That forest, every time I see it, it's amazing."
〈It's not something a wizard like you would say.〉
To Lor's answer, Diarin said, "That's true," and nodded her head.
"But this distortion of space is so novel."
Diarin wanted to go down to the Castle's Great Hall on the first floor right away, open the door, get out of the garden, and walk slowly as if she was taking a walk to arrive at a huge forest.
But the actual 'real' location of this forest was a long way from the castle.
Even so, it seemed to be closely attached to the garden of the castle.
It wasn't just optical illusion magic, but actually powerful space distortion magic was applied.
So it was really possible to go back and forth to that forest through sponsorship.
A northern icy forest with thick coniferous trees.
In the deepest part of the forest, there is a Hydrological Gem. The seal of the floodgate that was created by Akir's founder after intense labor, the still unsealed gate.
"Ol."
Diarin suddenly became curious.
"What does the floodgate look like?"
〈Well? I've never seen it. Same goes for Lor.〉
"You've never seen it?"
〈Because the Celestial Dragon died, we didn't have much time before we returned to being a Soul Stone.〉
"Why does that matter? Wasn't the Akir Empire's founder the one that summoned you?"
〈It was the Celestial Dragon.〉
〈It was the Celestial Dragon.〉
"Huh?"
Diarin felt questioned and asked back,
"The Celestial Dragon? But is it known that the founder of Akir summoned all the Divine Beasts?"
〈It was the Celestial Dragon that summoned the Red Tide.〉
〈The Celestial Dragon's love for the founder was so deep that they gave us to the founder.〉
At the unexpected truth, Diarin opened her eyes wide.
"Won't this story turn upside down when it's revealed?"
"Then the other divine beasts were also summoned by the Celestial Dragon, not the founder?"
〈I don't know if that's true.〉
〈Because we were the last divine beasts summoned. When we were summoned it didn't last long, it seemed like a fleeting moment.〉
"⋯⋯."
The Red Tide was peaceful while saying something that could shake the entire foundation of the Akir Empire.
Diarin thought that it would be really bad if this story spilled anywhere, Ol whispered inaudible to Diarin.
〈So the Master is really special?〉
It was a whisper that couldn't be heard at all in Diarin's ear.
〈The master swallowed us alone.〉
〈That expression is a bit strange, Ol. It is right to say that he imprinted it alone.〉
〈Oh, of course.〉
Ol corrected it lightly and laughed.
〈You imprinted by yourself, Master is great!〉
The short conversation between the two of them was quickly erased. At that moment, Diarin asked Lor,
"What do you think, Lor? Are there many monsters in that forest?"
〈It has a lot of magic. I think I'll go crazy when the moon rises completely.〉
"Can you eat it all?"
Lor replied softly.
〈Of course.〉
"Great."
It was the next day.
Diarin opened her eyes to rustling.
Shay was filling the magic stove with the stone. Diarin looked out the window as usual with a glance, but the curtain was closed so meticulously that it was impossible to tell the time. It was as if Shay had rearranged what Diarin had left behind after returning from the original forest.
Originally in Concel's, the maid opened the curtains, so by doing this, you could tell the time right away. Diarin stood up swallowing a bitter smile.
"Oh my, lady? Did you wake up because of me?"
"No, I'm thirsty."
"Ah! I'll give you morning tea."
It seems that Shay also brought a teapot and cup. Diarin, who sat on the bed and drank moderately cold tea, blinked.
"Shay?"
"Yes?"
"Can you put a clock in the bedroom?"
"A clock? Just tell me what time you want to wake up and I'll wake you up."
"Ah⋯⋯."
Diarin slightly scratched her cheek.
That's actually the way common nobles worked. There isn't a clock in any bedroom. It was up to the people who worked in the place to check the time and wake them up.
Of course, this was not the case for Diarin. So she asked for a clock, but Shay widened her eyes.
'I think this happened when I first came to the North Gate Castle.'
Well, at that time, the situation at the North Gate Castle was not good, so there wasn't an exclusive maid like Shay. Since there were no noble women staying in the castle, there was no reason to hire an exclusive maid with a high salary.
