Pangpapapang...!
I could hear the beating of a feather pillow. Ran screamed inside, pounding pillows with her palms.
'Argh! Ran, it's crazy! You're crazy!'
After a long tapping, the feather pillow swelled to look mesh, and put it aside and Ran brought another pillow and began to pound.
'Crazy, crazy. You're crazy! What are you trying to do when you're drunk? What? Kissing? What kind of sexual harassment is that?'
Papapang!
The feather pillow gradually swelled up. When the pillow was completely full, Ran rubbed her face.
Argh! Argh!
While kicking the sheet several times, Ran sighed and drooped.
'Besides, he pushed me off the railing!'
It's like a test.
I hate it.
Of course, sexual harassment was bad. It's not a crime to die.
'No, I would have wanted to push the other person off the railing if I had been hit. Le...let's apologize first.'
And, and-
Let's apologize.
That's all I could think of. Ran slowly lifted herself up. The preparation time for breakfast felt too short today.
As I slowly went down to the dining hall, Eustaf was standing and waiting.
"Did you sleep comfortably?"
In a polite greeting, Ran peeked at his face. He looked no different than usual.
Sitting on the chair, Ran nodded.
"Yes, what about Eustaf?"
"I slept well, too."
Really? Really?
I narrowed my eyes and looked at him, but Eustaf said nothing. A light meal was placed in front of the two. Suddenly he opened his mouth.
"Then I thought about it."
"Sorry!"
Ran burst into a voice.
"Noonim?"
Ran blushed and said to his curious voice.
"No, well, I mean. Last night, I to you... "
With a mumbling voice, Eustaf replied plainly, "It's all right."
"Re...really?"
When Ran asked, he nodded.
"Of course. I should be kind and sweet."
Ahhhhh...!
Right, I used to say that.
Ran held back what she wanted to twist her whole body. Eustaf said, pretending not to know.
"It's not that, it's dance. I don't think you need to learn."
"Huh? Yeah?"
"Yes, you don't have to dance."
At his words, Ran looked at his head, 'Is that so?' Today's breakfast was oat porridge. Ran said, eating oat porridge without sugar.
"Well, I have something to talk about before I go."
Eustaf looked at her and put her hand in Ran's pocket and it was a shame. I forgot the picture because I was so distracted.
"I'll show you later. I want you to accept the sap of the tree I'm talking about."
Ran took her luck away in advance because she might not be able to come back until spring.
"The sap?"
"Yes, and you shoul boil down the sap to make sugar!" I'm shaking at the price of sugar.
"You make sugar from trees?"
"Yes"
Ran nodded and called the maid to bring the picture on the desk. After a while, the maid brought the paper.
"This tree."
Eustaf looked at her clumsy painting of leaves. Ran explained eagerly.
"The sap of this tree is sweet."
It was the same principle as maple syrup coming out of maple trees.
The sap of the northern white tree also tasted sweet. Boil it and boil it down to syrup, and boil more syrup to form lumps like sugar.
"Sugar."
Eustaf stopped eating and leaned on the chair at an angle to look at the painting. Imperial sugar is a gives a lot of income. Although sugarcane was cultivated in the south, the yield was minimal.
Sugar was equal in weight to silver.
"Actually, I don't know what to do in detail. I think it would be better to test this and that after collecting the sap on a trial basis."
I knew nothing but that the sap itself was sweet and that it became like sugar when boiled.
"Okay, I'll have to try."
Eustaf nodded.
"Yes, and now you can eat as much sugar as you want."
"I'm afraid it'll already be the case if we sell ice crystals."
Ran smiled lightly at Eustaf's words.
"According to Levery, the heat in the capital is crazy right now."
"Of course, it is."
Eustaf nodded.
The first work that Ran and she thought hard about.
It was an accessory for a horse. You may wonder what kind of accessories a horse has, but what is seen by the nobility is very important.
It's so popular that a boy who only sits on a carriage roof in cute clothes. That's what Ran came up with.
Wearing this accessory, which was named the "Wings of Heaven," a clear, iridescent wing soared on the horse.
Welcome magic.
In addition, the horse's strength and endurance also increased slightly.
The Empress had this fitted to every horse pulling her wagon, and the effect?
It was amazing.
Think of a four-horse carriage with clear, rainbow-colored wings and stately running along the sides of the boulevard.
Everyone was impatient to save it.
'Instead of selling ice crystals exclusively, Golden Rose will sell our products.'
For one year, the Mana Stone will be provided as an access point on the top of the Golden Rose.
Although she received 1 million verats in advance, the ice modification would have given her more wealth anyway. So, Ran asked her to sell her work for the past year, and Levery promised to sell it at a low fee. If you sell magic works together in the beginning with the Mana Stone, the profits will be enormous.
The top Golden Rose cheered for the surging inquiries.
The appearance of ice crystal, which has a purity that is not comparable to the existing mana stone, made all nobles exclaim.
