“Can magic be cast on the castle walls?”
“What kind of magic are you referring to?”
“I wish for them to become very strong and sturdy so they won’t collapse again.”
Agnes spoke with determination in her eyes.
Due to the collapse of the northern defense line, the damage caused by the demonic beasts was more significant than expected.
In the past few days, Laslo has been doing his best to restore the defense line, not knowing when the beast will invade again.
“Hmm. It’s not theoretically impossible. However, we need an enormous amount of magic stones.”
Theo said, stroking his smooth jaw.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been unthinkable, but the Estar Castle had a stockpile of magic stones.
“How much?”
“I have to calculate it correctly, but if we were to put magic stones on the outer wall of the castle, we would need to use up all the magic stones we have accumulated so far.”
“It doesn’t matter. How long will it take?”
“It would take about a month if all the wizards here would dedicate themselves to it.”
He spoke with a cautious face.
“Hmm. A month. I see. I’ll discuss this with the Duke and let you know whether to proceed or not.”
“Yes. Duchess.”
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
There is still a long way to go with the restoration of the defense line. Laslo turned his head to the voice that called him from behind.
“Brother.”
“What is it?”
He replied bluntly.
“Take a break. You haven’t even had lunch yet.”
Zoltan forcibly dragged Laslo, who was not thinking about meals, to the dining hall. The brothers walked side by side in the hallway.
“You must have had foresight.”
“Hmm?”
“If it wasn’t for it, the damage would have been a bit big. I’m glad it’s over.”
Zoltan let out a sigh of relief. Laslo listened to him with an ambiguous face.
“At first, you tried to double the number of troops, including Elesh, so I wondered if you were preparing for any rebellion.”
He giggled and laughed because he thought it was a joke, but Laslo did not laugh.
“By the way, how is the princess doing?”
“She looked fine this morning.”
“That’s a relief. But why did she go to the pinnacle?”
“Hmm.”
Laslo made a reasonable excuse for her.
“She heard a human scream there, so she went there just in case.”
Zoltan nodded without asking more.
“I knew the princess was capable…But honestly, I was quite surprised this time.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you hear from Niall? While you weren’t there, the princess took the lead, armed the knights, checked the reserve food, and distributed it to people?”
Zoltan spoke like there was no end, he raised his voice without realizing it.
“When Lequi broke into the castle, she called the people inside the castle and told them not to worry because brother would come soon.”
As he spoke, Laslo’s expression gradually turned strange.
“Normally, everyone would have been in chaos and frantic, but because the princess was holding things together, everything was stable at the back.”
“The princess did that?”
“Yes. Niall said the same. He relied a lot on the princess this time.”
There was no smile on Zoltan’s face. Laslo repeatedly clenched and unfolded his fist.
Various emotions intertwined within him – gratitude, admiration, and above all, a sense of pride.
Laslo’s lips went up automatically as if he had been praised.
“The princess received imperial training. Naturally, she would be more adept at such things than me.”
Laslo boasted about Agnes with a sense of pride.
Before they knew it, they arrived at the entrance of the dining hall. Just before Zoltan opened the door, he hit Laslo’s side.
“Be nice to the princess. When the princess asks you to do something, just say yes.”
He felt a strange mix of emotions seeing Zoltan, who had grumbled about the youngest princess getting married without a dowry, now supporting her.
“Understood.”
Just as the door to the dining hall opened, Agnes was seen approaching from the opposite side.
“Oh? Are you here to eat too?”
Upon seeing her face, an indescribable emotion surged deep within Laslo.
So, he walked up and stood in front of Agnes.
“Why?”
Agnes looked up at him with curiosity.
He wanted to hold her tightly.
Instead of saying those words, Raslo slightly extended his arms towards her.
Without hesitation, Agnes leaped into his embrace.
“You did well.”
He hugged her tightly, feeling an indescribable sense of fulfillment.
“Did you hear it already?”
Agnes is now quite familiar with his hugs covering her back.
‘It’s impressive how quickly the news spread, considering it’s only been half a day since I finished talking with the wizard.’ She thought to herself as she enjoyed being in Laslo’s embrace.
“Yeah. Niall and Zoltan both mentioned how reassuring it was to have the princess around. They said you performed excellently in your role as the Duchess.”
“Ah.”
