“Inaila?”
It was Karpel who called me.
When I looked at him, he stared at me as if he was asking if I was determined to die.
The emperor would not let it go if he knew.
But the emperor has no intention of leaving me alone anyway.
“Are you sure?”
Salik was taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected me to respond positively so quickly.
“There is, however, a condition.”
As if it were natural, Salik asked calmly.
“What is the condition?”
“I need a warehouse.”
“If it’s a warehouse……”
Even in a difficult year, Krenberia produced around 20 sacks, thus there was no need for a storage warehouse.
There was only enough storage after harvesting to last a year until the following harvest.
That is why the people of Krenberia are unable to bear the devastating drought that follows a few years later.
“I need a magic warehouse. I want to build a secret warehouse that can contain 10 million wheat sacks. Are you able to make it to Elysium?”
“10 million sacks……”
It was enough to keep our people survive for another five years.
I’m not sure how much space will be required, but it won’t be easy.
Salik had a solemn expression on his face as he was buried in contemplation.
After roughly five minutes, Salik remained silent.
Karpel remained silent as well.
Salik’s serious expression seemed to think that I wanted a grain warehouse to steal food.
“Is it impossible?”
Salik shook his head and said.
“I’m a scholar, so I’m not very good at magic. I’ll have to check with Elysium to see if that’s possible.”
“Then let’s talk again when we get an answer.”
If I was impatient, the only thing I could do was think about the next best option more.
If that didn’t work, I was planning on asking if there was any kind of magic I could employ to prepare for the drought.
And something occurred to me when speaking with Salik.
Perhaps the drought that hit Krenberia wasn’t a natural disaster after all? Perhaps the emperor intended it?
Magic occurs in this world, and there is a record of a person who created a tremendous disaster due to greed or belief in some historical books.
Earthquakes and floods happened in addition to war and slaughter. So, maybe drought as well?
No.
People in Krenberia are also citizens of the empire, no matter how annoying it is.
Even a villainous emperor would not go to such lengths.
‘That is a useless thought.’
Salik, who was looking through the botanics encyclopedia, grabbed up the pen while I was lost in thought.
“Then, shall we study now?”
“Oh, yes!”
As I replied, Salik grinned at me, then looked next to me, shocked, and switched his gaze to the blank paper.
I was curious as to what the issue was, so I twisted my head to see Karpel’s scowled expression, then turned back to face the blank paper like Salik.
Karpel didn’t appear to like the friendly negotiations between Salik and me for some reason.
The lesson began in a frosty atmosphere.
Since then, neither Salik nor I have looked at Karpel’s side.
The basics were described by Salik based on the similarities between ancient and Elvish languages.
Salik had mismatched his explanation and writing notes several times since he was so nervous.
However, I was nervous and frequently misinterpreted what Salik said, so it felt as if I was seeing and hearing it for the first time, even if Salik explained it two or three times.
I was unable to concentrate.
Karpel said he would take the lesson too, but I couldn’t figure out why he was sitting here if he was going to be like that.
* * * * *
The Duke of Krenberia was contemplative as he examined the ’embroidery patterns’ notes that his daughter, Inaila Krenberia, had labeled.
He replicated the drawings he saw in her room and recalled them, so it wasn’t the original.
Inaila’s patterns were lovely, but the arrangements she wrote were more like recordings than embroidery designs or patterns.
It was unmistakably text.
The Duke immediately recognized Inaila’s writing as a text rather than an embroidery design.
It was, however, a type of text he had never seen before.
By combining multiple shapes together according to the rules, it seemed to construct meaning.
More than one or two memos were found.
He looked for a few days and couldn’t find anything even close to the language he was looking for.
If it was a ciphertext produced by a 13-year-old girl who wanted to keep a secret from others, it couldn’t possibly be hard.
Even if it was complex, it had to have some resemblance to the Empire’s original language.
The Duke, on the other hand, was unable to interpret Inaila’s memo.
It didn’t seem to originate from any of the Empire’s three official languages, but rather from somewhere else entirely.
Duke Krenberia, on the other hand, had not considered the possibility that Inaila used a language he did not understand.
If this was a ciphertext, someone had to write it in such a way that it got so complex.
The duke called the butler.
“Bring his highness here.”
Karpel arrived at the Duke’s office shortly after.
“What’s going on?”
In front of the Karpel, the Duke lined up the notes.
Karpel was expressionless as he peered down at the Duke’s notes.
If it was a ciphertext created by Karpel’s rebels, the Duke reasoned, Karpel would become agitated just by looking at it.
However, the Duke was unable to see any unusual symptoms.
Karpel wasn’t a cute little boy who struggled to express himself.
“What does it say on the memo?”
Karpel picked up the document with a strange expression in response to the Duke’s question.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen a letter like this.”
Karpel, who was picking up another note and studying it, made eye contact with the Duke, who gave him a thoughtful look.
Karpel only sighed as he learned why the Duke was showing him these texts.
He appeared to believe that the note he had gotten was a ciphertext for the rebels.
“Duke, it’s a language I’m not familiar with. I’m not sure where this came from……”
“Your Highness, it was written by Ina. She said that it was an embroidery pattern.”
Karpel shut his mouth.
It reminded him that Inaila had stayed in her room for a few days before drinking and scribbling something down.
Like a drawing or a design.
It was that.
Karpel, on the other hand, believes that what was written on the memo was neither a drawing nor a design.
It was, without a doubt, a text message.
Karpel, like the Duke, was perplexed as to why Inaila was writing these letters.
Since she was a child, Inaila has been a gifted student.
Karpel’s urgent need to learn from his secret teachers was easily absorbed by Inaila, who absorbed it like a sponge.
Karpel began living with books because if he didn’t learn it, Inaila would swiftly catch up with him.
Inaila, on the other hand, stopped studying after the age of seven and focused solely on decorating.
This was because her tutors, who had been summoned by the Duke, had all warned her to stay away from Karpel.
The Duke duped Inaila, and she drove all of her teachers out of the Duke’s mansion.
Even yet, Inaila had mastered everything 10-year-old Karpel knows at the time, thus none of her friends will be able to match her intellectual knowledge.
“Why is she writing this kind of text?”
“I’d like to ask that, your highness.”
So the Duke wanted to know if Karpel had recruited Inaila to join the rebels.
Karpel frowned.
Even if Karpel were the Duke, he would have thought the same thing.
But it was a text he had never seen before.
Karpel started to feel concerned about Inaila.
‘From which ciphertext is this?’
This isn’t something the Rebels would do.
Because the Duke had no idea, it couldn’t be from Krenberia.
The most influential was the emperor.
It’s possible that the Emperor was trying to persuade young Inaila so that he might manipulate her.
The emperor, on the other hand, was unlikely to even consider teaching Inaila a ciphertext like this.
Is it then a ciphertext created by Inaila?
Her followers were mostly young ladies who adored princess-like Inaila.
What if Inaila became aware of Karpel’s soldiers and moved to support him in some way?
Just thinking about it made Karpel anxious.
He couldn’t make her do something so risky.
It was safer for her to just dress up to attract his notice.
Inaila was only thirteen years old at the time, but Karpel was already putting up forces to overthrow the present imperial family.
Nobles, top information guilds, intelligence groups, and so on.
Karpel has developed his forces, so Inaila has the capability to do so as well.
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‘No…… Is it a force that is trying to stop me because she wants to end our courtship?’
It was, however, still dangerous.
To the rebels, Inaila was only a Krenberian witch trying to seduce Karpel and cloud his interests.
Either side had to be blocked.
“Why don’t you check out the girls who were always hanging out with Inaila?”