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Eristella and Heinricion hurriedly searched through the mine. They checked all the things the workers were carrying and looked for another possibility.
No matter how they dug, there was no sign of manipulation.
“Let’s take this and examine it in closer detail. And we should shut this place down.”
They had retrieved all the goods that the Viscount Diaclen had been circulating, closed the mine, and thoroughly blocked its entry and exit.
In the very near future, they would investigate and study the mines where black magic could be found.
Again, those who were involved in the business of Viscount Diaclen were investigated.
After going through all these steps, the results that came out were as expected.
“It’s a black magic stone that comes from nature. It’s confirmed that he made those objects with this.”
It was already expected with what face Declen would accept this result with.
Eristella’s face hardened.
*******
As for the black magic stone, it was being examined with utmost confidentiality.
Eristella watched the inspector from the outside as he questioned Viscount Diaclen.
Viscount Diaclen stared blankly at the black magic stone in front of him, then muttered,
“Is this a black magic stone? Is that possible?”
He wondered with a look of surprise, as if he had no idea.
“I went to the mine and checked it myself. What I’m saying is this is not something you can run from..”
“The mine…!”
“Yes. The mine that Viscount Diaclen was running without anyone knowing.”
Viscount Diaclen’s face grew darker at the investigator’s probe.
“I will be honest.”
In the end, as if Viscount Diaclen had made a decision, he confessed meekly.
“Actually, I accidentally found a mine with magic stones.”
While telling the truth, Viscount Diaclen’s gaze evaded the investigator’s and landed on the wall next to him.
“….….”
It was where Eristella was standing.
With the wall between them, there was no way she could be seen from the inside, but it seemed that their eyes met.
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Magic power naturally went into Eristella’s hands.
“But if you find magic stones, you should report it to the empire and get a permit for mining.”
Since the mining process exposed one to many risks and accidents, they had to obtain permission and management rights from the empire.
“You know that in the process, it’s not uncommon for the mine found by a small family like mine to be taken away by someone else.”
It was true. After all, only a few families owned magic stone mines.
“This is why I kept my discovery of the mine a secret.”
Then, he developed the mine and found the best mixing ratio with those magic stones.
“We tried to achieve the maximum effect with a very small amount.”
“So it was a lie that there was no magic at all.”
“…I apologize. It’s because the value of the product has increased. However, I have no idea that the magic stones are actually black magic stones. How can I know that the ones I got from that mine are organically different from normal magic stones?”
He complained of injustice, saying that he did not know at all.
Magic stones were not all of the same shape, and each had its own pattern.
“I just thought they had a different appearance.”
He explained that he had no idea that they were natural black magic stones and not ordinary magic stones.
“Who in the world could have imagined that there would be such a thing?”
An incredulous smile appeared on Eristella’s face as she listened to Viscount Diaclen’s explanation.
‘At first glance, it seems reasonable.’
But it’s all fake.
To discover black magic stones by chance.
Where in the world would there be such a convenient coincidence?
‘Hold on. Come to think of it, I think I read somewhere in the past that there are magic stones with abilities opposite to normal magic stones.’
‘Is it referring to black magic stones?’
‘Where did I see it?’
It was vaguely explained, but it seemed to be referring to black magic stones.
Eristella became lost in her thoughts, trying hard to recall that memory.
‘I think I saw it in some library. Imperial Palace…? No, it’s after I became a fox…’
If she pondered about it a little more, it might come to mind.
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However, it didn’t stick around for long.
“Even if it’s not pure magic stones, I wanted to make various things and give people joy and convenience.”
How funny.
There was definitely a point in what he said. In fact, nobles enjoyed it, and the commoners liked its convenience.
It was how he was able to easily charm people.
There were still people who hid and used his products even though they knew there was a problem, which was also why the recovery process was slowing down.
‘Once you fall for it, you will tend to have problems with rational judgment.’
“Of course, I will take responsibility for distributing without proper examination and procedures. And I will accept the guilt of lying that it’s not magic.”
