I Stole The Duke - Chapter 102

“We’ll take the book, and in exchange, we’ll raise the fee by 50%.”

The Tower had no choice but to increase the fees. With research papers piling up on the desk of the Master’s office, they needed the funds.

“……”

Thieves.

Michalis’s face hardened in silence, while Iadis cursed inwardly.

“The book does not contain the location of the ruins.”

Michalis kept his voice calm and steady with a quiet breath. It was a relief he had prepared for this possibility in advance.

“Sir Iadis. Close the book.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

At the Duke’s firm command, Iadis shut the open book. The cover and the first page—where the ruins’ location had been marked—had been cleanly torn out beforehand.

“Are you really going to take just the book and limit it to mere linguistic study?”

“……”

[Master, we must give up on raising the fee. This is a site we absolutely must investigate in person!]

An increasingly anxious Legionty sent Olive a desperate message through magic.

Ah… damn it!

Olive swore under her breath. She had thought the Duke was nothing more than a simple-minded soldier—she’d completely underestimated him.

“If you cancel the fee increase, I’ll give you both the book and the location of the ruins.”

“Then I propose this: give us the book and the location, and we’ll raise the fee by 20% instead.”

“……”

The hand holding the book trembled in Iadis’s grasp. This thief just wouldn’t give up.

Sigh…

Michalis exhaled inwardly. The Tower Master’s stubbornness was no joke.

“Can your mages truly conduct peaceful research in an area where cannon fire is flying?”

Michalis finally spoke again after a long silence. When facing someone shameless, he had to match them in kind.

“What do you mean by that?”

“The truth is, that region is infested with pirates. Whichever ship you board, you’ll be attacked. Of course, capable mages like yourselves could easily handle a few pirates—but wouldn’t that be terribly inconvenient?”

Michalis spoke the lie without flinching. (There were no pirates in that area.)

“Withdraw the fee increase. I’ll escort you to the site on a frigate and provide protection throughout the research period.”

Michalis now played his final card—military support.

“……”

It was common knowledge that no pirate would dare attack a ship flying the blue flag of House Ascher.

[Master… please. This is enough. Let it go.]

Legionty had gone pale. Mages of the Tower, living in an age of peace, were fragile scholars. Pirates didn’t want to kill or be killed. If anything, they’d flee the moment they saw House Ascher’s banner.

“……”

Olive stayed silent for quite some time. Renting an armed vessel capable of withstanding pirates was a difficult and costly task.

[Master… you’ve already accomplished a great deal.]

Legionty pleaded again through message magic.

“Fine. We’ll cancel the fee increase.”

Olive could no longer justify her resistance.

“Please review the terms and sign here.”

Iadis quickly placed the prepared documents on the desk.

<Contract Extension for Magical Usage>

Olive pulled the documents toward her, eyes narrowing as she checked the text.

Damn it. Just a one-year extension with the same conditions.

Thankfully, there was no underhanded attempt to extend the contract to ten years. Olive signed without hesitation.

{ Grandmaster. Ελιά. }

It was a magical signature that intentionally concealed her true name.

“It’s done.”

“Haa…”

Both Iadis and Legionty let out a breath of relief at the same time.

“I’ll now officially confirm the contract is extended for one more year under the original terms.”

Iadis quickly packed up the signed documents, anxious the Tower Master might change her mind.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

Michalis offered a short, simple remark and rose from his seat.

“Departure will be exactly one month from today, on August 19. We’ll allow up to twenty passengers. Please finalize the roster and have them at Dock 1 of Plencia Port by 9 a.m. on the day. Do you have any questions?”

As if everything had been prepared in advance, Iadis continued speaking smoothly.

“……”

“How long will we remain at sea?”

Legionty asked in place of the Master, who was still stiff as a statue.

“Travel time will take thirty days round trip. You’ll be given ten additional days at sea to study the ruins.”

“Hmm… Understood.”

That meant they would be spending a total of forty days aboard the ship. But to secure safety at sea and gain ten uninterrupted days for research—it was a reasonable deal.

“We’ve prepared a resting room in the annex. Please stay until your mana is fully recovered before returning. If you need anything else, inform the butler.”

“……”

While Iadis was still explaining, Michalis quietly observed the Tower Master for a moment, then left the reception room without another word.

“Then, we’ll end things here. Please follow the butler to your resting area.”

Iadis wrapped up quickly and followed after Michalis.

“Master, that was incredible! Truly amazing!”

The moment the Duke and his aide left the room, Legionty could no longer hold back. When the Master had first slammed that outrageous document down in front of House Ascher, he had thought she was simply out of her mind.

“I’m genuinely in awe of your insight and boldness.”

Who else could dare confront House Ascher so fearlessly? Legionty now felt he could wholeheartedly respect his tempestuous Master.

“With nothing more than a single sheet of paper, you’ve marked a new chapter in magical history!”

