Ripening (9)

“How do you know what those are?”

“They are treasures discovered in the deepest layer of Antaf, our Kingdom of the Labyrinth. They will absolutely not be ordinary treasures. By transferring one of these to you, we can say we are promising the greatest compensation we can offer.”

The dragon’s legacy was none of my business, but they were going to give one of those items to us?

In truth, I was not very inclined toward it.

To put it bluntly, the place where the seal on those items would be undone was Ingrad. From what I had heard, there were sometimes artifacts sealed because they were items that laid curses or produced excessively great blessings.

They were going to unseal such items on our land?

If by any chance they were items that inflicted curses, I thought it would be truly horrible. Even if she was the Demon Dragon, I thought she might not know how the inside of the seal was structured.

In the literal sense, since there was something about them, they must have been sealed. It meant they were not normal items. So the conclusion I reached was refusal.

“It is certainly an enticing proposal, but I will refuse.”

Was it because it was an answer she had not imagined?

Princess Risina looked at me with rabbit-like eyes, and I conveyed the reason to her.

“First, I do not like the fact that the seal must be undone on our land of Ingrad. You also know what I mean by that, do you not?”

“…It is not only items containing curses that are sealed.”

At that moment, the Archmage to Princess Risina’s right, who looked like a cabbage sage, said that, and I said to him.

“You said it is not only items containing curses that are sealed, but what do you intend to do if a curse is laid?”

“…Well… we could reseal it in order to undo the curse, or…”

“Nonsense. From what I have heard, land upon which a curse has been laid only clears after hundreds of years have passed. Do you take me for a fool?”

“That was not what I meant…”

The Archmage was flustered, and at that moment, Princess Risina cut in and spoke.

“There also exist magic tools that lift curses.”

“And if those cannot lift it?”

“…We would do our utmost to lift…”

“That too is nonsense. There is no reason to bear the risk. Moreover, if the seal is undone and the item you want and the item I want overlap, what will you do? Will you still yield it?”

As expected, Princess Risina could not speak.

“Lastly, the Demon Dragon I know… did not seem especially interested in dragon legacies. That is because her interests are very different from what you know. I think it would be better to seek out a different dragon in a different place and ask them. It is common sense that dragons live in any land.”

“…Ordinary dragons are extremely greedy. They are ferocious and have violent temperaments. Moreover, they are a race that sees humans only as targets of exploitation. But I heard that the Demon Dragon has never once committed plunder against humans…”

I was dumbfounded by Princess Risina’s words. The Demon Dragon came to us every month demanding alcohol and food, yet she had not exploited humans?

That was laughably absurd. However, I judged that there was no need to explain it until my mouth hurt, and immediately said to Princess Risina.

“That is none of our concern. I have heard Antaf’s proposal well, but I shall refuse it. However, it would be best not to recklessly try to seek out the Demon Dragon. She has no mercy for intruders. She will roast you all without even speaking to you. If you cannot believe that… I will not stop you. However, I will not take responsibility either.”

In the end, Antaf would have to bear all responsibility.

All humans living in Ingrad knew it. The Forest of the Demon Dragon was a land of death that must not be entered, and if there was a need to go to the Forest of the Demon Dragon, they merely had to ask through a neighbor.

That was because Ingrad had now become a country where beastkin and a small number of humans lived in harmony. Well, if they tried to use the beastkin and make an unreasonable request to the Demon Dragon?

As soon as that thought came to me, I immediately said to Princess Risina.

“If you produce some means to unseal the magic tools and cause an incident inside Ingrad… no matter what has occurred, our relationship will become irreversible. I warn you sternly.”

Princess Risina bit her lip. It seemed she had probably intended to ask someone among the beastkin. Fortunately, I had been able to grasp her intention and block it in advance.

After that, the envoys from the Kingdom of Antaf asked several more times, but I rejected all of their proposals and was able to finish that day’s schedule.

Honestly, there was too much to do. In order for Ingrad to function properly, there were still many things needed, and the things we lacked were as many as a mountain.

“I’m exhausted.”

At my words as I sat slumped on the throne, all the vassals who were in the Audience Chamber nodded.

“But why are they so obsessed with magic tools?”

“Perhaps their intellectual curiosity has been triggered because they are items they cannot unseal themselves. Once the seal is undone, they can obtain the product of the magical knowledge used in that seal through the traces left behind.”

“Is something like that possible?”

“Magic always leaves traces. That is why it cannot be used carelessly.”

It was a fascinating thing to say. The words that magic always left traces made my gaze especially go to Mia. If I thought back to the situation when Mia had appeared, would there not surely be someone who could track her through the traces left somewhere?

When that thought suddenly occurred to me, chills ran down my spine for no reason, and I became uneasy.

So for now, I rose from the throne and asked Hare.

“Can you spare me some time? There is something I am curious about…”

Because there were many eyes watching around us, it was not something I could discuss directly here, and I was able to ask Hare for a separate time and move. Hare followed behind and subtly asked.

“Could it be… me…?”

“I am not some guy who gets fired up that easily. Something came to mind, and it may become an important matter.”

“If that is the case, would it not be right to discuss it in a place with many vassals?”

“That would be fine too, but I thought I should discuss it first.”

