The letter arrived at Ryan's ducal castle in the evening. Thanks to a specialized magical channel, it took only an hour for the letter to be delivered from the Imperial Royal Wizard Academy to Teresa's Wizard Tower.
Teresa had been cultivating, still struggling to find a way to break through to the Saint Realm. Recently, she had been poring over ancient texts in her private library at the top of her tower, searching for answers. Ever since Ryan ascended to the throne, Teresa had gained access to the archives of the royal palace in Couronne. For over a thousand years, Brittany had maintained its heritage without interruption, and Couronne had never fallen, meaning the ancient texts were mostly intact. However, to Teresa's disappointment, most of the records detailed the great feats of Grail Knights and various court secrets, with only sparse mentions of magic. What little magic-related content there was primarily pertained to the Lady of the Lake's prophetesses and High Elf relics, offering hardly any insights into how a sorceress could break through her current limits. There was a mention in one of the High Elf records about a source of magical power on Lily Island in the Châlons Forest.
But that was sacred ground for the Lady of the Lake, guarded by two Grail Knights and a group of Grail pilgrims. Morgiana had also refused to allow Teresa deeper access to the island, so the sorceress needed to find another way.
Inside the spacious and luxurious private library, Teresa and Aurora were deep into an experiment on how to control a miniature ice-sealing curse that would freeze a small mouse into an ice sculpture without killing it. Just then, Teresa's personal apprentice, Emma, rushed in, bringing the letter to the two women. "Elder Aurora, Master, this letter came from the Imperial Royal Wizard Academy."
"The Empire?" Teresa, a bit annoyed by recent events, had to pause her experiment. She glanced at the letter with irritation. "I'm in the middle of an important experiment. If it's for Lady Sulia, why bring it to me? Send it directly to Jean Town."
"Yes," Emma replied, feeling a little wronged and just about to comply when Aurora stopped her. "No, leave the letter. You go about your business. Teresa and I will deliver it to the ducal castle ourselves."
"Understood." Emma breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that ever since Aurora had arrived, the Ice Wizard Tower was under her control, and Teresa generally listened to her mother. Since Aurora had spoken, Teresa wouldn't object. Emma placed the letter down and quickly left.
"Mother, why? We're at a crucial stage in our experiment. Why should we personally deliver a letter that's not even meant for us?" Teresa complained, wearing a silver-blue mermaid dress with ice crystal motifs. Over it, she draped a white fox-fur coat, her long, black hair cascading over her shoulders. She wore knee-high velvet heeled boots adorned with silver magic chains. "We could have just sent someone to deliver it."
Aurora, dressed in a lace sheath dress with dark, translucent diamond-shimmer stockings and high-heeled sandals, looked at her daughter with a mix of exasperation and patience. "Teresa! A good wizard doesn't just stay cooped up in a tower all day doing research. You can't assume that just because Ryan provides us with so many resources, we don't need to contribute. We didn't join the expedition, but this is a letter from the Imperial Emperor! Delivering it ourselves is a small task, but it gives us a chance to make ourselves known to Queen Sulia. Why pass that up?"
"Alright then," Teresa agreed reluctantly. She halted her spell, locked the mouse away, and the two women took the letter, arranged for their carriage, and prepared to head to Jean Town.
Naturally, their carriage was nothing short of luxurious. The sleek black, blue, and gold vehicle was over five meters long, weighing more than two tons, pulled by four hardy mountain horses. The carriage was inscribed with frost magic runes, featuring its own heating and cooling system, and equipped with a windstorm device on the roof. If enemies were encountered, the device could harness energy from a crystal ball to summon powerful weather magic. Teresa and Aurora could unleash devastating snowstorms, super-hail showers, or even the legendary extreme frost field across the plains using its power.
This extravagant gift had been procured by Ryan from the Imperial Royal Wizard Academy and given to Aurora and Teresa, costing a full ten thousand gold crowns. After receiving it, the mother and daughter spent a month customizing it with magic runes and instruments. Aurora also had the interior renovated for comfort, making long-distance travel much more pleasant.
Inside the carriage, Teresa and Aurora sat facing each other, their velvet curtains drawn back. The wide road was bustling with pedestrians and large carts laden with goods. Teresa noticed crates emblazoned with Ryan's family crest, signifying they were spoils of war. As the carts passed, peasants cheered, praising King Ryan and the expedition army for their great victory, offering thanks to the Lady of the Lake for her blessings.
