Chapter 29 – Flower Of The North Sea (1)

The Lavierre Mountain Range, stretching long between Pennheim and the Demon Realm, was a natural fortress.

The dense forest rarely saw sunlight even during the day, and its steep slopes were difficult for even Hellhounds to climb.

On the ramparts flew the banners of the twelve knightly orders and the mage battalions defending humanity’s front line.

Throughout its long history, only twice had the superior physical beings of demons and monsters breached these walls.

The first time the mountain range’s defenses were breached, humanity was pushed back helplessly to the capital of Pennheim, Thessalon, and the capital of Monark, Rubie, nearly facing extinction.

The second breach saw all knights, soldiers, and inhabitants at the frontlines sacrificing their lives to prevent the heroes advancing into Heljeb from being hindered.

Before and after these breaches, the Lavierre Mountain Range, guarded by the Hook’s Claw Knights, had never faced such a threat again.

However, recently, soldiers began to report strange symptoms.

With increasing cases of abdominal pain, nausea, and mild diarrhea requiring treatment at the temple, Wiblet ordered an investigation.

He eyed the demonic statue on his desk suspiciously.

Could it be because of this?

The statue depicted a grotesque woman with numerous horns protruding from her forehead and brow.

But the statue itself did not seem to exude anything significant.

Concluding that such an object couldn’t be the cause of a widespread illness, Wiblet was about to rise when his subordinate knocked and entered his office.

“Excuse me, Captain. We’ve discovered the cause.”

“Really? What is it?”

It had been less than two days since he ordered the investigation, so the report came faster than expected.

However, the explanation was far from simple.

“It’s the water. The underground water accumulating downstream in the Lavierre Mountains appears to be contaminated.”

“Contaminated groundwater? Why?”

“Well….”

The subordinate hesitated. Due to its high altitude, the Lavierre Mountain Range was not easily contaminated unless acidic rain fell.

However, the water used by the local inhabitants below the mountains was part of a separate tributary created by Terra’s <Grand Canal> magic during the Great War.

The contamination of the water, which traveled from the Seine River through the Senrir Lake, led Wiblet to a hypothesis.

“Could it be… the Rochear family?”

“Yes, Sir Hans reported finding ice fragments believed to be from Senrir Lake.”

The lake, filled with the corpses of demons, had thawed, spreading corpse poison.

The melting ice meant one thing.

“They’re planning to move. Which direction?”

“We haven’t received any notification.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. We also sent a messenger to the capital, but they received no further reply after the letter announcing the Rochear family’s second daughter’s victory in the magic contest.”

Heading to Heljeb? If so, why wait until now?

The Rochear family’s ice magic was most potent in winter.

It was odd that they moved now when they could have stayed by the lake until the weather warmed.

Moreover, the last time the head of the Rochear family mentioned it, she had no intention of melting the ice.

She must have found a reason to move.

“First, contact the temple to dispatch holy water and priests.”

“What about the demon corpses?”

“We’ll have to retrieve them. If we leave them, all the water will become contaminated. Inform the nearby residents and request their cooperation.”

The subordinate exited, looking dismayed at the prospect of the enormous civilian support that would be required.

After he left, Wiblet sat back down and gazed at the dark red lands of Heljeb beyond the mountain range.

If Esther Silvesta was moving at this time, her destination wasn’t Heljeb.

For some reason, she was heading elsewhere.

If not the Demon Realm, then perhaps… the Northern Sea?

Edenbury. The Rochear family’s domain and her homeland.

A maritime city of Pennheim, surrounded by archipelagos, with massive waves constantly crashing against it.

***

“Adela, would you like to have a meal together?”

After learning about Adela’s bullying, Erzebert took extra care of her.

They were the same age and of similar status.

Moreover, being in the same grade gave them more opportunities to interact, but her intentions were primarily pure rather than political.

“Is that okay?”

“Of course. Come along. We’re going to a restaurant in town today.”

Erzebert hoped Adela would adapt well to life at the academy.

From what she observed, Adela wasn’t lacking in basic etiquette or personal management.

She used her knife and fork from the outside in with ease.

She neatly folded her napkin on her lap.

Her clothes weren’t always immaculate, but they carried a light fragrance, suggesting regular laundering.

She didn’t behave rudely or inconvenience others.

After finishing her meal, she accurately paid her share.

“Adela? Why are you buying that flower?”

“I’m going to eat the honey as a dessert.”

The problem was that Adela sometimes engaged in incomprehensible behavior.

