Franz Pengbo Naqi's Childhood

Aleister's heart stirred when he heard that.

...The "great" Duchess Bayard?

What had Viennes done to earn such respect from Pengbo Naqi? No wonder the usually frivolous Pengbo Naqi had acted so formally when he came to find her.

The Duchess Bayard's status must have been far higher than Pengbo Naqi's when the two of them met at Crescent Moon Manor.

Realizing that he truly had a chance to tease some information out of him, Aleister focused even more intently.

"Great..."

"Bayard" took a sip of wine, a mocking smile appearing at the corner of her lips. "Are you serious? Or are you making fun of me?"

"—No, of course I'm serious."

Pengbo Naqi elegantly pressed his right hand to his chest and said earnestly, "The 'Herasul's Light' on your chest is proof. It was not bestowed upon your father or mother, but upon you personally, Duchess.

"The Bayard Conglomerate has become a colossus capable of shaking the empire in your hands. Even the emperor had to bow to you and curry your favor... Without you, Crescent Moon Manor might never have existed. That was the place that changed my life."

Aleister froze for a moment.

...So this necklace was the "Herasul's Light"?

This was something Iver had learned about back when he took history classes on Avalon.

The collapse of most countries was caused by their national strength weakening, but the Herasul Empire alone fell because it had grown too powerful.

At least according to Avalon's textbooks, the primary reason for the Herasul Empire's collapse was that large numbers of extraordinary beings from the Bottom Layer had gradually slipped out of control. In that era, when extraordinary knowledge had yet to be strictly regulated, anyone could easily become an extraordinary being as long as they had a guide.

There