The laughter wasn't coming from the main room, but from a small side annex.
Why would she be making such a sound?
Was she perhaps working on some strange kind of medicine?
I placed my hand on the doorknob, feeling a bit conflicted.
I was curious about what Camilla was doing, but on the other hand, I had to respect her privacy.
After hesitating for a moment, my curiosity won out!
With a soft creak, the door slowly opened, and a flash of white light revealed the interior of the small side room.
The room wasn't large, perhaps about twenty square meters.
The door opened outward, and the moment it swung open, I saw a long row of cabinets on both sides.
These cabinets extended from the sides of the door along all four walls of the room.
In other words, the walls of this room were almost entirely made of cabinets.
These cabinets were fitted with transparent glass sliding doors.
The shelves in each cabinet varied in height, some as large as fifty centimeters and others as small as twenty or thirty.
A bed was positioned in the center of the room, illuminated by white magic lights overhead.
The figurines inside the cabinets were crafted in various poses and expressions.
There were detailed figurines wearing maid outfits, magic girl outfits, suits of armor, and even some dressed in thin, translucent nightgowns that left very little to the imagination.
Silver hair.
Crimson eyes.
Was that...
Me?
At that moment, standing in the center of the room, was a life-sized 1:1 scale model of myself, and clinging to it was a clump of something that could only be described as a pixelated blur.
That clump was making strange, giggling sounds.
"Hehehe... Your Highness... hehehe... the authentic scent... hehehe..."
"..."
I silently closed the door.
I rubbed my forehead.
I rubbed my eyes.
I took a deep breath.
"Your Highness, what's wrong? Is Lady Camilla not here?"
Nara stood behind me, looking puzzled, and tried to step forward to check, but I didn't let go of the doorknob.
"Nara, let me ask you something."
"Please speak, Your Highness."
"Have I been too tired lately?"
"You have certainly been working hard, Your Highness."
"I see... then is it possible that I might be experiencing hallucinations or something?"
"Huh? I have never heard of the Saintess experiencing hallucinations."
"Is it possible that it was just a simple case of blurred vision?"
"?"
"No, I cannot rule out that possibility."
Nara hesitated for a moment before answering me.
"Your Highness, what exactly is in the room? Is Lady Camilla not in there?"
"Turn around first. Dominica, you turn around too."
The two of them looked at each other in bewilderment. Though they didn't understand why their Lady would give such an order, they obediently turned their heads and stood with their backs to the door.
I took a deep breath and pushed the door open again.
The room still contained a bed, a lamp, and four cabinets. There was still that exquisite, life-sized model wearing a Saintess's robe, and there was still that clump of something sprawled on top of it in a standard pixelated blur.
"Is it here? Does this feel good? If it feels good, you have to say so... Is it good? Ehehehe..."
'Hallucinations. It's all hallucinations!'
I slowly closed the door.
I rubbed my temples.
I suddenly had the urge to rush back to the Temple, gather my army of two thousand dragon knights, and level the Alchemists' Association in one go.
"Your Highness, what is Lady Camilla doing?"
Nara didn't turn around, still firmly following my orders, but the sounds coming from the room made her so curious that she couldn't help but ask.
Just then, Camilla inside the room seemed to have finally come to her senses, and a series of clattering and crashing sounds echoed from within.
At the same time, Camilla's nervous voice called out.
"Who's out there!!"
As she spoke, the door was suddenly thrown open, and Camilla walked out with an angry expression.
However, the moment her gaze locked onto me, a layer of fine sweat immediately broke out on her forehead.
The anger on her face instantly transformed into a stiff, forced smile.
"Oh... so it was Your Highness who came..."
However, the only response she received was a gaze from the Saintess that looked as if she were staring at a piece of absolute trash.
"Nara, we're going back to the Temple!"
"Eh?! But didn't we just get here?"
"Your Highness! Please listen to my quibbling—no, I mean, please listen to my explanation!!"
"..."
"I'm not interested in your quibbling."
No wonder she wanted my Saintess's robe.
The clothes I wore were a perfect fit for my body, which meant that as long as she had the robe, she essentially had the complete measurements of my physique!
I suppose those exquisite figurines with their various expressions, poses, and magnificent outfits were all created because of that.
"Your Highness, that... that's just a small hobby."
Camilla made a tiny gap with her fingers.
Right... a tiny bit, I get it.
"Fine, I didn't come here to talk about that. Camilla, regarding that slime adhesive you mentioned before, which type of slime is primarily used? I'm planning to have people start purchasing them soon."
As soon as business was mentioned, Camilla's expression instantly shifted to a professional one.
