Shadow Circle

That was precisely the principle Lucy had thrown at him.

The Red Circle was created on the basis of emotions.

Thus, its central circuit was always singular, and unlike the Blue Circle, it could not be replaced by another method.

But Ferda was in the rare situation where two emotions interfered with a single mana circuit.

‘I’ll divert that interference…… to another Circle.’

Having confirmed the image taking shape in his mind, Ferda immediately began.

He focused on the sensation of Shape of Shadow.

‘Focus everything on the shadow.’

Like the enlightenment gained by a master of transformation who had once dreamed of becoming a butterfly.

This flesh was not originally flesh,

and he deceived himself into believing that the thing clinging to the floor was actually his true body.

At last, Ferda became the shadow.

‘I’ll create the circuit like this.’

As a shadow, his body did not have a Circle running through it.

Therefore, he had to proceed using the cultivation method for creating the First Circle.

Ferda summoned negative emotions.

The moment he could regret most.

It was not difficult to identify.

It was the moment Waldrova tore out their own heart.

He took in everything from that moment through all five senses.

Then he felt the sensation of something caressing his ear.

Why are you doing something so stupid?

That voice had already seen through his intentions.

I’m not trying to hurt you. I want to help you.

Ferda answered that voice.

“Whatever you say, I can’t let you do as you please.”

Even if the moment comes when you fail to protect what you wanted to protect?

“Yes.”

If you do that, all that will remain is regret once again.

“I don’t care.”

Ferda had already made up his mind.

Even if he regretted it because his strength was insufficient, he would not let his past self hold him captive.

I understand.

But don’t push yourself too hard.

If you desire power, I’ll give it to you whenever you want.

Always remember.

-I’m always inside you.

It was at that moment that he felt the voice separate on its own.

Something black and viscous began to writhe inside the shadow body.

The hand that had been turning the Circle was making it flow, swirling through the shadow’s body.

As it made the substance flow, Ferda concentrated and shaped it like a potter molding clay.

The entire process was no different from walking through a bed of thorns.

Drawing out negative emotions without being overwhelmed by them.

At the same time, constantly brainwashing himself so that Ferda would not become aware of his own body even once.

If he let it slip even once, Ferda would die.

Even as he felt the sensation gnawing away at his mind, he drove himself to his limit.

‘There is someone who must be happy.’

That sense of duty was enough to keep Ferda going.

After a while, Ferda felt the Circle that had been flowing roughly through his body stabilize into a set form.

Ferda opened his eyes.

What he saw was his own shadow, stretched long by the candle behind him.

And a Circle rotating in a color even deeper and darker than that.

‘So this was what she meant.’

It had been cryptic when he did not know its meaning, but once he understood, he realized how exact the words were.

Two emotions capable of interfering, and two circuits.

They would not mix according to his emotions; each would move on its own.

If that Circle moved, it was an emotion he needed to be wary of,

and if the original Circle moved, it was an emotion he could move forward with.

Ferda shrank the shadow body and drew it up toward his own body.

The Circle that had settled there came up with it.

Ferda settled it beneath the original mana circuit that had taken root in his lower danjeon.

Then he felt them interlock and move like gears, assisting each other’s movements.

‘My mana capacity has increased too.’

With the addition of one auxiliary Circle to his existing Fourth Circle, his mana capacity had reached a level close to the Fifth Circle.

It was strange.

One could not possess the mana capacity of the Fifth Circle simply by adding a First Circle to a Fourth, as in mathematics.

One would need at least three more Circles to come close to the Fifth Circle.

A First Circle was nearly equal to a Third Circle.

‘That means this emotion is that intense.’

What had been formed from Ferda’s regret was an emotion that had once reached the realm of the Ninth Circle, the demigod realm.

‘I must not nurture this until I reach at least the Fifth Circle.’

Nurture his love, but suppress his regret.

At the same time, he had to control it so it could lend Ferda strength and maintain a balance.

It would not be an easy path at all.

Yet Ferda felt relieved inside.

Since he could see it and feel it, that meant he could naturally control it as well.

At least the situation was far better than when it had been vague.

This was a unique power only Ferda could possess.

Ferda decided to call it this.

‘Shadow Circle.’

* * *

Under a bitter winter that seemed as though it would last forever, powerful sunlight shone down upon the ground.

In the warmth heating the earth, blue sprouts poked their heads out and prayed in gratitude for the blessing of the morning sun.

The Alte faithful also offered brief prayers as they looked down upon the green vegetation.

It was a greeting of thanks that the season of hardship had passed and Alte’s blessing had reached them.

Spring had arrived.

The refugees who had never strayed far from their stoves basked in the sunlight for the first time in ages, and the streets took on a new vitality.

Ferda conducted the quarterly accounts with Isabella, the administrator.

“The construction of the town itself is essentially complete.”

First-stage completion meant that all the buildings immediately necessary to establish the town had been built.

The second stage was expanding the buildings and dividing the area into districts, while the third was full-scale construction, such as building the walls.

“Were there no setbacks?”

“As there is a reason for proceeding in stages, naturally, a few setbacks have arisen.”

Since they had started the wall construction, which had been postponed to a later stage, first, it was only natural.

“In fact, didn’t we build the walls with a population ten times the currently accommodable number in mind, after considering how many people would actually move in?”

“That’s right.”

