Chapter 84 : Training (1)

A tea time where perhaps the most dangerous people in this world have gathered.

Of course, if you insist on categorizing, that ‘dangerous group’ would include His Excellency the Marquis, as well as lords with vast distant territories that we don’t need to worry about for now.

But in the first place, such individuals rarely gather in one place.

Great power, by itself, is enough to sustain itself.

Unless one is like the Count, who is distracted by other matters, most simply focus on managing their own domains.

However, the ‘danger’ lurking here does not lie in such ‘visible power.’

Except for the Empress, the two people here are capable of inflicting enormous damage on the kingdom even without vast territories.

Still, the tea time did not escalate into a struggle.

Ayla did not deliberately provoke Seila or the other guests, and the other guests felt no need to provoke Ayla either.

Trade is only possible when a relationship of mutual trust is established.

The witch needs funds to maintain the forest.

Lady Shadow Bluewood needs money to buy back her family’s land.

And the Empress needs funds to rebuild the war-torn empire after the civil war.

Additionally, there are also extraordinary magical tools needed to eliminate and suppress potential political enemies within the empire.

Even if they were to alienate Ayla, trade could still happen.

But having a ‘mutually trusted mediator’ in the middle makes a massive difference—like the difference between having and not having a towering wall.

It will be a bit of a headache for Ayla and me to fairly assess the value in the middle.

But for now, this is the best solution.

However.

“But, Your Majesty.”

“Hmm?”

“Is it really alright for you not to return to the empire soon? I understand the journey back to the capital is quite long and treacherous.”

Considering the knights accompanying her, the Empress would practically have to be caught in a war to be in any real ‘danger.’

Well, Ayla’s words were reasonable.

After all, although rare, conflicts resembling wars sometimes occur between territories.

If such an incident were to break out in the territory she was visiting, the Empress would be in a difficult position.

“And also, leaving the administration of the state unattended for too long…”

The imperial throne being vacant for too long was also a problem, especially since the civil war had only recently ended.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. I calculated all of this before coming here. I don’t plan to stay for too long. Just making acquaintances and establishing trade channels will be enough.”

Ayla let out a small breath—a sigh of relief.

“And if necessary, I can always visit again.”

“What? Your Majesty, that means…”

“Yes. I intend to personally maintain this trade. The fewer people who know about it and the fewer officials involved, the more profit the imperial family can monopolize.”

Aside from the fact that she said this so bluntly.

The Count’s territory is deep inside the kingdom.

It’s not exactly right next to the royal capital, but it’s close enough that a significant portion of the grain produced here is directly exported to the capital.

If it were a marquisate near the border, it would be one thing.

But the Empress traveling back and forth here frequently would pose many problems.

Not just for herself, but for those of us living in this territory as well.

Even if she manages to keep it discreet at first, if it happens repeatedly, someone is bound to get suspicious.

“Of course, I’m not an idiot who plans to ride a carriage all the way here every time. Nor do I intend to walk or ride a horse here. That would be an even dumber choice than taking a carriage, wouldn’t it?”

Not to mention, it would be exhausting, and her face would become too exposed.

Many high-ranking nobles have visited the empire before, whether as envoys, ambassadors, or for personal reasons.

If they attended banquets in the imperial capital, it wouldn’t be strange for them to recognize the Empress’s face.

“Of course, I won’t be flying here either. The dragon is dead, and its body was dismantled and used as materials all over the place. Besides, even if it were still alive, I wouldn’t be able to ride on its back. There’s probably only one person in this world crazy enough to think about riding a dragon through the sky.”

The Empress’s red eyes turned toward me.

Ayla’s gaze followed.

Their eyes narrowed.

They seemed suspicious.

Understandably so.

Who in their right mind would think of riding a dragon through the sky?

Certainly not me.

Well… not at first.

That incident only happened because I had no choice in the middle of a battle.

“Then, how do you plan to travel?”

“The witch said she would sell teleportation scrolls. Regularly.”

This time, Ayla’s gaze shifted to Daisy.

I had momentarily forgotten, but Seila was also staring blankly at Daisy with her mouth slightly open.

Daisy gave a brief bitter smile.

No one here was even trying to hide it anymore.

Well, Seila was also one of the lords of this territory.

She might be too young now, but in a few years, she would be in her mid-teens.

