novelraw Chapter 172
Chapter 172
Chapter 172
【 The Erased Duke 】
Now there were three, but once there had been four ducal families.
Of course, when the Empire was first founded, only three families had been granted the title of Duke.
Balmuth of Blood, Isrinbloom of Flames, and Hawkbat of Wind.
With the combined strength of these three houses, the foundation of the Arium Empire was built.
Therefore, immediately after his coronation, the first Emperor of the Arium Empire declared:
“Unless one achieves feats equal to these three Dukes, no further ducal titles shall ever be granted.”
It was a proclamation that as long as the Empire existed, those three Dukes who had suffered alongside him to establish it would forever be honored.
Indeed, over the centuries that followed, many achieved great deeds and were awarded noble titles for their service to the Empire.
But no matter how great their achievements, the highest rank ever granted was that of Marquis.
No one had ever been given the title of Duke.
Thus, everyone in the Empire back then thought—implicitly or even quite openly—that there would only ever be three Dukes in the Arium Empire, now and forever.
However, that belief was soon shattered.
A wanderer who wielded the power of water appeared out of nowhere one day.
As his title “Wanderer” implied, he was a lone swordsman.
A young man who roamed the continent with nothing but a single sword in hand.
After setting foot in the Empire, he traveled from place to place, solving incidents and crises wherever he went.
As time passed, his name became renowned not only within the Empire but across the entire continent. Eventually, he even crossed paths with the Dukes themselves…
“I expected much from a Duke, but honestly… I’m a little disappointed, Duke Hawkbat.”
“Y-You! Fight me again!”
“Ah, if you insist that passionately, I can’t help but feel flustered. Of course, I know I’m quite handsome, but Duke Hawkbat, to think you’d look at me with such a beautiful face…”
“Shut up! Fight again! Spirit of Wind—no, hey! Spirit King! Come out! I need your help!”
The Wanderer of Water displayed swordsmanship that rivaled the Dukes themselves, further elevating his fame.
He gained renown and the friendship of Dukes with nothing but his sword.
But his tale did not end there.
“Lord Peregrie, I… No, I’ll just call you Peregrie from now on. Peregrie, may I dare to call you my friend?”
“You’re worrying about useless things again, you damned human.”
The Divine Beast who watched over and blessed the Arium Empire—Peregrie.
Though Peregrie loved and bestowed blessings upon the Empire, that was the extent of their bond.
The Divine Beast had never befriended a human.
It merely guarded and protected the Empire from afar.
But the Wanderer of Water became the first human of the Empire to step foot into Peregrie’s domain.
Though “visit” was putting it lightly—it was closer to an invasion.
Everyone revered the Divine Beast.
Thus, none had ever dared to trespass upon Peregrie’s sacred land.
But that man did.
He boldly entered Peregrie’s territory and, through his presence, opened the heart of the lonely Divine Beast who had always been alone.
Thus, the Wanderer of Water became Peregrie’s first and last friend.
And it didn’t stop there—he befriended the persecuted races as well.
“So this is the land of the other races? Mysterious place.”
From the very founding of the Empire, these non-human races had been persecuted. After losing the war against the Empire, they were driven into a “Protected Zone for Other Races.”
The Empire had locked them all inside that zone and abandoned them for generations.
During that time, the races fought among themselves, slowly walking the path of self-destruction.
Then the Wanderer of Water appeared among them.
“I heard there was a land destroying itself from within… but this is worse than I imagined. Why are you fighting each other? Can’t you just live in peace?”
“It’s because of you humans that we’ve fallen this low!”
A human suddenly appearing inside the Protected Zone—
The races who had been fighting each other stopped immediately and united under one cause: to kill the human they all despised.
But the Wanderer of Water subdued them all with overwhelming strength.
“Well then, you remember our promise, right? You know what happens when you lose? Now then… before we all get along, let’s start by getting to know each other.”
After making the difference in power clear, he placed all the races under his hand.
Then, he extended his hand to them as a friend.
The races found the proposal absurd at first.
But he kept approaching them without hesitation, breaking down their barriers.
And before long, his sincerity melted their hearts.
He went on to unite the warring races into one.
He helped them understand one another and forged friendships between all of them.
No one knew exactly how he managed it, but that impossible feat—he made it real.
“You want me to be your leader? Hey, what are you talking about? We’re friends, friends! Why would there be leaders or followers among friends?”
“No, human. You are strong and righteous. None but you can lead us all.”
Peace among races—brought by a single human.
And so the other races acknowledged the Wanderer of Water as both their friend and their leader.
Afterward, they offered him all forms of support, and in return, he did much for them.
This bond even carried on to his descendants.
All those deeds and eccentric feats—
Thanks to that, the name of the Wanderer of Water became even more famous throughout the Empire… and what sealed that fame completely was the clash with Intezer.
“Wow, Duke Balmuth. Is that the Dragon? It’s just as big as the rumors said.”
“Focus on the battle. What matters now are the monsters in front of us.”
“Don’t worry, my lord. I’ll make sure your back is safe.”
During the height of peace and prosperity in the Empire, the Dragon Intezer suddenly appeared.
The Dragon—and the enormous army it led.
