Let’s rewind time to when Emmy had just begun her battle against the Topopolok Stampede.
Baron Marz, together with the steward Sneigen, was in the study repairing the barrier stones.
The study faced the very grassy plains that served as a magic practice field.… In other words, it was the battleground for Emmy’s showdown with the Topopolok Stampede.
The cries of the Topopoloks, louder than the sound of rain, shook the windows and resonated, making a rattling noise.
Earlier, during the time when the alarm rang throughout the mansion…
Could someone have destroyed the barrier stones!?
Contemplated the Baron.
Perhaps it was the work of someone targeting his wife and daughter.
Considering the ongoing incidents and accidents that seemed to be targeting his family, such thoughts weren’t entirely unreasonable.
However, judging by the state of the barrier stones, he couldn’t help but dismiss that idea.
A single crack had formed in the crystal sphere of the barrier stone.
As a result, the stone’s magical output malfunctioned, rendering it unable to generate the protective barrier…
The barrier stone had been securely stored inside the vault in the study room.
The barrier was a crucial defense for the mansion. Usually, the barrier stone was placed and operated in a location accessible only to those in charge.
And only the Baron and his wife, Ima, know the necessary code to open that vault.
Since they themselves couldn’t have been the culprits, they had to conclude that the barrier stone had broken by chance, unfortunately, at this time.
Furthermore, in an even more unfortunate turn of events, they also found a defect in the spare barrier stone. Which was also carefully stored. They couldn’t activate the barrier properly.
What on earth… It’s as if we’re abandoned by fate itself. I can’t help but think that way.
The Baron’s face turned pale, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
Nevertheless, there was still hope for restoring the barrier.
The barrier stones were equipped with a method to repair the crystal sphere for situations like this. It would take some time, but the crystals had a self-repairing function. By infusing them with magical energy, the damage would gradually mend.
The mechanism behind this was explained in the manual, but… it was too technical for the Baron, who was not well-versed in such matters.
The important point was that infusing the crystal sphere with magical energy would repair the damage, allowing the barrier to be used again.
Fortunately, Baron Marz had once been a top-notch adventurer. He specialized in combat and had reasonable confidence in his magical abilities.
For this reason, the Baron and the steward Sneigen had their foreheads pressed together, continuously infusing magical energy into the crystal sphere placed on the table.
“Disaster… This is a disaster. It happened because we let the cursed child into the mansion…”
As sweat formed on his forehead due to the unpleasant sensation of having his magical energy absorbed by the barrier stone, Sneigen muttered to himself.
“That again… Sneigen. This situation has nothing to do with Emmy.”
With exasperation, Baron Marz sighed.
“‘A person with black hair and black eyes brings calamity’? It’s just superstition, there’s no such thing.”
“My Lord, that’s wrong. Even if we can’t explain it logically, it’s the truth. In fact, right now, the Sarah Baron family is in dire straits.”
In this situation, generally, Sneigen’s argument would be the more accepted and sensible view.
The prejudice against individuals with black hair and black eyes in this world had permeated deeply in society.
Even the Baron himself, if not for an ‘incident’ he had experienced during his days as an adventurer, might have thought the same way as Sneigen.
“If Emmy weren’t here, by now Sara and Ima might have been severely injured by the roof panels.”
“If that cursed child weren’t here, such a misfortune wouldn’t have occurred in the first place.”
“I see. So you still think it was an accident, huh.”
“Because it’s nothing but an accident.”
“I’ll tell you something, Sneigen.”
At this point, the Baron paused in his speech… swallowing his next words.
“… Let’s stop discussing this for now. Let’s focus on repairing the barrier stone.”
Inside Baron Marz’s mind, he suspected the steward Sneigen was involved as the mastermind behind the series of incidents. Whether it was the attack on the carriage or the roof incident.
He was genuinely devoted and loyal to Ima. But his attitude toward Sara, who carried the blood of the Marz, was somewhat distant.
The Sarah Baron family had a strained relationship with the Mady Count family, Ima’s birth family.
Also, the current head of the Mady Count family… wasn’t exactly an upstanding individual.
