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“In fact, all members of the family are dead.”
“When did he die?”
Eristella asked, recalling the memories of meeting the boy named Emmett Sianne many years ago.
“I can’t be specific because there are no eyewitnesses, but it must have been at least 10 years ago.”
It’s approximate, but the time was similar to that in her memory. That somehow bothered her.
“The Sianne family apparently had little interaction with the outside world. So it’s tricky to get detailed information.”
“They didn’t communicate with anyone at all?”
“It’s said that they lived a closed life in an old castle, which is quite far from the central region.”
According to Eugene, people didn’t know about their deaths for a long time because they didn’t have much or frequent contact with people.
They didn’t even do the minimum amount of activities most nobles, even fallen ones, do. So it was only discovered after questioning many people.
Well, now that a lot of time had passed, it should be expected that the information that could be found was extremely limited.
“However, there were a few who witnessed them leaving for the capital at the time. Maybe they never came back from there.”
It was Eugene’s guess, but Eristella was almost certain.
Something must have happened after Eristella met him.
“I tried to find out more about Emmett Siane, but the only thing I gathered was that he was seen walking around in a cloak on very rare occasions.”
“There just isn’t much information left about the child.”
It’s unfortunate, but it’s unavoidable.
Information about a child growing up in an isolated family could not be known to those living in distant villages.
“But instead, I was able to find out some information about the Sianne family at that time.”
The Sianne family had long established a foothold in the area and continued for generations.
Although they lived a closed life for generations, they seemed to have no problems with their livelihood.
And there were some who claimed that they seemed to be able to use magic.
‘But I’ve never heard of a family called Sianne.’
Besides, Eristella had seen Emmett Sianne at her palace.
There must be a special reason for a completely unknown family to be invited to the Imperial Palace.
So, were they really able to use magic?
The deeper she thought, the more her brows narrowed.
*******
Having received an urgent letter from the emperor early in the morning, Eristella hurried to the Imperial Palace.
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“What happened? The national treasure disappeared?”
And as soon as she arrived, she received shocking news.
“I took it out to check something last night, but one painting is missing.”
The emperor shook his head in bewilderment. It was unknown when it disappeared.
“There are no traces of anything being touched anywhere else, and it seems like only that was taken.”
However, the instant Eristella heard the news, a hypothesis came to mind.
‘Was it because of this that we caught him?’
She had been wondering the whole time.
‘Viscount Diaclen… Declen… Did he deliberately let us catch and interrogate him?’
‘To fool us?’
‘Or is he aiming for something else?’
But Eristella hadn’t figured it out even until he disappeared.
Hence, she up.
‘What if it was to grab this picture before he disappeared?’
Since the founding of the country, the Imperial Palace has been a sanctuary protected by elaborate barriers.
No one without permission could enter.
Even Declen wouldn’t have been able to break it and freely enter the palace. But after setting foot in it, moving inside was a different matter.
…Perhaps Declen’s real purpose was to gain access into the Imperial Palace.
“The painting was most likely taken in that way.”
“Is that painting special?”
“Hmm… It’s a painting that’s meaningful in relation to the founding history, but it didn’t seem like there’s anything beyond that.”
The emperor interpreted the painting.
The founding emperor had a companion whom he had overcome all sorts of dangers with.
He was a very powerful wizard, and was said to have the power to stand alone against an army.
The story of him eventually losing his life on the battlefield right after the founding of the country made many people sad even now.
It was an established theory that the strongest wizard in the history of the empire was the founding emperor, but there were not just a few people who believed that the companion had abilities comparable to those of the emperor.
Maybe Eristella would not be a match for those two either.
“But there must be.”
That was also very important.
Just that Eristella and the emperor weren’t aware of it yet.
“Then I’ll have to look at the painting again.”
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“How is that possible?”
The corners of the emperor’s mouth went up meaningfully.
“It’s a painting I’ve already seen several times, so certainly…”
The emperor had the talent to accurately remember what he had seen once. In addition, his drawing ability was excellent, so it was not difficult to realize what he was planning to do.
“Then… I’ll leave it to you.”
It was vital to confirm if there was anything hidden in the painting.
It was when the discussion ended and Eristella was about to go back.
Heinricion, who came to the palace together but left to receive a brief report, returned urgently with a serious face, saying that he had something to say.
“An epidemic? What are you saying?”
Eristella was the first to react.
“Recently, there have been reports that symptoms of an epidemic are appearing in the outskirts of the capital.”
“It’s still under investigation because the number of patients is small and the symptoms are not clear.”
