Chapter 14 : Chapter 14
Chapter 14.
“This time, it was thanks to you.”
Her voice was soft, and her gaze was utterly frank.
Without Logaris West, she really might have died here today.
Logaris West did not even open his eyes.
The corner of his lips curved upward as he said in a half-joking tone, “Good that you know that. This time I was dragged down miserably by you. A dignified academy professor ended up coming here to act as your bodyguard. Mental distress compensation, lost work fees, hazard pay… calculate it yourself. How much do you think that should be?”
“When we get to the Northern Territory, arranging a dukedom for me would not be too much to ask, would it?”
The softness in Sylvia’s eyes vanished instantly.
This man really did know how to ruin the mood at all times.
“Hmph.”
She rolled her eyes at him irritably.
“You really start panting the moment I call you fat, do you? Give you a dukedom? Why not ask me to hand over the throne too?”
Only then did Logaris West open his eyes.
He adjusted his glasses and said lazily, “That is not impossible either, but managing a country is too troublesome. I have no interest in it.”
“You—!”
……
The Magitech Train crossed the wasteland, its wheels grinding against the tracks with a steady rhythmic sound.
Inside the carriage, Logaris West sat by the window with an old book in his hands.
Sylvia sat on the sofa opposite him, flipping through documents concerning the Northern Territory.
Lilith was curled up in the corner with a bleak expression.
She felt that she was truly unlucky.
One job had cost her her entire life.
“Oh, right.”
Logaris West suddenly spoke.
“I have another task for you.”
Lilith’s whole body stiffened.
“Write a report about your physique, and make it as detailed as possible.”
“When did it awaken, what special circumstances were there at the time of awakening, what inconveniences does it cause you in daily life, and what do you personally think of this ability? Write all of it down.”
Lilith’s face fell.
“My lord, I… I cannot write!”
“Then learn.”
Logaris West’s tone was flat.
“I am giving you three days. If you cannot write it, I will deduct your food money.”
“Huh?”
Lilith’s eyes widened.
“My lord, you cannot do this! I am still a sixth-tier combatant, and this is all you are feeding me?”
She pointed at the hard bread and plain water on the table.
“You want meat?”
Logaris West finally raised his head to look at her.
“Finish the report first, then we can talk.”
Lilith: “……”
Sylvia turned her head away, suppressing a laugh.
Logaris West lowered his head again, but his attention was not on the book.
His mental force sank into the Book of Prophecy in his arms.
The pages turned, and new content appeared.
So it refreshes about once every ten days, Logaris West thought.
“Three days after the princess arrives at Frosthold Fortress, seven Northern Territory nobles will flee with their entire families in panic.”
Below that were seven clear names.
Logaris West swept his gaze over them and committed them to memory.
He closed the book and raised his head.
“I need a list of the Northern Territory nobles.”
Sylvia looked up at him.
“Why are you suddenly asking about that?”
“I want to examine the power structure of the Northern Territory.”
Logaris West’s voice was calm.
“Are your grandfather’s old subordinates still here? Have your two brothers interfered? These things are very important.”
Sylvia fell silent for a few seconds, then took out a document from her Spatial Ring and handed it to him.
Logaris West accepted it and flipped through it quickly.
A few minutes later, Logaris West pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote down ten names.
“These people are problematic.”
Sylvia frowned as she took the note and scanned it.
“How do you know?”
“Divination.”
Logaris West adjusted his glasses and answered casually.
Sylvia stared at him for several seconds, suspicion in her eyes.
“I do not remember your divination being this powerful.”
“I have been researching it recently.”
Logaris West did not change expression in the slightest.
“I made some new discoveries.”
Though Sylvia did not understand, she still nodded.
“I will have the Shadow Guard investigate.”
Logaris West withdrew his gaze and looked back out the window.
***
Three hours later, the train slowly entered the station at Frosthold Fortress.
On the platform, a unit of soldiers in black military uniforms had already lined up in formation.
The man leading them was in his fifties.
His back was ramrod straight, and his face was covered with the marks of wind and frost.
