Ch.873The Wizard’s Gift

After a long discussion filled with noise and confusion, and extensive paperwork, the eighteen hundred refugees were finally able to settle in Hestella.

I chose plains in the southwest, somewhat distant from the Landenburg territory, to establish their residential area.

A residential area named “Eastern Special Management Zone.”

This was due to the chancellor’s advice that keeping them within Lord Landenburg’s territory would cause significant backlash from the existing subjects.

In any case, the steppe people, who had gained the status of second-class citizens of Hestella, began to settle in their new home and lead somewhat stable lives.

Instead of the bleak temporary name given by Hestella’s administrators, they gave it an eastern-style name.

Feichian.

It was the moment when a second homeland was born to provide sanctuary for the converted easterners.

—-

After relocating the Ka’har refugees to Feichian, I dispatched Jahan, Aishan-Gioro Imara, and several administrators to manage the place.

For the continuous management and control of the refugees.

“Are you saying I should lead them…? But that’s…”

“I’d rather just stay here… Is that not possible?”

Perhaps because they would have to be away from my side, both Jahan and Imara expressed reluctance as soon as they heard the proposal, but…

“Bear with it for now. There’s no one more suitable than you two.”

My answer was firm.

To effectively govern the refugees, administrators of eastern rather than western origin were absolutely necessary.

The Ka’har refugees had grown up their entire lives hearing that all westerners were nothing but weak and vile villains.

Would such refugees willingly accept a western administrator?

A situation where some unknown westerner suddenly sits above them and issues orders as if commanding servants?

Of course not.

That’s why Jahan and Imara were needed.

The two who, while being converted Ka’har like the refugees, could overwhelm them with their military power and status.

Jahan, who had been a close confidant of “Aishan-Gioro Haschal” since long ago, a Champion whom Haschal favored enough to bestow the Akrindo, the Kagan’s beloved weapon.

Aishan-Gioro Imara, a direct descendant of the Aishan-Gioro line, blood of the former Kagan Orhan, and a pure easterner by birth.

Could there be more capable appointments than these two for controlling refugees who still retained their Ka’har mentality?

So I wouldn’t accept any right of refusal.

Both of them needed to work hard for me.

Until the refugees’ education was successfully completed and they could perfectly integrate as members of “Hestellans.”

—-

Ah, I forgot to mention this earlier, but the Dane slaves who came with the refugees were sent back to Dane.

Knut must have been pleased. Like an unexpected gift.

There were also many who didn’t want to return and preferred to stay here. Their reasons were quite varied.

Those who said they had no family to welcome them back.

Those who wanted to repay the favor of being rescued from slavery.

And those who, if they were to become free people anyway, wanted to be free people of a stronger country.

I gladly accepted all of them as citizens. Why would I refuse people willing to pay taxes in my country?

Seeing how they were not just grateful but honored to be freed from slavery, they didn’t seem to be slaves captured by Hersella.

So there was no reason to refuse.

Anyway, after settling the refugee issue for now, I went to see Ophelia van Sigmillus to separate Imelia de Median’s remains from the Jiangshi’s body.

Ophelia had arrived in Landenburg while we were on the expedition, and as soon as she arrived, she purchased a building on the outskirts of the city and set up a residence cum laboratory.

The reason she chose a remote location instead of the central area was probably because of the Claire issue and her research on soul magic.

Well, I intend to leave her be as long as she doesn’t cross the line, but…

If other priests or paladins were to see her laboratory, they would go berserk like chihuahuas with rabies.

Anyway, after setting up her lab, she volunteered to serve as Imara’s guard and monitor, following her around to pass the time?

Then she suddenly quit, saying there was nothing suspicious, and locked herself back in her laboratory.

I’m not sure if this should be called having her own pace or just being a typical spellcaster doing whatever she wants.

Anyway, I went to see such an Ophelia. With the coffin containing the Jiangshi’s body.

—-

“It’s been over a week since you returned, and only now you come to see me. You must have been very busy, Your Majesty.”

Ophelia, whom I was meeting after a long time, handed me a cup of tea with a smirk.

Rather than tea, it was actually more like a bitter green juice that smelled strongly of herbs.

“…This doesn’t have drugs in it, right?”

The deep, intense green liquid seemed to ease eye fatigue just by looking at it.

I hesitated to drink it, feeling suspicious.

“Drugs? That’s quite an accusation.”

