Chapter 33.2

“What is this?! What’s happening?!”

The air was filled with the panicked cries of witches as chaos unfolded above and below the greenhouse farm.

‘She’s not an Archwitch for nothing.’

As someone well-versed in magitech, I couldn’t help but admire the sheer complexity of the magic circle she was crafting.

“[Reveal!]”

Her incantation resonated across the greenhouse farm, spreading throughout the entire High Tower.

Rumble—

Creeeeak!

Cackle, cackle!

But the spirits’ rampage didn’t stop.

The mana flow surging toward the greenhouse farm slowed slightly but continued unabated.

“I see them! Twenty-six spots! Each of those places… something terrible is buried there!”

Of course, the spell Isabelle cast wasn’t meant to stop the chaos outright. Its purpose was to diagnose the problem and reveal hidden truths.

***

One Hour Later: Emergency Meeting at the Palace of Glory

A crisis meeting was convened with the Grand Duchess at its center.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

‘Is my seat permanently next to hers or something?’

Once again, my spot was right next to Arina’s. While this was awkward, I had bigger concerns at the moment.

“The spirits are rampaging?”

Amid the heavy, tense atmosphere, Arina asked with a grave expression.

“They’re not rampaging per se. It would be more accurate to say they’re being controlled.”

Isabelle, her face far more serious than usual, delivered her report to the room.

“Hmm… What do the afflicted areas have in common?”

At Arina’s question, the officials responsible for the investigation began their report.

“All the affected areas are North’s main farmlands and fields.”

“Lands like Shuene and Narvik, which are particularly fertile, have been hit the hardest.”

“The troubling part is that this phenomenon is spreading rapidly. If this continues, not only food production but also the manufacturing of Arad Salt will be disrupted.”

The magic circle Isabelle had cast earlier served as a diagnostic tool, akin to a magical map-hack.

Thanks to it, we had pinpointed where the phenomenon was occurring and how far its effects were reaching.

“If this continues, the North will face a massive famine.”

“It may already be too late. Reports from nearby farms say the leaves on crops are already wilting.”

The insights we had gained painted a grim picture.

“In the worst-case scenario, there could even be witch hunts in the North.”

Isabelle and the other witches looked as though they’d just been sentenced to death.

“This isn’t the witches’ fault.”

I decided to speak up to break the oppressive atmosphere. (Not because I was worried I might get blamed for this. Definitely not.)

“It just so happened this crisis erupted right as we were about to dismantle the farm…”

Arina’s sharp gaze turned toward me, filled with hope that bordered on desperation.

“Do you have a solution?”

“Oh, yes! Sir Arad might know a way!”

All eyes in the room, including Arina’s and the high-ranking officials’, fixed on me.

“The North’s survival depends on you, Sir Arad. I’m counting on you.”

Arina’s gaze brimmed with expectation, her composure as a ruler seemingly suppressing any personal emotions she might have had.

“The spell cast by the Spring Archwitch revealed dangerous spots buried under the afflicted land. I hear you plan to send senior knights and witches to investigate those areas.”

“That’s correct. The witches said something terrible is buried there.”

“But how long will it take to uncover those hidden dangers? They’re likely cloaked under layers of magic and traps.”

“The witches will use detection spells.”

“With the spirits in their current state, that won’t be easy.”

Shaking my head, I continued, “I propose we expedite the process. By tomorrow morning, I’ll have crafted a detection device. Using it, you’ll be able to uncover and destroy whatever’s hidden in those areas.”

Though I spoke confidently, the atmosphere in the room made it clear everyone had been waiting for me to say something like this.

‘Of course, I’m the resident magical gadget factory. Just call me Doraemon.’

“I’ll help with the production!”

Suddenly, Arina spoke up, her eyes lighting up.

“…Pardon?”

“I mean, I’ll help by providing resources or personnel if you need them.”

“This is something I can handle alone for now. It’s just time-consuming.”

“I-I see…”

“There is, however, one request I’d like to make.”

“Name it.”

“The assistant I hired today, Mary, appears to have another job. I’d like her sent back to the trading company. Having her assist me would make this task easier.”

Hem, hem!

Hrrrrk!

Oh-ho-ho! Ahem!

The room was immediately filled with awkward coughs. The culprits were Haita, Frostblade Balzac, and Isabelle.

‘These people are too easy to read.’

I knew exactly why they were suddenly pretending to cough—it was all too transparent.

‘I’m doing this on purpose, you know.’

Bringing up another woman was my way of subtly creating distance between myself and Arina.

It wasn’t malicious; it was necessary.

‘Besides, if Mary really is the future Archwitch of the Snowfield, she might be genuinely helpful for crafting this device.’

“Why is everyone suddenly coughing?”

Feigning confusion, I looked around at the room.

“Uh… Hmm… Very well.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Arina granted my request.

Her visible discomfort stirred a pang of guilt within me, but I knew this was the best course of action—for both of us.

Even so, I couldn’t help but wish the seating arrangement would change.

Sitting in the consort’s seat right next to her and making such proposals was enough to make my legs tremble.