Chapter 147

The entire Council of Elders?

I feigned complete composure as I spoke.

“Is that so? Alright. Tell them to wait.”

“…A-Aren’t you going right away?”

“I can’t go like this, can I?”

“But the elders will be waiting for a very long time…”

“They showed up at this hour without an appointment. They should be prepared to endure that much.”

“…Understood.”

I deliberately took my time getting ready.

Instead of using a cleansing scroll, I took a long bath and put on a freshly laundered uniform.

By the time I was finished, nearly two hours had passed.

When I leisurely entered the drawing room, seven elders were seated around the sofa. Every single one of them glared at me, their faces filled with rage.

I smiled brightly.

“Good morning. I am Astell Ruthius, the Guild Master of Guardian.”

No one returned my greeting. An uncomfortable silence followed before Elder Maga spoke up on their behalf.

“Guild Master Astell, did you not hear that we had arrived?”

“I did.”

“Then to show up so late, isn’t that incredibly rude?”

“You barged in this early in the morning without an appointment, so I assumed you weren’t concerned with etiquette… Was I mistaken?”

“A-Ahem!”

Elder Maga cleared his throat, looking embarrassed.

The other elders also looked a bit sheepish. It seemed they knew their actions had been discourteous.

“My apologies if you were offended.”

I offered the leisurely apology and sat down across from the elders. Seven pairs of eyes shot daggers at me.

“I’m curious as to what brings you here at such an early hour.”

Elder Maga gestured with his eyes toward the firmly shut drawing room door and asked.

“Your companions… when will they be arriving?”

“My companions will not be coming.”

“Hmm? May I ask why?”

“I am the Guild Master of Guardian. Is there really a need to bring along other guild members? Ah, unless you had business with my companions?”

“Our business is indeed with you, Guild Master Astell, but…”

Elder Maga trailed off, running a hand through his hair. He seemed flustered, as if he hadn’t anticipated this situation.

“I apologize, but I would appreciate it if you would summon your companions. I insist.”

“Hmm… Very well.”

I called for my companions. A short while later, Dante and Johan arrived in the drawing room, followed by Kaiel, who was wearing a robe.

“That person who just entered last. Could you ask them to remove their robe?”

I glanced at Kaiel. His face was hidden, the hood pulled down low.

“And why should he do that?”

“Could you not consider it a way to solidify our mutual trust? I must insist.”

They barge in unannounced, demand I bring my companions, and now they want him to reveal his face because they can’t trust him?

I simply could not overlook their rudeness.

“A request like that—”

The moment I opened my mouth, Kaiel called to me in a low voice.

“Princess, it’s alright.”

With that, he slowly pushed back his hood. His gray hair and ashen eyes were revealed in the bright morning sunlight.

“Gasp!”

“H-How can this be…”

“So it was true?”

“Good heavens…”

A commotion erupted among the elders.

They gasped, covered their mouths in shock—it was absolute chaos. They were all staring at Kaiel as if he were some kind of monster.

Maga, who had been studying Kaiel as if to burn his image into his memory, spoke again.

“I will now inform you of the council’s decision regarding the establishment of a branch.”

“Yes, please do.”

“We, the Council of Elders of Akron, have decided to accept all your terms.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“However, there is a condition.”

Elder Maga’s voice grew stern.

“You must hand over one of your companions to us.”

I feigned ignorance.

“And who might that be?”

“That would be…”

Before Elder Maga could finish, one of the other elders shouted.

“We mean that bastard over there!”

It was an old woman who had been biting her red lips throughout my conversation with Elder Maga.

“That bastard? I’m afraid there’s no one in my party with that name.”

“Don’t play dumb when you know full well! The one standing at the end! Kanir Pantena!”

“Ah, you mean Sir Kaiel. I don’t understand why you’re demanding we hand him over.”

“Because that bastard is of the bloodline of the cursed traitor, Riffenshart, and the arch-traitor who freed the slaves!”

“…!”

Kaiel was of Riffenshart’s bloodline?

I knew Kaiel hadn’t told me the whole truth yesterday. But I never imagined it was a piece of information this significant…

The old woman laughed hysterically, pointing a finger at Kaiel.

“I heard he changed his identity as soon as he crossed over to Taikan and even snatched the title of Master of the Magic Tower. As if that could hide his filthy slave blood.”

The legendary slave who, some seven years ago, left behind the formula to nullify the restraining devices while escaping the slave quarters.

That was Kaiel.

The elders of Akron cursed Kaiel even more than they did Riffenshart. It was because he was the mastermind who had shaken the very foundation of their nation—the system of slavery.

They had tried everything to capture him, but it seemed they’d lost track of him after Kaiel laundered his identity.

‘I suppose they never would have guessed that a fugitive would have the audacity to become the Master of the Magic Tower… So that’s why Kaiel always wore a robe.’

But yesterday, he had revealed his face to Elder Maga. Though he’d made it seem like an accident, it was clearly planned.

I studied Kaiel carefully. His expression was blank, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

‘Why didn’t he refuse?’

