Chapter 94: I took away Yeju's first love.
"How can you believe such a thing?"
To reassure my mother, I put Pio in a small prison made of magic power.
His dejected appearance, with his head bowed, was both adorable and heart-wrenching.
My mother's eyes also seemed to show a hint of sympathy, as if she had similar thoughts.
"So, you need to explain why this talking demon is by your side."
I did my best to explain the events I had experienced.
Although my mother didn't seem to believe me easily, she appeared to accept it to some extent since the demon, Pio, was right in front of her.
"It's hard to believe that half-gods exist."
"The more important thing is to purify the distorted magic power."
If this were happening nationwide, the people who would suffer the most would be the mages.
Mages use magic by circulating external magic power with their own within their bodies and then releasing it.
Therefore, if distorted magic power mixes with the external magic power and enters their bodies, the risk of mental contamination is the highest.
It would be much more dangerous than for knights, who simply release external magic power.
[We don't lie like humans!]
Pio's hollow cry, filled with indignation, made my mother's face turn cold.
I glared at the clueless Pio and then smiled, taking my mother's hand.
"Anyway, it seems we can't just leave that mine as it is. Since the mages are grateful for what I did for Raymond, I think they would welcome my request to help."
Since they felt grateful to me for what happened with Raymond, there was no reason not to use it to my advantage.
I thought about how to best utilize the seasonal stone mine.
Mother discovered distorted magic power in the seasonal stone sample I brought.
Unlike before, the clear presence of the energy made her flustered, and she sent the sample to the Magic Tower.
While waiting for a response from the Magic Tower, I received a message from Eitan.
The letter asked me to come alone, and naturally, Mother opposed it.
"How can you trust alchemists!"
"Nivea is different from other alchemists."
Everyone opposed, worried about my safety.
I lifted Pio, who was yawning at my feet, and showed him to Mother.
"I'll go with Pio. This should be enough to make you trust me, right?"
Mother looked at me and Pio with a doubtful expression.
"Take a knight with you."
"If it's noticed, what can he do? He's the one who came to ask for your help."
With no choice, I went to meet Eitan with Pio and a disguised knight.
Upon arriving at the meeting place, the man who had been sitting alone stood up to greet me.
Eitan greeted me with a grin.
Once seated, he handed me a document.
"As you requested, I will give up the logistics business rights in the south."
"That's very kind of you."
I gave a short answer and sipped my tea, stalling for time.
A relaxed attitude is essential in negotiations.
"If you need anything, please don't hesitate to contact our family."
"If it's because of Raymond, you need to explain the exact reason. If you mess with him for no good reason, who knows what might happen."
"Haha. As I've heard, you are indeed straightforward. In some ways, you resemble the Grand Duchess."
Eitan's words made me stiffen.
I wondered why he was provoking me with such statements.
"Of course, there are differences as well."
"Let's get to the point. I hate beating around the bush."
"Ah, my apologies, Lady Phaonia."
He moistened his lips with his tongue and continued.
"As I mentioned before, Raymond is causing significant damage to our family. You know that our relationship with him is not good."
Otherwise, they wouldn't be trying to kill each other.
"But the other party is the next Magic Tower Master. It's only natural that our family alone finds it difficult to guard against him."
"Can't you just live without guarding against each other?"
"It's too late for that."
"Since it's a family matter, I don't know what I can do."
"But didn't you swear to me?"
"A vow is just a vow. Sir Raymond is not my vassal, so how can I command him to do this or that?"
Do you think I can control him like Tatiana?
Eitan fidgeted with his fingers, looking anxious, before speaking again.
"Then how about this? As the Emperor's lover, you could tell him that our Cassel family had no ulterior motives."
His unexpected request caught me off guard.
Perhaps this was his true intention.
"Are you asking me for a favor?"
"It's essential for business. If you help us, we can assist you in various fields. It will certainly benefit your current business as well."
"Exactly what kind of help can you offer?"