“Well, you do grow marijuana. And poppies.”

What accusation? This woman has a drug garden in her research lab.

If she had been doing this in 21st century Earth, police would have blown off the doorknob with a shotgun and stormed in after smelling it.

Even in this place where public safety is at rock bottom, unlike Earth, unauthorized cultivation of narcotic plants is a serious crime punishable by immediate execution upon discovery.

“Well, yes, I do have some drugs…”

Of course, Ophelia was an exception.

In the case of mages, cultivation of narcotic plants was permitted under the pretext of magical reagent research.

Though if caught refining and selling drugs from them, it would be straight to the gallows.

“But those aren’t for entertaining guests. They’re like a sister’s gifts for Claire ‘unni’.”

Ophelia pointed to the firmly closed bedroom door and smiled. With an expression like a girl proud of her harmonious sisterly relationship.

Of course, such an expression only gave me goosebumps, knowing the relationship between her and Claire.

What harmony?

If that’s what a harmonious sisterly relationship looks like, then saying a family looks harmonious would be an insult worthy of provoking violence, not a compliment.

Ophelia’s feelings toward Claire were so twisted that they could hardly be called familial love, more like a damp and perverse madness.

A desire mixed with lust, obsession, sadism, and love-hate.

It was such an intensely unwholesome, creepy, and appalling emotion that even a blonde, tanned thug would wet himself and flee rather than intrude.

—-

Anyway, after that, I explained to Ophelia what had happened during the expedition and sought her advice on the Jiangshi matter.

Whether she could separate Imelia’s remains from this body that was so mixed with Amin’s that its original form was unrecognizable.

“Hmm… it should be possible. You say one side is just an ordinary Ka’har? Then we can check the difference in reactivity by projecting mana.”

After thinking for a moment, Ophelia nodded and gave her answer.

She meant that if we examine each bone by infusing it with mana, we’d find the answer?

Her logic was that if Imelia de Median had been just an ordinary westerner, it would have been impossible, but the remains of someone descended from the Great’s Twelve Knights would surely show a different reaction than an ordinary person’s.

“That makes sense. Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

“This much is nothing. Besides, I’m also interested in this ‘Jiangshi’.”

Taking the coffin containing the Jiangshi, Ophelia asked if she could research the remaining parts after separating Imelia’s remains.

“It might be a bit difficult to analyze since it’s made with eastern sorcery rather than our magic… but it shouldn’t be impossible. I’ve also acquired a good reference recently.”

“Reference?”

I tilted my head and asked back.

Reference? Had she found some research records or books related to sorcery? I didn’t know such things existed in the west.

“Ah, I forgot to tell you about that.”

Ophelia shrugged lightly as if just remembering something she had forgotten, then pointed toward the laboratory opposite the bedroom.

“Come with me, I have something to show you.”

“Something to show me?”

“Well, let’s call it my gift… You’ll probably be surprised when you see it.”

Ophelia led me to the laboratory with a smile like a demented witch.

A smile overflowing with ominousness.

It seemed like she was trying to smile like a mischievous child, but unfortunately, to my eyes, she just looked like a crazy witch.

And then.

“What on earth is this?!”

As Ophelia had promised, the identity of the “gift” she showed me was truly shocking.

“That, could it be…”

I pointed at the “gift” with a trembling finger, asking if what I was thinking was correct.

[My goodness…]

Even Hersella couldn’t hide her astonishment.

She was probably thinking the same thing as me.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Ophelia nodded. Then, placing it on her palm and showing it to me, she introduced it.

“The second experimental subject created using a soul stone, its terminal weistone, and a homunculus body.”

“Don’t, don’t look at me…!”

Eastern language is heard. From the small piece of flesh in Ophelia’s hand.

A bizarrely mismatched creature with a snake’s body and tail attached to the back of a human head about the size of a ping-pong ball. That was Ophelia’s gift.

“A gift as your exclusive mage, ‘Little Meiharin’.”

A gift that shocked both me and Hersella.

“What do you think? Doesn’t it remind you of Isabella’s time?”

Ophelia held it and smiled. Very satisfactorily. Like a child proud of her achievement.

I could only stare alternately at Ophelia and the creature in her hand with a dumbfounded expression.

Why… is he here?

A situation where the soul of Meiharin, who had committed suicide, was caught in Ophelia’s grasp.

It was a situation I couldn’t understand at all.