Chapter 41
41
No one knows the exact location of Clairon, but recalling the story from the novel—and according to the treasure map-like map Poco has—we need to go quite deep inside.
We'll probably run into Bellac often.
'It seems like it's going to take a while. I need something else. Instead of just waiting for Young Master to come back, I need to do something productive in the meantime...'
Nina pondered for a while, then clapped her knee.
'Okay. When he comes back, I'll show him how much the castle has changed and surprise him. Yes, let's do that.'
Nina jumped up from her seat, opened the window of the office, and looked up at the castle.
\ \ \
"You're the first person to ask the Archsage to clean."
Randel said to her with a dumbfounded look.
Even though he was indoors, his blond hair shone brightly.
Inside the test tube on his desk, something was changing colors.
Because it was a corner room, there were windows on both sides, so the lighting was excellent, and the liquid in the test tube shone as if it had melted jewels.
"Isn't there a cleaning spell?"
I'm sure I used it before.
At Nina's question, Randel tilted his head as if thinking for a moment, then asked.
"If you answer one of my questions, I'll listen to what you have to say."
"You'll clean?"
At Nina's words, Randel smiled. He slowly reached for his personality, no, his glasses, which made Nina nervous.
He held his glasses with both hands, as if he was about to take them off slightly, but then he put them back on and looked up at Nina, asking.
"When we bumped into each other before and my glasses fell off, you immediately put them back on me. Is there a reason for that?"
"Because there's no refraction in the lenses."
At Nina's answer, an unexpected expression crossed his face. Nina continued.
"So I knew there were no prescriptions. Then there must be a reason why you're wearing them, right? I thought you wouldn't like it if they came off, so I did that."
Randel fiddled with his glasses, looking flustered. He seemed surprised that she would give such an answer.
Only then did Nina realize again that he had been living only in a small human community called Bluestone Island.
'He was a person with a lack of social skills, right.'
Nina slammed the desk with a bang. Randel looked up.
"So now, you're going to use a cleaning spell, right?"
Randel chuckled softly.
"Of course, I have to."
\ \ \
The Archsage's cleaning magic was amazing. It melted away even the most stubborn stains in every corner at once.
To be honest, I didn't think there would be such a big difference.
I tried my best to clean, but it was impossible to remove the stains, dust, and sticky things that had accumulated over the years.
When the veil of accumulated grime was lifted, Black Shield Castle was truly spotless.
The wooden window frames were so shiny that you couldn't help but notice the change at a glance.
"This is the first time I've used such a huge spell. I never thought my first large-scale magic would be a cleaning spell."
Nina's conscience pricked slightly at Randel's words, which he uttered with a very tired face.
"Thank you so much."
Nina gave her thanks sincerely.
She could hear the surrounding servants squealing and shouting in amazement.
Randel said with a strange look.
"I never thought I'd receive thanks for something like this."
"The value of magic is determined by people. I don't think there are big, great spells and small, trivial spells."
At Nina's words, Randel smiled and said.
"I like botany more than my magic."
Nina also smiled at his words and replied, "Botany is greater." At that moment, light seemed to pour out of Randel's eyes.
"So you think so too, Lady Nina?"
Oops, but he used the cleaning spell. Nina willingly listened to his botany lecture.
The servants were amazed by the clean castle and followed Nina's instructions.
In the castle's warehouse, relics of the old era—or rather, decorations that were so old that they were now unique—came out, and Nina appropriately arranged the decorations.
She also changed the positions of the existing furniture.
And she didn't forget her proxy work.
At first, she had to run to Jin and ask, "Where exactly is the 'Weitz region'?" but now she was quite familiar with the geography of the duchy.
'More than that, isn't the amount of work too much?'
Nina realized one thing while processing the documents.
'Adrian was directly managing the entire duchy. His vassals are sending him even the smallest things? He and Lord Louis were handling this?'
No wonder he was just looking at documents every day.
She tore at her hair. The vassals here are a kind of hereditary position that the duke dispatches to grant castles.
It's not a vassal who gives fiefs, but an administrative position that manages them, but because it's hereditary, it's in an ambiguous position between a general administrator and a vassal.
Each family has a castle assigned to the local administrator, so if you hear the castle, you know which family's local administrator it is—except for places like the Gota family that do special work.
'I thought he wouldn't leave the local vassals involved in the internal strife alone, but it seems like he really killed them all.'
I need to start looking for talent as soon as possible.
'I wonder if he'll reply.'
Nina sighed, thinking of potential talented administrators.
After a day filled with all sorts of tasks, from the commander of the knights' duties to acting as duke and cleaning up the castle, she thought of Adrian again.
'I want to show him the changed castle as soon as he comes back.'
In the early morning when she couldn't stand it anymore, she called the North Wind.
\ \ *
Adrian opened the window wide. The cold night air flowed into the old building.
The sky was a deep color like black velvet, and the stars twinkled strangely.
It was a day with a strong wind. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky.
All stars, and only stars.
It was a quiet, moonless night.
The fortress at the edge of the Violet Forest was old, but it was usually maintained, so it had the necessary supplies.
In fact, 'fortress' was just a fancy name, and in reality, it was just a one-story wooden building surrounded by stone walls.
He was tired, but he couldn't sleep.
Feeling a little dazed, he was just leaning against the window frame, looking at the sky.
The work was finished as he wanted.
Adrian was still in a superior position, and Poco and his group had no choice but to take a low stance.
Adrian extracted as many benefits as possible from them in exchange for cooperating.
Not long after talking, Adrian could see their situation clearly.
The craftsman, who had only worked in the workshop and had never properly negotiated with the outside world, was an easy prey.
Of course, considering the momentum they had come with, it would be easier to appease them by treating them appropriately rather than suppressing them.
Without exchanging many words, Adrian knew that it would be difficult for them to return to the Karak Workshop.
Most of the craftsmen they had brought with them when they left Karak were lost to reefs, cliffs, and Bellac's attacks.
They knew the processing method of Clairon, but reproducing it was a completely different matter. Poco's face hardened each time Adrian pointed out a flaw. Adrian did not miss the opportunity and took his own advantage while pretending to be considerate of their circumstances.
In the end, Poco handed over most of the rights to the ducal family, but even felt grateful to Adrian.
'Because he's not someone who works for profit.'
You can't beat the cunning that is displayed for profit.
But to do that, you had to fully understand the other person. To understand is to empathize.
At the same time, you have to thoroughly calculate your own gains and losses.
'I'm tired.'
It was mental fatigue, not physical. As soon as he thought, 'I'm exhausted,' Nina came to mind, and he smiled.
'I look for Nina at times like this.'
Just thinking about her made him feel much better. With a bit of joy, he recalled her sparkling eyes.
Whether they were brown or gold, it didn't make a difference to him. The soul that sparkled like a flame inside was always the same.
Nina gave him something he had never experienced before. She gave back what he thought he could never get again.
'I miss her.'
Then, a sharp, cold wind blew, and he tilted his head.
'It's past the time for this kind of wind.'
Winter was a season of pain, but not since he had been with Nina. Jin had said that Nina 'likes snow like a dog.'
The season when white breath comes out and cheeks turn bright red is always...
"Nina."
The moment that name flowed out of his lips without him realizing it,
"Yes, Young Master."
Adrian wondered for a moment if he had misheard.
