Chapter 60

Melfiela had just finished drawing the magic circle around the third hour of the night. She had used up all the dyes she had prepared and even consumed half of the backup dyes. The magic circle was more complex, intricate, and filled with Melfiela's kindness than any other magic circle I had ever seen. There was time for the magic circle to set on the stone floor. I excused myself from Tianlang and left the scene to Mulan, then headed towards the tent the knights had prepared for the expedition. Chaos, who had been directing various tasks, noticed me and offered me water. I took the wooden cup and drank it all at once.

"Never thought we'd be camping in our own castle's garden."

"We can't take our eyes off Tianlang, so it can't be helped. But, my lord, we are used to it, but Lady Melfiela..."

Chaos looked at the water, fruits, and light snacks he had prepared for Melfiela. They were untouched, indicating that Melfiela had not taken a break.

"I've called her a few times, but she just gives a half-hearted response. She's completely focused, like someone else I know."

Chaos looked at me meaningfully. I coughed to cover up my embarrassment. I had heard from Melfiela herself that she sometimes neglected sleep and meals when engrossed in research. I, too, had a similar tendency. However, I now understood why Chaos was being so nagging. Just as I worried about Melfiela, Chaos was worried about me. As the Duke of Galbreath, I felt a sense of responsibility, and my innate excess of magical power made me somewhat reckless.

"Don't blame me. I'm only just beginning to understand how you feel."

Seeing Melfiela so tense made me feel anxious and even a bit protective. In short, I was "worried and uneasy."

"I see. It seems my words have finally reached you, my lord. I should thank Lady Melfiela."

"Well, you've been through a lot with me."

"Hardly. My loyalty is to you, so it's only natural."

"Take a break yourself. I'll bring Melfiela over."

Chaos bowed respectfully and said, "Excuse me," before going to fetch some snacks. Under the light of the magic lamp, Melfiela was checking the dryness of the magic circle with the castle's mages. Sensing that this would be a long process, I decided to force Melfiela to take a break.

"Melfi, take a break now."

"Your Grace..."

When I patted her shoulder, Melfiela looked up and averted her eyes awkwardly. It seemed she was aware of her state.

"Do you like fruit water? If you're hungry, there are also fruit pastries and grain porridge made with Bergenion soup."

"I'll have the fruit water. I'm sorry..."

"If you collapse, it won't help anyone."

"Yes."

I led Melfiela back to the tent and had her sit on a soft, long chair I had brought from the castle. I then made a fruit water with plenty of sweet Nam fruits, poured it into a glass, and handed it to Melfiela.

"Nam fruits are a taste of autumn in Galbreath. They're delicious."

"Thank you... Ah, it's fizzy."

Melfiela took the glass and drank the fruit water, swallowing it in gulps. She didn't look too pale, and her condition seemed fine. I sighed in relief and sat next to her.

"Do you want more?"

"No, I'm fine. But... I'm a bit hungry."

It was good that she had an appetite. She was blushing and pressing her stomach, looking embarrassed. I arranged the light snacks I had prepared for Melfiela and encouraged her to eat as much as she wanted. She immediately picked up the grain porridge made with Bergenion.

"Can I have this by myself?"

"Don't be shy. The knights and mages here eat whenever they can. Once the magic circle is activated, you won't be able to move from that spot, right?"

"Yes. I don't know the method to extract only the magical power from a living magical beast, so I have to make fine adjustments while drawing a small amount of blood."

Melfiela took a spoonful of the porridge and smiled, saying, "It's delicious." Watching her, I felt my own stomach growl. I started eating the steamed Monigal yams and Bergenion meatballs, occasionally glancing at Tianlang, who was growling.

"Melfi."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I can't be of more help to you."

"What... What do you mean?"

Melfiela looked confused. Because of my excess magical power, I was particularly skilled in high-power magic. A small error wouldn't be a problem if I didn't involve the knights. Also, since we didn't need to capture the magical beasts alive, it was better to use high-power magic to quickly eliminate them, which would cause less fatigue.

Now, in Galbreath, only Melfiela and I could use ancient magic. I regretted not studying more about ancient magic when I was in the royal capital. Due to my high magical power, the success rate of spells that required continuous fine adjustments was low, and I hadn't been enthusiastic about practicing them.

"I have endless magical power and firepower, but I'm not good at such delicate magic."

"That's not true. Because you're here, I can focus on the treatment."

"You're reliable. But don't push yourself too hard. If the extracted magical poison harms you, I'll stop immediately."

Melfiela gripped the empty bowl tightly with both hands, her movements stopping, perhaps due to tension.

"Melfiela, this magic circle won't affect you, right?"

"Yes. The magical poison from Tianlang will all be absorbed into the cloudy crystal. However, since the blood can only be drawn a little at a time, it's unknown how long it will take to return to normal magical power."

"You don't have to keep chanting the entire time. Once you figure out the amount of blood to draw, you can use that device, right?"

This morning, I watched Melfiela experiment with extracting magical poison from a Bergenion corpse in the room I had given her. At that time, the magic circle was activated using the magical power in the cloudy crystal, even when Melfiela wasn't chanting. The device was prepared, and she intended to use it if everything went smoothly.

"Hehe, you see everything, my lord. It's difficult to keep chanting the spell, so I plan to use the magical power of Bergenion."

"Well, the birds are the culprits. We'll make the most of them."

I threw a Bergenion meatball into my mouth, and Melfiela, looking solemn, did the same. Despite their appearance, the Bergenions provided delicious meat, but they had to pay for their madness, chasing us and attacking Tianlang's cubs, which enraged their parents.

"Still, it's unbelievable that we could gather such a complete set of materials in such a short time. I never thought we'd get the dyes."

"Midleague is the same, but the fortresses and their towns need protective barriers. Many knights are skilled in magic, and there's even a street lined with magic item shops here."

Hearing about the magic item shops, Melfiela's face lit up. She would definitely want to visit. I also thought about taking her to Gaeo's forge, and decided to visit the town below the castle once this incident was resolved.

(Winter is coming. If I can find some time, I'll call the mages from the fortresses.)

Especially in spring and autumn, when magical beasts become more active and the attack rate increases, the mages of Galbreath, though not on the front lines like the knights, are a group of fierce and eccentric individuals. I was sure at least one of them would be interested in ancient magic. Additionally, the leaders of the fortresses were scheduled to visit. If Melfiela successfully treated Tianlang, it would silence the leaders who had already shown resistance. I could push through my decision, but if Melfiela could gain their recognition through her own strength, it would prevent future problems.

We prepared ourselves and gathered Chaos, the knights, and the mages to give them instructions. Of course, Melfiela was the key.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, everything is ready!"

"Blanche, stay with Melfiela. Mages, provide as much assistance as possible."

I had instructed Blanche to intervene if Melfiela showed any signs of trouble. Being of the same type as me, Melfiela would definitely push herself too hard. I took Melfiela's hand and squeezed it gently.

"Melfiela."

"Yes!"

"Remember, if you feel any strain, stop the treatment. Even with the first-generation pact, if Tianlang turns against Galbreath, I won't show mercy."

"Understood."

"You are already a part of Galbreath. And..."

I knelt on one knee and brought Melfiela's hand to my forehead.

"I value you more than Tianlang. Don't forget that."