Chapter 86
Inside the Grand Duchy of Prussia’s Mansion.
Grand Duchess Christina was visibly displeased.
It was because of the report Loen had brought.
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“You’re saying the researchers went north?”
“Yes, it seems Director Millen personally led them.”
“There’s no way she did it alone. Someone must have helped her.”
It would be difficult for them to travel safely while avoiding their pursuers without assistance.
“Who do you think it was?”
“I believe it was Duke Cartellani.”
“You’re saying the Duke personally got involved?”
“Yes, I believe he is involved.”
“And your reason?”
“If the researchers went north, that likely means the Duke knew they were coming.”
“So, you think the Duke called the researchers to the north?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Christina let out a long sigh.
“I just can’t understand why.”
“……”
“Why would the Duke go out of his way to help Queen’s researchers?”
It made no sense.
There had been no prior connection between Duke Cartellani and the Queen’s faction.
“Something about this keeps bothering me. I feel like I’m missing something.”
But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out.
Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, Christina asked:
“Have you found Emma’s whereabouts?”
“It seems all contact was lost after she went north.”
“Lost contact?”
“Yes, she appears to have infiltrated the Duke’s household, but nothing has been heard since.”
At that, Loen handed Christina the last letter Emma had sent to the organization.
“This is the last letter Emma sent.”
Christina read the letter carefully.
“Looks like she discovered the Guardian’s location.”
“Yes.”
“If we haven’t heard from her since, she must’ve been captured.”
“That’s what I think as well.”
“If she’s captured, they’ll try to extract information from her…”
“There’s no need to worry. Emma is loyal to the organization above all else. If they try to force her to talk, she’ll choose death.”
Christina looked genuinely regretful.
“Such a shame. Emma was too valuable to disappear like this.”
Christina had kept Emma as her aide for a long time.
Emma had supported the Grand Duchess in the capital and worked behind the scenes for the success of all her plans.
Losing her was a major blow.
“If you wish, I can try to rescue her.”
“No, that won’t be necessary.”
“……”
“She’s probably no longer… intact. I don’t like using defective goods.”
Christina picked up a pair of scissors and cut a flower from the vase.
“It’s a shame, but once something has outlived its use, you must know when to discard it. Keep that in mind, Loen.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Christina never used anything that wasn’t perfect. She was cold and ruthless.
Loen knew this better than anyone.
“Since Emma failed in the north, let’s proceed with the plan I mentioned before.”
“…If you mean that matter, I believe Count Zamel is the right person for it.”
“Count Zamel…”
“It seems he had a falling-out with Duke Cartellani.”
“Really?”
“Yes, their relationship seems to have soured.”
“Tell me everything.”
Loen nodded and explained what had happened between Count Zamel and the Duke.
“So that’s what happened…”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Count Zamel must be full of resentment.”
“He’s apparently also struggling with troublesome monsters and magical beasts.”
“Then we should help him, of course.”
Christina gestured Loen to come closer.
Loen stepped forward.
“Tell Count Zamel to send a petition to the Emperor, asking for intervention regarding the Duke’s tyranny.”
“So, you want him to appeal to His Majesty?”
“Exactly.”
“The Emperor can’t ignore a plea from a local lord, especially when the safety of the people is involved. He’ll definitely send someone to mediate. We’ll make sure one of our agents is among them.”
“Understood.”
With this method, they could attempt to infiltrate the Duke’s domain. If it worked, Christina might finally get what she wanted.
* * *
Austin arrived at the Duke’s estate.
Thanks to teleportation magic, the trip didn’t take long.
“You’re here.”
Alexis greeted him personally.
“You need my help?”
“Yes. I want to mislead the pursuers tracking the researchers Ellie is protecting. I was hoping you could help.”
“Disruption, huh…”
Austin shrugged.
“Magic really is the best method for that.”
“That’s why I came to you.”
“You’re not clueless after all.”
With a grin, Austin whispered:
“Got any good liquor ready?”
“Of course. This way.”
“Knew you’d be sharp.”
Austin, excited, picked up his pace, and Alexis followed with a smile.
* * *
Three days had passed since Austin left.
The day before, Lapis delivered supplies to Zirk. Massive amounts of material stored in subspace were unloaded in the southern fields of the island.
Seeing the huge pile of materials, Ellia let out a whistle.
It was more than she expected.
Zirk clapped his hands with a smile.
“Then, let’s begin construction, my lady.”
“Alright.”
As Ellia nodded, Zirk began casting magic.
Noah watched with interest.
Rumble.
Dust swirled up from the ground.
As Zirk completed his spell, golems were summoned within the magic circle.
The golems began carrying and working with the materials.
And it wasn’t just golems.
Tiny homunculi appeared as well.
Palm-sized creatures with featureless heads and long limbs began cutting and shaping the materials.
Zirk walked around with blueprints, giving detailed instructions. With each command, the structure slowly took shape.
“This is amazing,” Noah said, impressed.
Ellia was equally astonished.
“Magic really is all-purpose.”
Indeed.
In the blink of an eye, the framework of the building was coming together.
“Didn’t you say this blueprint would take at least a year to build?”
“I did.”
She had proudly shown Noah the plans once.
“At this rate, it won’t even take a month.”
“Probably not…”
He was right.
The design was incredibly intricate, but it was coming together with shocking speed.
Ellia wanted to give Zirk a standing ovation for his skills.
Suddenly, Noah asked:
“Ellie, what about our festival?”
“We decided to postpone it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The Duke said he’d explain everything to the people. If he tells them it’s for the safety of me and the prince, they’ll understand.”
“That’s a relief.”
They had planned to hold a festival in the Blessed Land in July to coincide with Noah’s birthday. Preparations had already been completed, but thanks to good timing, they were able to rescue the researchers instead.
They wanted to bring the researchers to the island right away, but there was no place for them to stay.
The Mage Tower couldn’t accommodate a group that large.
So they decided to build a lab on the island where the researchers could live and work—and progress was faster than expected.
Thanks to Zirk, construction time had been drastically reduced.
“My lady, it’s dinner time. We should stop here for today.”
“Alright.”
Since arriving, Zirk had been personally handling Ellia’s meals.
It must have been a hassle, but Zirk never complained—he served her only the best dishes.
“You really go all out,” Noah remarked as he eyed the food Zirk prepared for Ellia.
“Thanks to you, I get to eat like royalty too, Ellie.”
Zirk looked displeased at the way Noah gazed at Ellia.
“Your Highness, rather than chat, why don’t you eat? The food is getting cold.”
“Ah, sorry. I’ll eat out of respect for your effort.”
There was a faint snapping sound as Noah glanced up at Zirk—but Zirk still wore his usual smile.
“My lady, please try this soufflé made from goose eggs.”
“Oh, thank you.”
The soufflé was soft and delicious.
“It’s so fluffy. It feels like I’m eating a cloud.”
When she poked it with her fork, it jiggled gently.
Dipped in maple syrup, it tasted divine.
Whether at the Duke’s estate or here, Ellia enjoyed having access to such delicious food.
“Your Highness, it’s good, right?”
“Yeah… it’s good.”
Noah, awkward with compliments, gave a reluctant reply.
