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Which day do people make the most resolutions?

If someone were to ask that, most people would give the same answer.

January 1st.

The day a year ends and a new one begins.

On this day, everyone is filled with hope.

Those who feel they’ve gained weight plan to diet, while those who lazed around at home resolve to finally find a job in the new year.

But only a few actually follow through on these plans.

What they desire is “change,” and this world is not so forgiving to those who seek it.

If someone wishes to leave their shell behind, they must first break it.

And ironically, the path toward hope is always accompanied by pain.

‘Yeah, there’s a reason people say resolutions don’t last long.’

A person’s determination is so fragile and soft that no matter how firmly you shape it, it eventually melts away with time.

Of course, there are those with unwavering resolve, but do such people really need a new year to make a change?

“Did you manage to rest well at the end of last year?”

“More or less.”

On the first day of the year, I went to the palace to meet Astarota, intent on carrying out the resolution I had made the night before.

Last night, it felt as though my sluggish mind had finally begun to work again.

Not just surviving, but truly living. What did I need to do to reach that dream in this unforgiving city?

After a night of deliberation, I reached a conclusion: either rise in rebellion and seize the throne, or gain power strong enough to stand equal to the king.

Only then could I negotiate on equal terms and get what I wanted.

That is why I came here the very next day.

“Astarotta Berun.”

“Hearing you call me by my first name almost throws me off. What is it?”

“Is Countess Phefroc still in that condition?”

“Yes.”

I had expected it, but even so, hearing his answer, I steeled my resolve.

The marquis had said that, in time, Ragna would awaken on her own. That was precisely why he had left his diary behind for her.

“But she still hasn’t woken up…”

I was certain now.

These bastards are definitely behind Ragna not waking up. Well, I don’t have proof yet, but still.

“Then I can stop by and see her on my way out today, right?”

“Of course.”

I’d have to speak with Hyeonbyeol later to understand what they were doing to Ragna, though I doubt I’ll get a clear answer.

“By the way…” Astarota started, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. “When you killed the marquiss, did you happen to notice a ring nearby?”

“A ring? No, I didn’t see anything like that.”

“Hmm, I see…”

“What kind of ring is it?”

“Nothing much, just one of the royal treasures. It seems he used it before he died… or maybe it was taken from him.”

“In any case, I didn’t see it.”

“I see… then the most likely possibility is that it’s in the hands of those Noark bastards.”

Hearing that, I felt a sense of relief.

The royal family believed the statement I had given back then. However, the fact that he raised the issue on his own volition suggested that their investigation had finally come to a close.

It seemed that I had narrowly avoided a potential crisis.

Thinking about it, it was natural for them to believe me.

They knew the marquis and I were enemies.

They might have had their doubts, but ultimately, they wouldn’t find any reason why he would pass Thunder on to me. It would have made far more sense for him to unleash Thunder and take everyone down with him.

Which is why showing too much obsession with Ragna would be dangerous. There was a slight chance they might learn about the offer the marquis made as he gave his life.

“Oh, have you heard the news? A new chancellor was chosen at the royal council Meeting you missed.

“…Who?”

“Duke Keallunas.”

“I see.”

“You don’t seem surprised.”

“To be honest, there’s no one but the duke who truly suits the position.”

Originally, the nobility were divided into three major factions:

The chancellor’s faction, the duke’s faction, and the minor nobles’ faction.

Well, there was also Melbes, the nonhuman alliance I belonged to, but since its influence was small, it didn’t really count.

Anyway, the Chancellor’s faction dissolved when the Marquis committed treason, and the minor noble faction lost most of its power when many nobles died after Thunder struck the Palace of Glory.

This stood in contrast to the Duke’s faction, which maintained its strength even during the war.

“What do you think of the Duke, Jandel?”

“He seems lucky. He didn’t really do anything, but his biggest rival self-destructed. And from what I can see, he didn’t suffer much damage in the war either.”

“Lucky, huh…”

But something about her tone felt off.

“…Do you know something?”

“No, nothing like that. It’s just that, in my experience, those who seem lucky often have something shady behind them. But… well, maybe he really was just lucky.”

“If you find anything, let me know too.”

“I will.”

That wrapped up our conversation about the duke, and I continued to chat with Astarotta about various things.

Most of it was me gathering information, but if I had to pick the most important intel…

“Oh, and Jandel… your ennoblement has just been approved.”

The House of Baron Jandel was now to be elevated to the House of Viscount Jandel.

Well, calling it a ‘house’ might be an exaggeration, since I had neither a mansion nor any retainers.

‘Oh… I guess I do have servants, after all.’

In terms of sheer numbers, my house had more retainers than any other noble family in the kingdom, since I had taken in all the refugees from Bifron.

“Did the Duke have anything to say about that?”

