Leah smiled faintly and sank into her chair.

“I was wondering if you were just keeping quiet about it. Fake medicine is being distributed.”

“…”

The guild leader’s armpits and back became damp with sweat as he understood her implication: aren’t you in cahoots with the Trow side, staying silent while fake medicine circulates?

“N-no. I was too shocked and flustered to properly show my sincerity.”

Guild Leader Orkul hastily continued.

“But this concerns not only the Piert Ducal Family but also the honor of our Herbalist Guild, doesn’t it? Now that you’ve informed us, we’ll take swift action and do our best.”

“My, how reassuring.”

Leah suddenly switched to a noble lady’s speech pattern and laughed softly. The guild leader stiffened at her laughter.

It was rather frightening because her eyes weren’t smiling and her tone had changed completely from moments ago.

“Then I’ll trust you. We want to maintain good relations with the Herbalist Guild, so you won’t disappoint us, right?”

The guild leader heard Leah’s true meaning translated in his ears.

‘Answer properly and do your job right, or I’ll sweep you away along with the Trow faction?’

Guild Leader Orkul realized that Leah wasn’t just making empty threats!

He stood up and bowed deeply.

“I won’t disappoint you!”

The Herbalist Guild leader hadn’t reached his position for nothing. He immediately understood Leah’s warning and began to move quickly.

As soon as the artist hired by the Piert Ducal Family completed the composite sketch, the Herbalist Guild distributed it to every pharmacy in the capital and offered a substantial bounty.

“If any herbalist has bought suspicious clearance items from this person, report it immediately. If you report now, you won’t be punished!”

“If you don’t report and it comes to light later, you’ll be expelled from the guild! You know that being expelled means you can never set foot in this industry again!”

But even with these measures, there were still those who wouldn’t listen.

People kept appearing who claimed they nearly died after taking Piert merchant group’s cold medicine.

“Who is it! Who’s secretly buying and selling these medicines!”

Helix and Leah personally took action.

The Herbalist Guild members, growing increasingly frustrated and anxious despite their efforts, joined them.

“They simply refuse to listen!”

“We clearly warned everyone in the guild not to buy medicines because fakes were being distributed, so they must have known these were fake! We even informed them that many fake medicines contain poison!”

“Would they have sold these if their own families were going to consume them? These people have no professional ethics as herbalists!”

Together, they began visiting pharmacies to find and dispose of fake cold medicines. Helix’s mana identification ability shone brightly.

“Everything from here to there is fake.”

His ability to identify fakes on the shelves with just a glance and a whiff of air!

“This one contains poison.”

“…What kind of poison is it?”

“A poison that paralyzes peripheral nerves. Seems to be a combination of Lupap tree root and Jenevi flower.”

***

The Herbalist Guild members who initially doubted his words had different looks in their eyes after a few days.

It was the same look knights gave to Ruyan.

A gaze of worship and respect!

“Oh, God of pharmaceuticals…”

Helix pedantically corrected them.

“I’m not that, I’m a guardian.”

“I see! Guardian of pharmaceuticals…!”

“That’s too narrow. In my opinion, you must be the Guardian of Health!”

“That’s not it. I am the Guardian of Mana.”

At Helix’s words, the Herbalist Guild members looked at each other and said:

“Ah! Is that because Lady Leah Piert is a mage?”

“Amazing. It’s like saying, ‘Why can’t I just say I’m my woman’s guardian!'”

“…”

Helix was conflicted inside.

‘…Should I just say yes?’

People of this era didn’t know what a Guardian of Mana was anyway. If he encouraged the herbalists’ misunderstanding, he could subtly establish himself as Leah’s man.

This was a change unimaginable to his former self, who took immense pride in being a guardian, but neither he nor Leah had noticed this change yet.

Especially Leah, who worried without knowing.

‘Helix is being quiet…’

She thought.

‘Is he feeling down because he’s not being recognized as a Guardian of Mana?’

It seemed plausible since Helix had such high pride as a guardian. Leah stepped in.

“Come on, stop the useless chatter and get back to work. Which pharmacy is next?”

The herbalists surrounding Helix dispersed at Leah’s raised voice. A tiny crack appeared on Helix’s forehead.

“Sorry, Helix. Was that uncomfortable for you?”

“…No.”

“If it gets too much next time, just tell them off. I’m fine with it.”

I’m not fine with it.

Unable to express his true feelings, Helix’s face hardened.

‘He must be really upset.’

Seeing his expression, Leah couldn’t find more words to say and kept her distance from him.

‘It’s understandable.’

When they first met and she asked who he was, he didn’t even reveal his name but immediately said, “I am a guardian.”

Though she understood, Leah felt somewhat, just a little, disappointed, and her steps quickened.

Tap, tap.

