Chapter 153

Episode 153

“Did the Lady summon me urgently?”

“No? Not at all.”

I paused as I was about to board the carriage and glared at Jericho. He grinned back at me.

“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

“Oh, no way. How could I dare deceive my lord?”

“Then why are you so excited?”

“Me? Not at all…”

I was about to ask Selendis as well, but her face clearly said, “Don’t waste my time,” so I closed the carriage door.

I opened the window and ordered Jericho, “I’ll leave the Inspection Unit inspection to you. Organize the documents and report back.”

“Yes!”

The carriage departed, and upon arriving at the castle, I immediately went to see the Lady.

That’s when I understood why Jericho was so cheerful.

“Sir O’Brien, it’s been a while.”

An unexpected guest was present.

Sapiella von Arcnest. The mastermind’s childhood friend. She was the youngest daughter of a viscount family and a frequent visitor to the Dukedom’s main castle.

House Arcnest was a prestigious family located in the northern part of the Dukedom, known for running a famous adventurer’s guild.

They also had a reputable mercenary corps that was often mobilized for various missions.

Unlike most families that focused on commerce, they were at the forefront of supporting adventurers.

“I didn’t know you were here. I apologize for not greeting you properly, my Lady.”

“It’s alright. It’s my fault for coming without notice. I didn’t want to inconvenience you, so I came unannounced.”

“How can you say it’s your fault? Please retract your words.”

Sapiella smiled gently.

That beautiful smile must have been what made Jericho so happy. He often talked about Lady Sapiella.

It seemed spring was coming even for the top graduate of Kalisto Academy.

“I heard you’ve been promoted. You seem like the same good person.”

“You flatter me.”

“No, it’s true. Lucy often praises you.”

To further explain Lady Sapiella, she was a very introverted and sensitive person.

Her hobby was painting. She had already held several exhibitions in the Dukedom’s capital and gained fame for receiving critical acclaim.

There were only two people Lucia could call close friends.

Lady Sapiella and Lady Amel. Compared to my relationship with Selendis and Jericho, Sapiella was in Selendis’s position.

She was just as quiet and reserved. She also had moments where she would space out, which often led to her being teased by her friends.

On the other hand, Lady Amel was very similar to Jericho. She was talkative, humorous, and often led conversations.

Perhaps that was why their friendship had lasted so long.

Lucia said, “This mission is a bit personal, so I was wondering if I should entrust it to the Inspection Unit. That’s why I called you.”

I couldn’t just stand there and watch her hesitate. Especially with her best friend present.

“The Lucius Inspection Unit is the Dukedom’s legitimate investigative body, but it’s also an organization composed of those who serve you, my Lady. Even if it’s a personal matter, we should take on the mission and execute it.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Lucia smiled brightly. It seemed she had a knack for hearing what she wanted to hear.

“I’ll give you the eighth mission of the Inspection Unit. This mission is to help my friend, Sapiella.”

I was surprised but didn’t show it.

The seventh mission was to retrieve the infamous ‘Dark Soul’ and hand it over to Mr. Sommelier.

And now she was asking me to help her friend?

I couldn’t quite grasp it. The difficulty level seemed to have dropped significantly.

“Then may I ask what kind of help Lady Sapiella needs?”

“Ella, speak freely.”

Sapiella nodded gently and explained the situation.

“I need someone to look at my paintings. It’s not my usual style… It’s a bit experimental. I heard Sir O’Brien has a great eye for art, so I wanted to ask for your opinion.”

This was getting interesting. Even though I had experienced all sorts of things in my previous life, I had never evaluated paintings.

“Let me clarify. So, what you’re asking the Inspection Unit to do is to evaluate your paintings?”

“Yes, that’s right. If possible, I’d like Lady Selendis and Sir Jericho to join as well.”

If I weren’t the possessor of this body, I would have lamented how an Inspector ended up in this situation.

But who was Lady Sapiella?

She was the author of and the friend, no, the best friend of the being suspected to be the daughter of the Demon King, Plione.

‘There must be a reason behind this.’

There was no harm in following orders.

I had discovered astronomically valuable gold nuggets by following the Lady’s instructions.

I wouldn’t know the meaning of this mission until I experienced it firsthand. I had never evaluated paintings before.

Anyway, it would be interesting.

“The reason I’m asking cautiously is because Aubrey is now our family’s plenipotentiary. You’re waiting for a message from the Imperial Family, right?”

“Yes, my Lady. But it won’t interfere with the mission. As far as I know, House Arcnest is located in the northernmost part of the Dukedom. It’s closer to the capital than here in the south, so we can receive messages there.”

“That’s good. Ella, Aubrey accepted the mission.”

Sapiella smiled beautifully. It was similar to Lucia’s smile, yet different.

“Thank you so much, Sir O’Brien. I’ll be in your care.”

“Please let me know your schedule for returning to your family, and I’ll make preparations.”

“I’ll adjust my schedule accordingly. Please take your time preparing and let me know.”

