Chapter 21. The Diamond

"What the…?"

Ian, a young man rarely caught off guard, found himself stammering. Beric, meanwhile, strode in with a self-assured whistle, his movements as fluid and natural as a river finding its course.

"Didn't I tell you to wait?" Ian asked, his voice tight.

"I was waiting. Patiently. Then I was summoned," Beric replied, a smirk playing on his lips.

"By whom?"

"The butler, I believe he said."

"What?"

"He came to the tavern and said I could enter the manor whenever I pleased. Came running straight away, as you can imagine. Is there a problem?"

Ian's expression became a complex tapestry of suspicion and uncertainty. Beric didn't seem to be lying, not outright. It wasn't in the impulsive youth's nature to sneak around. His unhindered passage through the front gate was proof enough of that.

Beric stood there, looking down at Ian.

"…"

His gaze shifted subtly to the left, lingering on the spread of fruit and bread laid out on the table. Ian sighed, then nodded.

"Eat," he conceded.

"Sweet. Don't mind if I do."

Beric attacked the food with both hands, stuffing his mouth with ravenous gusto. Watching the display, Ian began to piece together the situation.

"Was that all he said?"

"Told me to stick with you and report back."

"And you have no intention of doing that faithfully, I presume?"

Chomp, chomp.

Beric chewed on a piece of fruit, his crimson eyes fixed on Ian. What does he take me for? A wielder of the sword did not speak with a forked tongue, nor did the direction of the blade ever waver.

"Anyway, hurry up and tell me. What was that the other day?"

"Ah, right."

He was practically bursting with curiosity about this 'mana' or whatever it was called. But what could he do? Ian had ordered him to keep quiet, and so he had, like a corpse. Of course, it also helped that he didn't know anyone around here who might know about it.

"Alright, listen carefully."

Facing Beric, Ian began to explain the wondrous power that lay dormant within him.

The primal source of the world, the energy that hinted at the very existence of gods - a mystical force. Beric's red eyes gleamed like the sun, radiating an almost tangible excitement.

"...No way."

"Therefore, with mana obstructing the flow of your body's energy, it was inevitable that you'd fall behind others. No matter how much you trained, you were merely treading water."

"And... you're saying you can unblock it?"

"...Do you not know what an honorific is?"

"Holy shit, this is insane..."

Beric paced back and forth, clenching and unclenching his fists. His face was a mask of barely contained excitement and joy. The strange power he had felt in the training grounds was truly his own. He slammed his head against the wall, unable to suppress a burst of laughter.

"There's no reasoning with you."

"Can we start right now? Tell me what I need to do."

Ian stared at him, silent for a moment. He wanted to infuse Beric with mana right away, but causing a ruckus here would only lead to trouble.

Seemingly oblivious to his concerns, Beric bounced on the balls of his feet, barely able to contain himself.

"Hand."

"Hand!"

Beric eagerly placed his hand in Ian's outstretched palm. Ian grasped it firmly, a warning in his voice.

"Learn to control yourself. Otherwise, I'll have you doing nothing but grueling physical training for days."

"Don't worry, just do it!"

Ziiiiing.

The moment Beric replied, Ian activated his mana. His emerald eyes turned a molten gold, his hair swaying gently as the power coursed through him. Mana flowed through their joined hands, into Beric.

And then, a moment later.

THUD! CRASH!

"Good heavens."

"What was that noise?"

The servants downstairs, going about their duties, froze at the sudden, unfamiliar sounds. It seemed to have come from Ian's room...

Knock, knock.

"Lord Ian? Is everything alright?"

The response was a little delayed. Just as a servant reached for the doorknob, Ian's irritated voice came through.

"It's fine. The table broke."

"Sir? How did that happen?"

How did a perfectly good table just break?

CREAK!

The servant, startled, pushed the door open. The sight that greeted him was quite a spectacle. Furniture lay in splinters, Ian was fuming, and a red-haired young man was in a push-up position on the floor. Though his face was upside down, he was clearly grinning.

