Chapter 39
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39.
After returning to the Capital City from Ilium, quite the commotion erupted.
Among the Magicians captured this time were numerous elder mages with impressive credentials.
'Look, we told you—when we were caught, we only did what we were ordered to do. Why didn't you believe us, Advisor Roselita?'
'That's right, that's right. We were merely unfortunate laborers in the research facility, nothing more.'
It had only been a year since I'd filed the paperwork with evidence attached regarding the bribes stuffed in their pockets?
The Magicians who had been captured last year and were already serving their sentences became seized with strange hope upon hearing the news.
'You see, these newcomers have better experience and stronger abilities than us, don't they? Couldn't you reassign us to labor in a different palace?'
'Compassionate and magnanimous Advisor Roselita, please consider it, please!'
Of course, such nonsense would never be approved.
They were only enjoying this relatively comfortable labor because their crimes were comparatively minor; these newly captured elder mages faced at minimum magical seal imprisonment followed by hard labor.
Given that these wretches wouldn't even deign to walk on their own two feet, their wailing was certain to echo far and wide.
In any case, beyond the physically disruptive noise they created, the media was equally tumultuous.
[Is this a rebellion of the Magic Tower? What is their connection to the Temple?]
[The demons of the Winter Palace strike again with their notorious infamy!]
No matter how I looked at it, the journalists clearly had a misunderstanding of both the Magicians' intentions and their malice.
'We handled this well—shouldn't the word "merit" be appearing instead?'
Irritated for no good reason, I picked up red ink and crossed out all the unnecessary words scattered throughout the article.
In the meantime, Cassian Artez returned after finishing his state report, so I immediately asked him about the current situation of the person whose reaction I was most curious about.
"How was the First Empress today?"
"She was smiling, but the corners of her mouth and eyes were noticeably twitching today."
Cassian Artez let out a derisive laugh.
"She didn't forget to mention that everything went smoothly thanks to my older brother's thorough preparation."
Yes, that's how the First Empress should be.
"It seems our assumption was correct after all."
"Erasing traces so meticulously is the First Empress's specialty, after all."
Cassian Artez shrugged his shoulders.
Especially this time, since she had tried to gain profit through indirect means, the First Empress's traces were even less visible.
"Duke Lopez entered the palace, I heard."
"It seems it will likely end with a simple investigation."
"What about Wilhelmina?"
"Fortunately, she remained quietly at the Duke's residence—your judgment was correct."
"There were those attempting to approach the young lady, then?"
"Yes, they were disciples of the Magicians involved in this affair, I'm told."
"They knew the details as well?"
Cassian Artez nodded slowly.
"The Magicians' teleportation coordinates were confirmed near the shops the young lady frequents and around the Duke's residence."
"If Wilhelmina had met them even once...."
"She would have been dragged into it."
Cassian Artez clicked his tongue lightly.
"The First Empress doesn't like leaving uncertain variables."
It was the same reason in the original story.
Though Cassian Artez had said he would become engaged to Roselita Salice, the Emperor opposed it because her house was a weak baronial family, and since Wilhelmina was so fond of Cassian Artez, the First Empress feared the synergy that would arise if the young lady were to be united with him.
Duke Lopez was a man of ambition, but he also disliked losses, so once the possibility of Wilhelmina being united with the First Prince disappeared, he meticulously weighed the two sides against each other.
Would he choose Cassian Artez, who had built merit in war and enjoyed the support of the Empire's people but was weak in power, or would he instead support the First Prince to grasp a second or third tier of power?
In fact, Duke Lopez had once tried to assign his own sons as aides to First Prince Charlie and Second Prince Cassian Artez.
However, it never came to pass because the First Empress, upon discerning his intentions, took displeasure.
So from the First Empress's perspective, she wanted to eliminate the existence that held possibilities.
'And she would think it even better to incidentally seize weaknesses of the Lopez Duchy.'
A scheme so thoroughly orchestrated, one where she had even gone so far as to nearly kill Cassian Artez.
All of it had unraveled because of my timely intervention.
This was also the reason I had sent only Cassian Artez to the state report.
Honestly, I was afraid.
I trembled slightly and asked Cassian Artez a question.
"Your Majesty, I'm concerned."
"Hm?"
"It seems I'll need to make a serious effort to avoid the First Empress for a while, won't I?"
Cassian Artez offered a gentle smile at my melancholic question.
"I'll do my best to shield Roselita."
I genuinely wanted to flee.
*
The aftermath of the Ilium incident stretched on for quite some time.
Those implicated continued to be apprehended one by one afterward.
With so many people aboard the Delight Cruise Ship, and knowing that even with all the knights subduing them, it would be practically impossible to prevent everyone's escape, I was well aware of the reality.