She bought a bouquet from a young girl selling flowers outside the restaurant.

Erzebert had to desperately stop Adela from putting the flowers in her mouth.

“Please, Adela! You can just buy honey! Don’t do that again next time.”

“Okay.”

The streets of Farencia bustled with nobles seeking to dine and enjoy entertainment outside the academy.

Pushing through the crowd to the roadside, the two girls looked around to hail a carriage.

When a carriage finally stopped, the boys standing in front of them naturally gestured for them to join.

“Join us, Princess. And your lovely friend holding the flowers.”

The carriage was a four-seater, so Erzebert intended to share it without much thought.

However, Adela noticed the boys’ gaze lingering on her chest and took a step back.

“No, I don’t want to.”

“Pardon…?”

“Adela!?”

The boys were visibly taken aback by such a blunt refusal, uncharacteristic of noble etiquette.

“Sorry, we’re not heading directly back to the academy.”

“Phi—”

With a convenient excuse, Erzebert dismissed them and climbed into the next carriage with Adela.

As the carriage rumbled along, Erzebert cautiously offered advice to Adela, who was staring out the window.

“Adela, it’s better to avoid such rude behavior. You could have declined more gently.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why didn’t you get in? It was a chance to make friends with fellow academy students.”

“I don’t like stupid people.”

Adela stated flatly.

Even Erzebert, who had grown up in the political intrigue of the royal palace, found it impossible to understand her thoughts.

Is this extreme self-loathing…?

That was the closest she could come to a conclusion.

Trying to change the topic, she continued the conversation with a safer subject.

“What do you want to achieve at the academy, Adela?”

“Me? Marriage.”

Marriage? Instead of discussing unique magic or magical studies?

It was a bold statement for a new student, but understandable for someone from the Rochear family.

The unique magic wasn’t something you could find in a children’s picture book at a street bookstore.

The vast knowledge and intricate theories were nearly impossible to pass down to future generations.

To master unique magic, one needed to be of duke-level skill and talent.

While Erzebert agreed with the saying that talent is inherited, no mage in the kingdom’s history had ever succeeded in passing down unique magic to their offspring.

The sole exception was the Rochear family.

A unique magic passed down through the bloodline—an astonishing characteristic.

Although proficiency varied by individual, Adela’s marriage held significant implications.

Merging two powerful families could shift the kingdom’s power dynamics.

Helping with her marriage, creating a debt, or arranging a match with a family friendly to the royal family could enhance Erzebert’s political standing.

Erzebert’s mind raced with possibilities.

“He must be at least a count.”

“Of course. The flower of the Northern Sea cannot be easily approached by those without stature.”

“Yes. I don’t like stupid people.”

“I feel the same way. But everyone has their place and role.”

Just as Erzebert felt they were finally understanding each other—

“So, Princess.”

“Yes?”

“Can you make Mr. Louis a count?”

Clunk!

The carriage jolted violently over the smooth brick road.

***

The construction was finally complete. A second store for use as a café.

The dark, reddish wood added a touch of luxury to the interior.

However, like the original store, the large windows provided ample light, and numerous lights prevented it from feeling too heavy.

The cozy yet elegant atmosphere reflected Darling’s subtle influence.

Well, her taste in aesthetics was reliable, so there shouldn’t be a lack of customers.

“Phew! That took a while.”

I hung the sign and swept the dirty floor.

Then I moved to the back door leading to the counter to organize the cleaning tools.

The plumbing was set, and the tea leaves and coffee beans from the capital were stocked—

Everything was ready for opening, but there was one problem.

“Are you done, boss? I need help with the register here.”

The issue was the increased number of customers, leaving Liv with no time to rest.

Even with the time she had spent working, this was the best she could manage.

These students didn’t show their faces when I was at the store all day. Some even said they just discovered the store existed.

The school rules? Do they not read them?

Tch, if I knew this would happen, I would have hired a pretty part-timer from the start.

While the income had noticeably increased, this disrupted my original plan of having Liv work at the café while I handled the store.

Given the anticipated rush during the initial opening, two people wouldn’t suffice.

Maybe I should hire another person, even if it’s a bit ambitious.

Yes, someday, I’ll expand the store to rival the Yakult Empire, so worrying about a temporary part-timer is unbecoming of a ruler.

But will students want to work at a café? I had no applicants for the store position.

If worse comes to worst, I’ll split the hours and manage it myself. I posted another hiring notice.

Like fishing without bait, I had little hope.

Then, immediately—

“I’ll do it.”

Sigh.