Side Story 18: Plotting under the moonlight.

Side Story 18: Plotting under the moonlight.

Dont you think that was a bit too reckless, Dear? a woman in a beautiful dress questioned the man sitting in front of her, fluttering her long blond hair around as she shook her head in exasperation, as she remembered todays events. The moment we guessed her identity, we should have changed how we engaged her. I didnt think you were foolish enough to ignore her aura.

Nonsense. We both have met the royal family before, so I know as well as you do the fell of a royals aura. It is a gift given by the gods, and I felt her aura the moment she walked into my office, the man answered in frustration, massaging his temple as a butler silently settled two cups filled with tea on the table between the couple.

Count Andre Helvas and Countess Marianne Helvas - those were the two participants in this discussion, having retreated back to Count Helvas office once dinner was done. In the aristocratic society of Artorias, the noble rank of Count served as the midway between the lower and higher noble houses. To become a count or countess meant you have become worthy within the eyes of all aristocrats.

Wealth, influence, and history; those were the key traits for any count house in either world. However, due to the presence of mana and skills in Peolynca, Artorias works with a hierarchical system that values high mana capacities and quality profile statuses from every noble as they were responsible for the majority of the military and magical advancements. Despite their long history and wealth, counts were not considered exceptional by nobles of a higher rank.

However, as a noble of the Kingdom and a loyal vassal of Lord Duke Greenveil, I have a responsibility to assess any potential threats entering our lands. In hindsight, I shouldnt have been that aggressive, but I only felt hints of her royal aura. I thought her [Noble Aura] was the cause and ignored my instincts here, until her outburst. I had to make sure, Count Helvas informed his wife while sipping the tea, expressionless. I admit, I underestimated her mental resilience. She showed the grace and elegance any family would teach their daughter, but she was entirely lacking when it came to negotiations. She didnt even know the basics. I had thought her timidity and need for secrecy was enough leverage.

Countess Helvas squinted her eyes, turning her usual calm faade into a frown. Unbelievable, have you forgotten that massive [Prayer] circle hovering in the air? Andre, your talents lie with the sword and pen, but even you must acknowledge that girls immense magical talent. Both the spies and the village chief reported she was the only priestess at the sermon, which means she made a magic circle large enough to surround the entire congregation of villagers unaided. That is a feat for multiple priests, yet she was entirely unperturbed after the cast.

[Prayer] was a spell created by the church to not only strengthen the faith of the faithful but also act as a powerful, large-scale buffing spell for military needs. Numerous priests would pour their mana into the initial construction of the magic circle as the faithful sang along with the spell chant. Due to [Prayer]s ability to sap mana from people under it to fuel its cast, the difficulty of casting this custom spell decreases the more people were gathered underneath it.

Priests usually do not create such a large magic circle due to the extraordinary mana cost would be, and if the amount of mana siphoned wasnt enough, the priests must spend even more mana to finish the cast. The spell would stay modest in size, only enough to encompass those involved, and no one else. In that sense, if a larger magic circle were needed, then either more priests had to participate as casters, or an extraordinarily powerful priest would need to cast the [Prayer] spell.

My time at the Church of Aurena not only gave me an opportunity to learn holy magic, but also provided me access to information on how [Prayer] actually worked, Countess Helvas explained. Normal villagers barely have any mana, so most of the work must be done by the clergymen themselves. Considering how taxing casting the spell is and how most priests and shrine maidens arent talented holy mages, it should be obvious why priests rarely visit farming villages. That girl was able to create such an impressive magic circle on her own and in consecutive weeks. Do you understand now?

Your words are always harsh when you scold somebody, Marianne, Count Helvas said with a suppressed laugh, smiling as he watched his wifes frown. Do not belittle my intelligence. I was able to work that information out for myself. It would do me no good to not understand, especially when my wife herself is an accomplished mage. I tried my hand on swiping a few of her scales and I was burnt. I admit, my gambit failed and thats that.

Countess Helvas glared at her husband with rage, before heaving a deep sigh as she reluctantly gave up under the gaze of her partners firm eyes, You have always been like this. Why am I working myself up? House Helvas has always been notorious for their foolish recklessness, gambling with anything in the pursuit of profit. Honestly, the nobles of the Greenveil Duchy are all impossible. You all act more like merchants than nobles.

House Greenveil is one of the two ducal houses focused on economic merits. Greenveil duchy has always put more focus on agriculture and mercantilism. That is how we are, Marianne, Count Helvas spread his arms, flaunting himself before his wife as he leaned against the sofa. I know a noblewoman from the Morgiana duchy wouldnt understand our mindset, but weve been together for years now. I presumed it wasnt a surprise anymore. After all, wasnt this attitude of mine the reason why you fell in love with me in the first place? You initially hated the idea of us marrying when our fathers arranged it, ha ha ha!

