We Must Swallow Seorigol
The manor where Roella Amelia was staying.
At its heart, in the sunniest stretch of the garden, sat a tea table.
Roella Amelia savored her black tea with elegant, unhurried motions of her hand.
On any ordinary day she would have radiated a flawless, icy beauty without so much as a hair out of place — but today a faint smile refused to leave her lips, and the soft humming that escaped her now and then made no secret of her excellent mood.
As if determined not to disturb her rest, the maids went about their work quietly at a respectful distance.
Even so, their eyes kept drifting toward Roella, and they traded hushed, conspiratorial whispers among themselves.
"Doesn't the young lady seem extraordinarily cheerful today?"
"I know, right? Do you think… maybe a promising marriage proposal came through?"
At one maid's suggestion, the others' eyes lit up. Stories of a young lady's romance were always the hottest topic among the servants.
"Oh my, really? Who could it be? That young master from House Graham who kept making eyes at her at the banquet the other day?"
"Ugh, he's far too greasy. My money's on the eldest son of Viscount Ryan's house — he's the hottest name in high society right now. Don't you think he'd suit our young lady perfectly?"
The gossip spun on and on, one name leading to the next, until at last the Darkest family entered the conversation.
"What about… Young Master Lionel of the Darkest family? He's strikingly handsome, and the house is a good one."
"Are you serious?! Even if the Darkests are one of the Twelve Chosen Houses, they're practically a ruined family at this point! And sure, Young Master Lionel is good-looking, but would our young lady ever marry into a rival house? Absolutely not!"
One of the maids snorted in firm rebuttal.
Then, from a corner, a young maid who had been quietly pouring tea murmured under her breath.
"There's also someone named Ian… Darkest in that family…"
But her small voice was swallowed whole by the other maids' heated debate.
Or perhaps they had simply dismissed the notion as too absurd to acknowledge.
"Then… what about His Highness the Crown Prince…?"
One maid carefully floated the crown prince's name.
"Oh my! Oh my goodness! Really?!"
A flurry of excited reactions rippled through the group.
"It makes sense. Someone of our Lady Amelia's caliber would be more than worthy as a crown princess!"
"She's raised Loreal City into such a splendid territory, she's dazzlingly beautiful, her reputation in high society is impeccable, and her manners are flawless!"
"…Well, setting aside that she's occasionally a bit sharp, venomous, and terrifying. Still — she'd make a perfect crown princess!"
The maids' delightful imaginings were still in full swing when —
— Bang!
The manor's heavy front doors burst open with a violent crash, shattering the peaceful afternoon into pieces.
The man who came rushing in was Albert, the escort knight who not long ago had been dispatched on Roella's orders to some remote backwater fief called Seorigol, or whatever it was.
His face was ashen, and his entire body was soaked through with sweat.
"Lady Roella!"
Even from a distance, his agitated voice carried clearly.
This was a man who had always enjoyed a solid reputation among the maids for being thoroughly reliable.
A stunned silence spread through their ranks.
"What is it, Albert? Stop fretting and speak calmly."
Roella's voice drifted over, cool and faintly distant.
After she gestured for him to lower his voice, their conversation became hopelessly muffled from where the maids stood.
But among any group of servants, there are always a few with exceptionally sharp ears.
One maid cupped her hands around her ear and quietly translated the blurred voices for the others.
"Something about the Darkest family's territory? Anyway, they say a mana stone deposit was discovered somewhere out there. And so… as a return gift from that side… they sent a top-grade mana stone!"
At that, the maid who had earlier championed Lionel Darkest crowed in triumph.
"See? I told you! Now that a mana stone mine has been found, the Darkest family can rise again! And if they sent the first precious stones they mined as a gift to our young lady, that means Young Master Lionel is very interested in her! Oh my, how romantic!"
Just as she was getting thoroughly carried away, another maid dumped cold water on the fantasy.
"Um… according to Sir Albert, though, it wasn't Lionel Darkest."
"What? Then who…?"
"He says it was sent by a bastard son named Ian Darkest."
In an instant, a frigid silence fell over the maids.
Roella, too, had frozen with her teacup suspended in midair, staring at Albert in utter disbelief.
"…Explain in detail, Albert. Just what exactly happened out there?"
Roella ordered, fighting to keep her composure.
