Please Provide Compensation Through Divorce-Chapter 16

Why would you give me such a precious thing?

Based on my research, you need funds for your business. Aren't you planning a fur business?

Yes, but...

Do you know what the most important thing in noble business is?

Well...

'Reputation.' Nobles care more about who they buy from and how they buy it than what they actually purchase.

It was a plausible argument.

And this powder will bring you that 'reputation.' So, what do you think?

But why are you giving me this opportunity?

No particular reason. Firstly, it's the will of the Goddess. Secondly, pure goodwill. Thirdly, a bit of favor in return.

The favor meant money, of course. Orang accepted his proposal, agreeing to share a portion of his business income.

'I trusted the High Priest and went along with this, only to be put on display with mere rock powder?'

Orang's jaw trembled with rage.

'Yes. Tomorrow, I'll tell the Emperor everything. It was all the High Priest's doing. I can't take the fall for this!'

"Baron Orang."

"Wh-who's there?"

A shadow approached from the dim light outside the cell. Orang recognized him.

"You... the Chief Priest?"

Dante looked down at Orang with pity.

"Did the High Priest send you? Did he say he'd save me?"

"..."

"I can't last another day here. I'll die before the Emperor can do anything. Please, get me out of here."

"Yes. I understand how you feel."

Dante knelt and smiled sweetly.

"The High Priest sent this for you."

He handed over a small wooden box. Orang grabbed it eagerly.

"What is this?"

"He called it a gift. Something that will get you out of this prison."

"A gift?"

Orang looked up, but Dante was already gone.

He opened the box without thinking. At that moment...

Swoosh.

Something flew from the box and embedded itself in his neck.

"Ugh?"

Orang touched his stinging neck. He felt something small and sharp.

"This is..."

It was a very fine needle. But Orang never saw it. His breath had already ceased.

I slept in late for the first time in a while. Maybe because it was the night after the conjugal night, no one woke me.

Come to think of it, the bed felt empty. Leto had fallen asleep beside me.

I called Lady Marais and asked,

"When did His Majesty leave?"

"He left at dawn."

"So early?"

"Well..."

Lady Marais hesitated.

"I didn't want to tell you as soon as you woke up... but Baron Orang was found dead in the underground prison last night."

"...Baron Orang?"

"Yes. The message came urgently at dawn, and His Majesty went there immediately."

"I see."

So the High Priest acted first.

"How did he die? It wasn't suicide, was it?"

"No, it seems to be murder. I don't know the details."

Leto must have put a lot of effort into the interrogation. And now, it was all for nothing.

After breakfast, I headed to the office. Just as I was about to start my work, my eyes kept glancing at the side door.

'Is he in his office now?'

Not that my presence would help, but I was concerned.

I knocked on the side door and opened it. Leto was sitting at his desk. He asked, as usual,

"Surprising to see you using that door."

"I heard about Baron Orang. They said he was murdered."

"That's right. News travels fast."

He signed a document. The pen nib scratched the paper with a sharp sound.

'He handles stress through work. We are alike.'

Leto opened another document without a break. I put my hand on it.

"You should rest a bit."

He looked at me and smiled, lifting my hand to kiss it.

"If I sit still, I feel twisted inside."

He looked back at the document. So, I put my hand on it again.

"Even so, you should rest. Even for a moment."

I knew from experience that venting stress through work wasn't good, especially for mental health.

Leto finally placed his pen on the stand. He shrugged his shoulders and stood up.

"Alright. I'll listen."

We sat side by side on the sofa. He turned towards me, resting his arm on the backrest and his head on his hand.

His clothes and hair were slightly disheveled. Clearly, he had been dealing with the Orang matter since dawn.

Good. Now to talk.

"How did he die?"

"It's not a pleasant story for a lady."

"I'll find out eventually."

"...It seems to be poison. There was a small wound on his neck, like he was pricked by a needle."

"The guards saw nothing?"

"Unfortunately, no. The investigation will continue."

"Poison is still a type of medicine, hard to come by."

"It must be someone with considerable power."