It wouldn’t hurt for her to know this in advance.

“Teleportation scrolls.”

“Hmm. More precisely, a spell that temporarily creates a ‘gate.’”

“Yes, I know. It’s a tool that the witches rarely sell.”

This time, Ayla’s eyes turned to me.

“To be precise, there are only rumors that such things exist.”

I avoided Ayla’s gaze and instead glared at Daisy.

“It’s not because she trusts me that she’s selling them. And of course, they’re not cheap.

But that doesn’t matter. I’ll just factor the cost into my profits.

If it helps save precious time, then it’s more than welcome.

Money can always be earned, but time isn’t equally fair to everyone, is it?”

“…That’s true. It’s not.”

Ayla continued to glare at me.

Fortunately, she didn’t say anything more.

After all, this was ‘tea time.’

Right?

I pretended not to notice the way the shadow’s eyes gleamed greedily at the mention of ‘teleportation scrolls’ and continued thinking.

There was still no news from my younger sibling, who had left for the marquisate.

That made sense.

The marquisate was just as far away as the barony.

Traveling there and back took time, and discussing matters with His Excellency the Marquis would take even longer.

But still, I couldn’t quite say I was living peacefully.

After tea time ended, we moved straight to the dining hall and had a light meal.

Helena had skillfully prepared the tea time snacks so that everyone got just a little bit, and she had also arranged breakfast to be just enough to stave off hunger, balancing the two perfectly.

Even though I’m the head maid, I didn’t know any of this.

Could it be that Helena and the other maids have noticed that I’ve been staying by Ayla’s side?

Of course, they must have.

After all, they were the ones who enthusiastically did my makeup whenever I went to see Ayla.

I’ll just pretend not to notice.

Though it feels like they’re smiling a bit too happily while looking at me and Ayla, until I hear them say it directly, I can’t be certain.

However, not everyone was willing to just sit back and watch.

“Luna, Luna! What on earth is this all about!?”

It was Seila.

Just as Ayla, looking slightly grumpy, was about to take me to the training room after our meal, Seila quickly grabbed my sleeve and asked loudly.

Ayla’s gaze lingered briefly on Seila’s hand holding my sleeve, but I decided to ignore it.

There’s no way she’d be jealous of a child who’s barely in her early teens.

“You heard correctly. The red-haired guest is the Empress of the Empire. She recently ended the civil war within the empire and has fully established her reign.”

“A-Ah, no, I kind of figured that out already!”

“Is that so? You are quite perceptive.”

“Hehe… Wait, that’s not the point!”

I failed to brush it off with a compliment.

“So… you mentioned a deal with a witch!?”

“Yes. A deal with the Witch of the Forest. It just so happens that I am acquainted with her.”

“A-A witch… Do you mean that witch? The old woman with a hunched back and big ears who lives in the forest…?”

Seeing Daisy’s mouth slightly open, I paused to think for a moment.

“That’s mostly correct.”

“Mostly correct…?”

Daisy muttered in a slightly hurt voice.

But isn’t it true?

She’s always bending over a giant cauldron, she’s an elf, so she has big ears, and well, she is an old woman.

“But… I heard she’s really terrifying…”

“She is terrifying.”

“She’s terrifying…?”

But isn’t that true, too?

She set up all sorts of deadly traps just because she didn’t want people wandering into the forest.

And the fact that she did it simply because it was “convenient” makes her even worse.

“But she’s not a villain.”

Seeing Seila’s mouth open again, I quickly cut in.

“Is… is that so?”

“Yes. She’s just a bit eccentric and somewhat lacking in certain ways.”

Daisy looked like she couldn’t decide whether to be annoyed or amused by my words.

“So you don’t need to worry.In fact, she might actually be helpful to you, Seila. If you’re curious, why not ask Daisy? She used to live in that forest.”

“Daisy did?”

Seila turned to look at Daisy.

Daisy bowed deeply.

Well, in fairy tales, witches are sometimes portrayed as bad, but that’s not always the case.

In some stories, they’re more like fairies, helping lost and kind-hearted children.

Using that reasoning, I successfully left Seila in Daisy’s hands and turned back to Ayla.

But once again, I found myself locking eyes with Ayla, who was glaring at me with narrowed eyes.

…Did I upset her again?