Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable determination. “No, even better than them! Luxurious! An almost insane level of luxury!” Helga’s mind buzzed.
To lay a magic network of this scale and precision across the entire barony?
The mithril and stable mana crystals needed for the core nodes alone would bankrupt a wealthy viscountcy! Not to mention the rare spatial stabilization runestones and the highly skilled magus craftsmen required!
That astronomical expense—
“Eileen!” Helga’s voice cracked with excitement. “This… this is just too much! The cost… the cost would be terrifying! Even the capital only covers its core district! We…”
She wanted to say that their territory was so poor, just starting to recover, and couldn’t afford such extravagance.
“I know it’s expensive.” Eileen cut her off, her tone unwavering as she lifted her chin with a touch of almost childish stubbornness. “But this is my homeland, Helga. It’s what the Raven family has guarded for generations, and I’m determined to renew it. I’ll handle the money. The territory is improving—there will be mines, trade routes, taxes. For now—”
Her gaze swept over the newly plowed fields in the distance, her voice low and firm. “I want to give every person living here a future with dignity and hope. This magic array is the cornerstone of that future. Is it really that expensive when you think of it that way?”
Helga saw the unwavering light in Eileen’s eyes—a protectiveness that went beyond noble responsibility, bordering on obsession.
Suddenly, she remembered the past, when Eileen had outfitted them, provided supplies and support—it seemed the same light had shone in her eyes then!
‘Are the supplies expensive? No, what could be more valuable than your lives! If you don’t use items when you need them, what’s the point?’
A hot rush surged to Helga’s eyes. She blinked hard, pushing down the sting.
‘Why only now, Helga, do you realize something so obvious?’
And now, Eileen was loving everyone in her domain the same way she once cherished her companions! Even when misunderstood as a disaster-bringing witch, Eileen’s grace had never wavered!
If this wasn’t a saint, then what was?!
Helga couldn’t help but believe the rumors of a saint spreading through the land—maybe Eileen really was the beloved daughter of the Goddess of Light!
“I…” Helga’s throat tightened, then she straightened her back, her pale violet eyes burning with a fire that matched Eileen’s. “I understand! Eileen! I…”
Yet the fire lasted only a moment before cold reality doused it. Her shoulders slumped, and her face flushed with a mix of shame and helpless embarrassment.
“But… but…” Her voice dropped, her fingers twisting the dirty hem of her robe unconsciously. “I… I’m a combat mage, Eileen! Blasting down a wall, blowing away a bunch of trash, or roasting something with a big fireball, sure… but to lead the construction and tuning of such a vast and intricate infrastructure array?”
“I can’t do it! My mana control isn’t precise enough, and as for the theory behind resonance, energy flow, balance of large arrays… I can only barely understand the blueprint…”
The more she spoke, the softer her voice became, her head lowering further, ashamed that she couldn’t be the strength behind such a gentle, kind Eileen.
The courtyard fell silent.
Even the sunlight seemed to dim. The light faded from Eileen’s face, her brow knitting again as her fingers unconsciously tapped on the edge of the blueprint.
“…Then I’ll draw it myself. All the Magus King’s knowledge is in my head. It should be… fine, right?”
Lilisha stood quietly nearby, the perfect picture of loyalty.
‘How could it be fine! Theory is one thing, but actual operation is another—it takes experience!’
Helga had just thought this when she realized something.
“Ah!” she gasped, her eyes lighting up. “There’s someone! Eileen! Maybe… maybe she can do it!”
Eileen looked at her urgently.
“My mentor!” Helga spoke rapidly, as if finding water after a drought. “Yuno Vayne! She’s in White Stone Town, not far from here! Though… though her mana level is low, far below mine…”
She rubbed her nose sheepishly. “But teacher has incredibly deep theoretical knowledge of magus studies! She’s obsessive about the foundational theory, configuration, energy modeling, and especially the coordination mechanisms of large distributed networks like your blueprint!”
“The old scholars of the Royal Magic Academy might not surpass her in pure theoretical depth! She just… just lacks opportunities to practice and high-level mana to support it!”
A low-mana theory master? Eileen stopped tapping her fingers.
Could this be a “Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang” situation? Eileen wasn’t sure she wanted that kind of master…
But the nearly blind trust and urgency in Helga’s eyes couldn’t be faked. And for now, there seemed to be no better option.
“Good!” Eileen made her decision without hesitation. “Helga, I’m leaving this task to you! Set out at once and bring her here—I’ll give you the highest level of negotiation authority!”
Her words were crisp and decisive.
“Yes! Eileen!”
Helga’s spirits soared, as if she’d received an order to march out. Days of accumulated fatigue vanished, replaced by excitement and a sense of mission.
She instinctively straightened her back, and even her filthy old mage robe seemed to gain a bit of majesty.
