Cycle of Destiny

Chapter 55 The Empire's First Female Marquis

The goddess smiled and continued, "Before becoming a Holy Magician, Odel was a nobleman stripped of his title. His grandmother was the first female marquess in the empire's history—Margaret Fairchild. Your teacher's full name was Odel Fairchild, but after being stripped of his noble title and surname, only the name 'Odel' remained. Have you ever heard of Margaret Fairchild?"

Harry certainly knew. Margaret was not only the first Marquis, but also the first noblewoman in the empire; there were records of her in the "Who's Who," and Harry's memory was not bad either.

But he still shook his head, a blank look on his face.

Unlike Alexander, who was a household name, far fewer people knew about this Marchioness. Harry knew the goddess certainly knew more than he did—if someone was willing to tell you something, it was best to let them.

"She was the first noblewoman in the empire. Her father was a sworn brother of Emperor Arcanos XIII. When Emperor XIII was still a prince, the two fought side by side on the battlefield. They had made a pact to arrange a marriage between their children to continue this bond. But Margaret Fairchild was not the kind of weak woman who would obediently follow her father's arrangements. Her fiancé, who later became Emperor Arcanos XIV... was said to have been somewhat afraid of her since childhood. Even after he ascended the throne, this fear did not diminish much. Therefore, their marriage pact was not fulfilled."

Harry nodded at the appropriate time to show that he was listening attentively.

"Although Margaret Fairchild broke her father's agreement, the rewards she received were still very generous. She was her father's only daughter, and at that time, there was no precedent for women to inherit titles under the laws of noble succession. Despite the strong opposition from the Council of Elders, His Majesty Archanos XIV, out of consideration for their past relationship and their father's friendship, overruled the objections and allowed her to inherit the title. Thus, she, who should have become Queen Archanos, became the empire's first noblewoman and marquess."

She paused, as if giving Harry time to process it, before continuing:

"However, she truly deserves this honor. In the tournament required for inheriting the title, she defeated a standard eighth-rank warrior with just one move."

The goddess's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible approval. "Back then, people gave her the title 'Queen of Thorns' because she had a fiery personality and formidable strength, and no one dared to provoke her. Her family's fiefdom was the former Orion Province, which is now the location of the Orion Magic Academy."

"However, when she first inherited the title of Marquis and became the lord of the Orion Province, the territory of Orion was far smaller than it is now."

The goddess shook her head slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips, a smile that was hard to decipher as either mockery or admiration. "Back then, no nobleman believed a woman could manage such a vast territory. I heard there were even betting games among the capital's noble circles, trying to guess how long it would take her to start selling off her lands. But this woman was indeed shrewd and capable. Under her care, Orion not only didn't shrink, but it nearly doubled in size, and the family's wealth multiplied several times over—all entirely under her control. Truly a remarkable woman."

The oil lamp flame suddenly crackled and popped, creating a tiny spark, and the light flickered. The goddess's gaze returned to Harry's face, and her tone became more serious:

"Forty years ago, when she was over seventy, the Empire was hit by the 'Fake Cholera,' with the main outbreak area in the province of Orion."

Harry held his breath. He had only heard about this terrible plague from vague records and rumors.

"People infected with this cholera look just like ordinary people normally; their speech and actions are perfectly normal," the goddess whispered, as if afraid of disturbing something. "But once you let your guard down, their eyes will glow red, and they'll pounce like wild beasts. Normal people bitten by them will also become imposters. This makes the epidemic worse, and the number of imposters increases. Moreover, they only show signs of infection when preparing to attack; otherwise, they're completely normal."

This description sent a chill down Harry's spine. He could imagine the fear—that the person closest to him, someone he knew best, could turn into a monster and kill him at any moment.

"Refugees poured out of Orion in all directions, but no city dared to open its gates. Everyone knew that if even one imposter was let in, the entire city would be infected sooner or later. No one could guarantee that there weren't infected among the refugees. Some city lords even ordered that refugees be shot dead outside the city walls with arrows. Everyone was terrified at that time. The city gates were tightly closed, and there were far more soldiers patrolling the city walls than usual. The gates of the capital were also closed, all banquets were canceled, the streets were deserted, and everyone lived in fear, worried that they would be next. This disaster also changed the design of noble castles—people began to expand their basements, so that if the disaster were to repeat itself, the basement would be the best refuge. Of course, all of this happened later."

