizards always target people's weaknesses like cowards. And the only weakness I have is Lady Jevella."
"I will protect your command with my life!"
"Hearts to Zahav! I accept with joy!"
Thumping their chests in knightly salute, the two headed to Jevella's side.
Watching them, Enoch spoke in a voice cold as ice, contrasting his burning rage.
"Aaron. You know, right?"
"Of course. House Kesef always stands in House Zahav's shadow. If my granddaughter is with the Patriarch, then Lady Jevella's shadow is where I belong. Besides...I have some experience dealing with insidious types like dark wizards, so worry not."
"I trust you."
With that, Enoch hauled up the soldier who had been prostrate on the floor in stunned silence.
"Soldier. What's your name?"
"Y-Yes, uh, yes! Philip, sir!"
"Right, Philip. Can you still move? I need a guide."
"Of course...of course! Even if it costs my life, I will guide you!"
Thump thump!
Saying so, Philip thumped his own chest. It differed slightly from the knights' salute earlier, but the act of striking near the heart was the same.
Enoch chuckled softly and shook his head.
"No, don't risk your life. No one here is dying to some dark wizard."
Then he pulled a small vial from his pocket and handed it to Philip.
A potion Karen always carried in her pocket for emergencies, ever since the dungeon outbreak.
Philip drank it with a grateful expression, and his wounds healed in an instant.
Not fully cured, but enough that he could move without issue right away.
Confirming Philip's wounds had closed, Enoch turned to Hilda and Calton, who had positioned themselves behind him.
"Hilda. You told me once. That House Zahav's knights and soldiers thump their chests to prove their hearts belong to Zahav."
"Yes, Young Master. You remembered."
"Then those hearts...they're mine now."
"...Pardon?"
"Let me make it clear."
With that, Enoch faced the gathered VIPs and declared in a resolute tone.
"Listen up! I'm the Patriarch of House Zahav now. That means your hearts aren't yours anymore—they're mine!"
An arrogant, violent logic. But Enoch's words weren't over.
"Not a single one of you dies without my permission! Die for me, live for me! I have no intention of handing you over to some dark wizard scum!"
The young lord of House Zahav. Enoch was as much a noble noble as his pure bloodline ability.
Cornelia approached him as if entranced and asked.
"Duke Zahav. Why...why go this far?"
"Why?"
Enoch replied in a nonchalant tone.
"Does cleaning up trash need a reason? Especially trash staining my property."
Even amid arrogance and violence, nobility could bloom.
At least, Cornelia had witnessed such a moment with her own eyes.
His simple, clear answer bleached her mind, filled with tangled political interests.
Yes. The Empire was originally built on such ideals. It was just that many had forgotten them over time.
Enoch glanced curiously at Cornelia standing dazed, then turned away.
"If you have nothing more to say, I'll be off, Your Highness Cornelia."
"P-Pardon? Ah, yes..."
Thud thud.
In the silent banquet hall where everyone held their breath, only Enoch's footsteps echoed. Followed by the steps of the two knights and one maid overlapping behind him.
The southern nobles parted to either side unbidden, naturally offering their oaths of loyalty.
Bodies held rigid, left hand behind the back, right hand thumping over the heart.
Thump! Thump!
As countless fists struck chests, they merged into a single drumbeat resounding around them.
Yet Enoch, who had so swiftly captured the southern nobles' hearts, simply pressed on his way.
As if heedless of the praise around him or the danger ahead. Silently carrying out his duty.
The moment Enoch reached for the banquet hall door.
"Wait a moment, Enoch."
The woman Enoch had specially asked him to watch over. His new sister, Jevella Zahav, called to him with light steps.
"...Sister. I'll be fine."
"Don't worry, little brother. I'm not trying to stop you. But shouldn't you at least wear some armor?"
At Jevella's words, everyone's gazes naturally turned to Enoch.
The southern traditional attire draped entirely in cloth, layered, and secured at the waist with a belt.
Flawless white blended with vivid red—stylish, but hardly offering any defense.
But Enoch dismissed the concern with a curl of his lip.
"Don't worry, Sister."
He thrust out his half-exposed upper body through the garment's design and added.
"My body's tougher than most armor anyway."
"...Ah."
Just thin cloth and bare fists. And that supremely Zahav-like declaration that it was enough. Jevella's eyes widened briefly before she nodded, her expression a mix of pathos and faint guilt.
"Right. I'll trust you and wait. Hurry back. ...Don't keep this sister waiting too long."
"Yes."
Jevella exuded an air of utter compliance, as if she would acquiesce to anything Enoch wanted.
Cornelia, of course, and all the southern nobles surely realized it clearly.
Jevella had fully yielded the Patriarch's seat to Enoch—and harbored no greed for it.
...Enoch would have wailed for her not to if he knew, but with his mind fixed on the dark wizard, he merely dipped his head briefly and opened the door.
Creeeak.
The hinges' groan drew the attention of passing attendants. Seeing the new lord of House Zahav, they cleared the way.
Some bowed their heads, others thumped their hearts as the crowd parted to either side.
This stretched beyond the mansion, through the inner keep, past the ramparts—to every soul in House Zahav's domain.
Thus, following the path cleared by all his people, Enoch vanished into the dungeon's depths.
Cornelia pondered his receding figure for a long while.
Enoch Zahav was an undeniable beast. Taming him or opposing him would be no easy feat.
"Guess that means I have no choice but to get on his good side."
What to offer as bait? Fortunately, someone who knew the answer was nearby.
"Lady Jevella? Might I have a word?"
"Of course, Your Highness Cornelia."
Her saintly smile, reminiscent of a church saintess, drew a quiet sigh of relief from Cornelia.
'Not every Zahav is a monster like Enoch, it seems. Makes her easier to deal with.'
But she didn't know. That unlike her softly smiling lips, Jevella's eyes were coldly hardened.
Nor that Jevella herself was the infamous villainess who had toppled the prestigious House Zahav overnight.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
At that moment, inside the dungeon, Enoch.
Boom!
"...Huh?"
He blinked at the monster that had evaporated without even leaving flesh behind, though he'd only slightly drawn on his aura.
'Why am I in such great condition just from entering the dungeon....'
He began to suspect his mother's tastes.