Callius tilted his head, confusion plain on his features.
"Even if it were possible to establish a teleportation circle without alerting the Magic Tower, didn't you try to stop Count Elbern from installing one here?"
I had. And with good reason.
But my objection to Elbern's plan had never been about the circle itself—only about who would control it.
"As I mentioned before, this location offers exceptional conditions for establishing a teleportation circle. If we build one here, communication with the outside world will become far more efficient."
I had every intention of aggressively expanding my business ventures. To do that, we needed a gateway that would allow us to reach beyond Ronheim's isolated borders with speed and security.
Relying on journeys of several days across treacherous roads would place severe constraints on commerce.
"I plan to establish a major trade presence beyond Ronheim's borders. To accomplish that, I absolutely need a teleportation circle."
Teleportation circles carry a fatal flaw: they attract unwanted attention. External forces—merchants, spies, invaders—all are drawn to the convenience and power such magic represents.
The standard solution is to construct a defensive fortress near any major circle, a precaution I fully intended to implement on the cliff overlooking the gold mine.
But there was another way to prevent external invasion—one far more effective than stone walls and armed guards.
'Create a teleportation circle that only I know exists. One that only I can use.'
If I alone possessed knowledge of the circle's location and the means to activate it, the risk of discovery would shrink to almost nothing.
Upon hearing my plan, Callius looked utterly baffled. How could I possibly operate a teleportation circle on my own?
I leaned forward, voice steady with conviction.
"You can hire a wizard unaffiliated with the Magic Tower and have him secretly construct the circle for us."
"If a wizard of that caliber existed outside the Tower's authority, they would never have allowed him to remain free."
He was right, of course. The Magic Tower jealously guarded its monopoly on high-level magic.
I allowed a small, knowing smile to curve my lips.
"What if the wizard in question was expelled from the Magic Tower?"
"If an Archmage is banished, it means they committed a grave transgression. Such individuals are either stripped of their power entirely or executed."
Exactly.
That was precisely the type of wizard I intended to recruit—someone cast out and depowered, someone with nothing left to lose.
"I know of such a wizard. He has lost his power and been exiled—but I know a way to restore what was taken from him."
"...!"
Callius's eyes widened, the first crack in his stoic composure.
"Furthermore, I know how to lure him to Ronheim of his own accord. So, if you would agree to this plan, I'll begin laying the groundwork immediately. What do you say?"
I watched him carefully, hope and determination mingling in my gaze.
Obviously, my words must have sounded like fantasy to him.
If Callius harbored even the slightest doubt or distrust toward me, he would dismiss this entire scheme as madness.
But he had shown me something rare in this life: faith. And I needed him to extend that faith just a little further.
After a long silence, Callius spoke.
"What do you ultimately hope to achieve with all of this?"
I didn't hesitate.
"I want to make money."
"Money?"
"Yes. A great deal of money."
Callius shook his head slightly, as though my answer hadn't satisfied him.
"Money is merely a means to an end. What do you hope to accomplish by acquiring such wealth?"
"My goal is making money. That's all."
For now, that was the only truth I could offer.
'I want to intercept every gold coin Andrea will earn in the future. I want to seize every opportunity he covets. I want to strip him of everything he desires and leave him with the helplessness he once inflicted on me.'
And after Andrea's ruin was complete, Kavala would be next.
But I couldn't explain the darkness coiled in my heart—not yet. Perhaps not ever.
Instead, I simply looked at Callius, willing him to see the sincerity beneath my cryptic words.
"I made you a promise. I will help you. I will use the wealth I accumulate to reclaim Ronheim's independence."
Callius studied my face for what felt like an eternity. Then, finally, he nodded.
"Honestly, I'm not entirely convinced. But... let's try this. As you said."
"Really?"
"Yes. I learned something a dozen years ago, when I watched the Arrental army trample Ronheim into submission. Our kingdom needed change. We cannot protect Ronheim by clinging to the traditions of past kings."
He exhaled deeply, a weight of regret settling over his features.
"I wish I had understood that sooner."
I reached out and grasped his hand tightly.
"It's not too late!"
