The Lavaud Family Residence was vast, with a small lake occupying its center.
All around stood Mage Towers with magic crystals hanging high, Alchemist Workshops, and numerous houses for guests and servants.
The Duke’s mansion itself was but one unremarkable building among them.
There were many grand estates on the outskirts of the royal capital, but to own such a sprawling residence in the Upper City, where every inch of land was precious, was testament enough to the Lavaud Family’s influence.
While others carried out the investigation, Cielsa sat idly on a rock by the lake.
Her elaborate hairstyle didn’t even allow her the chance to absentmindedly play with her hair.
Whether in swordsmanship or magic, Cielsa’s talents were thoroughly average.
She herself was of little help in any investigation.
But what did that matter?
Her role was that of the chessmaster; all these tasks could be left to the pawns beneath her.
All she needed to do was make the right decisions—until, at last, her ultimate goal was reached…
“Your Highness.”
A knight, four meters tall, appeared before Cielsa, looming like a small mountain.
Surprisingly, from beneath the heavy visor came a graceful, feminine voice.
“Sefina, any progress?” Cielsa asked.
“None. I searched carefully and found no traces of heresy.”
“Thank you for your efforts.”
“It is my duty.”
Sefina, strictly speaking, did not belong to Cielsa’s own faction—she was a Paladin of the church.
The reason she was willing to assist the princess in investigating the Duke’s estate was not out of support for Cielsa, but for the purpose of eliminating the threat of the demon cult.
The church’s Paladins were chosen from childhood, tested, and tempered through decades of rigorous discipline.
They upheld the doctrine, believed in the Light Goddess, punished evil and upheld good, and protected the weak—serving as the church’s martial symbol.
The church did not interfere in worldly political struggles, especially in sensitive times such as these.
Sefina, ignoring such obstacles, chose to help Cielsa because of the Iris Princess’s contributions to the common folk, because of her reputation among the people.
A good reputation brought its own unseen benefits.
Cielsa stood and stretched, her graceful figure on full display.
“This is exactly as I expected. As if they’d ever let me catch them in the act. They always find ways to cover their tracks and wipe away all evidence of their crimes.”
Traces of heresy were merely an extra; whether they were found or not made little difference—Cielsa understood this well.
Even through the visor, she could sense Sefina’s puzzled expression.
Cielsa chuckled lightly, “What comes next has nothing to do with you; it’s a personal matter of mine. But Sefina, you can just stand by and witness it.”
With that, Cielsa walked away in elegant strides.
Sefina, puzzled, still followed in the princess’s footsteps.
Soon, they arrived at the Mage Tower.
Uli was a master-level mage Cielsa had recruited from among the supporters of Duke Holtz’s family.
Though dressed in robes, he did not look old; upon seeing Cielsa, he gave a slight bow to show his respect.
The old Duke and his son were also present, along with their family mage, Dotok—the main user of this Mage Tower.
For the investigation and gathering of evidence, the parties involved had to be present.
“First, I have a question: why is there a clear gap in the Mage Tower’s records concerning the Duke’s estate? Duke Lavaud, please answer my question.”
With the princess’s arrival, the questioning of the Lavaud family officially began.
“Lord Lavaud, how do you explain this?”
Cielsa propped her chin with one hand, asking as if she were only casually curious.
“Nonsense!”
The old Duke pointed to the projection replaying beside them.
“Where is there any gap in the footage recorded by the Mage Tower?”
“Heh, Your Grace, please don’t play the fool. A large portion of the footage has been replaced. What we’re seeing—a perfectly normal Duke’s residence—is nothing but a patchwork of older recordings.”
Such tricks would never deceive Uli, who was well-versed in retrocognition magic—he often assisted the knights with their cases.
With his formidable mental powers, he quickly spotted the inconsistencies in the footage.
“Lord Lavaud, is this true?”
“Your Highness, I have been wronged! There must be some misunderstanding…”
The old Duke looked as frantic as an ant on a hot griddle, the very image of a loyal official being framed.
Sainote, however, remained exceptionally calm.
Before this, the old Duke had specially instructed him: no matter what happened, he was not to utter a word.
He had few virtues, but loyalty was one, and he was obedient.
