novelraw Chapter 164 : Chapter 164
Chapter 164 : Chapter 164
Chapter 164: Return (1)
The feeling of crossing the gate was strange.
Stepping onto the snow-covered pure white, or rather, the dirtily stained street, made it even stranger. It was nostalgia.
At that emotion, Harad smiled bitterly.
His hometown was Iagar. Sometimes he thought about wanting to go back. He missed the past, not that land.
So going to Iagar now would not be welcoming. It would only make him angry for no reason.
Serzila is different. He missed the previous life, but he welcomes the present too. Perhaps it might be like a hometown.
For Ellen, it was a real hometown. Her face bloomed brightly like a flower, and her steps were light as if she were flying.
There was no one on the street who recognized Ellen, but to her, they were like family. If it were Elaine, not Ellen, the whole street would have welcomed her.
Ellen liked the unknown and adventure, but ultimately, such a nature is maintained because there is a hometown.
Because there is a place to return to.
“Is the Grand Heir not here yet?”
At those words, the excited Ellen became somewhat gloomy.
Elaine had to resolve the Grand Heir’s duties that had piled up in the meantime.
“Why are you asking me that?”
“It is the Intelligence Bureau, and you are relatives.”
“……She will probably come tomorrow or the day after. Or maybe next week?”
It meant she wanted to play until next week.
If it were the old days, she would have returned immediately and performed her duties.
‘Good.’
Ellen’s temperament was gradually popping out in Elaine too.
If it goes on like this, a time will come when she acts as she pleases, saying she doesn't want to do anything.
Before that, he wanted to push as much work as possible onto her, but there are no Grand Heir duties in that work.
The duties performed by Grand Heir Elaine are not particularly great. In Harad’s opinion, it was fine to hand them over to someone else.
Arika could do it, and if Ellen wanted, she could dump them on Grand Duke Aratus.
“What will you do now?”
“First, I want to see Shura. Kubel too. Ah. I have to see Anton and Ocellin as well.”
Ekampote’s Liberation Faction must have arrived in Serzila earlier than Harad and Ellen. Arika would have handled it well enough.
Meeting them was close to work.
Since she had to make a place for them to adjust well.
But Ellen looked welcoming.
Like this, what was important to that woman was interest.
He had to give her new work rather than the boring routine work she always saw.
And that work would all become a stimulus.
“Let us go see Shura first.”
Ellen spoke as if Harad would naturally follow.
Harad laughed softly. It was a voice he could not refuse.
“I probably cannot go.”
“Why. Is it because of His Highness the Grand Duke?”
They brought continental mages into Serzila.
Not one or two, but as many as fifteen.
“If it is that, it is a problem I will solve. Since I brought them, not you.”
Ellen was reassuring.
“That is not it.”
Actually, persuading Grand Duke Aratus is easy.
Using Ellen makes it easier, and for Harad, achieving more merit solves it.
“Then what is it.”
They were on the continent for about 3 months.
During that time, it was just the two of them, Harad and Ellen.
Many people passed by, but most of the time was like that.
Grand Duke Aratus would naturally be upset.
But that does not become a big problem.
It is not just because Ellen forbade the Grand Duke from hurting Harad.
He did not know why, but Grand Duke Aratus wants Ellen and Harad to get along.
The Grand Duke’s reason would welcome the past journey. Just emotionally, he dislikes it.
‘So he will get angry roughly and move on.’
Harad stared intently at Ellen.
“I asked what it is.”
Ellen wanted to play until next week.
However, she seemed to have no thoughts.
“The Grand Heir will have a hard time too.”
“Why?”
Ellen tilted her head.
“He is a busy body. He will probably be stuck in the office as soon as he returns to the Inner Fortress. Since work would have piled up like a mountain in the meantime.”
“…….”
Ellen gets caught if she enters the Inner Fortress.
Even if no one catches her, she will be consumed by the atmosphere.
“Well. It is not something for us to worry about. Since it is the Grand Heir’s business. Now, let us go see Shura.”
“……I want to go see the Liberation Faction first.”
* * *
The attempt was good.
However, the opponent was capable and more desperate than expected.
‘Did the number of personnel deployed to the Intelligence Bureau increase?’
There were almost none in Serzila.
“Ellen!”
At the voice heard from behind, Ellen’s body trembled slightly.
It was Arika.
