IWRYWYM Ch. 121 â The Citizens of the Empire
Putting aside the question of why it was needed at this time, Decal considered the command itself not too difficult.
Although jewels were expensive items, they were common in comparison. Sure, they had to find something that would suit someone like the 2nd Consort, but this was one of the largest cities in the Empire, excluding Barossa.
Decal was an ear of the night that hung in such a central city. There was a lot of information about where to find what kind of jewels and how to get them, and all he had to do was pick out the ones he needed. However, the problem was that he couldnât guess how big the swordmasterâs requirement was.
âNot like this.â Blemir scooped up a handful of jewels piled up on a tray covered with indigo silk, then twisted his wrist sideways to pour them out.
Jewels flowed down like grains of sand. Most fell onto the indigo tray, but others bounced and crumbled to the floor.
However, Blemir did not pay attention to it. All he was interested in right now were enough gems. Undine wouldâve already appeared at this rate and urged him to give it to her master.
Decal, who had told his subordinates to prepare the jewels for him as soon as he arrived at the mansion, was embarrassed by Blemirâs eyes that looked like they were asking if this was all he could do, let alone praise him.
âDo you mean the jewelry stores?â
When no answer came back from the other party, Decal, who swallowed dryly, finally opened his mouth even though he thought it was a crazy question.
â⊠Are you looking for a gem mine?â
Come to think of it. The marquis had mentioned the place and quantity, not the kind of jewels or trinkets that were famous for their size or workmanship.
âOf course. Didnât I say âa lotâ?â The words âI usually didnât take that muchâ didnât come out of Decalâs throat. The marquis continued to speak to Decal, who gulped. âIâm worried about the reserves because itâs in the West, but since itâs a duchy, Iâm sure there are a few emergency fund pockets nearby.â
âWill it be helpful to the 2nd Consort?â
Surely they were talking about jewels that Elisha had never been interested in in her life.
Blemir had sensed that what had reached the end of Undineâs gaze as she had alternately checked him and Rohan was not himself, but the jewels embedded in his scabbard. Undine nodded up and down indistinctly as he ran his thumb over them. It was only then that Blemir could recall one of the unreliable rumors circulating in Barossa: they said that the 2nd Consort liked jewelry so much.
Since she was the 2nd Consort who didnât enjoy extravagance and didnât decorate much, he had thought it was a story spread by a group of bad people who wanted to frame her. But now he believed it might not be.
Hadnât the spirit said, too, that the 2nd Consort was damaged? What if one of the ways to undo or fix it was jewels?
Now was not the time to ask if that was possible. He appreciated that there was a way, and it was time to try something.
Blemir accepted from Decal the location of the gem mine in the direction from the central city to the Marquis Rwanda and held Elisha in his arms.
âThe 2nd Consort is with Undine for treatment. No one should be allowed to visit, so there wonât be a problem with the mana flow. Tell anyone not to visit because I must stay in the mansion for her protection.â
âYes, Marquis.â After Decal answered, he had his subordinates guide Marquis Blemir out of the central city unnoticed.
âIs it really okay to send him like that?â Decal talked to himself as he watched the people disappear through the secret passageway, then shook his head. Even if it wasnât, what else could he do?
If this was necessary, he could see why the spirit had chosen the Marquis Blemir over that Sir Rohan.
âPlease come back safely, 2nd Consort,â Decal said to someone who wouldnât hear and left the room with the secret passage. He headed to the stable to check the horse that couldnât be ridden because they didnât want the news of Blemirâs disappearance to be known and the horse the 2nd Consort had been riding.
Blemir accelerated as soon as he left the central city. He was able to arrive at the mine faster than expected as he squeezed his power, leaving only the strength to prepare for any unexpected danger.
The mine in the middle of a fairly high mountain was deserted and dreary. Around the entrance, things such as handcarts and pickaxes were gathered by type, and there were traces of people hastily scattered.
It was said that they had been mining until the rebellion, so perhaps they had gone home in a hurry after hearing the news.
Blemir looked down at Elisha. She was as still as asleep, and he couldnât even hear her breathing properly. As he lowered his ear and brought it close to her nose, he could only feel a very, very weak breath.
Listening to her thin breathing like a song, Blemir walked into the mine.
âI think this is when you are at your weakest.â
Enough that anyone could violate her majesty.
âBut I can make you weak even in your strongest moments.â
What he didnât do was for her sake.
âSo please donât get hurt like this so I can continue to do so. I am so angry that I donât know what to do.â
After coming in so deep, they arrived at a fairly large cavity where the ores that had been dug out were scattered. Blemir laid her down in the center of the cavity and straightened her messy hair.
He dropped a few strands from her brow before lowering his lips to her white forehead. At the last moment, he completely covered his forehead with his hand. His lips lightly pressed down on the back of his hand.
Undine came out and was looking at Blemir. She was not flustered, as if she had known his moves from the manaâs movement. She just stared at his brown eyes, telling him to do what he had to do now that he had done his job.
Undine raised the energy of water and covered Elisha. Supported by the stream of water, Elishaâs body floated up.
Elisha seemed to be having a long dream. Itâd been a long time since sheâd felt such deep exhaustion. She couldnât lift a finger, so she just kept her ears open. She felt the presence of those who were looking for her.
