Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Villainess: Peria Alperatz (2)
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The beautiful garden located at the topmost floor of Celestia.
Beneath a massive tree towering proudly, I sat at the table, enjoying tea time.
One dour elf with black hair.
And one sparkling noble lady with golden blonde hair.
The two, with their starkly contrasting impressions, sat facing me with teacups before them.
“What? You’re saying you’ll conduct experiments in our territory?”
Slurp—.
As I slowly savored the aroma of the green tea in my cup.
A question directed at me slipped from Peria’s lips.
“Yes. For the time being, I plan to run a few experiments in the Alperatz Marquisate.”
“. . . A few experiments.”
“It’s not a bad deal for the marquisate either.”
The reason I had summoned Peria here today.
Was to discuss the special experiments that would soon take place in the marquisate.
To trigger the corruption of the grimoires in Celestia, I had come up with one idea.
‘Expose low-level spells sequentially to the outside world.’
Among the grimoires exported from Celestia to the surface, the one that had undergone the most severe corruption was unequivocally ‘Tyrant Dragon.’
The spell that Peria Alperatz wielded.
I concluded that two factors had influenced the return of Tyrant Dragon’s original text to Celestia.
First, the frequency of use.
Second, the time the spell was exposed to the surface.
I determined these two were linked to the grimoire’s corruption.
“This is our chance to turn everyone in the Alperatz Marquisate into mages.”
Under this premise, the plan I had devised was the content of the experiment I was about to explain to Peria.
A plan to make the entire population of the marquisate use magic in their daily lives.
Peria looked at me with wide-eyed surprise upon hearing it.
“Th-that… Is that really possible?”
“To be precise, we’ll bring them to a state close to being mages.”
“A state close to mages….”
“I’ve already had Acheronar prepare the appropriate magical devices for it.”
Over the past time, I had publicized numerous spells through Lua to the academic world, but only a tiny fraction had triggered corruption.
So this time, instead of revealing spells to mages, I decided to have even more people use them.
Facilities combining magical devices and grimoires—.
In other words, a plan to install magical apparatuses in the city’s core infrastructure.
So that every time citizens used the city’s infrastructure, they would cast spells.
To that end, I had already selected a few spells from the First Repository.
“We’ll start with relatively simple spells and observe. It’s best to build up gradually based on the results.”
“As Lord Johan says, the prototypes are nearly complete. We should be able to test them tomorrow.”
Based on the spells from the First Repository, the Alperatz Marquisate would begin developing rapidly.
Of course, I didn’t expect modern lifestyles to emerge in Peria’s territory right away.
It was simply about gradually disseminating a few technologies, restructuring long-term to depend on magic.
“It’s already progressed that far?!”
The lord herself, hearing of the development plan for the first time, looked quite flustered.
“The costs won’t be cheap. We’ll need to account for where the tech came from too.”
“I’ve left most territory matters to Philip… I should explain it properly to him.”
“On that note, it seems you’ve already thought of something.”
Acheronar said that as she looked at me.
She was right.
No matter that the Alperatz Marquisate was under Peria’s rule, we couldn’t just pull absurd magic out of thin air.
Fortunately, we had a perfect card for this situation.
“If we suitably borrow Lua’s name, most will buy it.”
The Blue Tower’s genius mage, Lua Polaris.
She was currently the icon of innovation sweeping the entire empire.
From Peria’s position as her patron, simply invoking Lua’s name would resolve any issues.
“So, we can just say all the upcoming magical devices are Lua Polaris’s creations.”
“That’s the idea.”
“She’s definitely the most famous person among the empire’s nobles these days.”
Peria nodded, convinced.
Ever since Polaris No. 1 was unveiled, Lua’s name had become synonymous with magic.
So we just needed to release items at an appropriate level and slap her name on them.
“But city development… I’ve never done anything so grand, so I’m a bit worried.”
A faint note of concern slipped from Peria’s lips as she pondered the future plans.
She seemed to lack confidence.
“No need to worry. I won’t assign anything too difficult.”
I reassured Peria Alperatz, recalling the blueprint in my mind.
