.｡.:✧ Chapter 17 ✧:.｡.

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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After receiving the SOS signal from Rudrick…

Tap, tap.

Slender, elongated fingers lightly tapped on the desk. It was Eileen’s habit whenever she was lost in thought.

“What should I do…?”

In fact, she had already made a rough guess from the moment she heard that Rudrick had become a disciple of the Imperial Court Mage, Lorenzo Tonali.

Rudrick’s nature itself was originally free-spirited, and compared to other noble youths, his way of thinking and behavior were completely different from the start.

Overlooking that aspect was Elena’s misjudgment.

The biggest change between before and after the regression was that the timing of meeting Rudrick had been significantly accelerated.

Before the regression, Rudrick had remained in Weiss County for two more years, awakening his own magic and reaching a profound level through self-study alone, not particularly needing Lorenzo’s teachings. After all, he had already set foot in the realm of a grand mage.

But now, it was different. In terms of the level of magical attainment, he was still below Imperial Court Mage Lorenzo.

That was why Elena seemed to have sent Rudrick to become a disciple of the Imperial Court Mage, in an attempt to accelerate that timing, but…

“This time, Elena was momentarily blinded.”

Eileen rebuked Elena mercilessly in a cold voice.

Due to his constitution, which was almost a curse, Rudrick’s talent in magic was at an abnormal level. To put it in an analogy, he was like a crop that would grow well even if left alone without being watered. And Elena, knowing this fact, had gotten a bit greedy and ended up using excessive fertilizer.

“…This is what I should do.”

Eileen, murmuring to herself, summoned her aide.

“Did you call for me, Your Grace?”

Eileen opened her mouth with her usual expressionless face to the aide who had promptly appeared despite the somewhat late hour.

“I will be heading to the capital as soon as dawn breaks tomorrow. Select the personnel to accompany me.”

“…You mean tomorrow?”

The aide asked with a puzzled expression, as if he had misheard.

It was just a moment ago that she had left without a word, causing a commotion as if she had poked a hornet’s nest. And in this situation, she was saying she would head to the capital again.

“That’s right.”

However, as if betraying the aide’s expectations, Eileen nodded her head.

It wasn’t as if she was traveling directly by land route; she would simply come and go through a teleportation magic circle, so the time required for the round trip was merely the time needed to activate the magic circle.

Moreover, this time, she wasn’t disappearing without a word, but rather informing them before leaving. It was as if she was asking what problem there could be.

What could he do?

The person in question was none other than the Northern Grand Duchess, the strongest swordswoman in the north, whose thoughts were utterly unfathomable.

“…Understood.”

The aide, who had been about to offer some remonstration, nodded his head and then saluted before leaving the office.

Having unilaterally announced her intention to go to the capital, Eileen allowed a faint smile to grace her lips.

“It’s truly incomprehensible what he could be thinking.”

She had often heard people say they couldn’t guess what Her Grace the Grand Duchess was thinking.

Although she hadn’t intentionally eavesdropped, she would occasionally overhear such remarks when her subordinates were conversing among themselves.

But for her to have the tables turned on her like this was quite a novel feeling, even for Eileen.

“…Ah.”

The moment she realized that her icy expression had cracked and a smile had formed on her lips, simply by thinking of Rudrick’s face…

Click.

Eileen, deeming that she might need some counseling, summoned her aide once more.

As the sound of hurried footsteps approached from outside the door, the aide cautiously entered with a face that seemed to ask why he had been called again when he had just left.

“Aide, have a seat.”

“…Yes.”

The bewildered aide found himself seated across from Eileen, with only a table between them.

“……”

“……”

A heavy silence descended upon them.

Eileen was mentally organizing what she should say, but just as the aide, who had suddenly been summoned for a private conversation with the Nord Grand Duchess, was growing increasingly tense…

“Let’s consider a hypothetical situation,” Eileen began.

“A hypothetical… situation, you say?”

“That’s right.”

Eileen, her face returning to its usual expressionless state, continued.

What kind of context could this conversation be starting from?

The aide was experiencing a severe internal conflict, unable to easily reach a conclusion no matter how much he pondered, but Eileen, unfazed, went on.

“Let’s assume that you are not my aide, but rather someone with no official relationship to me.”

“…Yes.”

“And let’s assume that I have taken a personal liking to you in that state, and I have gifted you a communication artifact that connects directly to me.”

“Wouldn’t that be a tremendous gesture of goodwill?”

The aide, who had been tensely listening to Eileen’s words, immediately countered.

As her aide, he naturally knew what artifact Eileen was referring to. And with a bit of deep thought, it was the authority to directly connect with none other than the Nord Grand Duchess.

To put it in mundane and straightforward terms, it meant establishing a connection with Eileen Nord.

Not just a simple connection, but a truly thick and sturdy rope that the Nord Grand Duchess herself had extended as a sign of goodwill, even giving an artifact.