I squeezed his hand twice, three times, pouring reassurance into the gesture.
"Let's bring about that change together. I will help you. I promise."
For the first time since arriving in Ronheim, I saw something flicker in Callius's eyes that hadn't been there before.
Hope.
We returned to the castle shortly after. I had stayed outside as long as I could bear, but the cold eventually drove us indoors.
The snow cats, which had been prowling the cliffs during our conversation, followed Callius inside without hesitation. They settled onto the floor of the drawing room as though they owned the place, utterly unbothered by human presence.
Having been assured that snow cats posed no threat to people, I found myself drawn to them with cautious curiosity.
One particularly large cat lay sprawled near the hearth, its long tail draped lazily across the floor. The tail was magnificent—thick and luxurious, nearly as long as the creature's body.
I crept closer and carefully reached out to touch the very tip.
The snow cat cracked open one eye, regarded me with mild annoyance, then flicked its tail sharply to the side.
"Oh!"
The force of that single tail-swipe sent me staggering backward.
Callius caught me before I could fall, his hands steadying my shoulders.
"Be careful."
"Thank you."
I looked up at him and smiled—bright, unguarded, genuinely delighted by the ridiculousness of being defeated by a cat's tail.
It was a smile that caught people off guard. Clear. Pure. Almost childlike in its sincerity.
'I can't get a handle on her.'
At first glance, Chloe seemed like an innocent child incapable of complex thought. But if you listened closely—truly listened—she revealed plans of staggering ambition and intricacy.
'From the very beginning, she intended to install a teleportation circle at the gold mine's location.'
Her mention of creating a "flower garden" hadn't been whimsy—it was metaphor. Teleportation circles, when viewed from above, resembled intricate floral patterns. Bards often compared travelers using such magic to bees or butterflies flitting between blossoms.
'She didn't choose Ronheim simply to escape her circumstances.'
Before they'd set foot in the kingdom, Callius had half-expected Chloe to crumble under the bitter cold and beg to return south. He'd been completely wrong.
She never once complained about the cold, the hostile stares, or the harsh environment.
Instead, she remained focused on executing the grand design she'd carried in her mind all along.
'She is not weak. Not a runaway. Not a victim.'
'She is a pioneer. Someone with ambition burning bright enough to melt snow.'
Callius couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Chloe finally manage to pat the snow cat's head, her laughter bubbling up like a child's.
"I want to make money. A lot of money."
How could someone who claimed to chase wealth look so utterly innocent?
Even among the genuinely greedy, few acted with such lack of calculation or materialism. It was as though accumulating money itself—not what it could buy—was her true goal.
'Does she intend to use the wealth to feed the people? To rebuild Ronheim's strength?'
It seemed more likely that making money was simply the means, not the end.
'There's something she isn't telling me.'
'Something she wants more desperately than wealth itself.'
Callius had a feeling—vague but persistent—that Chloe harbored secrets she couldn't yet share.
"I promised. I will help you. I will use the wealth I've accumulated to reclaim Ronheim."
"Let's bring about change together. I'll help you."
The hand that gripped his as she spoke had been firm. Resolute.
'Whatever she ultimately desires must align with Ronheim's independence.'
Perhaps it was revenge against Kavala and Andrea.
She must have her own painful history—circumstances too difficult to explain aloud.
Callius understood that intimately. He, too, carried secrets entangled with Kavala. Wounds that couldn't be voiced.
He clenched his fist tightly, jaw set with determination.
'Kavala's shadow over Ronheim must be removed as soon as possible.'
Somewhere in this kingdom lurked a traitor—someone who had aided Kavala in the Saint's assassination.
Callius had been searching for that traitor in secret for years.
'If I don't act, Chloe could be taken from me just as easily as the Saint was.'
After Ronheim's defeat by the Arrental Empire, Callius had lived shrouded in despair, unable to see a future worth fighting for.
But through Chloe, he glimpsed something he'd thought lost forever.
Hope.
'Protecting Chloe is no longer just a husband's duty.'
'It is my mission as Ronheim's leader.'
For her vision to take root, she must survive.And for Ronheim to rise again—she must be shielded from the empire's reach.
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