My Slain Dragon Bride

Chapter 269. The Winds of Change

After the establishment of Hestia Village, its first official Harvest Festival was held.

Since it was a land with insufficient farmland, the festival was organized to reflect the village’s unique character, drawing on the various regions from which its harvests actually came.

People from the hot Southern Region and people from the cold Northern Region.

Merchants from all over the world who had come alongside adventurers in search of new dreams.

It was held on a global scale that would have been impossible for a village of this size.

The Harvest Festival became more than simply an autumn festival. It established itself as an important occasion that allowed the residents of Hestia Village to understand one another and strengthen their bonds.

’Hestia is a city of adventure.’

As a city built to conquer the Far East, it was designed to accommodate a large number of adventurers.

Thanks to continuous promotion and noticeable achievements, adventurers continued to flow into the city.

At the same time, the amount of money being invested in and earned by the village had begun to increase noticeably.

The amount of money circulating was enormous, but almost all of it was generated outside the village itself.

In other words, if the adventurers disappeared, it would not be strange for Hestia to go bankrupt at any moment.

’We need more foundations.’

As Regent, the most important thing for Ferda was to ensure that money flowed inward.

The first thing he chose for that purpose was Magitech Engineering.

Magitech Engineering was the most important industry for opening a new era.

Knowing what that era would bring, Ferda had secured the Mana Stones, the most important resource for it.

’It’s not making much money yet.’

Regardless, they were an important resource for the future. The problem was that they did not generate much money right now.

Even if you had an incredibly powerful card, having only one card put you at a disadvantage in negotiations.

Once that card was placed on the table, the game was over. Therefore, Hestia needed new technologies to ensure its prosperity.

’The most promising one was the mana-powered automobile.’

As the eras progressed, mana-powered automobiles would become commonplace, and the transportation industry would grow tremendously.

Stephan had noticed this fact early on and attempted to join forces with Escolleia, eventually succeeding.

Ferda did not get greedy.

Stephan needed a carrot, and above all, he desperately needed something that would strengthen the confidence that served as the foundation of his bold judgment.

More importantly, Ferda also knew about the next important item.

’Glass.’

Just as Isabella had shown a subtle reaction when she saw Ferda’s business plan, the others reacted similarly.

Glass was originally a delicate matter that had to be handled with care.

Even if it could be mass-produced, transportation was difficult, and one mistake could ruin everything. With the cost of transportation exceeding the value of the product itself, it was the worst possible commodity for merchants.

If Ferda himself had not made the decision, the shareholders would have rejected the proposal without hesitation.

However, the story changed after they recruited one person.

His name was Eduard.

He was an ordinary third-rate alchemist who had failed to distinguish himself in Escolleia.

By chance, he discovered that glass bottles containing solutions did not break.

But, being a third-rate alchemist, he never even considered that this discovery could be worth money.

Just as he was about to hastily write a report about unbreakable glass, Ferda recruited him, and the resulting discovery was sold for a relatively cheap price.

Eduard never realized until the very end that he was holding the key card that would convince the shareholders.

It was not simply a glass factory.

It was a factory capable of producing reinforced glass.

Furthermore, as mana-powered automobiles attracted attention, the quality of transportation would also improve, making it an extremely valuable product.

And so, they succeeded in extracting a massive amount of investment and donations.

’Well, it wasn’t only because of that.’

Ferda had expected the persuasion to succeed, but the amount they collected far exceeded even his expectations.

Glass alone was not enough to justify such a huge sum.

Ferda knew the reason.

’Gáe Bolg.’

A grenade that destabilized Mana Stones.

It was not merely pure mana released to immobilize monsters. It was a high-powered bomb that erased its target through sheer pressure.

Not only did it overwhelm the gunpowder bombs used for mining, but it was also comparable to the high-powered bombs produced exclusively through the dwarves’ special mixtures.

The military industry had always handled enormous amounts of money, regardless of the era.

At present, Ferda was in a position where he could command overwhelming support no matter what he said.

KUUUUNG!

An explosion sounded from outside the castle.

Smoke slowly rose from an open field beyond the boundary of the Far East.

An open field had been created inside the boundary, while construction of a huge mansion was also visibly underway.

At a glance, it was large enough to be mistaken for the mansion of a Count or higher.

However, it was both the residence of the chief researcher, Vernel, and a research institute.

’Who would have thought he’d say he wanted to become independent.’

Vernel, whose natural calling was to shut himself away in some tiny room, had been the one to say first that he wanted to leave the safety of the castle.

For Ferda, who knew Vernel’s personality well, it was a refreshing shock, but it also made sense.

That, too, was a problem caused by Gáe Bolg.

Gáe Bolg was a woman who was so devoted to bombs and engineering that she was called the Godmother of Crime.

Whatever she wanted, she absolutely did.

If someone tried to stop her, she would find a way to do it anyway.

Whenever that woman released her urge to kill Vernel Marquis once a week, the entire castle would be turned upside down.

Even Vernel, whose personality made him oblivious to everything around him whenever he was absorbed in research, could not help but fear the dragon’s inferno.

Of course, Valdrova would consider such a thing nothing more than a minor problem and pay no attention to it.

The truly frightening one was not the dragon, but the Dragon Spawn beneath her.

Luri had begun feeling an urge to break Gáe Bolg’s neck.

Apparently, the intensity of it was extraordinary—so much so that people said it was even worse than Penelope.

That alone said everything.

Ferda naturally gave his permission.

As Vernel’s scale continued to grow, the scale of his future research would grow as well.

Eventually, it would become so enormous that even this spacious castle would no longer be able to accommodate it.

Hestia Village was changing like that.

But it was not only the village where they lived that was changing.

"An Imperial Direct Command Unit knight has arrived."

The knight politely bowed and handed over a letter.