"Have you asked anyone else for this favor?"
He smiled but didn't say more.
Eitan seemed more skilled than Raymond, not revealing all his cards.
"I'll wait for your response."
Eitan left as if there was nothing more to hear.
'He's so confident. Just how much has he infiltrated this empire?'
After receiving the letter I sent recently, Aster began looking for areas where the Cassel family had a monopoly nationwide.
He confirmed that the Cassel family had a significant monopoly in many areas.
Including those contracted under pseudonyms, there might be even more.
On the way back with Pio.
I was concerned by Pio's unusually cautious behavior today.
"Why are you acting like this?"
[Just leave me outside and go in.]
His glowing gray eyes looked ominous.
I followed Pio's advice, leaving him in front of the hotel and going inside.
I heard a familiar scream.
Worried that Pio might have caused trouble again, I rushed outside.
I couldn't help but be shocked by the scene before me.
Wilhelm was writhing in pain, his buttocks bitten by Pio.
I quickly pulled him off, and he cried out indignantly.
[That guy has been following you for days!]
Wilhelm, who had fallen pitifully, tried to hide the image sphere that had fallen to the ground.
I kicked his hand away with my foot.
I picked up the image sphere that Wilhelm couldn't hide.
I ignored his plea and activated the image sphere.
The recorded content was astounding.
Conversations between me and Andrew, and my meeting with Eitan, were all captured.
"To be honest, Sir Wilhelm."
I looked down at him, who couldn't raise his head.
"I didn't know you could be so despicable."
I was so angry that I didn't say anything more and went back inside.
Wilhelm returned to his room, feeling miserable.
He wiped his face with his hand and sat in a chair.
The contemptuous gaze he had received was etched in his mind, refusing to fade.
His pride and strong sense of self were completely gone.
Could he still call himself a knight?
The intense self-loathing made Wilhelm curl up.
At that moment, the door burst open. Andrew, his face red with anger, stormed in.
He immediately grabbed Wilhelm by the collar and lifted him.
Andrew's face, filled with rage, loomed in his vision.
"You bastard, you dared to spy on me here?"
"Did you think I put you in the position of the Silver Dragon Knights' commander just to do such despicable things? I put you there because I thought you were a sensible person who could at least uphold chivalry."
Andrew roughly pushed Wilhelm to the ground and muttered.
"Now I see, you're a madman who sold your soul to Tatiana. Of course, you wouldn't be in your right mind, trying to seduce my fiancée."
His gaze was like he was looking at a bug.
Wilhelm couldn't lift his head.
Until now, he had been willing to do anything for Tatiana.
He thought he could endure anything, but this time it was particularly difficult.
"I won't let this go. I will also hold the Grand Duchess responsible. You need to apologize to Karina and seek her forgiveness. By any means necessary."
Suddenly, Andrew's power exploded.
The cold air that filled the room made Wilhelm shut his mouth.
It was a terrifying presence.
"Decide whether your master is the Grand Duchess or me, Andrew LeBrun Gloucester."
Wilhelm recalled Karina's words.
How miserable it would be to be subordinate to the man he considered a rival.
He wouldn't be a knight anymore, but more like a servant.
Pressed by Andrew, Wilhelm bowed his head.
There was no time to think.
"If you harm the Lady, I don't care if you're a Sword Master; I'll cut you down."
With that, Andrew left the room.
Wilhelm clenched his fists in misery.
"I need to contact Tatiana."
But even in his despair, he didn't forget what he needed to do for his beloved.
He wanted to hear her comforting words.
Listening to Tatiana's tender words would certainly improve his mood.
Wilhelm quickly wrote a telegram summarizing the recent events, expressing his pessimism about the situation.
It was a rare tantrum for him.
Wilhelm rarely shared such stories with anyone.
He couldn't appear weak to anyone.
But now, he needed comfort.
However, by the time night fell, there was no response from Tatiana.