I Stole The Duke - Chapter 100

“Wow…”

Eliana’s mouth fell open on its own. She didn’t know how many ships were currently out at sea, but even at a glance, there were well over fifty warships docked at the base.

“They’re incredible. How many crew members are on each ship?”

The sound of seawater gently slapping against the stone walls was pleasant to the ears.

“For optimal efficiency, each cannon is operated by a team of three. Depending on how many cannons a ship has, each vessel carries between 150 to 500 men.”

In other words, if a single warship sank, there would be at least 100 casualties.

“That explains why the auxiliary magic is non-negotiable.”

A hundred million Rium per ship, per month, wasn’t just a figure—it was the price of keeping those lives safe. For the House of Ascher, whose foremost duty was protection, letting people die to save money wasn’t even a consideration.

“I’ll show you the ship’s interior.”

Michalis guided her toward a warship where a portable boarding staircase had already been set up.

“I should’ve given notice in advance…”

Eliana glanced around and felt a bit guilty. Buckets of water and scrub brushes were piled in one corner of the deck—clear signs that the crew had been cleaning when they’d suddenly been dismissed.

“If you had, the soldiers would’ve had it even worse.”

Michalis spared her the full explanation. Had they known about this visit a week earlier, the crew would’ve spent every single day polishing the ship until it gleamed.

“Alright. Let me check the magic circles.”

After confirming that no soldiers remained nearby, Eliana opened her crossbody bag.

“Imperial Search Magic.”

“…!”

Michalis’s eyes widened. A red beam of light shot out from beneath Eliana’s feet—clear and unmistakable even to him.

So she really does treat this like a trade secret…

Starting with the closest spot—magic was detected in the center of the deck.

“Imperial Dispel Magic.”

The Magic Tower had concealed the array using an invisibility enchantment, but Eliana swiftly revealed it. The process unfolded smoothly.

Dream, run an image scan.

[Image scan complete.]

“Stabilization magic?”

She read the results and glanced at Michalis, asking almost to herself.

“If a ship’s center of gravity isn’t stabilized, it will capsize. This spell keeps the vessel balanced in all situations.”

If a ship fired all its cannons on one side at once, the recoil could be devastating. There were actual historical accounts of ships capsizing mid-battle because of this.

Ideally, both sides would fire in unison—but unless the ship was surrounded, that was rarely the case.

“It’s definitely essential.”

Thanks to Michalis’s explanation, Eliana was able to make sense of what the scan couldn’t fully explain.

“The next spell is inside the ship.”

“The staircase is narrow. Hold my hand as you descend.”

“Thank you.”

Eliana’s expression tightened the moment they reached the interior. The ship’s first impression was… overwhelmingly masculine.

“Why don’t they open those windows?”

The air was heavy with sweat, sunk deep into the wooden planks. She wanted to throw open every window-like square along the wall.

“Those are gunports. They’re only opened in special cases, usually to fire the cannons.”

Letting in sea spray or strong winds could be dangerous. Marines were simply used to each other’s smell. For them, this level of odor was just… air.

“They could leave them open while docked… Ahem. I suppose I’ve gotten too used to it to notice.”

Michalis suddenly felt sorry for Eliana’s poor nose.

“Imperial Dispel Magic.”

It was best to finish the inspection quickly and escape. Without hesitation, Eliana activated her next spell card.

Dream, image scan, please.

[Image scan complete.]

Whoa… this is an S-grade spell.

“Conditional Drainage Magic? Michal, what does this one do?”

“In naval battles, the goal is to damage the enemy vessel enough to sink it.”

“Yes, of course.”

“If we’re hit, seawater will inevitably flood through any breaches. Once the water rises above ankle level, it becomes impossible to bail out manually. These magic forces all the water out of the ship once it reaches a certain depth.”

Once water rose past ankle height, buckets wouldn’t cut it. Drainage magic like this was what saved ships from sinking outright.

“That would be catastrophic without it.”

Even Blackrock didn’t have a spell like this… It must be a specialized enchantment developed for ships.

It seemed the Magic Tower didn’t only research ancient spells after all.

“Imperial Dispel Magic.”

The third and final spell was inscribed on the ship’s interior wall.

“Oh, this one I recognize. It’s a fire protection spell.”

A must-have for wooden ships—to keep them from igniting under a barrage of flaming arrows or magical fire attacks.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“They really are all essential, aren’t they?”

After confirming all the enchantments on the warship, Eliana could fully understand why Michalis had been so conflicted.