Peria’s foundation was the foundation of the entire secret society, so I had no intention of doing anything harmful to her.
Moreover, once everything was over, wouldn’t I eventually need a place to settle on the surface?
For that time, we needed to build as fine a city as possible.
‘A city full of magic. Someday, I’d like to see it with my own eyes.’
Burning everything wasn’t always the answer.
Sometimes, magic to change the world was necessary too.
What changes today’s plan would bring to the empire’s future.
Cherishing that anticipation in my chest, I tilted my teacup and sipped the green tea.
* * * * * *
The bottommost floor of the Phantasmic Repository, Celestia.
Amid the secret society members discussing their respective topics.
Doctor—Begerton Antares, sitting quietly in one corner of the library, gazed at the scene before him with a chilling smile.
- “Come to think of it, you said you made a fortune investing in magical devices recently.”
Reflected in the doctor’s view was the face of a cloaked figure.
Lead Battle Mage, Kallife.
The red-haired combat mage was reminiscing about the region the doctor had recently left—the fondly remembered area.
—Alperatz Marquisate.
To investigate the series of incidents the doctor had stirred, the Magical Legion had dispatched Kallife to the marquisate.
- “I hope our lady has a big heart.”
And in that Kallife’s eyes gleamed an unconcealed greed.
It seemed the mage before him wanted to toy with the secret society’s marquise lady.
Kekeke—.
A grotesque laugh escaped the doctor as he watched.
“Whether it’s her innocence or not, bugs always swarm around the lady disproportionately.”
Stroke, stroke—.
The doctor rubbed his palm while staring at the mage on the screen.
During their perilous companionship in the marquisate, the doctor had cleaned up after Peria several times.
He had quietly eliminated those who might interfere with her.
“I’m away due to unfortunate circumstances, but how could a warm-hearted soul like me ignore a friend’s plight?”
Assassins from who-knows-where.
Alperatz collateral kin coveting the family head’s seat.
The number the doctor had handled was so many that fingers weren’t enough to count on one hand.
And now that the doctor had left the marquisate.
New trash was approaching the naive marquise’s lady once more.
“If you don’t kill bugs in time, they’ll multiply endlessly.”
Bugs must be exterminated promptly—
That was the doctor’s philosophy.
And the mage before him was undoubtedly a bug.
A bug utterly useless to Peria Alperatz.
Hmm—.
Pondering that, the doctor’s eyes shifted to a young man sitting in the library’s corner.
“Better no exceptions this time either.”
Smirk.
A sinister smile crept across the doctor’s lips.
“Maybe make it flashier this time—might send a proper warning.”
Beyond that smile lay a petty, lowly condolence for the Magical Legion’s mage.
* * * * * *
Bartus, the largest city in the Alperatz Marquisate.
Jayden was one of the capable bureaucrats working in Bartus.
Administrative Officer, Jayden Marcus.
He was the third son of a minor vassal family that had long served the marquisate house.
Born as the third son by chance, he wasn’t granted an inheritance or a life of luxury.
Instead, he found his path early.
Through diligent studies, he became a territory administrator and rose quickly through promotions.
And as a result, Jayden Marcus now faced the highest authority in the marquisate today.
“You’re saying we’re installing new magical devices here and must proceed with construction per the blueprints?”
In other words, he was meeting the most notorious noble lady in the current marquisate.
Lord Regent, Peria Alperatz—
The marquisate’s real power and infamous for her merciless cold-bloodedness, she had come to inspect a city corner with her knights.
“Yes, that’s right. Please proceed that way.”
As a voice brimming with anticipation echoed through the site.
Jayden cautiously eyed the noble before him.
A vibrant lady with shining golden blonde hair.
The lady bearing Bartus’s most esteemed name gazed at the administrators with a beautiful smile.
“Ah, understood….”
However, the bureaucrats facing this noble lady hardly looked pleased, even as empty words.
Gulp—.
Jayden swallowed, slowly scanning the surroundings in the silence.
“Ahem….”
“. . .”
And rightly so—his colleagues all had their mouths shut and heads bowed.