Agnes let out a brief sigh of admiration. She lifted her face from his chest and looked directly into his eyes.
“That was simply what I had to do.”
“What’s so simple about that? It deserves commendation for doing your part properly.”
“Is that so?”
Agnes chuckled and then burst into a bashful smile. The couple continued their conversation while still embracing each other.
“Excuse me, there are people here. People.”
As the conversation seemed to be prolonged, Zoltan, who sat at the table first, showed signs of discomfort.
Seeing this, Laslo loosened his grip on Agnes with a disappointed expression.
When the couple sat down, the servants quickly served food.
“I thought you heard about the line of defense.”
Agnes said, rummaging through the salad.
“Hmm? Line of Defense? What do you mean?”
“I talked with Theo, and it seems like we could cast magic on the entire castle walls if we pour out all the accumulated magic stones.”
“Magic all over the wall?”
The eyes of Zoltan, who was listening next to him, widened.
“We’re considering embedding magic stones in the walls to create a defensive magic.”
“What do you mean by defense magic?”
Laslo raised his left eyebrow.
“We’re thinking of casting a protective spell that will prevent the walls from collapsing due to external impacts as long as the embedded magic stones remain intact.”
“Yes? Wait, does such a thing exist?”
Zoltan jumped out of his seat in excitement without realizing it.
“It’s theoretically possible.”
Agnes nonchalantly cut a piece of bread and put it in her mouth.
“What do you want me to do, Duke?”
She turned her head slightly towards Laslo as if asking for his opinion.
“How long would it take to cast the defensive magic?”
“If all the wizards dedicated themselves to it, it would take about a month.”
“Just a month?”
Laslo was surprised and almost got up from his seat following Zoltan.
The possibility that a magic heard only in legends could actually be realized within just a month was astonishing.
Uncertain of what to say, he slightly parted his lips and looked at the princess.
“Yeah. According to Theo, the actual spell casting itself isn’t difficult. It seems that a lot of magic stones are needed so nobody actually did it.”
“Wow.”
Zoltan finally calmed his excitement and sat back down. However, he could not hide his admiration.
“Wow, this is really…… If that comes true, wouldn’t it be incredible? The word ‘a thousand-year fortress’ could really come true.”
“That’s right. And it’ll be easier to block the demonic beasts from coming.”
The two men grew more excited, and their voices gradually became louder. Agnes watched them with pleased eyes.
“Princess, you’re amazing. How did you come up with all that?”
“…….”
Laslo’s eyes were sparkling so much that Agnes felt proud of it for no reason.
“As long as there are enough magic stones, it’s possible. Should I tell them to proceed with the plan?”
“Of course. Let’s do that.”
Agnes nodded. The atmosphere during the meal remained warm and pleasant throughout.
“You’ve truly accomplished something remarkable, Princess. Is there anything you want?”
Laslo asked in a fairly serious tone. Agnes was about to say she didn’t want anything, but suddenly a certain scene came to mind.
“Well, there is one thing I’d like to receive.”
“What is it? If it’s something I can do, I’ll do it for you.”
He spoke in a confident manner.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Agnes leaned in and whispered softly in his ear.
“Then, give me a kiss.”
“Uh, what?”
He turned his head in surprise to look at Agnes with a bewildered expression.
Agnes remembers the natural kisses of the Chavolti couple.
Even how happy they looked while doing it.
While hugs were nice, she felt a strong curiosity about how a kiss would be.
“P-Princess, that’s… I mean, that…”
“Oh, my. Brother. If the princess wants you to do it, just do it!”
Not understanding the situation, Zoltan, chewing on his food, spoke to Laslo.
Riding on it, Agnes added a word.
“Right. After such a great achievement, a big reward is only fitting.”
“That’s right.”
Zoltan chimed in from the side. For some reason, the two got along very well.
“That, that.”
Laslo didn’t know what to do, so he kept stuttering and didn’t give a definite answer.
“…If it’s not possible, then it can’t be helped. I still have a lot to learn and many shortcomings. I understand.”
Agnes lowered her eyes and muttered in a very low voice.
Watching her, Zoltan forcefully set down his fork.
“Brother, isn’t that too much?”
“No, Sir Zoltan. It’s not like that. The Duke must have his reasons for saying that.”
