Chapter 36

Chapter 36

#36. The Faith of the North (1)

It’s said that Mary, Arina’s biological mother and the previous Duchess, passed away from illness when Arina was very young.

And the former Duke of the North, Bykal, never remarried until the day he died.

Partly because of his deep love for the late Duchess Mary, but also due to various political and superstitious reasons.

“But what couldn’t happen behind closed doors? A high-ranking noble losing his wife early and indulging in secret affairs—ridiculous.”

At a glance, the age difference between Mary and Arina didn’t seem significant at all. Maybe just two years?

“An illegitimate child! That’s it—Mary was an illegitimate child of the Lenslet ducal family!”

Now things were starting to click into place like puzzle pieces.

“And so, the Great Witch of Frosthaven, Mary, became the center of the Northern Resistance… I get it now!”

In the original timeline, the Great Witch of Frosthaven, Mary, only appeared much later after Arina and the High Knights went missing in the Magic Realm twenty years ago.

“Why she stayed quiet for twenty years and why she didn’t reveal her true identity… those questions still remain unanswered.”

Though, since history has already changed completely, it probably doesn’t matter anymore.

“Hmm… wait, doesn’t Arina have a second-circle heart too? Could it be… nah, impossible.”

For a moment, I wondered if Arina and Mary might be the same person, but quickly dismissed the thought as unlikely.

Even if Arina is unusual, it’s hard to imagine a duchess pretending to be a low-level employee.

Not like we’re shooting some undercover boss reality show or anything.

“Hmph! But I agree with your intentions, boss.”

As I was lost in thought about the original timeline…

Suddenly, Mary coughed awkwardly and spoke.

“If we sprinkle this fertilizer, the Mana Force of the land will recover, and supposedly, crops will grow abundantly?”

“That’s right. Even in harsh winters, they’ll grow strong. We could farm on even more land than before.”

“Really?!”

“I guarantee it.”

“!!”

Arina got extremely excited, as if it were her own business. She really is the illegitimate child of the ducal family.

“If that’s true, the name of the late Duchess will resonate even more meaningfully with the people. Lady Mary was loved by the commoners so much that she’s still called ‘the Mother of the North’ to this day.”

“Is that so?”

“Ah, you don’t know much about this, do you? It was her who established the current low tax rates. She limited the estate taxes of northern nobles and banned tolls.”

“……!”

“Therefore, it would be a shame to let this legacy go to waste. We can stimulate the people’s memories and affection while boosting their loyalty. …If only the concept of ‘fertilizer’ wasn’t so off-putting.”

She genuinely sounded regretful.

“Hmm… hearing that makes me feel the same way. It truly is a shame.”

I felt the same way. Since I need to protect the North from the empire, the hearts of the northerners are important to me.

“Isn’t there some good way to handle this…? Let me think… Ah, there is a method.”

After pondering for a bit, I recalled marketing examples from Earth and grinned as I turned to Mary.

“What about this approach?”

“Do you have a solution?”

“In cases like this, we usually incorporate narratives and storytelling to promote the product. It’s called viral marketing.”

“Buh… what?”

“I’ll explain the details once I’ve planned it out better. We’ll also need the Duke’s approval.”

“I understand.”

Still, I hesitated to speak confidently. Not only did I not fully trust Mary yet, but I also needed Ariana, the Duchess’s, approval.

“Let’s take the completed detector outside, along with this fertilizer.”

Instead, we decided to bring the finished detector and fertilizer outside earlier than expected.

“Oh! Aren’t you hungry?”

Then it occurred to me that neither of us had eaten properly.

Since the work ended earlier than expected, we had some time left.

A short break to cook and eat something seemed appropriate.

“Yes! I’m starving!”

In response to my question, Mary nodded enthusiastically, her eyes shining brighter than ever.

“Sorry about that. I should’ve given you breaks and snacks while assigning tasks.”

Seeing her enthusiastic reaction made me feel a bit guilty for not treating her better.

“Anyway, I need to eat too. Would you like to join me?”

“Yes!”

Gulp!

The sound of her swallowing saliva was audible.

“What should I cook this time?”

Her anticipation sparked my culinary ambition.

“Thanks to Arad Salt, my name has become well-known. Expectations will be high.”

Food is the basic of basics in employee welfare.

I’ve never seen a company thrive while being stingy with meals.

“I need to present my best dish to reward such hard work… What would be good?”

My mind raced.

“With the timing being uncertain, it’s tough to prepare something elaborate…”

On the second floor of this building, there was a dining area and kitchen equipped with an otherworldly version of a refrigerator using ice attribute Magic Stones. I recalled what ingredients were prepared inside.

“Alright! This will do!”

After deciding on the menu, I told Mary to wait downstairs while I headed upstairs.

About 40 minutes later…

“What on earth is he cooking?”

Ariana was struggling to maintain her composure.

Ever since earlier, an unfamiliar yet mouthwatering aroma had filled the building.

She wanted to rush upstairs and see what was being cooked, but since no invitation came, she held back as much as possible.

“It’s been quite a while since I last ate Arad’s cooking.”