An old scar ran over his left eye, from brow to cheek.
He was none other than Victor, the former Chief of Staff of the Northern Legion.
The train came to a stop, and the doors opened.
Sylvia stepped out first, followed by Logaris West and Lilith.
Victor strode forward and dropped to one knee.
“Your Highness, you have finally arrived!”
Sylvia stepped forward and helped him up.
“Staff Officer Victor, you have worked hard.”
Victor rose to his feet and looked Sylvia over.
Only after seeing that she was unharmed did he let out a sigh of relief.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duke… has been waiting for you all this time.”
Sylvia’s expression stiffened for a moment, then she nodded.
“I know. I will go see Grandfather as soon as possible.”
Only then did Victor notice Logaris West standing behind Sylvia.
He sized up the young man.
Seeing that he looked refined and scholarly, Victor gave him a polite nod.
“You must be Her Highness' adviser. Welcome to the Northern Territory.”
Logaris West adjusted his glasses and did not answer.
His mental force had already spread out and was scanning the surroundings.
So this was Frosthold Fortress, the capital of the Northern Territory.
But even as a regional capital, it was far inferior to Silverglow City.
The city walls were old and broken.
The streets were narrow.
There were very few magical lamps, and many places were still illuminated by torches.
The corner of Logaris West’s mouth twitched.
What a truly “vibrant and thriving” place…
“Your Highness, your residence has been prepared,” Victor said respectfully.
“Please come with me.”
Sylvia nodded and was just about to follow when she noticed the nobles waiting on the platform.
Their expressions varied.
A few older nobles were delighted, clearly former subordinates of her grandfather.
More of them wore complicated expressions.
Some were sizing her up.
Some were whispering quietly among themselves.
A few others had pale faces and evasive eyes, looking deeply uneasy.
Sylvia swept her gaze across them and memorized their appearances.
Logaris West noticed them as well.
He silently checked the crests on their clothing one by one.
The seven nobles who were supposed to flee were all here now.
Logaris West followed behind Sylvia toward the carriage.
A faint smile rose at the corner of his lips.
This time, he wanted to see exactly where these people thought they could run.
***
The carriage moved through the streets of Frosthold Fortress.
Low stone houses lined both sides of the road.
There were few people on the streets, and most of them were wrapped in thick fur coats and walked quickly.
“The Northern Territory is even poorer than I imagined.”
Sylvia withdrew her gaze and looked at Logaris West, who sat opposite her with his eyes closed.
In a slightly testing tone, she asked, “Professor Logaris West, what do you think?”
Without even lifting his eyelids, Logaris West replied in a flat voice, “I am not your adviser, Your Highness. I came to the Northern Territory for my own research.”
“Is that so?”
A faint smile tugged at Sylvia’s lips.
“I thought certain people had followed me because they were afraid I would make a mess of the Northern Territory and delay the funding for their research.”
Only then did Logaris West open his eyes.
His expression was calm as he let out a soft snort.
“For the sake of the fact that you are still a qualified investor, I will offer you a few pointers.”
Sylvia raised a brow and made a gesture for him to continue.
“People’s livelihoods are the foundation.”
“My suggestion is to prioritize raising the basic level of education and increasing agricultural output first.”
Logaris West adjusted his glasses.
“As for Magitech equipment, I already have a complete process prepared. You only need to carry out a few trivial reforms, and it can be integrated seamlessly.”
Sylvia was stunned for a few seconds, then smiled.
“Understood, my great mage.”
The carriage came to a stop in front of the ducal manor.
It was a grand residence, but its age was obvious.
The walls were mottled, and the carvings had faded.
It no longer looked as glorious as it once had.
Sylvia stepped out of the carriage and stood before the manor gates, taking a deep breath.
“Let us go.”
She turned her head to look at Logaris West.
“To meet my grandfather.”
Logaris West nodded and followed her.
Lilith trailed after them at the very back, carrying a pile of luggage.
Watching the interaction between the two in front of her, she silently crossed out the note in her mind that read “bad relationship, constant mutual sarcasm,” and replaced it with “strange relationship, further observation required.”