Chapter 13 – Episode 13 to the North to Suppress the Rebellion

“Oh, you see. How much did you appeal to me? Hoho, it was to the point of jealousy.”

Emily laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

“If you’re thinking of hooking me up with her, stop. I have no intention of doing that.”
“You don’t even blink an eye. The most beautiful woman in the empire… Ah, you have already captured a beauty.”

Emily let go of her pretense and smiled.
It’s a question I get whenever I hear that I’m popular with young girls.

“Why are so many people proposing to me when there are no good rumors about me?”
“Hmm, are you curious about that?”
“It was a one-time thought. The son of the Solarion duke is also rumored to be handsome, and Count Crelto and Marsario are also distinguished by their abilities and looks.”

They were aristocrats of great reputation and handsome men.
How many people have both abilities and looks in this vast empire.
On the other hand, I had a lot of cruel rumors.
Torture Master.
A cold-blooded man who kills people without hesitation.
Worst battle mage.
Etc.
There were no good rumors.

“Oh, is that it?”
Emily said with a no-nonsense face.

“The minister has a notorious reputation. But you have looks and abilities that go beyond that.”
“Is it.”
“He is handsome, capable, and the next generation of power who is favored by the emperor. A man who took the place of the head of the family, not even an heir. How can young children hate it? And you look good there, right?”
It was enough to say that I was handsome twice.
“Is that why?”
“Absolutely.”

It was the reason why it was fresher than I thought.
I thought there must be some other reason.

“I don’t know if those young ladies really love the minister?”
She smirked.
“Do not care.”

After all, most of the marriages of nobles in this world work as a political factor.

“But why are you doing matchmaking? A merchant like you wouldn’t have to do that.”
“A matchmaker? This is also the stage of networking. It takes a lot of effort to survive as a merchant among nobles. Because the good-looking guy position like before has disappeared.”
“Is it.”

She was more adaptable to the changed gender than I thought.

“I am working hard like this, as if it were for the sake of my personal relationship with the Minister.”
It’s a relationship.
It’s better to openly reveal your purpose like this.
How many people pretended not to, and hid their evil beasts behind, in this palace.

“It must be quite difficult to establish a relationship with me.”
“I know. Minister with a cold heart.”
“Is that my nickname spread among the young ladies?”
“Sure. There are more, can I tell you? Ice Young master, graceful black panther, black crystal on the cliff…”
“Stop it.”

These were embarrassing nicknames that made my hands shriveled.
“Rather than that, did you mean that Emir is on the list?”
“It’s a secret.”
I sighed and pushed the book she held out.
“It is useless now. I have no idea yet… If you need it later, ask for it.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t help it. I hope to be more constructive next time.”
Emily licked her lips and withdrew.

And I went back to the office.
There were things to pack before going to the north.
Even in midsummer, it was a barren land with people freezing to death from the cold.
Contrast will be needed

“I’m the minister!”
As soon as I entered the office, Jane shouted and rioted.
“Why?”
“It is an incident. Incident!”
What is this

“What is the case?”
“Look at this!”
Jane opened the newspaper.
It was gossip news about a famous actor in the Empire dating.

“Oh no, it’s over now. My favorite has been rumored to be dating. I did, but I thought my brother wouldn’t do that. Really, it’s over now. Oppa, it’s dark.”
She cried really badly.
“Hey, this actor, considering your natural age…”
“Minister! Until there. You can’t tell the lady’s age!”
Jane hastily covered my mouth.
She was blushing like a shy little girl, but she was an Overmind that had already lived for many years.

Right.
A crack in the imperial palace.
Jane is also one of the transcendental beings that created the rift.
Although at the time she was chained to her mage tower in the aftermath of the battle.

“I get it. But what happened? I don’t think you’re making a fuss like that.”
“You’re not the kind of person who can make jokes, after all.”
Jane sighed and folded her newspaper.
“There was a magic storm in the south half an hour ago.”
“A magical storm?”

It is one of the magical disasters that occur when powerful manas with different properties collide.
The blue storm turned the passing space into a mess.
Even for quite a long time, because it affects nature’s mana, there were many cases where magic was used nearby and became a failure that could not use magic for the rest of its life.
In the south, there was also an academy branch, one of only four in the empire.

“Is it serious?”
“No. There are no casualties yet. There is a distance from the academy as well.”
“Have you figured out the cause?”
“No. I haven’t been caught yet.”

