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Volume 5 Chapter 1 Part 8

Some have even crossed the sea and escaped to Haman, unable to endure the harsh plunder and toil they have been subjected to.

And now the entirety of Haman was terrified of an attack by the Nords who have settled in Stark.

「What should I do? 」

Haman’s Queen Edochia looked sweetly at her new contracted Mage. She is a female Mage with gorgeous blonde hair.

「With all due respect, I have already investigated the situation in our country. 」

Laura Hadley replied quietly.

When Castle Unicorn fell, Laura took the poison given to her by Helga and intended to kill herself. However, the drug was only meant to temporarily put her in a state of suspended animation. When she came back to her senses, she was in a carriage with Helga on her way to Elam.

「By taking that poison, you took responsibility for the defeat. You managed to survive for so long, so you should cherish the life that life of yours instead of throwing it away. As long as you are alive, many more things will definitely come your way. 」

Helga called out to the confused Laura.

But even after she went back to Elam, Laura felt like she didn’t belong there.

She was not treated coldly.

The Hadley family is a prestigious family that produced many members of the Sages Committee, and both her father and mother are Mages who also graduated from the Magic University just like she did. Laura’s parents were overjoyed to see that she has returned home safely, and wanted to put her up for a job with one of the Mages Association’s executive agencies, however, Laura herself was no longer willing to accept the situation.

As a rare pure-blood even in the Mages Association, Laura has been treated as a special person since the days of her enrollment at Magic Academy. Ever since he was a baby, she received special education, and her grades were always at the top of the class.

Laura was reluctant at first when she caught the attention of Vilar Constance and was forced to become his contracted Mage. At that time the nickname 「Lustful Earl[ had firmly stuck onto him, and she was feeling a strong sense of aversion towards being involved in anything that was even remotely related to war

But when she started to actually serve him, she found out that Vilar was actually a Lord who was worthy of respect. And now Laura felt a great sense of loss because she let Vilar die when she was acting as his Head Mage

That’s when she heard that Haman’s Queen Edochia was searching for a new contracted Mage for herself.

Haman is in a tough situation right now, so no Mage wanted to sign a contract with her, so Laura seized the opportunity and volunteered herself to make a contract with Queen Edochia. Her family and her parents were against it, but even so, Laura’s feelings didn’t change.

Arriving in Haman, she felt that he has finally found the place where she could belong. She believed that protecting this country was Vilar’s last wish for her.

「Our country lost the 「Palace of the Sea」in the last battle. Now we have naval power at all, and our coastal defense system is not perfect. 」

With Artuk and Dartania in control of the sea, Haman did not have to worry about attacks from the sea. However, the Artuk navy was annihilated, and Dartania became a member of the Factory Alliance. And then there was also the fleet of the Ocean King and his Nords.

「And? 」

Edochia nodded her head. It was an expression as if he was asking for something. All her gestures thus far have been tailored to appeal to men, so right now she probably wanted Laura to say something more. But Laura is a woman.

「In other words, there is nothing we can do about it now. 」

Laura replied coldly.

「Isn’t it a Mage supposed to do something about it? 」

「If you want a Mage who can work miracles, you need to look for someone else. 」

「I would, but you know what? There was no Mage other than you who wanted to make a contract with me. 」

Edochia said resentfully.

「Yes, I am aware. 」

Laura bowed her head lightly.

「So since I can’t make miracles happen, can I try dealing with our problems in a more realistic fashion? 」

「I’ll leave it to you then. 」

Edochia turned away from Laura as if she was sulking.

「Then, send a decree to the coastal villages that all their possessions should be packed in boxes, barrels, etc., and piled up at the edge of the seaside villages… 」

「Isn’t that like asking for them to be taken away by the enemies? 」

Edochia was surprised and looked back at Laura.

「Exactly. 」

Laura nodded.

「If they’re going to be attacked, everything will be taken first, so In that case yes, it’s the same as giving it to the enemy, but it also prevents villages from being attacked directly. 」

「Maybe the enemies will attack the villages after they finish stealing the goods from the crates though? 」

「That possibility cannot be denied. At that time, the Lords and their soldiers will have no choice but to fight. The people of Nord are not afraid to die, but they do not dislike being alive either, right? After that, it would be foolish to risk one’s life for no actual reward, so in time, they should develop a habit of only stealing treasures from the crates and bringing them back with them. 」

「And what happens to villages that will lose all their property? 」

「You will need to give them what they need and promise them exemption from taxes for several years. Fortunately, Haman’s treasury seems to be rich enough to make it happen. 」

The previous contracted Mage of Edochia seemed to be quite talented, and while satisfying Edochia’s material desires, he collected only treasures that were easy to convert into money. Essentially, he was hoarding them, not wasting them. If they were to call any merchant from Elam now, they would be ready and willing to do business with them while rubbing their hands together.

「No! 」

Edochia shook her head violently.

「I adore everything that is being kept here! These are all mementos that my lovers have chosen for me! 」

「That’s the most important thing. Even if the actual item is gone, the memory will remain… 」

「Do you actually want me to be left naked?! 」

Edochia stared at Laura with resentful eyes.

「Yes, or rather, I want you to dispose of all expensive clothes. 」

Laura answered clearly.

「If you lose the battle, you will lose all your property, title, and life. I think the most important thing now is to prevent that for as long as possible. 」

「I don’t want to die. And those people still have children… 」

Edochia sighed.

「Hey, is my naked body still attractive? 」

Since she was being questioned, Laura bluntly looked at Edochia’s body. She was over 40 years of age now, so her body was beginning to become loose, and yet many men were still attracted to her mature physique.

「Even from my point of view, you’re extremely attractive. 」

Laura answers with a straight face.

「I see… 」

Edochia smiled mysteriously.

「Then let me see whether those words are actually true or not. 」

「Huh? 」

Not knowing what exactly Edochia means with what she just said, Laura was greatly perplexed.

「You know why I am called The Immoral Queen, right? 」

At that moment, Laura’s face turned bright red, because she realized where Edochia’s intentions were going with this.

When she became Vilar’s contracted Mage, she was actually prepared for doing the same kind of thing with him. However, contrary to the rumors about him, Vilar did not allow any women to get too close to him.

(It’s just like Helga said. There are many things in life.)

Only three days later, a Nord fleet led by Ulrika landed in Haman.

Ulrika, the daughter of Nord’ king Eric, led a fleet of about 100 ships to Haman in response to Marine’s dispatch request.

The reinforcements dispatched from her home country in the previous battle have already returned. On the north side of the continent, Kurt Gallas, Earl of Leclerc, leads an army in the disputed areas of Ranford and Vanberg.

He also used the momentum that he gained he created the joint forces together with Sandromere, as well as established a resistance movement which was rebelling against the Nords on the small continent of Bretland, which the Nords were targeting with the intention of turning it into their colony.