I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 45
CHAPTER 45
“Princess Lottie left the palace?”
Marquis Floyd lowered the book he was reading and looked at his butler.
The butler nodded solemnly.
“Yes, that’s correct. According to the surveillance, Her Highness and His Highness Prince Leonard left the palace this morning.”
“Is that so?”
“Their destination is presumed to be the tower, but the reason has not been determined yet.”
“Hmm…”
His pupils, visible through the lenses of his glasses, narrowed ominously.
“Shall we send investigators to the tower?”
“If they get caught by the mages, it will only draw unnecessary attention to the tower.”
Marquis Floyd took off his glasses and placed them on the desk, shaking his head.
“Both the temple and the tower may be small, but they hold significant individual power. We shouldn’t risk unnecessary exposure.”
However…
“Perhaps a mage at the tower would be willing to provide information voluntarily, wouldn’t they?”
It meant paying off a mage at the tower to gather information.
“Yes, understood.”
The butler quickly grasped the message and nodded before exiting the room.
Alone, Marquis Floyd’s gaze turned piercing.
‘Lottie Pandelion.’
What dirty game is she playing?
What made her attach herself to Leonard?
‘Is it just a rebellious phase she’s going through?’
Or is it something more?
‘My plans are being disrupted.’
Marquis Floyd’s goal was to deal with Lottie.
Furthermore, the girl’s health had never been good from the start. No, it was the worst.
A body that could give out at any moment.
Knowing that, how much had Marquis Floyd laughed that day?
Even if she suddenly dropped dead, that health of her would serve as a ready excuse.
‘But that wouldn’t do.’
Even the slightest suspicion could cause trouble.
It would accumulate and accumulate until it all collapsed.
Marquis Floyd chose to take action.
So, at first, he pretended not to notice when the Emperor showed interest in Lottie.
But around a year passed.
Marquis Floyd slyly incited other nobles to isolate Lottie.
“Your Majesty, this cannot continue.”
“Do you even know whose child she is?”
He isolated her, isolated her again, and isolated her once more.
That went on for nine years.
One person would lose hope, struggle with loneliness, and then accept it.
And enough time passed for her to wither away.
As per Marquis Floyd’s plan, Lottie was slowly dying.
Like a flower wilting in the desert.
And he thought it was finally time to crush her completely.
‘Why did it suddenly change?’
She diverted suspicion from herself regarding the Good Empress’ assassination attempt, piquing the Emperor’s curiosity.
She dealt with Baron Dean and even caught smugglers operating illegal gambling dens, catching the Emperor’s attention.
She even managed to gain favor with Prince Arkin by catching some strange fellow.
‘Thanks to that, the damage is far from trivial.’
Marquis Floyd picked up a cigar from inside the drawer and put it in his mouth.
The illegal gambling den was also a place where Marquis Floyd secretly exchanged money. There was no need to mention Baron Dean.
‘The problem is, he suspected something between Baron Dean and me.’
On the day of the Festival, didn’t his foolish daughter cause trouble?
‘I-I didn’t know! I didn’t know that pearl necklace was given by His Majesty the Emperor! Why did that stupid Baron give it to me?’
Didn’t she come home with a flushed face and scream like that?
When she heard the story, there was nothing left unsaid or unspoken that she was swept away by half-truths from Baron Dean.
‘I told her not to take what the baron gave her, but to bring it to me.’
Tsk, Marquis Floyd openly rebuked her.
‘If things go wrong, they can be corrected.’
It had just begun to go wrong. So, now was the time to catch it.
Marquis Floyd pulled the strings and summoned the butler.
“Tell him to move by the end of the day.”
“Are you sure about this? Didn’t you just say we shouldn’t mess with the tower for no reason?”
“That’s true, but…”
Swish. Marquis Floyd roughly flicked off the half-lit poem.
A faint smile played on his lips.
“We have nothing to do with those stupid monster guys, do we?”
* * *
“Lottie.”
On the morning of leaving the tower, it was Leonard who bid me farewell.
Fordell said he had to step out for urgent business.
I looked at Leonard, matching his stride with mine.
“I heard your training ended around dawn. Are you feeling better?”
“Yes.”
Leonard smiled slightly. It was a relieved smile.
“I’m perfectly fine.”
So it seems.
What if there were any side effects?
‘But just in case, should I check?’
I extended my hand to Leonard standing in front of the carriage.
“Could you hold my hand?”
“Gladly.”
Oh-ho. I widened my eyes. I
He’d come this far in just five days?
The broken circle was fully restored, and faintly, the sixth circle was held.
‘He’ll reach the sixth circle in no time.’
A genius is indeed a genius. At this rate, will he surpass me in 20 years?
As I marveled inwardly, I heard a voice beside me.
