Please Provide Compensation Through Divorce-Chapter 18

Personnel decisions are never easy, especially when choosing someone close to the royal family. The relationship with the Great Temple must also be considered.

An idea came to mind. There was a talented person right beside me. Someone with great ability but currently unemployed.

“Could I recommend someone?”

“You? Who?”

“Someone skilled and of the right age. Someone who values loyalty and can get along well with the knights.”

“Is there such a person?”

Leto showed interest.

“However, he’s a mage.”

He immediately shook his head.

“Not Sean.”

“Why not?”

“Are you trying to find a job for your brother?”

“It’s not just for Sean.”

Just before the 'War of the Goddess,’ the Great Temple bribed the mages. As a result, the mages all died at the hands of Meril. And among them were Sean and Louis.

I must prevent that.

The best way to do that now is to bring both of them to Leto’s side.

“Mages are essentially neutral territory.”

“Neutral territory, huh?”

“So, it wouldn’t hurt to secure them. There’s no guarantee that neutrality will last forever.”

Leto would understand what I meant. The mages could end up siding with the High Priest.

“Isolation isn’t good, Your Majesty.”

But he shook his head.

“It’s a good thought, but the guard issue is different. Even if we set aside Sean’s personality, bringing in a mage would cause a lot of resistance from the knights.”

“I see...”

I gazed out the window helplessly. A sigh escaped me. It’s hard. I desperately wanted to save them both.

Leto, who had been watching me, spoke up.

“But.”

But?

“I’ll consider it.”

“Really?”

“I’m not promising anything. I’m saying I’ll give him the right to participate in the selection process. If there’s too much internal opposition, I can’t accept him.”

Even that was a blessing. Knowing Sean’s personality well, I couldn’t complain if he was completely rejected.

I reached out and grabbed Leto’s hand.

“Your Majesty. You must keep that promise.”

Leto looked down at our hands. Then at me.

He slowly rotated his wrist. My hand naturally fell into his.

He pulled me slightly. I leaned forward. He also bent forward to face me.

Close. My face reflected in his eyes.

“I don’t understand.”

“What?”

“You hold my hand without knowing what I might do?”

Didn’t he grab my hand more often?

“You’re teasing again.”

“What if I’m not joking? Will you really run away?”

Run away? Was he referring to what I said on the night of the consummation?

He seemed serious when he said that. I stared at him.

Is he testing me again? If not, how much of this is genuine?

At that moment, the carriage stopped. I took the opportunity to withdraw my hand.

The captain of the guard spoke from outside the window.

“We’ve arrived, Your Majesty.”

The High Priest was drinking in his office. It was still daytime, but no one would dare criticize him.

The Orléans affair was unfortunate. As Dante said, it could have been a good source of income.

“Still, it wasn’t the worst outcome. At least he was dealt with before he could reveal anything.”

Dante had handled the matter cleanly. The box and the poisoned needle had returned to the High Priest. These were some of the reasons he valued Dante.

An attendant entered the room.

“Your Grace. A guest has arrived.”

“Bring them in.”

A woman in a black robe with a deep hood entered. She looked dirty and impoverished. The High Priest frowned.

“Elisana, was it? You’re a dark mage?”

She nodded. The High Priest already knew about her.

Elisana Lusi. She was a mage recently expelled from the guild.

‘They say she absorbed forbidden magic stones to increase her power. A disgrace to mages. She’s not welcome anywhere.’

Unless she was born into a noble family. As a commoner mage, she had nowhere to work without the guild.

“I have a request for you. Of course, I will pay you.”

The High Priest took out five gold coins. Her eyes gleamed from beneath the hood.

“This should let you live comfortably for a few years.”

“What do you want?”

Her voice was rough, as if she hadn’t drunk water for days.

“A man and a woman left for the ‘Forest of the Mage’ today.”

“……”

“You don’t need to know who they are. Just find out what they’re doing there.”

The High Priest had learned the news only that morning. The Emperor and Empress were going on an outing to the ‘Forest of the Mage.’

It was strange. Why the ‘Forest of the Mage’ of all places? And they even got permission to enter? There must be another purpose.

So, he urgently found someone. Someone strong, yet expendable.

Elisana seemed more useful than expected. Especially those sharp eyes.

‘They say failure to absorb forbidden magic stones results in death. I like that she’s not in her right mind.’

The High Priest grinned.

