I Reincarnated Just to be Unemployed

[THE IMPERIAL PALACE — CAPITAL CITY — WEEKS LATER — THRONE ROOM]

"A white fox beast... has been tamed?"

The emperor’s voice echoed through the vast throne room as the chamber fell silent.

Rows of imperial knights stood along the polished marble floor, their armor gleaming beneath the enormous crystal chandeliers. Red banners bearing the imperial crest hung from the towering walls, and at the far end of the hall stood the golden throne of the Empire.

Upon it sat Emperor Austen Valerian.

He was an old man, but age had done little to soften him. His brown hair had faded with time, streaked heavily with silver, while his sharp golden eyes remained as cold as a hawk’s. A heavy golden crown rested upon his head, and a long crimson cloak spilled from his shoulders and pooled behind the throne.

He leaned back lazily, yet there was nothing relaxed about his gaze. A knight knelt several steps before him, one knee pressed against the marble.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor’s fingers tapped slowly against the armrest.

"A white fox beast."

He repeated the words as though testing their meaning as his golden eyes narrowed.

"One of the rarest magical beasts found within the northern territories...and someone has actually tamed one."

The knight lowered his head. "That is the information we received from Archmage Aurelius, Your Majesty."

The Emperor’s fingers stopped tapping. The knight hesitated. "After that report, we received nothing further from the Archmage."

The Emperor slowly lifted his gaze. "Nothing?"

"No, Your Majesty."

"For how long?"

"For the past week."

Silence settled over the throne room.

The Emperor’s expression didn’t change, but something cold entered his eyes. Aurelius was not the sort of man who disappeared without reason; he was ambitious, greedy, curious, and, above all, obsessed with knowledge.

If he had stopped sending reports...then either something had happened to him...or he had found something worth keeping secret.

The Emperor leaned back against the throne. "Are you suggesting that Archmage Aurelius has changed sides?"

The knight swallowed. "We cannot confirm it, Your Majesty. But his silence is...unusual."

A faint smile touched the Emperor’s lips. "Unusual indeed."

He drummed his fingers against the golden armrest again, then another thought occurred to him. "I wonder how Grand Duke Cassian had tamed the beast. He was good since childhood,, but taming the white fox beast? That’s the first time someone has ever done that."

The knight immediately shook his head. "I apologize, Your Majesty. That was our initial assumption."

The Emperor’s brow lifted.

"Initial assumption?"

"The white fox beast was not tamed by Grand Duke Cassian. It was tamed by the Grand Duchess."

The Emperor went completely still; for several seconds, he didn’t speak. Then—

"...The Grand Duchess?"

The knight nodded. "Grand Duchess Lucielle Ashcroft."

The Emperor’s golden eyes widened as his fingers slowly curled around the armrest. "Lucielle? Are you certain?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"That Lucielle?"

"Yes."

"The woman who barely left her chamber after arriving in Ashcroft? The woman who spent months refusing to appear at court?"

"Yes."

"The same woman?"

The knight lowered his head. "Yes, Your Majesty."

The emperor stared at him, then he slowly leaned back as a strange expression crossed his face. It wasn’t a surprise anymore. It was a calculation as his gaze lowered towards the marble floor.

"Interesting. When did she suddenly learn to tame a white fox beast?"

"We do not know, Your Majesty."

"And Cassian?"

"The reports suggest that Grand Duke Cassian has remained beside her."

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed. "Beside her?"

"Yes, according to the messengers stationed in Ashcroft, the Grand Duchess has apparently ended her isolation."

The Emperor said nothing.

"The servants have reported that she now regularly appears within the territory. She has been seen accompanying the Grand Duke, visiting the training grounds, interacting with the knights..."

The knight hesitated.

"And?"

"They say she has become actively involved in the management of Ashcroft."

The throne room became completely silent as the emperor stared ahead. That wasn’t the woman he remembered. The Lucielle he had known was a quiet, withdrawn, and timid child.

A bride he had once considered useful only as a political connection, a bride he had chosen for Cassian because she had been convenient, and when that marriage became inconvenient...he had discarded her, and he sent her north, to Ashcroft.

To a man everyone believed would eventually become a monster. He had expected her to disappear there, to become another forgotten noblewoman hidden behind the walls of a remote territory.

Instead...she had tamed a white fox beast; she had stepped out of her chamber; she was standing beside Cassian, and, according to the reports, she was helping govern Ashcroft.

The Emperor’s expression darkened; his voice was barely above a whisper.

