Chapter 39

“But you are confident in cleaning up the mess after the illusion magic disappears, aren’t you?”

Rahar asked, and Caldeon looked at him.

“Father and His Majesty the Emperor want you to marry Roseanne, so it’s not a problem to take lightly. His Majesty the Emperor will concede at a certain point since he considers you his person anyway, but Father wants a definite alliance with you.”

Rahar added that this was why Count Dalbreon was particularly targeting Enria. Rahar then expressed his worry, saying that if the illusion magic was lifted and their marriage was completely nullified, there would be an uproar because of Enria and Hayden, who had entered the Grand Duke’s castle, and Roseanne, who was there as the Acting Grand Duchess.

Caldeon spoke to Rahar with a composed expression.

“This is directly related to Enria’s safety, so I’ve been considering various things on my end.”

“Oh, really?”

“I don’t think Count Kaznaren will be satisfied with the Acting Grand Duchess being bound only professionally.”

“…Right, so…”

“For now, the immediate situation is the priority. Let’s quickly sort that out first.”

Rahar nodded at Caldeon’s words.

“By the way, did you find Dalbreon’s weakness?”

“Yes. He’s been embezzling national funds for years. All those assets are being used to produce the Illusion Powder that is rampant in the slums these days.”

“Illusion Powder…”

As Caldeon slightly frowned and muttered, Rahar elaborated for him.

“It’s the drug that Tearen has been struggling with recently. It was named Illusion Powder because it has the unique property of changing the user’s vision as they desire when inhaled, but in reality, it’s a powder entirely unrelated to illusion magic.”

“I know, it’s the bone dust of a monster. Some people in the North had also gotten involved with Illusion Powder, so we investigated it quite a bit here, too.”

The monster was not an ordinary one, but the bone dust of a mist monster called ‘Foreu,’ which lived deep within the Monster Forest. The mist monster was famous for clouding vision, causing hallucinations, and preying on living creatures.

“Yes. To obtain Foreu’s bone dust, one must go deep into the Monster Forest, which Dalbreon couldn’t have done with his capabilities alone.”

“I suppose so. Dalbreon’s troops would only be able to break through the entrance of the Monster Forest at most.”

Rahar nodded at Caldeon’s words and continued.

“So Tearen suspected our father.”

When the Illusion Powder, which was spreading subtly among the Empire’s population, began to be rumored to be a powder made with illusion magic, Tearen, as an illusionist, took action. He persistently delved into finding the source of the powder to clear the illusionists’ name, and as a result, he discovered that Count Dalbreon was behind the distribution of the Illusion Powder.

“But that man teamed up with an unexpected person.”

“…”

Caldeon’s eyes narrowed dangerously at Rahar’s words. He curled one corner of his lip wryly, looking as if he knew without being told.

“The Magic Tower.”

“Ha, I knew it. You really predict things accurately.”

At Caldeon’s remark, Rahar raised his hand to cover his eyes and let out an exclamation of awe. He had expected Caldeon would figure it out before he even said it, and when his prediction came true, an exclamation naturally slipped out.

“After all, only a few nobles have the military power to capture Foreu in the center of the Monster Forest and turn it into Illusion Powder.”

In the Empire, only the Jupiter Grand Ducal Family, the Bertaen Ducal Family, and the Gradei Marquisate possessed the military strength to unilaterally hunt monsters in the center of the Monster Forest.

None of the three families were heads of households who needed money or had ample free time to join hands with another family to produce and sell Illusion Powder. They were all too busy managing their respective territories and defending the Empire in connection with the Imperial Family. If they had bad intentions and were selling Illusion Powder under the pretense of funding a rebellion, they would be better off joining hands with the Magic Tower, which were already dreaming of a revolt.

“So Tearen must have started investigating the count families first. Because if a few families joined forces, they could somehow create the military strength to break through to the center of the Monster Forest.”

But Caldeon let out a small, self-mocking laugh, saying that even if they created such a military force, they could only enter the Monster Forest once or twice, so seeing that they were continuously producing Illusion Powder and threatening the daily lives of the Empire’s people, Tearen must have realized that a greater power than their alliance was involved. He thought Tearen was truly remarkable for immediately digging into the relationship between Dalbreon and the Magic Tower as soon as he found out Dalbreon was involved in the Illusion Powder.

“That Tearen fellow. He handles business well.”

Caldeon muttered to himself, and Rahar also nodded.

“I think so, too. Who would have thought that Count Dalbreon, Father’s close associate, would join hands with the Magic Tower?”

“Indeed. He’s the very person who wanted to eliminate the Magic Tower, which is constantly eyeing the Empire.”

“The fundamental reason for wanting to eliminate the Magic Tower must be the problem.”

