How The Sub-Male Lead’s Stepmother Teaches Love Chapter 196

– Nonsense?

 

“Yeah. They claimed they had no choice, that they were forced into it under threat. Can you believe that? Pirates claiming they were blackmailed into piracy?”

 

Everyone knew those pirates had been operating in that area for nearly a decade, raiding passing ships. There was an overwhelming amount of evidence and witnesses.

 

Even though the emperor mediated and offered compensation, one could assume that Duke Kereis only opened his waters because he, too, had had enough trouble with those pirates.

 

– Did they mention who threatened them?

 

“Are you serious? Of course not—they just blurted out whatever came to mind, desperate to save themselves before dying… Wait, do you know something?”

 

– Well, I’m not sure exactly what I know. Maybe today’s conversation will give me some insight.

 

The cold tone sobered him up instantly.

 

Would Marquis Ajas be the kind of person to talk nonsense about such things?

 

Besides, his wife had been a victim of the pirate attacks as well.

 

– Where should I begin… Right. In a dungeon within my domain, we discovered wizards creating synthetic monsters—Chimeras—by combining multiple monsters.”

 

“Chimeras?”

 

– Yes. Two such dungeons have even been discovered. Perhaps chimeras are being created in the dungeons in your territory as well.

 

“Oh my god….”

 

Although not as numerous as the Ajas Territory, the Duchy of Khalid also had dungeons.

 

If a Chimera were to attack a village or castle, it would be a disaster.

 

‘Come to think of it, wasn’t the First Prince poisoned during the New Year’s Ball?’

 

He had heard that if Marquis Ajas hadn’t been there, the prince might not have survived.

 

‘I should tell them to investigate the dungeons tomorrow.’

 

‘So that’s why he contacted me through the crystal ball. It made sense now.’

 

“You and your wife have done so much for us. I don’t even know how to thank you.”

 

– It’s too soon to thank me.

 

“What? Is there something else going on?”

 

– The name of the wizard group is Onyx… We haven’t identified their backers yet. But I do have a suspect.

 

“Who is that?”

 

– Duke Khalid, you.

 

“What?”

 

At first, Duke Khalid couldn’t believe his ears. When he realized he hadn’t misheard, he let out a scoff.

 

“You can’t be serious. You suspect me?”

 

– Look at this.

 

Leonhard brings the crystal ball close to show it to me.

 

Leonhard held something above the crystal ball. It was a blood-red stone. Even when viewed through the crystal ball, the stone emitted an extremely powerful aura-far from an ordinary gem.

 

Frowning, Duke Khalid asked,

 

“What is that?”

 

– You really don’t know what this is?

 

“I don’t. I’ve never seen it before. Is it some kind of rare magic stone?”

 

– This is a bloodstone.

 

“A… Bloodstone? Wait, that Bloodstone?”

 

– It seems like you know what a bloodstone is.

 

“Yes. It’s knowledge passed down among the heads of noble houses…”

 

Bloodstone. The blood of someone who has power or has manifested a pattern is collected and the power contained in the blood is turned into a magic stone so that anyone can use it.

 

Since Leonhard also knows it, it is probably not knowledge that is only passed down within the Khalid Duke family.

 

Perhaps it has been passed down to other powerful dukes and the royal family as well.

 

“A long time ago, a wizard imprisoned those with powers, extracted their blood, and created Bloodstones. It threw the world into chaos… That wizard was eventually executed by the emperor, and the method of creating Bloodstones was lost to history.”

 

– If it were truly lost, this wouldn’t be in my hands.

 

That was undeniable.

 

Duke Khalid was speechless. He stared at the stone visible through the crystal ball and muttered,

 

“Bloodstone has reappeared… How?”

 

As he murmured in disbelief, a chilling thought flashed through his mind.

 

“Then… whose blood is that made from?”

 

– That’s exactly why I began to suspect you.

 

“What…..?”

 

Duke Khalid immediately realized what that meant.

 

“No, no way… That’s ridiculous.”

 

His mind involuntarily conjured his family tree.

 

Ironically, he began to understand the emperor’s frantic insistence that the person wasn’t his own flesh and blood.

 

Now, the only ones with Khalid’s blood in this world were himself—and April.

 

Everyone else in the bloodline had passed away, including his father, thirteen years ago.

 

But through the crystal ball, the Bloodstone glowed crimson, and from it burst a clear stream—Not fire, earth, wood, or steel, but water.

 

That Bloodstone was definitely made from Khalid’s blood.