Against the will of the branch family, he didn’t recognize the blood of Mady that has spread and was trying to erase it.
And speculations like these weren’t entirely implausible.
In light of this, if given orders from the Mady Count family, Sneigen would probably manufacture some incident to get rid of Sara. Of course, as long as Ima’s safety was ensured.
Sneigen was also the one who opposed the idea of having Emmy as a bodyguard for Sara from the start until the end.
Concerning the carriage attack, as long as he was in cahoots with the thieves, it would be easy to rescue only Ima later on.
Regarding the roof incident, it could be seen as evidence that Sneigen was not involved since even Ima’s safety was at risk. It was reasonable that Sneigen would not do that, in case he made some sort of mistake.
Therefore, Baron Marz had kept Sneigen close, still unsure of his true intentions, and was monitoring his actions.
If Sneigen showed even the slightest suspicious move, the Baron was prepared to cut him down.
However…
These were all just speculations by Baron Marz.
There was no evidence at all.
Regarding the malfunction of the barrier stone this time, he initially suspected Sneigen’s involvement. However, it turned out that this issue was not a human-made problem, but rather a twist of fate.
Creating disharmony within the mansion’s relationships based on mere speculation during this crisis was not a good idea.
This time, he needed to focus all his efforts on repairing the barrier.
The Baron shook off his idle thoughts and poured even more magical energy into the barrier stone.
As he tried to pour his energy in,
It happened.
Gii……..
The door to the study opened with a creaking sound.
“!?… Ima?”
Entering the room was the baroness Ima Sarah.
“Stop… stop the repair of the barrier… immediately.”
With a bitter expression, the baroness said that, those unbelievable words, to the Baron.
Her face was pale, and her voice trembled.
“W-what are you saying…!?”
Amid the Baron’s confusion, his mind turned completely blank when he saw the next person to enter the room.
It was his beloved daughter, Sara.
And alongside Sara was the servant, Moub, who had entered along with her while holding a knife’s blade against her throat.
Let’s rewind time to when Emmy had just begun her battle against the Topopolok Stampede.
Baron Marz, together with the steward Sneigen, was in the study repairing the barrier stones.
The study faced the very grassy plains that served as a magic practice field.… In other words, it was the battleground for Emmy’s showdown with the Topopolok Stampede.
The cries of the Topopoloks, louder than the sound of rain, shook the windows and resonated, making a rattling noise.
Earlier, during the time when the alarm rang throughout the mansion…
Could someone have destroyed the barrier stones!?
Contemplated the Baron.
Perhaps it was the work of someone targeting his wife and daughter.
Considering the ongoing incidents and accidents that seemed to be targeting his family, such thoughts weren’t entirely unreasonable.
However, judging by the state of the barrier stones, he couldn’t help but dismiss that idea.
A single crack had formed in the crystal sphere of the barrier stone.
As a result, the stone’s magical output malfunctioned, rendering it unable to generate the protective barrier…
The barrier stone had been securely stored inside the vault in the study room.
The barrier was a crucial defense for the mansion. Usually, the barrier stone was placed and operated in a location accessible only to those in charge.
And only the Baron and his wife, Ima, know the necessary code to open that vault.
Since they themselves couldn’t have been the culprits, they had to conclude that the barrier stone had broken by chance, unfortunately, at this time.
Furthermore, in an even more unfortunate turn of events, they also found a defect in the spare barrier stone. Which was also carefully stored. They couldn’t activate the barrier properly.
What on earth… It’s as if we’re abandoned by fate itself. I can’t help but think that way.
The Baron’s face turned pale, and he broke out in a cold sweat.
Nevertheless, there was still hope for restoring the barrier.
The barrier stones were equipped with a method to repair the crystal sphere for situations like this. It would take some time, but the crystals had a self-repairing function. By infusing them with magical energy, the damage would gradually mend.
The mechanism behind this was explained in the manual, but… it was too technical for the Baron, who was not well-versed in such matters.
The important point was that infusing the crystal sphere with magical energy would repair the damage, allowing the barrier to be used again.