The room was silent, save for the faint crackling of the flames. Harry felt as if he could see through time and sense the despair that permeated the entire empire.

"The royal family and the church at the time tried all sorts of methods to extinguish the disaster, but none of them worked. The people sent to investigate not only couldn't find a solution, but they were also easily infected. Some nobles were so panicked that they even proposed the crazy idea of ​​'cleaning up' the people outside the capital... Of course, this absurd suggestion was not adopted. But it is enough to show how serious the disaster was at the time."

The goddess paused for a moment, allowing the heavy air to settle, before changing the subject:

"At the critical moment when people were in a state of panic and the empire was on the verge of collapse, the 'Queen of Thorns'—Marquis Margaret Fairchild—stepped forward."

Harry leaned forward unconsciously.

"She cultivated a peculiar plant, 'Orchid Heart Grass,'" the goddess said. "Drinking water infused with it allows one to temporarily see the red light hidden in the eyes of imposters. Now that we have a way to distinguish them, things became much easier. The royal family and the church dispatched a large number of people, and the local armies were all mobilized. This disaster that almost devoured the empire was finally brought under control and eliminated. As the lord of the hardest-hit area, I believe no one could have done it more perfectly than her."

The goddess stopped speaking after she finished. It seemed difficult to respond to such a comment, but Harry sensed that the goddess was waiting for him to speak.

He considered his words carefully before saying cautiously, "Based on your description... in that desperate situation, I can't think of anyone who could have done better than her. It truly is... a miracle."

"That's right." The goddess seemed satisfied with his answer and nodded gently. "It's a pity that such a remarkable woman passed away not long after the epidemic ended. According to Odel later, his grandmother was overworked trying to combat cholera and neglected her own health."

Her tone revealed genuine regret.

"Because Margaret Fairchild's son had long since passed away, leaving only her grandson Odell, Odell inherited her title and all her property. After his grandmother's death, Odell did not want to stay in that place of sorrow, so he and his new wife moved to the capital. Although the province of Orion was still his territory, he entrusted all affairs to a nobleman's agent and never returned there after that."

At this point, the goddess felt she should pause to build up the atmosphere, so she picked up her teacup.

This gave Harry time to think. He knew some of what the goddess had said, such as that the "Fake Cholera" mainly occurred in the province of Orion.

But what he didn't know was that it was the grandmother of the holy magician Odel who resolved the cholera outbreak; he also didn't know that his teacher had such a deep connection with the province of Orion.

All of this seems to have been covered up by the church—why would the church keep these things hidden?

And what other purpose did the goddess before him have in telling him all this, besides showing goodwill and getting closer? Harry's mind raced with thoughts.

In the silence, the light of the oil lamp cast the shadows of the two people onto the wall lined with books, swaying gently.

The goddess set down her teacup; the porcelain clinked against the wooden table. She continued her story:

"I only met Odel after he came to the capital. To be more precise, I met his wife, Laura, first. Now, everyone on the continent knows the name of the Holy Mage Odel—after he achieved those great magical accomplishments and founded the magic academy. But forty years ago, when he first moved to the capital, he was just a young marquis who had just inherited his title. I was about the same age as him then, around twenty years old, and had only recently taken over as goddess."

"Back then, it was almost fashionable for local nobles to settle in the capital. But the nobility circles in the capital had very limited patience for these out-of-town nobles." The goddess's tone carried a hint of sarcasm. "Some extreme nobles in the capital even felt that if you weren't born into a noble family in the capital, your noble badge was no different from a shop sign on the street. They looked down on everyone except themselves. Inviting these 'outsiders' to a banquet or two was one thing, but truly accepting them as one of their own was a completely different matter."

"However, Odell encountered far less resistance." She changed the subject, "The 'Fake Cholera' had only recently passed, so people naturally have more respect and tolerance for the descendants of the heroes who saved the empire. Besides... Odell is very wealthy."

“Normally, nobles from other regions don’t have that much wealth. The province of Orion has just suffered a disaster, so as a lord, Odel shouldn’t be too rich. But he has one thing,” the goddess lowered her voice, speaking clearly and slowly, “that is what allowed him to quickly amass astonishing wealth and gain a foothold in the capital.”

The air in the study seemed to freeze slightly as she spoke.

"But it was the same thing," a complex emotion flashed in her eyes, like pity or a sigh, "that eventually... dragged him into endless darkness."