Volume 10, Chapter 50 – The Increasingly Baffling Puzzle

When Adonis woke up, it was already the next morning.

A dull pain throbbed in her head.

Adonis subconsciously pressed a hand to her forehead, struggling to sit up. Sleeping under a blanket in this eternally summer coastal city was not a pleasant feeling.

“Ugh…”

The first thing she did was check her clothes and the status of her magic items. To avoid exposing her female identity, she wore her male guise at all times, except when sleeping or bathing, when she had no choice but to take them off. As for how she handled those times, the solution was simply not to let the maids assist her.

Mm, the clothes are on. The magic items that change my voice and appearance are still working.

Adonis breathed a sigh of relief.

“Your Majesty, you’re awake.”

The maid who had been waiting by her bedside immediately stepped forward. Adonis endured the discomfort, which felt like a hangover, and nodded, her voice hoarse.

“Ah, bring me water.”

“Yes.”

Paying no mind to the departing maid, Adonis sat up and rubbed her temples, trying to recall what had happened. Her brow furrowed, and she clicked her tongue.

“I was set up.”

She hadn’t felt anything unusual when she first began controlling the Tower of Wilfred. But when she started to control the ley lines, reversing the magic flow from the sea to the land, the information fed back to her from the Tower of Alexia became chaotic. If it were just disorganized information, it would have merely taken her more time to sort through.

The problem was, this information entering her mind was not under her control. It was as if someone were using a funnel to cram food directly into her stomach; a massive volume of data, laced with negative emotions, was forcibly poured into her brain. An explosive, splitting pain instantly filled every nerve. If someone hadn’t pulled her away from the crystal, she would have gone mad in a few more minutes. Realizing this, a look of anger and unwillingness flashed across Adonis’s face.

It wasn’t that she had never tasted failure, but this feeling of falling into someone else’s trap was truly unpleasant.

“The urgent priority is to find out why this happened. Did someone go to the tower before I did and tamper with the magic inside? No, impossible. Besides me, only Schumann can control the Tower of Wilfred, but he would never betray me. And what I gave him was only usage rights, not control.”

Caressing her lip, Adonis fell into deep thought.

“The loss of control happened when I was redirecting the ley line magic toward land. Before that, whether I was using the tower to attack or just slowing the magic flow to the sea, there were no problems. In other words, the key is that the magic flow must not be reversed .”

Ruling out the possibility of the tower being tampered with, the only remaining option was that the ley lines themselves had a problem. But under natural conditions, ley lines could only become clogged or withered; they couldn’t become one-way-only. The only conclusion was that the flow of the ley lines had been tampered with.

It could only be the demons.

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“Dammit.”

She cursed under her breath. The headache returned, forcing her to press a hand to her temple to alleviate the discomfort. A heavy breath escaped her throat.

A knock came at the door.

“Your Majesty, the Prime Minister and Cardinal Yisi Enya wish to see you.”

“Let them in. I have matters to discuss with them.”

The first maid who had attended to Adonis hadn’t closed the door when she left, so the two quickly entered, accompanied by a second maid—the one who stood guard and the one who brought them in were not the same. After briefly explaining her situation, a pale Adonis got straight to the point.

“Just as I was saying, the demons must have done something to the ley lines. Bradley, where is Carl?”

“To prevent the rebel remnants and demons from causing trouble while Your Majesty was unconscious, Carl and Bayldes are currently commanding the troops. Everything is normal at present.”

“Have Carl—no, a magic caster is more appropriate for this. Order Bayldes to investigate the ley lines. If he finds any abnormalities, he is to report to me immediately.”

“Yes. What about the matter of an alliance with the Ymir Church and Fairy Land? Should we dispatch envoys to negotiate now? Given the situation, the demons have prepared in advance. If we fall further behind, the situation will likely worsen.”

“Mm, send the envoys now. But the envoy to Fairy Land must not travel by water. Have them go by land through the Cloud Sea Mountains first, then change course. The sea is no longer safe; going by water will make them bait for the demons. Also, order all fishermen and merchant ships to cease going to sea. Any violators will be dealt with according to imperial law. See to it now.”

“This subject obeys.”

Just as Bradley was about to withdraw, Adonis suddenly called him back.

“Wait. I have one more question. How many people know I fainted?”

“This…” The old face hesitated. Bradley glanced at Yisi before speaking. “Most of the generals and soldiers in the army know of it. Although this subject gave an order forbidding any discussion, too many people know. It is likely only a matter of time before it reaches everyone’s ears.”