Viscount Diaclen felt a heavy sense of responsibility and was clearly reflecting.
Needless to say, that’s all acting.
“But as for knowing involvement in black magic, absolutely not.”
With the most important thing completely denied, and without evidence, the investigation came to a standstill.
*******
The investigation continued relentlessly over several days.
But for the most part, similar conversations were repeated, and there was no further harvest.
“First of all, they couldn’t find any evidence that Viscount Diaclen’s words were false, so they decided to charge him with illegal mine development, mining, and fraud.”
Heinricion informed Eristella of the decision the emperor had made regarding Viscount Diaclen after much contemplation.
“Then our next plan is to find evidence of black magic as well.”
“For now, that’s for the best.”
Eristella had expected this result.
“Viscount Diaclen isn’t aware of that yet, right?”
“I’m going to announce it tomorrow and imprison him.”
Right now, neither Declen nor Eristella knew the other’s intentions, but he was being held entirely by her will.
She couldn’t predict how he would react the moment she tried to forcefully accuse him.
‘Actually, I can’t even be confident that I can win.’
Still, the only person who could subdue him was her.
“I’d better attend tomorrow, too, just in case.”
“Let’s go together.”
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Heinricion noticed Eristella’s concern.
*******
The next day, Eristella and Heinricion arrived at the Imperial Palace.
But it was already a step too late.
“Viscount Diaclen has disappeared.”
“Disappear?”
“Literally. He evaporated without a trace.”
The captain of the knights rushed in and informed them of the current situation.
“You’ve been monitoring him, but he suddenly disappeared?”
“We don’t know either. There is no sign of magic.”
Only Eristella calmly grasped the situation.
‘I can do it. So Declen can do it too.’
Evaporating in an instant was not a difficult task if you just put your mind to it.
All the gates through the system were closed and the search continued, but not a single hair was found.
In the first place, distance didn’t really matter to wizards.
“Have you already imposed sanctions on Viscount Diaclen’s business?”
“All documents related to the business and funds have been confiscated.”
“It’s fortunate.”
Eristella thought as positively as possible.
“Since the person of interest is gone, there is no place to hold him accountable.”
—But we can’t let that happen.
The emperor muttered lowly, then he instructed the knight commander.
“For now, track down Viscount Diaclen. Never give up and pursue until the end. Show that we will never forgive anyone who harms the empire.”
“Yes. All right!”
The emperor gave a stern order.
But catching Viscount Diaclen would be impossible.
“You won’t catch him.”
“I can’t give up.”
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Even though the emperor knew the impossible, he couldn’t give up easily. That was what a person who should be an example to everyone should do.
“When I said you won’t be able to catch him, I literally meant that he would have disappeared from the world.”
It wasn’t good to reveal that Viscount Diaclen was gone.
“Has he disappeared from the world?”
“Mhm.”
When the emperor asked in wonder, Eristella nodded calmly.
‘He has probably…’
“Still, don’t do anything too dangerous. It’s good that there’s no major damage.”
If Declen made up his mind, no wizard would be able to deal with him.
Dealing with him recklessly despite knowing that would only increase the damage.
The emperor understood what it meant and nodded.
“Okay. I’ll rely on you until the end.”
“That’s a given.”
There was no room for concern and it was not a matter for her brother to feel responsible.
Eristella smiled brightly.
But unlike that smile, her head was foggy and complicated.
‘Perhaps he abandoned the appearance of Viscount Diaclen.’
He might have decided to do so and disappeared.
If he was both, he might be able to choose one or the other.
So if she tried to catch ‘Viscount Diaclen’, she wouldn’t be able to find him.
Even if she caught Declen, it would be useless unless she could prove that he was the same person as Viscount Diaclen.
She reckoned that…
‘The next time we meet, it will be Declen.’
She vowed to reveal all the things he had been hiding at that time.
‘Let’s be strong until then.’
‘When I meet Declen, I can subdue him and end everything.’
Eristella decided to prepare for that day.
