CH 67

To think even he would leave like this.

‘What will Evan do now, all alone?’

All alone in the great Kreutz’s mansion. The only family he had was him…

‘No.’

Come to think of it, now is not the time to worry about being left alone. Riett glanced at the desolate Marren’s mansion.

Come to think of it, Kreutz’s mansion had plenty of employees. Although Marren’s mansion also had many employees, it seemed that the number was much smaller than Evan’s side, probably because the mansion was not as large.

Realizing that the already empty house seemed even emptier.

‘I feel lonely, so lonely.’

But she quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts.

No, Riett! This is not the time to be gloomy. It’s better to turn this loneliness into something productive.

On her way back from Kreutz’s mansion to her house, Riett stopped by the library and borrowed a bunch of books, mostly related to history.

‘History always has the answers.’

Although history was too vast, causing problems.

Riett skimmed through the titles of the books piled up next to her, contemplating where to start reading.

‘Hmm…’

In the end, Riett picked up the closest book. When in doubt, it was better to start reading blindly.

The book Riett chose was titled “History of Wars.”

The pages flipped quickly. Having read many books since she was young, she had developed some speed reading skills. Riett’s eyes darted busily.

And then, her eyes stopped on a page where the word “Haren Empire” appeared.

[The Haren Empire was decisively defeated in the first war against the Sorentia Kingdom.]

The Sorentia Kingdom was a country known for its excellent cavalry. Knights and soldiers wielding giant swords while riding horses were a formidable presence.

On the other hand, the Haren Empire was known to have developed in the field of commerce, so its military strength was said to be weak. Therefore, the part that said “decisively defeated” was immediately understandable.

Riett wondered if she could find any other clues and continued reading. The page where her hand stopped was a section titled “Haren Empire’s Counterattack.”

[In the final battle between the two countries, the Haren Empire unexpectedly achieved victory.]

The Haren Empire defeated the Sorentia Empire. What method did they use? Curious, Riett quickly read the following content.

[The reason the Haren Empire was able to achieve victory was because the most intense battle took place in the area bordered by a river.]

So that’s why. It must have been difficult for a predominantly cavalry-focused army to move freely by the riverbank.

Then, how did the Haren Empire cross the river? It would have been a disadvantageous situation for them as well. She decided to read further.

[The Haren Empire launched a barrage of countless arrows toward the Sorentia Empire’s cavalry from across the river.]

Ah, they didn’t cross the river. They attacked with arrows from the other side.

The Sorentia Empire probably had archers as well, but since they emphasized cavalry-wielding swords as their main fighting force, their number would not have been significant.

[As a result, the Sorentia Empire was at a loss against the arrows of the Haren Empire.]

Come to think of it, the Haren Empire was relatively skilled in archery. Although their military power was weak and hadn’t received much attention until now, it was clear that the Haren Empire, being surrounded by a river, needed archers for effective defense.

That reminded her of what Uncle said.

“Parvanium is said to be an ideal material for weapons because it is lightweight and highly durable. However… it may not be suitable for making swords.”

That’s right.

‘If Parvanium were used not for swords but for making arrowheads…’

That would be truly ideal. It would fly faster and farther due to its lightness, and it would be much easier to carry around.

Perhaps the Haren Empire had thought of that early on and actively participated in the ownership dispute of Cork Island.

Riett picked up another book to confirm her deduction. One book, two books, three books. However, contrary to her expectation of finding a hint quickly, time passed without much progress. 

“Ah!”

After about three hours of being absorbed in the book, Riett sprawled carelessly on the carpet. If her mother had seen her, she would have scolded her, but now there was no one to scold her in this house.

“Ugh, miss!”

No, there was someone.

Natasha, the housekeeper, appeared and placed the tray she was holding on the table, then helped Riett up.

“You were reading books on the floor while the table in the library is there. Why?”

“I like the floor.”

Even though it had been 20 years since she arrived in this world, Riett’s preference for the floor, typical of Koreans, hadn’t disappeared.

“I knocked on the door but didn’t get a response, so I came in just in case, and here you were.”

“Uh… thank you.”

Natasha lightly clicked her tongue as she looked at Riett, who looked almost lifeless. Then she sat Riett down on a chair.

“It’s your day off, so take a good rest. Or at least have some of this.”

On the tray Natasha brought, there were neatly arranged black tea and a slice of cake. Red strawberry jam could be seen between the layers of the cake.

‘Oh, it’s the strawberry season now.’

Riett already liked strawberries, but she particularly favored the strawberries grown in the Marren estate. They were much sweeter and more delicious than other strawberries.

Moreover, in spring, the jam made from these strawberries was used in various places, and it tasted amazing no matter where it was used. The only drawback to this perfect strawberry jam was that it took a long time to make, requiring a lot of effort.

Riett thought that when the family prospered in the future, she must make sure to give generous bonuses to the hardworking maids.

“Is it delicious?”

“Of course. I’ve been looking forward to spring because of this.”

Riett answered with a content expression, but Natasha’s response was like a bolt from the blue.

“Oh. The master loves it so much, I wonder how much longer I can make this strawberry jam.”

“Why? Is there something wrong with the estate?”

Riett widened her eyes and asked. Startled by her rabbit-like reaction, Natasha laughed and waved her hand.

