The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 24

 

Wendy whispered to Philip behind me.

 

“Why on earth is that baron freaking out over such an ordinary question?”

 

“Ah.”

 

Philip replied cautiously.

 

“He’s always been a bit wishy-washy. He was like that during the dinner banquet too.”

 

“Oh my… So that’s his story…”

 

Wendy sighed.

 

To her, the word ‘wishy-washy’ seemed like something she could no longer say lightly.

 

I was also quite surprised but didn’t show it.

 

Instead, I answered the question honestly.

 

“To get wheat.”

 

Usually, noble children would speak informally to each other when young, even if they used formal language again after becoming adults.

 

Especially since we were Academy classmates, our conversations were comfortable.

 

Just then, the knights I had sent and the intruders returned carrying loads of wheat sacks.

 

“…Wheat?”

 

Leopold also seemed confused by my answer.

 

I explained calmly.

 

“The dark mages were trading wheat for people. I didn’t want to give them people but wanted the wheat, so I just came to scam them.”

 

Then Leopold replied.

 

“You seem to have found quite a creative career path after graduation, Brisa. Scamming dark mages.”

 

He looked at me and chuckled.

 

“How about giving a lecture to Academy juniors about new professions later?”

 

“I actually had a lecture script written up, but I’ll probably have to scrap it tonight.”

 

I raised my eyebrows as I replied.

 

“Since you’re putting all the dark mages underwater, this profession just got a grim future. I’ll have to look for other ways to make a living.”

 

Meanwhile, the ships carrying the dark mages continued steadily sinking underwater.

 

It was quite a skill to carry on a casual conversation while precisely attacking enemies.

 

I shrugged and said.

 

“Anyway, I’ve accomplished my purpose for visiting, so I’ll be going. Before the warp’s effective time runs out.”

 

While riding the illegal warp, I had roughly analyzed the magic formula.

 

From what I could see, it was similar to the warp installed by the Magic Tower. Except it had a lot of drugs from forbidden experiments mixed in…

 

“And this wheat isn’t from the Western Region.”

 

The Western Region was a granary region, so it was strange that it wasn’t wheat that could be obtained locally.

 

“I think it’s Southern Region wheat, but investigate it anyway.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I’m not sure if this will be helpful, but it’s in ‘Regional Characteristics of Wheat,’ 3rd revised edition. It’s written by Asirius Welbon, or a review paper on Southern Region wheat might also be helpful.”

 

“A review paper?”

 

“【Characteristics and Considerations of Southern Wheat Varieties】. That’s the only research paper that deals exclusively with southern wheat anyway. And about this guy.”

 

I pointed at the dark mage sprawled on the ground with my toe.

 

Then I leaned toward Leopold and whispered in a lowered voice.

 

“He mistook me for Dahlia Hawin and said this to me: ‘Bring Brisa Sears and get 50 sacks of wheat.'”

 

Leopold elegantly stepped on the dark mage’s back with his cold eyes, pinning him down.

 

Despite the eerie atmosphere, his voice whispering to me was calm.

 

“Was the market price for a twelve-year-old girl 50 sacks of wheat?”

 

“No, it wasn’t even half a sack.”

 

“Then what’s the value of those 49 and a half sacks that only you possess?”

 

“That’s exactly what I want you to find out.”

 

I made a request to Leopold.

 

“Since he’s a criminal caught on your land, you should be the one to interrogate him.”

 

I had a rough idea of the reason, but still, words coming from a criminal’s mouth had their own value.

 

Leopold seemed to understand my entire intention as he spoke slowly.

 

“To summarize, your safety is in danger.”

 

He pressed down harder on the dark mage’s back with his military boot.

 

“Because of those Sebon bastards and the dark mages.”

 

“Probably.”

 

I was pretending to be calm, but deep down inside, I was trembling.

 

I thought I just needed to survive these three months without starving.

 

But it seemed that wasn’t the case. There were people specifically targeting me.

 

Anyway, these were criminals caught in the Western Region. The final authority for interrogation lay with House Nogen.

 

All I could do was make a request.

 

“Let me know the interrogation results later. I need to be aware of who’s targeting me and how.”