“Honestly.”
Leonard, who held my hand to help me up the carriage steps, whispered.
“It’s been tough for me.”
Then he looked up at the sky.
“I’ve never known the sky to be so clear, I’ve only ever known the earth.”
The gaze returned from the sky to me.
“Lottie. I will grow even more.”
With that, Leonard laughed. It was a confident laugh.
A face filled with the conviction that he would ascend to even greater heights.
“Thanks to you and her.”
After saying that much, Leonard let go of my hand.
I had just finished climbing the short carriage steps.
“Keep the details of how you obtained the bottle a secret with Runter.”
That’s obvious.
“But you know, Lottie. Why do you remind me of the person I saw in my dream?”
…Sensitive.
I glanced at Leonard and stepped into the carriage.
Turning around with a spin, he just popped his head out.
“Oh, by the way, did you know?”
“Know what?”
“Mage Fordell told me that Archmage Carmel is of common birth.”
At my words, Leonard blinked for a moment before chuckling.
“Is that so.”
With that, he waved his hand.
“Take care. I’ll come up to the palace right after I finish dealing with the documents.”
With a farewell, Leonard stepped aside.
Betty, who had been discreetly observing, quickly climbed into the carriage.
“We’re departing!”
Clatter, the guards and soldiers moved first, and the carriage moved forward.
I glanced silently at Leonard, who was waving his hand and murmured.
“Twenty years is a long time.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah, never mind. I just feel like a new Archmage will be born in about ten years.”
And the future Archmage would be on my side.
Useful whenever needed!
Hahaha!
“Lady Lottie, your expression. It’s scary.”
“Oh, really?”
I quickly composed my expression with a fake cough.
Betty glanced at me suspiciously, then turned away without saying anything.
“But, isn’t our escort a bit fewer this time? Last time, when Her Highness Stella went out, there were many more…”
“Indeed, it’s fewer.”
This time, our escort consisted of two knights and five soldiers.
‘It’s because of the conditions I set.’
I had asked for my ability to interpret runter to be kept secret.
Leonard must have been more selective than usual in choosing people.
But there was no problem.
After all, the distance from the palace to the teleportation magic circle wasn’t that far.
“This is the territory of the tower. If there’s a problem, support will come directly from the tower.”
If you messed up even a little, mages would come rushing out.
Who would cause trouble here?
It’s better to stir up a hornet’s nest.
“Oh, I see.”
Betty nodded her head. Her face brightened as if relieved.
“Oh, by the way, Lady Lottie. Did I tell you before? Raven.”
Betty started chirping again.
Come to think of it, she still calls me Lady Lottie.
She’s going to get in trouble with Liena.
I’m thinking about mentioning it before we arrive.
“Uh, uh?”
Suddenly, the carriage stopped.
The surroundings became noisy with murmurs.
“What’s going on?”
I asked as I opened the carriage window, and one of the soldiers answered.
“It seems there’s a problem with the teleportation magic circle.”
“A problem with the magic circle?”
I half leaned out of the carriage, holding onto the window frame.
The soldier’s words were true. The magic circle looked like it had been randomly scratched with a knife.
Why is the teleportation magic circle damaged?
“Where are the responsible mages?”
Wait a minute, that thing.
‘It’s not done with a knife. It’s not sharp and rugged like a hatchet…’
Thud!
“Ah!”
The carriage shook violently. There was an axe stuck in the middle of the carriage roof.
Betty, who had been looking at the axe for a moment, just…
“Uwaa…”
Fainted right away.
Alright, let’s let Betty take a quick nap.
I frowned as I firmly covered her with a blanket.
It was a familiar-looking axe.
And the voices coming from outside.
“Chiiik, chiiik!!”
“Juk, ora. In, gan!!”
“Why are there orcs here!”
Roughly a dozen orcs were swarming towards the carriage.
And for some reason, all of them had their eyes rolled back.
‘We’re not going to win this.’
Tsk, can’t be helped. Should I step in?
‘First, which tribe are they from?’
The shape of the axe, the patterns on their helmets, and the tattoos on their bodies.
Fortunately, I recognized the tribe.
‘They’re from the Teckon tribe.’
…But why are they here?
The Teckon orc village is at least a four-day journey from the tower.
Why would they abandon their village and charge into the tower?
‘But that’s for later.’
Many mouths could provide answers.
Taking advantage of the chaos, I cautiously got off the carriage and dashed into the forest.
And when I was a certain distance away, I climbed up onto a rock.
After taking a deep breath!
“Chiiiiik!! (Actually, Ark is! Meru’s daughter!!)”
“……!!”
The noise of their chatter stopped instantly.
They’re probably not spitting saliva out of their mouths, are they?
Oh, why not?
I have to say this much to get them to come here.