“Can you do it?”

A withered hand reached out from the robe. It swept the gold coins into her sleeve.

“There’s an additional task.”

The High Priest took out ten more gold coins.

“If possible, kill them.”

It was literally ‘if possible.’

Threatening the Emperor was nearly impossible. Still, the High Priest had some hope for Elisana.

The Emperor and Empress would become a great threat someday. His intuition told him so.

He placed the coins on the table.

Clink, clink—

The coins also disappeared into her sleeve.

The entrance to the forest was blocked by a large iron gate. The captain of the guard presented the gatekeepers with a pass. The pass bore the seal of the Guild Master.

The gatekeepers knelt.

“We greet the Emperor and Empress.”

We got out of the carriage. Leto spoke to them directly.

“Rise. As you know, I intend to pass through this gate with the Empress.”

“We will open it for you. But as promised, the knights must stay behind.”

“We’ll take the carriage. The lady is with us. Is that acceptable?”

“May we inspect the carriage?”

“How dare you!”

The captain of the guard roared. His massive presence was intimidating. The gatekeepers trembled. Leto raised his hand to stop the captain.

“It’s fine. Do as you must.”

The gatekeepers hurriedly inspected the carriage. They seemed to be checking for hidden passengers.

“It’s done. We will open the gate.”

Creak—

The rusty iron gate made an unpleasant sound. As rumored, it was a place even mages rarely visited.

“The guards will wait here.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Leto offered his hand.

“I’ll need to sit in the driver’s seat. Can you sit with me?”

“Of course.”

I took his hand and climbed into the driver’s seat. He skillfully took the reins.

“Hyah.”

We entered the forest. The sound of the gate closing echoed behind us.

We had one day to explore. During that time, no one else could enter the forest.

The forest was dark and damp. The dense undergrowth made it hard for the horse to move.

“It feels eerie.”

“There’s not much time. We need to find it quickly.”

“The ‘Forest of the Mage’ is divided into three main areas: trees, herbs, and seaweed.”

I took out the compass I had prepared. It pointed northwest.

“I think we should head that way to reach the herb area.”

“How do you know that?”

“I did some research. I also asked Sean. The herbs are planted according to their size, so we have a limited area to search.”

“What’s the size of the herb we’re looking for?”

“It’s neither big nor small. About knee-high.”

“That’s vague. This will be tough.”

I was worried too. If it were smaller or larger, it would be easier to find.

Leto glanced at my face. Then he lightly patted my head.

“You did well to find this out. Is there anything else I need to know? Like its appearance?”

“Well…”

I took out a folded piece of paper from my pocket. It was the indigo sketch I had painstakingly drawn last night.

‘Should I show him this?’

“What is it?”

Leto snatched the paper.

“Wait…”

I tried to take it back. But Leto was quicker. He opened the paper and frowned.

“Is this supposed to be a plant?”

“…I’m not very good at drawing.”

This is why I didn’t want to show it. I’ve always been terrible at art since I was a child.

Leto pressed his lips together. I could tell he was holding back laughter. It would be less embarrassing if he just laughed outright.

“Anyway, if you see anything that looks like it, let me know. Got it?”

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“Alright. It won’t be easy, but I’ll try.”

“You’re subtly mocking me.”

“Boldly saying it’s poorly drawn.”

‘Forget it. I won’t say anything.’

Soon, we got off the carriage. The path was lined with herbs. No, it was overflowing with them. It seemed endless.

It was awe-inspiring and overwhelming at the same time.

“No wonder they say it’s imbued with the mage’s spirit. This forest was created by human hands.”

“Mages are often eccentric. But aren’t you cold?”

He looked at my outfit. It was indeed chilly in the forest.

“I’ll be fine. I might even get hot from moving around.”

“If you’re cold, tell me right away. Don’t just say you’re fine.”

“I will.”

We pushed through the undergrowth, checking the shapes of the plants we passed.

After a while, I spoke to him.

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Why do you dislike Sean and Louis so much?”

Leto chuckled.

“Is that what you’re curious about?”

“Yes.”

Leto values people’s abilities highly. Even more than their character. In that sense, Sean and Louis are valuable assets. Yet, he keeps his distance.

“I don’t dislike them.”

“Really? Then Sean—”

I was about to ask him to treat Sean better. But Leto added,

“However, there are times I want to kill them.”

What on earth does he mean by that?