Of course, they hired temporary maids to take care of the castle's chores, but they were really temporary. They were maids commuting to and from their homes outside the castle.
At the time, Baron Dublen was very embarrassed by that fact. So he said that he would hire a very good exclusive maid as soon as possible.
'Because soon I went back to Concel's Territory. It was fuzzy,'
Diarin said that it would be nice to have a clock, since she has a habit of looking at it. Shay replied that he would know without being shocked anymore.
"I will bring breakfast to bed. Do you like omelettes?"
"I like it with tomato sauce."
"I'll bring a bunch of grilled bacon too. The young lady has a pale complexion, so she should eat more nutritious food, or you might catch a cold."
Shay laughed softly.
The tray she brought was full of hot food. Little by little, Diarin tore a piece of white bread and ate a stew made with soft cheese, when I heard a knock on the door.
"Lady Concel. Can I come in for a moment?"
It was Baron Dublen. He just got a call from Ezet.
"My servant said, you can choose an escort knight yourself, did anyone have this in mind?"
"You want me to choose?"
"Yes, that's what I wrote down."
"Is that what Ezet said?"
"Yes."
"Without any other restrictions?"
"Yes, there isn't."
"What if I choose the head of the knights?"
Baron Dublen's face hardened slightly.
'Look at that. You're looking at me like a cockroach again.'
I just wanted to bring a mirror and show his expression to himself. Baron Dublen said with a stiff face.
"If that's what my lady has commanded, then it must be done. So, would you like to become the commander of the Tetban Knights?"
Diarin chuckled.
"You should know how to take jokes as jokes. If I said I would use the captain as my escort, would the knights here stand still? They're going to kill me with their eyes."
Ol, who had been listening quietly, intervened.
"Did my master joke? Why? As my master, you should choose someone at that level, right?"
〈The captain level is not enough.〉
〈Ah! My thoughts were short. Then how about using the prince as your escort?〉
〈That's okay.〉
'What do you mean that's okay?'
Anyway, these divine beasts were out of their minds, perhaps because they had learned nothing. Later, Ezet will be the owner of the Four Season Tower, and even the emperor of Akir was talking about using him as a footstool.
Anyway, there was a man that Diarin had already thought of before coming down to the Northern Gate Territory, or even before visiting Ezet.
"If I choose an escort, can I call them right away?"
"If the lady wants, then yes."
"It's good. Then I would like to have Kyle Dmitry as my escort. Also, please tell him to come as soon as possible."
"Right now?"
Baron Dublen frowned slightly.
For reputation reasons, you said you're okay with the captain, but you're going to use the vice-captain as an escort?
Besides that, you want to call him right now?
There is no reason to call in such a hurry.
The floodgates are not battlefields. It's not very dangerous except when the floodgates are opened regularly or when monsters appear irregularly.
Two years ago, Diarin, who stayed in the Northern Gate Estate for more than half of the winter, must have been well aware of this common sense.
'I don't know what you're thinking.'
"What?"
A woman with short silver hair frowned.
"Is that woman back in the castle?"
"It's not that woman, it's Lady Concel."
Limoud calmly corrected it, but it was useless.
"Don't call her by that title, 'lady'! Where's your conscience? I heard they abandoned us and went back to Concel's. But now you're sitting in the castle again? Are you out of your mind?"
Dillis Oan.
The one who went to the bottom of the floodgate with Ezet and Limoud. She was also the wizard of the North Gate Territory, who transcended to fourth-class in just two years.
Not only the Four Seasons Tower, but also countless magicians from the Empire were excited to meet her. Even the emperor of Akir knows her name.
As a celebrity, she was very angry.
"Why did she come back?"
"Because she's Ezet's fiancée and a black swan imprint."
Limoud was best friends with Dillis.
After wandering the floodgate for two years with Ezet and returning alive, their relationship was deeper than the family's blood ties.
However, Limoud did not speak frankly about Diarin and Ezet's contract. It was a different matter from deep friendship.
"You said you allowed that?"
"Yes."
"Is it because you're obsessed with her?"
"That… I don't think that's it."
It's probably because Diarin wants to completely end the engagement involving Duke Concel. Dillis glared at Limoud, who answered honestly.
What were you thinking about that?