Hare said she understood and followed behind, and together with Demina, who always guarded me at close range, I was able to move to the office. First, I told them to sit, then brought up what had come to mind.

“It is a story related to Mia.”

“What is it because of?”

“The story that magic leaves traces bothered me. If, by any chance, something went wrong when Mia was moved over here from the battlefield… would there not be people tracking her?”

“Certainly… if we recall the amount of magic power used…”

Hare, who spoke with a serious expression, stopped speaking for a moment and began thinking about something.

“If we can know it from our side, then the side she moved from can also know it, right?”

“That is correct. Rather, it would be even easier for that side to track it. However, considering the distance moved and so on, they would have to pass through several countries, so the tracking may be difficult.”

“Passing through countries… It would be Atoon, Ishtain, and Terakan in order.”

“I suppose so?”

At Hare’s words, I thought for a moment. Then, after thinking of several possibilities, I opened my mouth.

“What if the tracker’s nationality is Atoon or Terakan?”

“They would be able to track her more quickly. However, since they would only be able to know the direction, the tracking will not necessarily be smooth. Ishtain itself is not easy to enter.”

Even so, it meant tracking was possible. Mia had lost her memories. I did not know what kind of status she had, and since I could only guess that she had moved here as if making an emergency escape in a critical state, it was difficult to speculate, but if I thought about the quality and amount of magic power used, it was certain that no simple tracker would be attached.

“I am worried. I do not know what kind of things might try to track her…”

If I could at least know Mia’s identity, I would be able to respond clearly and feel relieved, but since I could not, my head became complicated.

Furthermore, Mia’s state, with her amount of magic power recently beginning to increase, bothered me.

“By the way, the quality and density of the magic power accumulating in Mia are not ordinary. Is there anything you can guess?”

“I have also been closely watching the magic power accumulating in Mia’s body. I was only pretending it was nothing serious.”

“Before she lost her memories, could she have been something like an Archmage?”

Hare shook her head as if she could not know. Since I had no knowledge at all about mages, I thought this too was truly hard to deal with.

It might be that I had taken in a troublesome person for no reason, but even so, I did not feel any thought of casting her out. Moreover, she was a connection from Earth.

There was no way I could easily let go of her.

“Hare, can you pay special attention to her? And… Demina, we need to operate some watchers near the place where Mia appeared.”

“What do you intend to do?”

“I think someone will certainly come looking. So we need to know who they are, when, where, and how they come, and with what intent they are tracking Mia.”

I thought that people who knew Mia had come from another world would certainly come tracking her. Therefore, they would not give up easily.

Knowledge from another world became power.

Furthermore, the parts that bothered me were the Apoca Kingdom and the Demon Tribe, so I thought it was right to prepare to respond no matter which side it was.

I hoped this was not an overreaction, but…

“If friction arises, first move to subdue them on the grounds that they invaded the border. If that is still difficult… we may have to dispose of them. Understood?”

Hearing my words, Demina, who was a little surprised, asked.

“Why are you concerned about Mia to that extent?”

I was not concerned only because I was worried about Mia. However, I did not think there was any need to tell her the reason right now.

“I think caution will be necessary.”

She had an expression that said there was something more she wanted to ask, but she would hold back. I felt sorry for no reason, but I was grateful that she did not ask.

Several days passed in a frenzy. People came as envoys from various countries and wanted national-level transactions, and I had to handle busy schedules day after day through the trade of various kinds of medicine and alcohol that had become our country’s specialties, as well as Black Gold.

That did not mean I disliked it.

That was because it meant our country’s position was becoming that much stronger and large amounts of funds were flowing in. And I came to push forward with various things I could do with the knowledge I possessed.

“So you are saying you wish to establish an academy, but there is a problem.”

At Matilda’s words, I asked what the problem was, and she spoke without hesitation about what she thought were the problems.

“First, manpower is the problem. As for the site, it can be prepared near Ing City, but the problems are recruiting students, the people who will teach them, and what fields of learning will be taught.”

“I am thinking of establishing the most basic departments: the Economics Department that Matilda and Linda studied, the Faculty of Knighthood, and the Faculty of Magic. Even if we are very short on people, I do not think recruiting teachers will be that difficult.”

After thinking for a moment, Matilda subtly asked.

“In the case of the Faculty of Knighthood, I think it would be fine to ask Aenia-nim and the other knights, but I believe the problem is the Faculty of Magic and economics. Those fields require specialized personnel.”

In the case of knight studies, since there were already existing knights, she probably meant that we could use their educational policies. So I asked Matilda.

“I am thinking of hiring personnel on a large scale through the Information Guild. How much budget do you think we should allocate?”

“…You truly intend to do it?”

“This is not something I brought up as a joke. And… if possible, I also intend to lower the illiteracy rate. If many people can read and write, I think the economy will change that much faster.”

“That is a dangerous idea. If the people become smart, there is a backlash in that politics becomes difficult.”

“I know. I know, but I think there are many benefits greater than that backlash.”

There were a few things I had thought of. Though it was knowledge from another world, if I used it, I could rapidly lower the illiteracy rate.

However, it would become a language that was difficult to use in places outside the country.

‘If it is Hangul… King Sejong, I am sorry. I will have to fabricate history a little.’

I could only apologize inwardly because I felt needlessly guilty.