What luck. An epidemic at this time.
Moreover, the days were getting hotter and hotter, so there was a great risk of contagion spreading.
“I know. We have to root it out in the early stages at all costs.”
*******
For several days, Eristella tried to calmly examine the situation.
But with each news from the outskirts of the capital, things were just getting worse
‘I can’t stand it anymore!’
Eristella wanted to head straight to the source and check it out, but she was swiftly caught by Heinricion.
“I told you not to go first.”
Ugh. Eristella winced and parted her lips, making an excuse.
“But there is a limit to just listening to the report. It’s best to see firsthand…”
“I’ll go instead. Wait for me.”
With that, Heinricion left. Even after more than half a day had passed, he did not return.
After a day like that, it wasn’t Heinricion who stepped into the grand ducal residence, but the four helpers.
“I don’t think it’s going to be easy to retrieve everything.”
The troubles caused by Viscount Diaclen did not end there.
The types of goods he distributed were more diverse and numerous than expected.
It was to the extent that they wondered if it was not the nobles who were spreading it, but the commoners.
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“Additionally, unlike the nobles, there is no purchase history, so it’s difficult to confirm.”
‘I hadn’t thought of that until now.’
Eristella was caught off guard.
“Besides, the problems don’t just end with the collection…”
Just as Kaley was about to reveal another issue, Heinricion finally returned.
Eristella frantically examined the serious-faced Heinricion.
“The situation was different from what I expected.”
“As expected, I had better go. You know that the most urgent thing is to prevent the spread of the infectious disease.”
It was not the time to be like this.
‘The wizards cannot do anything else if they are concentrating their magic on preventing the spread.’
‘But if I do the blocking alone, they can assist in other areas like healing.’
Right when Eristella made up her mind to go directly no matter how much Heinricion tried to stop her.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“…Huh?”
‘What is this again?’
Eristella’s burning heart quickly calmed down at his following words.
“It wasn’t an epidemic, it’s something else.”
The phenomenon that was happening on the outskirts of the capital was partly why the four helpers came to visit Eristella.
“It’s the same thing I was trying to say.”
Kaley added from the side.
“Is it the same thing?”
How could it be the same? One was the plague, and the other was recovery of black magic stones.
‘Wait a minute. Maybe those two problems…?’
“The so-called epidemic appears to be caused by prolonged usage of items with black magic.”
It occurred to Eristella that she shouldn’t have been relieved thinking that she had tied a knot among the nobles.
The people who bought and used the Viscount Diaclen’s items the most were commoners, not nobles.
They were using them like people who were very much addicted to drugs.
“On the contrary, abnormal symptoms are conspicuous in the private sector.”
“That’s how it was initially mistaken for an infectious disease, which resulted in the understanding of the situation being delayed.”
The truth wasn’t apparent through the reports. It took an actual visit for Heinricion to notice the abnormality.
Sponsored Content
This explained his delayed return. He had to give instructions and clean up the site with the premise it was the side effects of black magic stones, instead of as an epidemic.
(TL/N: you know how the cleaning of one’s room/house after covid is different from when you have a normal fever? It’s something like that for this.)
“It’s a must to go again.”
“Anyway. For the time being, I think I will have to sort the situation out myself.”
It was even more cluttered because it had been dealt with as an epidemic so far.
‘I guess this is the end of my break.’
Eristella returned to her original form.
*******
Eristella and Heinricion were about to step out to handle the situation themselves.
“Uncle!”
Leighton chased after them, calling Heinricion.
“Hello, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”
Next to Leighton was his friend Oliver.
The two of them had fully recovered, but they weren’t returning to the magic academy because it was vacation soon.
“Can I go with you too?”
“Leighton. I don’t know how it’s like now…”
“I want to help too. I will never do anything dangerous.”
“As we are learning magic, we might be able to help, albeit weakly.”
Oliver also chipped in, as if he had the same idea.
But Heinricion seemed reluctant.
“Yes. Do it.”
So, Eristella gave permission instead.
“Really? We can go too?”
With a glint of delight in his eyes, Leighton gazed up at Heinricion and asked.
“It will be a good experience. Magic is something that improves only when you actually use it. That, in turn, will allow you to have faith in yourself.”
“…….”
“What are you worried about when we’re next to them anyway?”
—Don’t worry, have faith, and leave it to me.
“You two have to be careful.”
In the end, Heinricion had no choice but to allow it.
Ame: o_o whAt cOuLd pOssiBly go wRoNg?
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“In fact, all members of the family are dead.”