“……”

That was true—trading just one document proposing a fee increase for a priceless artifact? It could be seen as an enormous success.

Then why does it feel like I lost to that Duke?

She’d clearly won the negotiation… yet Olive felt strangely defeated.

“I, Legionty, now respect you from the bottom of my heart! Whether you need a father figure or an uncle—I’ll do whatever you ask!”

Oblivious to his Master’s mood, Legionty was bubbling over with excitement.

The Tower was supposed to have the upper hand…

That was the root of her sour mood. The Duke hadn’t bowed his head once—never begged, never looked pitiful.

“Let’s rest for a bit.”

“Yes, Master!”

Olive, who had remained seated long after the meeting had ended, finally rose to her feet.

“Allow me to escort you to the resting chamber.”

A butler from House Ascher, who had been waiting outside the reception room, stepped forward to guide them.

“Please relax and make yourself comfortable. There is a bell in the adjacent room. If you need anything, ring it, and a servant will assist you.”

“Oh… how refined.”

Legionty couldn’t help but marvel as he entered the guest chamber. A cool breeze drifted in through wide-open windows, inviting a midday nap, and every piece of furniture and décor looked to be a master artisan’s work.

“Hmm…”

Even to Olive, the room was beyond reproach—it was luxurious. A table had already been set with light refreshments, and two large, spotless beds filled the space. The Duke’s household had clearly gone all out to treat their guests with the utmost hospitality.

“Storage.”

Without hesitation, Olive summoned her spatial storage and shoved the book and her Tower Master’s robe into it.

“Legionty.”

Standing in front of the full-length mirror, now robe-less, Olive called his name.

“Yes, Master?”

“How do I look?”

“Uh… youthful and fresh?”

Legionty tilted his head, unsure how to respond. She didn’t exactly look “young” but more… youthful. And honestly, he didn’t know why she was even asking.

“Fresh?”

“I meant, full of charm!”

“What about my outfit?”

“It looks… ordinary?”

“Do I look like a commoner?”

“Not at all! You look like a young noble out for a stroll.”

Most mages in the Tower were from noble families. If someone like Legionty, a senior mage, thought her outfit passed, then it probably did. The Tower clerk had done a fine job preparing it.

“Good.”

Satisfied with Legionty’s response, Olive grabbed the doorknob. The lingering sense of defeat from the Duke could wait—she was here for something more important.

“Huh? You’re going out?”

Legionty, now her biggest fan, quickly moved to follow.

“Stay here.”

“Ah, yes…”

Legionty slumped. Apparently, she didn’t need a father figure this time.

Where can I find him, anyway?

Olive stepped out of the annex without a clear destination. The inner compound was vast.

Why is the garden unnecessarily huge?

It wasn’t just the number of buildings—it was the sheer space between them.

“One, two. One, two. Hey! Aosephino cadet! You’re half a beat late again!”

“I’ll correct it, sir!”

“And what happens when your rowing rhythm falls out of sync?”

“The ship won’t move forward!”

Olive wandered toward a random building. It was scorching in the southern heat, and after exploring a few spots, sweat had begun to bead on her forehead.

Damn, I missed my chance to cast a temperature control spell… Is this some kind of knight training ground?

She was just about to turn away from the sparring yard teeming with young boys when a stranger grabbed her by the shoulder.

“Hey, kid. You’re a new face, aren’t you?”

“……”

What’s with that weird speech? Is this a southern dialect?

“How did an outsider make it into the inner compound?”

“Well…”

She couldn’t exactly say I’m the Master of the Tower. Olive hesitated to find the right excuse.

“I came with my father…”

“Ah! So, you’re here to take the squire interview?”

Two boys exclaimed at once. The knight order of House Ascher was the most coveted path for young southern nobles. A boy of that age showing up here could only mean one thing.

“Uh… yeah. That’s right.”

Olive replied quickly.

Why’s he talking down to me already? ‘Came with your dad’? Tch. Looks soft—he’s not gonna pass.

The squire thought Olive looked rather pitiful. The green-haired boy didn’t seem to have the makings of a knight at all.

“If you’re here for the interview, report to that instructor over there.”

“One, two. One, two.”

“This concludes the morning session. Gather again at 1 PM after lunch. Dismissed!”

“Honor!”

Just in time, the morning training ended. Maybe there really was a scheduled interview.

“Aren’t you going to the instructor?”

The tanned boy beside Olive urged her on.

“……”

Olive was still hesitating about whether to go meet a real instructor when—

“Urgent report! Urgent report!”

A squire who had gone out on an errand came running back, shouting breathlessly.

“What is it?”

The boy standing opposite Olive widened his eyes.

“My lady is practicing horseback riding in the rear garden!”

“Seriously!?”

“Not only that—she’s wearing a riding outfit!”

The squire was gasping for air. Among the trainees, this truly was urgent news.

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