The sender was Olivia.

A woman sending a letter to an unrelated man who already had someone waiting for him could officially mean only one thing: business.

Ferda opened the letter and read it.

"Hmm..."

The contents were quite shocking.

As he continued reading, Ferda touched the Communication Crystal Orb.

He contacted Olivia, and the call connected before the connection tone could even sound.

—It seems the letter arrived safely?

Olivia’s voice sounded as though she had been waiting for him.

"Is this true?"

—Yes, it is. Why? Did you think I wouldn’t be able to do it?

"Rather than that, it feels too sudden."

There was no way Ferda could feel otherwise about the contents of Olivia’s letter.

It stated that Olivia had officially been recognized as a Saintess after holding a meeting with the clergy of the Alte Religion.

To be recognized as a Saintess, one needed to reach the Fifth Circle.

Since Ferda knew what it felt like to reach the Fifth Circle, he could not help but be surprised by Olivia’s current state.

—You don’t believe that I’ve reached the Fifth Enlightenment?

"To be honest, no."

—Oh my, you’re such an honestly heartless man.

Olivia giggled.

—That’s right. I haven’t reached the Fifth Enlightenment.

"Then how..."

—As you already know, the Empire’s political situation is a complete mess.

An unseen storm of blood was raging within the Golden Council.

Alexander, who had become poisonous, and Grand Duke Golt, whose teeth were gradually falling out.

When two enormous beasts fought underwater, it was inevitable that the shrimp caught in between would get crushed.

Surprisingly, that shrimp included the once-powerful Alte Religion.

’Their influence weakened considerably after the Doppler incident.’

Who could have realized that the Archbishop himself had been Doppler?

When faith is shaken within a religion built upon faith, it is like watching a nation collapse.

That was why they intended to use Olivia, who carried the blood of the Imperial Family, as a means of restoring public trust by making her the next Saintess.

However, the nobles who held the existing power did not want the Alte Religion to rise again.

Above all, Grand Duke Golt’s opposition was the strongest.

It was already an open secret that he harbored feelings toward Olivia, who had been designated as the next Saintess.

"So you decided to make a bold move. By selecting the Saintess now."

- Yes.

"How is that even possible?"

- It was simpler than you might think.

Although Olivia possessed the qualities of someone who served God, court life had become an enormous shackle around her.

Therefore, they argued that in order to become a Saintess, she needed to move her residence to the Grand Cathedral and live closer to God.

However, there were complicated requirements that had to be met before she could move into the Grand Cathedral.

The way around those requirements was to have her elected as the Saintess.

Although she did not meet the current standards, the Alte Religion believed that through her Golden Bloodline and a lifestyle that brought her closer to God, she would be more than capable of reaching the Fifth Enlightenment.

"That’s quite the scheme."

- Exactly. It is a scheme. But that scheme worked this time, didn’t it?

She was the most respected person among those bearing the name Arken.

Even when she did nothing, people revered her. The fact that she was willing to step down from that position and personally care for her subjects was practically equivalent to reforming the Alte Religion.

If she became the most trusted clergy member of the Alte Religion and came to represent the religion, it would bring them one step closer to their dream of bringing down the Empire.

—I really hope the Regent can attend.

"Me?"

—Yes.

Olivia’s voice softened.

—Because you’re my benefactor, Regent.

"I haven’t done anything."

—Please don’t say that. I was able to reach this position because of you, Lord Ferda. If I had been alone, what happened would have been absolutely impossible.

Those words were not merely something she said.

They were the truth.

The Olivia Ferda had first seen had been nothing more than a rose growing old inside a greenhouse.

If he had never crossed paths with Olivia and worked together with her to overcome everything they had faced, he would never have been able to imagine her becoming a Saintess.

—Please attend. No, you must attend. I don’t think I can compromise on this one.

She spoke gently, but firmly.

"All right."

Ferda accepted her proposal.

—You’re really coming?

"Yes. This is an event where Her Highness the Princess is taking a major step toward her plan. I have no reason not to attend."

—.....

"Princess?"

—...Ah, I’m sorry. A maid came in for a moment and handed me something.

Despite her explanation, Ferda could hear excitement in her voice.

After catching her breath, she continued.

—The ceremony will take place at the Grand Cathedral one month from now. I’ll ask them to prepare a seat for the Regent.

"I’d appreciate that."

—Yes. Then I hope to see you there.

Olivia’s voice was filled with excitement when the call ended.

It was only natural.

She was approaching a moment she had been unable to achieve throughout her entire life.

’Autumn is the wind of change...’

A line from a poem suddenly came to Ferda’s mind.

The construction of the glass factory.

Vernel becoming independent.

And Olivia officially becoming a Saintess.

All of them had begun in this autumn.

Things that were bound to explode someday had simply exploded now.

It was nothing more than a coincidence that it happened in autumn.

That was all he needed to think.

Knock, knock.

"I’ll come in, Regent."

Dark skin and silver hair.

Garnet, the head of the Shadow Division, came to see Ferda with a troubled expression.

It was strange to see the word troubled written so clearly across her face when she normally delivered even major news as though it were nothing important.

"What’s going on?"

"More accurately, I would say something is about to happen."

Garnet relayed the contents of the telegram exactly as she had received it.

"Do you know the Emperor of the Arken Empire, Godfrey Arken?"

Ferda knew him well.

A man who, at some point, had pushed affairs of state to the back of his mind and shut himself away in his bedchamber.

A man who refused to appear in public as though everything was a bother to him, yet stubbornly refused to hand the throne over to the Crown Prince.

And when Ferda had first arrived, he had personally knelt before him, desperately trying to continue his political life.

"We have received information that the Emperor has now left his bedchamber."

Autumn was the wind of change.

Everything changes.

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