Walking on the stacked pieces of stone, many people searched for her, relieved the weight of death, prayed for her, and called for life. When they finally found her, their joy soaked her heart and brought light.
Elisha wanted to wake up and greet them, but she didnât even have the strength to open her eyes. Her whole body was like a ball of fire, but she didnât sweat a drop. It was strange because cold air seemed to be coming from her skin. It was probably because Undine, who placed her palm near her heart, was cooling off the heat.
People sang around Elisha. Their voice flew like an arrow from a distance and stuck to her, but it didnât feel bad because they constantly stimulated her body, which was becoming dull from repeating hot and cold.
The voice didnât let her forget who she was and why she was there. Then, when the energy of two familiar people approached, she was thrilled.
The subsequent process passed in an instant. She was a little surprised when Marquis Blemir covered her forehead with his hand like he wanted to check her temperature, but it was all right. He seemed like a good student who followed what he had been taught.
She had thought about it before, but her pride was still severely hurt. This man had the qualifications to be ranked first among swordmasters, so he had the right to say that, but still.
You can make me weak when at my strongest, so donât get hurt so you can continue to do that? Itâs not worth fighting and winning against a hurting opponent.
I should let you know that Iâm not that easy when I wake up this time. Despite the deficiency, didnât I beat an 8th-circle mage? Elisha swore, wrapped around the energy of water.
The inside of the mine shuddered with a roar. The mountain cried out and began to crumble.
The space was filled with things falling from above. Right before the entrance to the mine was blocked, two figures quickly jumped out of the mine and moved away from the mountain. Silver and red light intertwine to form a long line.
It was only after the dust clinging behind them no longer caught up with them that the two stopped walking and looked back at the place where the mountain had been.
The imposing mountain had shrunk to nothing. Nevertheless, Blemir confirmed, just in case.
âAre you not lacking?â
âItâs enough.â As Elisha spoke nonchalantly and opened her palm, Undine, which had been pale and faint as if she would disappear at any moment, appeared again, exuding her own presence.
âSorry, I made you worry, didnât I?â Elisha wanted to ask about the fire energy that resided inside of her but held back. If Undine could tell her, she wouldâve done it long ago. More than anything, she had felt firsthand how hard Undine was trying to prevent its runaway. She should be grateful, so she didnât want to question it.
Undine rubbed her face against Elishaâs cheek, and she let Undine do it to her heartâs content, then she greeted Blemir.
âThank you, Marquis.â
âYou told me not to go into mana mine or cave when I went to Mergin territory, so I was careful, but then I laughed because there was no place like that at all there. I didnât know that I would end up going into a gem mine with you after coming here.â He was just trying to let her know he cared about her request, but Elishaâs expression hardened, so Blemir asked, âWhatâs the matter, 2nd Consort?â
âWhat do you mean? There wasnât mana stone in Mergin territory?â
âAh, you mean that? There was, but I heard that it was mostly just a name. Since mana stone mine is such a high-profit business, many places are fake in the first place. In the case of failure after pouring money into the so-called âmineâ exploration because someoneâs too excited about the discovery of some mana stoneâŠâ it will be difficult to repay the borrowed money right away, so you decorate the mine by giving it a name, and then extend the time to repay it or borrow more money.
Either way, it wouldnât have ended well. That was why everyone said the one in Mergin territory was fake.
âThe mountain itself is not big, and the mine is narrow and shallow, so it didnât look like a place to escape.â
But Marquis, you died there. In that mine, which the rebels who knew the area well would never have chosen, Elisha thought. According to the rumors that were circulating secretly at the time, you were murdered. Who the hell would have killed the swordmaster so fleetingly and put a false epitaph on his tomb?
Many people came to mind, but Elisha couldnât come up with a reason then. The swordmaster was as useful as he was dangerous.
Then, she suddenly remembered that it was around that time that the marquis started to communicate again with the Fontana duchy, his original family, which he had been cut off from.
After acting so arrogantly, the dukeâs side finally received help from the marquis and even asked for more⊠even as he sneered at Ascensio, who he thought would be prosperous under the strong support of his motherâs family. There was no way Elisha could be mistaken because the duke mustâve had calculated that there was nothing he could gain from this.
But what if it wasnât as everyone had thought? What if Marquis Blemir hadnât died by accident in Mergin territory, but that he had to go there and die?
âMm? What did you say?â
âI asked if you were okay. Your complexion is not looking good.â
At his words, Elisha waved her hand. âItâs because Iâve been lying down for too long. Itâll get better soon.â
âMay I take you there?â
Elisha smiled as she recalled how he had brought her to this place. âIâll walk on my feet. Iâm not that weak.â
Blemir nodded. It was strange that he felt a strange sign of regret.
âI must hurry. There must be many people eager to touch me lying in the mansion, so I have to live up to their expectations.â
âIs it really just because of that?â
âMust there be some other reason?â When Elisha asked back as if wondering, Blemir couldnât open his mouth and lowered his eyes. The fierce handsome man with red hair looked like a leopard with its tail curled. Apart from that, he looked downright dangerous.
âI think Iâll see something I donât want to see as soon as I return.â
Elisha tilted her head at the belated reply. Before she said anything, Blemir was a step ahead.
As he rushed ahead, Elisha followed. As fast as they came, the two disappeared far away.