So that day, I deliberately scattered gold coins.
Those coins had undergone special magical treatment, allowing for simple recovery, but they also possessed a tracking function.
Particularly, they had the property of reacting strongly to the magical power of Magicians.
'I'm genuinely grateful that all the cooperating Magicians have such terrible personalities.'
They possessed no camaraderie—only the petty desire that other Magicians suffer as much as they themselves had.
Cassian and I exploited their psychology masterfully whenever the Magicians caused trouble.
'The Magic Tower has quieted down by now.'
The Magic Tower was, in fact, as independent a space as the Temple, so in principle it didn't maintain a hierarchical relationship with the Imperial Family.
Similar to how in martial arts novels the government doesn't interfere with the martial world—a principle of mutual non-interference—the Magic Tower naturally made its own demands this time as well.
Of course, Cassian and I simply ignored them.
In short, it meant cutting research funding to the Magic Tower from the second half of the year onward.
Among those captured last time, the Magicians with lesser culpability weren't bound by magical restraints—allowing them to serve labor sentences instead was already more than sufficient goodwill on my part.
'I wonder if they even realize how much Cassian was cursed for that decision at the Temple.'
Over 500 years had passed since the Magic Tower's establishment, and the principle of mutual non-interference between government and magic had become largely meaningless in practice.
Yet every captured person spoke of the Magicians' profound corruption and such nonsense.
When did the Magic Tower become a den of heresy?
In any case, after handling everything the Magicians had done, the treatment plans for drug victims, and all administrative procedures, summer had arrived in full.
Which meant one thing.
'It was time for the first-half financial settlement.'
The Winter Palace was entering its period of intensive renovation.
*
"Advisor Roselita, I've finished organizing the documents you requested."
"Leave them here. And please organize them the same way as that red file folder on the low table."
"Advisor, the Second Princess's Palace has requested assistance, saying it's difficult to prepare their budget summary."
"Again? Why do they struggle with this every settlement period?"
"Advisor, the Empress's Palace is—"
"Put it on the First Prince's desk."
"Advisor, the Sun Palace is—"
I desperately wished people would stop calling me.
Ironically, the moment settlement season arrived, all the careful distinctions of faction and loyalty within the Imperial Palace became meaningless.
Even the Empress's Palace had no intention of resolving these troublesome matters without us.
It was true that the Winter Palace's administrative staff had become exceptionally efficient, having been worked to the bone under our direction.
'What on earth are the finance departments even doing?'
What had begun as minor tasks delegated by those who should have been busiest gradually expanded after I arrived, until eventually everything fell to Cassian Artez. Half of it was intentional on his part.
Half of it was intentional on his part.
'Whoever controls the budget gains real power.'
So despite my constant cursing, I took on the work of other palaces.
Of course, the primary reason was survival.
The secondary reason was that Cassian Artez suffered just as much as I did.
"Your Highness, this requires review—"
"Your Highness, His Majesty the Emperor requests this be handled urgently—"
"First Prince Charlie says this doesn't seem to be the First Prince's Palace's responsibility—"
Cassian Artez was being driven to madness by the endless requests.
'Still, I need to weed out the tasks that don't help us at all and are just being dumped on us.'
Especially the Summer Palace, which belonged to the First Prince.
They had more than twice our staff—advisors, administrators, and all—yet the moment something required actual thought, they immediately passed it to us.
"I'll go to the Summer Palace and back, Your Highness."
I couldn't stomach their audacity any longer.
As I had the knights carry the thick stack of files I'd been accumulating throughout the settlement period, Cassian Artez gave me a knowing wink.
It was a signal to handle it and return.
*
Unlike the Winter Palace, where no one could afford a leisurely stroll, the administrators of the Summer Palace were taking a slow, unhurried walk after lunch, laughing and chatting merrily.
And it wasn't just the administrators—even the aides were doing the same.
"There's so much work today too, isn't there? Everyone suffers during settlement season."
"We're simply following the aides' instructions well. Even if it's a bit taxing, that's just how it is during this period."
"Still, because the aides are so capable, we manage to get by comfortably."
They really are living it up, truly living it up.
"Look at the Winter Palace—how inefficiently do they work if they're doing overtime every single day? That's proof of incompetence, unlike our First Prince Charlie."
"Since when did efficient work mean dumping it all on someone else?"
Who exactly is suffering because of whom right now, and they dare say such things?
My sudden appearance made the First Prince's aides pause for a moment, then they began to snicker as they opened their mouths.
"The witch of the Winter Palace—what business brings you to our Summer Palace?"
Did you just curse me out by calling me a Mage?
I'm going to destroy every last bit of this comfortable life of yours.
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