Chapter 66
When I opened the door to the library, the familiar scent of old books filled the air.
On the desk were scattered magic stones and piles of books.
And at the very center of it all sat Denok.
He didn’t seem to notice me come in—his gaze was fixed on a book.
Carefully, I adjusted the tray in my hands and approached him quietly.
“Your Highness?”
His shoulders flinched.
Then, with eyes widened in rare surprise, he looked up at me.
“Madam? What brings you here…?”
His reaction was so exaggerated that I blinked in amusement—until he finally noticed the tray in my hands.
Startled, he stood and quickly took it from me.
“I heard you hadn’t eaten, so I brought you something light.”
“You could have asked someone else to do it…”
I shrugged.
“Just an excuse to see your face. We’ve barely talked lately.”
Denok’s expression turned oddly stiff, as if he wasn’t sure how to respond.
I couldn’t help but smile—there was something satisfying about flustering someone usually so composed.
“Actually, I was curious about your research. How’s it going?”
“Ah…”
His face returned to its usual calm.
He muttered to himself—‘The research…’—before his expression grew shadowed.
“To be honest, I’m stuck. I feel like I’m right at the end, but the last part just won’t work.”
“Still, the fact that you’ve made progress is amazing!”
Encouraging him, I stepped closer and looked at the diagrams he’d been studying.
I didn’t really understand magic theory, but still—maybe I’d spot something.
The tangled lines on the page didn’t make much sense, of course.
“What’s the remaining problem?”
When I asked carefully, Denok brushed a hand through his hair—his movements heavy with fatigue.
“I’ve managed to convert mana into another form. The problem is when I try to use it again—the stability drops drastically.”
“By ‘drops,’ you mean…?”
“It could explode, like last time.”
Oof. That’s not ideal.
The word “explosion” brought back memories of my first encounter with Arvel—
the thick blue smoke clouding everything from view.
Explosion… right.
Suddenly, a memory from my previous life surfaced—faint, but vivid enough.
Heat pouring from a black mass, the clatter of train wheels, acrid smoke.
It’s kind of like an old steam engine, isn’t it?
The power that moved trains with steam from burning coal—
but if pressure built up too much, it caused deadly explosions.
How did they fix that again…?
“They lowered the pressure, I think.”
“Excuse me?”
I blinked—apparently, I’d spoken aloud. Denok was staring at me, waiting.
Caught off guard by his sharp gaze, I fumbled for words.
As Idith, I wasn’t supposed to know such things—I had to sound natural.
“Oh, um… I was just thinking—maybe it doesn’t have to be solved internally.”
Denok frowned in thought.
“Indeed… if I could disperse the reaction externally, it might reduce the strain.”
He muttered to himself, and his expression slowly brightened.
Then, in a low voice, he murmured,
“…I might finally beat that guy.”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
I blinked. That guy? Did he just say “that guy”? Surely not…
‘There’s no way Denok would say something like that.’
He quickly averted his gaze and lifted a magic stone.
“It’s nothing. I think I’ve just found a solution.”
A few days later—
Denok and I confidently returned to the Marcana District.
Our destination: Arvel’s workshop.
Knock, knock!
“W-Who’s there…?”
Arvel peeked out through the crack in the door—and upon seeing us, flung it open wide.
“Your Grace! My Lady!”
Beaming, he ran up to us, eyes sparkling as they locked onto the document in Denok’s hand.
“Is that… could it be—?”
His eyes turned a cotton-candy pink with excitement as he looked up at Denok like a dazzled child.
“Did you solve it? Really?”
He reached out eagerly for the document, but Denok stepped back, stopping him.
“Calm yourself.”
“But…”
Arvel’s face crumpled into a pout.
His golden hair looked slightly singed at the ends—apparently, there had been another explosion recently.
Poor guy…
I gave him a sympathetic look before stepping forward.
“While walking through the Marcana District, I’ve been thinking a lot.”
Arvel’s gaze shifted toward me.
“The technology you all create here makes Luciano safer—and lets everyone enjoy the convenience of magic.”
I smiled faintly. It was, in truth, an extension of Duke Eclipse’s legacy.
“But when I think about whether the Ducal House has managed that responsibility properly… I’d say not really.”
Sharing magical technology had been revolutionary.
The mages here remained out of loyalty to that ideal—but how long could such loyalty last?
Generosity alone doesn’t sustain a territory.
If something is precious, you must also protect it.
“So from now on, the Ducal House will take direct responsibility for protecting all of you.”
I drew out a thin piece of parchment from my sleeve.
At the top, in bold letters, were the words [Marcana Workshop Guild].
“This is a guild charter. The Duchy will officially recognize and support the guild.
In return, the mages must promise to dedicate their research to Luciano territory.”
Of course, there would be distinctions—between guild members and outsiders.
Workshops with exceptional results would receive increasing support each year.
That way, technology could flourish—without leaking beyond our borders.
Total freedom helps no one. There must be boundaries.
When I finished speaking, Arvel stared blankly at the document, murmuring aloud:
“Marcana… Workshop Guild…”
“If you join the guild,” Denok added, “His Grace will provide the solution to your research problem.”
He lifted the document in his hand slightly.
Arvel’s eyes followed it instantly—just like a puppy tracking a ball in its master’s hand.
He’d probably sign without even reading it.
All the better.
I stepped closer and spoke softly, coaxingly.
“Don’t you want to see that solution for yourself?”
“Yes… yes! I do!”
He nodded furiously, eyes gleaming with the pure, desperate curiosity of a true scholar.
Thus, the recruitment of a future genius mage—was complete.
After Arvel signed the guild charter, he let out a shriek of joy the moment he received Denok’s documents.
Without so much as a proper farewell, he dashed back inside, eager to dive into research.
From there, we visited other mages across Marcana, presenting the same guild proposal.
To my surprise, every single one of them signed without hesitation.
“They all seem like good people,” I remarked.
A bit noisy and eccentric, perhaps—but their hearts were genuine.
On our way back to the mansion, I sat by the carriage window, watching the scenery roll by.
A faint smile tugged at my lips—
—and then, suddenly, I felt something gently rest on my shoulder.
Unlock soon!~