A Break in the South
The eastern region’s Kailed Farm.
Starting from Count Furkus’s flower fields, the Kailed estate had secured vast wheat fields, corn plantations, herb gardens, and even magical plant cultivations. The scale was truly staggering.
And on this enormous farm, one additional herb was being grown at Kyle’s command.
It was the medicinal plant known as Sunshine Leaf.
With leaves as large as lotus pads, the herb absorbed sunlight in abundance. It was one of the most potent plants for detoxifying the body using solar mana.
Because of its exceptional efficacy, it had been cultivated even during Count Furkus’s time.
The only difference now was the scale.
Kyle had ordered it to be grown in an area more than ten times larger than before.
As the farmers gazed across the fields packed with Sunshine Leaf, they muttered among themselves.
“What on earth does Lord Kailed plan to do with so much Sunshine Leaf?”
“I know, right? If someone saw this, they’d think we were preparing for war against dark mages.”
Sunshine Leaf was also effective against the poisoning effects of black magic.
But the empire was currently at peace.
More precisely, there was no war intense enough to require such a massive stockpile of the herb.
The farm managers worried that a huge amount might end up being discarded, but they soon shook their heads and cleared the distracting thoughts.
“Well, Lord Kailed must have his reasons.”
“Yeah. Let’s just focus on our own work.”
With that, they returned to managing the farm.
Across the wide fields, the Sunshine Leaf drank in the sunlight and grew vigorously.
At that moment, no one on the farm could have imagined how their carefully cultivated herb would soon be used in the south.
The southern city of Piranz.
This place had grown for a long time as the heart of the southern region.
The empire’s geography was as follows.
North of the northern territories lay the vast White Plains, home to barbarian tribes.
The east shared a border with the Drake Kingdom, a nation that rivaled the empire itself.
The west bordered the elven nation of Elheim, surrounded by enormous forests.
In other words, only the south touched the sea, making it the sole region capable of maritime trade.
Naturally, maritime commerce flourished in the south, and goods from distant foreign lands flowed in through the ocean routes.
Moreover, the Sepri River that converged in the south allowed logistics to reach every corner of the empire.
Thanks to this structure, the south had naturally developed into a region where trade and logistics were the core industries.
And that was exactly where I had arrived.
A city of trade and logistics.
A beautiful city where the sound of waves rolling along the coastline never ceased.
Upon reaching the southern hub of Piranz, the very first thing I did was… enjoy myself.
“Ahaha! Over here, Henry! Hurry up!”
“Wait a second, Isabel! The sand’s way too hot!”
The endless emerald sea sparkled so brilliantly under the sunlight that it looked as if someone had crushed jewels and scattered them across the water.
Palm fronds lining the fine white beach rustled in the cool sea breeze, and everywhere the sound of waves mixed with bright, refreshing laughter.
The beachgoers along the southern coast wore light and daring outfits that would have made the empire’s stern nobles faint in shock.
Men in loose linen shirts and young noblewomen in vibrant, colorful dresses strolled along the sand.
Among them, of course, were beautiful young ladies.
They wore what could be called swimsuits—dresses in striking reds, blues, and yellows. While they covered more than modern swimwear, they still boldly revealed the women’s figures.
“Young master, I brought lemonade.”
“Thanks! You’re the best, Elina.”
And the same went for Elina.
In her black two-piece swimsuit, her attractive, slender figure was on full display.
I had insisted quite strongly that she wear it.
At first, Elina had refused, saying she didn’t want to show her body to any man other than me. But after my persistent requests, she had finally given in.
Heh. This… this is what life is all about!
With the beautiful southern sea, lovely noblewomen, and Elina walking around in that swimsuit, plus the cool, sweet lemonade sliding down my throat, I savored every bit of this happiness.
“……”
“What is it, Elina?”
While I was thoroughly enjoying the leisurely southern atmosphere, Elina looked at me with a worried expression.
When I spoke, she finally answered.
“Young master, is it really alright to be this relaxed?”
She seemed concerned that I was being far too laid-back.
Well, thinking back on my life so far, I had always been busy and frantic no matter where I went.
Elina had probably grown used to matching my hectic pace, so relaxing like this on vacation felt unfamiliar to her.
