Chapter 18

“Wow, I feel alive now.”  

As Chester exclaimed after quickly devouring four, Kallieon’s sharp gaze landed on him. Chester wiped the crumbs from his mouth and continued,  

“I—I meant they’re delicious.”  

“Shut up.”  

“Yes.”  

Chester pouted. Kallieon sighed while looking at the beautifully arranged sandwiches. The meeting resumed quickly. However, none of the content reached Kallieon’s ears.  

“Your Grace, you need to focus. That way, we can finish the meeting quickly.”  

As Sommer quietly hinted, Kallieon glanced at the broken magical tool. It was an object set up by someone to curse Serpiewood.  

“Anyway, the biggest issue is that the mineral at the center of the artifact can only be obtained from the Lenirune Imperial Family, isn’t it?”

Earl Burlet, with his aggressive nature, spoke sharply, causing Kallieon’s gaze to fall on the problematic mineral.  

“Isn’t this clearly an attack on Serpiewood? It must be the work of someone envious of our remarkable growth!”  

“But if we carelessly bring this up, it could be seen as treason against the Imperial Family.”  

In response to the excited Earl Burlet, the diplomatic minister, Duke Appen, replied. Sommer added his opinion to his.  

“Perhaps someone is hoping for friction between the Imperial Family and Serpiewood and orchestrated this.”  

Sommer didn’t specify who that might be. However, in reality, the Grand Duchess was certainly among the candidates. Due to Kallieon’s favor, no one could speak carelessly, but the trust that the people of Serpiewood had in Asterope was still at that level.  

“Enough. Is this a leisurely time to be discussing mere speculations?”  

Kallieon interrupted the conversation to prevent it from turning into an attack on Asterope. Then he continued,  

“Have we received a response regarding the schedule to Babel?”

“Yes, the letter arrived last night. On the orders of Grand Mage Raendy, it is always possible for you to come directly,  Grand Duke.”  

Kallieon nodded and continued,  

“Let’s pack our things right away. We’ll depart tomorrow. If it’s Raendy, he should be able to find out who made this item.”  

“Won’t he demand an excessive price?”  

Duke Rob, who was in charge of taxes and the economy, spoke up. He always tended to think that items coming from Babel were ridiculously expensive. Kallieon responded as if there was no need for a lengthy reply.  

“It’s only natural to give a corresponding price since no one else can figure it out except for Raendy.”  

Duke Rob’s mouth closed at that. There was nothing to say since Kallieon’s words were undeniably correct. Moreover, despite the harsh weather and barren geology, Serpiewood was astonishingly thriving.  

“What are you so worried about, Duke Rob? Where do you think we are? This is Serpiewood, the Golden Land!”

Earl Burlet said, as if frustrated by Rob’s miserly attitude. Once a harshly abandoned land, Serpiewood was now referred to as the golden land.  

The term “Golden Land” had two meanings. One was that the castle was wealthy, and the other was that it was a good place to live. In truth, the wealth of the castle allowed them to avoid imposing excessive taxes on the people.

Kallieon wasn’t the type to tighten his belt. He simply had few interests. Most of the castle’s budget was spent on equipping and maintaining the knights, followed by magical artifacts, and then the Grand Duchess’s luxuries. These were all areas he deemed important. Other matters were handled through discussions with his advisors and allocated appropriately.

Even with such spending, his wealth continued to grow. This was because Kallieon had amassed a vast fortune from the rewards of his victories.  

There was a time when the Imperial Family pushed Kallieon into battles so much that there was hardly a war he hadn’t participated in. The Serpiewood knights were even angry, suspecting that there was a conspiracy to kill Kallieon.  

But the Imperial Family lost, and Kallieon won. He received so many war rewards that it was said he took a significant portion of the Imperial Family’s income. When he was granted Serpiewood, rumors spread that the Imperial Family had run out of cash to give him.

“Prepare to depart immediately tomorrow. Sommer, organize a mobile unit centered around the senior knights.”  

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“The journey to Babel is treacherous, so we’ll focus on the knights. Duke Appen, join us if you wish.”

“If permitted, I’ll gladly risk my life to accompany you.”

