Chapter 37
Just because something could be understood didn’t mean it was easy to accept. Mia’s Etalon-style education had never taught her about methods of utilizing divine power like this.
As far as Mia knew, the human body was a sacred vessel, and filling anything other than that vessel with divine power was a heretical act not permitted by the goddess.
"I wanted to show you too, Mia, so I got permission and sent you one. The priest said that a stone large enough to be used as a device’s power source contains immense latent energy, so it shouldn’t be handled by someone who hasn’t been formally trained in handling sanctified objects. You probably can’t make a device yourself with something this small, but I hope you’ll carry it as a symbol of good luck."
‘The idea of using a stone sanctified by an enemy priest as a symbol of good luck—how did that even come about?’
How had Chloe come to regard her so warmly? It was baffling.
Only then did Mia properly examine the contents of the package tied to the messenger bird. She knew it contained a few mysterious devices along with her initial letter, but that wasn’t all. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a pebble-sized stone faintly glowing behind everything else.
Though she had always considered it heresy and rejected it, she couldn’t deny the machines, the stone, and Chloe’s words before her eyes. It seemed there truly was a way to contain divine power outside the human body.
‘In Veridian, they must openly teach how to handle such things.’
Perhaps banning such research was the reason for Etalon’s painful defeat in their previous life. Like other citizens of Etalon, Mia was devout, but she was a strategist before she was a believer.
The fact that such a massive advantage had slipped through her fingers without her noticing because of her devotion struck her painfully.
"If you check inside the package, you’ll find a pair of devices besides what you sent me. I made them personally after coming here. Since they come in pairs, if you have one, you can locate the person holding the other."
"Right now, it only shows direction, but I’m sure it can be developed into something amazing. As for its name… since it tracks people, I thought I’d simply call it a ‘Tracker.’"
"I don’t know if you’ll ever use it, but since it’s my first creation, I wanted to give it to you as a gift. You helped me so much to get here."
"Thank you, Mia. Every opportunity you’ve given me is precious. I promise to learn as much as I can and return as someone who can help you."
Did Chloe even realize Mia belonged to the enemy command? Her letters were surprisingly affectionate.
Mia hadn’t expected such gratitude just for helping Chloe escape her worthless father—it was bewildering.
Though Chloe seemed embarrassed about gifting her clumsy first creation, for Mia, who hadn’t known such devices were possible, it was a shock.
Of course, the items had uses, but more importantly, every word Chloe shared was valuable intelligence Mia couldn’t have obtained in her past life.
The items she thought would return broken came back intact, and now she even had this new device Chloe called a ‘Tracker.’ She couldn’t help but test their functions.
"-I’m stepping out. Chloe said calling this a ‘Tracker’ sounded good. Apparently, if you have this, you can ‘track’ my location—try finding me with it."
‘Ah, did I write that too teasingly?’
It wasn’t important anyway.
Her purpose was to test the device’s performance; there was no need to go far. As usual, she planned to stroll through the market playing the role of Grenier’s merchant—but before she could take a few steps, a familiar man intercepted her.
“My, where are you off to in such a hurry? Ellie.”
“…Heron.”
“An answer… But we haven’t even had a chance to use what you handed over yet.”
“Ah… My apologies.”
“You’re being too hasty.”
“Ah… My apologies.”
“We don’t exactly have time to spare either.”
The man shrugged, not sounding sorry. Either way, it wasn’t a loss for Etalon’s forces. The story he’d relayed through hotel staff had already become widespread gossip in Raven City.
With Marquis An and the new representative of Grenier, 'Ellie,' joining in to stockpile daily necessities, even the most oblivious merchant could easily tell a major event was imminent. If he could maintain such pressure on Veridian’s economy, aligning with him behind Marquis An’s back might even be worth considering.
Mia glanced around and whispered under her breath,
“Discussing this in such an open space seems unwise.”
“Then please follow me,” the man replied, leading Mia as if he’d anticipated her words.
Mia readied herself to invoke divine power at any moment as she followed Heron. Though summoning Etienne might have added safety, his involvement would restrict certain cards she could play—secrets from her past life as a spy, or information that could one day aid the Rochefort duchy. She wanted to protect Etienne but refused to let Rochefort gain excessive advantage from this.
Given Mia’s combat skills and formidable divine power, wasting time to fetch Etienne here would do more harm than good.
‘Besides, I should verify whether that tracking device functions properly,’ she mused.
They arrived at a luxurious tearoom atop the building, its top-floor chamber entirely isolated from other floors and patrons. The space resembled a private parlor reserved for Raven’s noblewomen, now emptied and prepared solely for their “negotiation.”
‘Naturally, they arranged this in advance.’
Securing such a venue demanded considerable wealth or influence—likely both. Heron’s confidence in Mia’s compliance, or his indifference to refusal, hinted at meticulous planning. His wait outside Louisnal also signaled patience—he’d stay until she was ready.
Yet such effort for a foreign guild’s drug trade, targeting someone who wasn’t even a guild leader, felt excessive. Even for a guild as large as Grenier, Heron’s thoroughness struck Mia as disproportionate.
‘Do they believe I wield authority equal to—or surpassing—a guild leader?’
Suppressing her doubts, Mia asked calmly,
“Since you summoned me, I assume your earlier proposal still stands?”
“Yes, Ellie. We awaited the guild leader’s confirmation, but three weeks is quite a delay, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Chaten’s demand already soars and will climb further. Given its complexity to produce, I’m curious what scheme makes three weeks feel lengthy to you.”
“Trends shift swiftly, and so does market demand. In commerce, three weeks is an eternity. I assumed a Grenier representative in Raven would know this.”
“True. Yet it’s suspicious to cite ‘trends’ for a product that isn’t even a luxury.”
Heron evaded with a laugh. Mia narrowed her eyes.
“Whoever needs this will only use it once. If this drug becomes ‘trendy,’ its purpose won’t align with your current ventures. Otherwise, market penetration would be impossible.”
“Ah, our aim isn’t distribution—it’s for direct consumption.”