Albert swallowed dryly and began reporting everything he had experienced in Seorigol, one careful detail at a time.
The wretched state of the territory. The shabby lord's office. And… the unexpected return gift he had received there from the man called Ian Darkest.
"This is the mana stone he sent, my lady."
Albert carefully drew a chunk of blue-glowing mana stone from his coat and held it out to Roella.
She took it and, for a moment, found herself at a loss for words. Just as Albert had said, it was larger and of higher purity than the one she herself had sent as a gift — a true top-grade mana stone.
"This is… genuinely first-rate."
Albert's eyes burned with intensity. As a knight, his loyalty was absolute — but as a member of House Amelia, he felt pride and a sharp sense of crisis in equal measure.
"My lady, if Seorigol begins producing mana stones of this quality in earnest, it will pose a grave threat to House Amelia's mana stone enterprise. We don't yet know the size of the reserves, but in the worst case, the very foundation of our house could be shaken."
Roella listened to him with an expressionless face. Seizing the moment, Albert pressed on with a firm, urgent voice.
"We must… swallow Seorigol, my lady. They are nothing more than powerless children sitting atop a treasure heap they only just discovered. This is the perfect opportunity. Word of this mana stone mine has not yet reached a single soul outside — we alone hold this enormous piece of intelligence. We must move quickly!"
"…Swallow it? Ian's territory?"
Roella's voice dropped low and rough.
"Yes, my lady! Attack Seorigol! And the timing could not be better. Just before I left, I obtained information that this Ian Darkest will be away from his fief. He apparently has some business at the Darkest main house — he'll be gone for at least a week. This is a heaven-sent chance! A chance for our territory to grow without limit!"
Roella gave no answer. She simply gazed out the window.
A tangle of complicated emotions crossed her face.
Before departing for the family estate.
I stood at the entrance to Seorigol and shared a final conversation with Aurora, Hector, and Anya.
"Sir Hector, are you truly set on remaining in Seorigol? With your skill, you could find far better treatment elsewhere."
Hector gave a warm, easy laugh and shook his head.
"This old carcass has nowhere left to go. I simply wish to spend my remaining years quietly with these children. And Lord Ian — I still have a debt to repay you, do I not? I shall lend what meager strength I have to the defense of Seorigol."
In truth, the offer had been little more than a courtesy.
The refugees had already settled into the territory, and among them were craftsmen skilled enough in construction that they had been knocking together some rather respectable cabins at a brisk pace.
"And you, Miss Aurora? Will you keep searching for your friend, or…?"
Aurora hesitated for a moment, then answered with a resolute expression.
"Lily… I don't think she's in this world anymore."
She probably isn't.
The moment the ghost story collapsed, she must have felt it too.
"But thanks to you, Mr. Ian, I've found a new purpose. I want to stay in Seorigol and continue my research on mana stones. So that someday my work can be of real help to this territory… and for Lily's sake as well, I want to do everything I possibly can."
The anxiety that once filled her eyes was gone. In its place burned the fierce passion and iron will of a true scholar.
I smiled with satisfaction and issued a few final instructions.
"Sir Hector, I need you to maintain a thorough perimeter around the newly discovered mana stone mine and keep all outsiders away. You must also ensure that no information leaks beyond our borders. The future of Seorigol depends on it."
"Leave it to me, Lord Ian. I shall guard it with my life."
"Miss Aurora, please continue your research into the mining and refining of mana stones. And if there are any stones that can be extracted immediately, mine them carefully and convert them to cash through black-market channels so that no rumors spread. We desperately need funds right now."
"Yes! Understood! Um, but… about research expenses… would it be all right if I used roughly ten percent of the mined stones for research?"
Aurora asked cautiously.
"Use up to thirty percent. Proper research demands a proper investment."
At my answer, Aurora's face lit up brilliantly.
And finally, I turned to Anya.
"Anya, I'm counting on you to keep running Seorigol's household the way you have been. Look after the people while I'm gone, and if anything happens, contact me at once."
"Hmph, I can manage just fine without you, Lord-nyang! Go do what you need to and don't worry-nyang!"
Anya was as prickly as ever, but her eyes held both worry for me and a quiet trust.
I gently ruffled her hair once, then at last set my feet in motion.
The Darkest family.
A place packed with people who hated and despised me — a tiger's den in all but name.