Chapter 90 – The Ice Duke’s Mindset (1)

The streets were awash in a sea of light fabrics, a testament to summer’s arrival. Ladies strolled beneath parasols, their hands fluttering fans. Tanners lounged in the shade, sipping beer as hides stretched and dried under the midday sun. Linen garments were the rage in the tailoring shops, and the magic emporiums were doing brisk business in ice-related spells and artifacts.

Summer had arrived in full force.

“Hot enough for you, fellas?” I asked, grinning at the row of iron hounds guarding the store entrance. Their metallic hides shimmered under the intense sunlight.

Hiss!

A bucket of water doused their heated forms, a cloud of steam rising into the air. They panted happily, their metallic tails thumping against the cobblestones.

I surveyed the quiet store, a sense of peaceful satisfaction settling over me. The first-years were away on their field exercise, the second-years engaged in magical seminars. End-of-term evaluations were complete.

The academy bustled with activity, but the store remained blissfully empty.

Summer break.

Students crammed onto enchanted carriages, eager to return home for the holidays. Professors retreated to their towers, resuming their research. Even the academy guards, their duties lessened, had commandeered the training grounds for a spirited game of foot volleyball.

A few students lingered, attending club meetings or extra classes, but for the most part, Farencia Academy was a ghost town.

Which, of course, meant the store’s revenue plummeted.

But I’d grown accustomed to this annual cycle of feast and famine.

Summer break was my time to recharge, to brainstorm new business ventures.

What to peddle next semester?

Surprisingly, cute dolls seemed to be a hit with the more…macho students. Perhaps I should explore that avenue.

As I pondered my entrepreneurial future, a familiar figure approached, light as a butterfly. Liv. Her usual melancholic demeanor had been replaced by a newfound lightness, a subtle but noticeable increase in smiles.

“Boss, what are you up to?”

“Just cleaning.”

“Need a hand?”

“That’s not necessary, but…”

Before I could finish, she’d already disappeared into the basement, returning moments later with a broom and dustpan, her efficiency a stark contrast to her usual languid movements.

I hadn’t rehired her after the Sandalphonia incident, nor had I enlisted Adela’s help. Too much had happened, and their employment period had ended.

Yet, both girls continued to frequent the store, albeit separately. They never came together.

“Boss?”

“Sure, I’d appreciate the help.”

“Certainly~.”

I knew why.

Unlike the previous incident, where the store had been inadvertently destroyed, Adela had ceded some ground to Liv, an unspoken truce established between them. The tense, almost hostile atmosphere that had once permeated their interactions had dissipated.

Liv now greeted me with a smile, while Adela remained withdrawn, her usual exuberance replaced by a quiet pensiveness.

“I’ll take care of the windows,” Liv offered, rising on tiptoe, her arm reaching high, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead.

The store, lacking air conditioning, became a veritable oven during the summer months.

Magic stone-powered cooling devices and ice magic scrolls were prohibitively expensive.

Willis Carrier, where are you when I need you?

***

“Phew…it’s hot in here.”

After we finished cleaning, Liv retrieved tea bags from the cupboard and brewed a pot, her movements fluid and graceful. With a delicate flick of her wrist, ice cubes materialized, tinkling as they dropped into the glasses.

She placed a glass before me, her touch lingering for a fraction of a second. A question arose, unbidden.

“Baroness Liv, you can use ice magic, correct?”

“Indeed. It’s part of the elemental series.”

“Then why not cool down the store?”

“Well…” She hesitated, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She traced a pattern on the tabletop with her fingertip. “I could easily transform this entire area into a cool oasis. However, I possess Unique Magic.”

“Yes, of course.”

“And the most common advice given to those who inherit Unique Magic is to avoid over-reliance on its power, lest it dull one’s senses to the natural world. Magic, while convenient, can also create a…detachment from reality.”

She was wary of following in Lehel’s footsteps, whose desensitization to the world around her was a cautionary tale.

It was a valid concern.

“Besides…I…I enjoy the warmth…especially when I’m with you, Boss…”

“…”

Her words only amplified the heat, a sudden flush rising in my own cheeks.

Liv, seemingly embarrassed by her own boldness, fanned herself furiously. I averted my gaze, my hand instinctively rising to scratch the back of my neck.

A familiar object protruding from her bag caught my eye.

“Baroness Liv, what’s that?”

“Oh, this? It’s a Magic Cube.”

It resembled a Rubik’s Cube, the six sides of the wooden cube painted in different colors.

But Liv’s explanation revealed its true nature.

“The cube is imbued with an integrated spell structure. Aligning certain colors, or combining specific patterns, activates a corresponding spell.”

She deftly manipulated the cube, and a small fountain of water erupted from its surface. A few more twists, and it emitted a trumpet blast, followed by a flash of light.

“Can I try it?”

“It’s difficult for non-magicians. It requires magical energy…but you can give it a try.”

I took the cube, attempting to twist its sides, but it remained stubbornly immobile. I applied more force, and the cube emitted a concerning creak.

“P-please be careful! It’s quite expensive! I borrowed it from a friend!”

“How expensive?”

“Over fifty gold pieces.”

“That much?” For a small wooden cube? That seemed exorbitant.