One of the few people who knew Ellen’s identity.
“You were here.”
Discovering Ellen, Arika looked relieved.
However, her complexion did not look very good.
Anyone could see she had stayed up for a few nights.
‘As expected, she was substituting here.’
Arika must have been performing the piled-up duties instead.
“Long time no see, Arika.”
“Yes. It is fortunate that you are safe.”
Arika looked urgent.
She also looked happy.
“Let us go into the Inner Fortress for now.”
If he took Ellen to the Inner Fortress, she would become Elaine.
Judging by her pale face, Ellen seemed to have sensed it too.
“Arika. That, well…….”
Ellen could not finish speaking and sent a glance to Harad.
She hates working, but she also does not want to dump more on Arika.
Ellen was not so ill-natured as to ignore a dying retainer.
‘Arika dragging Elaine away.’
Harad laughed low.
It was a sight he had not seen in the previous life.
The Elaine of the previous life showed no weakness to anyone except Harad.
She performed all duties perfectly before Arika could come to catch her.
But the Ellen in front of him was openly showing weakness.
It was a good phenomenon.
Not only Ellen’s change, but Arika, who followed her even knowing her weakness, looked even better.
Like this, people will follow Elaine even if she is not perfect.
“Will you go together too? We were just about to go see the Liberation Faction.”
Harad spoke on behalf of Ellen.
Liberation Faction. At that word, Arika looked haggard.
It seemed she had suffered quite a bit.
“Ah. If it is them, this friend sent them.”
Harad sold out Ellen for now.
“……I have no intention of saying anything. It is a matter permitted by the Grand Heir as well.”
In the meantime, Arika seemed to have become quite accustomed to mages.
“It was just that their treatment was a headache.”
“There is no need for special treatment. Treating them as people is enough. Regarding their residence or jobs too.”
“That is my intention.”
“However, there is no harm in being generous. Since a time will come when they are useful someday.”
Mages are people, but unlike ordinary people, they possess a special quality.
That special quality will surely come in handy someday.
“Perhaps it might be right now.”
“I provided residence, but I am still pondering about jobs. Is there a place you recommend?”
“The Intelligence Bureau.”
Harad answered without hesitation.
“The core of espionage is deception. And there is no breed that can keep a straight face as well as continental mages.”
“But…….”
“That does not mean recruit them. It is not within your capacity, and we must consider the Liberation Faction’s position.”
They immigrated all the way to the North with great difficulty; they cannot be put into the Intelligence Bureau that operates on the continent.
“But you can hire them. Since they only need to operate within Serzila.”
Mages were also a breed that found mages best, next to the Church.
“Anton. His ears are useful. So is Hosek who possesses the Eraser.”
Ocellin’s voice was the same.
“……There is a point.”
Finding out with ears, erasing traces with the Eraser, bewitching with voice to dig up information……. Arika muttered.
Come to think of it, they were all talents the Intelligence Bureau would go crazy for.
Of course, more abilities would be needed to become an agent, but they would be useful within the territory right away.
Especially Ocellin even more so.
“There is no need for you to suffer so much.”
Arika flinched and covered her face.
“It is unrelated. Since the Grand Heir is absent, instead…….”
“That is why I am saying this. Can you not use Ocellin? She was nominally an Imperial Count.”
Not just any Count.
A Count who survived despite being a mage.
“If it is territory-related work, she would be superior to the Grand Heir or you. You just need to approve.”
“Ah?”
Arika blinked her eyes.
Then she said.
“The Liberation Faction is this way.”
* * *
Arika came.
The information that Ellen returned must have entered Grand Duke Aratus’s ears as well.
“Did His Highness the Grand Duke not say anything?”
“He did not, but.”
“Why?”
“……?”
He spent about 3 months alone with Ellen.
‘He is enduring it.’
If they met now, he had no confidence in enduring it.
He would probably crush or hit him. So the Grand Duke seemed to be keeping his distance.
‘Me and Ellen getting along is more important than his feelings.’
At least Harad felt so.
And here, Ellen must be Elaine.
‘Why is that.’
The Elder of the Otherworld, the Prophecy of the Moon…… Grand Duke Aratus knows more than the regressed Harad.
Such a person would not be like this without any reason.
There must be some important reason.
‘The Imperial Family?’
That cannot be.
He is the one who brought down the Imperial Palace.
The Grand Duke does not care about the Empire.