Although he is now bound to the Magic Tower, his abilities are still the same.
He had a magic talent so powerful that it shattered my voice, and he was able to use that talent to grasp the mana flow of the entire continent.
She can’t see everything, but she can see the ends of continents, she says, if she wants to keep an eye on where she puts her heart to it.
It is probably because of these abilities that Jane is curious.
If it’s a case that even Jane can’t figure out.

“I’ll have to go and check it myself.”
“I guess I should! But why did you call the emperor?”
“Would you know?”
“Is it because of the recent rebels that have taken place across the Empire? Or… Seria?”

She laughed sinisterly.

“Why doesn’t Seria act like her?”
“The woman?”
“Veronis.”
“Did you see it?”
“Sure. I have a lot of questions about the minister.”
“I told you not to spy on me.”
“Hehe, but the minister doesn’t look when he goes inside the mansion. She is a woman who protects her privacy.”
“Is it because of the magic circle I set up?”
“Hehe.”

Jane scratched the back of her head and stuck out her tongue.

“I keep voyeurizing it, so don’t look at it.”
“What do I do with the question?”
“Did the former minister do the same?”
She shouted with a disgusted face she hadn’t shown before.

“Ah, please. I’m not interested in greedy old people. What I am interested in is a person with a lofty soul.”
“I don’t think I’m a target.”
“You underestimate yourself too much. Whoops.”
“Stop talking nonsense and analyze the direction of the magical storm. If anything happens, contact us. We’ll first subdue the rebels and then check.”
“I know.”

There was a reason to hurry the subjugation.
I held the heart of the phoenix I had prepared in the office storage.
Not a real heart. A bright red jewel that burns like a flame.
It was named because its blazing heat looks like the heart of a phoenix.
Warm warmth held the jewel in my hand and I hurried out.

***

I rode the portal and moved.
Wheein!
A cold wind blew that seemed to freeze my skin.
However, the warmth emanating from the phoenix’s heart covered my body.
It was worth while to bring it on purpose.

“Fun.”

It was the first time in the north, and the natural phenomenon was very strange.
Frozen mana was mixed in between the wind that seemed to bite the flesh.
It is not a natural phenomenon, but someone artificially created this coldness.
I don’t know who it is.
He wasn’t usually a great person.
Because that doesn’t help defeat the rebels.
I went to see the general in command of the Northern Imperial Army.

“Are you here?”

Marquis Romero, who commands the northern imperial army, greeted me.
He was an aristocrat with an impressive white mustache.

“How is the war situation going?”
“We are currently confronting 5,000 rebels and 20,000 barbarian cavalry.”
“There are quite a few of them. What about our troops?”
“Seventeen thousand.”

I was at a disadvantage from the numbers.
“It seems that the enemy is currently planning to move south using the Baltic Castle as a base.”
“Do you have a bird that writes in signatures?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s just borrow one.”

I cast the Familiar spell on the falcon, which is used as a communication tool.
It was a magic that turned her into a familiar that could share her vision.

-Beep!
The hawk flew high in the sky.
Through the eyes of a hawk, we could see the location of the rebel forces as well as us at a glance.
The rebels encamped around the castle.
Imperial forces encamped in the gorge between the cliffs leading to the castle.
It was difficult for both sides to attack first.
It was clear that if we continued like this, we would be in for a long-term battle.
It’s good to waste national power.
I canceled the familiar magic and summoned the falcon.
-Beep!

“It would be impossible to break through each other head-on.”
“That’s right. Right now we’re focusing on defense, but…”

If this happens.
If you don’t care, the Baltic Castle will fall into the hands of barbarians.
If the castle, which is different from the core of the northern defense, is passed, barbarians will constantly invade in the future.
I had to kick them out.

“They must have gathered around the Baltic lord, right?”
“That’s right. The estate will disintegrate when the Count dies. The problem is.”
“It must be a savage.”
“Yes.”
“Then, is there any countermeasure that can separate the two forces?”
“Well.”

The Marquis pondered for a moment.

“There are.”
“What is it?”
“The barbarians are coming down to receive land for farming. If they get more than a certain amount of land, they will probably step back.”
“That’s a specification. It is not allowed to give the land of the Empire.”

It was the quickest way to fly the emperor.

“What if the war is won and the land promised to the lord is not received? Are they going to fight this fight?”
“I will probably avoid it.”
“Then there must be a possibility.”
“What possibilities are you talking about?”
“There is a way to drive out the barbarians with the rebels.”

I looked at the enemy camp and smiled coldly.

Colder than the northern wind that freezes the flesh.