"Now, the mana stones and gems we've dug up this time... well, gold and silver, and so on. Please check the list here!"

Allie, who was staying at the county estate and managing the mine intensively, was excited.

'Money isn't the best, but there's nothing like it.' This was Gold Nine's company motto and her motto.

She was raking in money while staying in Citata, so she was so happy that she could dance with her hips even while standing still.

The Count, who had received the list that Allie had handed over, trembled at her appearance.

When he saw Allie, who was humming a tune all day because she was so excited, he couldn't help but think, 'Ah, that's what a merchant is like.'

Her mind, where everything was made up of calculations, was truly amazing.

She was a person who could turn everything in Citata into money if she were asked to.

As soon as she installed the device to chase away the red boars, she began to buy up all the red boars that were lying around the neighborhood.

Starting with that, she prepared to process and sell 'red boar jerky', and she also began to plan to commercialize the blue deer, which was only found in Citata.

"Thank you. Really... Allie-nim, you're very quick with your calculations."

"Of course~ If you can't~ calculate, you can't~ do business~!"

Allie, who was humming a tune, also processed the settlement quickly.

She was so fast that the 10 million gold contract fee she had paid to the Count was already almost reaching its goal.

As the Count's pockets became fuller, Allie's pockets were also becoming fuller.

She had all the plans, and all the contracts existed within those plans.

Her contracts contained good contract conditions that no one could refute, and Allie was doing business with maximum efficiency instead of maximum profit.

All the mana stones and gems were systematically graded and planned for processing and sale, and all the specialties from Citata were also ready to be commercialized.

The Count was a little scared of her.

She never passed by a single wildflower on the road without a second thought.

And so, she gathered everything and made it into money, and the residents of Citata also got new jobs by putting their spoons on the table that Allie had set.

A new wind was blowing in the barren land of Citata.

"Now, then! Let's go make some money!"

She, who had clapped her hands loudly, gathered her disheveled hair and tied it up high.

It was her own routine before starting work.

Every time her hair was tied up high, the Count would get goosebumps all over his body.

'This time, what else is she going to sell...'

***

As Nella woke up, Aman quietly came to find Lucas.

"Lord. Nella has woken up."

"Ah, right. Aman."

Lucas, who was resting in his room for a while, quickly got up at Aman's visit.

"How is Nella?"

"Not bad... but should I erase some of her memories?"

Aman also wanted to relieve the young girl of some of the terrible things she had experienced.

"No, you can't do that. If you do that, it's no different from making her forget her roots."

"...That's also true. It would be difficult to accept it easily even if you only erase the bad memories."

It would surely be helpful if he erased the bad memories from Nella.

But since he had to erase the process of losing her parents, she might not be able to accept the current situation easily.

If he took away that memory from a child who had lost her parents in front of her eyes, the fragments of memory that didn't match might confuse the child even more.

"Right. Nella is not that weak of a child. We have to find a way to overcome it."

"...It's a pity."

"Right. So shouldn't we prevent this from happening again?"

He was gritting his teeth and trembling with anger at this whole situation.

Not only were all the immigrants driven out as heretics, but also the parents of the innocent children were all executed.

Lucas and Aman, who knew all the inside story, had promised to find them and root them out, but for some reason, they were quiet.

They had somehow found out that the Mage Tower Master was behind them.

But that he had done all this on his own? Something was fishy.

It seemed that there was something more behind it. No, there must be.

But as Aman began to dig into their background, they stopped all their actions and held their breath.

Aman, who had been about to tear apart the werewolves who had been controlled in Citata, had not neglected his investigation for a moment since then.

He had searched thoroughly with the intention of finding them and shaking them down to the dust, but they had not left even a single strand of hair as evidence.

It was unknown whether they had really stopped all their actions like this, or if they were plotting something more terrible behind the scenes.

"They're not doing anything, surprisingly."

"Hmm... and they were such crazy foals, running wild..."

They were people who had caused trouble by mobilizing not only black magic, but also necromancers.

But to be so quiet...?

"I'm anxious."

"...I'm anxious."

***

The Emperor's office.

"If you make a mistake this time... you know what will happen, right?"

"Yes, of course, Your Majesty."

Alberto, who stood before the emperor, was constantly bowing his head.

He was confident that he would not make a mistake this time. No, he was not confident that he would make a mistake.

Alberto's eyes flashed as he looked at the object in his hand.

A soul stone. And a top-grade soul stone at that.

'If I just have this soul stone...'

He didn't know how the emperor had obtained it, but if he just had this soul stone, the research would proceed quickly, as if a sail had been set on a fair wind.

No matter how good the quality of the souls he gathered, if the quality of the soul stone, the vessel that contained them, was low, it was difficult to keep the souls for a long time.

That's why the souls he had been gathering so far had become useless.

They had expanded their territory outside the empire to avoid the eyes of the interfering forces, but even Citata, which no one seemed to pay attention to, was no longer safe.

