Chapter 39: The City Lord

Night had not yet fallen over Helheim City, but the last light of evening was already withdrawing from the western sky when another part of the enormous metropolis settled into a quieter rhythm.

Near the administrative heart of the city stood a sprawling complex of black stone and pale marble surrounded by its own walls, towers, courtyards, barracks, archives, government offices, and private residences.

Thousands of officials worked throughout the complex during the day, managing everything from taxation and trade to security, construction, immigration, transportation, and the countless problems that naturally came with governing a metropolis containing more than ten million permanent residents.

At the center of this enormous administrative district stood the City Lord’s residence, and within it was an audience hall large enough to swallow several ordinary mansions.

Towering black pillars rose toward a vaulted ceiling crossed by silver beams, while enormous windows along both sides admitted the fading evening light.

The polished stone floor stretched for more than a hundred paces before reaching a broad raised platform at the opposite end. There were no petitioners filling the hall now, no officials waiting with documents, and no representatives from merchant organizations seeking approval for one thing or another.

The day’s formal business had already concluded. Only two men remained.

Seated upon the high-backed chair at the end of the hall was Wolfram Blutkron Var Grandel, the current City Lord of Helheim City and a member of the Blutkron Great Branch, one of the Seven Great Branch Houses of Grandel.

Wolfram appeared to be somewhere in his late forties, although there was little softness in his appearance to suggest age had begun slowing him.

He was a large man with broad shoulders and a powerful frame concealed beneath a dark crimson formal coat that resembled military attire more than the flowing robes favored by many administrators.

His ash-white hair, carrying the unmistakable black roots of Zierghardt blood, had been combed backward and tied behind his head.

A short, meticulously maintained beard framed a stern mouth, while his iron-grey eyes possessed the calm heaviness of someone accustomed to people measuring every word they spoke in his presence.

Black embroidery decorated his cuffs and high collar, and a silver insignia belonging to the Blutkron Great Branch rested against his chest.

Below the platform stood an older man dressed in restrained grey and black. His name was Albrecht Renn, one of the senior officials serving directly beneath the City Lord.

His narrow face remained composed as he finished delivering the evening’s reports, one hand holding several documents while the other rested behind his back.

Wolfram listened without interruption until Albrecht reached the final report. Only then did the City Lord’s fingers stop tapping against the armrest.

He lifted his gaze from the document in his hand and regarded the older official for several seconds before asking, "So the Tenth Son has finally arrived?"

Albrecht inclined his head respectfully before answering, "Yes, City Lord. His convoy entered through the western gate shortly before evening. Captain Hartwin Archlight Von Grandel commanded the escort, and they proceeded directly toward Lady Sylvia’s estate in the northern residential district. There were no incidents during their passage through the city, and the Tenth Young Master should already be settling into the estate by now."

Wolfram leaned farther into his chair and rubbed one thumb slowly across the edge of the document.

"No incidents," he repeated with the faintest trace of amusement. "Considering how much attention that boy has attracted without ever setting foot inside this city, perhaps an uneventful arrival is the most surprising outcome."

Albrecht’s lips curved slightly. "Uneventful for him, perhaps. The same cannot be said for everyone else. His convoy passed through one of the busiest sections of the western avenue, and people recognized the Main Family crest almost immediately. By tomorrow morning, I expect most of Helheim City will know that the Tenth Son has arrived."

Wolfram gave a quiet chuckle and placed the document on the table beside his chair. "By tomorrow morning they’ll know he arrived. By tomorrow evening they’ll have decided he killed three Demonic Beasts on the road here, fought an assassin at the western gate, and challenged half of Helheim before eating dinner."

Albrecht allowed himself a more visible smile. "Considering some of the stories already circulating about his Soul Revelation, City Lord, that may actually be one of the more reasonable versions."

That comment drew Wolfram’s attention. His amusement faded into thoughtfulness as he reached for the cup beside him but didn’t immediately drink.

Five years had passed since the Soul Revelation Ceremony of Malhazar’s youngest child, yet reports of what happened that day had never completely disappeared.

Wolfram remembered receiving the first message and assuming whoever wrote it had allowed excitement to contaminate their judgment.

He had requested another account from an unrelated source. Then another. The problem had been that all three reports described essentially the same impossible phenomenon.

Wolfram finally raised the cup and took a slow drink before saying, "I remember those reports. The first one claimed daylight vanished above the Martial Soul Hall and millions of stars appeared across the sky. I thought the writer had lost his mind, so I requested independent confirmation."

Albrecht nodded, clearly remembering the incident himself. "You requested three confirmations, City Lord."

"And all three returned with nearly identical descriptions." Wolfram lowered his cup, his iron-grey eyes narrowing slightly at the memory. "That was when the story became considerably more interesting."

Albrecht shifted the documents beneath his arm before responding carefully. "The Tenth Young Master’s generation is already drawing considerable attention even without him. Several talented descendants from the Great Branches have arrived in Helheim City during the past week, and more are expected before admissions conclude. The Vassal Houses have sent promising children as well. This year’s intake may become particularly competitive."

Wolfram looked directly at him. "Blutkron included, I assume?"