“…Yes. Normally, that’s how it would be perceived. If I were to go that far for you, I could tolerate a certain degree of favoritism or requests, as long as they don’t cross the line.”

“Yes, it’s like a kind of immunity, as long as it doesn’t go too far…”

Eileen quietly nodded at the aide’s words.

If one were to take advantage of their friendship with Eileen, there were countless ways to gain personal benefits. Especially if the person whose connection they had secured was none other than the esteemed Nord Grand Duchess.

However…

“And yesterday, I received a message,” Eileen continued.

“…From the person who gave you the artifact?”

“Yes.”

Eileen paused for a moment before adding with a puzzled expression.

“And they asked if I could help improve their treatment, as they were receiving unreasonable treatment.”

Of course, the targets of her influence were the Second Princess and the Imperial Court Mage.

As Eileen left the rest unsaid, the aide’s expression also turned perplexed.

“…Was that all?”

In response to Eileen’s affirmative nod, the aide scratched his head.

“If they are truly receiving unreasonable treatment, isn’t that something that should be improved without Your Grace having to intervene? It’s only natural to rectify what needs to be rectified, so how could…”

It was like handing a fortune to a child who would be satisfied with a single cookie.

At the aide’s added remark, Eileen’s eyes sparkled.

“…Is that so?”

In fact, Eileen herself hadn’t thought that Rudrick would make any grandiose requests of her.

Even if he had asked her to hunt down a dragon and bring him its heart, she would have been willing to oblige. However, the Rudrick she had known before the regression wasn’t the type to take advantage of their friendship to gain benefits.

But…

She had been puzzled because the only request he had made, despite her willingness to offer him precious treasures or even enough wealth to live leisurely for a lifetime, was something so trivial.

Eileen, who had already internally guessed the conclusion, quietly smiled upon having it confirmed through someone else’s words.

“…!”

And the aide, who had directly witnessed Eileen’s smile, widened his eyes in shock.

For the first time, the expressionless face of his superior had vanished. At least, as far as he knew, it was an unprecedented occurrence.

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“So, Mage Tonali, is the education of that young man progressing well?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

In a private meeting between Elena and Lorenzo…

Lorenzo bowed his head and responded to Elena’s inquiry.

“Magic is a field of study that requires well-rounded mastery in various aspects to reach its pinnacle. We have started with alchemy first. He is assisting my research, compiling and organizing materials, and we plan to begin slowly.”

“Alchemy, you say. Personally, I don’t know much about magic, so I can only recall the old-fashioned notion of turning stones into gold.”

“That research was already completed hundreds of years ago. The recent trend has shifted towards combining materials to demonstrate efficacy and understanding the principles behind that efficacy.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. After all, magic is a field that pursues truth, is it not?”

“Well, if you say so, then it must be true.”

Elena nodded her head at the ensuing explanation.

When it came to physical tasks, she was confident, but magic was a field that was completely different from her area of expertise. In that case, it would be better to entrust it to an expert rather than clumsily interfering.

“What about Rudrick? I remember you were quite delighted when he agreed to become your disciple.”

“He’s a genius.”

Lorenzo replied without a moment’s hesitation.

“He had no foundation in alchemy at all. Yet his comprehension is remarkably high. He is currently assisting me by sharing the research I was conducting, and after teaching him a few basic concepts, he has been handling it well on his own from the very first day.”

“He was a talent worthy of your admiration, then.”

“Indeed, he is. And on top of that, I have unexpectedly gained another disciple aside from Rudrick this time…”

“An unplanned disciple?”

Intrigue flickered in Elena’s eyes. It was a glimmer of interest. As she tilted her head, as if inviting him to speak further, Lorenzo continued.

“Yes. By a stroke of luck, I have taken on a disciple with talent comparable to Rudrick’s.”

“If it were an ordinary level, you wouldn’t praise them so highly, would you?”

“She is from the Andres Baron family. Upon investigating the Andres Baron family, I learned that their household has fallen into decline, hardly different from commoners. I never dreamed that such a genius would emerge from there.”

“If you speak so highly of her, I’m growing curious as well. What is the name of your new disciple?”

A genial smile spread across Lorenzo’s lips. It was in the nature of teachers to hold their heads higher when boasting about their exceptional disciples rather than their own achievements. Naturally, Lorenzo, who was speaking, was in high spirits.

“Sylphia Andres, Your Highness. I shall arrange an occasion to introduce her to you as well.”

And as soon as those words left his mouth…

Clang!

Suddenly, the teacup Elena had been holding shattered as she applied force to it. Just as Lorenzo was about to say something with a startled expression…

“…It’s true what they say about the darkness beneath the lamp. It’s like cooking porridge and feeding it to a dog.”

Elena, holding her forehead, muttered as if sighing.

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