"Your Highness, I have already accumulated quite a bit of materials here, but it's clear that the Alchemists' Association in Brilliant City alone will struggle to fully meet such a massive demand."
"Therefore, Your Highness should have other cities start purchasing them as soon as possible. Slimes are monsters that can be found almost everywhere. Not only do they grow and reproduce quickly, but there's also..."
"Wait!"
I suddenly thought of something.
I looked up at Camilla.
"Camilla, are you saying slimes reproduce very quickly?"
"Yes. A typical slime has a lifespan of about two years, and it only takes about a month for one to reach adulthood."
"How do slimes reproduce?"
"Well... I don't know much about that, only that they reproduce through fission."
Reproduction through fission!
And they grow exceptionally fast.
This gave me a few ideas.
"In that case, Camilla, start production officially from now on. I need at least a hundred thousand tons for the first batch."
"A hundred thousand tons? Understood, I will mobilize my staff to start work immediately."
Camilla nodded, clearly prepared.
"Good, then I'll leave it to you. I'll head back to research other matters. In the future, you can get all your slimes through me. As middlemen, you should still make a certain profit, I don't want our friends at the Alchemists' Association to feel wronged."
Camilla smiled slightly.
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. No one in the Alchemists' Association would think that way."
"Then I'll be going."
"Wait, Your Highness!"
"Yes?"
"Actually, just now, I..."
"Nara, let's go."
"..."
Leaving a despairing Camilla behind, I left the Alchemists' Association.
The first thing I thought of after stepping out was to find Ligeia.
After all, in terms of biology, although Ligeia didn't primarily study slimes, she was bound to be more proficient than Camilla, and I also needed to discuss the rice promotion with her.
But just as I stepped out, Nara suddenly asked a question.
"Your Highness, didn't you say we were going to the West District? Are we going back to the Temple already?"
The West District...
"Nara, inform Lola. Tell her to notify Hilda to bring her people immediately, hide their identities, and wait for me at the entrance to the West District."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Nara nodded and pulled out a small flute, blowing it gently.
Right there on the street, the expressions of two people talking nearby changed as they turned toward us. They flipped their palms within their sleeves to reveal identity badges to Nara.
Nara nodded and stepped forward to whisper a few words into their ears before returning to stand behind me.
"Your Highness, they have been notified. I expect Lady Hilda will arrive soon."
"Good, let's head to the West District."
At the entrance of the West District in Brilliant City.
People dressed in magnificent clothes were coming and going along the street.
Compared to the prosperity of the East Gate and the wealth of the South Gate.
This place was the transit hub for the merchants of the Kingdom of the Moon.
Most of the people living in the North Gate were poor, honest folk.
The West District, however, was the gathering place for merchants.
As soon as I stepped off the carriage, dozens of grim-faced men surrounded us.
"Young Lady."
I looked down and saw Hilda. She had likely been waiting for quite a while.
As a knight, her movement speed was naturally much faster than my carriage.
"Yes, I've kept you waiting."
"You are too kind, Young Lady. This is my duty. There is one more thing I wish to report—Bishop Lola has arrived as well."
"Where is she?"
"She is over there, Young Lady."
She raised her hand and pointed. I looked in the direction she indicated.
Lola was standing in the distance, nodding slightly to me in greeting.
"Good, let's go."
After getting out of the carriage, I walked directly toward Lola. After a few steps, I remembered something and looked back at Hilda.
"Hilda, do you know if there are any events in the West District today?"
"The West District?"
Before she could respond, Lola took over the conversation.
"Your Highness, today... is the day the Cavendish family auctions premium slaves."
"A slave auction?"
"Yes, Your Highness. The West District is where merchants gather, so there are often auctions held here, however..."
"However what?"
"However, the things usually auctioned here are not exactly presentable."
"..."
Luo Li looked up toward the West District.
On this bustling street, there was a faint sense of coldness.
The massive archway looked like the bloody maw of a beast, waiting for its prey to arrive.
If even Lola spoke this way, one could only imagine how unspeakable the items being auctioned here were.
For a moment, an urge to turn back and not enter rose in my heart.
I clenched my fists and took a deep breath.
"Your Highness, in my opinion, it would be best if you did not come into contact with these things right now."
Seeing Luo Li begin to hesitate, Lola continued her counsel.
"Your plans are currently still hidden. If you allow your compassion to disrupt the grand scheme, the loss will outweigh the gain. Your Highness... a lack of patience in small things ruins great plans."
She was right. A lack of patience in small things... ruins great plans.
I slowly looked up at the massive archway before me.
I no longer had any desire to go inside.
However... soon, I would make this place disappear forever.
Heh, the Cavendish family, is it?
It seems I need to accelerate the pace of the reforms.
Rate on N.U.
