“I’m tired; shall we go now?”
“Oh, I’ve been keeping the person who just arrived for too long. Come this way, please. I’ve asked the maids to prepare your meal and a bath.”
Niall led the way with a polite smile.
As Laslo and Agnes were walking, they came across a sparsely populated corridor, and Laslo stopped.
“Agnes.”
“Hmm?”
Agnes, who had been walking briskly, turned back to him.
“What is it?”
“Ahem. That is, well!”
He suddenly cleared his throat forcefully.
“Did you catch a cold?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Niall had already walked away, now out of sight.
Laslo carefully looked around once more, then suddenly opened his arms.
Agnes blinked in confusion as she looked up at him.
“I, ahem, the compliment. It’s been a while since I’ve done that.”
He couldn’t quite meet her eyes, turning his head to the side.
Belatedly, Agnes realized the meaning of his gesture.
“Ah!”
As soon as she realized it, she ran into Laslo’s arms and hugged him.
He firmly welcomed her into his arms.
The touching bodies felt warm.
Laslo wrapped his arms around Agnes’ back and pulled her closer.
“You have no idea how fortunate I am that you are here.”
Her ears tickled. Agnes couldn’t tell if it was because of his breath or the content of his words.
“Thank you.”
“How much?”
“I don’t know. Very much?”
“I think I deserve a bigger compliment than this.”
Agnes didn’t miss the opportunity. She smiled quietly as she raised her voice.
“Alright, close your eyes.”
“Oh? Really?”
Agnes immediately closed her eyes and stretched out her lips.
Warm breath tickled around her lips. Her heart was racing with anticipation.
‘Hmm?’
But the place Laslo’s lips touched was not her lips.
“What’s that?”
Agnes opened her eyes with a very displeased expression.
Laslo, having moved his lips from her forehead, smiled with the corner of his mouth.
“Consider this as it is.”
“Then do it two more times.”
“Alright, close your eyes again.”
It was quite some time before the couple left that corridor.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
The territory was peaceful.
Once the mining and sales operations were running smoothly, money started flowing in regularly without much effort.
Agnes used that money to diligently purchase food and horses.
“But the wheat harvest this autumn should also be quite substantial, right?”
“I’m just being cautious. After all, there was a time when beasts attacked and we were isolated in the castle.”
“That’s true.”
The war is just around the corner.
The war, which started around the time of the harvest, lasted longer than expected, and before it could even end, a plague outbreak began.
Because of that, the price of grain soared like crazy.
“Understood. Then I shall purchase all the grains available in the market.”
“Alright.”
After sending Niall away, Andrassy came in.
“How are things progressing?”
“It’s going smoothly. The supply has stabilized, and the output is consistent.”
“Good.”
“But there’s one thing I didn’t expect.”
Andrassy roughly wiped his chin.
“What is it?”
“It seems there are some technicians who have a talent for magic. So the magicians have been constantly taking those technicians away.”
“I see.”
Agnes ultimately summoned Theo to the room.
As soon as he saw Andrassy sitting there, he seemed to have grasped the situation.
He quickly approached and rubbed his palms.
“You’ve become brighter in the meantime. Duchess. Did you enjoy your trip to the capital?”
“I heard you’re away, taking technicians.”
“No, I…Im….”
Theo got startled and waved his hands frantically.
“Why are you speaking so harshly?”
“Then?”
“It’s just…..its. its..”
“They’re simply tempting our hardworking people, saying they have the talent for magic and should come to the tower.”
Andrassy summarized the situation with an overly calm demeanor.
Theo flared up and said,
“Then how can we just let that slide when it’s so obvious?”
“Theo, they are all commoners.”
“What’s wrong with that? I’m also a commoner.”
“No, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.”
“Then what?”
“To become a magician, one needs the backing of the nobility or a family that can support them for life, but they are not in a position to do that.”
Andrassy explained it patiently. Theo’s shoulders gradually relaxed.
“How many are there in total?”
“Seven.”
Andrassy quickly answered when Agnes asked.
