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HELHEIM SCANS
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Chapter 91
-Are you feeling anxious since your wedding is approaching? I was thinking of staying by her side for a while. Is that okay?
It wasn’t just anyone—she was her closest friend.
So what did it matter?
Besides, Melissa was at an age where she should be going out and having fun.
"Sure. Go and enjoy yourself as much as you want."
That was the plan from the beginning, so there was no issue.
But still, I had a feeling things would get a little troublesome if the artifact became widely known.
Just as I was thinking that—
There was a knock at the door, and Misha, the head maid, entered, bowing politely with a composed posture.
"Young Master."
"Ah, thank you for your hard work. Has the gate’s color changed at all?"
"No, it has never turned red."
If the spatial magic activated within the gate changed from green to red, that would mean trouble.
Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.
"That’s good. At least it looks like the connection is stable."
"If word gets out that you created a teleportation gate on your own, it will cause quite a commotion."
"Of course. But for now, it’s just a prototype, so I plan to ignore any requests regarding it."
Whether it was the illusion artifact or the teleportation gate, both would definitely cause a stir.
However, unlike the illusion artifact, the teleportation gate wasn’t fully complete yet.
Safety inspections wouldn’t be done in just a day or two, and if the gate I created wasn’t compatible with the existing teleportation gates, a major problem could arise.
The existing teleportation gates were made with magic, whereas the one I created was primarily built using magitech.
"The mana stones used as fuel are sufficient, so now we just need to test it by periodically transporting objects."
"Um, Young Master?"
Misha hesitated before adding,
"We received another message from Gaifen..."
"Again? Just ignore it."
Why should I bother?
There was no reason to accept it.
I had already accomplished what I set out to do.
Gaifen’s Magic Tower had sent several messages after that, but I didn’t bother responding.
Judging by how things unfolded, I could tell I had been somewhat mistaken.
They probably did expect a response from me.
The problem must have been caused by some lower-ranked official not delivering the message properly.
But I chose to ignore it.
If they wanted to apologize, they could come in person.
If they didn’t like that, then we didn’t need to associate with each other at all.
I wasn’t planning on doing anything more.
If Gaifen’s Magic Tower truly intended to show goodwill, they would come meet me directly.
If not, we would go our separate ways.
Of course, it would be better if they came in person.
That way, I could use it as leverage to extract compensation.
And sure enough, they moved quickly, seemingly realizing that dragging this out would only be a loss for them.
Much sooner than expected, the Level 5 Mage, Berhem and a girl who appeared to be from the Holy Kingdom visited my estate.
* * *
Accompanied by a priest from the Holy Kingdom, the mage gave me a bitter smile the moment he saw me.
"Welcome, Elder Berhem. And the person beside you is…?"
"Ah. This is Nabel, a high-ranking priest from the Holy Kingdom."
"I am Nabel. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Leon Cascadia."
I stared at her as she greeted me with an elegant smile.
Then, something about her caught my eye, completely stealing my attention.
Wow... Cerberus...
I had never been so completely captivated before in my life.
As I stood there, speechless, Luna appeared, dragging a refrigerator behind her, and gave my calf a few sharp kicks.
"Leon, that's rude."
"Ah. My apologies, I lost myself for a moment. Please, have a seat."
I immediately had the servants guide them to the reception room and turned to Luna.
"Hey, bring out some ice cream and coffee cookies."
"No. They’re all mine."
"I’ll make more for you later. It’ll take too long to prepare otherwise."
She looked up at me with dissatisfaction but eventually opened the refrigerator and pulled out ice cream and coffee cookies, setting them on the table.
"My goodness, she’s carrying that refrigerated artifact with one hand..."
"Ha, incredible. Now that’s magic."
"Hmm."
Seeing her proud expression, I could tell she secretly took pride in her growing strength.
The two visitors, who had been caught off guard, cleared their throats and refocused on me.
I leisurely pushed the ice cream and cookies toward them.
"Please, try them. Just something I made as a hobby."
"What are these?"
Unlike the visibly uneasy Berhem, the high-ranking priest Nabel’s eyes sparkled as she took in the sight of the ice cream.
"Ice cream and cookies."
"Ice cream? How fascinating. It’s different from fruit syrup poured over ice. And yet it’s not quite milk either..."
She elegantly lifted a small spoon and took a bite of the ice cream.
Her eyes widened.
"Gasp..."
She took another spoonful and blushed slightly.
"It’s cold but sweet. I’ve seen similar frozen treats before, but… this is my first time tasting something like this. Did you make this yourself?"
Seeing her eyes shine with delight, I found myself somewhat pleased.
"I made it as a hobby. I’m glad you like it."
"If I could, I’d eat this every day. But… rules prevent me from indulging too much..."
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"I’ll pack some for you."