An Arcanuess was the rank above Count. Compared to the latter, an arcanuess house was usually younger and less wealthy; instead, they valued strength and ability over everything else. These nobles originally gained their rank through past achievements that led to the founding or elevation of their house. A feat the houses above them had to respect. An arcanuess, compared to a count, would commonly outpower the latter not only with magic but also with martial prowess.L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.

For a noble, going down a rank wasnt diserable but sometimes it was necessary for the good of the house. Children, even if the parents loved them, were necessary to form bonds with other noble houses, as nothing could cement a lasting relationship more than a marriage. Each house needed an heir, but the rest of the children were potential bargaining chips.

Countess Helvass face reddened as she opened up her fan, hiding her smile as she responded. Hmph, my father traded me for your houses wealth; I understood the reason behind it but you cannot blame me for despising the idea. Especially when my husband-to-be was inadequate with magic, only being able to gain his heir status with his sword arm. My younger self would chide me for giving up my hatred and having my heart stolen by you, somebody who hasnt mastered the four advance casting skills yet despite his age.

Mages in society had many options available when it came to a profession. They could join the mages guild as an associate, become adventurers, or even join the workforce by offering up their services. In any case, as not every citizen could become a mage, the service of a mage was needed for certain projects or just to accelerate procedures.

Although Hestia was neither a mage guild associate nor an actual priestess, she was fully allowed to demand payment from Colwyn or Count Helvas himself for all she has done, from constructing the foundations of the houses and hunting wild G and F rank monsters in the villages vicinity, to her sermons and granting white graces.

But she chose not to do any of them. She rejected payment, simply taking goods and a place at the village to stay over winter. Count Helvas, who expected to pay a good amount of money for the villages reconstruction, earnestly thought it wouldve been impossible for him to leave Carine village before the God Thanking Festival at the capital. Without Hestias presence as a priestess giving sermons and [Prayer]s, there was the chance that the village would still be in turmoil.

I might have felt a bitinsulted, when she denied my first proposal, but I shouldnt have let that get to me considering how large the debt I have to repay, Count Helvas complained to himself.

Ellaine is my daughter and this is my land. Although they might find her presence an annoyance, they cannot order her to remove herself, as Princess Hestia has no royal authority within our lands, Count Helvas explained. This will give them a chance to hopefully bond and a way for me to repay my debt. If Princess Hestia is smart, she will take this opportunity to learn about our land and culture. All mages seek knowledge, correct Marianne? Praise Istari for that fact.

With a deep sigh, Countess Helvas gave up on objecting, having accepted her husband's arguments, albeit begrudgingly. There will be a chance in summer, she whispered before she thought of an excuse good enough to prevent her daughter from facing the social repercussion of her husbands plan.

Barathan, call Ellaine to my office once she finishes breakfast. I will inform her about everything then.

And with the discussion done, the couple returned to their private chambers, musing about their days of youth and how their love blossomed on the battlefield. Plotting and scheming werent their favorite activities, but they had their responsibilities as nobles. They could only hope their future with the mysterious princess will be bright.

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Tch.

In the dusk of night, a lone silhouette could be identified at the bottom of a grand canyon, staring at the rubble in front of him. His golden hair and yellow skin tone shone through the night, unsuitable for stealth for how conspicuous it was. Two jagged horns grew from his forehead, rising upward like two long stakes, sharp enough to pierce through flesh. A long, thin spiked tail extended from his bottom, devoid of any fur as it swung around from its owners emotions.

I have come back, expecting progress from my investment, and what do I find? The only entranceway destroyed from a collapsed ridge and multiple grimgarians killed by three wyverns. Fantastic, the man with a demon-like appearance spoke out in anger, tapping his feet restlessly as he stood. This will set us back until late spring or early summer. Fantastic, absolutely fantastic. Sigh, if I were a demonkin of wrath, I believe I would destroy this mountain to create a path, but Im not barbaric enough to do something so conspicuous. The grimgarians will fight the Artorians, not I.

Swiping his hair backwards, he flaunted himself in the darkness, disregarding the fact nobody was looking at him. He gave out a sly smile as a devious idea suddenly sprang into his mind, Well, cant do anything about it. Greenveil duchy will survive for a bit longer then, but theyll eventually fall. Hmph, the sea option will be enough after I get some tamers to do their magic on a few beasts, and conquering that harbor will give the army easy access to reinforcements. The grimgarians will take down the Lecartiglio duchy first, while mayhem and chaos will strike the other duchies.

He then looked up in the sky, smirking as he showed off his carnivorous fangs, proudly exclaiming, Hope you six will have fun watching us destroy everything you love. On the fact that I am a demonkin of pride, I will make you grovel onto the ground before our gods, pretenders!

A devilish laugh erupted from his mouth as he slowly waltzed back into the darkness, bringing with him carnage and destruction as his voice echoed through the night, an omen for the future.