The Rodrigo County, as if they were born with some kind of heavenly luck, was easily overcoming every crisis that came their way, like a snake slithering over a wall.

"Ah, and about the Rodrigo County..."

"Don't touch them."

"Pardon?"

"I'm telling you not to touch the Rodrigo County."

"What do you mean by that..."

The emperor's face distorted with anger at Alberto's question.

"Are my words difficult?"

"N-no, sir."

"Get out."

"Yes. Then..."

As Alberto left the office, the emperor felt his insides churn with rising anger.

The emperor also wanted to wipe out the Rodrigo County right away and return Citata to the national treasury, and he was planning to do so.

But on a certain night, everything was thwarted by the prophecy of the court prophet, Heloise Anet, who had come to his office.

That night. Heloise, who had received the prophecy, had come to the emperor and had said, 'If the west prospers, do not covet it.'

He had asked back what that meant, but Heloise had just trembled and had repeated the words 'do not covet it' like a parrot.

He hadn't realized it at first.

The west prospers? But it didn't take long for him to realize what that meant.

The territory of the Rodrigo County, located in the west. The enormous mine discovered there.

The emperor had to let go of that place, which he had so obviously coveted, at the prophet's one word.

The prophet's one word, 'If you covet it, you will not achieve the great cause.'

Right. He had to achieve the great cause.

The moment that was achieved, a mere mine like that would be nothing.

'...It's a pity, but it can't be helped.'

The emperor, who had finished his thoughts, licked his lips, soothing his boiling insides.

***

Alberto, who had left the emperor's office, was even flustered by the emperor's sudden change in attitude.

He had naturally thought that the emperor would take Citata.

And he had also been thinking of asking him to give him that Citata someday.

But not to touch it?

It was a hidden gem of a land that no one had known about.

Already, rumors of Citata had spread throughout the continent, and the number of people visiting it was increasing.

If so, there was a high possibility that it would grow from a small territory into a large city.

In addition, since it was a territory permanently granted to the county, it would not be easy to take it from them if there was not enough justification.

But a justification could always be made. The criticism of the people of the empire would be harsh, but if he could take Citata, a mere criticism like that would be nothing.

'Why in the world...!'

Alberto began to get angry, beyond being flustered, at the emperor's decision, which had changed like flipping a palm.

His hands began to tremble as he walked down the corridor.

'Stun... that guy has to do well...!'

Now that things had come to this, he had to hope that the horse he was riding would faithfully carry out his orders.

Since the emperor had personally ordered him not to touch Citata, there was no way to do anything for now.

But what if he hadn't personally ordered it?

What if it was an act done on his own by his adopted son, who was showing excessive loyalty?

Then the story would be different.

It would be good if it went well, and even if it didn't, he could avoid his own responsibility.

Then he also had to make sure of it now.

Alberto, who had returned to his office, infused mana into the crystal ball.

There was no need to bring back Stun, who had already left, so if he contacted him like this, he would be able to create a much more certain justification.

The crystal ball flashed a few times, and then a figure began to appear in the crystal ball.

"Ah, Alberto-nim."

"Hoho, right. Stun. Are you on your way to Citata?"

"Yes. That's right."

Stun, a 4th circle mage, still lacked the mana to teleport to Citata at once.

It was a foolish thing to pour all his mana into one teleportation.

That's why Stun seemed to be teleporting to an intermediate point and then renting a carriage from there.

"You've worked hard. I have some bad news..."

"What is it?"

Stun's expression began to darken. To think that his benefactor, who was guiding him on the right path, was worried? That was the same as his own worry.

"His Majesty the Emperor has ordered us to leave Citata as it is."

Stun's expression instantly distorted into a frown at Alberto's words.

"What do you mean by that? They are no different from traitors to the empire!"

"Hoho... don't say that. What can we do when it's His Majesty the Emperor's will?"

"...I can't accept it."

Alberto knew. The biggest reason why Stun had left home and abandoned his family was the Rodrigo County.

"But what can we do? I also know your will, but since His Majesty's will is so..."

"...Does His Majesty know that I have left for Citata?"

That's it. This fool has fallen for it so easily!

Alberto cheered inwardly.

"Oh, no. He doesn't know that."

"Then... I'm just going to clear my head."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm... just going on a trip to clear my head, tired from research."

"Oh, right, right. I can't let your steps be in vain. So... I hope you have a pleasant trip."

"Yes, Alberto-nim."

"Right, always be careful. If you need anything during your trip, find me anytime."

"Yes, thank you."

As he cut off the mana he was infusing into the crystal ball, only darkness remained in the crystal ball.

"Khukuk... you fool! Very... very good."

Now that foolish and ignorant lamb would move according to his will.

It was okay even if he couldn't have Citata. If he couldn't have it, he would just torment and harass them.

Whatever method it was.

"If I can't have it... I have to make it so that no one can have it..."

A sly smile hung on Alberto's lips as he stroked his beard.

(End of Chapter)