I Stole The Duke - Chapter 142

“Ughhh! Please step aside!”

“How can you just shove such a large piece in like that? Don’t block the hallway!”

“What’s going on up front? My project requires pre-installation. I’m in a rush, so please clear the way!”

The nineteen members of the ruin’s exploration team were instantly swept up in an entirely different kind of chaos upon their return to the Magic Tower.

‘What on earth is happening here?’

An unimaginable scene was unfolding before their eyes—something one would never expect in the Magic Tower.

“This won’t do. I’ll just go in through the window.”

“Ugh, seriously. Entering through the window is faster at this point.”

The Tower’s famously sluggish mages were now darting around, each clutching some object in hand.

“Oh, you’re back?”

One of the mages heading toward a window called out to the ruins team, who were standing there dumbfounded.

“Is something going on today?”

“Today is the grand day of the contest, isn’t it?”

“A contest?”

“Didn’t you receive the announcement while you were away at the ruins?”

“No, I didn’t. Explain it to me in detail.”

“It’s the Master’s Magical Artifact Competition. The winner receives a full 100% increase in research funding for a year. Second place gets 50%, and third place 30%. But the bottom ten? They’ll have their research budgets cut by 20%.”

With a full year’s research funding on the line, it now made perfect sense why the mages were running around in a frenzy. Especially the word “cut”, which was enough to make even the most unproductive researchers go wild.

“…Is that so?”

Perrow pressed a hand to his temple as a sharp headache began to throb.

“But, Sir Perrow, why are you holding the Master’s robe?”

“Oh, that. I’ve just become the Master of the Tower…”

Perrow replied, still holding his aching head. The former Master had vanished after stirring up this whole mess.

“What?! Then the Master—”

“Has resigned from the post and gone off somewhere.”

With that single line from Perrow, the noisy corridor was hit with a metaphorical cold snap.

“The Master resigned…?”

“The Master has been replaced.”

Like lightning from a clear sky, the news traveled down the hallway, chilling the atmosphere as it passed from mouth to mouth.

“Does this mean the competition is canceled?”

“I spent a whole month pouring my soul into this!”

“This can’t be happening. I even held in going to the bathroom to finish it…”

“Please! Don’t tell us the competition’s been canceled!”

If the contest were canceled now, there would be mass panic among the mages. The responsibility to settle things fell squarely on the new Master’s shoulders—Perrow’s.

“Everyone, please wait in the competition hall… I’ll head down shortly after I unpack.”

“Ah… Yes, understood.”

“Where did the former Master go, I wonder?”

“He’s far too capable for there to be a safety concern.”

“Could it be he hated my handwriting that much…?”

“Surely not. It’s improved a lot lately.”

“At least the competition isn’t canceled.”

Thanks to Perrow’s attempts to smooth things over, the mages—who had been momentarily thrown into disarray—slowly began returning to their usual routines.

‘How am I supposed to clean up this mess…’

Perrow clutched his pounding head and trudged into the Master’s office.

‘How am I supposed to manage the budget allocations after the competition?!’

He hadn’t liked the green-haired Master from the start, and now the man had fled without a single word of transition. This had to be a nightmare.

“…Huh?”

Slumping into the office chair, Perrow blinked and suddenly noticed a neat stack of documents arranged at the center of the desk.

<Operations Manual>, <Q4 Budget Proposal, Year 321>, <10-Year Plan for Tower Development>, <Competition Scoring Sheet>.

“Phew—at least the budget’s already been taken care of.”

As he flipped through each document, Perrow’s resentment toward the former Master vanished, replaced by something surprisingly warm: admiration.

‘How did he manage to prepare all this in just forty days?!’

The documents were immaculately organized in clean, upright handwriting—surprisingly tidy for someone known to be rather sharp-edged. No tasks had been left undone. Every part of the transition had been laid out like a manual.

‘Hah… he even made a table of contents for handwritten papers. What’s this? Mana Stone Recharging Station Operation Plan? Is he predicting a spike in usage?’

It outlined the current issues in the Tower and detailed long-term plans. This kind of thoughtful organization—this level of empathy—was practically extinct among the obsessive mages.

It felt as though a divine being of administration had briefly passed through, working effortlessly as if breathing.

‘Given that the former Master was a time magic user… I can’t take these plans lightly.’

The green-haired Master, who held the position for just three months, had no doubt seen the Tower’s future and returned only to ensure its survival.

As October arrived, a gentle autumn breeze began to blow through Flencia.

‘The proposal letter should have arrived by now… I wonder when…’

The “God of Work” leaned on his hand, smirking to himself.

“Sir Iadis.”

“Oh—My Lady, you’re here?”

Snapped out of his daydream, Iadis quickly returned to reality.

