The Cellar’s Cost and Aquilis’s Fate

Having agreed, Your Grace Bishop, you may now return and await your appointment. We shall oversee the church’s reorganization, and Ms. Haia and I will make the necessary arrangements for your meeting with Vireta.

Kaelan, suppressing her emotions as though their prior unpleasantness had never transpired, raised her arm, her fair, jade-like wrist gracefully extending as she gestured for Kalima to depart.

Kalima merely offered a dismissive “Farewell” before turning and striding directly out of the chamber.

Saranya felt her master’s gaze alight upon her for a fleeting moment, perceiving the profound resentment emanating from Kaelan, which instinctively filled her with a tremor of fear. Yet, simultaneously, a thrilling rush of excitement welled within her, persistently assailing her sensitive nerves and causing a faint warmth to spread through her entire body.

‘My mind… it’s not normal.’

Agitated, she rubbed her thigh, her gaze burning with an intense heat as she fixed it upon Kaelan.

Kaelan, turning her head to avert Saranya’s fervent stare, resumed presiding over the clandestine meeting within the room:

“Gentlemen, our next order of business pertains to the renovations of our tavern’s cellar. Grondel, there are no issues with the funding, are there?”

Grondel responded with a booming laugh:

“No problem at all, absolutely none! We’ve already relocated a great many valuables from your Hillburg Manor, and the entirety of the Redwater Tavern has been mortgaged. To be blessed with such good fortune, we couldn’t be more thrilled!”

‘What?!’

‘While I wasn’t looking, Kaelan actually emptied our entire family fortune, all to expand this dingy, pitch-black cellar beneath the tavern?’

‘My master is utterly squandering our wealth!!!’

As the discussion pivoted to financial matters, Saranya’s mind cleared somewhat, and she began to listen intently to Grondel’s report.

“Lady Hillburg, following your blueprint, we’ll transform the cellar entrance room into a grand antechamber, decorating it lavishly to ensure it exudes true splendor!”

‘A grand antechamber… splendor… My master is truly squandering our money…’

Saranya felt a bead of sweat trickle down her temple, and she instinctively pressed a hand to her forehead.

“Regarding the three newly expanded areas, one involves excavating an underground tunnel that will lead directly to your manor, Lady. This is a long-term undertaking, and in accordance with your specifications, we will ensure the tunnel is broad enough to accommodate carriages.”

‘A long tunnel? For carriages? Is Kaelan trying to build a subterranean highway?! Just how much money will it take to accomplish something of that magnitude?!’

Saranya was now fervently praying, desperately hoping she wouldn’t find her own name among the inventory of assets her master was liquidating.

[High-grade s*ave Saranya (trained), Night Lily Knights Commander, former Imperial Legion Commander, ‘manageable’ (TL Note: A playful, often sexually suggestive internet slang term, ‘kěpà,’ meaning “can be *p*a*p*a*d” or “lovable/manageable” in a submissive context.), price negotiable.]

‘Given her recent ‘death-seeking’ behavior, it was entirely plausible she might end up as a mere line on such a list, casually sold off by her master to the Iron Crown Guild… Oh, the horror!’

“The second chamber is designated as a secret dungeon, outfitted with cages and instruments of torture precisely as you requested, all forged from magic-resistant steel. Once a prisoner is confined within, even the most formidable wizard will find escape utterly impossible.”

“The final area is intended as your personal private chamber. As we were uncertain of its specific purpose, we’ve decorated it as a bedroom for the time being. Still, half the space remains, ample enough for you to furnish as you see fit!”

Kaelan crossed her arms, her head held high, listening intently as Grondel detailed the construction plans, truly embodying the demanding air of a ‘client-dad’ (TL Note: ‘Jiǎfāng bàba’ is a Chinese slang term for a demanding client who holds all the power, often humorously or sarcastically referred to as ‘dad’ by contractors.).

“Indeed, very good. I’ll leave it in your capable hands then. There’s no need for me to reiterate the importance of discretion and secrecy.”

