Hello, Readers! I am celebrating my birthday with extra chapter updates, so please enjoy this special chapter release of 4 bonus chapters! 🥳

(Lurelia’s Birthday Bonus – Update 2/4 🎉)

♡ To all readers who purchased these chapters before my Birthday: I can’t express this enough – Thank you for your support. (*ˊᗜˋ*)/ᵗᑋᵃᐢᵏ ᵞᵒᵘ*

***

A man in servant’s attire with brown hair and brown eyes was leaning against the door, smiling.

Today, he had planned to quietly meet and talk with Duke Matzert.

As usual, when sneaking out of the imperial palace, he had changed his appearance using alchemy potions.

After all, moving about conspicuously isn’t really his style.

Duke Matzert didn’t attend Arinel’s birthday ball yesterday. Though Arinel hadn’t invited him…

First, extract Arinel’s birthday gift.

After that, he planned to grab him by the neck and make him secure resource exchange contracts by threatening the small nations.

Just as he had assigned tasks to other ministers, Parmes had no intention of letting someone who received a state salary remain idle.

‘Arinel, you’re moving ahead of me.’

A faint smile formed on the man’s lips after hearing everything.

To think she had considered feed to protect livestock, an asset of the empire’s people. Moreover, she had perfectly analyzed the relationship with Elvis and even gave specific instructions to Matzert about trade plans.

What an admirable and lovable child.

‘Indeed, my daughter-in-law.’

He smiled with satisfaction as he slowly opened the window next to the office door.

He could see Arinel’s small figure sitting in the carriage.

Parmes waved his hand toward the child.

Though Arinel wouldn’t be able to see it, of course.

“Who are you?”

Suddenly, an angry girl’s voice came from behind.

“I’m already dying of irritation because of that wench, and now you’re waving at…!”

He slowly turned his gaze toward Lariel.

Lariel was furious that not only had her father met privately with someone like Arinel, but now even a mere house servant was waving at Arinel’s carriage.

“…!”

But Lariel’s anger had to stop there.

The girl recognized the servant’s face.

After all, it had appeared in her nightmares repeatedly for days after that incident.

Cold eyes turned toward Lariel and lips twisted.

“Hello? Have you been well?”

The moment she met those reddish-brown eyes, Lariel froze.

“Uh… uh-uh-uh… uh-uh-uh…”

Lariel’s face turned white instantly, and her eyes rolled back.

Then she collapsed right there, and the nearby maids rushed to catch her in surprise.

“My Lady!!”

Parmes smirked at the sight of the collapsed Lariel and jumped out through the window.

Though it was a second-floor window, he landed on the ground as easily as if he were jumping downstairs.

“My Ladyyyyy!!”

“Please wake up!!”

At the commotion outside the office, the office door opened and Duke Matzert emerged with a frown.

He approached his collapsed daughter held by the maids and said.

“What happened here!”

“We don’t know, My Lady suddenly…”

The unconscious Lariel mumbled as if sleep-talking.

“His… His… Majesty…”

***

Now that the major task of preparing for the great famine was left to the ministers, what remained was the main job Parmes had entrusted to me.

That was the reconstruction of the Elemental Palace.

It was once one of the important departments of the Albreon Empire and an institution that promoted the development of imperial elementalism.

‘It was also where Dad used to work.’

Fortunately, with Briton’s help, the exterior had been nicely arranged, but establishing the personnel and systems remained.

In fact, the personnel would be the core of the Elemental Palace.

Fortunately, Parmes had appointed Felix from the Elementalist Association as my subordinate to help with the reconstruction…

I thought I should first meet with the people from the Elementalist Association with his help and discuss how to rebuild the Elemental Palace.

“Ah…”

At that moment, as the carriage stopped in front of the marquis’s residence, I realized I wouldn’t need to go looking for the Elementalist Association people.

Because people wearing the Elementalist Association uniforms were already waiting in front of the marquis’s residence.

“It’s Lady Mylar.”

“Daughter of Marquis Mylar!”

“Lady Arinel Mylar!”

Unlike the Elementalist Association which was full of elderly men, there were quite a few young people and women visible.