Fortunately, Baron Marz had once been a top-notch adventurer. He specialized in combat and had reasonable confidence in his magical abilities.
For this reason, the Baron and the steward Sneigen had their foreheads pressed together, continuously infusing magical energy into the crystal sphere placed on the table.
“Disaster… This is a disaster. It happened because we let the cursed child into the mansion…”
As sweat formed on his forehead due to the unpleasant sensation of having his magical energy absorbed by the barrier stone, Sneigen muttered to himself.
“That again… Sneigen. This situation has nothing to do with Emmy.”
With exasperation, Baron Marz sighed.
“‘A person with black hair and black eyes brings calamity’? It’s just superstition, there’s no such thing.”
“My Lord, that’s wrong. Even if we can’t explain it logically, it’s the truth. In fact, right now, the Sarah Baron family is in dire straits.”
In this situation, generally, Sneigen’s argument would be the more accepted and sensible view.
The prejudice against individuals with black hair and black eyes in this world had permeated deeply in society.
Even the Baron himself, if not for an ‘incident’ he had experienced during his days as an adventurer, might have thought the same way as Sneigen.
“If Emmy weren’t here, by now Sara and Ima might have been severely injured by the roof panels.”
“If that cursed child weren’t here, such a misfortune wouldn’t have occurred in the first place.”
“I see. So you still think it was an accident, huh.”
“Because it’s nothing but an accident.”
“I’ll tell you something, Sneigen.”
At this point, the Baron paused in his speech… swallowing his next words.
“… Let’s stop discussing this for now. Let’s focus on repairing the barrier stone.”
Inside Baron Marz’s mind, he suspected the steward Sneigen was involved as the mastermind behind the series of incidents. Whether it was the attack on the carriage or the roof incident.
He was genuinely devoted and loyal to Ima. But his attitude toward Sara, who carried the blood of the Marz, was somewhat distant.
The Sarah Baron family had a strained relationship with the Mady Count family, Ima’s birth family.
Also, the current head of the Mady Count family… wasn’t exactly an upstanding individual.
Against the will of the branch family, he didn’t recognize the blood of Mady that has spread and was trying to erase it.
And speculations like these weren’t entirely implausible.
In light of this, if given orders from the Mady Count family, Sneigen would probably manufacture some incident to get rid of Sara. Of course, as long as Ima’s safety was ensured.
Sneigen was also the one who opposed the idea of having Emmy as a bodyguard for Sara from the start until the end.
Concerning the carriage attack, as long as he was in cahoots with the thieves, it would be easy to rescue only Ima later on.
Regarding the roof incident, it could be seen as evidence that Sneigen was not involved since even Ima’s safety was at risk. It was reasonable that Sneigen would not do that, in case he made some sort of mistake.
Therefore, Baron Marz had kept Sneigen close, still unsure of his true intentions, and was monitoring his actions.
If Sneigen showed even the slightest suspicious move, the Baron was prepared to cut him down.
However…
These were all just speculations by Baron Marz.
There was no evidence at all.
Regarding the malfunction of the barrier stone this time, he initially suspected Sneigen’s involvement. However, it turned out that this issue was not a human-made problem, but rather a twist of fate.
Creating disharmony within the mansion’s relationships based on mere speculation during this crisis was not a good idea.
This time, he needed to focus all his efforts on repairing the barrier.
The Baron shook off his idle thoughts and poured even more magical energy into the barrier stone.
As he tried to pour his energy in,
It happened.
Gii……..
The door to the study opened with a creaking sound.
“!?… Ima?”
Entering the room was the baroness Ima Sarah.
“Stop… stop the repair of the barrier… immediately.”
With a bitter expression, the baroness said that, those unbelievable words, to the Baron.
Her face was pale, and her voice trembled.
“W-what are you saying…!?”
Amid the Baron’s confusion, his mind turned completely blank when he saw the next person to enter the room.
It was his beloved daughter, Sara.
And alongside Sara was the servant, Moub, who had entered along with her while holding a knife’s blade against her throat.
