The doors swung open.
Revealed before them was a spacious, circular grand hall.
The floor was paved with neat, dark tiles, and the walls were built of gray-black bricks, unadorned with decorations. The style was rustic, yet it exuded a sense of straightforward frankness.
Along the edges of the hall, thick carpets were rolled up and stored neatly.
They looked like they hadn't been used in a long time.
A simple wooden staircase ran along the wall.
Following the stairs upwards, one could see that the second floor had no rooms, only a circular suspended gallery that wrapped around the entire hall. The gallery had a railing, allowing people to stand and watch from above. Every few steps, an exquisite chandelier hung down from an iron chain as thick as an arm.
There were few windows, and the stonework was almost entirely dark.
But for some reason, the hall itself felt incredibly bright.
The group walked into the empty hall, and the beast-kin maids closed the doors behind them, not entering with the group.
Eris crossed her arms and looked at Hilda beside her, her eyes scanning the room.
"What is this place… a banquet hall?"
Beside her, Sylphie seemed to remember something and turned sharply to look at Hilda. The latter glanced at Sylphie's suddenly nervous expression and said with a smile.
"You remember, Eris. Your fifth birthday banquet was held here. After that, this hall was never used again. Do you remember the ball that night?"
Eris pouted, trying hard to remember, then shook her head forcefully.
"Nope!"
Hilda smiled and shook her head, leading the group toward the center of the hall as she spoke.
"This banquet hall was one of the first buildings constructed after the Boreas mansion was completed. Don't let its rustic appearance fool you; the stone was carefully selected and is extremely sturdy. Over the years, it has only undergone minor repairs, with the biggest project being the addition of the second-floor gallery."
"It is said that back in the age of wars, the Boreas ancestors would hold grand feasts here with their generals every time they returned victorious."
"If there is any building in the Boreas estate that best embodies the family's honor, it is undoubtedly this one."
"For Eris's fifth birthday, we had to host all the subordinate nobles, so holding the banquet and ball in a place with such special significance was most appropriate."
The sound of their footsteps echoed slightly in the empty hall.
Alan looked around. His 'Sense' kept feeding him 'discordant' information.
Chandeliers hanging from iron chains;
A dark, rustic architectural style;
Few windows, yet a bright atmosphere;
The echo of footsteps, making the space feel even vaster than it looked.
He paused, a sudden realization hitting him.
Just then, Hilda stopped walking.
Eris was also looking around, the hall feeling unfamiliar to her. She asked with confusion.
"Mother, didn't you bring us here to see the crest? Where is it?"
Hilda stopped at her words.
By now, she had reached the center of the hall.
She turned.
Facing them.
The smile was still clearly visible on Hilda's face, her expression brilliant, as if veiled in a sunset glow that complemented her hair.
She raised a finger.
Its outline was traced in light by the hazy sunset glow.
She raised it above her head, pointing to the 'sky.'
"Look."
Alan saw the 'sunlight' on Hilda's finger and shot his head up.
It wasn't just like sunlight…
The sunset glow truly was shining on Hilda's face.
And why were the chandeliers hanging from iron chains instead of directly from the ceiling beams?
Because…
This banquet hall had no beams at all.
Before his eyes…
High above, on the towering roof, was a canvas of the brilliant evening sky.
It was diffused across a massive, domed skylight of stained glass.
The sunset's magnificent colors flowed across the glass.
The seams connecting each piece of glass outlined the edges of individual feathers.
The glass itself formed the feathers, with light constantly shifting across its surface.
And within the stained-glass wings…
Was a black 'heart.'
Coarse, hard, with a grainy texture.
It glinted with a metallic sheen.
No.
It was a heart forged from a single, solid plate of iron.
The Iron Heart.
The family crest of Boreas.
It loomed above them all.
Poised to take flight.
The astonished gasps of Rudeus and Sylphie echoed around him, along with the excited shouts of Eris, the young lady of Boreas herself.
Hilda smiled as she answered their questions.
"It is indeed in a place one might easily overlook. People rarely come to this hall during the day. How much manpower did this crest take? I'm not quite sure, Rudeus."
"Hehe, I had about the same reaction as you when I first saw it. It's truly stunning. The first time I came here was for a ball at night, and I didn't even notice it. Your father brought me here later to show me."
"Was it just me and Philip then? Yes, it was, Sylphie. Oh? Why are you blushing?"
"Are there other glass-domed crests like this one? Yes, there are, Ghislaine. The high tower from which my father-in-law often gazes also has one just like it on its roof."
Hilda's words washed over Alan.
He remained looking up, gazing at the Iron Heart.
His thoughts were a whirlwind.
For the Boreas domain to exist eternally upon this land?
A very ambitious goal.
It has the spirit of a founding hero, a military official carving out his own domain.
The hidden meaning was obvious.
This land may not always belong to the Asura Kingdom, but it must always belong to Boreas.
The Kingdom may rise and fall.
Boreas must endure forever.
The Iron Heart?
This requires every lord to possess a will of steel.
To carry this goal through to the very end.
Who among the next generation of heirs fits this description?
Philip, who was scheming and cunning as a fox, a good husband, but yearned for the center of power in the Asuran capital, Yaras?
Clearly not him.
Was it James, then?
Did he possess the iron will to see this goal through?
Judging from his actions in the later story, which contradicted Sauros's willingness to spend his fortune to rebuild the domain, he clearly wasn't the one either.
So why did Sauros favor him more?
Because, at least on the surface, James had one characteristic that better fit the 'Iron Heart.'
And that was—
He was colder and more self-serving than Philip.
He seemed to have more of a rebellious streak.
His actions during the succession battle and his intent to hunt down and kill Alan proved this.
In a way, that was much closer to an 'Iron Heart.'
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