At this moment, the family mage, Dotok, spoke up: “It was my doing. It has nothing to do with the Duke.”
Under everyone’s gaze, he slowly explained the truth.
It turned out that about a month ago, Dotok had discovered a malfunction in the retrocognition magic used to monitor the Duke’s estate, resulting in frequent recording losses.
But at that time, he was working on a critical magical research project.
Fearing punishment that might disrupt his research, he took the initiative to forge the footage.
Dotok also mentioned that all the recordings he forged were selected based on the recent situation in the Duke’s residence, so they generally matched the estate’s activities.
This explanation… Uli frowned.
Clearly, the Lavaud family had prepared this response well in advance—Dotok was merely the scapegoat, meant to shield the Duke from blame.
“Dotok, say no more. As the head of the Lavaud family, I should bear the main responsibility for this matter.”
The old Duke declared with “righteous resolve,” turning to Cielsa.
“Your Highness, if punishment must be handed down, let it fall upon me. I am the one who impeded the investigation.”
He secretly rejoiced—fortunately, he had not underestimated this princess and had put on the full act.
If the blame really landed on him, it would be a hard pill to swallow.
“Lord Lavaud should indeed be punished, but not only for hindering the investigation, but also for colluding with cultists.”
Cielsa beckoned, and a knight behind her stepped forward, respectfully presenting a box.
As soon as the box was opened, a dense wave of evil energy poured out—a blood-red crystal lay inside.
Bloodstone, the product of Blood Sacrifice by the demon cult.
Absorbing it could greatly increase one’s power, but would also induce madness.
In the next instant, a sudden change occurred.
The knight crushed the bloodstone with his hand, and the entire Mage Tower was flooded with that sinister aura.
Sainote’s emotions grew agitated, but he restrained himself and did not speak—he merely looked at Cielsa with fury in his eyes.
The old Duke could no longer maintain his composure.
“Cielsa, are you insane? Must you drag us down with you?”
The old Duke understood at last—this was an open scheme.
Because of the problems with the retrocognition magic, Cielsa could create false evidence with impunity.
He could appeal, of course, but that would mean admitting the magic had not malfunctioned, that he himself had deliberately tampered with the estate’s recordings.
Even then, there was no way to prove his innocence.
The evidence might be false, but with Cielsa’s reputation, she could make it stick.
“Is this really necessary? At a time like this, going head-to-head with the Lavaud family is no benefit to you. Let’s be fair—if there’s not even a trace of heresy to be found here, how could we have anything to do with the demon cult?”
“I’m not truly looking to take this opportunity to destroy the Lavaud family.”
“But can the Lavaud family really bear it? At a time like this, to be hounded by the ever-rising Iris Princess…”
Cielsa’s smile never faded, beautiful enough to take one’s breath away.
But at that moment, everyone who understood the situation felt a chill in their hearts.
Uli did his calculations in secret.
No wonder Duke Holtz supported the Iris Princess so vigorously.
Contrary to rumors, this princess was skilled in calculation—every move the Duke made was likely within her expectations from the very start.
In her eyes, everyone was probably just a pawn.
She had arranged everything to perfection, and her reputation was built upon real achievement.
Someone like her would surely lead the Empire to greater heights.
Suddenly, he understood: the knights, even that Sword Saint—most were not captivated by her beauty or kindness, but had been won over by her wisdom and strategy, willing to serve as her pawns.
This was not a knight’s devotion to a princess, but a subject’s submission to a true sovereign.
“So, what is it that you want?” The old Duke, having calmed down, understood Cielsa’s intent.
This was extortion, not a declaration of war.
It seemed the Lavaud family would have to pay dearly this time.
“Do you know, Lord Lavaud, I had originally planned to use this move against the Stuart Family. Now I’ll have to think of something new.”
“Then why…”
“You don’t need to know. From here on, I’ll have my professionals discuss the details with you.”
Of course, it was because your son dared to attack my most precious treasure at the Academy.
I was displeased—so naturally, your family was first on the chopping block.
But this, Cielsa kept to herself, unspoken.
In the end, only Sefina, the four-meter-tall knight, stood to the side in confusion.
Having witnessed the whole process, only one impression remained in her mind: Princess Cielsa was exceedingly clever.
When she returned to write her report, that would be all she could record.