Chapter 38

“What about the mages?”

 

Ivailo’s neck tendons bulged. His expression hardened into something frightening, and the secretary watched him nervously.

 

“Th-they’re currently hiding, Your Highness. We can’t reach them.”

 

“Northern Tower bastards. The moment things turn against them, they run?”

 

He had participated in the auction for one reason only: to purchase the synthetic mana stones said to be created by the Northern mages. They were essential for his plan to get rid of Freyer.

 

“How dare they inconvenience me…?”

 

The mages refused to hand over the stones and insisted on presenting them at the auction instead. Even when offered a large sum, they remained indifferent. And since they had ignored his demands, he’d threatened sanctions against the Tower.

 

“Do as you wish,”

 

the Northern Tower Lord had replied with a mocking snort.

 

With no other choice, Ivailo attended the auction intending to buy the stones at twice the price.

 

“I should’ve known when they refused to hand them over.”

 

Ivailo ground his teeth.

 

“Those stones are fake!”

 

Because of the sudden appearance of Lilithia Baimery, his plan spiraled out of control. He wanted to cut the woman’s head off on the spot, but he didn’t want to dirty his hands, so he swallowed it down.

 

“Damn it.”

 

But he never expected Freyer to show up. Freyer wore a crooked smile that felt like mockery—like he was looking down on him.

 

“He dares to look at me like that…?”

 

Ivailo’s fists trembled. But he couldn’t act rashly. Freyer infused the stone with mana and pulled some trick, making Ivailo hesitate.

 

‘He was hiding his power.’

 

Freyer had drawn out his aura like threads to wrap the stone and prevent the explosion. A technique only someone at the highest realm could use—something even Ivailo couldn’t do.

 

“He must be trying to take my position.”

 

Ivailo ground his teeth again. He needed a new plan.

 

“I’ll strangle the life out of those bastards.”

 

 

***

 

 

I was glad I’d said I had been working late for the merchant guild. No one questioned me when I returned home. And the next day—

 

“Why did he give me this?”

 

I rested my chin on my hands and stared at the jewelry box. The necklace with a purple gem sparkled under the sunlight.

 

“Ugh. Whatever.”

 

I had more urgent things to worry about. I snapped the lid shut and pushed the box aside.

 

“So where am I supposed to get a mana stone? A top-grade mana stone at that.”

 

I’d managed to disrupt the synthetic stones intended for the Hunt Festival, just as planned—but I never imagined I’d be the one taking all the blame. Darkness clouded my vision.

 

I regretted the moment I’d impulsively shouted to the Crown Prince that I could procure mana stones.

 

“If I can’t get a stone…”

 

I’d be dragged to prison for ruining a once-in-years festival.

 

“I definitely wouldn’t survive…”

 

The prisons I’d seen in movies were cold, lonely, and miserable. I didn’t want to die like that. I needed a solution.

 

“…Should I go to the Magic Tower and ask?”

 

If the Tower could’ve supplied them, the Crown Prince wouldn’t have gone to the auction in the first place.

 

“It’s not like I can go out searching for mines…”

 

I froze mid-sentence.

 

“Actually… that’s not a bad idea?”

 

It wasn’t a good idea, not at all—but at this point even a rotten rope was something to cling to. I pushed back from the desk and stood.

 

“Yes! I’ll find the mine myself.”

 

I didn’t have the luxury of being picky. I headed toward the door—just as I ran into Winnie.

 

“My lady, your lunch is in the—”

 

“Bring it to the library!” I shouted, rushing past her.

 

 

***

 

 

The baron’s estate had a modest library. The baron loved books and had collected quite a variety. Surely a geography book or two would be somewhere in here.

 

“Geography…”

 

I ran my fingers across the shelves, arranged alphabetically.

 

“Not this one… oh? Found it!”

 

Three books included a chapter on mana-stone mines: <Geography and Spirit>, <Stone Geology>, and <Historical Geography>. I flipped all three open on the desk.

 

“All three describe the same conditions for mana-stone mines.”