The price of the ice crystal was about ten times the production price. Ordinary people had a hard price to get even a single pill. However, it is an exceptional price for aristocrats.
'And the Mana Stone is a consumable product.'
It's over when the mana inside runs out. You have to insert a new mana stone.
Everyone asked Levery where the Mana Stone came from, and some even threatened her.
And now that Ran is going up to the capital, Levery slipped away and spread the source.
Ice crystal comes from the Duchess of Lazia.
She also said that she is already decorating the Duchess of Lazia in the capital like a catalog of magical artifacts.
'Oh, my stomach hurts when I think about meeting the empress.'
We'll meet the Emperor.
"I'm sure the Emperor will ask me to give him the money."
Ran's murmur led Eustaf to nod, "Of course he will."
The empire, which was founded 300 years ago, was completely reshuffled. Ryan, the conquering emperor, took the territory, expelled all the existing tribes and gave the land to his household gods.
In other words, all the nobles of the Empire now received a title from the first emperor 300 years ago.
Theoretically, all the lands of the empire belong to the emperor, and are the lands that the emperor distributed to his subjects. Thus, inheriting a title and recognizing it by the emperor was a very important traditional procedure for nobles.
The justification of his blood comes from the emperor of the Empire.
Therefore, there was no great sense of incompatibility in paying taxes to the emperor.
But Lazia is different.
Lazia was the only old bloodline that had not been changed.
A family that protects 'the door.'
The gatekeeper who comes down with Iveria, the great sage of the legend.
Ryan, the first emperor, also climbed to the ice wall and failed to conquer Lazia. The wizard with him could not approach the ice wall, and the spirits who are now gone were blocked by the Blue ring.
However, the House of Lazia bowed to the emperor who was willing to conquer the continent, and the fight ended with him facing each other by lowering his head over the duke.
That was why Lazia still maintains its independence from the imperial family.
Lazia's taxes were significantly lower than other places because of the protection of the gate and also because the
North was barren.
'But if you think there's a mine, the story changes.'
The emperor would want to tax the mines somehow.
'My full stomach hurts when he buys land.'
Until now, Lazia may not have been interested because it's was poor, but this is different.
"But I don't want to fight the Emperor now."
"Yes. Besides, if you sell ice crystals, you shouldn't fight."
"Then"
Ran nodded.
"I think that's all you have to say."
Ran nodded at Eustaf's words. The two talked in advance to raise the commission in moderation before the emperor became greedy. The Wizard Association is also on his side anyway. If the emperor is allowed to pass, no one can stop him from moving.
'Besides, there's nothing better than the Royal Family on the billboard.'
It's not a bad business if you think it's a marketing incentive.
Eustaf looked at Ran with a grin. It was true that I was worried if I thought she was going up to the capital alone.
But I couldn't left Lazia alone now.
Ran took a deep breath.
"It'll work."
Eustaf nodded at Ran's words.
"It's going to work. And please take care of yourself."
"Eus, too. Maybe you'll find a madman walking through the land."
Worried about Ran, Eustaf smiled.
"I have told you before."
"You'd better fight back?"
"Yes"
After answering lightly, Eustaf lifted a napkin and wiped Ran's mouth.
"How old are you?"
"19 years old, no, am I twenty now?"
In a nonchalant response, Ran took the napkin from his hand and wiped her mouth.
"I'm sorry I'm moving right after the New Year's party."
"But there aren't many days where the weather is so nice."
Ran nodded at Eustaf's words. It was just this morning that Ran left for the capital.
Already, the house was bustling with Patriarch outing.
"Yes, and I'll get on quickly when I get a chance."
"You should."
"I'll get you something delicious."
At Ran's words, Eustaf looked at her quietly and said,
"I look forward to it."
What?
Ran blinked at the unexpected reaction. said somebody seriously.
"Is there anything you want to eat?"
"Nothing."
Then what do you expect?
As Ran wondered Eustaf said,
"The sun is short, so you'd better hurry."
"Oh, yeah."
Ran got up from her seat.
As much as she rode the sled, she was fully armed.
On top of her sled, the maids last wrapped a fluffy, hot magic pad.
Ran said, thinking that it would be hot rather than cold at this rate.
"I'll be back. I'd like to say hello grabbing hand, but..."
It's like a baby wrapped in a bag. Eustaf said, "No," and answered politely.
"Have a nice trip."
Oh, this time it's 'Have a nice trip'. Somehow, I laughed, but I pressed it and nodded. Eustaf added as if he had advised.
"Don't drink alcohol."
Ugh, Ran looked stabbed and bowed her head.
"I won't drink."
"All right."
When Eustaf took a step back and saw Blaine, he lowered his head lightly and raised his hand.
The sled started at the signal.
A group of knights carrying flags began to run after him. Eustaf stood until the group completely disappeared.