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To summarize the contents of the letter bearing the Emperor's seal:
<My dear daughter. I have summoned her to the capital to determine the succession of Iris Achen's Elector title.>
For the Grand Duke, it was absurd.
Of course, she knew that Iris Achen would eventually have to visit the Imperial Capital at least once.
Even if it was an internal matter of House Achen, the Elector title was strictly granted by the Emperor.
However, she truly hadn't expected that sluggish Emperor to intervene so quickly.
Since the death of the first prince, the Emperor had become indifferent to everything. To be honest, her father likely wouldn't care which of his two children inherited the throne.
Of course, since Prince Elio had killed the first prince, his heart might lean slightly more toward the Grand Duke.
But that was all. Even if the Grand Duke had failed to defeat Prince Elio, the Emperor would have felt pity, but not regret.
Does the position of being above ten thousand people wear a person down that much? The Grand Duke had always wondered.
Regardless, the Emperor's letter contained other details.
<I know you intervened in Iris Achen's marriage. Come to the capital.>
Of course, the Grand Duke had successfully played innocent. But anyone with a brain could not be unaware of the fact that Grand Duke Lacheize had actively intervened in Iris Achen's marriage.
Furthermore, Rahan was still the Grand Duke's knight. Nominally, he was someone who had to pay for his crimes to the Grand Duke.
If Iris Achen received the Elector title from the Emperor, Grand Duke Lacheize must also be present at that occasion.
Rahan Norwich's pardon was only possible if Iris Achen became an Elector. If things went wrong, Rahan Norwich would not escape the Crime of Assaulting Royalty.
As for Philod Ahen, she could block his venting of anger by claiming that 'Grand Duke Lacheize would punish Rahan Norwich.'
But what if the Emperor tried to punish Rahan Norwich, claiming 'he harmed my daughter'?
The Emperor's punishment took precedence over the Grand Duke's. Therefore, the Grand Duke had to go to the capital personally, if only to protect the subordinate who had followed her instructions.
Additionally, the Emperor had written another note.
<Knights have already departed from the capital to fetch Iris Achen, so save the knights of the House of Lacheize.>
This was also a measure taken because the Emperor knew the Grand Duke had intervened in the Achen marriage.
It blocked the possibility of Grand Duke Lacheize sending her own knights to protect Iris and Rahan.
The Grand Duke had expected as much. Her father was old and lazy, but his acuity was still sharp.
Moreover, her adjutant Pepin delivered other information.
'I heard that a representative of the Norwich family has headed for Arnsberg.'
Arnsberg was also part of the Grand Duchy. Any family passing through the Grand Duchy would have to present their identification tags.
A member of the Norwich family had visited the Grand Duchy and stated their destination as 'Arnsberg.'
'The Norwich family, now of all times.'
The Norwich family were the heads of the house that bore the burden of The Desolate Snowfields. They rarely intervened in external affairs.
If they had moved, it was likely at someone's request.
At first, she thought it might be Herbert Achen. But the Grand Duke did not value him highly.
'Unless it was his older brother, Licht Ahen.'
Compared to Licht, Herbert was shockingly lacking. He was vulgar and greedy.
Grand Duke Lacheize had also met him during her childhood when she was a princess.
She hadn't received a single good impression of him when he came to the capital to succeed the title after Licht Ahen's death.
'The Norwich family may be poor and barren, but they aren't a house so flighty that they would move at a single word from Herbert Achen. In that case...'
It must be Prince Elio.
Grand Duke Lacheize thought of her brother, who annoyed her at every turn.
If it were the shockingly cunning Prince Elio, moving the Norwich family would not have been difficult.
'The question is, what did he use to move them.'
And there was one more question.
“Riet.”
“Yes.”
“It's certain that Rahan is not the source of that plague right now, correct?”
At her words, Riet's expression crumpled slightly. Her face seemed to ask who she was suspecting. The Grand Duke narrowed her eyes.
“It is clear that the Potato Blight is the work of a demon. Therefore, circumstantially, Rahan is the most likely culprit.”
It was true. But it was also false. Riet replied loudly without realizing it.
“But why would the Captain have a reason to do that?”
The Grand Duke smiled.
“Yes. Rahan has no reason to do that. But that is only my opinion.”
The Grand Duke cherished Rahan Norwich. However, separately from that, she did not trust people.
And since Rahan was also human, she didn't think 'he could absolutely never do such a thing.'
Who knew if there were circumstances she was unaware of, leading Rahan to employ a demon?
Riet's expression became one of utter indignation on his behalf.
“You know how the Captain has lived his whole life!”
“Yes. I know. He wouldn't have done it. He's the kind of boy who knew how the gold coins he brought from Til Nebe Cedric could collapse the Empire, yet he didn't do it.”
Riet now looked like she had no idea what the Grand Duke was talking about. The Grand Duke smiled faintly.
The gold coins Rahan brought from the continent of unbelievers had a much higher purity than the gold coins of the Foldenbach Empire.
And the Grand Duke had given all those coins to Rahan. However, Rahan had left the coins with the Grand Duke and only took out a few when necessary.
In that sense, the Grand Duke evaluated Rahan as being considerably softer than he appeared.
If it had been Grand Duke Lacheize, she would have released all tens of thousands of gold coins received as a reward into the cities near the Norwich March. This was because the Norwich March used the official gold coins of the Foldenbach Empire.
While the value was the same, if there were coins with much higher purity, people would naturally choose the higher one.
Merchants who came to sell goods in the Norwich March would all turn their backs and come this way instead.
And that was the most dignified and vicious way to destroy a territory.
It wasn't that the Grand Duke hadn't hinted this to Rahan.
But Rahan didn't do it. He was not a person who preferred a method where innocent people died because of his own grudge.
“Rahan has a quite decent subordinate. Must be nice.”
“Thank you...?”
Riet scratched the back of her neck, looking puzzled yet pleased. The Grand Duke sank into other thoughts.
Besides the servant associated with Rahan, there must be another demon.
Then who could it be?
It was obvious. If one listed the people who would benefit most from employing a demon in such a way, the answer came quickly.
Prince Elio, or Herbert Achen.
'But it won't be that Elio fellow. At least he wouldn't be directly involved.'
As much as her brother was cunning, he was also sensitive about what he stood to lose.
Colluding with a demon. From the position of someone aiming for the throne, that was a part he would absolutely want to avoid.
Demonic work is immediately revealed if there is even one priest. The more they have to lose when accused, the further they distance themselves from demons.
'If it's him, he'd rather use the assassins of Til Nebe Cedric.'
Money is more certain than demons. There are unbelievers who will kill people for a bit of money, so why bother?
'Then is it Herbert Achen, that fellow?'
There were points that aligned. Licht Ahen had died suddenly at a young age.
Since he died after suffering from an unknown illness for exactly seven days, there was no time to use other methods.
At that time, Herbert was a man with nothing to lose. It wouldn't be strange at all if he had colluded with demons or mages.
“Is it certain that only you and this person called Priest Marid know this fact?”
At the Grand Duke's words, Riet answered tensely.
“As far as I know, yes.”
“Couldn't mages or demons sense each other?”
“I'm not sure about that...”
“...I shall have to go to Arnsberg myself.”
The Grand Duke's decision was swift. She called Pepin. Pepin, who had been waiting outside, entered quickly.
“Gather all the materials related to demons and mages in the Ducal Palace immediately. And stuff them into the carriage. I am going to Arnsberg.”
“Pardon? Not the capital?”
“The capital can wait a bit. Arnsberg is urgent. And send a message to Archbishop Victor.”
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