“Le…”

Helix reached out his hand to stop her. But Leah moved away faster than he expected. He closed his mouth as he watched her retreating back.

‘Perhaps Leah is uncomfortable with becoming officially involved with me.’

Helix had received countless marriage proposals from princesses in the past, but now he was a foreigner without guaranteed status, family, or position.

In contrast, Leah was the highest-ranking unmarried woman in this kingdom. Moreover, hadn’t the Imperial Prince Archaik from the Oken Empire recently made a sensational marriage proposal to her?

“…”

Helix withdrew his outstretched hand.

The herbalists following behind whispered among themselves about the uncomfortable atmosphere between the two.

“That couple still seems far from getting together.”

“No, why are such an extremely handsome man and beautiful woman so awkward? Do they both act like they’re dating for the first time?”

They were unknowingly speaking the truth.

***

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace of the Oken Empire.

Imperial Prince Archaik was holding his forehead over a suspicious report.

“You say one of the Imperial Magic Scholars has disappeared without a trace?”

Magic Scholar.

In a world where magic had vanished, what kind of people were magic scholars? They were academics obsessed with magic from myths and legends, driven by passion for it.

In short, their reputation in their hometowns was consistently like this:

‘That guy who studied so hard he went half-mad?’

‘Only half mad? He was completely crazy! Saying people could shoot fire in ancient times?’

The previous Emperor had accepted these madmen and created a confidential department under imperial jurisdiction.

The previous Emperor gave magic scholars opportunities to study dragons and magic, but in exchange, he fixed their affiliation to the imperial family and took away their freedom.

Therefore, from Viscount Paipers to the greenest newcomers, all magic scholars lived in designated places within the imperial palace under surveillance.

So how could such an imperial magic scholar disappear?

“Yes. Not only has he not reported for work, but there’s no trace of him in either his laboratory or his quarters.”

The knight supervising the magic scholars answered. The Imperial Prince asked the anxious Viscount Paipers beside him:

“What about his family?”

“He was an orphan when he came to us, as I understand.”

“Does he have any acquaintances in the capital? What about his hometown?”

“He left his hometown as a child, and he never went outside after joining the imperial household…”

The more he heard, the less this seemed like someone who would disappear. The Imperial Prince’s brow furrowed.

“Who is it?”

“Magic Scholar Reed.”

Archaik narrowed his eyes. He remembered this magic scholar.

‘Y-Your Highness… I-I’m sorry. Sob, sob…’

He was the one who cried when Imperial Prince Archaik first had his blood drawn, acting like he was the one suffering.

More than ten years had passed since then, so he was no longer a novice, yet he still trembled whenever they experimented on dragons.

“That cowardly fellow betrayed the imperial family?”

“Perhaps, given his weak character, he might have been bullied by other magic scholars…”

Imperial Prince Archaik tapped the armrest of his chair. After being lost in thought, he spoke.

“Who was the knight supervising him?”

“Knight Anui.”

The Imperial Prince dismissed Viscount Paipers and the knight, then called his aide.

“Investigate Knight Anui.”

He said, “Find out everything about his recent activities, his family’s faction, and their financial situation.”

“Understood.”

After a brief pause, Imperial Prince Archaik asked, “What is the Second Imperial Princess doing?”

“You’re asking about the Second Imperial Princess’s whereabouts?”

Second Imperial Princess Arzina Oken.

She was the same age as First Imperial Prince Archaik and born to the Empress who came from a great noble family. She had been noted as a potential future Emperor since childhood due to her strong support base, intelligence, and appearance. Because of this, many nobles still supported her despite Archaik being appointed as Imperial Prince.

The aide reported, “She is being tracked as you ordered. Officially, she’s visiting a distant relative who runs a merchant group in the Free City Alliance.”

“And?”

“According to reports from the Snake Knights who are watching her, the Princess has been in seclusion since arriving at the Free City Alliance, citing travel fatigue. Around the same time, there was a suspicious group that departed from the Free City of Tigone toward the Southern Desert.”

Archaik raised one eyebrow.

“The Southern Desert?”

“Yes.”

What business could anyone have in that desolate land inhabited only by nomads and a few tribes near oases?

The Imperial Prince tapped the armrest of his chair, deep in thought.

A missing magic scholar and the unexpected movements of the Second Imperial Princess. A suspicious combination.

Imperial Prince Archaik ordered, “Dig deeper into the Second Imperial Princess’s activities. Don’t take your eyes off her, and especially investigate the Free City of Tigone and the Southern Desert area more thoroughly.”

***

In the capital of the Kingdom of Peiren, Leah and Helix were still searching for fake medicines while digging themselves into a mutual misunderstanding. Meanwhile, others were also busy.

“Cough.”

Rikeil, still suffering from his cold, came to his office to personally check the information. Ruyan asked worriedly:

“Brother, aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”