'I feel like I'm going to die.'
Erna lay sprawled on the sofa in her office, thinking the same thoughts. By now, her body should have gotten used to it, but why is it still in so much pain? The only saving grace was that it seemed to hurt a little less than last time.
'Wouldn't it be okay if I did it a few more times?'
Erna, who had been lost in thought for a moment, was startled by her own thoughts and sprang up. However, the pain in her lower back forced her back down. No, what more could I possibly do! But... come to think of it, it was something that had to be continued.
Erna lay there, patting her lower back with her fist. Why is there any magic that can quickly relieve physical pain? She pondered whether she should create one.
'There probably wasn't any need to make it.'
Come to think of it, for such muscle knots, human hands were certainly faster and more effective than relying on complex and strenuous magic. Just like when Callion had rubbed her body before.
“You lunatic...”
As she thought of Callion, curses automatically flowed from Erna's mouth.
She knew that Callion had been late compared to his usual schedule, even when they slept together last time. However, she didn't expect him to stay until well past lunchtime today. Thinking he must have stayed because he had something to say, she told him to go ahead if he had anything to say; Callion hesitated for a moment before telling him what had happened that morning.
Thanks to that, Erna was able to wake up immediately.
"So that means everyone saw that wound!"
It was Erna who wanted to die of embarrassment, even though it wasn't even her who had shown it.
Of course, the maids of the Grand Duke's castle would already know exactly what the two were doing in the couple's bedroom. Weren't they the ones who cleaned up the mess on the bed? However, revealing it completely was another matter entirely. Moreover, although Callion hadn't explicitly stated it, it certainly didn't seem like he had spoken to the Marquis of Carnarvon politely.
“I want to hit him...”
She wanted to punch that chest, which was said to be completely exposed, really hard. Then, Erna sensed the presence of something rolling around in her pocket and took it out. What Erna held in her hand was a clear and transparent stone.
To be precise, it was a very special, refined magic stone called a Fragment of the Ocean, which could only be obtained from ancient ruins.
Erna held it up to her face. At first glance, it looked like a deep blue gem. However, when she shook it gently, she could see the blue inside rippling like water. It was the magical power contained within the stone that was shaking.
That was what Callion gave her in the morning.
After waking up and hearing a rough explanation from Callion, Erna ran her fingers through her hair and shouted.
“I intended to put up with it while the Marquis was staying!”
As Erna shouted, Callion clicked his tongue and replied.
"Is there any need to endure it?"
"What?"
“I am well aware that I lack the strength. That is why I will still bow to Havand or Ether. However, that did not mean I would bow to the Grim Reaper.”
“What is that...”
"Is that nonsense?" Callion said before Erna could argue.
“You have every right to be angry about the poor treatment of the envoy. However, if we send valuable items to Havand first before he contacts us, it’s a different story. Of course, accompanied by a suitably long letter expressing concern for the nation’s prestige due to the envoy’s rudeness. Then the royal family will notice the friction and consider which side to take. The one who obediently pays tribute versus the envoy who offers nothing and causes trouble. Who do you think they would choose? Besides, the King of Havand... seems to be quite suspicious.”
“...”
It wasn't wrong.
There was something she noticed when she met the Marquis at a place away from the capital with Callion. Among the envoys of Havand, some were particularly keeping an eye on the Marquis. It seemed the King of Havand could not fully trust the Marquis, so he had placed a separate watch on him.
Erna was lost in thought for a moment, then opened her mouth.
"That alone isn't enough."
At her words, Callion quietly waited for her to continue speaking.
“...You also have to add that the Marquis was taking his own share here.”
Distrust is like a spark; the more you blow into it, the faster it grows. The King does not fully trust the Marquis. If you claim that the Marquis is siphoning off the offerings intended for the King and send precious items separately... at the very least, the King of Havand will begin to seriously consider replacing the envoy.
Erna, racking her brain, wrapped herself tightly in the blanket again and collapsed onto the bed, muttering.
"But there is a problem."
"What?"
"I have nothing more to offer."
It is not that there is nothing. There is quite a bit of grain and resources hidden away from Havand. However, they were not small enough to be delivered to Havand quickly, nor were they items that could be considered precious.
Erna briefly thought of the jewels remaining in the Grand Duke's castle. Although the two nations had plundered for a long time, they could not easily reach for the famous jewels that were the pride of the Grand Duke of Hessengard, as they were wary of each other; thus, more jewels remained in Hessengard than people thought.
