Episode 511
Kyla briefly moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue before breaking into a smile. Wasn’t Chloe’s provocation unusually blatant today? There had to be something that had ruffled her feathers, and figuring out what it was came first. If her opponent was agitated, it meant that, unknowingly, Kyla had pricked a thorn into her. She needed to understand exactly what kind of weapon she held in her hand.
With a gentle smile, Kyla responded.
“It is only natural for a child to follow their father and contribute to the family. There’s nothing to praise about it, so I suppose the young lady does not see it that way.”
All members of the Davion family held positions as palace officials. They weren’t working solely for their own family’s prosperity but were devoted to the palace itself.
Meanwhile, Chloe was leisurely enjoying her tea without any official rank, and Kyla subtly pointed this out. Unfortunately, Chloe’s expression remained unchanged.
“No, I also consider it natural. Therefore, just as the Davion family has done before, I will one day dedicate myself to the palace.”
To the position of Empress.
Chloe didn’t continue, but everyone gasped sharply and exchanged hurried glances. So today was the day. Would Kyla accept? The young ladies carefully studied Kyla’s face and soon realized she was holding back a smile.
Kyla fanned the slight flush on her right cheek and asked,
“For the palace?”
“Yes. Of course.”
Unaware of the topic and ignorant of her place, Chloe was far beyond what was appropriate. Kyla barely suppressed a laugh and cleared her throat, while Chloe watched her coldly.
“What’s so amusing?”
“Apologies, Lady Chloe. If you truly care for Bariel, wouldn’t it be right to help ensure the palace makes choices that benefit the nation’s interests—even now?”
Kyla implied that it would serve the national interest far better for the Empress to come from the Horlin family, which tightly controlled the defense industry, rather than from Davion, which offered no real help. Claiming to serve the royal family while aiming for the Empress’s seat from Davion was nothing but family greed.
“In the end, you and I are in the same position, yet how dare you—”
It was a deadly critique. Even the watching young ladies thought Chloe might back down here.
But this was Chloe Davion—the daughter of the Count of Davion, who, while unable to control the palace, wielded enough influence to crack the calm surface.
Chloe calmly retorted.
“If you speak of national interest, nothing is more valuable than a steadfast lord-vassal relationship. Such a relationship is like a wall: the stronger and sturdier it is, the more prosperous the nation becomes. You cannot build a solid wall with flimsy gold coins.”
She was pointing out that the long-standing alliance between the palace and the Davion family could not be compared to the gold coins Horlin was throwing around.
As the two young ladies’ gazes locked coldly, Charlotte, the hostess of the tea party, snapped her fan shut with a sharp sound—a signal to stop the struggle and hide their claws.
“By the way, Kyla, since you went to the Magic Department, have you seen the rumored minister?”
“Sir Ian Hielo?”
“Yes, yes. They say he has beautiful blonde hair and green eyes. Quite dignified, too.”
“Moreover, I heard he’s exceptionally capable and deeply favored by His Majesty. Above all, he seems to defy the passage of time. Quite intriguing.”
“Hmm. Well, the rumors don’t seem exaggerated—”
Kyla unconsciously trailed off, frowning. Handsome and competent as he was, he was a troublesome presence for the Horlin family.
Chloe noticed the subtle shift in Kyla’s emotions.
‘If he met only with the Duke, that’s a lie. He must have had significant conflicts with the Magic Department. The only thing that could shake the Horlin family so much is the defense industry. The Magic Department suddenly reaching out there? Strange.’
Kyla was already feeling strong displeasure that the Magic Department had refused Davion’s invitation and met with Horlin first.
Still, she couldn’t afford to antagonize the Magic Department. If they turned hostile toward the palace, the biggest beneficiary would be Davion.
‘I need to change my approach. Instead of holding the annex construction hostage, it’s better to be as friendly as possible and act contrary to Horlin’s position.’
Once back at the mansion, she would quickly find out what had transpired between the Magic Department and the Horlin family.
As Chloe silently sipped her tea, Kyla watched her closely. She couldn’t tell what Chloe was thinking, but it was unlikely to be a positive sign.
‘…What if Davion uses their influence within the palace to pressure the Magic Department?’
The Horlin family would face severe pressure. It wouldn’t just disrupt their business; it would mean Davion could surpass them as the leading Empress family. While protecting their business rights would yield some benefits, the Empress’s seat carried countless advantages beyond imagination.
Kyla tapped her chin with her fan and signaled to the nearby young ladies. She wanted to speak privately. The young ladies set down their teacups and naturally looked around.
“Hmm. By the way, the garden is lovely. The gardener’s skill is truly remarkable.”
“Shall we take a walk? It would be rude to sit still with such a beautiful garden around us.”
“Sounds good. I wanted to stretch my legs anyway. The dessert was so delicious, I think I ate too much.”
Clatter.
Before they had even finished their tea, suddenly? The other young ladies exchanged some kind of signal, and only awkward smiles followed.
Naturally, this was the moment when Kyla’s faction and Chloe’s faction divided.
“The Magic Department is producing weapons?”
The next day, during the morning’s regular assembly, Ian’s statement startled several officials, who looked up sharply. Ever since the Dera tribe had entered the palace, they had sensed something unusual was brewing, but this? The Magic Department producing weapons?
