ㅤChapter 29
ㅤTheodore, having regained his composure, confirms.
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ㅤ”Empress. Does detoxification mean you will do something similar to when you created the vegetable garden?”
ㅤ”Yes. However, the area is incomparably vast, so I don’t know how much I can do. I’ll put my all into it and try my best!”
ㅤ”De, detoxification? What in the world is Your Highness planning to do……”
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ㅤTheodore stops Molly, who is flustered. Ruby was already looking ahead, focused.
ㅤStepping into the field, Ruby takes a quiet breath and places her hand on the ground. She feels the evil miasma that is eroding the land and senses the wriggling poison.
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ㅤ（I want to clean this field and make the crops grow. I want the dining tables of the people of Langley to be filled with colorful and abundant food.）
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ㅤShe offers a prayer and puts the incantation that descended into her mind into words.
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ㅤ”By the name of Ruby・Rose・Delphire, I command: Oh pitiful earth, cleanse your impurity with my deadly poison!”
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ㅤSimultaneously with the chant, black haze rises from Ruby’s body. A lukewarm wind begins to blow from somewhere, gradually gaining momentum.
ㅤIt whips Ruby’s hair and makes her dress flutter. The black storm licks the field and finally ascends towards the sky like a tornado.
ㅤThe farmland left behind by the wind looked the same, but when Ruby touched it, it was completely detoxified. The vast area, all of it.
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ㅤ”—I did it! I did it!”
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ㅤShe stands up, feeling a pleasant fatigue. When she turns around in delight, Theodore and Molly’s mouths are wide open, as if their jaws are about to fall off.
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ㅤ”……Well, I’ll be…… Am I seeing a dream because I’m too old……?”
ㅤ”What a coincidence, Mayor. I seem to be having the same dream. I never knew her power was this extraordinary……”
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ㅤIn Theodore’s mind, bewilderment and joy were mixed together.
ㅤHe had thought the effective range would be at most the size of a small vegetable garden in a yard, but to detoxify the entire vast field that supports the nation’s food supply……
ㅤRuby’s ability might be far more powerful than he had imagined. The thought sent shivers down his spine.
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ㅤ”I did it, Your Majesty! Mayor Molly! Now the crops should grow!”
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ㅤTheodore puts on an expression for Ruby, who came running back with a joyful look on her face. He pushed his complex emotions into his chest for the time being.
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ㅤ”I’m surprised. Your ability is so strong.”
ㅤ”I’m surprised too! It just shows that you can do anything if you put your mind to it!”
ㅤ”I think that’s a little different…… However, it’s a fact that you have greatly helped our country. Princess Ruby, thank you. I sincerely appreciate it.”
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ㅤTheodore bent down, took Ruby’s hand, and lightly touched it to his forehead. This was the way the Emperor of Langley officially expressed his utmost gratitude.
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ㅤ”Whoa! Please stop, Your Majesty. If my power can be of help to the people of Langley, it’s only natural for me to do my best. This is my second home now.”
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ㅤIt was Molly who was deeply moved by Ruby’s words.
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ㅤ”Your Highness is such a wonderful person. You have the power of a Saintess and a pure heart. I am proud to have been born as a citizen of Langley. It will be a good souvenir for the afterlife……”
ㅤ”Mayor Molly, please don’t say such a thing. Please live a long life.”
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ㅤMolly wipes his wrinkled eyes with his gnarled, thick fingers.
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ㅤ”If Your Highness says so. Then, I’ll do my best, even though I’m old, until this field is lush and green and fresh vegetables are distributed throughout the country.”
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ㅤAfterwards, Ruby and Theodore were treated to lunch, and in the afternoon, they encouraged the officials at the government office before returning to the inn.
ㅤSince it was a small town specializing in agriculture, the schedule during their stay was relatively relaxed.
ㅤThey had dinner at the inn’s dining hall with Theodore and his Creature Under One’s Care. It was similar to the food served at the detached palace, but because it was an agricultural area, many dishes were lightly seasoned to bring out the flavor of the ingredients.
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ㅤ”Thank you for the meal. It was delicious, Your Majesty! The Byfen Potatoes fried with salt were so simple, yet surprisingly addictive.”
ㅤ”The crispy outside and the fluffy inside made for a wonderful contrast. Frying them with the skin on is also a nice touch.”
ㅤ”Fufu. I’ve always thought that Your Majesty looks very happy when you’re eating.”
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ㅤTheodore’s face flushed red at Ruby’s mischievous remark.
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ㅤ”—I don’t know. I don’t know myself.”
ㅤ”I’m not teasing you. I’m just saying that seeing Your Majesty happy makes me happy too. I wanted to say thank you.”
ㅤ”……Is that so? Well then, I guess that’s good, isn’t it?”
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ㅤUnable to answer and feeling uncomfortable, Theodore hurriedly left his seat.
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ㅤ”You must be tired today. We’ll be inspecting the city tomorrow as well. You should go back to your room and rest.”
ㅤ”Good night. Please have a good rest, Your Majesty.”
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ㅤFormally, they were husband and wife, but they were given separate rooms at the inns along the way. This was at Theodore’s strong request, a consideration 『so that the Empress, who is unfamiliar with Langley, wouldn’t become too tired.』
ㅤSoon, Ruby also left her seat and returned to her room.
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ㅤ◇
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ㅤTelling Emma to rest as she could manage the rest herself, Ruby decided to take a shower in the attached bathroom.
ㅤThis was the best inn in town, as it was where the Emperor was staying. The water flowed out with good water pressure.
ㅤWhile washing her body, Ruby suddenly thought.
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ㅤ（I’m using water as if it’s natural, but there are citizens who can’t. They said they use spring water in Cyril, but even that requires the hard work of the people who draw the water……）
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ㅤRuby turned the faucet, weakening the flow of water.
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ㅤ（I purified the fields today, but it will take some time before they can actually harvest anything. Is there anything else I can do……?）
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ㅤShe racked her brains, wondering if there was anything she could do to help the residents immediately and make them happy.
ㅤShe looked back on the day’s events from the morning, and when she reached the dinner scene, it suddenly hit her.
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ㅤ”That’s it! Let’s have a food handout! If I make it Belheim-style, it will be new and they’ll be happy, won’t they!?”
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ㅤShe would avoid using precious leafy vegetables and fruits, and use the abundant Byfen Potatoes or Hoffen Potatoes.
ㅤShe wanted to make delicious food and let the residents eat their fill.
ㅤFortunately, she had brought seasonings from the log house because Theodore had told her beforehand, “Langley is a poor country. In some places, the meals are very simple.”
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ㅤ”It would be best if it’s Belheim-style but can also be recreated in Cyril. Oh, I’m excited. I have to get permission from His Majesty right away!”
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ㅤHaving quickly finished her bath, Ruby put on her bathrobe and returned to the room. Without even drying her wet hair, she secretly slipped out into the hallway. The guard on night duty looked startled, but she reassured him, saying, “It’s okay. I just have something for His Majesty.”
ㅤLight was leaking from under the door of the next room.
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ㅤ”He’s still awake. I don’t hear any water running, so he’s probably not in the middle of a bath either.”
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ㅤFor a moment, the thought crossed her mind that she could wait until tomorrow morning, but she shook her head.
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ㅤ”It’s something that requires preparation, so the sooner the better. Our stay here is limited, after all.”
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ㅤIf she was refused, she would have to think of something else she could do.
ㅤCompletely forgetting that she was in her bathrobe after her bath, Ruby knocked on Theodore’s door.