Raising the Northern Grand Duchy as a Max-Level All-Master
Chapter 122

122. Cleanup (2)

With the discussion about Arad’s identity wrapping up, Balzac shifted the conversation to a new topic.

“By the way, Your Highness, are you truly all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean your physical condition. Are you sure you’re okay?” Balzac asked, his eyes filled with concern.

“I agree. Earlier, your sword aura seemed different… Did something go wrong with your realization?” Sun added, mirroring Balzac’s worry.

“I’ve managed to overcome the crisis,” Arina replied with a thoughtful expression, though her words didn’t ease their concerns.

“Your Highness, may I check your pulse?” Isabelle asked, stepping forward.

Arina gave a small nod.

After a brief moment of examining Arina’s mana core and circles, Isabelle’s brows furrowed deeply.

“I need to study this further.”

Quickly jotting down notes, Isabelle’s face grew more serious with every passing second.

‘The curse Isaac placed on the family seems to have dissipated. It must have disappeared after fulfilling its purpose. But now… Her body is unstable and tainted!’

Isabelle’s expression turned increasingly grim.

‘At this rate, she’ll never…!’

Her hands trembled slightly.

‘And she refused Arad’s treatment earlier?! This girl, honestly!’

Every so often, Isabelle shot sharp glares at Arina.

“…”

Under Isabelle’s piercing gaze, Arina could only avert her eyes in silence.

“Did Sir Arad say anything when you were Mary?”

“No, nothing. He only said my mana seemed depleted and injected me with a mana potion.”

“And did he check your pulse?”

“He said he didn’t.”

“Were you conscious when he administered the mana potion?”

“No, I’d lost consciousness for a while.”

“...?”

Isabelle tilted her head, finding the situation illogical.

‘It’s common courtesy not to check someone’s core or heart without permission, but if she was unconscious, he should have done it!’

Her gaze shifted to Arina’s neck.

‘And she took off the transformation necklace, of all things?’

Currently, Arina wasn’t wearing her necklace. She had somehow remembered to hide it, though she hadn’t thought to conceal the enchanted sword. Such habits could only come from long practice. ŕÁ₦𝖔𝐁Êś

Isabelle’s eyes wandered to the subspace bag—the one containing the necklace, made with Arad’s meticulous care.

‘So it all comes back to that necklace.’

When Arina was Mary, she had worn the transformation necklace. Isabelle suspected the item might have influenced Arad’s mental or perceptive state.

‘I made it, but the implications are chilling. Still, I can’t just take it away now.’

Letting out a long sigh, Isabelle shook her head.

Her expression was so grave that Balzac, Sun, and even Arina hesitated to speak.

“Is her condition really that bad?”

“We must summon Arad immediately! Go get him now!”

Balzac and Sun both looked at their liege with sorrowful eyes. Isabelle’s reactions left no doubt—this was serious.

“Let’s wait until Isabelle decides to speak,” Sun suggested reluctantly.

“No! Why did you refuse Arad’s treatment earlier? Why?!” Balzac’s voice was a mix of frustration, worry, and sadness.

“Uh…”

Arina could only look out the window, avoiding their stares as though the distant view could provide answers.

“We should have been there to help… It’s my fault. I’m to blame,” Sun muttered, his usual stoicism replaced by guilt.

“No, Sun. You were right about the life-and-death decision. Thanks to that, I’ve taken a step closer to a new realization, even if it’s a bit unstable,” Arina said, trying to console him.

“Your Highness, may we also examine your core and circles?”

“Go ahead.”

Balzac and Sun performed their own checks, and both looked just as shocked as Isabelle had earlier.

“This is…!”

“No wonder Isabelle looks so grave.”

After finishing their examination, their faces were pale with disbelief.

“By the gods! Your circle… It’s at the sixth level!”

“And your lower dantian’s core matches or even surpasses mine in power.”

“Senior, in this state…”

“Her Highness’s body is like fine porcelain from the East, ready to shatter at the slightest mistake.”

When the circle and core reach such heights, the body struggles to endure the strain.