"...Sir."

"It's fine. Just clean it up later."

What on earth was going on here?

Ian gestured for him to leave, and the servant, moving like a malfunctioning machine, shuffled backward out of the room.

"Ian."

The next morning at breakfast, Ian stopped cutting his food and looked up at Derga. At the same time, the Countess and Chel turned their attention to the two.

"It seems you've made a new friend."

What is the meaning behind this question, when they all know? Ian pushed his knife aside and smiled.

"Yes, Father. His name is Beric. We met at the training grounds and found we got along quite well. I believe Brother Chel may recognize him as well."

He's curious how detailed and transparent my answer will be. Derga raised an eyebrow, silently urging him to continue.

"I thought I wouldn't be able to see him again after he was expelled from the training grounds. Thanks to you, Father, I was able to spend some enjoyable time with him."

"Expelled? Why?"

Countess Mary, who had been listening quietly, interjected. Unlike Derga, she seemed unaware that Beric had entered the manor yesterday.

"He assaulted a fellow trainee."

"Good heavens. How dreadful. To keep such a person close… You truly are something else. Do you really get along so well?"

Despite the sarcastic tone, Ian merely smiled. He had succeeded in keeping Beric by his side, after all. When the time came, it would be that very boy who would behead these people.

"If he can't read within a month, I'll consider your association with him a waste and have his neck wrung."

"…Yes, Father."

He intends to use him thoroughly, in every way possible. Not just as shackles, but as a whip as well. Ian lowered his gaze, a gesture of obedience. He could only see Derga's thick fingers.

'Fortunately, he doesn't seem to know about the broken furniture.'

It appeared the servant had kept it a secret. Besides sharing food with them, his close relationship with Hanna meant that Ian's standing among the lower ranks wasn't entirely unfavorable.

'Hmm?'

Then, his eyes caught the glint of a diamond ring on Derga's finger. A large stone with an ornate gold setting. Derga had never shown much interest in jewelry, but strangely, he wore this particular ring every day.

'Is it a wedding ring?'

Ian checked the Countess's hand. But there was no diamond on her left hand. There was an opal, a pearl, and a ruby, but no diamond.

'The cut is rather crude, isn't it?'

As he continued to observe, he noticed the diamond's peculiar cut. The purpose of a gemstone was to maximize the reflection of light, to make it appear more brilliant. But Derga's was cut in a rounded shape, far from that purpose.

As if it were designed for ease of insertion rather than display…

Clatter.

"Tsk, tsk."

"Still making such mistakes?"

"Ah, my apologies."

Ian had dropped his fork without realizing it. He quickly apologized at the Count and Countess's sharp gazes and turned his head.

The icy breakfast finally concluded, and everyone left the dining room, but Ian remained. The servants approached hesitantly.

"Lord Ian, was the meal not to your liking?"

"The tutor will be here soon. We will prepare a hearty snack for you."

They couldn't clear the table because Ian was still there. He stared out the window for a moment, then murmured.

"The ring Father wears, it's not a wedding ring, is it?"

What a sudden, random question. But the servants answered to the best of their knowledge.

"I don't believe so. I've heard that the ruby ring the Lady wears is their wedding ring."

That explains why the mana brooch is red. Ian rested his chin on his hand, tapping the table thoughtfully. The more he thought about it, the stronger his suspicions grew.

'The way he reached under the desk, the mysterious key the butler holds, and that diamond ring, so similar in shape to that head.'

It seemed like it wasn't meant to be inserted and turned, but simply pressed against something. Does the vault only react to diamonds? No, if that were the case, the butler's key would also have a gemstone.

The difference between the two…

'The material.'

Derga was not the type to entrust the master key to anyone else. The fact that the butler carried one suggested it was not a token of trust, but a piece of a test.