Hearing that, she gave me a faint smile.
"Elder Berhem, so what brings you here?"
Even though I already knew, I asked anyway.
"Ahem. You sent a message to the Magic Tower recently. It seems the person in charge made a mistake and was rude to you, so I came to apologize personally. I am truly sorry."
He bowed his head respectfully.
"To be honest, I was a little disappointed. I thought it was just a meaningless, formal statement."
"No, not at all! Our Gaifen Magic Tower genuinely wishes to maintain good relations with you… No, saying that now would just sound like an excuse."
He spoke with a bitter expression.
"If you desire compensation for this matter, we are willing to offer it, Lord Leon."
"In that case, I won’t refuse."
"Uh..."
"You're giving that to me, aren't you?"
I pointed to the small box he had brought.
There was no reason to make an enemy out of Elder Berhem just because of a mere low-ranking mage.
Besides, my connection was with Berhem, not necessarily with Gaifen.
When I smirked, he let out a helpless laugh.
"I must have thought too highly of you. This is a gift personally selected by the Tower Master."
From the box he handed over, a small stone emerged.
But I immediately recognized its value.
"A magic stone. And a top-grade one at that."
Magic stones were quite common, but once they surpassed a certain level, their value skyrocketed astronomically.
And a top-grade one?
Considering the number of magical engineering feats that could be achieved with this, it was an incredible item.
"Isn't this excessive? There's no need to go this far."
"It's partly an apology, but also a form of investment."
He chuckled.
"You neutralized a kraken with ease and even created a teleportation gate. Honestly, I'm quite curious about what you'll come up with next."
In other words, if I ever needed support for my creations, he wanted me to consider them first.
For an institution like the Gaifen Magic Tower, that wasn't a bad offer.
"I'll keep it in mind."
Of course, I didn't have any immediate plans to create something new.
"So, did you come here for the same reason as Elder Berhem?"
"Ah… no. I have a different purpose. I came to see you personally."
As my gaze shifted from Berhem to the high priestess, Nabel, she, who had been happily biting down on a spoon, flinched and quickly composed herself.
"It's an honor to meet the famous Lord Leon in person."
"The honor is mine, to meet the great light of the Holy Kingdom."
"I am merely a humble servant who walks ahead in service."
High Priestess Nabel.
But considering her title, she looked far too young.
Not just youthful in appearance—she was actually young.
A high priestess from the Holy Kingdom, yet still innocent and pure.
And despite that, I could sense something massive within her, something far beyond that of an ordinary priest.
If I hadn’t possessed vast amounts of aura and necromantic mana myself, I might have only felt a vague sense of unease around her.
Yeah.
There was only one person in the world who matched these conditions.
Nadia Ten Lilibel.
The most sacred existence of the Holy Kingdom.
The Saint.
Ah, so that’s why she goes by "Nabel."
Well, if she wanted to keep her identity hidden, I had no reason to expose it.
After all, the status of a Saint was incredibly significant.
Rejecting a high priestess's offer was one thing, but rejecting a Saint's proposal could bring serious consequences.
She knew that too—that’s why she had come under the title of a high priestess.
"Lord, would it be alright if I took a look at the teleportation gate you created? I assume the matters between you and Nabel are ones I shouldn't intrude upon."
"Yes, feel free. Oh, before you go, take a look at the statue in the estate square. If you like it, spread the word."
It would be a waste if only we got to appreciate that masterpiece.
"The statue? Ah, the one of Count Cascadia. Hmm, I’m not sure if that was the image I had in mind…."
"I made it a few days ago. My younger sibling hasn’t seen it yet."
When I grinned mischievously, he let out a hearty laugh.
"Ha! Alright, I’ll make sure to take a good look before I leave."
After he left, silence lingered for a moment before Nabel slowly turned her gaze to me.
After a brief hesitation, she finally spoke.
"The garden outside… did Count Cascadia design it?"
"My mother did."
"Ah, then… your mother is…."
"She passed away."
"Oh… I’m so sorry."
She flustered and fumbled with her words.
At first glance, she seemed sacred and elegant, someone who would be unwavering in her prayers no matter the circumstance.
But now, I finally understood why she had felt strangely familiar from the start.
Was it because she was the Saint?
Unlike the battle-hardened and politically shrewd upper echelons of the Holy Kingdom, she still carried a great deal of innocence.
Honestly, I didn’t dislike people like her.
I was terrible at dealing with people.
Growing up in the Labyrinth, I never had the chance to learn how.
So, conversing with people who were adept at social interactions never felt comfortable for me.
Alright.
Plus ten points.
I gave her a generous internal rating and then calmly asked,
"So, Nabel, you came to see me?"
"Yes."
"I am merely a retainer of a borderland count."
"But if that retainer is the greatest genius on the continent, wouldn’t that change the story?"
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