SDIV 25

Chapter 25

In the meeting room, Deneb’s retainers, who assisted in governing the territory, were gathered in small groups.

Even though the meeting had been going on for over an hour, their concentration hadn’t wavered. That alone showed how serious this incident was.

Lemain, from the Second Knight Order, known for his excellent intelligence-gathering and tracking skills, finally opened his mouth.

“The source of the pests is the village of Cogain, located at the edge of the Altair territory. We received reports recently that caterpillars the size of forearms were eating up corn and destroying wheat fields.”

“Are you sure it was cockroach larvae found in Cogain’s wheat fields?”

“No, they were the larvae of a moth known as the rice moth. No other pests have been discovered so far.”

Deneb stroked his chin, pondering how to overcome the situation. His cold expression never once changed, and after a moment of silence, he gave a firm command.

“Deploy the Second Knight Order to Cogain. The Mage Corps is to investigate what kind of magic was applied to the pests. Also, starting tomorrow, release part of the grain stores from the ducal castle.”

The meeting ended more quickly than expected. Everyone moved swiftly to carry out their tasks.

“Sir Arin, head to the Second Knight Order’s training grounds.”

As Arin was about to leave the meeting room following Lemain’s order, Deneb gestured at her with a small flick of his finger, as if calling a dog. Steam visibly shot from Arin’s nostrils in frustration. Since others were still present, she couldn’t explode as usual and instead forced a smile. However, the heavy sound of her approaching footsteps showed her seething anger.

“Don’t you wag your finger like that.”

As Arin grumbled through clenched teeth, Deneb raised an eyebrow in dissatisfaction.

“Why are you speaking like that? Say it properly.”

“I said don’t wag your finger like that.”

Although Arin might not have realized it, her warning was crystal clear to everyone else in the room despite the muddled pronunciation. Including Lemain, all attendees quickly exited the room. No one wanted to get caught in the crossfire. Living in the Altair ducal castle meant knowing how to read the room.

“Because of you, I’ve become a social outcast again.”

Despite her protest, Deneb remained unfazed. He simply spoke his mind.

“It’s dangerous. Don’t leave the ducal castle for the time being.”

‘Seriously? He’s ignoring me now? And telling me not to leave? What is he even saying?’

“Haah… The Second Knight Order is being dispatched to Cogain. Isn’t it strange if the deputy leader stays behind?”

“As I’ve told you before, giving you the deputy leader position was only to provide a respectable identity, not to make you actually work.”

Arin tightly shut her mouth. She felt deeply uncomfortable whenever Deneb blindly tried to protect her. Her personality wasn’t cut out for being a parachuted-in officer.

“Arin. The only thing you should prioritize is me.”

She nodded in response to his firm gaze locked solely on her, though that didn’t mean she was without complaints.

“…”

“Don’t forget it.”

Arin realized with painful clarity that she needed to upgrade the cooldown on the drug. If she could give it only once a week or once a month, maybe he wouldn’t be so obsessively attached to her.

A few hours later, the Second Knight Order gathered at the training grounds before their departure to Cogain for a briefing.

Although Arin wasn’t going on the expedition, she stayed to at least see them off out of conscience.

Lemain’s briefing was casual—unbefitting of a noble knight order commander. The knights, likewise, were laid-back. The Second Knight Order had a high proportion of mercenaries and commoners, which made such behavior understandable.

Though their relaxed demeanor might have caused doubt about their skill, the Second Knight Order was composed of individuals who became knights without noble backing or elite training. Their personal abilities and talents were unmatched.

“Commander, are you really treating us to a feast after the mission?”

Alpha, no longer the youngest in the order, grinned and cried out for a feast. The other knights, who had grown addicted to squeezing Lemain’s wallet, echoed the chant. Only the newly recruited noble-born knight, Billy, remained stiff and awkward.

“We’re totally in for a feast on the commander’s tab!”

“Feast! Feast!”

“Alpha, you’re picking up all the bad habits. Pipe down, will you?”

“Commander’s buying! Buying! Buying!”

With Alpha pushing the mood, Lemain felt like he was going to lose his mind. He shouted back at his name-chanting knights.

