Chapter 421: Countdown to the Lunar Eclipse [2]

’God, I just want to collapse onto my bed and crash out hard,’ Cedric thought as he rubbed the back of his neck.

It had been a brutally long day following his investiture.

First, he had to sit through a chat with the Grand Duke of the North, a brown-haired, blue-eyed man who went by the name Conner Almira.

Contrary to what one might expect from high nobility, the Duke looked haggard and entirely carefree. His long hair was bushy and unkempt. In fact, every now and then, Cedric couldn’t help but steal a glance at the man’s hair. When he did, he could see that from time to time, strands of the man’s hair would stand on its own as if he had been struck by lightning while they were talking, before settling back down.

What was even stranger was the fact that the man would shiver or flinch every time that happened, only to break out into a quiet chuckle right after.

Cedric was hoping he’d address the bizarre phenomenon, but the man completely ignored the elephant in the room.

That aside, just like Cedric, the Duke had little appetite for political games. He was a talker, though, and couldn’t help himself from blathering on about the North over a shared drink.

He didn’t seem to care much about Cedric’s youth, focusing far more on his strength, even if he tried to hide his curiosity behind casual banter.

Oh, and he had casually dropped that he had a daughter around Cedric’s age who was also preparing to set off for the upcoming Eclipse. He went as far as suggesting it would be wonderful if the young Count got to know Vivienne.

Heh.

Unfortunately for the Duke, Cedric had zero intention of getting anywhere near that snake.

After their exchange, Cedric had to meet with the three viscounts.

Viscount Sterling was a rotund man draped in overly fine silks who seemed more interested in commerce than combat. Viscount Morrigard, on the other hand, was sharp and reserved.

The most unsettling of the trio was Viscount Maximilian. He spoke sparingly, only offering a brief comment that since they were both heading toward this Eclipse, he hoped their paths might cross in the City under the Sea.

Of course, Cedric had already done his background research, so he knew that both Morrigard and Maximilian were seasoned Weapon Masters who apparently would be leaving for this Eclipse as well. As for Sterling, the man was merely a human whose family wealth had bought their title generations ago.

Truthfully, the territory under Djuvik used to answer to several more viscounts, but with the events of the matured Red Bridge, there was little hope that those absent lords were still alive.

After dealing with the nobility, the person Cedric was most eager to speak with was a man named Dante Giovanni.

This was the High Bailiff who would be managing the estate and local administration in Cedric’s absence. In short, he was Cedric’s right-hand man.

The white-haired man, who was in his thirties, seemed like a proper gentleman, and interestingly, he wasn’t a Dominant but a normal human.

Of course, Cedric had mentioned that he wouldn’t be coming to the North anytime soon as he would be too busy preparing for his Eclipse, so he expected that Dante would do the heavy lifting.

Before parting ways, Cedric handed him a small wooden box and instructed Dante to speak to its contents if he ever wanted to reach him. Dante opened the box to reveal a single, pitch-black feather.

Once the political duty ended, Cedric did also address the knights who had now been sworn to his house.

Truth be told, navigating through these endless formalities and small talk was an absolute nightmare for an introvert like him.

"You look exhausted," Aurora chuckled, taking a slow sip from her glass.

"Tell me about it," Cedric groaned, slumping further into his seat at the banquet. "I think my brain is completely fried.

"By the way, I kept feeling shivers down my spine from the way your brother kept stealing glances at me. What’s his deal? I’m already taken."

She chuckled quietly. "He was just curious. He’s been dying to see what you actually look like in person."

Before she could finish, Leon approached from behind, slapping Cedric’s back with enough force to knock the air out of his lungs.

"Look at you!" Leon grinned as he offered a mock bow. "Count Cedric Mortimer."

Cedric turned his head and scowled as if looking at a peasant. "And you don’t even have a title yet, golden child. Tsk tsk."

Leon’s scowl lasted for less than a second before his warm smile returned. He gave Cedric’s shoulder a firm squeeze. "I’m proud of you, man."

For the next few minutes, the three of them sat together, chatting about nothing in particular, while avoiding any talk of the looming Eclipse or the uncertain future waiting for them.

***

Following the events of the Red Bridge, the atmosphere throughout the Bastion had become tense.

Of course, knowing that Dominants in the previous Eclipse had failed was not motivating at all, filling everyone with a pervasive sense of foreboding.

Still, everyone threw themselves into intense preparation. Yet, as Audrey had once told him, no amount of preparation would ever feel like enough.

Speaking of Audrey, Cedric made a point to visit her whenever he could, and he was relieved to see that she was handling her grief better than he had feared.

When he wasn’t keeping her company, he was either training, playing pool, or just having loads of fun with his woman, Aika. Just because the Eclipse was coming didn’t mean he had to spend every waking second obsessing over it.

Of course, both he and Aika maintained their routine of drawing in mana every other night.

...Time slipped by unnoticed.

The final countdown began as the next few weeks passed in a blur of restless anticipation.

And before Cedric knew it, the eve of the Eclipse had finally arrived.

As tradition demanded, since it was the last night at the Bastion, the academy held a dance ball for everyone.