Before such an overwhelming threat, the Empire faced a crisis—a crisis that could very well have led to its destruction.
Everyone in the Empire, including the Dukes, rose to resist this calamity.
But Intezer’s power and its army were far too strong. Without a miracle, the Empire’s defeat seemed inevitable.
And then—a miracle happened.
The Divine Beast of the Empire, Peregrie, and the Wanderer of Water.
The two joined forces and together brought Intezer down.
“My great friend, no matter what happens, I will never forget you.”
“Same here. No matter what happens, I’ll never forget you either. Well, even if I wanted to—how could I forget the Divine Beast who tried to kill me the moment we met?”
During that battle, Peregrie received Intezer’s curse and lost his life.
Yet because of that miracle, the tide of the war completely turned.
When the Dragon fell, its army began to crumble one-sidedly.
And at the forefront stood the Wanderer of Water, filled with grief and rage for his lost friend.
Thus, the Empire overcame a great crisis and welcomed peace once more.
“Peregrie. I’ll continue watching over this Empire you loved so dearly.”
After witnessing the death of his friend,
the wandering swordsman vowed to protect the Empire and chose to settle within it.
When the Emperor and the three Dukes heard that the wanderer had taken root in the Empire, they held a brief discussion and reached a unanimous decision.
They would grant the Wanderer of Water the title of Duke.
Recognizing his contributions to the Empire, they welcomed a new Duke without a single objection.
“The Sword that Guards the Empire, Pure-White Mainac. In recognition of your dedication and sacrifice for the Empire, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Duke.”
“Um… Your Majesty, why ‘Pure-White’ exactly?”
“…Because your hair is white.”
“Ah… whose idea was that, if I may ask?”
“Duke Isrinbloom’s suggestion.”
“…How typical. Simple and stiff, just like him.”
“What? Hey! Do you have any idea how much thought I—”
“Hey, hey. It’s a good day. Let it go, will you?”
Overnight, the wanderer gained a family name and became a Duke.
Though it was completely unexpected, he laughed and accepted it all.
And he made a promise—that until his death, he would protect this Empire and its people.
He also swore that his descendants would inherit that same vow.
Thus was founded the Fourth Ducal Family of the Empire—the Mainac Family.
For countless generations thereafter, the Mainac Family protected the Empire.
True to their alias, The Sword that Guards the Empire, the Mainac Family always stood as the last line of defense, rescuing the Empire from every crisis.
While the other three ducal families were powerful blades that raised the Empire’s prestige, the Mainac Family was the sword that shielded it—the Empire’s final bastion.
Whenever the Empire faced ruin, it was the Mainac Family that stopped it.
And beyond that, they always created chances for reversal.
[…Whenever the Empire was on the brink of collapse due to outside forces, the Mainac Family would step forward to halt the fall. But even they… could not stop what came from within.]
Centuries after the founding of the Mainac Family, during the time of the third head of the house—Nawiwo Mainac discovered a faction plotting rebellion.
And the leader of that rebellion was none other than one of the three ducal families—the Isrinbloom Family.
Having made contact with an Ancient Evil God, the Isrinbloom Family conspired to overthrow the Empire.
The Mainac Family learned of this by chance and moved to stop them.
[After that, a massive battle erupted in Muktaba. The Mainac Family and the Isrinbloom Family—both suffered enormous losses… Nawiwo managed to seal away the power of that Evil God. But in doing so, he lost his life, and the Mainac Family’s strength was reduced to near ruin.]
Even within the Isrinbloom Family, those who had served the Evil God were almost annihilated.
But just before their destruction, they unleashed their final desperate act—
to be exact, it was the Evil God itself making its last stand.
Using what little power and followers remained, the Evil God began to erase the Mainac Family from history.
It massacred all remaining members of the Hawkbat Family who knew the truth,
and then placed the blame for rebellion on the Mainac Family.
Although the Emperor was filled with doubt, the Isrinbloom Family pressed forward aggressively.
[They claimed that the Mainac Family had plotted rebellion and that the Isrinbloom Family had stopped them. By twisting the truth completely, they ensured the Mainac Family’s utter downfall. And unfortunately, the head of the Mainac Family, who might have overturned the situation… was already dead. Those who knew the truth had long since been killed by the Isrinbloom Family’s followers who had accepted the Evil God’s power.]
In the end, the Isrinbloom Family condemned the Mainac Family to Record Erasure Sentence.
Everything about the Mainac Family was wiped clean from history, and what few bloodlines remained were purged entirely.
The Protected Zone for Other Races, which the Mainac Family had managed for generations, was to be handed over to a distant collateral branch who knew nothing.
[Every head of the house worked for the rights of other races, striving to one day let them live outside the protected zone. But in the end… it seems that was a future that could never be realized.]
[I, Jayward Mainac, the one writing this, was meant to be executed. Captured by the Isrinbloom Family, dragged into their mansion, tortured… and right before my execution, I barely managed to escape. Now I hide here to leave behind this record.]
[I will die soon. And once I’m gone, the Mainac Family will vanish from history forever. So I pray that whoever finds this record… may be a good person.]
[And to you, good person—please read this record and reveal the truth to the world. Please.]