Queen of Revenge - Chapter 75

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 75
Part 8
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of pickaxes striking solid stone echoed relentlessly through the mining site.
The flag of the Calande Northern Fortress fluttered in the wind, bearing the newly inscribed name of this place.
[Unregistered Territory Western Gold Mine]
The Work Foreman of the gold mine wiped the sweat from his brow and straightened his back.
“It’s strange, really. Where Prince Dietrich pointed us, we didn’t find even a speck of gold no matter how much we dug, but this place—every spot we touch….”
The mining cart was heaped high with chunks of rock glinting with gold.
Though the gold-bearing surface comprised less than one-tenth of the total mass, the increasing presence of gold was a signal that we were drawing closer to the vein itself.
“Thanks to Prince Dietrich completing the groundwork, there are no safety concerns. Now we simply need to begin excavating in earnest!”
“So the map the Princess gave us was accurate after all, Commander.”
Franz, who had accompanied Kairon on this inspection of the mining site, beamed with satisfaction.
“However you managed to coerce the Demons, they split the earth with such precision toward the gold vein that our excavation has accelerated dramatically. Haha, at this rate, we’ll have gold flowing abundantly by this winter or next spring!”
Yet Kairon did not smile at all.
“That’s not what I gave them to you for.”
Iolet had used every demon stone he had entrusted to her for trading with the Demon Tribe.
As a result, the Northern Fortress had obtained a gold mine of the same configuration as the Elovis Command Tower.
But Iolet did not stop there—she had even secured a promise from the Demons that they would not invade the fortress for some time.
Building upon her previous failed attempt at dealing with the Demons, Iolet had not returned the demon stones to them and was still keeping them in safekeeping.
It was all good, certainly, but it was far removed from Kairon’s original intention.
“My body is frail, after all. I truly don’t know how much longer I can live.”
The black demon stones that the Demons carried possessed a lifespan that could extend one’s life.
However, merely seizing and possessing one did not automatically extend one’s lifespan. If someone other than the stone’s owner obtained it, it would be worthless unless they could absorb it as their own.
Each individual could possess only one demon stone, and only the Demons knew the method of synchronizing the lifespan stored within that stone to one’s physical body.
I had attempted to extract that very method from the Demons, but every attempt had come to naught. They would sooner die than utter a word about it.
‘It’s likely prone to misuse, so perhaps it’s better left undiscovered. If the Crown Princess of Elovis or the princes of Kalande found out, they’d come running with fire in their eyes.’
But could I simply abandon this pursuit?
When the red glow within the demon stone fades, my life ends as well.
Kairon fidgeted with the ring on the ring finger of his left hand with a hint of anxiety.
The ruby-red ring that must be shining on Iolet’s finger—though I had given it to her as an emergency measure, without knowing how to use it, it was merely a useless charm.
‘Benedix Valer. Perhaps that man knows something….’
It was precisely when my thoughts reached that point.
“Commander! Commander!”
Someone from the fortress called out to him with a loud voice.
Cedric, Kairon’s Adjutant, came galloping like a madman on horseback.
“A messenger! A messenger has arrived from the Capital! He’s just brought a royal decree, and it’s, it’s…!”
Cedric tumbled from his horse, his eyes glistening with tears.
“His Majesty intends to bestow a title upon you, Commander! You are commanded to come to the Royal Palace for the conferment of the peerage!”
* * *
The autumn at the Elovis Command Tower was more abundant than in previous years.
Half a year had passed since the full-scale gold mine development began. The nobles who held mining rights had established themselves in the Border Region Villages.
House Sorte had even sent its Eldest Son of House Sorte to manage and oversee the gold mine. With nobility settling in, the supply of goods naturally accelerated.
“I’m troubled when you keep bringing such things, young lord.”
I pushed the jewel box placed before me away with a deliberately somber expression.
“The Dedication Prohibition Law has been officially proclaimed. No matter how far this place is from the Capital, I am still of royal blood. I cannot take the lead in setting an example, let alone accept bribes, can I?”
“Oh, there’s no one watching! Please accept it as a small token of friendship between us.”
The Eldest Son of House Sorte pushed the jewel box back toward me.
“But until recently, it seemed you brought furs or wheat as gifts. Why suddenly something so precious?”
“Ha ha, the mining has become stable, and… above all, doesn’t your husband have cause for celebration? Commander Winterbark has finally become a nobleman, so surely the Princess deserves to receive congratulations!”
I suppressed the corners of my mouth from rising.
Last week, Kairon had sent word through a messenger that he would receive a noble title and commendation.
I, who had devised five contingency plans in case things went differently, finally heaved a sigh of relief.
This meant the Royal Family had officially recognized his achievements as a hero who had defended the Border. With this, Kairon could now confidently join Kalande’s Nobility Society.
The news spread to Elovis in merely five days. Moreover, a gold vein had recently been discovered in the Unregistered Territory adjacent to Kalande, making it doubly auspicious.
As a result, the temperature of the gazes directed at me rose accordingly. The change in value of the gifts piling up in my Office was proof of this.
I reluctantly accepted the jewel box.
“I cannot ignore your sincerity. If that’s the case, I shall present this to my Mother. It seems I’ll have occasion to visit Delpain soon.”
“Pardon? You’re going to the Capital? What brings this about so suddenly…?”
“I have matters to attend to.”
Kairon had inquired about my intentions through a messenger.
[I will grant you a title and territory, so come to the Capital at your earliest convenience. I plan to keep Dietrich confined to the Fortress. I wish to go to the Capital with you—is this possible?]
[Of course I will go with you. But I need time to prepare. Use Prince Dietrich’s frail condition as an excuse to delay our departure. A month and a half should suffice.
And would you send your Adjutant or Aide to the Command Tower? Under the pretext of a regular visit according to the peace treaty.]
The method of secretly crossing the Border and frequenting the Fortress would no longer work.
To officially visit Kalande, there was only one thing needed: the status of an Ambassador.
I planned to set foot in the Capital of Kalande as a diplomatic Ambassador dispatched from Elovis.
An Ambassador is appointed by the King. Thus, I had to return to the Capital and have an audience with the King.
It was now September. From my memory, around this time an incident would erupt that would turn Elovis’s Nobility Society upside down. This incident made now the perfect time to go to the Capital.
All that remained was a pretext to return.
‘It should be about time for a messenger to arrive.’
Until early this year, the growing power of the Calande Northern Fortress was not something Elovis could simply celebrate.
But now, the master of that very Northern Fortress was my daughter’s husband, and he had even prepared to make the leap into Kalande’s mainstream society.
Kairon was no longer a borderland warrior who could be made to kneel carelessly, and my own position—having brushed him off like troublesome dust to the Border—had become completely different from before.
So the King would surely want to confirm whether this matter was beneficial or detrimental to Elovis.
I carefully tucked the jewel box into my luggage.
That afternoon, a courteous knock sounded at my Office door.
Commander Marcel Lefebvre entered and announced it.
“Your Highness, a messenger from the Royal Family has arrived. You should see them.”
I straightened my shawl and rose from my seat. A messenger bearing the King’s command awaited in the Commander’s Office.
The royal command was brief and unequivocal.
[Princess Iolet shall return to the Capital immediately upon receiving this order and report directly to me all matters concerning the affairs handled at the Border and the current state of affairs.]
A smile blossomed across Iolet’s lips.
Her prediction had proven correct. Her response was already determined.
Iolet handed the messenger a reply she had prepared in advance.
“Tell His Majesty I shall depart immediately. You will rest here for four days before departing.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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