Nine years ago, at the mansion of Duke White.
***
“Madam, Marquis Sirius is here to see you.”
Selina White did not even look up, her eyes fixed on the Signature Book in her hands.
“What time is it now, Sebas?”
“In response to your question, Madam, it is currently 2:13 PM.”
Selina did not know the reason for Sirius’s visit, nor could she think of a good one.
The management rights of the Duchy, the position of Regent… by now, Sirius already had everything he wanted.
‘Why is he coming to see me at a time like this?’
At that thought, Selina’s hand tightened its grip on the Signature Book.
“…Let him in.”
Selina sighed and reluctantly loosened her grip, setting the Signature Book down.
Regardless of what schemes Sirius might be plotting, neither she nor Elena should be in conflict with his goals.
Once tomorrow passed, the world would finally grant her dear little Elena justice.
By then, whether she was a Saintess or a Witch, if the Duchy of White did not welcome her daughter, she would simply take her and leave.
If it truly came to that, she could use the Duke’s savings to lead a comfortable life with Elena in the Imperial Capital…
Yet despite thinking such things, Selina was still unwilling to leave this place.
She lifted her gaze, looking at the portrait hanging on the wall directly in front of her.
It was a painting from when she and Duke White were married.
Although her lover had been gone for nearly ten years… as she looked at the handsome and dashing Duke White in the portrait, Selina could not help but show a smile tinged with longing and sorrow.
‘My dear… I will definitely take care of our daughter. Definitely…’
*Knock, knock.*
The moment the door opened, Sirius performed a bow at approximately a forty-five-degree angle.
“I hope you have been well, my dear sister-in-law.”
His manner was not exactly affected, yet Selina could not discern any sincerity in her husband’s younger brother.
When Duke White was in his prime, Sirius had never appeared to claim even the slightest bit of benefit; however, after the Duke passed away, he emerged.
Some speculated that Sirius wanted to replace the original Duke White, while others said he had only stepped forward to take over his late brother’s responsibilities.
It had been nearly ten years since the last Monster Tide.
The Duchy of White truly needed a leader, especially now with the approach of Leviathan and the next Monster Tide…
With her own health declining and Elena still so young, Sirius’s appearance was both legal under Imperial law and logical in practice.
But —
“No need for pleasantries, Sirius. Do you have a reason for visiting today?”
“Since you put it that way, sister-in-law, I shall get straight to the point.”
As he spoke, Sirius clapped his hands.
A moment later, servants who had been waiting outside immediately carried three sturdy boxes into the room.
“Please accept these gifts, sister-in-law.”
The first box was the largest, filled to the brim with gold.
The moment she saw that staggering amount of yellow metal, Selina frowned slightly. She knew that even for a ducal household, this was no small sum.
The second box was slightly smaller, containing a large number of magic books.
Just glancing at the cover of the topmost book made Selina’s eyes widen. As a High-level Magic User, she knew exactly what these books were.
“Where did you find so many Forbidden Books?!”
Sirius only smiled without answering, then gestured for Selina to look at the third box.
The third box was the smallest, but also the longest.
When the box was opened, Selina froze.
Inside was a staff — a staff embedded with a Magic Stone of the highest quality.
“…What exactly are you trying to do?”
Sirius did not respond immediately.
He simply walked behind the three boxes and began to explain them one by one.
“The gold in the first box is enough for you to stay by Elena’s side until she reaches adulthood without spending a single cent of the Duke’s savings. The Forbidden Books in the second box, if thoroughly researched, will surely provide a way to heal your body and help Elena control her Mana. As for this third box — this is a gift from me, her uncle, to my dear niece, Elena.”
“Absurd! These things are enough to train a talented individual into a Great Mage! Where on earth did you get these — !”
Indeed, these were the resources required to cultivate a Great Mage. And a Great Mage was the most vital strategic resource of the Empire.
In that instant, Selina understood Sirius’s intent.
But she could not bring herself to say it out loud.
It was as if if she spoke the words, they would become reality…
Selina absolutely did not want her daughter to be dragged into such matters.
“Yes, sister-in-law, your guess is correct. Elena is no Witch; her talent is obvious to anyone with eyes! This is a blessing bestowed by the gods, a talent that no Great Mage to date has ever possessed! If Elena can become a Great Mage — a Great Mage of the Duchy of White — she will be the most powerful Great Mage in history! We would then have the leverage to negotiate with the Empire. The Duchy of White should not be a mere vassal of the Empire! This land was won through my brother’s blood; it was paid for by the retainers who followed him through life and death, not by those cowards sitting in the Capital Circle! This is the Duchy of White, not a pawn that the Empire can use to sacrifice, to drain of Magic Stone mines, and to treat as a shield against Leviathan whenever they please!”
Sirius’s voice was filled with excitement, his previously reserved demeanor completely vanished.
Selina was about to say something, but Sirius suddenly raised a hand, cutting her off before she could speak.
“Furthermore, you know better than anyone, sister-in-law — did my brother’s death really have anything to do with Elena’s birth? Even if the attack began two years early, if the Empire hadn’t been constantly leeching off the Duchy of White! If they hadn’t been extracting excessive amounts of Magic Stones year after year! How could we possibly have failed to prepare enough Magic Stone Bombs?”
His final rhetorical question was asked in a very soft tone.
Yet Selina felt that this sentence was more deafening than anything that had come before it.
‘How could I not know the reason for my beloved husband’s death?’
When the truth — when the things hidden deep in her heart were laid bare…
What argument did she have left?
“My apologies, sister-in-law. I lost my composure.”
Adjusting his collar slightly, Sirius performed another bow at nearly a forty-five-degree angle.
“I only came to persuade you to let Elena stay here. Beyond that, there is nothing else. Furthermore, please consider these boxes as my visiting gifts; I have nothing more to say. I wish you a speedy recovery. Farewell.”
Leaving those words behind, Sirius departed.
However, he likely knew that despite everything he had said, his sister-in-law would still head to the Imperial Capital to deliver that Signature Book to the Holy Church.
Because she was Elena’s mother, and her eyes saw only her daughter.
‘But it doesn’t matter. The choice has been handed to you, sister-in-law. Whether you stay by Elena’s side and let her become a Great Mage, or…’
At that moment, Sirius recalled the intelligence gathered by his subordinates: when Elena’s emotions fluctuated violently, the Duke’s Daughter’s Mana would surge like a ferocious beast.
‘If the Duchy of White cannot have a Great Mage… then my dear niece Elena, please… become a Witch.’