“There are that many people with the aptitude for magic?”
“Ah, of course, there are slight differences in everyone’s potential, but all seven possess the core qualities required to be a magician.”
“Were there really that many people with the aptitude for magic?”
Theo shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s because the golden age ended in vain, but magicians are not rare.”
“Really?”
“It’s just that since they couldn’t use magic without mana stones, the existence of magicians became increasingly meaningless over time.”
“Can all seven of them here receive proper magician education?”
“Oh, of course!”
Agnes’ question sounded almost like approval.
As a result, Theo’s expression brightened, while Andrassy slightly furrowed his brow.
“Madam, if seven people leave, it will disrupt the supply.”
“I understand that losing seven people right now may feel costly.”
Agnes calmly looked at Andrassy as she spoke.
“But think about it. They won’t disappear anywhere; we will just have seven more magicians.”
“That’s right!”
Theo eagerly supported her words.
“I’ll personally sponsor all seven of those with the talent.”
“Thank you, Duchess!”
“But there’s a condition.”
“Please say it.”
“As Andrassy said, if all seven leave at once, it will disrupt the schedule. So wait until we can find replacement personnel.”
“Yes, of course.”
Theo nodded with a wide smile.
“Is there anything else you need to report to me?”
“No, there is nothing.”
“There is.”
The two spoke at the same time. Agnes dismissed Andrassy and asked Theo,
“What is it?”
“It’s about the magic you asked about before.”
“What magic, ah!”
Agnes belatedly realized she had asked Theo to do something.
“Yes. Putting magic on your sword and armor.”
“How far has it progressed?”
“It’s completed.”
“Oh?”
“Should I ask them to bring it?”
“Yes, show me.”
As if waiting for the words, the quick-witted servant rushed in and brought the armor and sword.
“It doesn’t look particularly special on the outside.”
Theo puffed out his chest and spoke confidently.
“Duchess, you’ll be surprised to see how incredible this armor is.”
“Explain.”
“Once you use this armor, you can’t be pierced with any spear or sword. It’s similar to the magic used on the castle walls.”
“Impressive.”
“The only downside is that it can be damaged by magical attacks, but as long as you’re mindful of that, it will be able to protect you from any danger.”
“And?”
“And this sword.”
Theo grunted as he struggled to lift the sword with both hands.
“This sword has been imbued with all sorts of magic by Lionne, who poured his heart and soul into it.”
He excitedly listed the various enchantments he had placed on the sword—sharpening it, hardening it, and preventing corrosion—to the point where he couldn’t even remember all the magic he had cast.
“Ah, and also…”
“That’s enough. In any case, you’ve cast as much magic as you could, right?”
“Yes. Ah, and there’s also the owner recognition function. If you drop a drop of blood on the gem on the hilt, the blade will dull for anyone other than the designated owner.”
“Oh? That’s quite nice.”
“Hehe. Do you like it?”
“Excellent.”
Agnes held the blade up to her face. Even though she didn’t know much about swords, it looked quite impressive.
“Can these be mass-produced?”
“Mass-produced? How many did you have in mind?”
“Enough for all the soldiers in Sutmar.”
“Hmm. If it’s limited to the soldiers within the domain… armor is feasible, but enchanting the swords with Lionne’s magic would be difficult.”
“Is casting magic on the armor relatively simple?”
“Yes. With the seven new ones, that should be sufficient.”
Theo finally relaxed his expression and nodded.
“Then entrust the armor to them.”
“Well, with the growing household and all…”
“I’ll double your budget.”
“Ah, as expected of our Duchess! You have such a generous spirit. Thank you! Leave the armor to me!”
Theo bowed gratefully and left the room in high spirits.
Agnes packed the sword well and kept it hidden at the back of the room.
‘They said the Duke’s birthday is in four days, right?’
She chuckled to herself in the empty room.
She had never once celebrated his birthday since their marriage, but she wanted to do it at least once.
She drifted off to sleep, imagining the look of joy on his face when he received this gift.