I smiled at her and said,
“It’s perfectly fine to relax like this, so you should take it easy too, Elina.”
“…Is that really okay?”
“Of course! No one can work every single day. There have to be days like this to rest properly.”
Only then did Elina’s expression soften, as if a weight had been lifted from her mind.
She looked at me and said,
“Then I’ll rest deeply, just as you said, young master.”
“That’s the spirit! Rest well… Elina?”
The Elina who had declared she would rest deeply walked straight toward the wooden beach lounge chair where I was lying.
Then she lay down right beside me and snuggled into my arms.
“…Elina?”
“This is how I rest.”
Her face flushed slightly as she pressed closer.
I let out a small chuckle and wrapped my arms around her.
Despite her icy expression, Elina was surprisingly prone to loneliness.
“Yoo-hoo…”
“…Frankly speaking, I believe I am prettier than the young lady who just walked by, young master.”
When I glanced at the back of a passing noblewoman, Elina shot me a sharp, piercing glare.
And she was also quite prone to jealousy, in her own subtle way.
Truly, Elina had a talent for driving a man crazy.
The long-awaited vacation in the south was absolutely perfect in every way.
So why was I acting so carefree?
Was the southern trip really just for leisure?
…Well, enjoying a proper vacation was certainly one of my goals.
But there was a more fundamental reason.
The key to this southern campaign wasn’t about doing something. Rather, it was about deliberately not doing anything.
The core of this operation was to endure with patience until the right moment arrived. Until then, I planned to quietly enjoy the southern sea and simply observe the situation.
If my predictions were correct, the next part of the story would soon begin to unfold.
Meriel’s mornings at Dunel Bakery were always busy.
That was because, unlike others, she had one extra task she had to do.
“Mary! Time for breakfast!”
“Yes! I’m coming down!”
She finished drawing the freckles on her face, then left her room and headed downstairs.
After arriving in the south, Meriel had deliberately started wearing freckle makeup.
The reason was simple.
To hide her overwhelmingly beautiful appearance.
It was a worry that others might not understand, but for Meriel it was a genuinely serious problem. She had even consulted seriously with Roland about it.
And the idea Roland had given her was freckles.
By drawing freckles on both cheeks, she could conceal her beauty. Meriel had tried it with some hesitation, and sure enough, the sticky, lingering gazes directed at her vanished.
Ever since then, she applied the freckle makeup every single morning.
Believing this would finally free her from her curse, she began her work at the bakery with enthusiasm once again today.
But that was only her misunderstanding.
“Hey, isn’t the girl working at that bakery insanely pretty?”
“Don’t even think about it. There’s no way Mary would date someone like you!”
“Wait… but don’t you think I’d have a chance?!”
Thanks to the freckle makeup, her appearance had been toned down.
And because of that, she had planted seeds of hope in countless men.
When she had been Meriel, her perfect beauty made her seem like an unreachable star.
But as “Mary,” the ordinary bakery girl with freckles, the story was completely different.
She felt like a flower that might actually be within reach. Before anyone realized it, numerous men across the south had fallen for her and were secretly watching for an opportunity.
The reason the sticky stares had disappeared was precisely because of this.
In the past, men had looked at her with the mindset of let’s just watch the untouchable rice cake. Now they stole secret glances while carefully reading her mood.
And on that very day, yet another victim headed toward Meriel’s bakery.
“Hmm… It’s been a while. Maybe I’ll grab some bread.”
It was a completely coincidental event.
Raymond de Valencia possessed deep blue hair reminiscent of the ocean. Having become the head of the Valencia family in his late thirties—a relatively young age—he had taken charge of the southern maritime domain.
People praised the young family head who protected the empire’s coastal waters, calling him the Southern Admiral, the commander who guarded the empire’s seas.
While out for a rare stroll, he spotted a bustling bakery and grew curious.
Having enjoyed street snacks as a boy, he decided to have a simple dinner outside and stepped into the shop. And then…
“Welcome to Dunel Bakery!”
There, he met a beautiful goddess who shone like the radiant sun.
The moment he saw Meriel’s smile, Raymond’s heart began to pound wildly.
Another incident was about to unfold in the south.