“No, it’s not that. I’d been making the strawberry jam for a long time, and the steward came and scolded me for it. He said firewood is expensive, so we should save it.”

“Firewoods prices have gone up that much?”

woods usually had a stable supply and was relatively inexpensive, so it was strange that firewood had become expensive.

“I don’t know the exact reason either, but it seems like that’s the case.” 

Riett stroked her chin with a serious expression. It wasn’t something urgent at the moment, but if the cost of living continued to rise like this, it would become difficult for people to make ends meet.

“Oh, the steward is passing by! Steward!” 

Natasha spotted the steward through the open door and called out to her loudly, and the steward, Abigail, approached.

“What’s the matter?”

“Abigail, I have a question.”

“Go ahead and ask.”

“It’s about firewood. Has the price gone up a lot recently?”

As soon as Riett mentioned firewood, Abigail let out a deep sigh.

“Yes, it has gone up a lot. It’s about 30% more expensive compared to around this time last year.”

“30%? Winter is already over, so why is everyone using firewood so much?”

Abigail shook her head.

The reason firewood is expensive is not that it’s being used more, but because suddenly another country has been buying a large amount of wood.”

Riett furrowed her brows.

“Who?”

“That… um, it was… Ah! The Haren Empire!”

When the Haren Empire, which she had been searching for until a little while ago, was mentioned, Riett’s ears perked up.

“I don’t know the exact reason, but it seems that the Haren Empire has been buying a lot of wood from our side, causing headaches for the merchants.”

It was strange. The Haren Empire was a country known for its vibrant trade with the Truto Empire, even though they often clashed. They were close geographically, and each country had something the other didn’t.

For example, the Haren Empire had fertile land, resulting in high-quality grains. Therefore, grains were one of the goods that the Truto Empire consistently imported from the Haren Empire. 

On the other hand, the Truto Empire had advanced weaving technology, so they had been exporting fabrics to the Haren Empire for a long time.

In the oil-rich Haren Empire, importing Truto Empire’s woods in large quantities was a first-time occurrence. It was clear that something different was being arranged, something that hadn’t been done before.

“Thank you for letting me know, Abigail.”

Riett said, alone, as she furrowed her brow and pondered. 

‘It seems like there’s some connection.’

The import of woods from the Truto Empire and the Cork Island. These were the two things that the Haren Empire had been focusing on recently.

‘What could it be?’

A task that required a significant amount of Parvanium and wood.

‘…!’

Riett hastily got up from her seat and found the book she had been reading earlier. She quickly flipped through the pages and skimmed the section that explained the “Battle of Hatata River” between the Haren Empire and the Kingdom of Sorentia.

If she had figured out this much, it was as good as solving the whole puzzle. Now, all she needed to do was find additional information to confirm her suspicions.

Ignoring her tired body, Riett immersed herself in reading the book once again for quite some time.

* * *

The next day, as soon as the sun rose, Riett arrived at the palace and requested an audience with the emperor. The emperor, who had been troubled by matters related to Cork Island, readily accepted Riett’s audience.

Thanks to Riett’s performance in the council for the past week, the emperor had grown to trust her. She didn’t falter even in the unfamiliar setting of the council and fearlessly expressed her opinions. Moreover, her opinions were sharp and wise, one after another.

And the emperor was convinced.

“Well then, you found out where the Haren Empire plans to use Parvanium?” 

Although many still refused to acknowledge her as a woman, she would soon overpower the proud noble members of the council. Look at this now, wasn’t she the first to bring important information?

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Haren Empire intends to use Parvanium for ‘arrows.'”

“Arrows?”

The emperor’s expression involuntarily furrowed at the unexpected application.

“Yes, arrows, without a doubt.”

“The Haren Empire has never boasted an army that uses bows and arrows.”

“That’s true until now, but they are undoubtedly preparing a secret ultimate weapon, and it involves bows and arrows.”

As a result of staying up all night poring over war-related books, she discovered this information. While the Haren Empire typically used swords in conventional battles, they often relied on bows and arrows to gain the upper hand in crucial moments or defensive situations.

It was a fact she learned from widely unknown history books and military strategy books. It’s probably safe to say that he knows it like an emperor.

As Riett explained step by step, the emperor’s expression brightened.

“Moreover, they have been importing woods in large quantities, to the extent that it might affect the Truto Empire as well.”

“I see.”

The emperor nodded as if he already knew this fact.

“Looking at the types of woods they import, most of them are coniferous.”

“No way…”

“Yes, it’s true. They are often used for bows and arrow shafts because they have a soft and flexible material. It seems they are not merely intending to use it for firewood or construction materials.”

“Oh no.”

A deep sense of crisis spread across the emperor’s face.

“They weren’t simply driven by a desire for minerals; they were actively preparing for war. It seems like they are on the verge of starting a conflict.”

“If we assume the worst.”

In truth, as Riett learned the truth the previous night, her concerns grew deeper.

While she expected the Haren Empire to acquire Parvanium to create weapons, they were preparing with even more thoroughness than she had imagined.

“This is a serious problem. We must gather the ministers and council members immediately to find a solution…”

“There’s no need for that.”

Riett calmly interrupted the emperor as he rose to his feet.

“No need? But the Haren Empire is preparing for war!”

“Your Majesty.”

With confident crimson eyes, Riett stared at the emperor.

“I have a solution.”