“So if you hear ringing in your ears, you must stop immediately. That’s the first symptom.”

“There’s a second one too?”

“The blood vessels in your eyes will burst. After that, your hands and feet will feel like they’re burning, and then your heart will stop.”

Estella could feel Luka’s hand trembling as it gripped her arm. She immediately clasped his hand firmly, looked him straight in the eyes, and smiled as she spoke.

“Luka, I’ll stop the moment I hear ringing. So don’t worry. I’m going to live thousands of years with you.”

“Humans can’t even live a hundred years, you idiot.”

When Gerard snapped at her with irritation, Estella glared at him fiercely.

“I—I meant be careful. I only said it because I was worried. B-but why did you bring this here?”

Gerard’s gaze, wandering in the air, landed again on the mana core rolling on the tray like a bead. Two of the three had already disappeared into Estella’s and Ciel’s mouths. She had brought the last one here…… surely not for him?

“I’m not eating it.”

Gerard flatly refused, waving his hand. Aside from being skinny, he was thoroughly satisfied with his current state. Even if he were to gain greater mana capacity, what good would it do?

Truthfully, Gerard’s interests and talents leaned far more toward science than magic, and above all, he knew better than anyone what he actually enjoyed. Something he would hardly use would only give him a headache.

“It’s not for you.”

Watching him gulp down bowls of kimchi soup in his imagination all by himself, Estella answered, dumbfounded.

“Then what? Don’t tell me…… Luka?”

But Estella couldn’t answer carelessly.

After hearing Gerard’s explanation, she realized it seemed far too dangerous to feed to Luka.

Perhaps mistaking her silence for agreement, Gerard flared up and shouted.

“No way!”

“Yes, please!”

Gerard’s objection and Luka’s eager reply burst out at the same time.

Gerard, afraid Luka might pop it into his mouth in curiosity, snatched it up in a flash and tucked it into one of the many pockets in his vest.

“You can’t. You’re far too young to eat something like this.”

He even wagged his index finger stiffly as he spoke, and Luka looked to Estella with a disappointed expression. His eyes were plainly pleading for help, but Estella thought Gerard must have another reason for being this adamant.

“Is it bad for a child?”

“I’ll put it simply, so both of you listen well. If you force two gears of different diameter and width to mesh and turn together, what do you think happens?”

“The smaller gear would spin faster.”

“Right. And the imbalance in rotational force would make the small gear’s teeth wear down or risk twisting and snapping the shaft entirely.”

Like model students in class, Luka and Estella stared intently at Gerard and nodded.

“In other words, Luka’s mana core, not yet fully developed, could be damaged. And once damaged, a mana core cannot recover—you’d live your whole life with distorted mana circulation. You might think it wouldn’t matter if he never became a mage, but no. The destruction of a mana core leads to collapse of the body’s entire ether flow. And when that happens?”

“He could die.”

Estella said it calmly, and Gerard exhaled a deep sigh, nodding.

“So if you truly want to feed it to Luka, wait until after his mana core completes at sixteen. Until then, I’ll keep it safe.”

“All right. Thank you.”

The thought of what might have happened without Gerard chilled Estella to the bone. She had almost poisoned her precious Luka with her own hands.

She shuddered and pulled Luka into a tight embrace.

At that moment—

“It’s still six years until I turn sixteen. Then, Mage, are you promising not to leave Wintfall until then?”

At Luka’s bright-eyed question, Gerard’s face crumpled all at once as he muttered.

“Damn this household!”

The reinforcements dispatched from Wintfall arrived in Dunnwon ten days after Estella had left.

Ciel, who had thought it would take at least a month considering the various preparations—two or three months at the latest—was stunned when the troops arrived as swiftly as beans roasted on a lightning fire.

The force that reached Dunnwon consisted of thirty soldiers, three knights, and one senior knight to command and oversee them.

Ciel explained the village’s situation to the senior knight, introduced Chief Oldrick, and then began preparing to depart. When news spread that Ciel’s company would be leaving, the chief and several villagers came to the inn.

“We owe you so much, Captain.”

“It is I who owe you. Thanks to you, I was able to rest well for the first time in a long while.”

When the chief bowed deeply in gratitude, Ciel quickly pulled him up and answered.

“Rest, you say? You worked every single day without a break.”

Ciel and the mercenary band had helped repair the damaged parts of the village and worked the fields together with the villagers. Along the way, they had grown close. Especially the chief’s six-year-old grandson, Aaron, who adored Ciel. When he heard Ciel was leaving, he cried so much since morning that his eyes were swollen red and puffy.

Ciel scooped up Aaron, who was clutching his grandfather’s hand and sniffling, and lifted him high. Aaron wrapped his arms tightly around Ciel’s neck, sobbing miserably.

“Uncle, can’t you stay? Live with us, please? Yes?”

Ciel gently rubbed the boy’s small, fragile back with his broad palm and answered.