“He couldn’t have said anything even if he wanted to. You’re the hero who went alone into the heart of enemy territory, killed the Marquis, and temporarily ended the war. Are you perhaps on bad terms with the Duke?”

“Then there’s no reason for him to oppose your promotion. Though… he does seem a bit dissatisfied.”

“Why?”

“Think about it. If your promotion ceremony and his inauguration are held together, who do you think will be the center of attention?”

“…Ah.”

I hadn’t thought that far. Of course, more attention would be given to me, the war hero, than to a duke who merely inherited a position.

“From what I heard, he even suggested postponing his inauguration so the two could be held as separate events, but our circumstances aren’t flexible enough to allow that.”

Anyway, the result is that my promotion ceremony and the Duke’s inauguration will be held on the same day at the same place…

“Are you going to see Countess Phefroc?”

“Just a quick look at her face.”

“How devoted of you.”

Just as our conversation was wrapping up and I was about to leave, Astarotta suddenly brought up another topic.

“Oh, right. There was one thing I wanted to ask.”

“Are you close with Jerome Saintred?”

Why had he brought up the village chief all of a sudden?

“Not particularly. We explored the first basement floor together, but that’s about it. Why?”

‘On the day Thunder struck the Palace of Glory, Jerome Saintred also went missing.’

“…And?”

“Some say he should be classified as killed in action, but I feel like there might have been another reason. I was wondering if you knew anything.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t.”

“…I’ve taken up enough of your time. You may go.”

With that, I left the reception room where I had been with Astarotta.

‘Missing, huh………………..

To be honest, I don’t think the village chief had died in the chaos of war either.

He must have been caught up in something… or chosen to disappear on his own.

I recalled my last meeting with him.

Just before Thunder fell, he had come to see me in the underground prison and said something strange.

[It will begin soon. The day everything burns.]

And right on cue, Thunder struck, and the village chief hurried off, saying this as he left:

“Survive. When you do, I’ll have something to tell you.”

At the time, everything was so urgent that I didn’t think much of it. But now, looking back, it was strange in many ways.

Unlike what he implied, the entire world didn’t burn during the war.

“…Or did it?”

Districts 7 and 8 had indeed burned down.

But I was the one who set those fires, and the tone of his words had been completely different.

It sounded as if the world itself was about to end.

“…But in the end, it didn’t go that far.”

The war stopped, and I survived.

Yet the village chief, who said he had something to tell me, hadn’t come looking for me. Instead, he had completely disappeared.

“What did he know to be so urgent?”

I still didn’t know.

But one thing was certain.

I had to find him.

I absolutely had to stop ‘Karui’s Heart’ from entering the royal family’s hands.

Right now, he had it.

To be honest, I’m not really sure what he’s planning to do with it.

Before leaving the palace, I stopped by Ragna’s room.

Ragna was still sleeping soundly, with Hyun-byeol keeping watch by her side.

“Are you really planning to stay here until she wakes up?”

“If I leave too, who knows what might happen?”

If the royal family intended to do something, it wouldn’t matter whether she stayed or not.

But I didn’t say that.

“Nothing happened while you were here?”

“Nothing much. I’m bored to death. Even that chancellor’s son got released, so I don’t even have anyone to talk to.”

“That… honestly sounds pretty dull.”

Eltora Tercerion, the son of the disgraced prime minister, had only recently been put on trial and released.

Though his father was a traitor, the fact that he betrayed him and helped me had been taken into account.

“Well, in truth, Astarotta’s influence played a big part. Then again, I was the one who moved him.”

“…How’s he going to make a living now?”

Eltora managed to save his life, just as he wished.

Though it was only natural that he had lost all noble privileges.

“…There must be a lot of people who hate him.”

At a time when hundreds of thousands had become refugees because of the war, the name ‘Terserion’ would make many grind their teeth.

He might be better off abandoning his surname and living simply as “Eltora.”

“…Well, I’ll check on him sometime later.”

I let my thoughts about Eltora trail off there.

It was nothing more than a bit of personal curiosity about how he was doing, and not something I needed to concern myself with.

“See you next time.”

“Eh… already?”

“I’ll be back soon.”

“You said that last time too, and it took forever.”

“This time I mean it. I think I’ll be coming to the palace more often from now on.”

“…The palace?”

Hyeonbyeol looked at me meaningfully, then stared at me.

“…You seem… different somehow?”

“Different how?”

“It’s hard to explain, but… just, something feels different………………”

“Is it a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Of course it’s a good thing! And to begin with, your expression looks much better.”

Even as I found her a bit too perceptive, I couldn’t deny she had a point. My reflection in the mirror hadn’t looked all that great for quite some time.

“Then I’ll be off.”

After finishing my business at the palace and returning to the Holy Ground, I found a guest waiting for me.

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

It was Erwin’s maternal uncle.

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