Chapter 83
The ten days passed quite busily.
The Grand Duke’s subordinates spent their time in a flurry, restoring the cosmetics factory and conducting preliminary inspections. I, too, was able to immerse myself in the cosmetics business after a long while, because ever since Niyan cast a CCTV shield on me, the Emperor hadn’t summoned me at all.
Niyan and I stood side by side, watching the factory equipment being repaired.
“The Emperor is probably keeping an eye on Raymond’s faction, right?”
“He must think we’re busy fixing the factory, so it makes for a good smokescreen.”
“And he’ll be busy treating his subordinates, too.”
Nix and Chloe, who had been injured that day, were staying off the front lines despite being perfectly fine, pretending to recuperate.
“Doesn’t he ask about me?”
“He occasionally looks at the orb and is told that there’s been almost no change in your behavioral patterns.”
“I see.”
Once the reinstallation was complete, we began a test run. Soon, the facility started operating normally again.
“As expected of the venerable Archmage—seems you’re well trusted.”
“No. Actually, I don’t think I’ll be able to come out for a while. I came today to inform you of that.”
“Why is that?”
“The Emperor was shocked by the existence of moderates who refused his order. When he realized they were people who follow me, he began looking at me with distrust. I think I’ll have to be careful with my actions.”
“Is that so?”
It seemed the problem was that the mages had split into factions over the order to destroy the factory. Since it was an internal matter of the Mage Tower, the Emperor couldn’t directly interfere. Still, given Kyle’s naturally suspicious disposition, it was more than enough to make him start doubting.
As I muttered to myself, ‘Well, it’s Kyle,’ Niyan pouted his protruding lips and voiced his complaint to me.
“But Lady Aileen.”
“Hm?”
“Why aren’t you feeling disappointed?”
“About what?”
“About me not being able to come for a while.”
“Ah. Of course I’m disappointed.”
“Really?”
“Of course! Teleportation was really convenient, you know.”
“…”
I even clapped my hands in response, but for some reason, his expression only stiffened further.
“Looks like you two get along exceptionally well.”
At that moment, a voice dripping with menace came from nearby. A chill ran down my spine as I turned around to see Raymond standing there, his eyes glinting ominously. With his arms crossed, he was glaring at us, his brow deeply furrowed.
“Raymond! You’re here?”
Even with that scary expression, my favorite is always a joy to see.
I smiled broadly and trotted over to Raymond. Just seeing him makes me smile automatically—it’s really a problem.
“Aileen.”
As soon as I clung to his arm, his expression softened instantly. Staring intently at my face, he lifted his other hand and gently stroked my hair. I somehow felt like a puppy, but it still felt nice in its own way.
“Have you arrived, Your Grace.”
The haughty Archmage, who was now my subordinate, bowed his head and addressed Raymond with proper honorifics. For someone who normally knew no bounds, it was a rare display of politeness—he was doing his best because I had insisted. Of course, he couldn’t quite hide that dissatisfied expression.
“My lady. Please come this way for a moment.”
“Okay.”
Since Drew called for me, I released my hold on Raymond’s arm and walked toward the equipment. It felt like the two men left behind were exchanging heated looks behind my back, but I couldn’t possibly worry about other people’s business in such detail.
“That will be all. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
Drew began operating the equipment in earnest to produce essence. Once the handle was turned manually, it would soon gain momentum and move automatically. After watching for a moment, I asked him,
“Do customers still come to protest these days?”
“Don’t even get me started. They stand in front of the closed shop holding placards and making a scene, demanding we resume sales immediately.”
“Oh dear.”
Originally, he had been in charge of the shop. Now, in place of the two who were pretending to recuperate, he was handling the factory.
“Still, thankfully, they’re not directing their resentment at us. We benefited from the rumors.”
“Right. That’s good.”
You wouldn’t believe the uproar among the nobles over not being able to obtain Ere Essence. Their servants and maids had been coming nonstop to protest at the shop. Apparently, it was even being reported daily in the local newspapers.
As the situation grew more serious, some people began digging into the cause, and through them, the truth surfaced. A rather accurate rumor—that the Emperor had ordered mages to destroy the factory—swept through high society. As a result, the target of resentment became the Emperor, and we gained the advantage in public opinion, so things worked out well.
