Considering Count Laurel’s influence, it’s not entirely impossible. After all, the power of the Laurel family itself comes from the Count.

“Is it that significant…?”

Ibi asked skeptically in response to Dies’s words. Dies nodded without hesitation.

“You know where the Count has been until now, don’t you?”

“I know, he was in Bis.”

“More precisely, he was at the border of Bis.”

The border. The continent’s only border region in eastern Bis.

There, a war that started 300 years ago continues to this day.

However, it was not a conflict between humans, but a misfortune caused by the madness of a great being.

“The eastern border, where Amanesserre is.”

The ominous name Dies pronounced stuck in Ibi’s ear.

Amanesserre. That was the name of the golden dragon that once protected Tiendabis.

He was called ‘Amanesserre who awakens the dawn’ and protected Tiendabis from tidal waves and typhoons.

But he too forgot his original noble role due to the tragedy that occurred 300 years ago. Because he was corrupted and driven mad by Noche.

So that dragon is still rampaging while confined to eastern Bis.

“The Laurel family’s duty is to confine and monitor the rampaging Amanesserre in the east. And Count Laurel is currently performing that duty.”

“I know he plays an important role, of course. But can he alone overrule the opinions of other great nobles? Doesn’t the Bayen duchy also protect Bis?”

Ibi asked, mentioning Bayen, another great noble.

As Ibi said, Bayen was also a deeply rooted military family, and the army they commanded was active throughout Bis.

“But the roles of Laurel and Bayen are completely different.”

Dies replied lightly, picking up a teacup on the table. Then he continued his explanation while starting to polish it again.

“First, what the Duke of Bayen’s army does is maintain public order in Bis. They are stationed in cities lacking self-defense capabilities, eliminate bandits, deal with situations caused by Noche’s curse, and sometimes hunt the night folk. In short, it’s an army for the residents of Bis.”

Ibi nodded, recalling old times.

She had often seen it when she was in Bis. Soldiers in large armor marching with flags bearing black whales.

That black whale was the symbol of the Bayen duchy.

“On the other hand, the army of the Grand Duke of Laurel, the Eastern Watchers, is stationed only at the eastern border. And they monitor Amanesserre while preventing the monsters of the border from coming out.”

So Laurel’s army is to prevent the enormous threat of Amanesserre, while Bayen’s army is for the peace and stability of Bis.

Ibi thought about how these two were different and soon furrowed her brow.

“The nobles wouldn’t be interested in the Duke of Bayen’s army.”

“That’s right. Except for nobles with businesses in the lower continent, they’re generally indifferent. No matter what happens in Bis, it doesn’t particularly affect the Tienda nobles.”

Ibi immediately pinpointed the core issue, and Dies inwardly smiled at her cleverness.

The Tienda nobles probably wouldn’t dream of it.

The fact that Ibi, who skillfully picked up on any topic, had received systematic education for only 2 years.

Before that, Ibi barely knew her letters and was ignorant of almost everything. It was because she was struggling to survive in harsh conditions.

But Ibi quickly mastered what they learned over a decade to adapt to Tienda’s nobility.

Boldly, efficiently, and persistently.

The nobles who don’t know this think Ibi’s ability is just her voice blessed by Manyanya.

But Dies, who watched Ibi most closely, thought differently.

He was certain. Ibi’s true strength, which the nobles couldn’t even fathom, was this intelligence and courage.

Dies felt a new appreciation for Ibi, but he didn’t show it and continued what he was saying.

“On the other hand, Amanesserre is a threat to Tienda as well. You’ve learned, so you should know. That Amanesserre once tried to drop Tienda into the sea.”

“Yes, I know. So the Duke of Bayen’s army does work that’s not really related to Tienda, while the Grand Duke of Laurel and the Count prevent direct threats to Tienda, right?”

Dies finally laughed at Ibi’s annoyingly clear summary.

“Exactly. And the more important point here is that while anyone can do the role of Bayen’s army, only the Count can perform Count Laurel’s duty.”

“Why is that?”

“Do you know how big Amanesserre is?”

“I don’t know.”

“They say when he spreads his wings, he can cover all of Tienda.”

“That’s a lie.”

“It’s true. Think about Manyanya.”

When Ibi doubted and questioned, Dies mentioned Manyanya as if to say it was really true.

After the purification ritual, when the murky water becomes as transparent as air, the bottom of the lake is fully revealed.

Then you can see the outline of Manyanya buried in mud and silt, and the body of Manyanya sleeping curled up is so huge that it fills the entire bottom of that wide lake.

Ibi recalled such a Manyanya and belatedly agreed.

Well, if it’s that big even when curled up, it would more than cover Tienda with its wings spread.

Moreover, Tienda is a very small land compared to Bis.

Bis, containing mountain ranges, fields, and rivers, could be called a continent without exaggeration, but Tienda was just a small island barely holding one lake.

Nevertheless, Ibi was quite amazed by the fact that a single living being was comparable in size to Tienda.

And Dies’s following statement surprised Ibi even more.

“The Count is guarding and monitoring such an Amanesserre. Alone.”

“Alone?”

“It’s a duty passed down through generations to the second son of the Laurel family. To make the rising Amanesserre fall and put him back to sleep, to prevent him from leaving the east. That’s their role.”

“How is that possible?”

Ibi could hardly imagine one person bringing down and holding back a dragon as big as Tienda. So she asked with a surprised face, and Dies answered clearly.

“Just as you exclusively have Manyanya’s blessing, the Count is also exclusively using Tardes’s blessing.”

Four dragons that God created in the image of the sky.

Amanesserre who awakens the dawn.

Manyanya who rules the day.

Tardes who watches the twilight.