“The fundamental reason?”

“The Dalbreon I’ve known is a man who only pursues power and honor. That’s why he works on the Imperial side.”

In the first place, the reason he became Count Kaznaren’s associate was because Count Kaznaren sided with the Emperor. Dalbreon must have thought that by siding with Count Kaznaren, the Emperor’s right-hand man, and helping the Imperial Family, he would gain corresponding power and honor.

But far from gaining power, as his assets began to dwindle due to the attacks from the Magic Tower and monsters, he couldn’t stand it and seemed to have joined hands with the Magic Tower to produce and sell Illusion Powder. Perhaps he realized that power also required money only after he started losing his wealth.

In any case, because of this, people who inhaled the Illusion Powder were trapped in the hallucination all day, neither eating nor drinking, so the more people in the Empire were exposed to the Illusion Powder, the more the villages’ farming and fishing went awry.

“Anyway, Tearen wants to stop the production of Illusion Powder first and arrest Count Dalbreon, but my thoughts are a little different.”

One of Caldeon’s eyebrows slightly went up at Rahar’s words.

“Arresting Count Dalbreon won’t stop the production. The Illusion Powder is likely coming from the Magic Tower anyway.”

“Exactly. So, I wonder if we should use the weakness we have on Count Dalbreon to silence him first. Starting with the matter of your marriage with Roseanne.”

Rahar said that since arresting Dalbreon wouldn’t solve the production and consumption of Illusion Powder overnight, they should only focus on recovering the Illusion Powder spread throughout the Empire for now, and use Dalbreon’s weakness to manipulate him.

Caldeon nodded, agreeing that it was a good idea, and said.

“But the illusionists will want to stop the production quickly, so Tearen is likely to object.”

“Yes. Roseanne said she’d take care of that.”

“Lady Kaznaren?”

“Although I haven’t heard the full story yet, she suggested forming an alliance centered around the Imperial Family. She said that if an alliance is formed, the Gradei Marquisate would also be able to be patient regarding the Illusion Powder issue.”

Caldeon’s one eyebrow twitched at the mention of an alliance, and Rahar continued the elaboration.

“She said that the Magic Tower selling Illusion Powder using Dalbreon is probably because they need funds.”

Caldeon pondered for a moment and then said to Rahar.

“That means they are already preparing to eliminate the owner of the oracle and swallow the Empire.”

“Oh, right.”

“Then we must also form an alliance to check the Magic Tower and confront them with equal power.”

Caldeon added that since the Magic Tower, which had been secretly threatening the Empire until now, was finally showing its true colors, this opportunity was the best time for the various nobles of the Empire to unite.

Of course, most high-ranking nobles, including Caldeon, would be skeptical about forming an alliance, as they were already overwhelmed just managing their own territories. But since Caldeon, having learned of the Magic Tower’s danger, had prioritized the Empire’s safety, he believed that other nobles, if they properly understood the Magic Tower’s threat, would also readily agree to form an alliance like him.

So Caldeon told Rahar to push for unity.

And he added a point about possible side effects.

“Whatever the case, a stronger faction is beneficial, but we always have to consider where a slippery character like Dalbreon might be. After all, the Empire’s people are also beings who praise the Magic Tower’s magic as divine.”

Caldeon let out a self-mocking laugh, suggesting that this was why the Magic Tower dreamt of something as extravagant as ruling the Empire, and then rose from his chair.

“Then meeting Dalbreon first is the order of business.”

“Ah, are you going to meet him?”

“He was the one who was so enthusiastic about my marriage, so it will be faster if I meet him and talk to him directly.”

Rahar nodded at Caldeon’s words but then looked at him with a worried expression. Caldeon raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why?”

“No, it’s just that you are somewhat terrible with words.”

“What?”

Caldeon immediately raised his eyebrows at Rahar’s blunt comment, and Rahar continued to speak to him with a worried face.

“It’s true. You always just say whatever comes to mind, so you don’t have the eloquence to persuade someone.”

“Do you really think I’d just babble whatever comes to mind without distinguishing between the beginning and the end? He’s the biggest obstacle to persuading His Majesty and Count Kaznaren right now, so I’ll handle the negotiation well.”

He added that if he successfully negotiated with Dalbreon, Dalbreon wouldn’t be as inclined to kill Enria, and only then did Rahar seem relieved and nod.

He thought for a moment about something and then cautiously asked Caldeon.

“Then are you taking Arsen?”

Caldeon’s brows immediately furrowed in annoyance, so Rahar shook his head and corrected himself.

“No, I’m better than your aide, right?”

“You?”

Caldeon’s eyebrow twitched. He shook his head firmly without a moment’s hesitation and said.

“You are terribly inarticulate.”