“Understood. Then I’ll take my leave.”

Lucia tried to keep me for tea, but it wasn’t a loyal subject’s place to intrude on the ladies’ time.

I returned to my office. I thought only Selendis would be there, but Jericho was also present.

“You came back without doing the task I assigned you. It seems you’re very excited about this mission.”

“Hehe. The Inspection Unit’s operations are all in my hands. This is nothing.”

Jericho grinned cheekily and handed me some documents. It seemed he had prepared them in advance. I chuckled.

“The eighth mission of the Inspection Unit has been assigned. It’s related to Lady Sapiella.”

I relayed the conversation I had just had with the ladies. Selendis tilted her head in confusion, while Jericho beamed.

“Lady Sapiella’s paintings are true art. They’re often praised as the pinnacle of painting. And she’s Lady Lucia’s childhood friend! The Inspection Unit must help her, both physically and financially!”

“You don’t need to emphasize it so much. We’ll help her.”

I think I understood what was going on. Did he have feelings for Lady Sapiella?

Well, I had met her a few times, and she was an impressive lady with a down-to-earth and unpretentious personality. I hoped his feelings weren’t one-sided.

“We’ll depart in three days. We need to ensure her safety, so mobilize all the investigators.”

“As you command.”

“Jericho, send a messenger to the capital immediately. Tell them I’ll be staying with House Arcnest for a while, so if they have anything to convey, they should contact me there.”

“Yes, I’ll send it right away.”

“By the way, Jericho, do you know anything about art?”

Jericho puffed out his chest and straightened his posture.

“Kalisto Academy doesn’t just demand exceptional abilities from its students. It also requires extensive knowledge and appreciation for humanities and arts! I’ve been interested in painting since my first year at the academy.”

“That’s quite important information, but I’m hearing it for the first time.”

“You don’t suspect I’m making this up, do you?”

“A top graduate wouldn’t lie about something like this. Then you must be familiar with Lady Sapiella’s style.”

“Of course. I’ve seen all the paintings she’s released. Would you like to see her art books?”

Fortunately, Jericho proved that his admiration wasn’t temporary. He brought five art books.

I slowly flipped through the thick, bound books.

They were replicas, so it wasn’t the same as seeing the originals, but I could get a general sense of her style.

‘Unlike her quiet personality, her paintings are very lively.’

The colors were rich, and the characters and background objects felt dynamic. If the replicas were this impressive, I wondered what kind of emotions the originals would evoke.

Three days later, we headed to Arcnest Territory, located in the northern part of the Dukedom, escorting Lady Sapiella’s carriage.

* * *

First Prince Karma, upon returning to the capital, moved busily. He summoned the ministers to discuss the incident.

Naturally, they were shocked.

If Karma had acted alone, he might have been accused of slander, but the church had already informed them about the matter.

In other words, with the church acting as a witness, Arthur was confirmed to be a magical experiment subject and could no longer be called a prince.

Muon also became an enemy of the Empire.

“Minister of Internal Affairs, I intend to handle this matter in complete secrecy. If any rumors spread in the capital, it will be your responsibility. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I will carry out your orders thoroughly.”

“And Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

Count Apellai, who had been acquitted and was able to stand here, stepped forward and bowed.

Karma ordered, “We need to focus on diplomacy now more than ever. I’ll handle the north, so you should send envoys to our vassal states and allies to strengthen our relationships.”

“As you command.”

Karma was displeased with him but accepted O’Brien’s advice. He would keep a close eye on him for the time being.

“Eldritch Runewalker.”

As his full name was mentioned, an old mage stepped forward.

He was the Tower Master of the Imperial Magic Tower. He rarely left the tower, but he had to obey the summons.

“Do you acknowledge that you and the Magic Tower’s responsibility is greater than life itself? You challenged the authority of the Imperial Family and put a loyal subject in danger.”

“…I beg for your mercy.”

“How is the Magic Tower being managed? You were unaware that inhumane experiments were being conducted!”

Unable to contain his anger, Karma rose from his seat. His finger, trembling with rage, pointed at the old mage.

“The esteemed Sir Silidrian was brutally murdered. His mana circuit was completely extracted. What is a mana circuit? It’s the culmination of talent and effort bestowed by the heavens! I won’t let this slide!”

Eldritch simply bowed his head.

He had a lot to say.

The Magic Tower had played a significant role in the Empire’s current peace and prosperity. There were countless secret experiments being conducted.

It was unfair to be subjected to such hardship because of this one incident.

“Ultimately, I believe this incident occurred due to the Magic Tower’s excessive secrecy. What do you think, Duke Eldritch?”

Instead of making excuses, Tower Master Eldritch stared at Count Apellai. Count Apellai also exchanged a subtle glance with him.

“As the representative of the Tower Master, what more can I say? I will simply abide by Your Highness’s decision. However, I have one question.”

“…Speak.”

“Does Your Highness find the existence of the Magic Tower inconvenient?”