And Noche who watches the night.

These once brilliant beings who cared for the continent met different fates due to Noche’s betrayal.

Amanesserre who went mad and rampages.

Manyanya who exhausted her power and fell into a long sleep.

Tardes who was deeply wounded and fell silent.

Noche who shattered and became the source of curses.

And among them, Tardes, like Manyanya, lent his blessing to the humans he once cared for.

Unlike Manyanya’s gentle blessing, it was an incredibly rough and destructive power.

Receiving that power and fighting Amanesserre for a lifetime was the duty and harsh mission of the successive Counts of Laurel.

“So the Count is the only being who can stop Amanesserre. In other words, he’s the savior protecting Tiendabis from the mad dragon.”

Ibi was at a loss for words at Dies’s grand assessment.

It was quite a shock to Ibi that the Count’s power was much greater than she thought, and that she had been completely unaware of it until now.

Ibi, who had been cramming education, had to choose what to take and what to discard.

And information about Count Sion Laurel, who had been ignoring Tienda for the past 7 years, naturally belonged to what should be discarded.

So Ibi knew only very superficially about the Count.

The Grand Duke of Laurel’s younger brother was dispatched to Bis, and it was related to Amanesserre in the east.

That was about it.

But the Count’s aspects that Dies newly revealed far exceeded Ibi’s interpretation, and as a result, Ibi was quite flustered.

“I… cursed such a person.”

Ibi muttered with a newly shocked face.

Although she had never been there herself, Ibi had heard about the eastern border a few times.

The hell of this world where the land burns from the poison spewed by Amanesserre, the mad dragon of dawn, and monsters, products of reversal, are endlessly born and bare their teeth.

And Sion Laurel alone bringing down the dragon in such a place…

“At this rate, isn’t he much better than me?”

Ibi said in a voice full of crisis. Dies coldly affirmed.

“Of course the Count is far better, and if we compare importance, it’s an overwhelming victory for him. We’d suffer without water, but we’d be annihilated if Amanesserre was unleashed.”

At those words, Ibi’s face became even paler.

After hearing this far, she had to admit.

That the Count’s words to prevent Ibi’s selection as a saint were not just bluster, that he really had such power.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean the Count can order or coerce other great nobles. Whether it’s Sedro, Bayen, or Montra, they all have roles just as important as Laurel.”

When Ibi’s face turned white, Dies belatedly offered words of comfort that weren’t really comforting.

But those words didn’t reach Ibi at all.

‘What kind of debt could such an amazing person owe to whom?’

Ibi became even more suspicious of the reason why the Count approached her.

Since he swore on his family name, it probably wasn’t a lie, but no matter how she thought about it, no proper picture came to mind.

At the same time, one sweet possibility arose behind the question.

If the Count is such a great person, wouldn’t it be possible for him to protect me from the Tower Lord?

If he really has the duty to protect and take care of me.

Ibi recalled yesterday’s events at the tower.

The Count saw Ibi’s wet ceremonial dress and took off his coat to give her.

He pushed aside Miel Sedro, another great noble, to help Ibi.

And he neither rejected nor blamed Ibi who knocked him down and even straddled him and covered his mouth.

He just reached out and lightly held Ibi’s cheeks.

Suddenly remembering the sensation of the Count holding her cheeks, Ibi fanned her face to cool the heat.

Really, it was so annoying because of that incident.

On the one hand, it was the kind of contact that would never be committed if there was no interest.

‘He’s actually generous to me.’

Ibi admitted after much consideration.

He wasn’t particularly kind or affectionate, and he was far from polite, but nevertheless, the Count had given Ibi quite a lot of leeway.

He even endured all the terrible things Ibi said because of the curse, so a great noble who was a complete stranger couldn’t be more generous than this.

Isn’t this enough to trust a little…?

‘No, get a grip.’

Ibi quickly shook her head, realizing her heart was leaning.

There’s nothing free in this world.

Everything happens only to those who deserve it.

So when undeserved, excessive luck comes, you should be suspicious.

Because there’s always bait in a trap.

“…You’re right. As the butler said, there are other great nobles and the Count has a lot to lose, so he’ll probably act within reason in the end.”

Ibi said calmly, finishing her calculations. Then she calmed her anxious heart.

She won’t trust the Count yet.

But she won’t rule out favorable possibilities either.

The purpose the Count himself revealed was to repay a debt.

To do so, he would fully support and protect Ibi.

If preventing Ibi’s selection as a saint is part of that, the Count doesn’t have many options.

After all, he probably won’t be able to push too hard against someone he’s supposed to protect.

Thinking this way, Ibi had a vague hope.

That the Count would come out subtly generous as he did before, which was truly a vain hope.

.

.

.

The next day, Count Laurel, who had been silent all along, finally announced his position on Ibi Ariate.

It was exactly a week after the problematic banquet.

“I, Sion Laurel, strongly oppose the selection of Ibi Ariate, who has insulted the Grand Duke of Laurel’s family, as a saint.

Nevertheless, if the above person is selected as a saint due to the obstinacy of the decision-makers, I declare that I will suspend my duty of monitoring Amanesserre until this decision is withdrawn, for the restoration of honor.”

The Count’s statement was brief.

But it was enough to turn the Tienda nobility upside down.

In fact, this was a threat to all of Tienda, and an order given while carefully strangling the necks of the nobles one by one.

Thanks to this, the nobles, who found themselves in hot water, unanimously turned their arrows to one place.

To Ibi Ariate, who dared to commit high treason against Count-nim, the guardian of Tienda.

The Count clearly said he would protect and take care of Ibi.

But to do so, the Count intended to first shatter everything of Ibi’s.