“After checking, we are now in a situation where we need to put the brakes on population growth.”

Putting the brakes on population growth meant they could no longer accept refugees.

“Petitions from the nobles have begun reaching the Empire. They say we are taking refugees away from them.”

“That is an irrefutable fact.”

They were, in fact, doing exactly that.

They had accepted most of the refugees who came.

The reason for refusing more refugees was not simply the harsh cold of winter.

Once spring arrived and labor was needed, even one more pair of small hands would be useful.

“Some nobles are also demanding that the refugees be returned.”

“Not a chance.”

“A perfectly sound statement, sir.”

Ferda was not a philanthropist.

Bringing in people without a penny to their names and increasing the population was also meant to breathe life into the city.

With more people, merchants would flock there, and as they flocked in, rumors would spread.

“Would it be all right to write a letter saying that it is out of the question?”

“I would venture to say that would be the worst possible move.”

Isabella advised him coolly.

“By the time they wrote a petition, it meant their influence had already grown enough to be called a faction. What we need now is to cut off the flow. If we send a letter, we would be creating an opening that would make the flow surge more violently.”

“Then assassination is the answer.”

“……Are you serious?”

“I’m joking.”

Isabella blinked at that.

She had not expected the word “joke” to come from Ferda’s mouth, and no matter how she looked at it, he had not sounded as though he was joking.

Ferda could roughly see the flow Isabella was talking about.

Since he had gone around making enemies, he knew where this sort of resentment would flow once it accumulated.

‘The Empire.’

The Empire would not be pleased to see the Grand Duchy growing by leaps and bounds.

It would not be able to simply stand by and watch; the Empire would restrain the Grand Duchy in one way or another.

Or it might create the unfavorable impression that Ferda was provoking wars in various regions to create refugees, with the ulterior motive of absorbing them.

“What do you think we need right now?”

“Connections, I suppose. What is needed for political matters is connections.”

It was what Ferda was worst at after physical activity.

“If it’s connections, isn’t there Count Concilius?”

“Count Concilius is an excellent man, but he can only secure support limited to the Far East.”

Just as a village headman is only a big shot in his own neighborhood, in other regions he was no more than an outsider.

Concilius had always said the same.

That it would be good to become friendly with someone capable of wielding great influence on the Imperial side.

At the time, it had sounded like a distant matter to Ferda.

He had never expected to end up building a town in his own front yard like this.

“I looked into it, and I understand that you have already attended the Grand Council once, Regent. Did you not befriend anyone there?”

“Someone I befriended…….”

He went back to that day and recalled the people he had become acquainted with.

A gleaming bald head seemed to shine brightly like the sun.

“President Escolleia, perhaps.”

“President Escolleia has no influence to serve as a backer.”

Rather, it would be a situation where Ferda had to lead him.

“What about the Ior Magi Tower, which was declared an ally?”

“It does have influence, but its basic principle is not to interfere in human politics. It would not move unless the matter were related to demons.”

That was only natural.

They always said humans should solve human affairs themselves.

“We need someone in the Empire if at all possible. Someone who could at least restrain the Empire when it tries to strike at our momentum.”

Someone like that.

Where could he find such a person?

It was just as Ferda was thinking that—

Ruri, the maid who had been carrying out cleaning duties, arrived.

“A guest has come from the Empire.”

* * *

The person who had come along the Imperial Road was a knight.

He wore the insignia of direct Imperial service and was adorned in silver and gold, seeming to proclaim with his entire body that no one should dare lay a hand on him.

However, since Ferda was a knight himself, he knew what role had brought the man here.

He recognized it from the owl feather attached to the knight’s helmet.

‘A courier.’

Someone who delivered letters written by members of the Imperial bloodline.

It was a high-ranking position that could never be ignored.

“I pay my respects to the consort of the Great Fire! Imperial Knight, Aren, offers his greetings.”

“Welcome to Waldrova Castle. What brings you here?”

“I have come to deliver a letter from the Imperial Family.”

The knight took out the case he had kept inside his tunic.

Inside lay the letter exactly as its author had carefully wrapped it.

If he had come to proclaim an imperial decree, it would have been fine paper rolled around a golden rod.

This meant the letter had been sent by the Imperial Family for personal business, rather than representing the official position of the Arken Empire.

‘The fact that they sent such a letter…….’

Perhaps because of what he and Isabella had been discussing, his first thought was that this might turn into a valuable connection for Ferda.

He broke the seal and read the contents.

“If it is not too private, may I ask what it says?”

Since Ferda was the one who handled troublesome matters, he willingly told her.

“Someone from the Imperial Family is coming here unexpectedly.”

“You mean they’re coming as soon as tomorrow?”

“In a week.”

In the Empire, where every minute and second was precious.

Besides, a member of the Imperial Family was a VVIP.

From their perspective, a week’s notice really was sudden.

Who among the Imperial bloodline would come?

Ferda looked at the signature written at the very bottom of the letter.

His slightly buoyant mood soured the moment he saw the first letter.

“It’s a letter from an Imperial Princess.”

Olivia Arken.

Unlike the princes who possessed the right of succession, she could not directly express political views.

“All shine and no substance.”

Isabella was right.

Still, even a hollow fruit was better than nothing, wasn’t it?

For a hungry Ferda, something to put in his mouth was needed right away.