“Listen to your grandfather, and grow strong. You said you want to be a great mercenary, didn’t you?”

“……Yes. Hhic.”

Even as his shoulders shook with sobs, Aaron managed a brave answer. He thought he couldn’t become a courageous, admirable mercenary like Uncle Ciel if he kept being such a crybaby. But no matter how he steeled himself, the tears wouldn’t stop flowing.

“When I come back, I’ll check how much you’ve grown, and how strong you’ve become.”

“You’ll come back?”

Aaron’s eyes went wide. He had thought he would never see him again once he left—just like his mother and father, who had left the village and never returned.

“Of course. I’ll come every year on your birthday.”

“Really?”

“So you must promise to grow brave and strong. When I return, don’t be frail or giving your grandfather trouble.”

“Yes! I’ll be waiting bravely!”

It felt certain to Aaron that Uncle Ciel would keep his promise. As he wiped away the lingering tears in his eyes, a faint but happy smile spread across his face.

With the villagers seeing them off, Ciel’s company rode out of the village. The moment they left the gates, they spurred their horses to full gallop.

In front of the people, Ciel had looked reluctant, turning back several times and waving. But once they were out of sight, he rode on without hesitation. Kyle, Airi, and Bruno shook their heads in disbelief at the change—but the smiles on their own faces were brighter than ever. It was no small joy to know they had a place to return to.

Once the sale of the Nevrion steel swords began in earnest, letters poured in daily from territories across the empire.

Since the Marquis had delegated full authority over weapons to Estella, all related correspondence was collected and sorted separately. The work of sorting documents was now handled by Tom, who had fully recovered.

Whether it was fortunate or not, Tom seemed not to remember that day clearly. What he recalled only went as far as standing before Raul’s office.

“Steward, the purchase requests for weapons far outnumber all the other documents combined.”

“Yes. I never thought a day like this would come.”

Something in Raul’s voice sounded weak, and Tom looked at him with concern.

“Should you not rest more?”

Having heard belatedly that Raul too had been ill for a time, Tom carefully studied his unusually pale face.

“No. Stack the requests here in order, according to this list.”

The list Raul handed over ranked the houses friendly to the Marquisate first. Estella had ordered that those allied with House Cardeine be given priority. Now, any house hoping to purchase weapons would have to do everything possible to gain favor with them.

At first Raul had worried about selling to whichever family offered the highest price, but once more he found himself admiring Estella’s foresight.

'Selling high at first…… it was just to attract attention. It was necessary to plant the perception that Nevrion steel swords—stronger than any others—were something not just anyone could buy. And nobles, who always want to be ahead, would scramble to get one first. This time it’s not about price, but setting a standard—selling first to those aligned with us. That way, even hostile houses will be forced to line up. Because if neighboring lands hold stronger weapons, they won’t be able to rest easy.'

Estella, explaining it that way, was already every bit a leader. Raul, sorting the papers, reproached his own dullness again—but it was far too late for regrets.

Having received the purchase requests from Raul, Estella went through the lists of families and the quantities they desired, carefully checking each line. Among them was the Soriel family, Lumina’s household. Raul had placed them seventh.

But without hesitation, Estella moved Lumina’s family to the very top and murmured,

“It’s my prerogative.”

She and Lumina still exchanged letters regularly. Estella could never forget the deep emotion she’d felt when she found Lumina’s old letters hidden in Katrin’s room. They had been full of worry for Estella.

Most of those letters had been burned before she ever saw them, leaving only a handful. But even from those few, she knew Lumina’s sincerity. So it was entirely fitting, out of personal feeling, to place her friend’s family at the top.

A satisfied smile spread across Estella’s lips as she savored the taste of power for the first time in a long while.

'May this be of some help to Lumina’s family!'

She ordered that ten extra swords be sent on top of the ten they had requested, writing clearly that this was an expression of gratitude to her dear friend Lumina.

So, Soriel family—honor and revere my friend Lumina.

Estella compared the number of swords produced in the forge to the numbers in the requests, diligently reviewing the papers. How much time had passed?

Knock knock.

“My Lady, it’s me.”

“Come in.”

At the knock and Ria’s cautious voice, Estella set down the papers she had been holding. Her neck was stiff anyway, and she had been about to take a break.

“Please have this while you work. The chef made a special fig pie just for you. And this is the tea Madam gave you. You already had Miraclelium this morning, so you mustn’t drink any more today.”

Looking at Estella, who had grown not only thinner but now even slightly gaunt, Ria spoke with concern.

“Yes, yes! Since my aide says so, I must listen well.”

At Estella’s playful tone, Ria smiled shyly and pulled a rolled piece of paper from her pocket, handing it over.

“What’s this?”

“A carrier pigeon message from Dunnwon.”

“From Dunnwon?”

Worried that something might have happened, Estella quickly unrolled it. Seeing Ciel’s scrawled letter inside, her lips curved into an involuntary smile.

—I miss you. I’m leaving now.

Chapter 161

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