“What the hell do you mean, I’m buying?!”

In the middle of the ruckus, Arin raised her voice sternly.

“Everyone, quiet!”

Everyone shut their mouths instantly. Even Lemain, their superior, glanced at her nervously.

Arin, with her lips pressed in a tight line, finally opened her mouth.

“I will…!”

Billy, watching her, gulped nervously.

“Buy! Buy! Buy!”

Mimicking Alpha’s gesture perfectly, Arin’s playful response brought cheers from the whole order. In one way or another, she was a pretty good superior.

Due to the urgency of the situation, the Second Knight Order rode overnight and reached the outskirts of Cogain by dawn.

Having ridden all night, Alpha’s eyes felt dry and strained. To recover, he circulated mana throughout his body. That heightened sensitivity allowed him to detect an unusual presence—no, dozens of presences.

Alpha looked up toward the sky above Cogain.

“What the hell is that?”

At his shocked murmur, Lemain followed his gaze skyward. His pupils narrowed like a telescope’s lens.

“Shit. One-meter moths have hatched in the village. About 30 of them are advancing at full speed!”

At his shout, dozens of horses kicked up a storm of dust as they charged toward the village entrance.

Meanwhile, inside the White Mansion, Asila was enjoying a bath filled with rose petals. Her lips were curved in a graceful smile. But her seductive grin quickly turned into a crazed, vulgar laugh.

“Hahahaha. It’s just beginning.”

Her body trembled slightly as she laughed, causing ripples in the bath. Asila thought back to her conversation with her brother, the emperor, and smiled even more brightly.

“What’s this?”

“Mutated pests. What’s inside this glass jar are rice moth larvae. The larvae devour all wheat. The adults emit poison.”

“…”

“The jar with the black lid contains cockroaches. They spread disease.”

At the mention of disease, Asila looked at the glass jars with a flicker of fear.

“Asila, return to the duchy and release these. They’re special—enough to ruin Altair.”

To protect his imperial power, her brother didn’t hesitate to plunge an entire territory into chaos. Swallowing nervously at his cruelty, Asila nodded.

“There’s a spell that repels cockroaches. So never throw away the jar with the black lid.”

“Yes, brother.”

“I mean it. Never discard it. Remember that.”

Coming out of her memories, Asila rose from the bath. Cold droplets rolled down her curves and dripped onto the floor.

She picked up the jar with the black lid sitting in the bathroom.

‘As long as I have this, I’ll be safe.’

She planned to watch the duchy descend into chaos from a safe place. Her excitement was all too evident.

“Hahaha.”

Her plan to marry into Altair and bear an heir had failed, but this one—this plan—just might succeed.

With a delighted smile, Asila left the bathroom with a spring in her step.

At the same time, Coon was pacing in frustration as he looked after Laura.

His daughter, who had nearly died yesterday from a giant bug, was now burning with fever overnight and hovering between life and death.

He gently wiped her teary face with a cold towel.

“Daddy… Laura’s sick…”

Deneb hadn’t imprisoned Coon. Since they were only victims, he had brought them to the ducal castle simply to hear their account of what had happened. Still, Coon felt too self-conscious to roam freely and had chosen to remain inside.

As time passed and Laura’s condition worsened, Coon bit his lip in worry.

‘Should I go find a physician? But can I leave? What should I do?’

Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door.

Knock knock.

“It’s me.”

The gentle voice belonged to Highshan, the man in charge of overseeing them during the investigation.

“It’s low-grade, but I’ve brought a potion.”

At the hopeful news, Coon quickly got up. But having been seated for too long, he felt dizzy and collapsed with a loud crash. He fumbled on the floor, trying to rise, but his body wouldn’t respond.

Hearing the fall, Highshan entered without permission. Coon was flushed and semi-conscious. Highshan hurried over to him.

“Are you all right? Get a hold of yourself.”

“Sir Highshan… I’m sorry… sorry…”

“Come on now, open your eyes. Did you catch Laura’s cold? Why is your temperature so high?”

Calling for a nearby servant, Highshan had Coon moved onto the bed. Lying beside Laura, it was clear at a glance that the father and daughter were suffering from the same condition.