'But that's not something I can use.'
All ownership also belonged to Callion, who was the same Grand Duke. Furthermore, Erna did not want to lay a hand on Hessengard's property.
They were all treasures of Hessengard, steeped in history and full of stories. It was unthinkable to hastily send them to Havand just to resolve this situation.
“I don’t remember much about the man who is my father, but he always wore rings on all ten fingers, and the Havand royal family has a custom of liking to adorn themselves. If you are going to present something to such people, nothing ordinary will suffice.”
Upon hearing that, Callion blinked and spoke.
“Why don’t you do it?”
"what?"
“I heard the Havand royal family likes to dress up. It looks like you’ve never done it even once.”
Erna was dumbfounded by Callion's words. I mean, is this the time to be worrying about such things?
“Who would I do something like that to curry favor with? Besides, such jewelry just gets in the way when I cast spells. No, that’s not what’s important right now. I have absolutely no intention of touching the treasures of Hessengard. So I have nothing to offer.”
At those words, Callion suddenly sprang to his feet. Then he strode into his room.
“...?”
"Why is he suddenly acting like that?" Erna could only stare blankly at Callion's sudden behavior. A moment later, Callion returned to the couple's bedroom and tossed what he was holding in front of Erna.
"Send that."
“What? What is this... Gasp!”
Erna covered her mouth in surprise when she saw it lying on the bed sheet. It was a fragment of the ocean, which she had seen a few times since there were about two of them in the Jewels of Hessengard, rolling haphazardly across the sheet. With trembling hands, Erna picked it up and brought it close to her face. Then, she grabbed it and shook it wildly. Seeing the blue inside the jewel rippling like water, her eyes widened even more, and she muttered.
“Oh my god, it’s real... Where did you get this!”
What Callion threw was even larger than the treasure of Hessengard and more transparent. In other words, it was much more precious.
"It was brought from ancient ruins."
“That can’t be. No ancient ruins have appeared recently...”
Erna, who had been speaking, fell silent. Then, she narrowed her eyes and glared at Callion.
“...So you were hiding it.”
“Hiding it? I just didn't say anything.”
He entered the ancient ruins with his knights. Erna, however, did not hear a single word about it, though, perhaps because they had kept their mouths shut so tightly.
“Where is it! If it’s a ruin large enough to find a fragment of the ocean...!”
"It disappeared."
"What?"
“You know the characteristics of ancient ruins, don’t you? After a certain amount of time, the entrance disappears, and a new one appears in a different place. At the ruins we found, the time for that entrance had run out, so it was gradually narrowing. That’s why we couldn’t look around properly either. It must be completely gone by now.”
"Ah..."
At Callion's words, Erna let out a sigh filled with regret. Then, regaining her composure, she lifted the piece of the ocean and spoke to Callion.
“I’ll hear the details separately later, but for now, why are you giving this to me?”
She couldn't understand why he was handing over something so precious to her, rather than why he had hidden it away. When Erna questioned him, Callion hesitated and spoke.
“...Today’s incident was my mistake. Therefore, it is only right that I take responsibility for the tribute to be sent to Havand. And...”
Callion looked up and down at Erna for a moment and spoke.
"...Tell me if you need more.”
Erna answered without hesitation at those words.
"Hand over everything you have."
Erna, recalling the events of the morning, briefly gazed at the piece of ocean in her hand.
“I must be seriously crazy...”
Could a monster's poison really drive a person insane in such a positive way? Still, perhaps because he hadn't completely lost his mind yet, when Erna demanded that he hand over any more, Callion sighed and told her to stop being so loud and just hold out his arm.
Recalling Callion's hands mercilessly pressing down and kneading her body again, Erna put the Fragment of the Ocean into her pocket. She thinks she'll be fine even if she gets bitten by monsters a few more times.
Then she remembered the Marquis, who was the beginning of the problem.
'Given the Marquis of Carnarvon's personality, he must be grinding his teeth by now.'
In that case, it would be best to move faster than the Marquis. Erna groaned as she got up from the sofa and went to sit at the desk. Just as she took out the high-quality paper used for important letters and was about to write the opening of a secret letter to be sent to Havand, Orpheus's voice was heard along with a knock on the door.
“Grand Duke! Grand Duke Erna! They say the Marquis of Carnarvon has collapsed!”