“But…” Eileen’s gaze swept over her, lingering with a mischievous glint. “Before you go fetch our esteemed magus scholar, my dear mage, shouldn’t you… hmm, take a bath first? If you go like this, I’m afraid it’ll ruin my reputation—”
She deliberately drew out the words, “If you show up like that, people will think we abuse you and don’t even give you clean clothes.”
Helga froze, instinctively looking down at herself—wrinkled, ink- and dust-stained robe, tangled hair, and a faintly odd smell…
She really couldn’t show herself like this.
Well, Eileen didn’t count—after all, they were practically family. No need to care.
All her grand ambitions were instantly drowned in a wave of crushing embarrassment. Her face turned as red as a ripe berry, even her ears burning. “I… I’ll go right now! And you’re not allowed to tell anyone what I looked like!!”
She practically stomped her foot, frantically trying to tidy her hair, and fled toward the castle bath like a startled rabbit, not daring to look back.
“Oh, right, how about a goodbye kiss?”
Eileen’s teasing voice followed her, and for some reason, it made Helga stumble a bit—as if she actually cared?
Yes, Helga’s heart skipped a beat for a moment.
It wasn’t for the kiss! It was for Eileen’s kisses always coming with a luck blessing! The luck blessing was the real prize!
Though, it seemed that when she’d chatted with Eileen late at night before, Eileen had said that even when separated, as long as their hearts stayed together, the blessing would remain effective to some degree!
*****
A short while later, Eileen saw her off. Helga’s abilities were fine, but her personality was a bit scatterbrained, so Eileen sent two knights as escorts, just in case—traveling alone was too risky.
Eileen had wanted to send even more people, but Helga protested; too many would slow her down!
Originally, Helga had planned to travel alone, using magic to move quickly, but Eileen insisted—so Helga reluctantly agreed.
Before leaving, Helga hesitated and fidgeted. Eileen tilted her head and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Helga glanced around, but in the end, her face too thin, she couldn’t say it aloud. She mumbled, “Th-then, I’ll be off…”
The moment the words fell, she felt a warm touch on her forehead—Eileen’s lips brushed lightly, then parted.
Her face flushed again.
Eileen, with a knowing look, wagged her finger. “That’s your farewell luck blessing! No matter what happens, remember to come back early and safe—that’s the most important thing. Don’t get into fights, especially with the church. Remember to eat regularly, don’t read on the road all the time—knowledge can never be fully learned. And also…”
Eileen’s endless nagging made Helga protest in mock annoyance, “I know, Eileen! You talk more than my mom!”
Eileen pretended to weep: “So soon, and you’re already tired of old lady me nagging you.”
Eh? Helga froze, then quickly shook her head. “No, no, Eileen, that’s not what I meant! I know you care about me, but I’m not a kid! Even in the party, I always wanted to say, you took too much care of us—we ended up not knowing how to do anything…”
All they had to do was fight monsters; everything else was handled by Eileen! That’s why, once Eileen wasn’t around, all sorts of problems came to light.
Too much motherly care ruins the children! Their old daily life could be summed up as “How Lady Eileen Raised Us Into Useless Layabouts.”
Helga admitted being cared for by Eileen was nice—Eileen was just like a mother—but it was a bit too much! She wasn’t a little kid anymore; she wouldn’t get into trouble so easily, it was all unnecessary!
Only then did Eileen reluctantly part ways, watching as Helga rode off in the carriage.
When Helga’s carriage finally disappeared over the horizon, Eileen withdrew her gaze with a trace of regret. Lilisha, standing beside her, couldn’t help but shake her head—she thought Helga had a point; it really was like sending a child off, just like an old mother.
Thinking about it, Lilisha couldn’t help but let out a “pfft” of laughter, which drew Eileen’s displeasure.
“Lilisha, what are you laughing at?”
“No, my lady, forgive my rudeness…”
Suddenly, Lilisha thought, perhaps her master’s deep concern for the people was a kind of motherly instinct, too!
As they spoke, a knight hurried over, saluted Eileen, and reported, “My lady, we just found a wounded noble who was swept in by the river while patrolling the riverbank.”
Eileen yawned, uninterested. “A noble? Probably got attacked by bandits. Take good care of her, let old Winston treat her, and send her on her way once she’s better.”
No need to bother her with trivial matters like this every time.
Eileen really wanted to say: I’m busy! I don’t even have time for girl time, you know!
The knight hurried off. Actually, there was one thing he didn’t mention: that noblewoman seemed to speak disrespectfully of the lady, even muttering that she’d been cursed by Eileen, which was why her regular troops had been defeated by bandits and then swept away by a freak flood—
What a completely baffling woman! Clearly, Lady Eileen was so gentle and kind!
Just look at the territory now, look at the light in the villagers’ eyes!
If that woman didn’t have royal blood, the knight would have cursed her out.
What was that about, “Ah, Eileen, the lord who saved the territory, a holy saint sent by the goddess? You’re fooling no one!”
“And I’m telling you, this woman cursed me! My bad luck is totally her fault!”
Listen to that! Was that blue-haired woman even speaking human language?