"The bride I discarded...has suddenly learned how to stand." The knight remained silent as the emperor’s golden eyes sharpened. "And she is standing beside Cassian."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

A quiet laugh escaped him. It wasn’t warm. It wasn’t amused. It was the sound of a man who had just discovered an unexpected piece on a chessboard as he leaned forward. "So, the girl I thought would disappear has become the Grand Duchess of Ashcroft, and my nephew has apparently decided to keep her close."

The knight lowered his head.

"That appears to be the case."

The Emperor’s expression became thoughtful. "How unfortunate."

The knight didn’t dare move; the emperor reached for a goblet resting beside him but didn’t drink. Instead, he stared into the dark red wine.

"There is something happening in Ashcroft, and this might be the reason why Aurelius is not reporting." His voice was calm now, too calm.

"And whatever it is..." He looked toward the knight. "...it is connected to her."

"Your Majesty?"

"Lucielle," he said, saying her name slowly. "Tell the Archmage Aurelius that I require his latest report immediately."

"There must be the reason why he is not reporting us, Your Majesty. What if he refuses?"

The Emperor smiled. "Remind him who gave him his title. I want to know what is happening in Ashcroft before the rest of the Empire learns about it."

The knight bowed deeply. "As you command."

He began walking away, and then the Emperor added casually, "And if Aurelius has truly abandoned his duties...find out why."

The knight nodded and left the throne room as the enormous doors closed behind him.

Silence returned.

The Emperor remained alone as his fingers tapped against the golden armrest.

"Perhaps I have neglected my dear nephew for too long." His voice carried a strange sweetness, the kind that made the words sound far more dangerous.

"Cassian has always been difficult, but he is still my nephew."

The Emperor’s gaze drifted toward the tall windows overlooking the capital.

"Perhaps it’s time for his beloved family to visit."

His smile widened.

"And perhaps...I should meet the grand duchess who has suddenly become so remarkable."

He leaned back comfortably.

After all, there was no reason to rush. If Lucielle had truly changed...he wanted to know why. And if Ashcroft had discovered something valuable...he wanted to know what. The Emperor lifted his goblet and took a slow sip.

***

[AURELIUS’S POV — ASHCROFT TERRITORY — LATE EVENING]

SHINE.

The stone on my desk emitted a brilliant blue light as I stared at the notes scattered around it, then I stared at the stone again. My fingers slowly tightened around the edge of the desk.

"...Remarkable."

I reached for another unprocessed stone; a small amount of mana flowed from my fingertips.

FWOOSH.

The dull rock immediately transformed. Its surface cracked open, revealing a beautiful crimson crystal within. My eyes widened as I picked it up, another one.

Fire affinity.

I could feel the heat radiating from it. I placed it beside the blue stone, and then I grabbed another, and a golden glow emerged.

I slowly leaned back in my chair; my expression remained dignified, regal, and composed.

I was, after all, Archmage Aurelius Vaelmont, the fourth-ranked magical authority of the Empire, recipient of numerous Imperial honors, advisor to the Crown, and one of the most respected scholars of magical theory on the entire continent.

I had spent decades studying magic. I had read ancient manuscripts. I had excavated ruins. I had crossed cursed forests.

I had entered tombs where three different civilizations had apparently decided that "murder the intruder" was an acceptable security system.

I had even once spent six months studying a supposedly legendary magical stone only to discover that it was a very expensive rock, and now... I had found an entire lake.

I slowly lifted the golden stone toward the candlelight as the crystal glowed.

"...Beautiful, exquisite, and magnificent...I require more." An entire lake with different mana stones.

My heart began beating faster; a normal scholar would have been satisfied with one discovery, and a sensible scholar might have catalogued the samples, recorded their properties, and gone to sleep.

Unfortunately... I was neither normal nor sensible. I was an archmage.

And worse... I was an archmage who had discovered a new magical resource. My hands trembled with excitement as I looked toward the mountain outside my window.

The Ashcroft territory is a mana-stone lake that may have multiple elemental variations; this wasn’t merely a research opportunity, this was the greatest magical discovery of my lifetime.

I suddenly remembered the Imperial Palace. The Crown, my position, and my responsibilities.

"Perhaps I shall resign tomorrow."

I leaned back in my chair, completely satisfied. Yes...I had made the correct decision. The Imperial Palace could keep its politics, the Crown could keep its ceremonies, and the nobles could keep arguing over taxes.

As for me? I had found something far more important.

Mana stones.

Who would be foolish enough to leave this territory? Absolutely not me.

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