Chapter 37

‘Where am I supposed to get a top-grade mana stone?!’

 

It had just been something I blurted out to get through the moment. I said it because I was desperate, but I had no real plan.

 

‘Why did I say I could get a mana stone?!’

 

Don’t make promises you can’t keep—that was the rule. But it was already too late. I needed a solution.

 

‘What do I do?’

 

“Are you hurt?”

 

While I was scrambling for a plan, a voice came from above my head. I flinched and looked up.

 

Since I only blinked at him in silence, Freyer must’ve found me strange. He placed his hands on my shoulders and began spinning me left and right.

 

“Uh…?”

 

The world spun with me. Startled by Freyer’s hands turning me this way and that, I quickly cried out: “I-I’m not hurt anywhere!”

 

“Hmm… Then that’s a relief.”

 

Freyer grabbed my wrist and scanned the chaotic surroundings.

 

“I want to ask you many things, but this isn’t the right place.”

 

He wasn’t wrong. The owner of the trading house had been dragged off—panic had taken over. The workers were dazed, some grabbing belongings and fleeing outside. Freyer took out his pocket watch and checked the time.

 

“It’s getting late. Let’s talk on the way to the estate.”

 

 

***

 

 

With the sound of hooves and wheels filling the carriage, I fidgeted with my hands. My mind was finally returning. Freyer’s appearance… that was a scenario I had never expected. I glanced at him sitting in the front.

 

‘Did Freyer know about this mana stone in the original story?’

 

If he had, maybe he wouldn’t have injured his leg. While I was lost in thought—

 

“How did you come to participate in this auction?”

 

That was the question I wanted to ask him.

 

“Ah… well.”

 

I opened and closed my mouth, unsure what to say.

 

“It was a coincidence. A coincidence!”

 

I forced an awkward smile. Freyer narrowed his eyes at me.

 

“A coincidence, and yet you knew this mana stone was fake?”

 

He took out the broken gray stone. He wasn’t threatening me, not exactly. But the way his gaze tried to pierce through me made me flinch.

 

“One of our staff found a mana stone… and when I touched it, it lit up and shattered.”

 

That part was completely true.

 

“And then by coincidence I visited the auction house, and the exact same stone was up for bid!”

 

I could never admit I came here deliberately.

 

“I thought the buyer needed to know….”

 

“It wasn’t your business.”

 

The problem was that I couldn’t see it as someone else’s business. According to the original novel, the stone would explode during the Hunt Festival and injure Freyer. I had to stop it.

 

“Haha… I tend to care a lot about other people’s matters.”

 

“Even when it costs you a fortune?”

 

“No one would believe me otherwise. That’s why I tried to buy it myself!”

 

“……”

 

“It turned out to be more expensive than I thought… so I had no choice but to shout that it was fake. Later I found out it was meant for the Hunt Festival!”

 

Not wanting more questions, I quickly attempted to shift the topic.

 

“Your Highness, what brings you to the auction house?”

 

“……”

 

Freyer narrowed his eyes again. I looked away toward the window.

 

‘Topic shift, failed.’

 

Freyer muttered something in a low voice.

 

“Did she act knowing how things would play out? Bold or reckless… I can’t leave her alone.”

 

“?”

 

He spoke so quietly that I couldn’t catch it.

 

“What did you say—”

 

Freyer glanced at the stone.

 

“Do you have a plan?”

 

He meant: could I supply a top-grade mana stone within a week?

 

“A plan! …Of course I do!”

 

“You don’t.”

 

My shrinking voice gave me away. He must have noticed.

 

“I’ll help.”

 

“If you help, I’d be really grateful…”

 

He gave a small nod.

 

“It’ll be difficult for you to obtain one alone. I’ll look for ways to acquire a stone within my reach.”

 

A lifeline. I had no idea how to resolve this on my own.

 

“I’ll have to contact various sources. Use this to reach me.”

 

Freyer handed me a communication orb. Right then, with a neigh and a jolt, the carriage stopped.

 

“We’ve arrived.”

 

“Ah! Thank you. If I find a stone, I’ll contact you too.”

 

I bowed and stepped out of the carriage—

 

“Lilithia.”

 

Freyer called me again. I turned. He held something out—the jewelry box containing the necklace he’d bought.

 

“I thought it would suit you.”

 

Before I could ask why, his carriage had already pulled away.

 

 

***

 

 

Meanwhile, Jaybil was tailing the mages leaving the auction house. He held his breath as he followed them in secret.

 

‘They stopped.’

 

He quickly hid behind a nearby building and watched the mages in an empty lot. After checking their surroundings, they pulled out a scroll and tore it.

 

‘A teleport scroll?’

 

Jaybil rushed forward, but light burst from the scroll, and the mages vanished.

 

“Damn!”

 

His expression hardened. Even as Silverton’s chief enforcer, skilled in covert pursuit, tracking people using magic was a different story entirely.

 

“To lose them right in front of me!”

 

He kicked the tree beside him, hard. It didn’t help his anger. Running his hands through his hair, he headed straight for Silverton’s hideout. The subordinates greeted him with enthusiasm.

 

“Captain! It’s been ages.”

 

“We almost forgot your face.”

 

“You seeing too many ladies lately? Don’t forget about us, we’re hurt.”

 

It had only been a week, but they acted betrayed.

 

“This handsome man’s been busy. I need to report to the boss.”

 

He shrugged. They booed him. Jaybil waved a hand and headed to the merchant lord’s office.

 

“You’re here.”

 

Inside were Freyer, Derek, and Bilion sitting together. Jaybil bowed deeply.

 

“My apologies. They used a teleport scroll—I couldn’t follow.”

 

“……”

 

After a short pause, Bilion spoke.

 

“The fact that they prepared a scroll means escape was part of the plan.”

 

“When Lady Lilithia shouted it was fake, their aura shook. They must be involved with the stone.”

 

“I’ll investigate.”

 

Bilion hesitated, glanced at Freyer, then finally spoke.

 

“But, Your Highness… I find it strange that Lady Lilithia knew information unknown even to us.”

 

He lifted the stone on the table.

 

“Our network had no intel on synthetic mana stones. Lady Lilithia of Baimery seems suspicious.”

 

His suspicion was natural. Her actions were too uncanny to be mere coincidence.

 

“But thanks to her, we prevented an accident during the Hunt Festival.”

 

“That’s true, but…”

 

“If the stone had been taken and used, we can’t imagine the disaster it would’ve caused.”

 

Derek silently decided he needed to investigate Lilithia Baimery’s background.

 

“Find me which magic tower possesses top-grade stones.”

 

Bilion’s face stiffened. Top-grade stones were often hoarded by the towers. Even with hundreds of gold coins offered as reward, they would refuse. But turning down a benefactor was not an option.

 

“…I’ll do everything I can.”

 

“I will also search for other methods.”

 

Bilion stood and spread a map of the Empire.

 

“First, I’ve identified organizations that may be tied to the mana stones.”

 

They all looked at the map as Bilion marked it.

 

“The Empire’s magic towers are located in the East, West, North, South, and Central regions. The Gortu mana mines are here.”

 

He marked the region broadly.

 

“Gortu’s active range covers from the South to the Northeast. And the area our informants cannot reach is here.”

 

The overlapping region formed a single point.

 

“The Northern Tower…”

 

“It’s an extremely closed group. It’s no wonder we knew nothing.”

 

“We need to learn whether they have ties to the Crown Prince.”

 

“Leave it to me.”

 

“I’m counting on you.”