“When did he die?”
Eristella asked, recalling the memories of meeting the boy named Emmett Sianne many years ago.
“I can’t be specific because there are no eyewitnesses, but it must have been at least 10 years ago.”
It’s approximate, but the time was similar to that in her memory. That somehow bothered her.
“The Sianne family apparently had little interaction with the outside world. So it’s tricky to get detailed information.”
“They didn’t communicate with anyone at all?”
“It’s said that they lived a closed life in an old castle, which is quite far from the central region.”
According to Eugene, people didn’t know about their deaths for a long time because they didn’t have much or frequent contact with people.
They didn’t even do the minimum amount of activities most nobles, even fallen ones, do. So it was only discovered after questioning many people.
Well, now that a lot of time had passed, it should be expected that the information that could be found was extremely limited.
“However, there were a few who witnessed them leaving for the capital at the time. Maybe they never came back from there.”
It was Eugene’s guess, but Eristella was almost certain.
Something must have happened after Eristella met him.
“I tried to find out more about Emmett Siane, but the only thing I gathered was that he was seen walking around in a cloak on very rare occasions.”
“There just isn’t much information left about the child.”
It’s unfortunate, but it’s unavoidable.
Information about a child growing up in an isolated family could not be known to those living in distant villages.
“But instead, I was able to find out some information about the Sianne family at that time.”
The Sianne family had long established a foothold in the area and continued for generations.
Although they lived a closed life for generations, they seemed to have no problems with their livelihood.
And there were some who claimed that they seemed to be able to use magic.
‘But I’ve never heard of a family called Sianne.’
Besides, Eristella had seen Emmett Sianne at her palace.
There must be a special reason for a completely unknown family to be invited to the Imperial Palace.
So, were they really able to use magic?
The deeper she thought, the more her brows narrowed.
*******
Having received an urgent letter from the emperor early in the morning, Eristella hurried to the Imperial Palace.
Sponsored Content
“What happened? The national treasure disappeared?”
And as soon as she arrived, she received shocking news.
“I took it out to check something last night, but one painting is missing.”
The emperor shook his head in bewilderment. It was unknown when it disappeared.
“There are no traces of anything being touched anywhere else, and it seems like only that was taken.”
However, the instant Eristella heard the news, a hypothesis came to mind.
‘Was it because of this that we caught him?’
She had been wondering the whole time.
‘Viscount Diaclen… Declen… Did he deliberately let us catch and interrogate him?’
‘To fool us?’
‘Or is he aiming for something else?’
But Eristella hadn’t figured it out even until he disappeared.
Hence, she up.
‘What if it was to grab this picture before he disappeared?’
Since the founding of the country, the Imperial Palace has been a sanctuary protected by elaborate barriers.
No one without permission could enter.
Even Declen wouldn’t have been able to break it and freely enter the palace. But after setting foot in it, moving inside was a different matter.
…Perhaps Declen’s real purpose was to gain access into the Imperial Palace.
“The painting was most likely taken in that way.”
“Is that painting special?”
“Hmm… It’s a painting that’s meaningful in relation to the founding history, but it didn’t seem like there’s anything beyond that.”
The emperor interpreted the painting.
The founding emperor had a companion whom he had overcome all sorts of dangers with.
He was a very powerful wizard, and was said to have the power to stand alone against an army.
The story of him eventually losing his life on the battlefield right after the founding of the country made many people sad even now.
It was an established theory that the strongest wizard in the history of the empire was the founding emperor, but there were not just a few people who believed that the companion had abilities comparable to those of the emperor.
Maybe Eristella would not be a match for those two either.
“But there must be.”
That was also very important.
Just that Eristella and the emperor weren’t aware of it yet.
“Then I’ll have to look at the painting again.”
Sponsored Content
“How is that possible?”
The corners of the emperor’s mouth went up meaningfully.
“It’s a painting I’ve already seen several times, so certainly…”
The emperor had the talent to accurately remember what he had seen once. In addition, his drawing ability was excellent, so it was not difficult to realize what he was planning to do.
“Then… I’ll leave it to you.”
It was vital to confirm if there was anything hidden in the painting.
It was when the discussion ended and Eristella was about to go back.
Heinricion, who came to the palace together but left to receive a brief report, returned urgently with a serious face, saying that he had something to say.
“An epidemic? What are you saying?”
Eristella was the first to react.
“Recently, there have been reports that symptoms of an epidemic are appearing in the outskirts of the capital.”
“It’s still under investigation because the number of patients is small and the symptoms are not clear.”