Since tasting the Arad Stew in the depths of the Magic Realm, she hadn’t enjoyed his cooking again.

Of course, with the distribution of Arad Salt, the excellent dishes prepared by the castle chefs were satisfying, but Ariana always felt something was missing.

She couldn’t exactly ask Arad to cook separately either.

Arad was a noble of rank higher than a baron, and he had more important duties than cooking.

“The food from Arad is finally ready! Come upstairs!”

Just then, Arad’s voice echoed from the second floor.

“Yes!”

Ariana practically ran upstairs.

“Wow…”

When she arrived, a golden dish was laid out on the table.

“The smell… it’s absolutely intoxicating.”

While the appearance was impressive, it was the aroma that almost overwhelmed her senses.

“Eat up. You’ve probably never had this before.”

“This is… some kind of chicken dish?”

This was unlike anything Ariana had seen in Haven’s restaurants, causing her eyes to light up as she inspected the food.

Golden crispy-coated chicken and a dish made from radishes were set out.

“That’s right. Here, we also have beer.”

To top it off, beer was placed in front of her.

“What is the name of this dish?”

“It’s called Chicken.”

“Chicken…?”

Could this be one of the dishes from the Golden Age?

Ariana looked around confusedly, searching for forks and knives but finding none.

“Eat up.”

That’s when she noticed Arad picking up and tearing into a drumstick with his bare hands.

Apparently, it was meant to be eaten with your hands.

‘Surprisingly fun to eat indoors like this.’

With a strange sense of amusement, she grabbed a drumstick just like Arad and took a bite.

“!!”

A rich, salty, slightly spicy flavor numbed her tongue and senses.

The texture? The exterior was so crispy it sent shivers down her spine, while the inside was so tender it brought tears to her eyes.

Since tasting Arad Salt, Ariana thought her palate had improved significantly, but this experience raised it to another level.

Munch munch munch

Before she knew it, she was holding a chicken piece in one hand and a beer in the other, devouring nonstop.

‘Grandma was right. Taking this undercover job was a great decision. Truly great!’

She resolved to make it a point to report to Arad Company every day whenever possible.

* * *

Meanwhile, around the Arad building…

“Whoa… what is that smell?”

“I’m starving…”

“Arad must be cooking again. He’s insane, seriously.”

Three High Knights—Eopte, Karot, and Roji—who had recently transferred from their previous roles to Frosthaven, were hiding nearby, suffering through their hunger pangs.

“Man, I gotta visit Arad privately sometime.”

“Last time, even Valkyrie seemed to miss Arad’s cooking…”

“Let’s go together with Valkyrie! Definitely!”

Their stomachs grumbled, and saliva dripped endlessly from their mouths.

But they were High Knights. The pros among pros.

“The Gold and Silver just left the building.”

“They must be done eating.”

“How lucky…”

Despite the maddening aroma of delicious food, they maintained their professionalism, communicating silently through hand signals while focusing on their mission.

“Gold is carrying something out.”

“A large sack filled with what looks like dirt.”

“Silver is holding a big box.”

Their secret protection targets were two individuals codenamed Gold and Silver.

Gold was Professor Arad, the newly minted northern noble who had recently emerged.

Silver was a VIP added yesterday.

“Carrying such a large and heavy box so effortlessly… They say he practices magic.”

“He seems pretty strong. Still, having blue blood, even as an illegitimate child, means something.”

“Come to think of it, he does resemble the late Duke somewhat. Kind of reminds me of Duchess Ariana too.”

“So the late Duke was quite remarkable, huh? Spreading his seed somewhere…”

“If I had to pick the greatest achievement of the former Duke, it’d be breaking the Lenslet family curse by having two children!”

“Finally, the long-standing jinx of the short-lived and single-child ducal family might be broken?”

The sudden addition of a top-tier protection target, someone with a vibe similar to the Duke of the North, a fertile-age woman allowed close access to Arad, and the approval of both the Duchess and Isabel…

People tend to jump to similar conclusions.

Seems others besides Arad were speculating about Mary’s true identity.

Ironically, only Isabel and Ariana, the ones who orchestrated this, hadn’t anticipated these assumptions.

Whether or not they realized they were being watched by Frosthaven’s knights…

Ariana and Arad continued discussing after moving the completed items outside.

“Well then, I’ll head home now, boss. And that Chicken dish… it was absolutely amazing.”

“I’m glad you liked it. We’ll have it more often.”

“Seriously?!”

“Sure, it’s not that difficult to make.”

“Wow…!”

“Wipe your drool. Also, impressive how you devoured five whole chickens sitting down…”

“Hmph! I do have a hearty appetite.”

“It shows. I’ll have to prepare more food next time.”

“Haha, thank you so much!”

From afar, the Frosthaven knights could tell the bond between the two had grown considerably closer overnight.

“Definitely a honey trap, huh?”

“Arad and the Duchess… weren’t they involved somehow? Is this okay?”

“Shh! The Duchess and Isabel surely have their plans. That’s probably why they assigned Lady Mary here.”

People really do think alike.

No need for mind control necklaces with this crew.