Considering security, only one possibility came to mind. There was likely an electrical current running through the inside.

"Ha."

What a nasty, yet clever, locking mechanism.

The servants exchanged glances, stealing furtive looks at Ian, but he remained motionless. He only stirred long after, as the time for the tutor's arrival drew near.

Creak.

Ian opened the door and addressed Beric.

"Out."

"Huh? Why?"

Thump!

Beric, who had been doing handstand push-ups, fell forward. Ian, unfazed, began tidying up his desk.

"The tutor will be here soon."

"So what? Can't he just come in? The room's huge."

"I have something important to discuss with him. When the servant brings the snack, take it and send them away."

"Well, that's different. Fine!"

Saying he was just getting hungry, Beric picked up his shirt and left.

Soon after, the tutor arrived, punctual as always. He glanced towards the door and asked Ian.

"Young Master, who was that person outside?"

"Please, sit down. I have something urgent to discuss with you."

It was unusual for Ian to be so serious. The tutor, still in his coat, sat down on the sofa, a sense of unease settling upon him.

'Now that I've figured out the vault's key, all that's left is the plan.'

He needed more people to help him, in addition to Hanna and Beric. Someone who was close to Derga, someone who could be in his presence for extended periods.

"What is it, Young Master?"

"Tutor. Are you acquainted with Viscount Molin?"

The sudden question made the tutor stiffen.

"N-no?"

"Just graduating from Bariel University would have given you some connection, and I see you're from the same region."

He can actually make that kind of face. Ian hid a slight smile and leaned back.

"Th-that's preposterous! Such a coincidence!"

"Then you wouldn't mind if I reported this to my father?"

"Wait! That's, that's not it!"

A strong denial was as good as a confession. The tutor chewed on his lip, his expression troubled. If Derga found out about this, it would be disastrous. He might not lose his head, but he would certainly lose his position, and soon after, be banished from the Bratz territory. There was no better place to study the Great Desert than here.

"…Young Master, I believe there's been a misunderstanding."

"No. I'm almost certain that my father is using you to spy on me, and that you're secretly communicating with Viscount Molin."

Was this really the same Ian who was usually sluggish and indifferent to everything? The tutor was experiencing firsthand what it meant to be speechless with shock.

"And you attempted to break into the butler's room under Viscount Molin's orders."

"Wait! That's not true! I'll tell you everything, just, just calm down."

"Tutor. You are the one who needs to calm down."

Ian offered him some tea with a smile. The tutor stammered, carefully choosing his words as he tried to defend himself. He started from the very beginning, when he first met Molin in Bratz.

"It's true that I spoke to Count Derga about you, Young Master. B-but that's just a normal process for any parent. When I was tutoring Young Master Chel, I used to talk about him as well."

"Hmm, is that so?"

Best not to mention the letters. No need to reveal that.

"Then I was assigned to tutor you as well, and I learned that an inspection from the capital was coming. I truly didn't know that Viscount Molin himself would be coming. He's my uncle, but I haven't seen him since I left the main family."

"It's been a while, then."

"Nearly ten years."

Ten years dedicated to his studies. He clutched his head, as if everything had gone wrong.

"So we exchanged greetings, and, well, it couldn't be helped. Research requires a significant amount of money… He offered to supplement my living expenses if I just relayed information about the goings-on in the manor. I had no way to refuse, and it's not like I shared anything important."

"If it's not important, then my father won't mind knowing."

"Y-young Master!"

He looked as if he might faint, his eyes wide with panic. It was just a tactic to gain the upper hand, but the reaction was more intense than expected. It was likely because his life's work, his research, was at stake.

Ian sighed and smiled.

"If I say one more thing, you might actually collapse."

"Please. Keep this a secret from the Count."

"Tutor. Do you still not understand… why I'm telling you this, instead of going directly to my father…?"

The tutor's faded pupils shook. He wasn't very quick-witted in these matters.

"Do you still not understand?"