So, it was the High Priest. And he used a very skilled subordinate.

"I don’t seem to have any way to help."

"You've already helped a lot. Don't worry about it."

"The investigation will continue, right?"

"Of course. Orang's death complicates things, but we won't cover it up."

He acted as if everything was normal.

As capricious as he seemed, he was still the Emperor. He tried to bear the pain alone in critical moments.

I reached out and touched his collar. He flinched.

I buttoned his undone buttons and straightened his collar. I even tidied his slightly messy hair.

"To give you strength."

As I said this and withdrew my hand, he pressed his cheek against it.

‘For some reason… it's hard to pull my hand away.’

He closed his eyes and whispered,

"Yes. It’s a great comfort."

The only mage guild in the Set Empire, Fantasia.

Guild Master Luminous was making tea in his room. He was a large man with a thick beard.

Knock, knock.

At the sound of the knock, Luminous called out expectantly,

"Come in!"

The door opened. It was Louis Matrion.

"Welcome. Long time no see."

"How have you been?"

The two shook hands and embraced. Luminous guided Louis to the sofa and offered him tea.

The tea was bitter and sour, made from wild herbs found only in the northern monster zone.

"This tea brings back memories."

"When you were making a name for yourself in the guild?"

"Still as sharp-tongued as ever."

"Oh, pardon me, I forgot my manners in front of the noble marquis."

The two were old friends. They had attended the royal academy together and worked at the guild after graduation.

They knew that one of them—Louis, Sean, or Luminous—would become the guild master. They were the best mages in the empire.

"I heard you had a fight with Sean?"

Louis brought it up casually.

"What's wrong with that guy?"

"Sean's always been like that."

"Is he crazy, getting the new recruits drunk? It's not the time for seniority games. Do you know how hard I had to work to keep those kids from quitting?"

"Yes, yes. Sean was wrong. And you did well to handle it."

Louis gently placated Luminous, who was just as hot-tempered as Sean.

"Sorry, but I can't stand your twin brother."

Luminous drank his tea like it was alcohol and refilled his cup.

"He wanted to get to know the new recruits."

"Who doesn't know that? The problem is he causes trouble. He doesn’t realize he's a mage."

Louis decided not to argue further. He knew it wouldn’t work. Instead, he decided to get to the main point.

"Luminous. I'm here today about a royal matter."

"The royal family? The Emperor?"

Luminous asked cautiously. Mages generally kept their distance from the royals. And the temple, too.

And one more thing: Luminous didn’t like Leto.

"Yes. The Emperor and Empress want to visit the ‘Forest of the Mage.’"

"The ‘Forest of the Mage’? Why there?"

"They're looking for a plant."

"Suddenly interested in plants?"

"I can't give you all the details, but it's for the good of the empire. You can use me as a guarantor if you like."

"Hmm... Alright, that aside, just the two of them, no mages?"

"No. Just the two of them and a minimum number of knights."

"No."

Luminous flatly refused.

"The ‘Forest of the Mage’ is our sanctuary. We barely let royals in, let alone knights. Even for you, that's a no."

"So, just the royals are okay?"

"...Better than letting knights in."

'Oh.'

Louis was inwardly impressed.

Yesterday afternoon, Leto called Louis. He explained the situation and added this.

Say it's you, me, and the knights.

Knights too? That's pushing it.

Yes. It's a stretch.

At first, Louis didn’t understand. Then Leto explained step by step.

The guild master needs to save face. So, at least once, he'll refuse to preserve his pride. Right?

So the knights were never really...

There's no need for knights. I'm going.

It was a clever way to use the mages' pride against them. From Louis’s perspective, it seemed almost arrogant.

"Royals only... Fine. No choice."

Luminous added sternly,

"But no knights. Tell the Emperor clearly. Guild Master Luminous said absolutely no knights."

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"...Alright. I'll relay the message."

Louis chuckled.

'The Emperor won.'

And Luminous didn’t even realize it.

‘I used to think he didn’t care about his wife. But since Rivia's resurrection, he’s certainly changed. He's becoming quite the Emperor.’