Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 13 - Chapter SS

Bonus Story

Strange Thank-You Gift

Due to spoilers contained, it is recommended that you read the main volume first.

“How is the new Aferka going?” asked Cicelnia, swiftly getting to the subject as Lilisha stood before her in the palace’s office.

The young girl shrank back, still feeling out of place in front of the ruler. “Y-Yes... It is going well thanks to my brother. We have successfully obtained approval from the five families,” answered Lilisha.

“That was pretty fast,” said Cicelnia. “This might not be the best way to put it, but it seems that letting him live was the right choice. An excellent decision by me.”

“I am deeply grateful for your exceptional consideration,” said Lilisha.

“Your tone is still a bit stiff. We will fix that eventually.”

The official announcement of the formation of a new Aferka, albeit as a new unit that directly served the ruler, had been made just the other day, so Lilisha was now in a position to boldly enter the palace.

It was actually the first time the ruler had officially acknowledged Aferka.

Things had gone so smoothly that Lilisha’s new position still didn’t feel real to her. It was also her first time serving someone, so she didn’t know what to do.

“Objecting against the ruler’s decision is disrespectful, after all. Besides, wouldn’t it have been better if you announced it sooner, Lady Cicelnia?” asked Rinne, who was sitting in, in a dumbfounded tone.

“I have a lot of stuff going on too. You know that.” Cicelnia frowned as she let the strength leave her body and rested against the armrest of her throne.

It was the same as usual, but it didn’t hurt the ruler’s beauty in the slightest. If anything, that vulnerable state made her stand out more, complementing her immense beauty.

“I-I would like to thank you again for granting me this meeting. Th-Then, getting right to the point...” Seeing the ruler’s mood, Lilisha timidly moved on to the main topic, hoping to finish things quickly.

She began by showing the item in question.

Lilisha didn’t feel at home in her current position as someone in command of a unit directly reporting to the ruler. She felt awkward. But there was no way around that, since there was a problem that needed to be resolved as soon as possible.

Lilisha had gone to the Fable family not long ago to apologize. She had received Frose’s forgiveness, but the wooden box she had gotten when she was leaving was the problem she was now presenting to Cicelnia.

Lilisha held it up with both hands like it was an offering to Cicelnia, who looked at it questioningly.

“Please look at this. It was given directly to me by the Fable family as a thank-you gift and also in celebration of the formation of the new Aferka. So I have brought it here for you to confirm. I still have not looked inside, but I don’t believe it is anything dangerous.” Lilisha cast her eyes down and waited for the ruler’s response.

Cicelnia nodded, to which Rinne walked forward and took the box out of Lilisha’s hands. Removing the clasp and opening the lid, she held it out to Cicelnia, who peered inside with interest.

“She beat me to it! This is far too expensive for a mere thank-you gift. Well, it is pretty crude to show loyalty to the ruler through you. But a gift like this would be difficult to get rid off.”

With a glance, Cicelnia prompted Lilisha, who timidly looked into the box that Rinne now held. What she saw inside caused her to stiffen—a brand-new AWR.

It was a special one and had clearly seen a lot of effort put into it...but it was also a claw, which Lilisha was unused to.

Seeing Lilisha’s confusion, Cicelnia spoke up to explain. “This AWR is a prized item. That said, I am pretty sure it was formerly owned by Selva Greenus. More specifically, it is one of the fingers of Magdala...the deceased finger, Celestial Thread. What a generous gift.”

“The deceased finger?”

“Yes, humans have five fingers. Magdala is different, and it is said that this one is worn on the user’s sixth finger,” explained Cicelnia. “I’m an amateur myself, so I don’t know much about it or its properties. I only know this much because the Fable family reported the AWRs they have to me. If you want, I could give you a list of AWRs that mentions Magdala later.”

That was a system inherited from the days of the former monarchy. If a noble family were to have too much power, the balance among nobles would collapse. AWRs, in particular, were powerful, so information about them was reported to the ruler, who recorded it in a special register. Of course, there were many loopholes in the current system.

“So the Fable family has given this AWR to me...?” asked Lilisha.

“Whom else could it be for?” Cicelnia retorted in a dumbfounded tone.

But being nobility, Lilisha understood the hidden meaning behind the gift whether she liked it or not. Her intuition had been correct. Behind this precious gift were political dealings befitting a great noble. It was a blatant bribe for Lilisha, who had become a cornerstone in the unit that directly served the ruler.

As if having seen right through her thoughts, Cicelnia continued. “There’s nothing for you to worry about. Fortunately the Fable family is prestigious, loyal to the palace, and have a good reputation within the military.”

Yet despite Cicelnia’s words, Lilisha felt some hidden darkness at play. After all, if she accepted this and something were to happen in the future...if she were to take the initiative in providing favors to the Fable family, it would be the same as having made a secret agreement with them.

“Shouldn’t this be returned to the other party? It might end up biting me otherwise.”

The beautiful ruler brushed aside her concerns. “Oh, that’s nothing to be worried about. More importantly, won’t the Celestial Thread be a necessary AWR for you? Selling favors for nothing might not be necessary, but those who stand at the top need to be prepared to do anything at times. Besides, I’m not a dictator, so I can let the Fable family do as they please.”

“Are you sure that it’s okay?” Lilisha asked.

“Why not? Just take it.”

Lilisha sighed. In the end, it seemed she would have to do as Cicelnia said and accept the gift. But at the same time, she wondered if it would put any strange fetters on the new Aferka.

As she looked at the claw-type AWR in the box, Lilisha was forced to change her troubled and bitter expression to one of happiness in front of the ruler.