After lunch at noon.
Emilia called Shendu aside alone to the pavilion. Leaning close to her ear, she spoke in a soft voice.
"Sister Shendu, although Count Roswaal may seem a little strange, it's understandable that you might misunderstand him. Still, I hope you can avoid clashing with him in the future."
Emilia naturally did not want Shendu to run into trouble.
Moreover, she had no intention of blaming Shendu at all. She was completely confident in Shendu's strength. She simply felt that any conflict between them would be meaningless.
On one hand, Count Roswaal was a noble who supported her, someone who could provide assistance in her competition against the other royal candidates.
On the other hand, Sister Shendu was the powerful ally she had chosen, a being of unfathomable strength who could resolve many troubles with ease.
If these two sides clashed and turned against each other, it would only weaken her own forces. Emilia understood this clearly, which was why she believed harmony was important.
"Oh? No problem."
Shendu nodded and stepped forward, gazing into Emilia's eyes as she asked with a teasing smile, "Are you worried about me? We've only known each other for a short time. Aren't you being a little too nice to me?"
Shendu moved closer and affectionately stroked Emilia's head, watching her with an ambiguous smile.
"Ah! N-No... I just don't want you to get into trouble."
The closer she stood to Shendu, the faster Emilia's heart beat. It felt as though steam might rise from her head.
"Very well. I'll listen to you."
Shendu gave a light laugh, and Emilia finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Kind as she was, Emilia did not want Shendu to fall into trouble. Seeing her accept the advice made her genuinely happy.
Just as the two were chatting pleasantly, a set of untimely footsteps approached from afar.
Turning her head, Shendu saw Rem walking over with small, measured steps. Upon noticing the two in conversation, she bowed respectfully.
"Lady Emilia, it is time for your studies. Please return to your room. If you wish to become a candidate for the throne, you must not be negligent."
Rem spoke word by word, casting Shendu a glance filled with hostility.
"Alright, I'm coming right away."
Emilia responded, then turned to Shendu apologetically. "I'm sorry. As a royal candidate, I have to study useful knowledge every day. I may not be able to keep you company."
There was reluctance in Emilia's voice. Facing the girl before her, she still wanted to spend more time together. Every moment with her felt like gaining something new.
"It's fine. I understand. We'll meet again when you have time."
Shendu waved her hand. Under Rem's guidance, Emilia returned to her room and began her studies.
After thinking for a moment, Shendu felt that Emilia's life was rather miserable.
As a candidate for the throne, she spent each day either practicing spiritual arts or studying the knowledge required of a ruler. Her time was extremely limited.
Her identity as a silver-haired half-elf caused her to face exclusion, and she had never received fair treatment. Even becoming one of the candidates for the throne had not been easy.
"Sigh... what a heartbreaking half-elf girl. It seems I need to do something."
Shendu stroked her chin thoughtfully, wondering how things were progressing on Akane's side.
With the plan she had provided, if everything went smoothly, events would develop exactly as she desired.
"I wonder how things are progressing over there. I'm really looking forward to it."
A trace of anticipation appeared in Shendu's eyes as she gazed into the distance.
After that, she found Felt and took her wandering around to pass the time.
...
Meanwhile, in the direction of the slums, in just a single day, numerous tall and luxurious wooden houses had suddenly appeared.
The previously dilapidated scenery had vanished. In front of one particularly splendid wooden building, Shendu's subordinate, Akane, sat in the main seat.
Looking at Old Man Rom standing below her, then recalling the more than twenty thousand civilians they had recruited in just one day, Akane felt extremely satisfied.
The surrounding buildings had already been remodeled with magic, creating many decent houses for the people to live in. Each person had also been given a sufficient sum of money.
"Lady Akane, recruitment has been completed. Are we certain we want to register a merchant guild?"
"Won't that cause trouble?"
Old Man Rom was somewhat worried, afraid that the situation might spiral out of control and invite suppression from certain forces within the kingdom.
In just one day, Akane had finished constructing the houses and distributed a special magical item to every civilian who joined them.
This allowed each person to cast magic. And that was not all. In addition to granting them the ability to protect themselves, Akane also intended to pour money into purchasing profitable industries throughout the entire kingdom.
Establishing a merchant guild was merely a cover—a protective umbrella for gradually expanding their influence.
"Heh, there's no need to worry. If anyone dares to cause trouble—aside from the royal candidates themselves—just eliminate them. As long as your fist is big enough, you will have the right to speak."
Akane shook her head and waved dismissively at Old Man Rom.
Soon, the two stepped outside. When they reached a hillside, they saw it crowded with people. There were even spies from other forces secretly observing the area.
From their vantage point, Akane and Old Man Rom could clearly see the civilians who had been reorganized under Old Man Rom and subjected to a round of ideological indoctrination by Akane.
They raised their hands one after another, casting spells continuously.
There were elements of wind, fire, thunder, and lightning. They could even use the magic within the rings to fly or perform healing.
Moreover, every ring was bound by blood to its owner. Other forces would be unable to obtain them.
Each civilian now possessed the strength of a D-rank mage. Even if other factions typically had mages at A+ rank or above, under the combined assault of over twenty thousand people, even an S-rank mage would be worn down to death.
"It's unbelievable... we gained so many subordinates in just one day."
Old Man Rom felt as though he were dreaming, yet the oppressive presence before him was undeniably real.
In this world, becoming a mage required qualifications. The ability to mass-produce such mages was a terrifying force.
"It's nothing. Continue recruiting civilians and strictly investigate spies from other factions. Kill any you catch immediately."
"Also, our merchant guild will be called the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild. Within one month, make its name resound throughout the entire kingdom."
"Yes!"
Hearing the unquestionable tone in her voice, Old Man Rom felt that he truly had grown old, unable to keep up with the times.
That traveler—Shendu—was indeed no ordinary person.