 

Mana-stone mines form where mana is abundant. Such areas were typically extreme environments—deserts, volcanoes, polar regions—places humans couldn’t normally reach.

 

“No wonder fake top-grade stones appeared…”

 

Low- or mid-grade stones formed in mana-weak areas, so supply wasn’t difficult. But top-grade stones required landscapes overflowing with mana, which meant dangerous exploration into extreme terrains.

 

In the Empire, the only such mana-rich area was the northeastern Kleizer Mountain Range—a polar region. The Empire sat in the southern part of the continent, far from deserts or volcanic lands.

 

“I can’t possibly climb those mountains…”

 

Kleizer’s reputation was awful. The accessible mines were already owned by the Magic Tower. Undiscovered mines likely existed, but expeditions often failed due to altitude, resulting in many deaths.

 

“And even if I found one, I couldn’t mine it without mining rights…”

 

The Empire required official mining permits.

 

“So I’ll have to look abroad…”

 

I examined the map spread across the table. I needed to choose a border region near the Empire.

 

“There’s a volcano here.”

 

A mountain range near the border caught my eye. A dormant volcano.

 

“This place must have condensed mana!”

 

The name of the nearby kingdom looked familiar.

 

“Where have I heard this…”

 

Just then, the library door clattered open as Winnie entered with a serving wagon.

 

“My lady, your meal.”

 

“Oh! Looks delicious.”

 

A juicy steak sat on the plate. I quickly set the books aside and wiped my mouth. Knife, fork—cut. I bit into the thick slice of beef.

 

‘The bursting juices, the flavor—amazing!’

 

Food really was the best mood-lifter. As I basked in happiness, Winnie spoke.

 

“It’s especially good today, isn’t it, my lady?”

 

“Mm! The best!”

 

“I asked the chef to put special care into it today!”

 

“Mmh? Why?”

 

“Mmm, because with the fabric you developed, you’re going to be walking a flower path from now on!”

 

I was touched.

 

“Wow! Thank you.”

 

“Our employees won’t have to worry about their jobs anymore!”

 

The fork carrying beef stopped mid-air. Winnie clasped her hands, cheeks flushed, dreaming of bright days ahead.

 

“We can serve you expensive steak every day. And maybe… someday we’ll move into a bigger mansion!”

 

The steak that had seemed too delicious to waste suddenly felt stuck in my throat. I gulped water.

 

“Right, my lady?”

 

I couldn’t say a word. I just smiled awkwardly. No one could know I had caused trouble. I had to get that top-grade stone.

 

Winnie glanced at the map on the table.

 

“My lady, are you going to visit the baron?”

 

“My father? No, that wasn’t my plan.”

 

I had no idea why she suddenly mentioned Father. I picked up my utensils again.

 

“That place—that’s where the baron is, isn’t it?”

 

The fork and knife fell from my hands.

 

There was a reason the name was familiar.

 

Father had been scammed into buying a mine near the Kleizer Mountains.

 

“My lady? Are you hurt?”

 

“I—I need to contact Father! Immediately!”

 

I ran out to find the communicator.

 

 

***

 

 

I reached the library’s communication desk and immediately tried to connect to my father.

 

“Why isn’t it working?”

 

The device flickered and turned gray. The connection had failed. Again. The network was always unstable.

 

“I miss wide-area communication networks…”

 

Maybe because I’d once used a fast connection, this world’s slow system was impossible to get used to. I clenched my patience and tried again.

 

“Come on!”

 

The communicator flashed rapidly. If it failed again, I truly would storm the Magic Tower today. Then—bright light filled the device.

 

— Lilithia?

 

Father’s face appeared. He looked surprised at the sudden call, but I had more pressing concerns.

 

“Father! I have something urgent to ask!”

 

He nodded, seeing the seriousness.

 

“Is the mine you bought located near a volcano?”

 

I needed the exact location. It might be somewhere completely different.

 

I clenched my hands tightly. Father’s face on the communicator shifted into a strange expression.