“What’s the happy thought? Why were you smiling?”

Eliana asked, surprised to see the normally reserved Iadis grinning to himself.

“Was I smiling?”

“You were.”

“I must’ve let my thoughts wander for a moment.”

As if a loose thread had been suddenly pulled tight, he returned to his usual calm, unreadable expression.

“……”

For someone who always lived buried in work to be lost in thought—it could only mean something was on his mind.

“Where is he?”

“He’s currently in his office. I can escort you there.”

“No need. It’s nothing complicated.”

Eliana confidently stepped up to the Lord’s office and knocked.

“Michal, it’s me.”

“Come in.”

A clear voice responded right away from behind the specially soundproofed door.

“I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Not at all. I was just about to finish up the last of my work.”

Michalis gladly set aside his papers and moved to the sofa.

“I wanted to assign a temporary escort while Sir Joel is away.”

It hadn’t been long since their engagement, but Joel was now away for two weeks to take part in the Blue Knight Order’s promotion exams.

“Do you have someone in mind?”

“I was thinking of Sir Istar.”

“Sir Istar is currently away as the naval supervisor for the exams. He’s not available.”

“Then Sir Roanes.”

Sir Roanes, with his lean build, average looks, and impressive skill, was a perfect choice. Ever since their last outing, Eliana had grown quite comfortable around him. Trusting him with her escort gave her peace of mind.

“Understood. I’ll inform Sir Roanes right away.”

“Oh, and I’m planning to visit the outer district in about two hours. Can he assist me starting today?”

“May I ask the purpose of the visit?”

“I want to check on the progress of the new salon building.”

“By now, they should be working on the framework.”

“Framework…? I’ve never seen a wooden building go up before. I’m curious about how it’s done.”

“I see. Then I’ll have everything prepared for your outing in two hours.”

“I’ll see you at dinner, Michal.”

With her business finished, Eliana stood, not wanting to take up more of Michalis’ time.

Two hours?

Michalis immediately felt the clock ticking.

“Sir Iadis.”

After Eliana left, Michalis silently counted to twenty before swinging open the adjutant’s office door.

“Yes, Your Grace?”

“Have my horse ready at the main entrance in two hours.”

“Are you going somewhere?”

Iadis looked surprised. As far as he knew, the Duke had no plans to go out today.

“Just stepping out for some fresh air.”

It was his way of saying no escort would be needed.

“Understood.”

The door closed before Iadis had even finished speaking. If he wanted to finish everything in time, every minute from now on counted.

Two hours later.

“Michal? I thought you were busy.”

Instead of Sir Roanes, Eliana found herself face to face with Michalis.

“I managed to finish up earlier than expected.”

The Duke had rushed to arrive on time, but his voice remained calm and steady.

“…Is that so?”

Eliana tilted her head slightly, remembering the mountain of paperwork he had on his desk just two hours ago.

“I thought I should check on the building’s progress too.”

He added the comment casually, though it wasn’t really necessary.

“Shall we?”

“Take my hand.”

Michalis naturally reached out to help her onto her horse.

“Now that I think about it, this is our first time horseback riding together.”

“I never imagined, back when I first met you, that a day like this would come.”

Though Eliana had been learning to ride for over two months, this was the first time the two of them had ridden side by side. Michalis smiled quietly as he watched her ride with a steady, confident posture.

“A lot has happened, hasn’t it?”

“……”

The Duke—who had once died and come back to life—simply nodded in silence. Clip, clop. Their horses trotted along the smooth stone path.

“Oh! They’ve made a lot more progress than I expected. They’re ahead of schedule.”

Not long after leaving the inner castle, the scent of dried timber filled the air. The beige wooden framework stood tall, taking shape like the bars of a baby’s crib.

Stone buildings would have been sturdier, but because the outer district sat near the edge of sea cliffs, only lightweight wooden structures were permitted. While wood wasn’t as durable as stone, it did allow for faster construction.

“Flencia’s carpenters are probably the best in the Empire.”

Michalis spoke with pride, confident in the skill of craftsmen trained through years of shipbuilding.

“At this pace, when do you think the construction will be finished?”

More than ten carpenters worked diligently, completely unaware of the Duke and Duchess watching nearby.

“If all goes well, the exterior should be finished by January, and the interior by February.”

“We might get in the way if we stay here too long. Should we move somewhere else?”

“Since we’re already out here, would you like to ride up to the outer wall?”

“We can ride horses up there?”

“Of course.”

During wartime, it was impossible to command such a large area on foot. That’s why a sloped ramp had been built to let horses access the wall.

“Then yes, I’d love to see it.”

“Follow me.”

Eliana quickly rode after him, thinking to herself how glad she was that she’d learned to ride.

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