Kallieon nodded and wrapped up the conversation. In fact, there were a few frail individuals who appeared weak from not having eaten or were unable to concentrate on the meeting. However, since the Grand Duchess had arrived, their eyes sparkled. Among them, the one who had changed the most was Kallieon’s right-hand man, Chester.  

“Am I going to stay behind to protect the Grand Duchess again? It’s been so long since I’ve been to Babel!”

“…….”  

“Yes…….”  

Perhaps thanks to the sandwiches, Chester didn’t drag out his complaints.

‘What a simpleton.’  

Kallieon thought this as he stood up. He was solely focused on meeting Asterope as soon as possible to clear up the misunderstanding. However, his vassals held him back.  

“Your Grace, if you are departing tomorrow, you will be leaving the castle for at least ten days… Since the vassals are gathered, why not organize the important matters in advance?”  

“You’re all unusually sensible today.”

Swallowing the urge to retort, Kallieon sat back down. It seemed unlikely he’d leave the meeting room before dinner.

* * *  

Asterope felt utterly drained. She had even gone to the kitchen of Serpiewood Castle, which she had never visited before, only to return to Kallieon’s angry voice.  

“It’s only natural you were startled. Even I’m still not used to His Grace’s temper when he’s angry.”

Tama continued, seemingly trying to alleviate the shock Asterope had received.  

“His Grace is particularly sensitive right now, worried that this incident might lead to suspicion falling on you, Your Grace.”

“Me, suspected?”  

Asterope asked, puzzled by the statement. Tama gestured to Maria to hand over tea to the Grand Duchess. Maria quickly prepared warm chamomile and handed it to her. Tama seemed ready to remain silent until Asterope had finished her tea. Reluctantly, she wet her lips with the tea and looked at him.  

“You’re aware that mages tend to avoid Serpiewood, aren’t you?

“Yes.”  

“Since the Grand Duke took over the territory, it has improved a lot, but Serpiewood was a place where even the boundary magic to protect the farmland was lacking. The territory’s residents frequently died at night from being eaten by monsters while they slept.”  

“Is there really such desolate land?”

Asterope widened her eyes in surprise at the fact she had never known. Tama smiled at her reaction. The fact that the Grand Duchess hailed from Sodel, the capital of Lenirune, known for its safety, was evident in moments like this.  

However, the reason Tama smiled was different. The Grand Duchess had lost her fear of learning about Serpiewood. Previously, she might have reacted with, “What good does that knowledge do?” but now her eyes sparkled with interest. Tama nodded repeatedly as he continued speaking.  

“It was indeed that harsh. When His Grace was granted this land, Sir Chester and Sir Sommer got so drunk they hugged him and cried their hearts out.”

“Those two, Chester and Sommer?”  

“Yes, the Grand Duke was utterly horrified.”  

Asterope could almost visualize how much Kallieon must have disliked that, and she laughed weakly. Tama continued his story.  

“Because of that past, the residents of Serpiewood hold great reverence for magic. They are grateful yet fearful. They do not particularly like mages either. The Grand Duke understands this, which is why he is very sensitive about matters related to the Mage Tower, magic, and magical tools.”  

“But I can’t even use magic. My family has no ties to it either. There’s no one who can.”

Asterope spoke as if she felt wronged by the suspicion directed at her. Tama responded, acknowledging her feelings.  

“The mineral found within the magical tool this time is called Luniv, which can only be used by the Imperial Family of Lenirune. Luniv is a very rare mineral that only the Imperial Mages can handle.”  

At the mention of the Imperial Family, Asterope’s eyes instantly turned sharp. Tama keenly observed her change. He knew that Asterope had recently shown strong animosity towards Crown Prince Villish. Kallieon hadn’t mentioned it, but it was obvious. As the castle’s head steward, he had ears everywhere.

“Among the vassals, there must have been those trying to link that fact to you, Grand Duchess. Just the fact that you hail from Sodel is enough to provide grounds for attack.”  

“That makes sense.”

Asterope began to understand why Kallieon had been so angry. He was the one who had seen the letters exchanged between her and Crown Prince Villish. Although their marital relationship had improved, the trust between them had not yet solidified.  

The discovery of the broken magical tool at such a time might have provoked Kallieon’s anxiety. Especially since it was an item crafted for curses, containing minerals belonging to the Imperial Family.