“Tsk.”

“The situation was urgent. I could only bring you to Bradley, Adonis.”

Yisi, standing beside Bradley, spoke helplessly. When she brought the unconscious Adonis to him, there happened to be several guards present who were responsible for recording and relaying messages.

The military command knew Adonis had fainted precisely because these messengers had loose lips. However, although the news that “the Monarch fainted atop the Tower of Alexia” was sensational, its actual impact was much smaller than imagined. Her past record of leading the imperial army to victory after victory had built up enough prestige for Adonis in the army. Simply fainting wasn’t enough to cause a serious blow to morale. Rather than panicking, the people were more concerned about Adonis’s physical condition.

After a moment of silence, Adonis leaned back and let out a soft breath.

“I don’t mean to blame you, Cardinal Yisi. It’s just… rather than bringing me directly to Bradley, I would have preferred if you had taken me to my residence first, and then notified him… No, that’s asking too much. I never told you where my residence was, and you are not my subordinate. In any case, it’s good that there were no adverse consequences. The matter of cutting off the magic supply to the sea region will require more planning.”

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“Your… Your Majesty…”

As Adonis closed her eyes, tilted her head back slightly, and pressed her temples, the maid standing at a distance seemed to want to say something.

Normally, the maid’s behavior would be a gross overstep. But this maid was a servant Adonis had brought from the royal capital. Even if Adonis didn’t know her name, she recognized her face. Such an experienced maid wouldn’t be ignorant of etiquette—unless it was something that had to be said. Adonis opened her red eyes, her expression growing serious.

“Speak.”

The maid, who had thin lips and a pale complexion, stepped forward.

“Yesterday, when I was passing the kitchen, I heard people discussing Your Majesty… saying that you are actually a woman in disguise…”

“Preposterous!”

The maid’s words had barely left her mouth when Bradley roared at her, his voice loud enough to shake the ceiling. Blood rushed to his wrinkled face in anger, and his beard trembled.

If Bradley had a cane in his hand, he’d probably be beating the maid with it right now, Yisi had a feeling. In contrast, Adonis, the subject of the rumor, seemed remarkably calm, her handsome face showing a flicker of interest.

“Oh? Just a common rumor shouldn’t be enough to make you risk a lashing. Or has it already spread widely?”

Terrified by Bradley, the maid trembled all over. She not only dropped to her knees but also pressed her head firmly to the floor.

“Y-Yes. All the servants in the residence and people on the street are discussing it. Because… because you even wear clothes for your afternoon naps, not just at night. And yesterday, someone offered me money to… to check Your Majesty’s body…”

“And you agreed?”

Bradley’s eyes, fixed on the maid, were filled with coldness.

He wants to kill her.

The killing intent in his voice was unmistakable.

But this was the empire’s internal affair. Yisi had neither the right nor the reason to interfere. In any world, there was no place for a traitor bought by money. Even if she looked like a victim, it was hard to feel sympathy.

“N-No… I refused.”

“Did you, really?”

“I really did! I really refused!”

Adonis’s pressing question made the maid defend herself frantically. Although Yisi couldn’t see her expression with her forehead pressed to the floor, judging from her trembling voice, the maid was on the verge of tears.

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“Is that so? You are to be commended. Bradley, after this, finds out who hired her. Once you’ve found them, give her a reward in gold.”

“This subject will do his utmost.”

“Rumors that I’m a woman…” Getting up from the bed, Adonis walked past the kneeling maid to the mirror behind her. She sneered, as if at a funny joke. “Interesting. Even if they want to shake my rule, this pretext is a bit too clumsy. Do you know when these rumors started? How many people, and who , are saying them? Point one out, one gold coin.”

Still bowing, the maid hurriedly explained.

“It started in the last few days. I don’t know who started it, but suddenly many people were discussing Your Majesty being a woman. Saying things like… you never allow servants to attend your bath, and you always get partially dressed before letting maids in… Also, that you are… unwell… at a fixed time every month, and that you still haven’t named an Empress…”

“Hehe. It seems being too independent isn’t a good thing. Alright, I understand. You may leave. These are all meaningless rumors. Letting them continue won’t change anything.”

“Yes.”

At Adonis’s command, the pale maid rose shakily, then slowly turned and bowed to Adonis.

Then, the maid suddenly lunged forward, something in her hand, and rushed at Adonis.

An assassination?

“Hoh.”