Sponsored Content
Eristella and Heinricion hurriedly searched through the mine. They checked all the things the workers were carrying and looked for another possibility.
No matter how they dug, there was no sign of manipulation.
“Let’s take this and examine it in closer detail. And we should shut this place down.”
They had retrieved all the goods that the Viscount Diaclen had been circulating, closed the mine, and thoroughly blocked its entry and exit.
In the very near future, they would investigate and study the mines where black magic could be found.
Again, those who were involved in the business of Viscount Diaclen were investigated.
After going through all these steps, the results that came out were as expected.
“It’s a black magic stone that comes from nature. It’s confirmed that he made those objects with this.”
It was already expected with what face Declen would accept this result with.
Eristella’s face hardened.
*******
As for the black magic stone, it was being examined with utmost confidentiality.
Eristella watched the inspector from the outside as he questioned Viscount Diaclen.
Viscount Diaclen stared blankly at the black magic stone in front of him, then muttered,
“Is this a black magic stone? Is that possible?”
He wondered with a look of surprise, as if he had no idea.
“I went to the mine and checked it myself. What I’m saying is this is not something you can run from..”
“The mine…!”
“Yes. The mine that Viscount Diaclen was running without anyone knowing.”
Viscount Diaclen’s face grew darker at the investigator’s probe.
“I will be honest.”
In the end, as if Viscount Diaclen had made a decision, he confessed meekly.
“Actually, I accidentally found a mine with magic stones.”
While telling the truth, Viscount Diaclen’s gaze evaded the investigator’s and landed on the wall next to him.
“….….”
It was where Eristella was standing.
With the wall between them, there was no way she could be seen from the inside, but it seemed that their eyes met.
Sponsored Content
Magic power naturally went into Eristella’s hands.
“But if you find magic stones, you should report it to the empire and get a permit for mining.”
Since the mining process exposed one to many risks and accidents, they had to obtain permission and management rights from the empire.
“You know that in the process, it’s not uncommon for the mine found by a small family like mine to be taken away by someone else.”
It was true. After all, only a few families owned magic stone mines.
“This is why I kept my discovery of the mine a secret.”
Then, he developed the mine and found the best mixing ratio with those magic stones.
“We tried to achieve the maximum effect with a very small amount.”
“So it was a lie that there was no magic at all.”
“…I apologize. It’s because the value of the product has increased. However, I have no idea that the magic stones are actually black magic stones. How can I know that the ones I got from that mine are organically different from normal magic stones?”
He complained of injustice, saying that he did not know at all.
Magic stones were not all of the same shape, and each had its own pattern.
“I just thought they had a different appearance.”
He explained that he had no idea that they were natural black magic stones and not ordinary magic stones.
“Who in the world could have imagined that there would be such a thing?”
An incredulous smile appeared on Eristella’s face as she listened to Viscount Diaclen’s explanation.
‘At first glance, it seems reasonable.’
But it’s all fake.
To discover black magic stones by chance.
Where in the world would there be such a convenient coincidence?
‘Hold on. Come to think of it, I think I read somewhere in the past that there are magic stones with abilities opposite to normal magic stones.’
‘Is it referring to black magic stones?’
‘Where did I see it?’
It was vaguely explained, but it seemed to be referring to black magic stones.
Eristella became lost in her thoughts, trying hard to recall that memory.
‘I think I saw it in some library. Imperial Palace…? No, it’s after I became a fox…’
If she pondered about it a little more, it might come to mind.
Sponsored Content
However, it didn’t stick around for long.
“Even if it’s not pure magic stones, I wanted to make various things and give people joy and convenience.”
How funny.
There was definitely a point in what he said. In fact, nobles enjoyed it, and the commoners liked its convenience.
It was how he was able to easily charm people.
There were still people who hid and used his products even though they knew there was a problem, which was also why the recovery process was slowing down.
‘Once you fall for it, you will tend to have problems with rational judgment.’
“Of course, I will take responsibility for distributing without proper examination and procedures. And I will accept the guilt of lying that it’s not magic.”
