Chapter 107
“Khaha! How ridiculous.”
The mage from Abelio’s side burst into laughter after hearing Aileen’s words. There was clear mockery toward her in his laughter.
After stopping, the mage looked at Aileen and said,
“Do you even know how closed-off the mages of the Magic Tower are? Do you think they’ll obediently help you?”
“Yeah. I think they will.”
“What?”
The mage stared at her in disbelief. Aileen simply smiled faintly and took something out without a word.
Shock filled the mage’s eyes when he saw it.
“Th-That’s…!”
“If you’re a mage too, isn’t it something you’d want?”
He shut his mouth. He couldn’t think of anything to refute her.
What she held in her hand was a top-grade mana stone. Those bastards from the Magic Tower would definitely go crazy and rush over it.
Aileen turned her head away from the silent mage and looked at Richart.
“Anyway, there’s a way to bring the mages of the Magic Tower, so you don’t have to worry.”
“But it takes half a day just to get to the Magic Tower.”
“What’s the problem? We can leave right now.”
Concern filled Richart’s eyes.
If it were up to him, he would have wanted to go with her, but he was in no position to leave right now.
Of course, Kane would follow her, and he was someone trustworthy. But sending just the two of them felt somehow unsettling.
At that moment, Ludwig, who had been quietly standing nearby, stepped in.
“Brother, I will go with the Madam.”
“You?”
“Yes. Seeing that these men appeared, it seems Abelio knew I would make a move. But if I show up alive and well, he’ll surely realize his plan failed. So I think it would be better to make it look like I’m dead. While that happens, I’ll go to the Magic Tower with the Madam.”
“But how will we spread the false information?”
When Aileen voiced her doubt, Richart answered instead.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
Richart’s gaze turned toward Abelio’s subordinates, who were tied up obediently. Those who received his gaze flinched.
“If they don’t want to die painfully when the tide has already turned in our favor, they’ll help us on their own.”
Richart smiled faintly and asked them,
“Isn’t that right?”
The faces of the bound men turned pale. Aileen swallowed nervously as she looked back and forth between them and Richart.
“Th-That’s true. Then I’ll move together with His Highness.”
“But….”
Richart hesitated as he looked at her. Aileen tilted her head, wondering if he had something to say.
On the other hand, Ludwig, who had been watching Richart hesitate, seemed to realize something and spoke.
“There’s no need to worry, Brother. I will protect the Madam well.”
‘You going with her is the problem.’
Richart let out a deep sigh. It seemed Ludwig had misunderstood his hesitation as jealousy, but he didn’t feel like saying anything to someone who was going with good intentions.
In the end, Richart decided to send the two of them together. Of course, he did not forget to give Kane an order.
“Make sure the two of them don’t stay attached to each other even for a moment.”
That day, Kane witnessed his lord’s pettiness.
❧ ❧ ❧
Aileen, along with Ludwig and the escort knight Kane, headed straight to the capital, Kaloa.
Ludwig assumed she would go directly to the Magic Tower. But contrary to expectations, the place they headed to was the Olden family’s mansion.
“Milady? How are you here so quickly…?”
“Something came up. It’s a secret that I came.”
Leaving behind the confused servants, Aileen went up to her office. Ludwig and Kane followed behind her.
She opened a locked drawer and had them gather the pouches stuffed inside.
Ludwig was curious what they were but didn’t ask. From the clinking sound, he guessed it was money.
After repeatedly telling the servants not to say they had seen her, the three headed this time to Aileen’s shop, Premium.
Ding—
As the door opened with a chime, Annie immediately recognized Aileen under her hood and widened her eyes.
“Boss! Didn’t you say you’d be away for a while?”
“I did, but something came up. It’s a secret that I’m here. More importantly, where’s Heinell?”
“I’m over here.”
Heinell appeared from inside the shop, yawning. His hair stuck out in all directions like a bird’s nest.
Kane frowned, but Aileen paid no attention and spoke to him.
“Heinell, come somewhere with me.”
“Yaaawn… Where to?”
“To the Magic Tower.”
Heinell’s movement abruptly stopped. He was suddenly fully awake as he asked again.
“The Magic Tower? Are you serious?”
“Yes. And after that, I need you to go with me to Pamela Village.”
“That’s fine, but… what’s going on?”
“I’ll explain slowly later. Let’s go to the Magic Tower first. It’s urgent.”
Aileen handed him one pouch. Heinell, still looking bewildered, opened it and widened his eyes.
Top-grade mana stones filled the pouch.
“W-Wow… Milady, your spending has gotten big. There’s more than usual?”