Grondel idly picked his nose, maintaining a facade of casual nonchalance, yet when he spoke, his voice carried the unmistakable cadence of a shrewd, old hand:

“Absolutely, of course! I’m an honest man, and out of respect for my brother Nazareth, I’d never stoop to being a sniveling rat! Naturally, I also trust you haven’t forgotten the promise you made to us…”

Kaelan, grasping Grondel’s unspoken implication, narrowed her eyes slightly before offering a definitive reply:

“Rest assured, once we assert control over Vero, the entirety of the city’s manufacturing sector will become the exclusive domain of your Iron Crown Guild.”

“Splendid, then! Farewell!”

With the assurance secured, Grondel turned abruptly and departed, appearing utterly disinclined to involve himself in Kaelan’s remaining affairs.

The clandestine discussion proceeded.

“Esteemed colleagues, if you would permit me to speak next.”

Cecilia stepped forward, positioning herself amidst the small group.

“Regarding the matter of Aquilis—”

As though anticipating Cecilia’s very topic, Kaelan promptly interjected, her demeanor autocratic and unyielding:

“Aquilis is utterly ungrateful. Given her perfidious betrayal of me within the Holy Hall, I fully intend for her to become the inaugural prisoner of this subterranean dungeon. After all, a multitude of brand-new instruments of torment and novel methods await their first test subjects, don’t they…?”

Cecilia bit down on her lip, a rare tremor of nervousness flickering across her usually composed features:

“Might that not be a slight waste of resources? Perhaps you could entrust her to me? I reside in the tavern’s attic, and I could easily keep her confined within my quarters; I assure you, I can keep a watchful eye on her…”

“Absolutely not.”

“Kaelan, I… I implore you to reconsider… What if I were to contact the Silver Hand Gospel Society headquarters and request they dispatch additional enforcers to assist at the tavern—”

“Cecilia, you seem remarkably preoccupied with Aquilis, don’t you…?”

A faint blush crept across Cecilia’s cheeks, heating them considerably. This gentle, usually articulate woman, when the topic turned to the beautiful, silver-haired little mermaid, found herself inexplicably stammering:

“N-no, not at all… I merely believe that if we could truly win Aquilis over, if she were to genuinely align herself with ‘our’ side…”

“‘Our’ side, you say? And which side, precisely, would that be?”

Kaelan’s words, laden with unspoken implication, caused Cecilia’s expression to immediately cloud over.

“If you desire Aquilis, it is not entirely out of the question. However, she is currently my s*ave, and I have no intention of transferring her ownership. Should you truly insist, I could offer you her daytime usage rights, perhaps? Do bear in mind, however, that such an arrangement would prove exceptionally costly…”

‘Usage rights…’

Cecilia repeated the dubious term, her countenance clouded with a melancholic pensiveness, before finally nodding her assent.

“Then, what is it that you seek to gain from me…?”

Discovering she had successfully brokered yet another deal, Kaelan’s lips curled into a pleased smile, and she made an exorbitant demand of Cecilia:

“You must procure more enforcers from the Silver Hand Gospel Society for me, provide a deposit of three thousand Pylo, and furthermore, you are to collaborate with Nazareth to gather intelligence on witches throughout the entirety of Vero.”

“Why are you searching for witches…?”

“Ms. Cecilia, while our relationship is certainly close, it has not yet reached the level of ‘exceptionally’ close. We each harbor our own small secrets, do we not? I shall refrain from inquiring into your reasons for desiring Aquilis, and in turn, you shall refrain from questioning my objectives for seeking intelligence on witches. How does that sound?”

Cecilia’s delicate brows drew together in a tight frown, a flicker of reluctance crossing her features, yet she ultimately refrained from further protest, nodding her reluctant agreement:

“Understood…”

Saranya, observing the exchange from the periphery, found herself growing increasingly bewildered.

‘Any discerning eye could plainly see Cecilia harbored affection for Aquilis and wished to rescue her. So why, then, did she not simply acknowledge it? Or perhaps… Cecilia harbored other, more complex desires concerning the little mermaid?’

‘Oh, it’s too perplexing to comprehend! I’ll simply set it aside for now. After all, my master handles these affairs with such impeccable competence; I merely need to obediently trail behind her, shouldn’t I…?’

With the discussion concerning Aquilis brought to a close, Cecilia took a backward step, then, her mind visibly burdened, pushed aside the curtain and exited the room.

Subsequently, only Saranya, Kaelan, Aivy, and Nazareth remained within the chamber.