It was like palace chefs being drafted as soldiers for the vanguard. Everyone had their roles—why was the Magic Department now making weapons?
“Pardon? Did I hear that correctly?”
“Sir Ian, isn’t weapon manufacturing and distribution already handled by private enterprises? Are you aware of this?”
“Yes. But there’s a clarification. The Magic Department isn’t making ‘ordinary weapons’ but ‘special weapons’ effective only against non-human races like monsters and the Atan tribe. They cause no harm or pain to humans, so these are distinctly different from conventional weapons.”
Rustle.
The officials slowly flipped through reports. They didn’t grasp every detail but understood the gist. Especially the bolded note that Beric, an Atan, personally demonstrated the weapon’s effectiveness—it helped their comprehension.
“We have secured a skilled Dera blacksmith, but we cannot relocate their workshop here. Therefore, we plan to purchase part of the Horlin family’s territory near the palace and acquire some of their weapon manufacturing facilities to operate.”
The officials buzzed as if something inevitable had arrived. Those connected to Davion saw opportunity; others sensed danger.
“But as you know, the Horlin family currently holds a monopoly on Bariel’s weapon industry. To bypass that, the Dera-made weapons must be registered as ‘special weapons,’ which requires majority approval.”
“Won’t the Horlin family stand idly by?”
“Oh? What if they don’t?”
Ian asked in surprise, but an official quickly waved his hand, clarifying he didn’t mean that.
“The Horlin family’s tax revenue is enormous. This could jeopardize the palace’s finances next year. More importantly, breaking trust with the nobility like this won’t yield good long-term results.”
“Exactly. It would be better to invite the Horlin family for talks rather than decide among ourselves.”
“We’ve already talked. We offered to buy the territory and manufacturing facilities, but their response was lukewarm. The Magic Department is preparing accordingly.”
Ian’s words drew approving murmurs.
“I support this. Since these are special weapons only the Magic Department can produce, recognizing their uniqueness is appropriate.”
“Yes, and we should be wary of entrusting such critical national matters to the private sector, especially with war looming.”
“And everyone, these weapons are meant to counter monsters. You understand what that implies, right?”
“That soldiers alone could handle monsters…”
“Ah, yes. Exactly.”
At someone’s remark, the officials gasped as if a realization dawned. Handling monsters without mages meant less dependence on the Magic Department. The department was essentially handing over a means to check their own power—much like the old Idgal incident.
“We should consider this carefully. For today, let’s just present the agenda and discuss it slowly.”
“Yes, let’s do that, Minister of the Magic Department.”
“But we can’t take too long. The delegation to Burgos leaves next week, so while we have some time, we must proceed swiftly.”
“By the way, Sir Ian, how much have you estimated to pay the Horlin family?”
That wasn’t specified. Ian shrugged it off and held up two fingers.
“The land price is twice the purchase price. The production facilities cost about one year’s budget of the Magic Department. Since this is a trial, we’re only proposing a small portion for now.”
Swish.
At that moment, Romandro approached Ian’s side. Bowing deeply, he carefully placed a letter in front of Ian. It bore the seal of the Hollen family.
Ian raised his hand, signaling for a moment’s patience. The officials seized the opportunity to whisper among themselves.
“What is it?”
“Hmm.”
Ian read the letter and smiled faintly—a calm, serene smile, as if he had expected this.
“This is a reply from Duke Hollen. He has given our proposal serious consideration, but—”
“So, as expected, it’s a no?”
“What else could it be? We’ll just have to expand the palace forge.”
Shh. Ian gestured for silence, and the officials fell quiet.
“They say the price we offered is unacceptable.”
“Figures.”
“Not even double the price would work? Impressive.”
“The land is adjacent to the palace. Money isn’t the issue.”
Ian set the letter down with a soft thud and added,
“They’re asking for five times the purchase price for the land, plus five times the magic department’s entire budget for infrastructure.”
The officials’ jaws dropped. How much was that? The sheer scale of the number was impossible to grasp.
“Impossible. Absolutely, utterly impossible.”
“Still, the Hollen family did their part. They didn’t just reject us—they proposed a reasonable compromise.”
“Sir Ian, what will you do now? Even for the magic department, that sum seems out of reach.”
The Hollen family’s move was a calculated one: rather than flatly refusing, they set the bar so high the other side would be forced to back down.
Ian nodded in agreement.
“That may be, but can’t we just push a little harder?”
“…What do you mean?”
There was no need for the magic department to respond directly to Hollen’s challenge.
“Where do you expect us to get that kind of money?”
“The Department of Technological Advancement, the Imperial Defense Bureau, and the Palace Guard will all join the development effort. If other departments cooperate, who knows what might be possible.”
Where would we get it?
From their pockets, of course.
“Each department must return all funds borrowed from the magic department. By the end of this week.”
“W-what? That’s not a small sum! How are we supposed to pay it back so quickly?”
“Yes. I’m sorry to say, we’re in the same boat. Sir Ian, perhaps you could grant us some leeway—”
“To grant leeway, the magic department would need some breathing room. But as you’ve seen, Duke Hollen is demanding five times the price.”
“No…”
The officials’ faces darkened as they realized his intent.
“If the Hollen family changes their mind and agrees to the price the magic department offered, we won’t need to rush the payment. So, rather than all of you talking to me, why not speak directly to the Duke?”