Erna lay sprawled on the sofa in her office, thinking the same thoughts. By now, her body should have gotten used to it, but why is it still in so much pain? The only saving grace was that it seemed to hurt a little less than last time.
'Wouldn't it be okay if I did it a few more times?'
Erna, who had been lost in thought for a moment, was startled by her own thoughts and sprang up. However, the pain in her lower back forced her back down. No, what more could I possibly do! But... come to think of it, it was something that had to be continued.
Erna lay there, patting her lower back with her fist. Why is there any magic that can quickly relieve physical pain? She pondered whether she should create one.
'There probably wasn't any need to make it.'
Come to think of it, for such muscle knots, human hands were certainly faster and more effective than relying on complex and strenuous magic. Just like when Callion had rubbed her body before.
“You lunatic...”
As she thought of Callion, curses automatically flowed from Erna's mouth.
She knew that Callion had been late compared to his usual schedule, even when they slept together last time. However, she didn't expect him to stay until well past lunchtime today. Thinking he must have stayed because he had something to say, she told him to go ahead if he had anything to say; Callion hesitated for a moment before telling him what had happened that morning.
Thanks to that, Erna was able to wake up immediately.
"So that means everyone saw that wound!"
It was Erna who wanted to die of embarrassment, even though it wasn't even her who had shown it.
Of course, the maids of the Grand Duke's castle would already know exactly what the two were doing in the couple's bedroom. Weren't they the ones who cleaned up the mess on the bed? However, revealing it completely was another matter entirely. Moreover, although Callion hadn't explicitly stated it, it certainly didn't seem like he had spoken to the Marquis of Carnarvon politely.
“I want to hit him...”
She wanted to punch that chest, which was said to be completely exposed, really hard. Then, Erna sensed the presence of something rolling around in her pocket and took it out. What Erna held in her hand was a clear and transparent stone.
To be precise, it was a very special, refined magic stone called a Fragment of the Ocean, which could only be obtained from ancient ruins.
Erna held it up to her face. At first glance, it looked like a deep blue gem. However, when she shook it gently, she could see the blue inside rippling like water. It was the magical power contained within the stone that was shaking.
That was what Callion gave her in the morning.
After waking up and hearing a rough explanation from Callion, Erna ran her fingers through her hair and shouted.
“I intended to put up with it while the Marquis was staying!”
As Erna shouted, Callion clicked his tongue and replied.
"Is there any need to endure it?"
"What?"
“I am well aware that I lack the strength. That is why I will still bow to Havand or Ether. However, that did not mean I would bow to the Grim Reaper.”
“What is that...”
"Is that nonsense?" Callion said before Erna could argue.
“You have every right to be angry about the poor treatment of the envoy. However, if we send valuable items to Havand first before he contacts us, it’s a different story. Of course, accompanied by a suitably long letter expressing concern for the nation’s prestige due to the envoy’s rudeness. Then the royal family will notice the friction and consider which side to take. The one who obediently pays tribute versus the envoy who offers nothing and causes trouble. Who do you think they would choose? Besides, the King of Havand... seems to be quite suspicious.”
“...”
It wasn't wrong.
There was something she noticed when she met the Marquis at a place away from the capital with Callion. Among the envoys of Havand, some were particularly keeping an eye on the Marquis. It seemed the King of Havand could not fully trust the Marquis, so he had placed a separate watch on him.
Erna was lost in thought for a moment, then opened her mouth.
"That alone isn't enough."
At her words, Callion quietly waited for her to continue speaking.
“...You also have to add that the Marquis was taking his own share here.”
Distrust is like a spark; the more you blow into it, the faster it grows. The King does not fully trust the Marquis. If you claim that the Marquis is siphoning off the offerings intended for the King and send precious items separately... at the very least, the King of Havand will begin to seriously consider replacing the envoy.
Erna, racking her brain, wrapped herself tightly in the blanket again and collapsed onto the bed, muttering.
"But there is a problem."
"What?"
"I have nothing more to offer."
It is not that there is nothing. There is quite a bit of grain and resources hidden away from Havand. However, they were not small enough to be delivered to Havand quickly, nor were they items that could be considered precious.
Erna briefly thought of the jewels remaining in the Grand Duke's castle. Although the two nations had plundered for a long time, they could not easily reach for the famous jewels that were the pride of the Grand Duke of Hessengard, as they were wary of each other; thus, more jewels remained in Hessengard than people thought.