The sorceress felt a surge of pride. "According to the latest news, Ryan has taken Fort Ducan! This means the first phase of the expedition is complete. He's already looted countless treasures and resources from the Badlands. Even common soldiers who survived the battles have managed to secure a small bag of gold or silver!"
"Hmph. He's quite the clever one," Aurora sneered, begrudgingly nodding in agreement. "He's moving faster than I expected, and he's more ruthless than I anticipated. Does this knightly expedition remind you of the past? They're behaving like savage raiders, worse than Greenskins and Beastmen."
"Those were Greenskins, Mother," Teresa retorted, unable to tolerate any criticism of Ryan. "What knightly code could you possibly apply to them?"
Aurora glanced at her daughter, knowing that Teresa was utterly infatuated with Ryan. While she usually obeyed her mother, when it came to him, she would always defend him.
But even Aurora had to admit Ryan was exceptional. In every way—strength, intelligence, appearance—he was nearly flawless. Aside from being difficult to control, he possessed a unique blend of valor, wisdom, and physical charm, with a certain prowess in... particular areas. Aurora even found herself wondering why her daughter was so lucky to have such a strong man while she remained alone.
With a sigh, the elder sorceress spoke again. "This is what makes Ryan formidable. He knows exactly when to show kindness and virtue and when to display strength and intelligence. This time, his Eight Peaks Mountain campaign has tied all the major nobles to his cause, and the vast spoils will satisfy both them and the commoners. With every victory, both the nobility and peasants grow more loyal to him. That's the key to success... at least for now, as long as he keeps delivering profits."
Teresa sensed there was more to her mother's words, nodding thoughtfully. She murmured, "It's a shame I'm not suited to fight in the Badlands."
"And that's why, my daughter, we're falling behind." Aurora adjusted her golden butterfly-patterned glasses and spoke earnestly. "We didn't participate in the expedition and didn't get a share of the spoils, which is one thing. But the real problem is that we haven't contributed anything, making us seem insignificant. In the future, those nobles and soldiers who were part of the expedition will naturally become Ryan's priority. Now do you understand why we need to deliver this letter ourselves?"
"To remind Lady Sulia... of our presence and importance?" Teresa pondered. "Since we've already promised Ryan to establish the intelligence division, and with him away, Sulia is the highest authority. We need to show her that we're not idle and that we're doing our part."
"Exactly!" Aurora nodded approvingly, speaking in a mixture of pride and mild reproach. "You've finally understood, my daughter. If you had told me that Sulia was merely the queen and mistress of the household, and that sending a messenger would suffice, I would have had to admit I failed to teach you anything."
"Sorry," Teresa apologized, realizing her oversight. "I wasn't thinking that far ahead."
"It's partly my fault. When you were young, I focused too much on teaching you magic and ensuring you were well-provided for, but I didn't give you enough guidance in other areas." Aurora smiled self-deprecatingly, reminiscing. "I was too busy trying to reach the Saint Realm myself and didn't think to teach you more. By the time I realized it, your personality was already set. If I hadn't pushed you to join Ryan on his adventures, you might never have realized these things. And now, ironically, Ryan has become the one protecting us, even though I never wanted you to become his concubine, given he already had a wife. Fate works in strange ways."
"Ryan is my choice, and I have no regrets," Teresa said firmly, her voice resolute.
"In any case, the best course of action is for you to bear his child," Aurora remarked once more. "Only then will your position truly be secure."
"Mother, why do we always end up back at this topic!" Teresa's face turned red, her embarrassment boiling over into frustration. "I've been with Ryan for years, but it hasn't happened yet. I'm still not in the Saint Realm, and you won't teach me the secret methods. Stop pressuring me, please!"
"Then how do you expect to compete with Veronica?" Aurora pressed on. "She's already in the Saint Realm, while you're still at the pinnacle of Legendary. If you don't
have a child, the gap between you two will only widen."
"I don't want to discuss this anymore, Mother. Let's change the subject," Teresa said, feeling wronged and upset, starting to harbor some resentment towards Aurora for her high expectations and her own perceived shortcomings.
Seeing her daughter's distress, Aurora sighed softly. The Saint Realm sorceress let her thoughts drift for a moment before shaking her head and changing the topic.
After some time, the carriage entered Jean Town, passed the guards' inspection, and arrived at the ducal castle. The two women disembarked, ready to deliver the Emperor's letter.
As expected, Morgiana was there. The Lake Witch greeted Aurora and Teresa with a cold expression. "What do you want?"
"A letter from the Emperor, addressed to Lady Sulia."
"…Come in."
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