Albrecht recognized the question hidden inside the casual tone and allowed a measured smile to touch his face. "The Blutkron Great Branch has naturally sent its own children, City Lord. Whether they deserve the expectations surrounding them is something Helheim will determine."

Wolfram gave a satisfied grunt. "Better answer. Parents have an unfortunate habit of deciding their children are monsters before those children have fought anyone outside their own training grounds. Helheim has always been good at curing that particular illness."

A brief silence followed before Albrecht glanced down at one of the documents in his hand. "There is another matter concerning the Tenth Young Master’s arrival. Several households will undoubtedly consider visiting Lady Sylvia’s estate. Since you govern Helheim City and belong to one of the Seven Great Branches, some may watch to see whether Blutkron approaches first."

Wolfram’s expression became almost bored. "Has anyone from our household already attempted it?"

"No, City Lord." Albrecht shook his head and explained, "I instructed our people to leave Lady Sylvia’s household alone tonight. The Tenth Young Master has spent roughly ten days traveling, and appearing at the estate immediately after his arrival would make us look overeager."

Wolfram nodded once, clearly approving of the decision. "Good. If someone from Blutkron appears at those gates tonight carrying gifts, half the city will decide we’re trying to attach ourselves to the Tenth Son before he even enters Helheim."

Albrecht’s brows rose slightly before he pointed out the opposite problem. "Unfortunately, City Lord, if Blutkron makes no gesture at all, another group will probably interpret the silence as deliberate disrespect toward the Main Family."

Wolfram stared at his subordinate for several seconds, then released a tired breath through his nose. "Which means whatever we do, someone somewhere will invent an intention for us."

"Precisely." Albrecht’s smile became dry as he added, "That is why I thought doing nothing tonight was the least troublesome option. We can send the appropriate formal greeting tomorrow. Nothing extravagant, nothing cold. Simply the courtesy expected from the City Lord’s household."

Wolfram considered it briefly before waving one hand. "Do that. Lady Sylvia doesn’t need a procession of grown men circling her son before the boy has even seen Helheim."

Albrecht bowed his head. "Understood."

The City Lord’s expression became more serious as his attention shifted from courtesy to the larger problem surrounding the incoming students. "And keep an eye on the households gathering in the city. The children can compete as violently as Helheim permits once they’re inside. I don’t care whether they become friends, enemies, rivals, or spend eight years trying to break each other’s noses. What I don’t want is their elders dragging old Branch disputes into an academy intake and using ten-year-olds to continue arguments they weren’t even alive to begin."

Albrecht’s amusement disappeared immediately. "There have been no serious incidents so far, City Lord, but I’ll have our people pay closer attention to the Great Branch residences and the larger Vassal households."

"Don’t send anyone around giving warnings unless there’s a reason," Wolfram instructed, tapping one finger against the armrest. "Warnings only make people hide what they were already planning. Let them behave naturally. If someone decides to interfere where they shouldn’t, I would rather know before we remind them how civilized they’re supposed to be."

Albrecht bowed again. "I’ll arrange it."

Silence returned to the enormous hall, broken only by the faint movement of evening air against the tall windows. Wolfram picked up another report but barely looked at it before setting it down again.

Something else was clearly occupying his thoughts.

After several moments, he raised his eyes toward Albrecht and asked, "Forget the rumors for a moment. What do we actually know about Sigurd Di Grandel?"

Albrecht didn’t answer immediately. He mentally sorted through what information could genuinely be considered reliable before saying, "Less than people believe. He awakened his Martial Soul at five and entered the Awakened Rank unusually quickly afterward. He primarily uses the sword and has spent most of the last five years training privately under Osric Halbrecht Von Archlight. Lady Sylvia’s household has released very little concerning his development, and Osric isn’t exactly known for discussing his students with outsiders. Anything more specific quickly enters the territory of rumor."

The moment Osric’s name left Albrecht’s mouth, Wolfram’s stern expression changed. His eyes narrowed before a quiet laugh escaped him. "Osric Halbrecht. So that old bastard really has been teaching the boy all these years."

Albrecht studied his reaction. "You know Instructor Osric personally?"

Wolfram didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he pushed himself from the chair and descended the few steps from the platform, his heavy footsteps echoing faintly across the hall. "I’ve crossed paths with him enough times to know that if Osric remained interested in teaching the same child for five years, then the boy probably isn’t boring. That man has never possessed the patience for boring things."

Albrecht said nothing as Wolfram crossed the hall toward one of the enormous windows.

Thousands of lights had begun appearing across Helheim City. Great avenues glowed between buildings, distant towers stood against the darkening mountains, and streams of carriages continued moving through streets far below. Somewhere beyond the administrative district, among the great estates of the northern quarter, stood the residence belonging to Sylvia.

Wolfram stopped before the window and clasped both hands behind his back.

For several seconds, the City Lord simply looked toward that distant part of the metropolis. His expression revealed neither hostility nor admiration, only the quiet curiosity of a man who had spent five years hearing stories about someone he had never met.

"The youngest son of the Oberzahn," Wolfram murmured, his iron-grey eyes remaining fixed toward Sylvia’s distant estate. "Five years of rumors, and now he’s finally here."

Behind him, Albrecht remained silent.

Wolfram continued staring across Helheim City as the last traces of daylight vanished behind the mountains.