The Church was the same.
If there is a reason, it must be related to the Otherworld.
In fact, the Grand Duke is conscious of the Moon Tower, not the Empire or the Church.
‘What is it.’
It was something he could not figure out yet.
He did not even know in the previous life, and Grand Duke Aratus is tight-lipped.
Arika gave two houses to the Liberation Faction, which were the houses on both sides of the Intelligence Bureau safe house where Rick was staying.
“It is the Intelligence Bureau dormitory.”
It means they are empty houses right now.
Since most agents were operating on the continent.
“I did not let them meet Rick. He cannot be trusted yet.”
“I entrusted a job to Rick.”
“He is performing it diligently. He went to the tunnel as soon as the sun rose today too.”
There was no need to gather the Liberation Faction all together.
Meeting Anton and Ocellin, who were like leaders, was enough. And Duke too.
“Brother!”
Duke ran up and asked this and that about magic. While Harad answered, Arika grabbed Ocellin’s hand.
“Ocellin.”
“What is it, Arika?”
“I understand you are no longer an Imperial Count. Is that correct?”
“Yes…… Yes? That is true?”
“You are hired.”
“Yes?”
“I will calculate the daily wage generously.”
Ocellin was a frail mage.
Just like that, with a dumbfounded face, she was helplessly dragged away by the hand of Arika, who possessed physical abilities not inferior to a knight.
“Yes!”
When Arika and Ocellin disappeared, Ellen shouted softly.
Only then did her face bloom brightly again.
“Se, Serzila forcibly takes mages…….”
“Do not worry, she is hired for office work.”
Harad calmed the flustered Anton.
“Ah. I see. Since she was a Count.”
“Right. How is the North?”
“It is cold. Tremendously.”
Anton smiled bitterly.
“I do not know well yet. We have just unpacked.”
“I told you last time too, it is not a safe land, but a relatively safer land.”
There is just no Church.
Even in the North, mages die if caught.
But they do not poke around searching like the Church.
“It is a land more than we deserve.”
So Anton smiled brightly.
“Everyone likes it.”
“That is fortunate. Still, do not let your guard down.”
Would he have survived to that age for no reason?
They would not be easily caught.
“You will have time and environment to secretly use or practice magic. Whether to do so or not is up to you.”
Harad hoped they would if possible.
Magic improves the more you use it, and its value is not only in fighting.
It might look like a worthless Origin right now, but you never know later.
“I want to practice!”
Duke, who wanted to become strong, shouted.
Glacier. Certainly, that Origin is suitable for combat.
‘Is it just suitable?’
The Glacier of the previous life was 6th Rank.
Duke would have such potential too.
Since Origin is talent.
“As much as you want.”
Glacier will become a military force.
“But the battlefield is not allowed.”
However, Harad shook his head firmly.
Ellen would not want it. Duke was still young.
He should be satisfied with chipping away at the Otherworld’s power.
That alone was a sufficient achievement.
“Even if I become strong?”
“How much?”
“As much as Brother.”
To Duke, Harad seemed to have solidified as a goal. Harad smiled thinly.
“Then you can protect your older brothers and sisters with that power. Preferably Shura too.”
“Shura! Where is Shura?”
Duke’s eyes shone.
His interest shifted immediately; indeed, a child was a child.
It must be thanks to the sense of stability given by the environment.
Continental mages liked it just by not having a church nearby.
“Shall we meet tomorrow?”
“Yes!”
Harad stroked Duke’s head.
Anton was watching with pleased eyes.
“Adjustment will not be difficult.”
“It is all thanks to you two.”
“You will become busy soon too, since ears are useful.”
Arika will definitely employ him.
“Before that, I have something to ask.”
“Please speak comfortably.”
“About the village on the boundary.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Did you happen to hear any characteristics?”
The source was the Otherworld’s Scouter.
Originally, he should have dug it out from Pedro, but Ellen killed him.
“Like where it is, or what is nearby.”
Actually, he did not have high expectations.
Even if the person in front of him was Pedro, not Anton, it would have been the same.
It is a village where those who failed to seek asylum gathered and live.
If the location was known, the Otherworld would have invaded long ago.
“Ah.”
However, Anton surprisingly opened his mouth right away.
“They say it is in a dreamlike place.”
It was a vague statement like grasping at floating clouds.
“Indeed.”
But Harad understood.