Once the factory was running smoothly again, one major worry was lifted. After reinforcing safeguards to prevent anything like this from happening again, we welcomed the day to raid the warehouses.
Ten days later, in the early hours of D-Day.
I headed to the nearest secret warehouse, along with Raymond, Evan, and On-in-the-Wind.
Because this place was within the Imperial Palace, we hadn’t conducted a separate preliminary inspection. After discussion, we concluded that frequent visits would actually be more dangerous. Besides, the location description in the novel was like a riddle, so I had to go myself.
“Aileen, you don’t really have to come along…”
“I have to go, or we’ll get lost.”
We cut through the dawn air dressed head to toe in black. Our heads and faces were also completely covered with masks, hidden well enough that no one could recognize us.
He’s worried about others even though it’s dangerous for him too?
Even as we were nearing the Imperial Palace, he still couldn’t let go of his concern.
The reason he himself was going to this warehouse was obvious. If our intrusion into the palace were discovered, he would be the only one likely to survive. Infiltrating the heart of enemy territory was that dangerous an act.
So why not give up, you ask? No, no. That was absolutely out of the question. That place was essentially the Emperor’s personal warehouse, filled with treasured valuables. In particular, there was something I absolutely needed to use.
—When you reach the Golden Garden, at the place where the tip of the fifth tree that rises straight up touches.
Using a secret passage Raymond knew, we infiltrated the Imperial Palace and arrived at a place called the Golden Garden. It wasn’t a garden made of real gold, but a lush area thick with green foliage. At sunset, the leaves reflected the sunlight and shone like gold, which was how it got its name.
Since this was the Emperor’s private space and it was late at night, there wasn’t a single person around. Recalling the hints from the novel, we began to move.
—Go ten steps to the left, then twenty steps to the right.
“Then is it this way?”
“No. You have to think of it from the Emperor’s perspective.”
Instead of the direction we had entered from, we had to move based on the direction the Emperor would exit the palace. The tree that rose straight up referred to bamboo, and the fifth bamboo mentioned was noticeably shorter than the others. When I turned my head using its tip as a reference, a corridor-like space came into view.
“I think this is it.”
Sure enough, after turning twice as instructed, a dead-end space appeared.
—Among the side walls, there is a protruding section. Press it firmly.
I really felt like a grave robber setting out to find treasure.
Savoring the thrill, I approached and felt along the wall. When it was too dark to see well, relying on sensitive touch was best. Eventually, I found a particularly protruding stone and pressed down on it with force.
The stone moved more smoothly than expected. Despite being made of stone, it didn’t make even the slightest friction sound, suggesting it was well maintained.
—When the wall rotates, follow it and go inside.
Though there was no sound, the air had changed as if something had shifted. Raymond stepped forward and gave it a light push with his arm, and the stone wall began to rotate like a revolving door.
“Let’s go in.”
At his instruction, Evan and I nodded and moved. On, who had been in the wind, did not accompany us and stayed outside to keep watch.
After completing the rotation along the stone door, we once again stood before a dead-end space. This time, instead of a stone wall, there stood a lavishly decorated door with ornate patterns and even a handle. What stood out was the enormous padlock—about the size of a human head—fastened to the handle. The three of us stared at it blankly at the same time.
“The door is locked. What do we do?”
In the end, Evan broke the brief silence by voicing the shared question in all our minds.
Whether that padlock was made of solid iron or enchanted with magic, there was only one thing we could do.
“We break it.”
Raymond’s sword was drawn from its sheath with a sharp sound.
Whoosh. The blade, heavy with force, sliced through the air, but with a clang! a cracking sound rang out and only sparks flew.
“Tch.”
“Looks like a sword won’t work.”
When Raymond stepped back with his sword, Evan moved forward. He examined it from front to back, wondering if there might be some special mechanism.
After Raymond failed, Evan didn’t even consider trying again with a sword. That was only natural—Raymond was the greatest swordsman in the Empire, unmatched in strength. If he couldn’t do it, there was no way Evan could.
This time, it was my turn.
Unlike Evan, I chose not to set limits for myself. After tapping and shaking the body of the padlock and the opening mechanism a few times, I grabbed the body tightly with both hands and yanked down hard.
Crack. Thud.
A sound of metal splitting rang out, and the upper part shattered, separating cleanly from the body
