Chapter 51

Chapter 51

“Flande has grown too large. And that country has gotten conceited. Avellin must have known this. It’s because you don’t like Flande who use Ishur as their shield. That’s why you allowed the restrictions placed upon the wool shipping business. Flande must also pay the price for crossing the line and disturbing His Majesty.”

The Emperor wasn’t feeling all too positive toward Flande these days. In a few years, Flande doubled the price of wool, using Ishur’s wool exports as an excuse. This was probably a protest against the decrease in the amount of wool as the domestic textile manufacturing industry began to develop.

As the amount of wool exported by Ishur was reduced, the Flande profit and loss in wool would also decrease.

“Still, exporting wool made up the bulk of the revenue in Eilderk, so Avellin won’t back down easily. Even if Sister puts restrictions on the shipping business, Avellin will find another way. As I said before, there is also quite a bit of wool stolen from the South. It’s not just Sister’s union that deals with wool. First of all, most of the shares in Eilderk are owned by Avelin.”

The stake in Eilderk held by Airak was ten percent. Of course, considering the income earned in Eilderk, ten percent was quite a lot, but it was not comparable to Avellin, who had ninety percent.

So, for several years, Airak had been working on textile manufacturing by receiving ten percent of the wool instead of the profits from selling it. And the union they belonged to was making a lot of money by exporting textiles on a large scale for some time.

Viola snorted lightly upon hearing Jonathan’s words.

“Since you got along with Avellin, your speaking style has also become similar to them. As I listen, they’ll think you’re a harmless little brother who cares about me. How about being an actor? When you were young, you admired theater actors, no?”

“I’m just telling you because I’m really worried about you. Marquis Avellin traveled all the way to the capital. Even Sister will get tired of being involved with Marquis Avellin. Sister knows best what kind of person the marquis is.”

Jonathan answered, still smiling. Viola, who knew the meaning behind that smile, reached out and flicked Jonathan’s forehead. Ouch, Jonathan grabbed his forehead and took a few steps back.

“Stop playing around. He and I broke up by mutual agreement. We don’t have that sour of a relationship.”

“Ugh, but you chose Airak in the end, didn’t you? Even if the Marquis didn’t show it, he would have been very upset. This time he traveled to the capital…”

“You see only two yet don’t realize there’s three. Obviously, it is safe to say that Avellin ate all of Eilderk’s shares. If Avellin enters the textile manufacturing industry, it will definitely develop significantly within a few years. But soon the ten-year cycle returns. The Avellin household knew that, which is why the Marquis is here. If that wasn’t the case, the Marquis’ heir would have been enough. Above all, Ansel is one of the people who knows me best.”

To deal with the enemy, you need to know the enemy well. That was the basis of all fights. Viola raised the corner of her lips and smiled, thinking of Ansel, whom she would soon meet. Then she looked at Jonathan, who was still rubbing his forehead.

“More than that, when are you going to get married? Lady Avellin still doesn’t give an answer? How can you procrastinate when you can’t capture a single person’s heart?”

“Sister, Avellin doesn’t want Ana to intervene in this game. I have no intention of forcing it either. The choice is Ana’s.”

“That cheeky Avellin always acts like a madman obsessed with his daughter. But how miserly of him—he should not have let her attend the academy attended by commoners.”

Jonathan narrowed his eyebrows at his sister’s words.

“What’s wrong with the academy? Lord Airak is also currently attending that academy. Now is not the time to ask questions like that.”

“Airak and Avellin together? Oh, come to think of it, I heard some interesting stories.”

Viola glanced at Jonathan.

“You mean Lord Airak and Ana joined the dungeon squad together? Well, it’s an interesting story. The two have the worst relationship together. But don’t they two fight all the time?”

It was Jonathan who, at least briefly, received a report of what had happened between the two of them.

He was initially surprised when he was told that they had been left behind in the dungeon, but was relieved to hear that they had been rescued.

He was surprised for the second time that they then joined the raid, but he didn’t care because he thought the two adults would do well.

“Before that, did the Lord become an Awakened? The Lady’s guts don’t make sense. She thought he was an insignificant Airak, but she ran rampant before him. It hasn’t been long since she just entered the dungeon, so she’ll be torn out.”

“Sister, Ana can tell the difference between public and private that much. The dungeon is not even a playground.”

At Jonathan’s words, Viola snorted at him again.

“No one knows everything about people, Jonathan.”

* * *

With the help of the dragon, solving the riddles of the dungeon was close to a piece of cake. Andra and Dustin solved the riddles in a blink of an eye and obtained two golden keys to reach the final location. Three golden boxes were placed on the ornate altar.

[ Only one box must be opened. ]

The dragon said to Andra, who had the three keys in her hand. Andra looked at the dragon with a puzzled face. Didn’t they give her three keys to open all three? And why does she have to open only one? Then the dragon waved its tail and said,

[ Remember that Lady Nera is the god of greed and conflict, Lady Anat. ]

“Oh, I understand.”