Sensing my continued interest, Liv gently retrieved the cube and, with surprising boldness, placed my hand on her waist instead. The movement was so fluid, so natural, that I wondered if she’d subtly used magic to guide my hand.

“Touch…touch here instead…” she murmured, her cheeks flushed.

Was she seriously offering me…this…as a substitute for a toy?

My hand, however, seemed to have a mind of its own, instinctively preferring the soft curve of her waist to the hard angles of the cube. I pulled her closer, my fingers gently tracing the contours of her body.

Liv gasped softly, a mixture of surprise and…something else…in her eyes. She carefully placed the cube back in her bag, her movements noticeably less fluid now.

“The technology originates from the magic towers. Specifically, the Phecda Tower. It’s an essential tool for second-year students, so they’re in high demand.”

“Which tower, exactly?”

The entrepreneurial wheels in my mind began to turn. These Magic Cubes…they had potential. Essential for students, easily transportable…

And, admittedly, I wanted one.

Liv shivered slightly at my touch as she searched her memory.

“I believe it’s the Phecda Tower. There was a rumor a few years ago that Headmaster Lehel made a substantial profit from the Magic Cube royalties…”

“Oh, really? How…convenient.”

Perhaps I could “acquire” a wholesale shipment at cost. Or perhaps…even less.

I already had a few reasons to pay Lehel a visit. I needed the doll she’d recovered, the suspected Demonic Idol. And I needed to address her crippling gambling addiction.

Though destroying her precious Battle of the Monsters orb seemed a tad excessive.

I didn’t want to be seen as solely taking from her.

“Anyway, thank you for the information, Baroness Liv.”

“M-mm…” she murmured, her gaze lingering on my hand as I reluctantly withdrew it from her waist. She nodded, a faint blush still coloring her cheeks.

***

In the northern reaches of the Pennheim Kingdom, within the Rochear County of Edenbury, Siegfried, commander of the Azure Rose Knights, sighed as he tossed another letter into the fire, the parchment curling and blackening as it was consumed by the flames. The missives arrived daily, carried by swift-winged messengers from the mountain peaks, each one bearing the same anxious inquiries.

“When will the Countess emerge from her seclusion?”

He understood their concern. The Ice Duke’s prolonged absence was unsettling. But it was a closely guarded secret, a matter of pride.

Defeat. The very word was a blemish on the Rochear name, a stain on Esther’s icy composure.

Though devoid of emotion, she was not devoid of pride. The loss had struck a deep blow, shattering her carefully constructed facade of invincibility.

He couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen her, not since she’d retreated into the frozen heart of her chambers, a self-imposed exile.

The irony wasn’t lost on him. Her absence, the subsequent thawing of Lake Senrir, had actually reduced the frequency of demonic incursions.

The knights, recovered from their injuries, were on respite, but their morale remained low, their confidence shaken.

It was during this period of uneasy quiet that a single letter arrived.

“Countess! Countess!”

Siegfried pounded on the ice-encrusted door, his heavy fist echoing through the silent halls.

Silence.

He read the letter aloud, his voice booming through the thick wooden door. And then, a faint response.

“…What…did it say?”

“Lady Adela…the young miss…she’s awakened her Unique Magic.”

The inheritance of Unique Magic within the Rochear lineage required a…unique ritual. The removal of one’s heart, a suppression of all emotion.

A bizarre practice, but one Esther had readily embraced. The how was irrelevant.

Click.

“Countess!?”

Esther’s mind, now operating with cold, mechanical precision, focused solely on the advancement of Rochear’s power, the eventual conquest of the demonic lands.

Adela’s awakening, her plea for assistance, was a catalyst, a spark that reignited Esther’s dormant ambition.

“Prepare for departure. Destination: Farencia.”

“Immediately, Countess. Shall I mobilize the knights?” Siegfried asked, noting the deep lines of fatigue etched on Esther’s face.

She shook her head. This wasn’t a military operation. Swords were unnecessary.

What she required was…

“No. Prepare a whaling vessel.”

“…A whaling vessel?”

A direct assault on Farencia would be met with fierce resistance. Esther intended to offer a…gift, a gesture of goodwill that Ruhillen couldn’t refuse.

“We will acquire ambergris.”

Invading without provocation, then offering reparations unrequested. The Rochear way.

There was no room for knightly honor in the blood of a merchant.

Ruhillen wouldn’t refuse.

Esther understood this, wielding power and influence with calculated precision.

She didn’t make mistakes. She didn’t fail.

Except…once.

“Louis, was it…?”

“Indeed, Countess. The…store owner.”

“What…was he?”

“We haven’t been able to ascertain his true nature. Our intelligence network is limited, and we haven’t contacted the royal court since the…incident…”

“Irrelevant.”

In Esther’s mind, Louis was now an enemy. The man who had alienated Adela from the Rochear family, bringing shame upon their house.

He defeated me. He must be a hidden asset of Ruhillen, the royal court, or perhaps even the Reincarnation Duke.

She continued to elevate Louis in her estimation, attributing his victory to some hidden power, some secret advantage.

Beneath her impassive mask, a cold fury simmered. She gripped her spear, her knuckles white.

“When we meet again…I will freeze him. Permanently.”