 

– From the moment I realized this was made with Duke Khalid’s blood, only one possibility came to mind. Since you’re a Swordmaster, the chance of someone stealing your blood is far less than you offering it willingly.

 

“Nonsense! How dare I allow something like that to be made with Khalid’s blood? Me— the successor to Khalid’s power?”

 

– Then whose blood is it? As far as I know, you are the only Khalid bloodline in this world.

 

Since it was made from human blood, a Bloodstone couldn’t be stored long.

 

So it must have been created within a year—

 

By someone who either offered their blood or had it taken.

 

“Your Highness… the truth is, the late Duchess was…”

 

‘Oh no.’

 

– Duke Khalid?

 

“There is…”

 

Someone whose blood could be taken.

 

Not him, but Khalid’s bloodline.

 

“She was pregnant.”

 

“My… first child.”

 

The voices of the pirates, begging and saying they were threatened and didn’t do it of their own will, still echoed in his ears.

 

Mixed in was the voice of his former wife, who had said she had something to tell him after returning from a trip.

 

And then, somewhere, the scream of a child he never even got to know—whether it was a boy or a girl.

 

– Duke Khalid?… Duke? Duke!

 

The moment April’s face, which was barely able to open her eyes, flashed before his eyes, Duke Khalid fainted and collapsed.

 

* * *

 

It had already been an hour.

 

Marilyn was rolling on the floor, staging a kind of protest

 

“I want to go to the Ajas Castle to see the wedding. I want to eat something delicious there. I heard they’ll give them a nice gift as a thank you gift, so I want to receive that too!”

 

“…….”

 

“I want to go teach the young master too. He’s definitely going to be an amazing wizard! I want a smart student like me!”

 

“……”

 

“I want to go. I want to go! I’m sick of being stuck in this tower!”

 

But no matter how loud she talked, Felix, who was busy grinding the magic stone, did not show any reaction.

 

He even stepped on her stomach while going to get something he needed.

 

“Ah, sorry.”

 

Marilyn, who eventually got angry at her teacher who simply said one word, jumped to her feet and shouted.

 

“Say something, will you! Why do you ignore me like I’m not here!”

 

“……..”

 

“Ugh, I might seriously just run away!”

 

At the word “runaway,” finally, there was a reaction—perhaps he wasn’t entirely cold-hearted.

 

“What if you run away? Do you even have a place to go?”

 

“I’ll go to Castle Ajas! Marquise of Ajas is so kind. She’ll feed me and give me a place to stay.”

 

“Well, that’s what you think.”

 

She looked like someone who would always do things the hard way because of her gentle appearance, but it turned out she could propose tempting deals too.

 

‘She said she’d give me a multi-attribute magic stone if I just attended the wedding.’

 

Even if it had been a million gold coins, it wouldn’t have been nearly as tempting.

 

But of all things—a multi-attribute magic stone. And Raenel had already sent it to Rake along with a letter.

 

In other words, she had already given it to him—before he’d even said he’d go.

 

‘Did she not even consider that I might just take it and run?’

 

‘She probably didn’t. She’s the kind of woman who uses a dragon as a messenger.’

 

Having reached the level of a sage, Felix understood better than any wizard.

 

The gap between a dragon that had absorbed a Dragon Heart and himself.

 

If that dragon were to decide to trample this world, how many would be able to stop it?

 

‘If it’s a combination of a Marquise with the symbol of Sesto and a Marquis who wields the power of Raenbert, then it might be possible.’

 

Anyway, that wasn’t what mattered now.

 

“Alright, it’s done.”

 

Even after grinding a magic stone the size of a fist, there was barely a handful of dust left.

 

Still, it was enough.

 

Felix carefully transferred the magic stone powder into the container so that not a single grain would fly away.

 

“Done… All the ingredients are gathered now.”

 

“All gathered? How? Wait—was that just now… a multi-attribute magic stone? Where did you get it?!”

 

Felix answered Marilyn’s question in a calm tone.

 

“Request fee.”

 

“Request fee? Who gave you a request? Besides the Marquise, who even has multi-attribute stones… Oh! The Marquise give you! What did she ask you to do?”

 

“To attend the wedding.”

 

“Wow, the wedding! So, the Marquise gave you a multi-attribute stone just to get you to attend… That precious thing, why?”

 

“Why do you think?”

 

A few days ago, he secretly visited the castle of Ajas and heard the rumors going around there, and he quickly figured out the situation.

 

Thanks to that, he understood why Raenel had sent a multi-attribute magic stone just to get him to attend.

 

But Marilyn, who knew nothing about such things, kept complaining that she didn’t know and then gave an answer that was nonsense.

 

* * *