Each face anxious about offending her.
Amid the knights surrounding the lady exuding menacing auras.
Worried about souring her mood, Jayden hurriedly asked to gauge her intent.
“P-please… may I ask what purpose the magical devices are for…?”
Of course, even Jayden facing Peria felt the pressure.
But as a territory administrator, it was a necessary procedure.
What on earth was the purpose of installing such expensive magical devices here?
To accommodate the lord’s will as much as possible, he needed to know it.
Peria flashed a bright smile and responded to Jayden’s question.
“Have you heard of Lua Polaris, the mage I sponsor?”
“Yes? Yes… I’ve heard she’s famous in the capital.”
“She’s developed a new spell this time. So I’ve specially permitted testing it here.”
The capital’s famous genius mage.
And her new spell in development.
Hearing that, Jayden finally grasped the situation and nodded.
In such circumstances, he understood why Peria insisted on installing the devices.
‘Lua Polaris… The capable mage the capital nobles all want to meet.’
Even from Peria’s position, refusing such a mage’s request would be hard.
So this was a trial run to test the devices’ performance here first.
“So, I’d like to entrust this task to all of you. Can the construction proceed without issues?”
“. . . Yes. We’ll do our utmost.”
“Then I’ll come back after construction! Be careful no problems arise with the magical devices!”
That concluded Peria and Jayden’s conversation.
Whoosh—.
Turning on her heel, Peria spoke to her escorting knight.
“Then, shall we head back?”
“What are you all doing? Greet the Lord Regent at once!”
“Pay respects to the lady—!”
Having said her piece, Peria received bows from the on-site bureaucrats in unison.
Peria boarded the waiting carriage.
Clop clop, clop clop—.
Soon after, the carriage carrying Peria Alperatz departed the site.
The remaining administrators sighed in collective relief.
“Phew… Fortunately, no issues this time.”
“But isn’t it a bit odd? I heard the lady has little interest in territory affairs.”
One administrator’s murmur.
Whispers followed from the others.
About the departing lord regent’s orders.
“Thinking about it, it feels a bit fishy. Experimenting new spells on the populace—.”
“There were rumors she’s involved with a dangerous secret society. Could the spells she’s testing be related?”
“. . .”
“Whoever ends up as guinea pigs this time is in for it.”
Jayden’s eyes turned to his colleagues.
No one here was ignorant of her infamy from seizing the lordship by force.
Moreover, magic experiments were dubious enough.
Hmm—.
Jayden’s gaze shifted to the blueprints.
‘Multiple houses connected to one magical device. The structure looks like it’s meant to distribute something—.’
His face clouded in thought as he examined them.
A closer look might reveal the device’s function.
Just as Jayden tried to deduce it—
“Shh! Keep your voices down! If the lady’s shadow guard hears, we’re all dead!”
An absurd remark from behind shattered his focus.
Cough, cough—.
Jayden coughed from the shock, and snippets of the administrators’ talk filtered into his ears.
“Man—her shadow guard that wiped out the lord’s castle knights in seconds!”
“The terrifying shadow guard the kingdom fears and barbarians tremble at…!”
“I heard the lady’s shadow guard used the recent uproar to even kill the castellan in the mobile fortress!”
“No wonder rumors flew about the castellan’s disappearance—he’d been gone for a while!”
Shadow Guard—
Talk of Peria’s private force, shrouded only in rumors.
Jayden struggled to steady his breathing.
The gruesome tales continued.
“Even Islat Kingdom’s assassin died unknown to rat or bird by the shadow guard’s hand—famous story.”
“. . . Died unknown, so how’d it become famous?”
“Don’t nitpick. Hard to answer.”
“They say collaterals coveting her power were fed daily to her beasts.”
“That’s horrifying.”
Jayden scratched his head with a complicated expression.
What was true, what false.
An ordinary administrator like him couldn’t discern it.
“Now, back to work! Delay the construction, and you’ll all be beast food!”
“We need to gather masons and laborers fast.”
But clearly, it would expedite this project.
A wry smile spread across Jayden’s lips.