Right now, Arina’s body was on the verge of collapse, trying to contain the immense mana flowing from her heart and lower dantian. A single misstep could result in her shattering like fragile porcelain.

Just imagining her condition before Arad’s emergency treatment sent chills down their spines.

“To think you not only fought in the battlefield but also scaled the barrier in this state! Your Highness, do you wish to see me faint from shock?!” Balzac cried out.

“P-porcelain? It’s not that bad!”

“It absolutely is!”

“As long as I don’t overexert myself, I’ll be fine… for now,” Arina tried to argue, but her words fell on deaf ears.

“This time, we strongly recommend you receive treatment from Sir Arad,” Isabelle said firmly.

“Arad…”

“I’ll fetch him immediately!” Sun exclaimed.

“I told you! You should have accepted his offer earlier!” Balzac scolded.

“Well… It’s just…”

Arina’s voice faltered, guilt written all over her face.

“Is there a problem, Your Highness?”

Without answering directly, Arina retrieved the transformation necklace from her subspace bag—the one made by Arad.

“When I was Mary, Arad treated me while I was unconscious. Thanks to this necklace, my identity remained hidden. But as Arina… I’d have to take it off.”

Understanding dawned on Balzac and Sun, but they still looked baffled.

“Does it matter right now what Mary and Your Highness mean to Arad? What matters most is your well-being!”

“Exactly! Reveal your identity if you must! Arad might be surprised, but he’ll understand!” Balzac added impatiently.

“No, I can’t.”

Despite their pleas, Arina remained adamant.

“If I reveal the truth, I won’t be able to stay with him the same way anymore…”

At first, her double life had felt inconvenient and exhausting.

But over time, she had come to enjoy it.

Somehow, being Mary had become more comfortable and fulfilling than being Arina.

She worked alongside Arad, experiencing the lives of the common people up close. She collaborated on new projects, witnessed the birth of innovative magical tools, and sometimes worked overtime or on holidays…

‘Wait, is this really enjoyable?’

Still, it was entirely different from her occasional covert missions of the past.

‘More than anything…’

While Arina’s stubbornness seemed childish on the surface, there was a deeper, more essential reason behind it—one she had no intention of sharing herself with.

“It’s utterly immature to refuse treatment for such a trivial reason,” Balzac said sharply.

His voice snapped Arina out of her thoughts, and she looked at him with a blank expression.

“And the Arina I know isn’t such a childish, obstinate person,” he continued, his tone firm but caring.

“?”

She blinked, staring at her loyal knight in confusion.

“Your body, as it is now, is too fragile to even bear a child.”

“...!”

“Be honest, Your Highness. Is it not the fear of Arad discovering your infertility, rather than your double life as Mary, that’s holding you back?”

“…”

Arina fell silent.

And that silence was an answer in itself.

“Sigh…”

Balzac and Sun let out deep sighs, finally understanding her heart. The weight of their discovery filled the room with a heavy stillness.

“Lady Arina, you should let Arad examine you. He might find a way to help,” Isabelle broke the silence, speaking softly as she approached Arina and patted her shoulder.

“How bad is my condition?” Arina asked, her voice subdued.

“It’s not good. I need to study it further, but I can’t solve this alone. I need Arad’s help,” Isabelle admitted, her expression grave.

Arina lowered her gaze, her lips trembling slightly.

“I understand how you feel, my dear,” Isabelle added with a kind smile.

“Grandmother…”

“Your hesitation comes from two fears, doesn’t it? That Arad might discover Mary’s true identity and that he might learn about your infertility.”

Isabelle’s calm reasoning made Arina flinch, but she pressed on.

“However, Arad’s examination is the only way to find a solution. He could even address your infertility.”

“…”

“So let’s focus on ensuring he doesn’t uncover Mary’s identity. That’s what matters right now,” Isabelle suggested.

“How?” Arina asked, her eyes wary but hopeful.

“When Arad examines you, I’ll summon an illusion of Mary to stand right beside you. She’ll wear the necklace as well.”