When I first proposed he accompany me to Akron, I did sense some reluctance. But I’d assumed it was simply because he was from Akron.

But in the end, Kaiel had agreed. Even though he was an escaped slave from Akron who had helped other slaves escape as well.

I didn’t have to ask to know how miserable his life as a slave must have been. If it were me, I wouldn’t have even wanted to look in Akron’s direction. And yet, Kaiel had followed me.

In other words, there was something he wanted badly enough to brave the danger. He was, after all, a man who moved purely based on profit.

‘Did he get a quest or something?’

Elder Maga patted the old woman’s shoulder to calm her.

“Elder Hakra, calm yourself. We’ve found him now, haven’t we? That’s enough.”

“When I think of the losses we’ve suffered because of that slave… tearing him limb from limb wouldn’t be enough to satisfy me.”

Elder Maga nodded as if in understanding. Then he sighed and said.

“We were unable to operate the mana stone mines for some time. The losses were not insignificant. As you know, mana stones are our main source of income.”

“What do you plan to do with Sir Kaiel?”

The old woman, who had just seemed to be calming down, shot a glare.

“We’ll make an example of him and take his head! We’ll show the slaves exactly what happens when they try to escape!”

I ignored the old woman and asked Maga.

“Elder Maga, what about the mining method I mentioned yesterday?”

“I did consider it… but the shop is too chaotic to search for the formula, is it not? And there’s no telling when we might find it… So, we decided to go with replenishing the slave population.”

So they plan to kill Kaiel to instill fear in the new slaves, ensuring they never dare to escape.

“Have you even tried looking for the formula in the shop?”

“…No, we have not.”

“So you’re saying that searching for a formula you aren’t even sure exists is too troublesome and difficult, so you’ve simply chosen the easy and convenient path.”

“Don’t you think you’re oversimplifying things? We cannot lead a nation based on an uncertain method!”

Maga protested, his face flushing. I had heard enough and stood up.

“Let’s consider the negotiations void. It’s regrettable.”

“Ah, Guild Master Astell?”

I turned to my companions, feeling the gazes of all the elders upon me.

“Shall we head home now? We’ll be leaving immediately, so please get ready. Sir Kaiel?”

“Yes.”

Contrary to my worries, Kaiel didn’t seem particularly intimidated. He just stood there rigidly, his face still an unreadable mask.

“Given the atmosphere, I doubt they’ll let us use their teleportation circle. It looks like you’ll have to be responsible for getting us out of here, Sir Kaiel.”

Just as I was about to lead my companions out, Elder Maga shouted hastily.

“Guild Master Astell! Think rationally! You get a branch in Akron just by handing over one person! Are you really going to forsake such immense profit, swayed by mere sentiment?”

I thought only Kaiel was cold and calculating, but it seems to be a trait common to all mages.

“You seem to be under some misunderstanding. Sir Kaiel is not my property. How can I negotiate with someone who asks me to hand over something I cannot give away?”

I stared coldly at Elder Maga and continued.

“Elder, I presented you with a much more efficient method. And yet, the Council of Elders of Akron, blinded by immediate gain, has chosen poison. I have no desire to join hands with those who could crumble at any moment.”

“C-Crumble? What do you mean by that?”

“I guarantee you, the slaves will escape again. Just as a volcano will erupt no matter how you try to plug the crater.”

A sense of unease spread among the elders. They could foresee it too.

But they probably think it’ll be fine as long as they can get through their own tenures as elders. Foolish mages.

“Until now, the slaves have only escaped quietly. But don’t you think they might one day gather their comrades and decide to overthrow the Council of Elders? That day doesn’t seem very far off.”

“…!”

Among Akron’s slaves were many dark mages.

For dark mages, whose offensive power far surpassed that of white mages, seizing control of the Council of Elders would not be a difficult task.

They simply chose not to because there was little to gain from it, but it was something they could do anytime they set their minds to it.

“W-Wait a moment, Guild Master Astell, let’s talk about this…!”

“Elder Maga! Stop it! Why should we grovel when we have nothing to lose? Enough! Let’s just catch that slave bastard before he escapes!”

Elder Maga, greatly flustered, tried to stop the old woman.

“E-Elder Hakra… Guild Master Astell is the number one ranked Hunter. She is not someone who can be easily subdued.”

“How would you know without trying?”

“Elder Hakra is right! Elder Maga, are you scared? Why are you being so weak?”

It seemed Elder Maga was the only Hunter among the elders. That would explain why they couldn’t gauge my strength.

‘At this rate, I’m going to end up fighting seven old people…’

Dante propped his chin on his hand and let out a deep sigh.

“How much longer do we have to listen to this nonsense? It’s so loud my head hurts.”

“Those aren’t pleasant words to hear. Lady Astell, let’s just go back.”

“Princess, I will activate the teleportation magic.”

Should I? There was no need to clash with these old people.

Just then, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed from outside the drawing room, and the door burst open.

“Elders! A gate has opened!”