Yisi, standing next to the maid, let out a small sound and stuck out her foot, tripping her. With a magnificent thud , the maid fell clumsily to the floor. However, she didn’t give up. Even having missed her chance, she insisted on throwing the object in her hand—likely a dinner knife—at Adonis. Unfortunately, the maid had no professional training. The knife flew wide, clattering to the floor a meter away.

“Your Majesty!” The suddenness of the event left Bradley frozen until the silver knife hit the floor. He scrambled to Adonis’s side, then viciously kicked the maid in the stomach. “Bastard!”

Although Yisi understood Bradley’s reaction was natural, she couldn’t help but look away at the dull thud of the impact. This maid was no high-level expert; she was just an ordinary person, not even level 3. That was why Yisi hadn’t noticed anything unusual about her—she was simply too weak.

As Bradley shouted, the guards outside, hearing the commotion, burst into the room. Their eyes fell on the knife on the floor and the maid curled up in a ball. Realizing what had happened, the two guards’ faces paled.

“An assassin!”

“Hah!”

One of the guards leveled his spear at the maid.

I understand you’re tense about failing your duty, but killing her here will only make things more complicated.

In a flash, Yisi grabbed the spear shaft. Adonis, who had already turned around, also gave the order to stop.

“Hold. Take her down. She’s still useful.”

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“Yes!”

Against two guards, the level 3 maid had no strength to resist and was quickly dragged away. Soon, only Adonis, Bradley, and Yisi remained.

Bradley, his breath ragged with lingering fear, panted as he gave Yisi a deep bow.

“Th-Thank you, Cardinal Yisi. If you hadn’t… hadn’t noticed in time, this would have been a disaster.”

“Assistance of that level isn’t worthy of such thanks, Lord Prime Minister. That was just an ordinary person, not even level 3, with no magic. Dealing with her was a simple matter.”

“Even so, without you, the consequences would have been unthinkable… We originally avoided using Wilfred’s servants for safety, but I never thought a traitor would appear among the maids brought from the capital. Your Majesty, please, I insist you let me handle this matter severely!”

As if confessing his sins, Bradley bowed his head and dropped to his knees.

In stark contrast to Bradley’s fear, Adonis seemed like an outside observer. She bent down, picked up the knife, and held it up to the light, squinting. Her expression was unreadable.

“Mm, I’ll leave it to you. I don’t remember that maid’s name, but I recognize her face. If I recall, the maids from the capital get meat at every meal. They shouldn’t have such a bloodless complexion. Something may have happened to her. She could have been influenced by mental magic, or perhaps coerced. In any case, Bradley, remember to take someone with [Interrogation] magic with you.”

Finding no suspicious marks on the knife, Adonis shook her head and tossed it onto a table. She then faced the mirror and tied her loose golden hair into a gallant, androgynous, low ponytail.

“Also, the source of these ‘woman’ rumors needs to be investigated. Those noble remnants trying to shake my rule wouldn’t use such a childish rumor to slander me. The fact that they specifically chose this one can only mean the person spreading it knows my true gender.”

“This subject obeys.”

Her hair tied, Adonis turned around and looked down at the kneeling Bradley.

“One last thing. The hidden enemy may be using mental magic. Even the most loyal subordinates from the past cannot be fully trusted now. Although someone under mental magic might act differently, I can’t possibly watch my servants’ expressions at all times. Therefore, from today, I am moving somewhere safer.”

“This subject will immediately prepare magic items that resist mental magic—”

Before Bradley could finish, Adonis raised a hand to stop him. She sighed and looked at Yisi with a wry smile.

“No, I was thinking I should move into your home, Cardinal. It’s protected by God-Forged Angels. They are immune to mental magic and don’t need to sleep. They are more reliable than anyone… It’s just… I may be imposing on you. That said, if you are willing to lend me one of your angels, I am willing to accept any condition you name.”

“Even I can’t just lend out Laxy and the others… They are my family, not my servants. You and I are partners now, Adonis. Having you stay at my house won’t be a bother. In fact, since your true gender is female, living at the mansion might make communication easier on various matters.” Like making her give up on Viel sooner. “…But my companions might discover your identity.”

“That’s true. But I have no choice. I will be as careful as possible. I’ll be in your care, Cardinal Yisi.”

Whether out of a sense of mischief or a small spark of happiness, Adonis lifted the non-existent sides of a skirt, bent her knees slightly, and gave Yisi a curtsey that was proper for a lady.