'But that's not something I can use.'
All ownership also belonged to Callion, who was the same Grand Duke. Furthermore, Erna did not want to lay a hand on Hessengard's property.
They were all treasures of Hessengard, steeped in history and full of stories. It was unthinkable to hastily send them to Havand just to resolve this situation.
“I don’t remember much about the man who is my father, but he always wore rings on all ten fingers, and the Havand royal family has a custom of liking to adorn themselves. If you are going to present something to such people, nothing ordinary will suffice.”
Upon hearing that, Callion blinked and spoke.
“Why don’t you do it?”
"what?"
“I heard the Havand royal family likes to dress up. It looks like you’ve never done it even once.”
Erna was dumbfounded by Callion's words. I mean, is this the time to be worrying about such things?
“Who would I do something like that to curry favor with? Besides, such jewelry just gets in the way when I cast spells. No, that’s not what’s important right now. I have absolutely no intention of touching the treasures of Hessengard. So I have nothing to offer.”
At those words, Callion suddenly sprang to his feet. Then he strode into his room.
“...?”
"Why is he suddenly acting like that?" Erna could only stare blankly at Callion's sudden behavior. A moment later, Callion returned to the couple's bedroom and tossed what he was holding in front of Erna.
"Send that."
“What? What is this... Gasp!”
Erna covered her mouth in surprise when she saw it lying on the bed sheet. It was a fragment of the ocean, which she had seen a few times since there were about two of them in the Jewels of Hessengard, rolling haphazardly across the sheet. With trembling hands, Erna picked it up and brought it close to her face. Then, she grabbed it and shook it wildly. Seeing the blue inside the jewel rippling like water, her eyes widened even more, and she muttered.
“Oh my god, it’s real... Where did you get this!”
What Callion threw was even larger than the treasure of Hessengard and more transparent. In other words, it was much more precious.
"It was brought from ancient ruins."
“That can’t be. No ancient ruins have appeared recently...”
Erna, who had been speaking, fell silent. Then, she narrowed her eyes and glared at Callion.
“...So you were hiding it.”
“Hiding it? I just didn't say anything.”
He entered the ancient ruins with his knights. Erna, however, did not hear a single word about it, though, perhaps because they had kept their mouths shut so tightly.
“Where is it! If it’s a ruin large enough to find a fragment of the ocean...!”
"It disappeared."
"What?"
“You know the characteristics of ancient ruins, don’t you? After a certain amount of time, the entrance disappears, and a new one appears in a different place. At the ruins we found, the time for that entrance had run out, so it was gradually narrowing. That’s why we couldn’t look around properly either. It must be completely gone by now.”
"Ah..."
At Callion's words, Erna let out a sigh filled with regret. Then, regaining her composure, she lifted the piece of the ocean and spoke to Callion.
“I’ll hear the details separately later, but for now, why are you giving this to me?”
She couldn't understand why he was handing over something so precious to her, rather than why he had hidden it away. When Erna questioned him, Callion hesitated and spoke.
“...Today’s incident was my mistake. Therefore, it is only right that I take responsibility for the tribute to be sent to Havand. And...”
Callion looked up and down at Erna for a moment and spoke.
"...Tell me if you need more.”
Erna answered without hesitation at those words.
"Hand over everything you have."
Erna, recalling the events of the morning, briefly gazed at the piece of ocean in her hand.
“I must be seriously crazy...”
Could a monster's poison really drive a person insane in such a positive way? Still, perhaps because he hadn't completely lost his mind yet, when Erna demanded that he hand over any more, Callion sighed and told her to stop being so loud and just hold out his arm.
Recalling Callion's hands mercilessly pressing down and kneading her body again, Erna put the Fragment of the Ocean into her pocket. She thinks she'll be fine even if she gets bitten by monsters a few more times.
Then she remembered the Marquis, who was the beginning of the problem.
'Given the Marquis of Carnarvon's personality, he must be grinding his teeth by now.'
In that case, it would be best to move faster than the Marquis. Erna groaned as she got up from the sofa and went to sit at the desk. Just as she took out the high-quality paper used for important letters and was about to write the opening of a secret letter to be sent to Havand, Orpheus's voice was heard along with a knock on the door.
“Grand Duke! Grand Duke Erna! They say the Marquis of Carnarvon has collapsed!”
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