“But… she’s so small.”

“How cute. My goodness, she’s so young!”

“She’s too adorable!”

Don’t these people read the newspapers?

I know there was a black and white photo article that read ‘Marquis Mylar’s daughter, Arinel Mylar (11) returns’ when I came back.

“Lady Arinel.”

And then, an extraordinary figure emerged from among the people.

An elderly man wearing white elementalist robes with a long white beard was approaching me, guided by Felix.

Felix bent down to match my height and quietly said.

“This is the Chairman of the Elementalist Association I mentioned before.”

Felix and I alone cannot build an organization like the Elemental Palace.

We need talented people to nurture the Elemental Palace together, and currently, all capable elementalists belong to the Elementalist Association.

“Hello, I’m Arinel Mylar. Chairman of the Elementalist Association, I’ve been wanting to meet you!”

“Ah… This is truly moving. To meet the daughter of Marquis Mylar.”

“Perhaps we should go inside to talk first.”

Nodding at Felix’s words, which were mindful of others, I led them into the mansion.

And I briefly asked Felix, “Are those people outside elementalists too?”

“Ah. Well, you could say that. They just came along hoping to see the young lady’s face. They’re not executives of the Elementalist Association.”

Felix shook his head.

At that moment, the Association Chairman turned to Felix with a stern expression.

“Young lady? You should address her properly as the ‘Master’ of the Palace.”

“Ah. Right.”

Felix scratched his head with an embarrassed expression.

“Heisen Macerne Mylar was called the same. The Master of the Elemental Palace, a beacon of light for all elementalists!”

A beacon of light for elementalists? …I don’t think I’m quite that.

His tone of voice seemed to hold dreams and hopes for me, still just a little kid.

“I’ll bring some tea.”

As we sat in the drawing room, Adam asked about the visitors’ preferences and set out to serve tea.

I asked the Association Chairman what I wanted to know first.

“…Did you know my Dad?”

It was about the connection with my father.

“Of course I did. When we were young, Elementalist Master Marquis Mylar and I were close friends. He was such a promising young man. If only things hadn’t gone wrong…”

A look of regret passed through the Association Chairman’s eyes.

“The elementalism of this country would be at its peak by now.”

It seems he was also one of the people who had liked my father.

“I’m glad to meet someone who knew my Dad.”

At my words, the Association Chairman clasped his hands together and said.

“I am deeply moved as well. To meet Marquis Mylar’s successor like this. And to think you will undertake the great work of rebuilding the Elemental Palace… something no elementalist could do.”

His wrinkled eyes, using formal honorifics to address young me, looked like they might overflow with tears at any moment.

He seemed very moved by the order to restore the Elemental Palace.

“Actually, I have many concerns about rebuilding the Elemental Palace too. I think we need experienced elementalists to work together… In fact, I was wondering when I should visit the Elementalist Association…”

“Master of the Palace.”

The Association Chairman interrupted my words.

And what’s with this suddenly heavy atmosphere?

I looked at Felix in slight confusion.

His face, which had been smiling until now, also looked dark.

Was there some problem?

Only after a long silence did the Association Chairman finally speak with a sigh.

“There is a reason why this old man couldn’t wait and hurriedly came to the marquis’s residence.”

“…?”

The Association Chairman struggled to speak. His very heavy expression even looked somewhat dejected.

“To be frank… the current Elementalist Association is not just stagnant, but rotting.”

Felix, who stood beside him, said what the Chairman couldn’t.

“If stagnant water is rotting… Ah…”

I picked up the teacup that was a bit large for my hands and took a sip.

I thought I understood what they meant.

Indeed, when I went to the artificial cave for the Elementalist test, the procedures there were very sloppy.

They didn’t even properly check names, and only a few field staff including Felix were at the test site.

I remember how the high-ranking elementalists, who only rushed out after the hot spring burst, were rejoicing about how it would help the Association’s finances.

“But… Grandfather, you’re the Chairman of the Elementalist Association. Didn’t you have the authority and responsibility to manage and supervise them?”

I tilted my head with a puzzled look.