Viscount Diaclen felt a heavy sense of responsibility and was clearly reflecting.
Needless to say, that’s all acting.
“But as for knowing involvement in black magic, absolutely not.”
With the most important thing completely denied, and without evidence, the investigation came to a standstill.
*******
The investigation continued relentlessly over several days.
But for the most part, similar conversations were repeated, and there was no further harvest.
“First of all, they couldn’t find any evidence that Viscount Diaclen’s words were false, so they decided to charge him with illegal mine development, mining, and fraud.”
Heinricion informed Eristella of the decision the emperor had made regarding Viscount Diaclen after much contemplation.
“Then our next plan is to find evidence of black magic as well.”
“For now, that’s for the best.”
Eristella had expected this result.
“Viscount Diaclen isn’t aware of that yet, right?”
“I’m going to announce it tomorrow and imprison him.”
Right now, neither Declen nor Eristella knew the other’s intentions, but he was being held entirely by her will.
She couldn’t predict how he would react the moment she tried to forcefully accuse him.
‘Actually, I can’t even be confident that I can win.’
Still, the only person who could subdue him was her.
“I’d better attend tomorrow, too, just in case.”
“Let’s go together.”
Sponsored Content
Heinricion noticed Eristella’s concern.
*******
The next day, Eristella and Heinricion arrived at the Imperial Palace.
But it was already a step too late.
“Viscount Diaclen has disappeared.”
“Disappear?”
“Literally. He evaporated without a trace.”
The captain of the knights rushed in and informed them of the current situation.
“You’ve been monitoring him, but he suddenly disappeared?”
“We don’t know either. There is no sign of magic.”
Only Eristella calmly grasped the situation.
‘I can do it. So Declen can do it too.’
Evaporating in an instant was not a difficult task if you just put your mind to it.
All the gates through the system were closed and the search continued, but not a single hair was found.
In the first place, distance didn’t really matter to wizards.
“Have you already imposed sanctions on Viscount Diaclen’s business?”
“All documents related to the business and funds have been confiscated.”
“It’s fortunate.”
Eristella thought as positively as possible.
“Since the person of interest is gone, there is no place to hold him accountable.”
—But we can’t let that happen.
The emperor muttered lowly, then he instructed the knight commander.
“For now, track down Viscount Diaclen. Never give up and pursue until the end. Show that we will never forgive anyone who harms the empire.”
“Yes. All right!”
The emperor gave a stern order.
But catching Viscount Diaclen would be impossible.
“You won’t catch him.”
“I can’t give up.”
Sponsored Content
Even though the emperor knew the impossible, he couldn’t give up easily. That was what a person who should be an example to everyone should do.
“When I said you won’t be able to catch him, I literally meant that he would have disappeared from the world.”
It wasn’t good to reveal that Viscount Diaclen was gone.
“Has he disappeared from the world?”
“Mhm.”
When the emperor asked in wonder, Eristella nodded calmly.
‘He has probably…’
“Still, don’t do anything too dangerous. It’s good that there’s no major damage.”
If Declen made up his mind, no wizard would be able to deal with him.
Dealing with him recklessly despite knowing that would only increase the damage.
The emperor understood what it meant and nodded.
“Okay. I’ll rely on you until the end.”
“That’s a given.”
There was no room for concern and it was not a matter for her brother to feel responsible.
Eristella smiled brightly.
But unlike that smile, her head was foggy and complicated.
‘Perhaps he abandoned the appearance of Viscount Diaclen.’
He might have decided to do so and disappeared.
If he was both, he might be able to choose one or the other.
So if she tried to catch ‘Viscount Diaclen’, she wouldn’t be able to find him.
Even if she caught Declen, it would be useless unless she could prove that he was the same person as Viscount Diaclen.
She reckoned that…
‘The next time we meet, it will be Declen.’
She vowed to reveal all the things he had been hiding at that time.
‘Let’s be strong until then.’
‘When I meet Declen, I can subdue him and end everything.’
Eristella decided to prepare for that day.
