Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Pielle nodded as if my words were obvious.
"Of course. Shall I bring Rick?"
Seeing that he was suggesting bringing the head of the intelligence department at once, it seemed that the Argenta people were less resistant to me, an outsider, moving the intelligence department than I had thought.
Was it because I had fought the 'first battle' last time, as Pielle said?
"Yes, call him."
It was a good thing for me.
I was turning over various ways to screw over Kartiel in my head.
Although we didn't lose our lives, Dielo's image, which we had maintained until now, was about to collapse.
'...Krua.'
The image of Dielo looking at me with blue, sparkling eyes came to mind.
Emotional outbursts were different from regular outbursts in that they didn't lead to death, but they were the same in that they awakened powers related to the Source.
In other words, maintaining it for a long time would put a strain on the body.
Kartiel would have to pay the price for taking peace away from Dielo.
And of course, for putting me in danger as well.
-Knock, knock.
Not long after sending Pielle, a knock sounded.
"It's Rick, Madam."
Rick arrived quickly. He was worthy of being the elusive head of the intelligence department.
"Come in."
At my words, Pielle, who had entered first, drew the canopy of the bedroom.
"……?"
As the bed was enveloped in a veil, Rick's figure could be seen beyond the veil.
This specially made veil allowed one to see out relatively well from the inside, but from the outside, only a silhouette could be seen.
Ah, this wasn't the office, right.
Since it was the bedroom, it was natural to draw the canopy when a strange man came in.
...Didn't we do this last time?
Besides, my clothes weren't so light that I should be embarrassed. They were enough to go in and out.
Was there a separate order from Dielo?
What kind of order? Not to show the new bride to strange men?
...The Argentas on the fourth floor already know everything, so what's the point?
I looked back at Pielle with a puzzled face, but Pielle was also beyond the veil, so he couldn't feel my gaze.
"Do you have any orders?"
Rick asked with a bright smile.
"There's something I need to find out."
In the original story, there were several things that Siete Cartiel gained as he became the head of the family.
New supply routes and Kartiel's information lines spread throughout the empire, and so on.
I was thinking of cutting off some of them.
And quite decisive ones at that.
"I heard that Kartiel's intelligence has greatly improved since Siete Cartiel became the Duke."
At my words, Rick bowed.
"That's right. It has increased dramatically compared to the previous generation."
At his words, the corners of my lips drew an arc.
"To do that, there must be places where Kartiel has rapidly increased its power, not only in Kartiel but also on the continent."
Of course, they wouldn't have created it under the name of Kartiel.
Just as Argenta conducts the family business of Shadow Supply under a pseudonym rather than the name of Argenta.
"That's right, but we haven't been able to pinpoint the location yet."
He looked troubled. But that's okay.
"Right. It wouldn't be easy to find the location. So I was wondering if we should take a different approach."
"……?"
I could see Rick looking up at me.
Of course, only my silhouette would be visible beyond the veil, so there was no need to manage my expression.
"Some time ago, when I went to Tilla Pass to save Nirua, I felt a strange sensation."
In fact, it was something that only a sensitive person would notice.
But I knew it from the original story.
The power of each element increases in places where there are many Sources.
The Alloze of Water naturally becomes stronger in places with a lot of water, and the Argenta of Fire naturally becomes stronger in places with high heat or fire.
"My Water Manipulation fluctuated in response to the river."
"……?"
To him, who paused, I said firmly.
"It was the same in front of the sea. I definitely felt different near many Sources."
I felt more confident and powerful.
At my words, Rick's eyes widened.
"Argenta might feel this way if they go to a hot place like Kartiel's desert."
I looked down at my hand.
If Kartiel knew that.
"If this is true, Kartiel would have noticed this fact early on, since their abilities would have changed anywhere with good wind, so they might have known this fact early on."
"Then……."
A smile began to appear on Rick's face.
It was clear that he didn't like being taken advantage of by Kartiel.
"Look for places with good wind, places where Kartiel's Source can easily move. Among them, look for places where there are rapidly growing merchants or groups."
The Kartiel intelligence department would probably be located there.
"It's just a hypothesis, so don't move with certainty. But if it is confirmed that it is Kartiel's base."
I showed my hand.
"Let's show them the Argenta way, Rick."
At my words, Rick smiled brightly.
"I understand, Madam!"
It seemed that he was calling me Madam more sincerely than any other voice that had called me that until now.
* * *
After Krua left the office.
Dielo resumed his work.
It was several hours later that Redius Argenta entered the office, where only the sound of a quill scratching quietly could be heard.
"……Head of the family."
Dielo's quill finally stopped moving.
He had spent almost all of his days and nights in the office since Krua had collapsed.
He felt like he couldn't bear it otherwise.
He felt like he would burst into flames again. Until just before she came, just like he had been.
'Take a break.'
He only rested when Krua told him to.
When he spent the night with her.
But even then, Dielo couldn't rest comfortably.
Of course.
How could he rest comfortably in front of someone who made his heart beat so fast that he felt like he was going to explode?
'…….'
What drove him even crazier was that his bride, who had him in the palm of her hand, fell asleep in his warmth so comfortably.
'Is that why the rumors of her being a villain spread? Because she can drive people crazy with an indifferent face?
If she was such a villain, Dielo liked it.
No, it didn't matter whether Krua was a villain or not.
It was when he swept his hair up.
"It seems like your flames have subsided for a long time, but are you still doing this?"
Redius Argenta's calm voice echoed through the office.
Dielo turned to look at him.
His eyes, which had been shining blue, had calmed down as if by a lie.
It meant that the Magical Power shining in his eyes was no longer due to the outburst.
'He's deliberately faking the outburst.'
Others didn't know it, but Redius Argenta quickly realized it.
"……You can't fool my teacher."
Dielo's subdued voice echoed.
"Why are you doing this?"
Redius Argenta asked.
He felt like he knew even as he asked.
Honestly, he knew Dielo Argenta's true nature better than the Argenta people on the fourth floor.
Of course.
It was he himself who had taught Dielo to hide his feelings.
"If it's to maintain the image of being weak, what you've done so far is enough. Just by neatly organizing and sending the power crystals, Kartiel won't doubt you."
No matter how angry he was, he was such an indecisive head of the family that he would end up neatly returning the assassin's crystals even while having an emotional outburst, revealing his true nature.
If the operation was to make Dielo Argenta even more vulnerable, it had already succeeded.
But Dielo continued to pretend to be in an outburst even after that.
Even going so far as to deliberately inject Magical Power into his eyes.
Dielo smiled silently at his teacher's words.
His deep-sea gaze turned to Redius Argenta.
"Because my bride wants it."
Dielo's voice, saying bride, was more gentle than ever.
Redius felt a sense of incongruity in that voice.
Even though everyone knew Dielo Argenta as a gentle person, Redius Argenta knew.
That this young man was Argenta himself, with a fiery personality.
But he was making such a soft voice as if even the name was precious?
This wasn't acting. It was a sincere title.
"My bride wants me to be a gentle sheep."
The corners of Dielo Argenta's lips tilted up.
Driving people crazy.
He muttered.
Redius tensed as he felt Magical Power boiling up as if about to explode.
But that was it.
"It seems that you like the gentle Dielo Argenta, so I should stay like this."