“I told you. It’s urgent.”
“Alright. Then we’ll move right away.”
Without adding anything further, Heinell immediately cast a teleportation spell. Aileen, of course, and Kane and Ludwig as well, were within the spell’s range.
Feeling the dizzying sensation for the first time, Ludwig tightly shut his eyes. When he opened them, a tall tower stood before them.
They had arrived in front of the Magic Tower in an instant, but there was no time to marvel. Heinell activated another spell to enter the Magic Tower.
After two teleportation spells, they finally entered inside the Magic Tower.
Seeing the interior of the Magic Tower for the first time, Ludwig widened his eyes and looked around. At that moment, a mage pointed at them and shouted.
“Huh? It’s our employer!”
“What? Our employer?”
“It really is! Hello, employer!”
Honestly, Ludwig had thought they wouldn’t be welcomed at the Magic Tower. He had even thought they’d be lucky if they weren’t kicked out.
But contrary to expectations, the mages of the Magic Tower warmly welcomed them—more precisely, Aileen.
Before they knew it, the first floor of the Magic Tower was filled with mages. Not only that, but the second and third floors as well. It seemed like every mage in the tower had come out.
Still awkward with the situation, Aileen spoke with a troubled expression.
“Um… Have you all been well?”
“Yes!”
“Of course!”
The mages stared at Aileen with sparkling eyes. They looked as though they expected her to scatter mana stones.
And that expectation was somewhat correct.
“Actually, I came because I have a favor to ask.”
Since everyone was listening attentively, she was able to speak comfortably.
“I’d like all of you to go with me to Pamela Village. Right now, explosive magic devices have been hidden in Pamela Village because of someone’s scheme. If we’re not careful, the explosion terror incident from eight years ago might happen again.”
Though Aileen spoke seriously, most of them wore indifferent expressions, as if it had nothing to do with them.
The relatively humane Heinell was about to flare up and step forward, but Aileen stopped him instead. Then she said,
“Of course, I won’t ask for help for free.”
Aileen gave Kane a look. Meeting her eyes, Kane handed her one of the pouches brought from the mansion.
Aileen opened it and poured the contents into her palm.
Clatter—
As the top-grade mana stones inside spilled out, the mages’ gazes naturally shifted to her hand.
Aileen felt the air change instantly and grinned.
“For those who help me, I plan to give a top-grade mana stone as a reward. One top-grade mana stone for each explosive magic device found.”
A sharp intake of breath was heard from somewhere in the corner. Aileen’s smile deepened as she asked,
“So, who will help me?”
“Me!”
And the mages of the Magic Tower shouted as one.
❧ ❧ ❧
The memorial ceremony ended in confusion and chaos. And at the center of it were the three princes.
The Third Prince Ludwig, who subdued the First Prince Abelio. And even the Second Prince Richart, who appeared late and calmly watched the situation from Ludwig’s side.
Everyone in the village watched with confused eyes. And the confusion continued until Abelio was dragged away.
“What is this? What’s going on?”
“What in the world is happening?”
At that moment, Ludwig, who glanced at them, went up onto the platform. The Emperor was watching him.
Ludwig stopped before him and opened his mouth.
“Your Majesty, may I speak for a moment?”
The Emperor quietly looked at Ludwig, who for the first time stood before him and spoke boldly. Then he stepped slightly back.
After giving him a slight nod, Ludwig addressed the villagers.
“I believe you were all greatly startled by this sudden situation.”
The villagers fixed their gazes on him with faces filled with various emotions. Even so, Ludwig continued calmly.
“In truth, bombs had been hidden throughout this village.”
“What? Bombs?”
“Don’t tell me that terrible terror incident will happen again…!”
Shouts filled with shock rose from everywhere. The more they did, the louder Ludwig made his voice.
“But there is no need to worry. The bombs have all been collected and deactivated by the mages mixed among you.”
“Mages?”
The villagers’ gazes turned toward those who had been hopping around earlier. The ones receiving the looks scratched their cheeks awkwardly.
They were the mages of the Magic Tower, who had been running around the village in ordinary clothes instead of mage robes to avoid being noticed.
At the words that the bombs had been deactivated, the commotion subsided somewhat. But Ludwig’s next words were like a bomb themselves.
“And the one who planted the bombs has just been subdued.”
“Don’t tell me….”
Everyone thought of one person—Abelio, who had been dragged away after being defeated by Ludwig.
Silence fell over the surroundings. Only Ludwig’s voice echoed through the memorial grounds.
“So there is no longer any need to worry.