 

Leopold had a complicated expression on his face but answered clearly.

 

“If criminals from Sebon dare to harm a descendant of Sears, Nogen will never stand by as the head of the First Five Families. I stake my honor on sharing everything with you.”

 

I looked at him with distrustful eyes. He had too much even without his honor.

 

“That’s not enough.”

 

“I’ll stake my face on it.”

 

If it was a masterpiece of the century, I could feel reassured.

 

I was satisfied.

 

“I’ll trust you completely and leave it to you.”

 

I came to get wheat, but instead only learned that my life was in danger. This made staying in this place crawling with dark mages feel somehow unsettling.

 

Since our business was finished, I quickly stepped back and said my farewell.

 

“Well then, we’ll be going now.”

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

Leopold took a step closer and said.

 

“I can’t just let you go like this. You safely returned my great-grandfather to the Western Region.”

 

“Of course you shouldn’t just let me go.”

 

I nodded my head seriously.

 

“It wouldn’t be proper to send guests who came to the Western Region away empty-handed.”

 

“It doesn’t seem like they’re empty-handed already.”

 

Leopold said with amusement as he looked at the knights carrying loads of wheat sacks.

 

“Anyway, I can’t keep you here any longer because of the warp schedule, so here. Take this.”

 

What he held out was tracking incense.

 

“If the warp goes wrong and you end up wandering around the Western Region, use it.”

 

Is it okay for me to accept this?

 

I heard that only really important people in the Western Region have this.

 

The moment I use this in the Western Region, I’ll receive unconditional protection from nearby Western Knights.

 

As I hesitated in front of something so precious, Leopold spoke as if it were nothing.

 

“Don’t feel burdened. This is entirely for my sake.”

 

He held out the tracking incense to me once more and continued casually.

 

“If you got caught up in a crime scene in the Western Region and then ended up in danger even after meeting the heir of the Nogen Duchy, and you filed a complaint about it, it would tarnish my reputation.”

 

“A complaint? Don’t make me laugh. It wouldn’t end with just that.”

 

In the end, I accepted the tracking incense and said.

 

“Don’t you know me? If something like that happened, I’d sue you for aiding and abetting murder.”

 

“I’ll have the Empire’s best lawyer ready.”

 

Leopold replied leisurely.

 

“Because I know you.”

 

Wendy, who had been listening to our conversation, muttered from behind.

 

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen someone who doesn’t lose to our Young Lady in verbal sparring.”

 

Philip pointed out bluntly.

 

“All nobles are like that. Got it?”

 

It was a generalization that other nobles might find a bit unfair if they heard it.

 

Leopold’s eyes swept over the knights I had brought. Then he said quietly.

 

“Your knights probably aren’t though.”

 

It was a question of ‘are they people you can trust?’

 

I shrugged my shoulders and answered.

 

“They’re my elder brother’s knights.”

 

“I heard the news recently.”

 

It was a pointed remark: ‘Are they really loyal to you, who only recently became their master’s sister?’

 

I decided to just show him directly.

 

“Watch carefully.”

 

Leopold nodded.

 

I slowly turned around. Then I looked at the people I had brought and cleared my throat with a cough.

 

“Everyone, attention.”

 

Then those who had been busy with their tasks looked at me and stood straight.

 

Facing them, I solemnly declared.

 

“Tonight’s late-night snack is.”

 

It was a line I had prepared for a long time, but when I was about to say it, I felt nervous.

 

My heart was pounding without me realizing it.

 

“It’s bread.”

 

As if the excitement had spread, the knights including the intruders shouted out loud.

 

“Waaaaaaaah!”

 

“Hurray! Long live Young Lady!”

 

I once again solemnly declared toward them holding the flour sacks.

 

“Now let’s go back. To share our war spoils.”

 

Leopold’s knights were doing all the fighting, but it was war spoils nonetheless.

 

I turned around again and raised my eyebrows at Leopold.

 

Leopold thus confirmed the loyalty of the knights toward me.

 

“They have good voices.”

 

At his acknowledgment, I answered with satisfaction.

 

“I fed them well.”

 

It was the ultimate show-off moment of this era.

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