“Wait, you can put the necklace on an illusion? Can illusions even be touched?”

“With some effort, yes,” Isabelle replied with a sly grin.

“!!”

The stiffness in Arina’s expression melted away, replaced by a glimmer of relief.

“And while we’re at it, how about we enhance the transformation necklace?”

“Enhance it?”

“Considering everything it’s been through in this battle, it might be slightly damaged. Hand it over so I can repair it—and perhaps strengthen it as well.”

Arina nodded and retrieved the necklace from her subspace bag.

“It seems fine, though.”

“After everything it endured, it’s unscathed?”

Isabelle’s eyes widened as she inspected the necklace. It was indeed the one she had crafted—its pristine condition left her baffled.

‘What’s this?’

Yet something about it felt unfamiliar.

“As expected of you, Grandmother. It’s incredibly sturdy. Your skill in crafting magical tools rivals Arad’s,” Arina said with a proud smile.

“...?”

Isabelle tilted her head, puzzled.

Flash!

Just then, the necklace emitted a faint light before going dark again.

“?!”

The light was so faint that only Isabelle, focused on the necklace, noticed it.

‘This…’

A strange mix of feelings, including inexplicable unease and an odd reluctance, washed over Isabelle.

‘Perhaps… I shouldn’t enhance it. It’s perfect as it is—tampering might ruin it.’

This certainty reinforced itself as she examined the enchantment circuits she had engraved.

“There’s no need to repair or enhance the necklace,” Isabelle said, handing it back.

“Huh? You were so adamant earlier,” Arina said, tilting her head in confusion.

“It’s in perfect condition, my dear. There’s no need to meddle with something flawless. You can wear it and receive Arad’s treatment without worry.”

Arina’s eyes widened in surprise at Isabelle’s sudden change in demeanor.

***

The battle at the Great Northern Barrier had ended in complete victory for the Renslets.

The infamous white serpent, a plague upon the North for generations, was dead.

The extreme northern orcs and barbarian druids had been annihilated, and the dark sorcerers of the North suffered near-total destruction.

It was a decisive triumph that marked the dawn of a new era of peace.

“Ughhh…”

“Arghhh…”

But as with any victory, there were shadows accompanying the light.

Groans and screams echoed through the field hospitals set up throughout the High Tower.

“Ahhh! It hurts! It hurts so much!”

“Hold him down!”

“Administer anesthesia!”

The Renslet priests were busy tending to the injured soldiers. Traditionally, this would have been the witches’ responsibility, but not anymore.

Now mages were preoccupied with repairing the damaged barrier and turning the invaders’ remains into trophies.

“This arm… With our current divine power, we can’t save it. It’s too far gone. Bring a saw and anesthetic!”

“M-my arm… My arm!”

“Don’t worry too much. Arad Bio and Medical will soon start producing prosthetics.”

A priest consoled the soldier while preparing to amputate the decayed arm.

“Wait for the anesthesia to take effect before proceeding.”

“Understood. How much should I administer?”

“He’s large—add 20% to the standard dose.”

The assistant priest injected a dose of anesthesia developed by Arad Medical into the soldier’s good arm.

Sawing sounds

As the arm was severed, blood flowed freely. Although the anesthesia prevented shock-induced death, excessive blood loss and the risk of infection were still concerns.

“Keep using healing magic. I’ll cast a purification spell,” the senior priest instructed.

“Yes, sir.”

Here, in the land of Renslet, exceptions existed. Priests with divine powers used their holy energy to staunch bleeding and prevent infection with purification spells.

Once the prosthetic limb was attached, the soldier could live a mostly normal life.

Dong… Dong… Dong…

A solemn bell tolled in the distance.

“…”

Hearing the bell, priests paused their work, except in the most urgent cases, to offer a moment of silence.

Even the wounded gritted their teeth to stifle their cries, replacing their screams with groans.

‘Rest in peace.’

‘May the heroes find eternal rest.’

‘Oh, fervent ancestors of Renslet, take care of these brave souls!’

All eyes turned to the site of the funeral, where the fallen heroes were being laid to rest.