What luck. An epidemic at this time.
Moreover, the days were getting hotter and hotter, so there was a great risk of contagion spreading.
“I know. We have to root it out in the early stages at all costs.”
*******
For several days, Eristella tried to calmly examine the situation.
But with each news from the outskirts of the capital, things were just getting worse
‘I can’t stand it anymore!’
Eristella wanted to head straight to the source and check it out, but she was swiftly caught by Heinricion.
“I told you not to go first.”
Ugh. Eristella winced and parted her lips, making an excuse.
“But there is a limit to just listening to the report. It’s best to see firsthand…”
“I’ll go instead. Wait for me.”
With that, Heinricion left. Even after more than half a day had passed, he did not return.
After a day like that, it wasn’t Heinricion who stepped into the grand ducal residence, but the four helpers.
“I don’t think it’s going to be easy to retrieve everything.”
The troubles caused by Viscount Diaclen did not end there.
The types of goods he distributed were more diverse and numerous than expected.
It was to the extent that they wondered if it was not the nobles who were spreading it, but the commoners.
Sponsored Content
“Additionally, unlike the nobles, there is no purchase history, so it’s difficult to confirm.”
‘I hadn’t thought of that until now.’
Eristella was caught off guard.
“Besides, the problems don’t just end with the collection…”
Just as Kaley was about to reveal another issue, Heinricion finally returned.
Eristella frantically examined the serious-faced Heinricion.
“The situation was different from what I expected.”
“As expected, I had better go. You know that the most urgent thing is to prevent the spread of the infectious disease.”
It was not the time to be like this.
‘The wizards cannot do anything else if they are concentrating their magic on preventing the spread.’
‘But if I do the blocking alone, they can assist in other areas like healing.’
Right when Eristella made up her mind to go directly no matter how much Heinricion tried to stop her.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“…Huh?”
‘What is this again?’
Eristella’s burning heart quickly calmed down at his following words.
“It wasn’t an epidemic, it’s something else.”
The phenomenon that was happening on the outskirts of the capital was partly why the four helpers came to visit Eristella.
“It’s the same thing I was trying to say.”
Kaley added from the side.
“Is it the same thing?”
How could it be the same? One was the plague, and the other was recovery of black magic stones.
‘Wait a minute. Maybe those two problems…?’
“The so-called epidemic appears to be caused by prolonged usage of items with black magic.”
It occurred to Eristella that she shouldn’t have been relieved thinking that she had tied a knot among the nobles.
The people who bought and used the Viscount Diaclen’s items the most were commoners, not nobles.
They were using them like people who were very much addicted to drugs.
“On the contrary, abnormal symptoms are conspicuous in the private sector.”
“That’s how it was initially mistaken for an infectious disease, which resulted in the understanding of the situation being delayed.”
The truth wasn’t apparent through the reports. It took an actual visit for Heinricion to notice the abnormality.
Sponsored Content
This explained his delayed return. He had to give instructions and clean up the site with the premise it was the side effects of black magic stones, instead of as an epidemic.
(TL/N: you know how the cleaning of one’s room/house after covid is different from when you have a normal fever? It’s something like that for this.)
“It’s a must to go again.”
“Anyway. For the time being, I think I will have to sort the situation out myself.”
It was even more cluttered because it had been dealt with as an epidemic so far.
‘I guess this is the end of my break.’
Eristella returned to her original form.
*******
Eristella and Heinricion were about to step out to handle the situation themselves.
“Uncle!”
Leighton chased after them, calling Heinricion.
“Hello, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”
Next to Leighton was his friend Oliver.
The two of them had fully recovered, but they weren’t returning to the magic academy because it was vacation soon.
“Can I go with you too?”
“Leighton. I don’t know how it’s like now…”
“I want to help too. I will never do anything dangerous.”
“As we are learning magic, we might be able to help, albeit weakly.”
Oliver also chipped in, as if he had the same idea.
But Heinricion seemed reluctant.
“Yes. Do it.”
So, Eristella gave permission instead.
“Really? We can go too?”
With a glint of delight in his eyes, Leighton gazed up at Heinricion and asked.
“It will be a good experience. Magic is something that improves only when you actually use it. That, in turn, will allow you to have faith in yourself.”
“…….”
“What are you worried about when we’re next to them anyway?”
—Don’t worry, have faith, and leave it to me.
“You two have to be careful.”
In the end, Heinricion had no choice but to allow it.
Ame: o_o whAt cOuLd pOssiBly go wRoNg?