After all, there’s no way that God will let them go well. Andra headed straight for the box in the middle. She then pushed one of the three keys into the hole. The first key didn’t fit.

Andra took out the other key and pushed it back into the hole. She chuckled that this time she was right, and the box opened. Andra opened the lid and she checked the contents inside.

Inside the box was a single rolled up scroll and a small metal disc. Andra thought for a moment that she had made a wrong choice. Is this all?

She was tempted to open the other boxes as well, but they said she only had to open one, so she had no choice but to take it out of the box and come down from the altar.

“Is that all?”

Dustin opened his mouth as if puzzled by Andra’s approaching hand. After risking their life to solve the riddle, he found that none of the treasures seemed plausible, and two objects seemed insignificant. Isn’t that too much?

The dragon stared at him with terrifying eyes from the side of his impure eyes.

[ Stupid human man! Do you know what this is and make a fuss with your mouth so recklessly! ]

“What is this?”

[ Hmph! I wonder if I should tell you. ]

The dragon swung its head away from Dustin, as if arguing. Dustin’s face was wrinkled like a piece of paper because of that. Strength entered his fist.

Meanwhile, Andra looked at the metal disc. The meticulously crafted disc looked as if the puzzles were put together as she had seen before, but in the order of the original drawings.

Then she untied the scroll. Ancient runes were densely written all over the paper. It consisted mostly of unknown words, which made it difficult to interpret immediately. It looked like she had to go back and do some research.

“…After all, there is no way to unravel the magic on our wrist right now.”

Andra murmured in her self-pitiful voice as she rolled back the scroll and tied it back. She entered the dungeon in the hope that she might be able to solve the magic, but she didn’t know a single fact about magic, and she solved all myths and riddles day and night. Aside from escaping the dungeon, the future was bleak.

Andra shrugged her shoulders helplessly as the dragon suddenly rested its head on Andra’s wrist.

[ By the way, Lady Anat! What is this shiny thing? ]

“Yes, on the wrist… Wait, can you see this too?”

Andra turned her wrist so that the dragon could take a closer look. There was still an unpleasant red pattern on her wrist. The dragon said ‘let’s see’ and tilted its head.

[ This is the power of Lord Basham… Did you get caught in Lord Basham’s prank again? ]

“Basham?”

[ Lord Basham is the god of mischief and love. Sometimes he jokes around like this. So, Lady Anat got it once before. Because of that, the human man clings to Lady Anat! ]

Angry as it spoke its words, the dragon glared at Dustin and jumped. That’s why you’ve been sticking to our Lady Anat!

Andra frowned at those words. What else is that? Anat fell into this prank from a God?

Then Dean and Anat…

“Then do you know how to solve this prank?”

Andra urgently asked the dragon. But the dragon only shook its head flutteringly.

[ I don’t know that either. It’s Lord Basham’s prank, so Lord Basham will know. ]

“Don’t say that, take a closer look. Do you really know nothing?”

Andra lamentedly clinged to the dragon and held out her wrist. Reluctantly, the dragon stuck out its tongue and licked Andra’s wrist once. A damp feeling brushed past her wrist. After a while, the dragon rolled its tongue into its mouth and savored it, then spoke firmly.

[ Well… I don’t know either. If it’s a shallow prank, you can force it out, but this can’t be done because it’s contractual. And above all, it is very powerful. ]

“Then another way…”

[ We’ll have to keep solving the puzzle. The things that come out of the box contain what the dungeon wants. ]

“Does that mean that the dungeon has a purpose? Is this like a clue?”

The dragon responded by shutting its mouth. It was an unspoken affirmation. Andra stared at the scroll and the disc. Nothing helps. Do they want her to do this again? And to keep sleeping with Dustin? She messed up her hair.

Maybe it’s faster for her to just die to solve the problem. After she dies, she will feel at ease. Ha…

The desire to give up everything fills her throat. Andra was visibly depressed, and the dragon hurriedly wagged its tail and ran around her.

[ Do not worry too much! Lady Anat! Lady Anat can do it! It’s too early to give up! ]

Andra reached out her hand and stroked the dragon’s head.

“Yes, thanks for saying that. Most of all, you made me come this far.”

[ That’s nothing, of course! ]

“But are you really okay? Maybe Nera will be angry with you.”

[ Lady Nera can’t intervene. ]

However, as soon as the dragon finished speaking, a large earthquake began to occur throughout the dungeon. The ground shook randomly and the dungeon collapsed.

You said Nera can’t intervene! As the floor she was standing on rose up, she pressed down on the shriek that was threatening to burst out, Andra rolled over the floor without a chance to try and grab something.

The dragon and Dustin looked at her with a surprised face.

[ Lady Anat! ]

“Andra!”

Without stopping there, Andra finally felt her vision blurred as a large boulder fell on top of her.

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