“But there’s something I don’t get—why isn’t there a primary defense spell?”

A single shield spell would eliminate the need for complex conditional drainage magic.

“Because direct involvement in warfare violates the Magic Tower’s pact.”

“Ah…”

So the Magic Tower refuses to directly participate in war… but still wants to profit from it?

The Tower was good at skirting violations of its own pact by labeling its involvement as “safety protocols.”

“Michal, do you think we could paint over the revealed magic circles with colored sealant to hide them?”

Eliana stopped just as she was about to pull out her invisibility magic card from her bag. If she used it here, the Tower might detect it. After all, the Tower conducted annual inspections under the pretense of maintenance.

“Of course. I’ll make sure they’re well concealed.”

“Then… let’s talk outside?”

The finest shipbuilding paired with powerful magic—this was the true force behind House Ascher’s invincible fleet. As impressive as the warships were, staying any longer would risk permanent damage to her nose. Eliana chose escape.

Finally… I can breathe again.

Back on the deck, the crisp, odorless air almost tasted sweet.

“Michal, wait a moment.”

Eliana opened her crossbody bag and pulled out a small notebook and pen, jotting down quick notes.

{ 1. Absolute Equilibrium
2. Conditional Water Displacement
3. Flame Resisting }

“Is there any type of magic you’ve ever wanted to add?”

“Something like hull reinforcement… or maybe something to increase speed.”

Michalis stared at Eliana as she calmly took notes.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His heart pounded painfully in his chest.

She’s breathtaking… even when she’s just breathing. And now… she’s this dedicated to our cause?

He found himself falling for her all over again.

“Hmm… I don’t think it’s impossible.”

Eliana’s pen danced across the page as she added more notes.

“Instead of lightening the ship, maybe we could increase its speed by magically filling the sails with wind. That way, we’d only need to adjust the direction of the sails.”

“Exactly! That method wouldn’t be hard to develop, and it wouldn’t waste mana stones either. Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like added.”

“I’ll mention the rest later…”

Struggling to steady his racing heart, Michalis took a step forward.

“Ah!”

Startled, Eliana let out a soft gasp. Michalis had suddenly pulled her into a firm embrace, nearly making her drop her notebook.

“Just… stay like this for a moment.”

“…Okay.”

Eliana let herself rest against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

“I…”

She slowly lifted her head from his chest.

“Hmm?”

Their eyes met—naturally, softly. It was the kind of moment that called for a kiss.

“……”

Michalis gently cupped her cheek.

“One, two. One, two—!”

Just as Eliana’s eyes fluttered shut, the rhythmic count echoed in the distance, cutting through the quiet beating of their hearts.

“What’s that?”

The sound was familiar. Eliana’s eyes flew open.

“They’re probably towing a delayed warship into dock. There’s limited space at the shipyard.”

Three small boats were guiding a massive warship into the harbor.

“Incredible…”

Though the rowing soldiers were impressive in their own right, what truly caught Eliana’s attention was the sheer size and grandeur of the incoming ship.

“That one’s much larger than the others.”

Eliana was genuinely awestruck. The ship being pulled in looked at least one and a half times the size of the others docked nearby.

“It’s the next-generation flagship—a ship of the line.”

Construction on the ship had begun during his father’s time. It had now been five years in the making and would serve as the command vessel for at least a century.

“It looks finished—are you saying it’s still under construction?”

“It’s seaworthy, but they’re still reinforcing the hull with iron plates.”

“…Wow.”

Eliana’s jaw dropped. The gunports alone spanned three levels—meaning the ship had at least four interior decks. Once reinforced, it truly would become an indomitable warship.

“What’s it called?”

She thought of names like Poseidon or Zeus—something worthy of a god.

“It hasn’t been named yet. Construction isn’t fully complete.”

“Then… may I name it?”

“Do you already have one in mind?”

“Yes… Vilasehir.”

The author of the magical tome Blackrock. The first Emperor of ancient Sardis.

“The Vilasehir.”

A ship worthy of an emperor’s name.

“I like it.”

The warship glided smoothly into its berth at the far end of the dock.

“Michal, let’s go see the Vilasehir.”

It was still untouched by the Tower—a brand-new vessel. A perfect canvas for the first application of Eliana’s magic. Since it would be Michalis’s flagship, she wanted to give it special care.

“I want to see its interior.”

“Then I’ll have the gangway moved.”

They had to act before the rowing crews left the base.

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