“Don’t apologize. These memories will stay with me forever. Besides, it wouldn’t have felt like our honeymoon if everything had gone according to plan.”
“You’re right about that,” Sir Osvalt laughed. “Okay, let’s get going.”
He flashed me a cheerful smile. I grabbed his hand and we started to make our way back.
I didn’t mind that our honeymoon was a little unconventional. It was ours, and that was what mattered.
Those were my true and honest thoughts.
As long as I can walk by your side, it doesn’t matter where we go. The warmth I carry inside my heart will always be there.
“Lady Philia! Are those the blueprints for the magic tool you were talking about? I’ve never made a magic tool before, so it’d be marvelous to help you.”
It was the day after we returned to our mansion. By early afternoon, I’d finished the blueprints, and I was now showing them to Grace.
After studying the stone tablet, I finally grasped the mechanisms necessary for the mana-stabilizing device. It was the key to restoring order in the Volcanic Miasma Zone.
“Still, I didn’t expect the plans to be so extensive. You’ve given me ten pages, crammed full of diagrams… I’ll really have to apply myself!”
“Oh, no, that’s just the first part. The full plans are ten times as long.”
“Wh-what?! Ten times?! Y-you did all that in less than a day? You never fail to outdo yourself, Lady Philia!”
“You don’t have to compliment me,” I said, rebuffing Grace’s incredulous praise.
We needed to stabilize mana over a wide area, so the device would have to be quite large. I wasn’t surprised that the blueprints had turned out to be far more extensive than anything I’d produced before.
“Are you sure it’s all right for you to stay here?” I asked Grace.
“That shan’t be a problem. I sent a letter to my father, telling him I’d be training in Parnacorta for a while.”
“I see. In that case, I’ll accept your kind offer of assistance.”
Even if Grace lacked experience in making magic tools, she knew quite a lot about ancient rituals, and her grasp of mana was impossible to fault.
“Yes! Whatever you need, I’m at your service!”
“Oh, Grace. You really are something,” I said. “Well, let’s start with the basics of tool design.”
As widely read as Grace was, jumping straight to building a large-scale magic tool would be a challenge. I planned to start by having her create simpler equipment, to help her get used to the process.
“I understand. Are you sure about this, though? If coaching me takes up a lot of your time, won’t I be more of a hindrance than a help?”
“Don’t worry about that. We can’t begin construction until we get our hands on enough magic ore, anyway.”
If we wanted to build this magic tool, we needed twice the magic ore that could be found in all of Parnacorta. Until we got the necessary materials, the blueprints were useless. In the meantime, I could teach Grace the basics.
At that moment, Himari returned from the palace.
“Lady Philia, my brother has joined Prince Osvalt’s staff, under strict conditions.”
“I’m relieved to hear that he’s safe and well, Himari.”
“W-well… Yes. I can’t find the words to express my gratitude for His Highness’s and your magnanimity.”
Sir Osvalt must have succeeded at winning the king and Prince Reichardt over. I’d pondered over possible strategies on our way back from Haruya’s hideout, but he hadn’t once asked for my advice. He must have been determined to take full responsibility for his decision.
“I’m surprised that Prince Reichardt was willing to pardon him, let alone His Majesty. I was sure they’d take longer to convince. What were the conditions?”
“Haruya has promised to supply the necessary magic ore within the next month. Prince Reichardt weighed the benefits for the country and agreed to formally endorse Haruya as His Highness’s attendant, provided he kept that promise.”
To provide such a huge quantity of magic ore in only one month was an incredible pledge to make. What if he failed to fulfill his promise?
“If he breaks his promise, he will, as a matter of course, be punished. If it comes to that, then I…”
“I know you’ll stick by him. Still, I really wish you—”
“I do apologize. I’m not prepared to lose my brother again.”
“Himari…”
“Even so, you need not worry. I’m confident my brother will fulfill his promise. I could tell from the look in his eyes.”
Himari smiled, grabbed my hands, and gave me a nod. The look on her face told me just how much she trusted him. Something must have passed between them that only she, his sister, could pick up on.
“I’ll wait for him with full confidence,” I said.
“I appreciate that. He has already left. He should be collecting the magic ore as we speak, accompanied by the chaperons that Prince Reichardt provided for him.”
Of course Haruya wouldn’t want to waste any time. Collecting all that magic ore in a month was sure to be a painstaking task. I prayed to the gods for his success.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Prince Reichardt was way too accommodating. I can hardly believe he gave me a whole month.”
“H-Haruya? You still have two weeks left. Don’t tell me you already…”
“I’m glad I tested my luck and asked for an extended window. I got the job done with plenty of time to spare. Anyway, thank you for waiting so patiently. Here’s the magic ore you ordered.”