The Runaway Maid is Loved by the Archmage - Chapter 177

※ This book contains depictions of coercive/dubcon/noncon acts, violence, and immorality. Reader discretion is advised.

“I have been sponsoring the Revolutionary Army for a very long time.”

Silence fell between the three. Especially Roina, who didn’t know the detailed circumstances, was looking at him with slightly widened eyes. It wasn’t easy for an aristocrat, a member of the ruling class, to sponsor the Revolutionary Army, whose goal was not only the downfall of the Imperial Family but also the abolition of the caste system.

“This empire is a deformed place. Currently, magical engineering has already achieved excellent progress and can accomplish countless things, and there are many things that can actually be commercialized. However, those things are not being used for society and have become the exclusive property of the nobles.

Even though commoners could be sufficiently educated to become magical engineers, it’s said that there are few people with the talent of a magician, which is ridiculous. Because of that, the lives of commoners are not improving at all.”

Come to think of it, there was a significant gap between the lives of the actual commoners and the lives of the nobles that she had experienced here. Clearly, she had often seen ever-burning lamps or small items that enriched the lives of the nobles in aristocratic families, but those were only for special people.

They were so expensive that only nobles could access them, and the lives of commoners seemed to be from the Middle Ages.

“So, I have been spreading the knowledge I possess and working to spread education to private homes for a long time, centering on the Revolutionary Army. If things continue like this, the prosperity of the empire will end.”

If that’s the case, it makes sense that he has a close relationship with the Revolutionary Army. Roina had an expression as if she had realized something.

Yoseph adjusted his slightly lowered glasses and frowned slightly. The lenses of his glasses seemed to be a bit off. Had his eyesight gotten a little worse in the meantime? He tried hard to hold back a sigh that was about to come out.

“Do you remember when I said earlier that the empire is deformed? Revolution has never succeeded even once in this empire. There have been countless attempts, but they all ended in failure. You’d think at least one of them would succeed. And I think that’s because of the contract that the first emperor is said to have made with the god.”

The contract made by the first emperor. Roina thought briefly. It had been a while, so her memory was a bit hazy, but she remembered the dream where the old Roina had cursed the first emperor. At that time, there seemed to be a time limit of a thousand years… How many years has it been since the founding of the empire?

“If that’s the case, do we have to disrupt that contract to make our plan succeed?”

“If my hypothesis is correct.”

Yoseph nodded. At his words, everyone groaned. How could they, with their own power, do anything about a contract that had been going on for nearly a thousand years?

“If possible, we must disrupt the contract renewal ceremony. I’m not sure if it’s possible while ensuring the safety of Lutan-nim, but it’s also necessary to draw attention, so we must do it.”

Yoseph’s gaze was directed precisely at Erika and Jason. Erika nodded reliably, and Jason slightly raised the corner of his lip as if he wasn’t displeased with the fact that they were finally taking action.

“Just trust us!”

“Then, the aristocratic faction also needs a guarantee for the additional risk,”

Jason’s and Erika’s voices popped out at the same time and crossed each other. Erika turned to Jason with a dissatisfied expression, and he avoided her gaze, fiddling with his dagger for no reason. Yoseph shook his head slightly and said to the two of them.

“Don’t worry about that. I will make sufficient arrangements. However, I must tell you one thing: disrupting the contract renewal ceremony is something that Lady Roina and I must do.

That ceremony is something only the nobles can see up close. We ask you to take charge of searching for and backing up Lutan-nim.”

At those words, Roina paused. It was the first time she had heard this. However, she knew that Lutan’s transformation in the original story happened during the contract renewal. Preventing that would definitely be effective.

With a determined face, she nodded to Yoseph, who was about to confirm.

“We don’t have time, so let’s move quickly.”

“Hmm, alright! Please don’t forget our promise.”