Chapter 13
“Guildmaster, it’s ready!”
At the port of Aren, the entire sea was painted crimson by a breathtaking sunset. An older mage called out to Estelle.
He had just finished infusing a massive mechanical device with mana.
“Excellent work,” Estelle said, her expression one of satisfaction as she examined the crane undergoing its trial operation. It was designed for loading and unloading containers onto ships.
“Wow! With this, unloading and loading containers will be so much easier!”
Peter, who had been watching nearby, shouted with a broad smile.
Estelle had begun preparing for the container system as soon as she established her trading guild here. She was putting the knowledge she had acquired in her previous life in 21st-century South Korea to practical use.
Though she had initially studied a different field and only switched majors in her second year due to unavoidable circumstances, trade had proven to suit her perfectly.
“Peter Drucker, hailed as the father of modern management, once said that the container was a revolutionary invention that changed the course of global economic history.”
“By simply introducing containers, we can dramatically reduce the risks of theft, loss, or damage to cargo, while also cutting transportation time and costs.”
“Moreover, this ultimately reduced maritime shipping expenses by over half and increased global cargo transport by fivefold…”
The professor’s voice, droning during early morning lectures, echoed faintly in her memory.
“To be honest, at first, I didn’t understand you, Guildmaster. Why spend so much on these… metal boxes? But, wow… I never imagined the results would be this impressive!”
On top of that, Estelle had even developed mana stone-powered carts compatible with the container dimensions. Once containers were unloaded from the ship, they could be transported to their destination without any cumbersome work.
For her, there was no reason not to adopt a system that had already proven effective in another world.
As enormous profits followed, other trading guilds soon began to emulate her container system, and the containers she had designed became the standard.
This only made trade with other guilds even more convenient.
“How did you even think of something like this? Wow, Guildmaster, your insight is unmatched! Just this morning, the head of the Nurn Guild came asking for the container technology!”
Peter continued to lavish praise on Estelle.
“You’re truly incredible! Sometimes I even wonder if you didn’t come from another world.”
‘Sharp as always,’ Estelle thought, smiling lightly at Peter’s words.
She didn’t take his comment seriously. Even she considered it ridiculous—so unbelievable that no one would believe it if spoken as truth.
“All right, that’s enough for today. Everyone, head home. It’s the last day of the Founding Festival. Spend it with your families.”
“Yes, Guildmaster!”
Estelle left the bustling workers behind and headed back to the guild. She stopped by her office to remove her wig and mask, changing into simple attire.
“Guildmaster! Guildmaster! You’re going to the masked ball at Helix Square tonight, right?”
As she stepped out again, Peter scurried up, eyes bright with anticipation.
The masked ball had traditionally been an event for the nobility. But on the last day of the eight-day Founding Festival, the rules changed.
On that day, the largest square in the continent filled with villagers from all regions, all enjoying the masked festivities.
It was the day ordinary people looked forward to most. Especially this year—it was the first such event in four years since Empress Estelle’s disappearance. Excitement and cheer were inevitable.
“No. I’ll just take Ae’r home.”
But Estelle’s answer was firm. This was already a period when memories of Kai’an kept surfacing violently, stirring emotions she could hardly contain.
“Oh, come on! It’s only once a year! Let’s go have fun together! Ae’r is supposed to meet everyone there too!”
“What?”
Since kindergarten was off today, Peter’s family had taken care of Ae’r during the day.
Peter’s mother and sister were particularly fond of the boy, and he had grown attached to them, making such arrangements routine.
“You’re supposed to meet at the guild, remember?”
“I think Ae’r wants to try the chicken skewers at the square. Worried it might be dangerous? Don’t worry! There will be plenty of kids his age there! Even our Alan—he’s around that age too—”
If the child insisted, there was no choice. She couldn’t confine Ae’r simply because she was reluctant to revisit old memories.
Helix Square was livelier than usual. Compared to Varian Square in the Iscar region, it was smaller and simpler, but it had its own charm.
‘It’s been a while… this kind of atmosphere.’
Even Estelle’s heart began to race again, unexpectedly.
“I even brought the mask for you! The one you wear while working would draw too much attention. I thought this would be better. Good job, right?”
Peter handed her a white mask adorned with star patterns—a perfect fit.
Once masked, the two mingled among the crowd.
Then it happened.
“Ugh!”
A firm hand suddenly grabbed Estelle’s shoulder, spinning her around. Startled, her eyes glinted sharply as she turned to face the intruder.
‘How dare someone harass a lady in a crowd like this?’
She had no intention of tolerating such rudeness.
But the moment she locked eyes with him, her breath caught.
‘You… Why are you here?’
Among the masked crowd, he alone was barefaced.
It was Kai’an.
Estelle’s heart raced violently, as if it would burst.
Unexpectedly encountering her ex-husband, all her thoughts froze. Though Kai’an tried to avoid attention, wearing a brown wig and concealing himself in a robe, it was no use. She could see him perfectly.
Even after four years apart, his mere presence still stirred her emotions.
The chaos of the crowd around them seemed irrelevant. It was as if the world had vanished, leaving only the two of them.
Some time passed.
“Excuse me! Coming through!”
A group of burly men parted the crowd, creating a path between them.
Only then did Estelle regain some composure. She lowered her head and blended into the crowd, legs trembling as she tried to distance herself from him.
“Mom!”
At the agreed meeting spot, she scooped up Ae’r and hurriedly boarded the nearest carriage, heading home. The child struggled and protested, but it was useless—he was not nearly as desperate as Estelle fleeing Kai’an.
‘Why… Why would he be here? In a square ordinary people frequent? Could he have tracked me? Did he discover my identity here? No… I changed my hair, my eye color, even wore a mask…’
Her hands trembled as she comforted the child.
‘Surely… he doesn’t know about Ae’r, too, right?’
A chill of anxiety ran through her as she held her son tightly.
‘Aren is no longer truly safe.’
It was time to prepare another escape. Secretly. Unseen.
Kai’an emerged from the Guild’s portal tower, his thoughts conflicted.
Normally, the journey to Aren would take over a week on horseback, day and night. But the portal made it instantaneous.
Though activating the portal required immense mana, divine power, or aura, it posed no problem for a Swordmaster like Kai’an.
A normal knight would likely collapse for a week after such a journey without the aid of expensive mana stones.
‘That woman…’
But it was not the portal itself that troubled him. The ordinary woman he had encountered in Aren lingered in his mind far longer than she should have.
After completing the week-long Founding Festival schedule, Kai’an headed to Aren to continue his investigation regarding his mother.
Only he could open the secret space in the forest cabin. No other knight, however skilled, could activate the wall’s patterns.
Even if others entered and he exited alone, the wall would close completely within five minutes. No matter how strong a knight was, the sealed wall could not be broken.
To investigate that mysterious room, Kai’an had to be there personally.
Yet before even entering the Aren forest, he found himself instinctively drawn to a woman in a crowd who exuded an aura remarkably similar to Estelle.
‘I must be losing my mind… How could I mistake a common woman for the Empress?’
A Swordmaster’s senses were far more acute than a normal person’s, allowing him to detect others and distinguish allies from enemies even in pitch-black darkness.
Kai’an had never been confused or missed an opponent before. That was why this situation unsettled him all the more.
